Email This Page to a FriendA Father, a Daughter, and a Boat: Cruising in an Iain Oughtred Sooty Tern
November 30, 2016
A father and daughter take the day for a sail aboard UNA, an Iain Oughtred-designed Sooty Tern.
The Sooty Tern is the kind of boat that helps families enjoy time together. Slightly longer but overall a little smaller than the Caledonia Yawl, Iain Oughtred’s yawl is a slick, beautiful boat for daysailing, camping, and good old-fashioned family time.
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RELATED OCH LINKS:
Leney Breeden shares her thoughts on her life as a "Daughter of a Sailor" and in her guest post "Sailing UNA".
RELATED LINKS:
Eddie Breeden's Blog "Lingering Lunacy"
Leney Breeden's Blog "A Girl Named Leney"
Sooty Tern kits available from Hewes & Company
Old Bay Club of the Traditional Small Craft Association.
Downeast Chapter of the Traditional Small Craft Association.
Website of the National Traditional Small Craft Association.
WoodenBoat Forum Thread on Eddie's Build
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28 Responses So Far to “A Father, a Daughter, and a Boat: Cruising in an Iain Oughtred Sooty Tern”:

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Wonderful small cruising dingy. Fabulous that a father and daughter can share this experience together!
Loved watching this video again… Everything about it is simply beautiful!
Eddie,
Great video. We all eventually learn that the simpler boats get used more.
Best wishes in the new year
John
Thank you John. So true. Hope we cross paths in the new year!
Sure reminds me of the Sea Pearl I had for years. I had an older one with centerboard and lug rigged. I added two rowing stations. Great boat, but next one will be wider. (and harder to row alone) for open water.
Thanks for sharing. Really like what you both have in experiencing this together. Nicely done film from stem to stern!
Just lovely. Thank you for sharing this.
Well done! Enjoy those moments for they will last you the rest of your life.
I find it curious how often it the father-daughter relationships that get recognition . Unfortunately in my case,I sampled little time with either parent,aside from our gardening and playing golf . Gardening seemed solitary for each of us.. not tons of talking and revelations popping up. Golf became competitive between my dad and I, not a lot of buddy buddy energy. The boat seems to offer lots of possibilities since it’s uniquely isolated from land… more singularly focused and jointly committed to by all on board. My sprite is hugely boosted by these father,daughter film episodes. Be cool to get some mom-son and daughter mom tales .
Related Links directs you to Iain Oughtred’s website. It is not! It is Stray Dog Boat Works site, giving the impression it is mine. We are correcting this as i finally set up my own website …. sometime soon.
Hello Iain! My father and I visited you a couple years ago while we were visiting our fatherland. Nice to see you pop up here! How’s the website coming? ~Jacob
Very nice Boat, i find that hatch closing mechanism simple and genious. But doesn’t let that hole in the bulkhead water in the buyouancy container?
Bernhard – Using the shockcord to hold the hatch in place, it may leak a cupful or 2 if the boat is swamped. The four turnbuttons hold it firmly, against the soft rubber seal, so it remains dry.
Neat! I’m building a Sooty Tern now. She’s half done. I got a couple of ideas from you to adopt, the bent tiller and the short benches.
Beautiful film. An Oughtred double ender is likely my next boat. I need to chose one; Caledonia Yawl, Ness Yawl or Sooty Tern? You spent nights on your Sooty Tern. How does that work? Looks pretty tight!
Regards,
Lorenz
Lorenz,
Sooty is the Mustang. Caledonia the F150. Both awesome boats. I frequently sleep in the boat with tent and camp mattress. It is tight for 2 people. CY, not so much.
-EB
EB,
Been away a while. Thank you for the reply. Kind of how I figured it. One Sooty Tern, coming up…need to clear the decks, well, the barn…
Regards,
Lorenz
One of my favorite OCH videos’ Thanks for sharing your story. Regards, John
Great video. Nice boat. Good people. Thanks.
Beautiful film, beautiful boat ! Good to see a lucky father, sailing together with his daughter, sharing his passion for sailing.
Every year I am sailing in Venice Lagoon and had the opportunity to join a friend from Venice in his home-built Sooty Tern. I am also building my own boats and always liked Iain Oughtred`s designsn but for sailing in the lagoon, I choose to build a “Harrier”with a plank-keel, an Antonio Dias` design.The lagoon can get very shallow at many places and with the plank-keel you can sail in very “thin” water !
Tony’s “Harrier” is indeed a classic boat. Maybe a companion to the Sooty? I’ve been tempted.
Wow! Just — simply — wow! What an absolutely beautiful boat, and what a wonderful relationship! So many family’s today don’t have that – you’re so lucky.
Another great video to make me thankful that I joined.
BTW I’m not really a sailor so please forgive me but – since the mizzen is forward the rudder post – is she a Ketch?
Greg
Thanks Greg. In this case the rig’s proportions between sails make it a yawl. The term “yawl” also can mean a light sea or fishing boat. To confuse it further, many “canoe yawls” are actually ketches. The LFH’s Rozinante is a good example.
This represents (to me) all things good in the world. Truly inspiring.
Beautiful boat, lovely under sail, but the umbrella doesn’t fit and (I’m told) bad luck on a boat.
I certainly envy both the boat and the relationship; my daughter used to sail and race with me but we lost her.
God Bless,
Jim Hart
Guess I need to refer to the umbrella as a bimini? Sure drops the temps when needed.
Sorry for your loss Jim. I know you hold those memories dear. Daughters are so special and deserve treasuring (I say that with 3 boys trailing her). Thanks-
I am thankful for he time and relationship you had with your daughter. Cruising on sailboats with daughters is the best. One of the best platforms there is for building, stressing:), and deepening relationship with kids as well as teaching teamwork balanced with initiative and problem solving. My daughters who sailed with me are now moms and too busy for sailing but I now get their children to sail with. A joy. I pray for you, your family and your daughter’s spirit. Enjoy the memories, which she still shares also and know you will crew together again with the fairest of winds and seas. Peace
Beautiful boat, beautiful relationship. My inner nautical romantic would like to think the two are connected.