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June 2021 - Chopsticks by Derek Pilgrim

I was beginning to feel too old or too tired, or both, to keep climbing onto the cabin roof of my Bermudan-rigged Leisure 22 every time that I needed to do something with the mainsail.
An old colleague, Chris Gallienne (he who was once JRA treasurer and web master), took me for a trip on his junk-rigged China Girl and so the solution became clear: I must buy a junk-rigged boat.
Then came my next surprise: available junk-rigged boats are few and, literally, far between.
Even with the help of the delightful Robin Blain, whom I came to know far too briefly, it took me nearly a year and much travelling to find one of the size and type to suit me: in a marina on the River Yare (Norfolk Broads).

Chopsticks was moored in Mermaid Marine, Brundall, and owned by Philip Corridan (in 1991-93 Philip sailed around the world in a 25year old catamaran―see his fascinating book Journal of the Alleda).

She was just what I wanted, almost.

Only two things that I wasn't so keen about: I really would have preferred coloured sails (I thought all junk-rigged boats had coloured sails) and I definitely didn't want a composting toilet (sea toilets are not allowed on the Norfolk Broads ). 

But a deal was struck and Chopsticks was mine. So, in August 2017, a maiden voyage with Chris, from Great Yarmouth to my home in Cornwall. 

Escape from the Broads via Great Yarmouth is not a trivial affair since you need to book ahead to have two road bridges lifted in the middle of the town.

Although the voyage was in August, we had to hide from strong winds in Brighton for several days, and were hit by a sudden squall in the middle of the night west of the Isle of Wight

Still, what is a sea voyage without a spot of bad weather, eh?And I did learn how to shorten sail with a junk rig.

Chopsticks is a Kingfisher 26JR designed by RAG Nierop and built by Westfield Engineering Co. in 1976.

Her length overall is 7.92m (26ft 0in), beam 2.34m (7ft 8in) and draft 0.99m (3ft 3in).

She has twin (bilge) keels and displaces 2,177kg.

She has a tapered aluminium keel-stepped mast, wooden yard, boom and battens, and a cambered 6-panel white-ish sail (Christopher Scanes, 2011).

The engine is an 18hp Yanmar 2GM20F twin cylinder diesel (1998).

There are four berths in two cabins.

The Kingfisher 26JR is the same as the Kingfisher 26 Mk2 but junk-rigged and with side ports replacing the large window in the forecabin to enable the mast to be stepped through the forecabin roof.

Chopsticks has a much improved interior than standard on the Kingfisher 26, with a veneer finish which was added to the original GRP bulkheads by a previous owner.

The same owner also addressed the problem of heavy weather helm, common to the 26JR, by commissioning Alan Boswell (chartered naval architect and former chief designer at Oyster Yachts) to redesign her rudder.

The modification proved very successful and was featured in an article in the September 2010 issue of JRA magazine.

Since acquiring Chopsticks most of the work that I have done on her has focused on general tarting up of the usual sort and learning how to service a marine diesel engine.

All exterior varnish has been replaced with Burgess Marine Woodsealer (wonderful stuff).

Although fitted with a composting toilet, there were still sea-cocks from an earlier sea toilet installation so I was able to fit a new Jabsco―a great relief!

Web searches have convinced me that, sadly, there is no reliable method of colouring sails, (do let me know if I'm wrong).Red would be nice.

Other small projects have included modification of the stainless steel boom gallows and cockpit seating.

I have toyed with the idea of wind vane steering and would consider a second hand rig at a reasonable price.

Sailing since 2017 has been in the waters of the Tamar-Lyhner-Plymouth Sound and  along the Devon and Cornwall coast: Brixham, Salcombe, Plymouth, Falmouth, Helford River, during which I have confirmed that my decision to ‘go junk rig’ was a good one.

Pity I didn't do it years ago.

I’ve managed to get to a couple of Brixham Heritage Sailing Regattas, including one JRA AGM, where I was pleased to talk junk rig sailing with a number of JRA members including Ted and Fiona Stone on their beautiful Fly (she has two red sails!).  

Chopsticks at the Brixham Heritage Rally, September 2018 (photo from Fly, Hui Mar in the distance) 

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