Two Smacks Boats

All Smacks Boats are fitted to the owner's specifications, Clive compares two that he has owned; a fast one and a comfortable one

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Purchasing the same model of boat twice is usually a sign that it's a good boat. In my quest to find the perfect trailer-sailer I've owned two Smacks Boats-one was fast, the other more comfortable.

The fast boat was called Neva after the river in north-west Russia. Neva's previous owner, an East Coast woman, had equipped her for racing with lots of minor adjustments, all designed to increase speed. Her beautifully made large sail was from North Sea Sails and Neva had a reputation for being the fastest Smacks Boat on the East Coast since she won many class races. She was too fast for me, being a dinghy cruiser with little interest in racing, but keeping her upright did improve my agility.

Eventually I decided to change her for a comfortable Smacks Boat that was easily managed with a more modest sail area and better fittings. Anglia Yacht Brokerage obliged, and I exchanged Neva for Titmouse.

Complete with wooden admiralty blocks and heavy canvas sails, she was more suited to my 70-plus years. I like to take time to look around at the scenery with a boom that clears my head. Both boats had the same hull but Titmouse had side benches, a higher boom, optional jib and bowsprit, heavy canvas sails and generally heavier fittings. Also, her mast was a tad further aft to accommodate the optional jib.

I first launched Titmouse into the non-tidal coastal lake at Rye, where I like to try out new boats; it is easy to launch and recover a boat as there is nearly always a fresh wind blowing up-Channel or across the marsh and I was able to find out much about the boat's sailing abilities.