first ever dinghies?

[schwing]

Can anyone shed any light on what was classed as the first ever dinghy? The first ever fibreglass dinghy? And the first ever racing yacht, or yacht in general to be designed?

[SeaDrive]

The first-ever fiberglass dinghy was probably by Beetle, circa 1955. I'm not sure if the FG Beetle cat was the same design as the famous wooden ones, but I do believe it was the same Beetle.

I doubt there is a definitive answer the the other two questions. It depends too much on the definitions (dinghy? yacht?), and it was too long ago. Boats have been raced since the first time there were two dugouts on the same river.

[schwing]

how are dinghy's and yachts defined, is it something to do with their LOA ?

[CT 249]

I' ve been researching this, and as said above it all depends on your definition. For example, Royal Navy ships used to race their "dinghies" in regattas in the fleet and have done for years. At least one captain had a special boat just for races. So was that a dinghy? They were unballasted open (ie not fully-decked) boats, so probably therefore dinghies; I reckon if it's a mono that can capsize and relies on crew weight in a breeze, it's a dinghy.

Many workboats that fitted the above definitions raced in regattas, but they weren't really racing boats as we'd think of them today; they were just workboats having a day off. The Sandbaggers of the New York area started racing in the early to mid 1800s IIRC, but they relied on ballast.

The Bermuda Fitted Dinghy, 14 footers, started in the 1850s as workboats and still race in tiny numbers (about 5 boats). The Australian skiff types were doing regular club racing by 1872 but I think that was in 19, 22 and 24 footers which have all died out. Unlike the Sandbaggers, they relied on crew weight and had little or no ballast. By then, there were many dinghy races on Scotland's Clyde, as well.

OD racing seems to have started in 1886, with the 14' North Haven OD near Boston and the Water Wag in Ireland. Both classes still survive but the Wags changed to a "new" design in about 1900.

Of course, by 1886 the Canoe classes were already doing international regattas. They were much more developmed than the early dinghies and by 1886 they already had hiking planks (sliding seats), hollow masts, 45 kg hulls and pretty damn good performance. They were planing by the early 1890s.

Is the Beetle Cat a dinghy???? Ruth Lindemann, daughter of the inventor of foam, built some German O Jolle (1936 Olympic precursor to the Finn) in Airex foam/fibreglass sandwich in 1955 so that form of construction is much older than normally thought.

[D'ARTOIS]

Caroline, you have to go back into the history of Dutch VOC ships that used to be accompanied by so called "jachten" - small fast boats that were used as connection ship-shore, recon, messenger for admiralty's puposes, etc. Later on, rich Dutch merchants used them as pleasure craft. So you have to go back to the 17th century if you talk about pleasure craft in the real sense of the word. You may find them on many historical paintings.

[SeaDrive]

Originally Posted by CT 249

Is the Beetle Cat a dinghy????

Fair question. We are already agreed that the answers to these questions depends on the definitions. I was thinking "small open boat," which the Beetle is, of course. I tend to adopt the British definition of "dinghy" which is more or less equivalent to the US "daysailor."

Perhaps the US usage has "dinghy" beginning as equivalent to "yacht tender", and now including small boats used for racing.

[gggGuest]

Well there were some neat small boats discovered with one of the Viking ship burials...

[Dutch Peter]

And what about the hollowed tree or the Egyption papyrus vessels that were used as "pleasure yacht" for Cleopetra.

[Raggi_Thor]

Remember the american (US) tourist in Rome, asking the guide if Colloseum (or Pantheon or whatever) was from "befor the war"? The guide answered, it's from before America....

[D'ARTOIS]

You are getting a bit out of issue - the ancient Egyptians were using rowed craft on the Nile river and that was used for hunting - ancient sailcraft was known but used for cargo and the remaining vessels were instruments of war.
Pleasure boating as a common way of leisure did not start earlier than the 17th century. I believe

[Raggi_Thor]

Some nice examples at the Scheepvaartmuseum, Peter?

[icetreader]

Roman emperors had large boats built for pleasure boating - both rowing and sailing.
Maybe we need to define "pleasure" more precisely - Looks like Polynesians have always mixed utility with pleasure at sea... -Does racing belong in "utility" or "pleasure"?

[D'ARTOIS]

Yes, but that were neither yachts nor dinghies.... boating was no leisure among the "populi".... next to that, it was not very safe to be on open sea. A number of 10.000 plus pirateships were, even in Roman times, operating in the Med area.

[Dutch Peter]

Originally Posted by Raggi_Thor

Some nice examples at the Scheepvaartmuseum, Peter?

Of 17th century Dutch vessels, yes, but not of Egyption crafts.
Do you know the Scheepvaart museum in Amsterdam, Ragnar?

[Ssor]

I just checked the dictionary; Dinghy 3, Any of various rowing or sailing boats used in sheltered waters along the Indian coasts for transporting passengers and freight. english usage 1785-95
Also any small open boat designed as a tender or lifeboat esp. a small ships boat.