Roger has released a new video about visiting a Breton boat “jumble” with a friend. We always love to see new boat videos from Roger!
Roger Barnes, May 12, 2025 – Visiting a Breton Boat Jumble by Boat
After an injury prevented Roger from sailing all of this year so far, he finally got out on the water for a daysail in a French friend’s boat, to visit a waterside boat jumble at the little Breton port of Rostiviec.
Mark’s ‘Avel’ is an Aber design from the French naval architect François Vivier, similar but slightly older than his design for Roger’s own dinghy (see below).
AVEL DRO, my own boat.
Avel Dro is an Ilur designed by François Vivier, and built of clinker plywood by Les Charpentiers Reunis of Cancale in 1994. I bought her in France in 2003 to import her into the UK, and more recently returned her to France again. The design is based closely on the traditional inshore fishing boats of Brittany in the early years of the twentieth century – hence her simple boom-less lugsail rig and lack of a mainsheet horse, (sometimes controversial among my viewers). Although rare in Britain, Ilurs are relatively common in France. Modern Ilurs are slightly different from mine, as they have more built in buoyancy. The name Avel Dro is Breton, Avel = wind, Dro = to turn – so it means a whirlwind.
- Length 4.44 m
- Sail area 12.2 m²
- Beam 1.70 m
- Draught 0.25 / 0.86 m
INTERESTED IN DINGHY CRUISING?
- Read Roger’s book, The Dinghy Cruising Companion
- Join the Dinghy Cruising Association
Shane O'Brien says:
I know very little about boats and I have never been to France but for some reason I find Roger’s videos captivating, beautiful and cathartic.
Mr Barnes, thanks to you I have decided to build a little boat. I won’t come to Brittany but I will increase my intake of Croissants, coffee, and fine cognac.
Blue Skies
Shane.