Night Wind

An Invited Friend of the Harrison Butler Association
Waterbug One Design by JW & A Upham 

  
 

Classic Sailing Club Boat
I came across Night Wind on the hard standing at the Suffolk Yacht Harbour in 2012. She was For Sale for £12,900 but, with the economy in recession, the broker told me little interest was being expressed in her. She had been one of the six boats that were available to charter from the Classic Sailing Club at Pin Mill. She was being sold as a Harrison Butler boat. In truth she was heavily modified by her builder, which has been a source of endless controversy. In all, sixteen of these Waterbugs were built.
Graeme Campbell has been in touch to say that as a friend and colleague of owner Ken Parsons, he often sailed Night Wind to France and the Channel Islands in the 1980s and 1990s. Graeme writes; "She was a fine boat; my introduction to sailing was aboard her. She inspired me to buy my own yacht and take up offshore cruising as a hobby". He particularly remembers that Night Wind had a 'temperamental' Stuart Turner engine - It sounds to me that there is a tale or two to be told about that !
For Sale, July 2019
Night Wind was reported to be seemingly inactive in 2014, and so it is not a surprise that she is now (July 2019) up for sale. She is in reasonable condition but will need someone willing to put in a good effort to bring her back to her former glory.

Night Wind
Night Wind photographed by Richard Farmer.
She was on the hard at Rye, East Sussex, late 2014.

Night Wind Statistics
Built : 1939 by JW & A Upham of Brixham
LOA : 24' 8"
LWL : 21' 9"
Beam : 8' 5"
Draught : 4' 8"
Displacement : 6 tons TM
Lloyd's Register : N° 166918

Night Wind Custodians
Classic Sailing Club (?-2012-?) Pin Mill
Kenneth Parsons (1974-2006) Mitchell's Yard Poole
FC Powell (1968-1973) Maldon
Ralph J Hunter (1965-1967) Burnham-on-Crouch
WR Morden (1955-1964) Brixham
FH Robinson (?-1952-1954) Brixham

Night Wind Links
Dominic Buckley discusses Night Wind's pedigree 
The Waterbug; A Derived Design?, HBA Journal, New Year 2016 
Pedigree of The Waterbugs, HBA Journal, Autumn 2016 
Night Wind For Sale (Rhy Harbour Boat Owners' Association)

Page last updated : July 2019

 
  

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