Brian
I am one of those children......... When I was about 10 years old my father decided to fit out an Atalanta hull. Having read about junks and seen 'Jester' he decided the junk rig was for him. I remember years (literally) of weekends spent in Blagdons yard on the Embankment in Plymouth. It was also where I began my interested in boat building. It was on this boat that I was given my first lessons in laminating; being the only one small enough to be able to get into lockers and to the wrong end of the pilot berth!! (Social services would have a fit!!!) Finally the boat was finished and the sailing started. I remember those small voyages well.
It was the early days of the junk..... he was a member of the JRA and, I think, liked the idea of 'being different'. The first few trips were, on reflection, hilarious. Rope everywhere, the sail never quite going up as intended. Eventually he got it right, and we enjoyed many happy miles. At the time, I was young and full of dreams of speed and ocean voyages. it struck me that the junk was pedestrian, and boring..... there was nothing to tweak, even going about was effortless. Eventually he decided that he was not a 'junkie'. The main reason was time. He was running his own business and holidays were run on a tight schedule. The boats lack of windward performance always caused problems, and so he sold the junk (and reverted to bermudan rig in the shape of a Westerly). The boat in question was called 'Seawych'. He sold her to a local man.... I think.
Fast foward 25 years and with age comes wisdom. I have always remembered, with fondness, the days on Seawych, and I can see what attracted my father to the junk rig. He had a young family to consider and the ease of operation, the reduced heel of the boat, and the sense of adventure all appealed. So now I find myself in a similar position. But there are two major differences..... I will not have the time constraints of the office, and I have no family. Without realising it the junk rig made a huge impression on a young man. The extent of which is only becoming apparent now!
I would love to know what happened to Seawych........... My father pretends not to be sentimental but I think he would be very touched to know that those early days had such an impression on me, and I think he would love to know what happened to his boat.
Peter