 Class symbol | |
 | |
| Development | |
|---|---|
| Design | One-Design |
| Boat | |
| Crew | 2–3 |
| Hull | |
| Type | Monohull |
| Hull weight | 132 kg (291 lb)[A] |
| LOA | 4.3 m (14 ft) |
| Beam | 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) |
| Sails | |
| Spinnaker area | 9.9 m2 (107 sq ft) |
| Upwind sail area | 10.7 m2 (115 sq ft) |
| Racing | |
| D-PN | 96.0[1] |
| RYA PN | 1190[2] |
TheWanderer is a 14-foot (4.3 metres = 14.1 feet)FibreglasshullBermuda riggedsailing dinghy designed byIan Proctor. One of the main objectives of the design was to produce a robust safe and versatile dinghy that could be used for knockabout day sailing and cruising as well as racing, but was light enough to be handled ashore.
On the water the boat can be recognised by its Saillogo of a white W in a blue circular background. Over 1600 boats have been produced. It should not be confused with its larger cousin, theWayfarer (dinghy), which also sports a "W".[B]
The initial design brief was given to Ian Proctor by Margaret Dye who wanted a lighter dinghy than theWayfarer that she had sailed with her husband Frank. Margaret and the lateFrank Dye had a wealth of dinghy cruising experience, and their adventures have been captured in Margaret's bookDinghy Cruising – The Enjoyment of Wandering Afloat.ISBN 0-7136-5714-6.[3]
TheWanderer hasMain andJib sails; it can also be fitted with aSpinnaker. Reefing of the main sail is by slab reefing. The jib can be fitted with a roller furling system. The boat is by design an aft main boat rather than a center main boat, although often converted to center main. It has high intrinsic stability, and the normal wooden centreplate can be replaced with an 38.5 kg (85 lb) steel centre board which makes it even harder tocapsize. The relatively light weight of the boat contributes to its ease of launching and recovery. The design allows for fitting of a long shaftedoutboard motor of up to 3.3hp. There is very ample storage and on Pre-Hartley built hulls an in built waterproof locker, or "Wanderbox", for storage of the outboard motor when not in use.
TheWanderer dinghy design and construction has evolved during the years of manufacture, one of the most significant early changes was the introduction of the MD modification. This was a modification to the distribution of buoyancy resulting in a reduction in the floating height of the boat after a capsize thus aiding recovery (and propitiously making the boat less likely toturn turtle).
In 2006 Hartley Laminates took over the copyright and manufacturing licence for the design. They secured the services ofPhil Morrison to redesign the deck plug to modernise the appearance of the boat, allow the hull to self drain through transom flaps and to reduce the complexity of building the hull and thus production costs while retaining the same hull shape and rig.
TheWanderer has an active class owners' association (WCOA) which is based in the UK and is responsible for maintaining the class rules[1]. The WCOA organises racing and cruising events all over theUnited Kingdom including an annual Festival;WandererFest, which has been held at Cobnor nearChidham_and_Hambrook for the last 10 years.
The associationwebsite hosts all the details of the class rules, constitution, boat history, technical details andevents.
The association also publishes a magazine three times a year of news of the Owners' Association.