Sailing Magazine
by Richard Crockett
I came across this feature article while searching my archives for yesterday’s Olympic material. It piqued my interest as I have original photographic negatives of Frank Wightman testing out his own dory. Early this year I scanned those 6cm x 4.5cm negatives into my system – and share some today.
Wightman is an interesting character who deserves space dedicated just to himself, so this may be something I share soon.
But back to the dory feature. For years Frank Wightman, who rows 400 miles and more a year back and forth across Langebaan Lagoon, hankered after a dory. Nothing was available in the 10-foot size he wanted, so he had one designed, and said the following of her: “She is just back from her first five miles across to the farm this morning, then down to Langebaan for a four-gallon tin of paraffin. Blowing fresh northerly with sprinkles of rain … I was so claimed by the tussle at the oars in the usual flurry of wind and sea that I noted only the impression that obtruded themselves: the principal of these was her dryness – only two flick of spray across my shoulders when the old dinghy would have been sousing me.
For those with a love of old traditional boats and old photographs, this is a must read.
ENJOY IT HERE: 1960 09-10 – SA Yachting – Wightman – OCR
