Header Photo: 110's bashing upwind

The previous header photo was of a pair of 110 keelboats bashing upwind back in the 1970's. The 110 was an odd-ball 1936 Ray Hunt design, born in the Great Depression era. The hull was a double-ended, narrow canoe shape, flat-bottomed. I've bumped into them occasionally.  At a wedding at Ocean City Y.C, New Jersey in early 2000's I found a small fleet on trailers in the dinghy park. There was also one that showed up at the WOOD regatta back in 2011. My friend Tom Price has one awaiting restoration. I've never sailed on a 110.

The class was originally strong in New England with pockets scattered throughout the U.S. In the present day, it seems most of the 110 activity in the U.S. has shifted West; just north of San Francisco; Tomales Bay, with a fleet at the Inverness Y.C.

More history on the Ray Hunt Ten-Series designs.

The distinctive shape of the 110 can be seen in this heeled-over photo pulled from the InterWebs.

James W. Laws

The specs for the 110 as put out in the OD-OY magazine's annual class review. The hull weight is 412 kg (910 lbs.) which is identical to some of our heaviest North American dinghies.

An early photo of Hull No. 33.

Header Photo: Cotuit Skiff

The previous header photo was of a Cotuit Skiff, a vintage design, circa 1906, that is raced in great numbers on Cotuit Bay, on the South Shore of Cape Cod. A jumbo low-slung, gaff-rigged cat sail powers this 14 foot flat bottomed craft, as is shown by the juniors in this photo desperately hiking her down. If one was closely inspecting the photo, one could wonder what happened to the skippers aft, steering arm. It has completely disappeared. Well this fellow is using both hands on the sheet and steering with his foot. The Cotuit Skiff doesn't allow tiller extensions! I suppose this is something the young and fit would do; any attempt on my part to sail a small boat, steering with my feet while hiking out, would inevitably result in a capsize.

The Cotuit Mosquito Yacht Club was formed around the Cotuit Skiff early on as a junior club. No member could be older than 25 or married. Today the club remains though there is the "Association of the Cotuit Mosquito Club" to allow the parents and older citizens to be involved. Indeed the Cotuit skiff is raced by all ages.

Some other pics:

2011 Mid-Atlantic Small Craft Festival

Earwigoagin reporter John Z was on location to take some photos at this years Mid-Atlantic Small Craft Festival hosted by Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, St. Michaels Maryland. Apparently reporter wages that this blog site pays are not sufficient as John was also selling a John Gardiner traditional motor skiff he built some time ago (with vintage 10 hp Johnson). John did find a buyer at the last minute.



The docks, as always, were a beehive of activity..........



Having brought a motor boat to the festival, John didn't participate in the sailing race but did take in the action from the deck of a traditional Sam Crocker 23' Stone Horse keeler.



8' Cocktail racers are the newest rage in the Mid-Atlantic. An open cockpit outboard racer (6-8 hp outboards), the design is based on a 1939 design from "The Rudder" magazine. Local plywood kit makers, Chesapeake Light Craft, have designed a stitch and glue version that should be introduced in the next couple of months.



I get bored with all-varnished stripper canoes and kayaks, but I never get bored with the beauty of an all-varnished Adirondack Guideboat......



The Delaware Tuckup during the sailing race............



I don't remember seeing a Beetle Cat attending the Festival the last couple of years. Apparently one made it this year.....



Melonseeds are still one of the more popular traditional sailing craft being home built today. One of the Melonseeds launching......



Puddle Duck racers are another class that has caught the interest of the home builder crowd. Derived from the Bolger "Brick" (apt name for this square, blunt, plywood design), Puddle Duck sail plans seem to wide open. This one sports a leeboard......

DC-10 plans; New Address

For those that might be interested in DC-10 plans, here is an updated address where they can be purchased;

Doug Cooper

Eldred Cooper Boats

P.O. Box 611

Falmouth, MA 02541

From Tweezerman's archives, another picture of the DC-10

DC-10 dinghy

Some of you may have noticed that I've been switching up my header photo. The current photo gracing the header of this blog is of a DC-10 sailing dinghy sailing at the Mid-Atlantic Small Craft Festival at St. Michaels.


The same lady owner of the DC-10 has shown up every year I've attended and I've been very impressed with the DC-10 design as a very capable small singlehander for almost anybody. Although the DC-10 was designed specifically to be home built, the DC-10 hasn't achieved any great level of popularity. I have read that it is used as a frostbite dinghy out of Falmouth Massachusetts.

Messing About in Boats magazine wrote about the DC-10 in a 1993 issue, back when I subscribed to MAIB and other boating and sailing mags (I don't subscribe to magazines now because I'm a pack rat and my wife is much happier, and life becomes easier, when I don't leave little piles of magazines in every room of the house). Articles in MAIB cast a wide ranging net over the boating scene and I recommend looking into subscribing if your interest in boating is similarly broad brush.

The one page article on the DC-10 as excerpted from the January 15, 1993 issue of Messing About in Boats...................


The address of the designer, Douglas Cooper, listed in the article is probably not correct and I'm not sure if plans are still offered. I will do some research on the designer