Beer Luggers

 

'Temegani', a converted Beer or Exmouth Lugger

My daughter’s partner recently bought a gaff cutter that may have started life as a Beer Lugger built by Lavis of Exmouth. ‘Temegani’ has a fascinating history. Amazingly and coincidentally, she was almost totally rebuilt by my friend Bill Johnson. I say ‘amazingly’, because what are the chances of such a coincidence happening? I saw the boat being planked …….. perhaps in 1981 when Bill was also building his own Eventide 26, the one he and I attempted to sail to the Azores.(* See link below)

‘Temegani’ was originally a clinker Beer Lugger, or so I understand, quite a large one at 26’ LOA. Bill planked her in double diagonal larch and increased her scantlings, replacing frames, keel and sternpost. He added external ballast in the form of a mild steel casting. There was 10 hundredweight of internal lead ballast. He built a new mast with crosstrees and fitted a horse for the mainsheet.

One anomaly would appear to be her wineglass transom which is not characteristic of a Beer Lugger. Another oddity is her original light build, because she would have been launched and retrieved off a steeply shelving pebble beach. Could she in fact have been an Exmouth Lugger? There on the Exe, she would have dried out on sand or mud while tethered to a mooring. Her shallow draught would have been ideal for sailing in the estuary and over the bar. I think her overall length of 26’ makes it unlikely she was Beer Lugger.** 

Links

*Cruise of the ‘Ishani’, a 26’ Eventide – Part 1

http://bills-log.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/cruise-of-ishani-26-eventide-part-1.html

**The Southwest Maritime History Society (See paragraph re. Exmouth lugger)

http://www.swmaritime.org.uk/article.php?articleid=1219&atype=r

Beer Lugger

http://www.beer-devon.co.uk/BeerHeritage/BeerHeritageSite/VillageSite/BeerLugger.htm

Beer Luggers

http://www.beerluggers.co.uk/Beer_Luggers/Home.html

Beer Luggers

http://www.cornishluggers.co.uk/beer-luggers/

Bear Sailing Club - Luggers

 http://www.beersailingclub.co.uk/luggers.html

Beer Regatta – Bear Luggers

http://www.beer-regatta.co.uk/about/luggers/

Bear Lugger – Sold

 http://www.findafishingboat.com/beer-lugger-mahogany-on-oak/DB15809

Unique way of tacking lugsail

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gO6WA3fmr_E

Beer Lugger – Builder – Adrian Noyes

http://craftsmancraft.com/Beer_Lugger.html

Only Here for Beer ………. Luggers – Classic Boat Magazine , February 2011

http://www.nigelsharp.co.uk/pdf/CB%20272%20Beer%20Luggers.pdf

Model of a Beer Lugger for Sale

http://www.harbourantiques.com/MISC609.htm   

My Cruising Logs

http://bills-log.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/my-cruising-logs.html#!/2013/03/my-cruising-logs.html