Last modified: 2020-10-17 by rob raeside
Keywords: water wags of dublin bay |
Links: FOTW homepage |
search |
disclaimer and copyright |
write us |
mirrors
See also:
"Yachting", Volume II, published in London in 1894 as a compilation of
several contributions, provides insight on the early ages of yachting in the
British Isles.
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/41973/41973-h/41973-h.htm
In Chapter
III (Irish clubs), a contribution by Thomas B. Middleton introduces the 'Water
Wags' and 'Mermaids' of Dublin Bay. A color plate provides the private signals
used by some of these boats.
Ivan Sache, 27 September 2020
Water Wags are presented by Middleton as follows (excerpts):
The 'Water Wag' was evolved from a Norwegian pram, into which a boiler-plate was fitted for a centreboard as an experiment. This novel craft was called the 'Cemiostama.' She was built in the year 1878, and was a great success; she sailed like a witch, carried a large sail with ease without any ballast save the iron-plate, worked well to windward without making any leeway, spun round like a top when the tiller was put down, and when the boiler-plate was raised she ran in on the surf, floated in a few inches of water, and eventually sat on the strand on her flat bottom. The plate (which weighed nearly 1 cwt.) was then lifted out of her, and she became as light to haul up as an ordinary shore skiff.
[...]In order that these boats might have an occasional race between themselves, to preserve the type and to save the expense of outbuilding and the trouble of handicapping and time allowance, it was further arranged that all the boats should be built on the same lines, and the canvas limited to a cruising amount. This was accordingly done, and they proved themselves to be such good seaboats, and so generally useful for two or three amateurs to amuse themselves along the shore in, that 'The Water Wag Association' was started in 1887, to further develop and preserve the principles of the class. Though it was started by boys, several older Wags joined, and as the boat was never designed for speed, the racing was not originally intended to be hard-down serious sport, but more a sort of friendly sail round a course in boats all alike, and that consequently should be all together; but of course skill in working would bring one to the front and make her harder to catch. Hence the rollicking title 'Water Wag,' and the institution of a king and queen, bishops, knights, and rooks, to manage the affairs of the club, their chief duties being to get up as much fun and as many jolly water excursions as possible.
The first two or three seasons saw this idea carried out with great success; but gradually the racing grew more keen and serious, until it eventually became the sole object for which the boats assembled, so much so that it is now nothing but racing from early in April till late in September. The Water Wags' own races are held round Kingstown Harbour (the head quarters having migrated there when the generation which formed the Shankill Corinthian Sailing Club grew up and disintegrated over the world); others are got up for them by the Dublin Bay Sailing Club in Scotchman's Bay, outside the harbour, and there are races at the local regattas at Kingstown, Dalkey Bray, Greystones, Wicklow, Clontarf, Howth, and Malahide; so that since the class was started they have had nearly 300 competitions.
Ivan Sache, 27 September 2020
image by Ivan Sache, 27 September 2020
Light blue.
Ivan Sache, 27 September 2020
image by Ivan Sache, 27 September 2020
Yellow.
Ivan Sache, 27 September 2020
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 27 September 2020
Vertically divided black-yellow-red.
Tomislav Todorovic, 27 September 2020
image by Ivan Sache, 27 September 2020
Vertically divided red-white.
Ivan Sache, 27 September 2020
image by Ivan Sache, 27 September 2020
Horizontally divided white-light blue.
Ivan Sache, 27 September 2020
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 27 September 2020
Black with a yellow saltire.
Tomislav Todorovic, 27 September 2020
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 27 September 2020
Black with a yellow cross patty.
Tomislav Todorovic, 27 September 2020
image by Ivan Sache, 27 September 2020
Vertically divided white-yellow.
Ivan Sache, 27 September 2020
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 27 September 2020
White with a red cross patty.
Ivan Sache, 27 September 2020
Mermaids are presented by Middleton as follows:
The B division of the Dublin Bay Sailing Club consists of 18-ft. boats, called 'Mermaids,' which are practically large Water Wags, being entirely open, with 6-feet beam, fitted with centreboard and carrying no ballast. These have a limited racing sail-area of 180 feet, but they are not further confined as to shape, and some have the rounded stern and some the square. They are very fast, lively boats, requiring a crew of three or four nimble hands, principally to be employed in shifting ballast, and they give a great deal of sport, as many as twelve or fourteen starting in a race every Saturday afternoon.
Ivan Sache, 27 September 2020
image by Ivan Sache, 27 September 2020
Light blue.
Ivan Sache, 27 September 2020
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 27 September 2020
Vertically divided blue-yellow.
Ivan Sache, 27 September 2020
The analysis of the source image by an image editing software reveals the shade
of blue in these blue images might be even darker - it is hard to distinguish
from black by a naked eye. Consequently, attached herewith are the corrections
of Ivan's images with a darker shade of blue, although not so dark as to be too
hard to distinguish from black.
Tomislav Todorovic, 27 September
2020
image by Ivan Sache, 27 September 2020
White with a red cross.
Ivan Sache, 27 September 2020
image by Ivan Sache, 27 September 2020
Blue with a white crescent.
Ivan Sache, 27 September 2020
image by Ivan Sache, 27 September 2020
Divided light blue-white per bend sinister.
Ivan Sache, 27 September 2020
image by Ivan Sache, 27 September 2020
Quartered light blue and white.
Ivan Sache, 27 September 2020
image by Ivan Sache, 27 September 2020
White with a red vertical lozenge featuring a white star in the center.
Ivan Sache, 27 September 2020
Two versions:
image
by Ivan Sache, 27 September 2020
image by Ivan Sache, 27 September 2020
Vertically divided red-white-blue or vertically divided red-white-light blue.
Ivan Sache, 27 September 2020