Posted by Roger Wardale on August 25, 2014 at 07:23:57 user RogerW.
In Reply to: Re: Amazon and Scarab's keels/hull bottoms posted by Magnus Smith on August 25, 2014 at 05:30:57:
Magnus,
That is very interesting about the builder's plate that was covered in layers of paint.
Richard Pierce was the expert that I referred to.
I suspect that the Altounyans were very well aware of Mavis's failings in 1928 when they took the children out to begin their tutelage. From what little real information exists from that summer, it is clear that the parents were absent for long periods. The A's still had Beetle and sailed her also.
Ernest Altounyan and Robin Collingwood in two unnamed boats raced Willie Rawdon-Smith, a neighbour) and took Roger (aged six) on May 30th
On June 1st Ernest and Dora sailed to Peel I and had a terrible time getting back with squalls all ways at once. If this was Mavis then they would know all about her problems.
Next day they sailed again and AR turned up at the boathouse and they went on the lake with the two boats.
The following day Ernest took the children to Peel Island where Dora joined them later and had to row home!! From diaries I have formed the impression that sailing was a sufficiently rare event to warrant the half-a dozen entries of the summer.
Where I differ from John Berry's account is that I believe that there is a world of difference from allowing the children to sail and taking the children sailing. One of the problems about trying to form a clear picture of the events of 1928 is that in her book (wonderful book!) Taqui mixes up the events of 1928 and 1932 -3-4 when the kids were at school in England and holidayed at Lanehead. Physically, I am sure they would not have been capable of sailing Mavis alone in 1928, but with a careful Uncle Robin or their parents as skipper there was not that much risk.
During the war Pauline Marshall, then in her 20s, (Rawden-Smith) took Mavis out and sailed across to Coniston where Mavis was struck by a squall and capsized. A youth was drowned. It was fully reported in the local paper at that time.
If Mavis IS the 'original' of Amazon, she is a changeling! An old well-used boat becomes new, a painted boat becomes varnished and the interior layout is altered.