Grayhound 2012 - Three masted lugger & privateer

3 masted lugger Grayhound - Launch date 4 Aug 2012

This is more than a paper project or a dream.  Grayhound is real and she is big !

If you have been following the build, you will have been amazed how quickly this major replica has taken shape.  If you find yourself near Plymouth, Devon it really is worth going on a country land detour to take a peek in the huge open boatshed on the Rame Peninsula in Cornwall.

See our Big Build Pages for photos, boatyard address and directions.

Invite to the Launch Party

Please e mail us below if you would like an invite to the Grayhound Launch Party on 4th August 2012 and we will keep you upto date with the event and any other opportunities to be involved.  There will still be a huge amount of work to do and sea trials to complete before she is ready for her first charter season in Spring 2013.

The Big Launch Party Programme- See the launch and much more.....Sword fighting demos, live bands, bar, souvenirs to buy

Quite a few traditional vessels are planning to be at the launch including pilot cutters Annabel J, Amelie Rose and Charmian. The boatyard is in a beautiful tidal creek at Millbrook. Classic Sailing staff will bring their rowing expedition boat Number 8 down to the event for anyone who wants a row or a go at sculling, and Grayhound team have a mini gig boat so perhaps we can fit in a race.

Marcus, Freya and Malachi

Marcus Rowden and Freya Hart are the visionaries behind the project, and Classic Sailing team are extremely proud to have the chance to promote their incredibly bold project to build and sail a replica of the 1776 three masted Cornish Lugger "Grayhound." 

They are looking forward to showing you their favourite sailing destinations and they are keen on exploring ashore with you too.

>>Read more about Marcus, Freya and the youngest sailor on board - Malachi and why they want you to join them exploring the planet aboard their home of wooden walls.

Sail an ocean going lugger with cannon

Classic Sailing directors Adam and Debbie know from first hand experience how tough it is to find any kind of financial support for building large scale historic replicas in the UK, even when they have a real end use as an ocean going charter vessel, and help people understand about our rich maritime heritage.  We tried to do something similar in 2007 with our own 'privateer project' and failed, so we have a huge respect for the determination and courage of Marcus and Freya to get this project off the ground and build a great team around them. 

Our role will be to help them fill the boat with enthusiastic crew in their first season in 2013. In 2004 Classic Sailing helped the new owners of Ezra to achieve 100% capacity bookings for their newly built 44' pilot cutter replica in Scotland. In addition to our regular fleet of sailing vessels that provide charter voyages, in 2011 we took on the whole marketing and booking for historic sailing cargo ship Bessie Ellen, and expanded her sailing programme to an 11 month operation.

We hope to do the same for Sailing Lugger Grayhound. She can take upto 8 guests and will have 2 volunteer crew berths. Grayhound will be licenced for worldwide charter and after good bit of showing off around the UK coast, she will be going on some big ocean adventures.

2013-2014 Grayhound Sailing Programme Announced - Cornwall, Cape Verde, Caribbean & more

You can now find Grayhound's sailing programme on the Classic Sailing website and we are already taking bookings.  The first summer has a great mix of summer maritime festivals and coastal hopping in Devon and Cornwall - along the very shores that Revenue cutters and Privateers used to patrol.  She will also be regularly crossing the Channel to explore North Brittany and the Gulf of St Malo with some crew changes in France to maximise the time exploring over there. In the late summer she heads South to Northern Spain, Portugal and the Atlantic islands groups of Madeira, Canaries, and Cape Verde.  If you have always wanted to sail accross the Atlantic with the warm North East Trade winds to the Caribbean and doing it on a tall ship feels a bit like cheating, then a 2000 mile ocean passage on a three mast lugger is quite a different experience.

The Caribbean sailing is mostly island hopping but a few voyages include taking part in world famous racing events at St Maarten Classic Yacht Regatta and Antigua Classics.  Grayhound will return via the Azores - one of her crew favourite destinations.

Grayhound Full 2 Year Sailing Schedule 2013-2014 - descriptions, dates and prices

Why Sail or Build a Lugger ?

As a sailing rig it is beautiful, efficient, fast, simple and it works.  It was the choice rig of both the revenue and smuggling vessels of the 18th Century. Yachtsman Pete Goss proved a 37ft lugger could still hold its head high in the modern sailing world by sailing 'Spirit of Mystery' from Newlyn to Australia in 2008. The shipwright for 'Spirit of Mystery' was Chris Rees and he is now the chief shipwright for the much larger lugger 'Grayhound.'

The French have Three Masted Lugger Replicas

La Cancillaise and  La Granvillaise are stunning historic replicas built with EU money in the early 1990s by the French.  They steal the show at every major festival.  They are about to get a rival. Whilst there is a revival of interest in luggers in Mounts Bay, Britain does not have any three masted luggers surviving or any replicas currently sailing , despite historic evidence that they were characteristic working craft of Britain.

photo by Kathy Mansfield. La Grandvillaise

History of Grayhound 1776 - Revenue Cutter & Privateer

The lugger Grayhound was built by the celebrated builder of fast coastal craft - John Parkin.  He build cutters and luggers for both the revenue authorities and for the smugglers. It seems likely that the original Grayhound was built in Cawsand in Cornwall.  She seems to have been built to the order of John Knill, Collector of Customs in St Ives. He hired her to act as an anti smuggling customs vessel.

Her terms of duty as a revenue cruiser was quite short due to the Declaration of Independance by our North American colonists. The ensuing war with America and France, gave attractive opportunities for privateers.  John Krill bought the vessel out of customs service and had her fitted out as a privateer. In 1778 she recieved her letters of marque allowing her to take enemy ships as prizes for profit.

She carried 14 carrige guns, 3 pounders and 8 swivel guns.  Under the command of Richard John she was manned by a crew of 47 !

Introducing the Boat Building Team

Marcus has already built a 30ft dipping lugger 'Veracity' back in 2003 and has since sailed her 22 000 miles including an Atlantic circumnavigation.  Boat builder, welder, sailing instructor, and experienced skipper, Marcus is now ready to take the tiller of this new, larger vessel. 

Marcus's partner Freya is a bespoke canvas and sail maker. She is also a passionate cook and boat mum to their young son Malachi.  After some years working on traditional sail training vessels she is an Ocean yachtmaster and has recently completed an Atlantic circumnavigation.

Chris Rees, the chief shipwright is one of the most repsected craftsmen in the South West.  His last big project was the build of the 'Spirit of Mystery' - Pete Goss's lugger which in 2008 re-created a historic journey to Australia by Newlyn fishermen.

Young apprentice  craftsmen are also being employed to assist throughout the build to help ensure the future of traditional wooden boatbuilding.

Support the Build

4000 wooden trenails will outlast any metal fastening, but they all have to be made by hand.  Sponsor a trenail for £5 and the team will write a message on your nail.

Also great mugs for sale with a sketch by Toni Knights - an artist, skipper, fisherman ex lifeboat man from Brixham, who we all know in the Classic sailing office as he gave us so much support during Eve of St Mawes sea trials and first season.

See the gorgeous photos and videos of the build process, and buy those souvenirs or trenails at the on line shop on Grayhound's new website.