November 2023  Baídín Buí (ex Wotswong)

By Colin McMullen

Wotswong in Pensarn Harbour

The process of acquiring a junk-rigged boat has been a slow burn. I first sailed on a JR in Toronto in the 1970s and was instantly enamoured of it for cruising. Following several previous failed efforts to buy a JR boat, the day finally arrived in June when I travelled with my son Robbie to the Artro River in Harlech in

N Wales. There we met Simon Lewis Jones, owner of Wotswong which he had put up for sale on the JRA site.

My mind was already made up, barring any major obstacles and after a thorough inspection, the deal was sealed. Curiously, we discovered a connection in that Simon, who worked as a journalist in China, was taught Chinese by a cousin of mine in Cambridge. Now re-named Baídín Buí (“little yellow boat” in Irish, pronounced BOJ-een bwee), she is a Kingfisher 22 foot built in 1978 fitted with a diesel inboard and sail drive. The interior is not the usual Kingfisher layout but was custom-fitted by one Norman Silk on The Wirral in the late 70s .

The rig is a tapered aluminium mast flying a flat, tan-coloured sail on wooden spars and battens, the yard and boom have an aluminium track. Robbie returned to Wales in August with a friend to sail her home. The original plan to sail to Mayo, where I live on Ireland’s west coast, via Scilly was shelved due to unsettled weather and time constraints, so the plan was changed to sail straight to the E. coast of Ireland and truck her home from there. With a forecast of SE’ly veering SW and freshening, Baídín Buí set a course to clear Bardsey Is. which was just about weathered in a freshening breeze. With sheets eased, she romped across the Irish Sea on a fast reach & run, to arrive in Dun Laoghaire,

24 hours out of Harlech.

A couple of weeks’ sailing out of Dun Laoghaire followed, during which we familiarised ourselves with the boat and rig. We had the pleasure of welcoming JRA chairman Kevin Cardiff on board for a sail in Dublin Bay and he gave us various tips on reefing, etc.

Ambling through Dalkey Sound

As I write, she is on her way by road to Mayo, where new adventures await among the islands and bays of the west coast.

[A video of that lively sail across the irish Sea may be found by clicking on

this link.  And, here's another, to windward and eased off a few degrees, great viewing here  - alternatively get them here Baidin Bui sailing nicely to windward under 3 reefs.mp4  Baidin Bui approaching Dublin Bay.mp4  Baidin Bui approaching Dalkey Sound.mp4Ed.]

Our "Boat of the Month" Archive is here, and the forum discussion for comments and candidate suggestions is here