We bring an article originally written by Pascal Lutz for the French OGA Newsletter in November 2024 where he reports on ‘Nyala’ and her current owner, Loïc. This translation is published with permission from the Fédération des Vieux Gréements de France (French OGA). It tells the tale of ‘Nyala’, now resident in France, built at the Woodbridge Boatyard, River Deben in 1933 to a design by Maurice Griffiths.
‘Nyala’ and Loïc are now part of the landscape at the ‘Ponton des Classiques’ in Breton waters at the port of Paimpol. This endearing couple deserve to be introduced. ‘Nyala’ arrived in our waters in the summer of 2017, but she started life in England. Built in 1933 she was designed by Maurice Griffiths for a commission by American film director, FC Culbert. Culbert’s idea was twofold:
1. a boat to shoot the screen adaptation of the maritime spy novel ‘The Riddle of the Sands’, set in the shallow waters of northern Germany;
2. a versatile family boat, suitable for deep-sea cruising, coastal navigation in the areas rich in muddy shoals of the east coast of England, as well as for French canals.
Maurice Griffiths, yacht designer and maritime writer, designed a long-keel hull with an unusually moderate draft for the time (1.24 m), with soft and balanced shapes, and equipped with a ‘folding’ gaff rig, half-ketch, half-yawl, whose mainmast tilts to the rear and the mizzen to the front. Thus, on inland waterways, nothing protrudes. The accommodation has the wonderfully cosy character of classic British yachts, all in varnished woodwork. You can stand up without discomfort, cook on a big old oil stove and heat yourself with a traditional Taylor’s stove.
Specification
Hull length 10.50m, LOA with bowsprit and bumpkin 14m
Beam 3.10m, Draft 1.24m
Displacement 8t, including 3 of ballast (half in cast iron over the entire length of the keel, the other half in mobile lead pigs in the bilge)
Auxiliary power: Volvo 2003 3-cylinder 29 hp engine
The original sail area was deliberately under-canvassed at 56 m², Loïc increased it to 74 m² all above close-hauled (with jib and 3 jibs) and 120 downwind under spinnaker.
Wheel steering with cable lines.
History
‘Nyala’ was built in 1933 at Everson & Sons boatyard in Woodbridge (now Woodbridge Boatyard) on the River Deben, Suffolk. Unfortunately, the yard’s archives were lost in a flood in the 1950s which deprived us of the original plans and documents. She changed hands in 1935 but continued to sail well during the 1950s and 1960s. She remained abandoned for a while until she was bought in 1982-83 by Sylvia Murphy who carried out a renovation of the interior, the structure still being in good condition.
Loïc bought her at the end of 2016 (Sylvia Murphy was to die three years later) in Perpignan where he worked on her for nine months. He brought her back to Brittany first by the canals, according to her original passage, then navigated through the Ponant islands, landing at the end of August 2017 in Binic.
Current renovation
In recent months, ‘Nyala’ has been taken over by Marc Nicolas at the Charpente Marine du Légué shipyard (St Brieuc) for an essential major renovation. The structure had some more than worrying weaknesses, for example the sternpost, which caused problems during a tough return from Ireland. One thing led to another, and it became essential to change the floor frames, the sternpost and 70% of the planking, which run the entire length of the boat in one piece from stem to stern. Her hull has the particularity of being lined with copper (like the ‘Hermione’!). Under this lining, the pitch pine planking proved to be incredibly sound, like new, except in the areas damaged by old corroded bolts. The work of changing all these parts required dismantling this lining.
Currently, the framework completed, ‘Nyala’ is housed in a hangar in the port for the end of the work, meticulously carried out by her skipper. Once perfectly aligned with the laser, Loïc can tackle the giant puzzle: putting back in place all the copper plates, which were hot-unglued, cleaned, hammered, and cleared of their damaged edges (which requires replacing 20% of them). First, coat the hull with coal tar, glue a sheet of felt, adjust the sheet metal, and finally fix it using copper nails of the large upholsterer’s seed type.
Of course, this major overhaul is an opportunity to start over with many points from scratch: the electrical circuit, the piping, the engine mount, the floors, the through-hulls, etc. In the meantime, Sylvain Le Tinnier from Voilerie Paimpol will cut a new mainsail. Armed with a lot of courage, patience and great manual skills, Loïc plans his work for the coming months, with the goal in sight: la Semaine du Golfe du Morbihan, May 2025! At the end of this long-term work, one thing is certain: the beautiful 91-year-old lady will be ready for another long life of adventures!
Original article written in French by Pascal Lutz
Published in Fédération des Vieux Gréements de France Newsletter, November 2024
English translation published with permission
Photos: Loïc le Marchand
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