Posted by Mike Field on February 15, 2001 at 12:31:01 from 203.26.98.4:
Since the still-running thread on Secret Water commenced, I've been doing a little research into the possible origin of Lapwing, which, as you will remember, is the missionaries' vessel in Secret Water.
I think I've found her prototype in a vessel of the same name, built by Harry King in Pin Mill in 1934, five years before SW was published. She was designed by (need you ask?) one Maurice Griffiths.
Lapwing's specificatons were --
LOA 30', LWL 26'-9", beam 9', draft 4'-7", displ 7.8 tons, with a sail area of 515 sq ft.
The drawing shows (top) MG's drawing of the real Lapwing's sail plan, and (bottom) AR's sketch of The Missionary Ship (Red Fox p 249.) The similarities seem pretty obvious.
However, there is one minor point of difference, in that Lapwing's accommodation plan (not shown above) clearly indicates that her galley was aft on the starboard side, whereas AR puts it somewhere forward (via Roger, Red Fox p261.)
And another point of possible difference is in her rig. MG has her gaff-rigged, whereas in AR's drawing it's possible that she may be bermuda-rigged. (However, he shows her with a sail-cover on, and it's not really easy to tell whether a gaff is hidden under there with the boom or not.)
Given the name, hull shape, and place and date of building, it seems to me to be highly likely that AR's Missionary Ship is indeed MG's Lapwing.