Tenga
Atalanta 26
For Sale
$20,000 (CDN)
Located in Victoria BC Canada
Contact: John Denny
Email: john@aurorawoodwork.com
Telephone +1-250-652-1265
LOA---------------------- 26 ft. LWL---------------------- 25 ft. Beam-------------------- 7 ft .8 ½ in. Draft -------------------- Keels raised 1 ft. 8 in. ---------------------------- Keels Lowered 5 ft. 9 in. Displacement---------- 4000 lbs Ballast------------------- 950 lbs. Sail Area---------------- 280 sq. ft. Headroom-------------- 5 ft. 8 in. Hull---------------------- Hot moulded African agba laminate Engine------------------- Yanmar YSM 12 Diesel Mast--------------------- Spruce Designer --------------- UFFA FOX Builder------------------ Fairey Marine, Hamble England Date Launched-------- May 14, 1959 Original Owner-------- Roy Denny Current Owner-------- John Denny Complete Rebuild----- 1994 – 1998 |
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Tenga is an excellent example of an Atalanta 26 designed by Uffa Fox, a legendary British naval architect, and loosely based on his airborne lifeboat that was air dropped to downed pilots in WWII. Fairey Marine, the marine division of the company that built the legendary Mosquito Bomber, built Tenga in 1959 for Roy Denny, father of the current owner. The boat is built of hot moulded agba laminate, an African hardwood. Only 186 Atalanta 26 were built and they are currently regarded as rare classics. |
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The boat floats in a mere 20 inches of water when the keels are raised and can be trailed behind a large car. She handles like a dinghy, yet examples have been sailed across the Atlantic. It can even sleep a crew of eight! |
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The Atalanta 26 was a revolutionary design. Built by
Fairey Marine, it not only looked radically different from everything that had
been produced before, it was also the first true trailer-sailor. The concept
for the boat came from Alan Vines, a senior executive at Fairey Aviation, the
parent company of Fairey Marine.
Vines was a keen Firefly sailor, but faced with a
growing family sought a bigger boat. Keen to find a vessel with the same
seaworthiness and performance as the Firefly, Vines designed the 22' Sujanwiz.
The hot moulded hull was based on a 15ft Albacore that Fairey Marine split in
half, lengthened and widened. It proved a great success and Vines later
suggested that Fairey Marine should build a larger version.
In 1955, Uffa Fox designed the 24' Atalanta, a bigger
version of the Sujanwiz and the boat from which the 26' Atalanta class was
developed. The first two class boats were launched in June 1956 and by 1968,
when building ceased, 185 had been built.
Fairey Marine was an early advocate of hot moulding
and was the first to apply the technique to boats. Hot moulding allows for high
volume production at comparatively low cost and creates hulls that have a high
strength to low weight ratio.
The Atalantas hull consists of four 2.5mm Agba
laminates profiled and coated in a thermosetting resin. In the hot moulding
process, these laminates were layered diagonally across the mould and secured
with temporary staples at the keel, bilge and sheerline. The boat was then put
in a vacuumed rubber bag in an autoclave, which was heated to 100 degrees for
an hour.
Building by this method has long-term benefits as the
hulls are very strong and have proven almost impervious to rot.
The Atalantas are a centre-cockpit design, with a
cabin for two aft and a two berth cabin, galley and heads forward. The 6ft by
7ft (1.8 x 2m) wide self draining cockpit has room for six while a whipstaff
tiller allows for the maximum space to be utilised.
All the main controls can be reached from the cockpit and the headsails and anchor can be dealt with by standing in the forehatch. The sail area of 240 sq ft is small for a 26 footer and can effect the boat in light weather (nothing a cruising chute or spinnaker can't sort) but they are extremely good in a blow and can stand up to a top force 5 with full rig up. |
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What makes the Atalantas particularly versatile is
their shallow draught and retractable ballast keels. Each Keel weighs 480 Ibs
(218 kg) and the boat draws 1' 6" with them raised and 5' 9" with
them lowered. They are housed in keel boxes, situated on either side of the
main bulkhead and pivot on a bolt. Galvanised steel plates on either side of
the keels clamp them in position and hold them rigid, although a device allows
it to kick up if the boat is run up a beach.
The Atalanta was one of the last wooden production
boats to be built, but it has been a tremendous success. Not only do they have
excellent cruising records, but they have the precise sailing ability of a
dinghy. It was that combination that ensured their success.
Aft cabin provides plenty of sleeping space.
The
forward cabin provides additional sleeping space. The head is in the forward
bow.
Heating
is provided by a built in stove.
The midship galley provides plenty of space.
