24' Derek Ellard Scintilla (2002) - WILD WOOD

Wild Wood is a Scruffie “Scintilla”, being a 24′ gaff rigged cutter. She is a plywood kit boat which was mostly built by a professional boatbuilder and then fitted out by me.

I have since redesigned the rig, converting it to an ‘aft mast rig’, which involved moving the mast sternwards by 2m (6′) and lengthening it so it sits on the cockpit floor rather than the cabin roof. This was after I had tried a tabernacle design which did make it easier to raise the mast but still had its own problems.

I have also played around with different motors, starting with an electric outboard mounted on the gunwhale, replacing that with a Honda outboard mounted in a well in the cockpit and then finally replacing that with a torqeedo Cruise 2 electric motor with folding propeller in the same position.

My next endeavour will be to design and construct a canopy over the cockpit in keeping with the overall style of the boat. This will incorporate provision for a couple of solar panels to aid in charging the batteries which power the electric motor.

Last February (2023) we took her up to the Myall Lakes along with my wife’s 1952 wooden cruiser “River Gypsy” which I had been renovating over the last five years. This was the first time I have had a chance to try out the electric motor and have a decent sail around these magnificent waterways.

Since then I have joined RAID Sydney and sailed with some members in the Myall Lakes (somewhat windy).