Monday, September 28, 2009

Romilly



Tillerwoman and I went for a walk this morning along the side of our river, the Sakonnet, and came across a boat for sale on a trailer on someone's front lawn. To be honest this is not an unusual sight in these uncertain economic times but this boat really caught my eye.

At first glance it looked like a classic wooden boat but on closer examination I realised it was constructed of GRP, but in a way that avoided that "plastic boat" look. And the spars that appeared to be wooden were really carbon fiber. Hmmm.

It was a Nigel Irens design, a Romilly. I'd never heard of it before. A 22 ft. lugger yawl. Cast iron centerboard. Small two-berth cuddy cabin. I guess you could call it a family day sailer but it would be a pretty cool family day sailer.



Hmmm. I envisaged sailing around the bay with family members. Hopping over to Jamestown or perhaps a longer trip around Buzzards Bay. Sleeping on the boat overnight would be like camping for sure but that would be half the fun.

As I examined the boat and dreamed of what I would do with a Romilly, Tillerwoman was making comments like, "The beds must be be very small," and, "It won't fit in the garage." She doesn't find boats very romantic, it seems...

I was tempted, very tempted. This would be a fine boat for taking grandchildren for sailing trips. The asking price was more or less equivalent to four new Lasers. But even so....

We carried on with our walk. I must resist the temptation. Repeat to self, "I am a Laser sailor. I am a Laser sailor. I am a Laser sailor."

16 comments:

Zen said...

To label something, even one's self, is to limit it...zen

Tillerman said...

When walking, walk. When eating, eat.

JP said...

It does sound fun - but was it good enough to be part of the Tillerman hat collection?

Litoralis said...

Looks like a very interesting boat.

Mal Kiely [Lancelots Pram] said...

A very good friend of mine has, as one of his boats [he's also a Laser sailor], a 16-ft day sailor, that he regularly takes his family out sailing and staying o'night somewhere on. it's a fantastic alternative.

Andrew said...

Should you decide to buy four new Lasers I'd be happy to look after one for you.

O Docker said...

That is a very salty looking boat, but if Tillerwoman is anything like Mrs. O Docker, I'd worry her first night aboard might be her last.

I think I'd go with either a smaller, simpler daysailor, or something with a little more accomodation for overnighting. But don't stare at a boat that pretty for too long!

Pat said...

Hey, is the second of those four Lasers available?

Dangerous knowledge:
There is no ONE perfect boat.

Tillerman said...

Pat, I think the question of whether or not there is "one perfect boat" is akin to whether or not there is one perfect woman for you.

If you find the perfect woman, then marry her and spend your life with her and don't even think about looking around to see if any of the others are more fun, more welcoming, more cool, prettier, saltier, broader in the beam, easier to launch ... whatever.

Ditto with boats.

doryman said...

Forgive me Tillerman for pompous self aggrandizement, but if it helps to know you are not alone... The Romilly has appealed to me for a year or more, because I'm a sailing snob who can't stand a cruiser that sacrifices performance for accommodation (my apologies to your wife, I don't mean to contradict her wisdom, but do you want to get where you're going, or sit around looking pretty?) I may build one - or maybe purchase the one you saw?
http://dory-man.blogspot.com/search?q=Romilly

The O'Sheas said...

Once you've found that perfectly-beamed woman, however, I would find it perfectly appropriate if you continued to match her with new and different beaches, boats, and, um, other b-things. Kinda like BBQ sauce. Just because you find the one you like, doesn't mean you're restricted to using it on spareribs for the rest of your life. Spread it on a flank steak, a pork loin, some wings, thighs, maybe even a breast or two.

Tillerman said...

Greg - your fingers are sticky.

Pat said...

Hmmm, I don't think wives and girlfriends really parallel boats.

Consider an analogy to vehicles. I would not be convicted of bigamy were I to own a diesel truck and a Toyota Prius and use the truck for towing a big boat and the other for running errands and going on non-boating vacations. No, it would just be the environmentally sensitive and practical thing to do.

And, presumably even a bigamist wouldn't marry two wives just so he'd have one for short trips and another for hauling his keelboat.

Or, let's say you are a mechanic. There's nothing morally or legally wrong with having sets of both SAE and metric wrenches and being prepared to work on a variety of cars.

But, it's big trouble if you mess around simultaneously with American and Metric Wenches....
Aaaarh, matey!

Zen said...

u guys need help...seriously

Anonymous said...

Just stumbled across this. I have a Romilly 22. It was purposely designed as "an honest day sailer". If you really want to do overnights look at its big sister, Roxanne.

Anonymous said...

It does come with a nifty canvas tent to enclose the cabin overnight, though.

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