New arrival

A new arrival in any family is most times accompanied by a mixture of excitement and anxiety, and the arrival of the wayfarer was no exception.
Getting the boat and trailer from Gordon's bay some 40 Km from our home is a story for the best part left untold. My anxiety level was maxed out by the thoughts of dodgy wheel bearings and the anticipation of tyres blowing out, on a road beset with kamikaze drivers.

However I arrived home safe and without incident, to a waiting Fiona with a big smile on her face. After parking the the boat in a suitable shady spot in the garden, it was time to give it a thorough inspection, which I could not really do at the dim and dark factory warehouse where the boat was kept in Gordon`s bay.

During my search for more information regarding the Wayfarer dinghy, I found that there are very active Associations for the class and that the UK Wayfarer Association was formed in 1958. There are  also Associations in the US and Canada, the advice and support given to boat owners are astounding. 

I decided to join the UK Wayfarer Association, to become member, even though being in South Africa, it will not be possible to participate in all the sailing and educational activities going on with the UK. Wayfarers.

The welcome I received from Sarah, the UK Association Secretary was so warm and welcoming, I immediately felt that I have become part of a world wide circle of friends. 

History.

The Wayfarer dinghy was designed in 1957 by Ian Procter, as a all purpose dingy for family day sailing, and  teaching people to sail. The boat is very forgiving but is fast enough to provide excitement and competitive racing.

Length                 4.82m     (15' 10")
Beam                  1.86m     (6'   1" )
Min Hull weight   168.7kg  (372 lbs)
Draft Max           1.17m      (3'10" )
Draft min             0.23m     ( 8" )

Over the years the Wayfarer dinghy has proved it self as a very capable sail boat, it is being used in many sailing schools for training and has also being used for some extensive voyaging. It is comfortable and stable and a tent is rigged over it for camping and sleeping in, which is what I am planning to do.

The original wayfarer Mark 1 was available for wood construction either by licenced builders or wooden kit for self-build by amateurs, however this method was later phased out. From the Mark 2 till the latest Mk 4, it has and are still being built in Glass fibre, taking advantage of production methods for better economy and less maintenance.

Very accurate records were kept of all the sail numbers issued and the wayfarer that is now in my garden, Sail number 579, was issued in 1962. ! That makes this "wooden" boat 50 years old. ! 

As far as I am aware there are not many Wayfarer dinghy`s in the country. I am now searching for the history of this boat, how it got to South Africa, who owned it and what adventures the boat and owner(s) had ? 

Wayfarer 579

What I learnt so far, is that the boat was given to a young man in Gordon`s bay. The boat was is in need of repair and he did a great job restoring it to sailing form. New deck and floor was put on and some hull damage repaired, new rudder pintles replaced and boat varnished, all in all the boat can be sailed straight away. 

I would be interested in any other information about the history of this boat. ?