Jomano is a Solway Dory Shearwater sailing canoe, built to the Skipper’s specification by Dave and Dave in their barn in the Northumbrian Lake District, UK, before being transported to her home port (garden) in Central France.
Her length overall (LOA) is 16ft (4.9m), with a beam of 40 inches (101 cm).
She is fitted with a freestanding 5m2 bermudan rig and kick-up leeboard and rudder. A pair of outriggers (offering approx 50 lbs buoyancy each) can also be fitted for coastal sailing or stronger winds. For safety, there are buoyancy tanks and watertight hatches fore and aft. The front starboard side tank can be opened and flooded in a capsize to make it easier to get back on board. She has been built with a GRP hull and plywood decks. Jomano can be sailed, paddle sailed, or just paddled (with or without the sailing rig). We haven’t weighed her, but believe the hull to be about 40-43 kg; the Skipper can get her on the roof of the Land Rover on his own (although it is easier with two people).
The Skipper has owned a variety of boats including canoes, kayaks, rowing skiffs, racing catamarans and dinghies, and larger comfortable cruisers. The last of these, a fast Jeanneau 32 footer was sold because 3 new children combined with the demands of work meant she was just not being used. It didn’t help she was berthed on the other side of the sea, and every month the marina fees kept coming. Some years later, an old Drascombe Lugger was acquired to teach the children how to sail. Slow and steady, but still fun, easy to get to different sailing areas and no mooring fees! However, at times we did get a bit fed up with pulling a trailer and launching and recovery which always seemed to take longer than it should. We wondered if we could go even smaller, and stumbled across the Solway Dory sailing canoes on the internet. We had never seen one or sailed anything like it, but after a few telephone discussions with the builder an order was placed and build slot reserved. We did wonder about this impulse buy on the long drive to the north of England and back to France, but as soon as she was launched for the first time, we realised it was a genius decision! So easy and practical to explore areas near and far, launching from almost anywhere, accessing waters not possible with other boats and loads of fun to sail and paddle. The only downside is she will not accommodate the whole family, but at times that can also be an advantage..
A few photos taken during Jomano’s build:
