My boat is not perfect and if I built a second one it would be better. So if you wanted to build something similar perhaps you can learn from what I did.

With a small sum of money collected by the sale of his belongings and contributions from his family, Speck set off from Hamburg on 13 May 1932, when Hitler was almost unknown. Armed with a kayak, two paddles, a camera, film, clothing, a pistol, he paddled down the Danube towards the Mediterranean.

in the 50’s &60’s new lightweight inexpensive dinghy classes for kids and teenagers were on drawing boards or being developed in boatbuilders sheds and beachside sailing clubs were starting up all over Australia. This was only made possible by significant technical developments with ply sheet, moulded timber fabrication and resin glues used in aircraft in the 1930’s

Australian sailors have always respected their New Zealand neighbours. With a population of only 4.8m, NZ holds the America’s Cup, have long pedigree with both ocean racing and dinghy design and a healthy tradition of maintaining their yachting heritage.

We lit a fire in the rain, which spluttered into life and then went out, so we drank some whiskey removed a leech or two and retired to our sleeping bags listening to the rain drum on the fly sheet.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the last six months publishing articles on SWS it’s that the events that do best are created by enthusiasts on the ground, having an idea and then making it happen.

It’s a good time to re-introduce inexpensive ply kits. Mirror enthusiasts from the 1960’s and 70’s are now parents and grandparents wanting to share Mirror Love with a new generation. So write Charlie Salter and Jaemie Wilson.

Bucknell happened to drink with Daily Mirror feature writers in a local Ealing pub. The Mirror was the largest circulation tabloid in the UK and was keen for a project. Sailing had recently topped a poll of English leisure activities so Bucknell suggested his DIY dinghy…And the rest is dinghy history so write Charlie Salter and Jaemie Wilson.

Albert Park Lake in Melbourne and Lake Wendouree in Ballarat are large, freshwater, metropolitan lakes, often forgotten for their contribution to boating, yacht design and racing for 150 years.

I’m developing another theory which is almost the inverse. It goes something like this…. “The amount of pleasure per dollar gained from owning a wooden boat is inversely proportional to its length.”