National Fourteen

"Hilda"

During the 1970s, my father rescued Hilda from a sinking in the Thames River. In 1998, following his untimely death, my sister and I became her new owners. On a card, which my father left with the gentleman who has housed her for the last 35+ years, he’d written the following:

No. 67 “Hilda”
Designed and built by F. C. Morgan Giles (Link) 1925
First registered owner: Captain J. Brown

This matches up with the entry in the "List of Dinghies" in Tom Vaughan’s famous and authoritative work “The International Fourteen Foot Dinghy, 1928-64: Handbook and History" (p. 51-52).

Photocopy of front cover

The International Fourteen Foot Dinghy 1928-1964: Handbook & History by Tom Vaughan, p. 52

The International Fourteen Foot Dinghy 1928-1964: Handbook & History by Tom Vaughan, p.49

In terms of her condition, after her rescue, my father lovingly restored her as best he could. Her original Bermudan mast and rigging had seen better days and, in 1994, he commissioned Collars of Oxford (Link) to make a new spruce mast. Unfortunately, he never got to use that, and it remains in its original packaging and storage.

New Spruce Mast

Hilda, early 1970s, with her old mast (photo taken by my father)

We have an original National 14 cotton sail in good condition although it is not the sail originally sold with Hilda as it reads No. 82 (rather than 67). According to Vaughan, dinghy 82 was built in 1928 by Hunter (Ludham) but was eventually converted to a motor boat (see below), hence the spare sail.


The International Fourteen Foot Dinghy 1928-1964: Handbook & History by Tom Vaughan, p. 52.

It’s been suggested that if planning to use the sail in anger, it is advisable to get a replica made from modern-day material.

Cotton Sail, Reading 14 | 82

Cotton Sail

The dinghy has the majority of the equipment with which she was launched, nearly 100 years ago. She has the original ballast tanks, bronze centreboard and rollocks; original floorboards, centre winch, bilge pump and rudder.

The Rollocks

Bilge Pump

Centre Winch

Centreboard

Rudder

The Floorboards shown in the photograph taken by my father, early 1970s

Hilda has been stored in dry dock for some 20+ years. The last time she was in the water, my sister and I were young children, using her as a “Swallows and Amazons” rowing boat in the lake and estuary around Millbrook, Devon. There were no leaks/problems then, but I suspect the dry dock setting and lack of use will have taken its toll. In her current condition I’m not sure she’s "seaworthy". The photographs below show where a number of timbers have flexed away from the frame on the bow. The ‘crack’ is visible inside and out.

External view of the bow

Close up of bow showing where timbers have flexed away from the frame

Internal view of the bow

Close up of inside the bow showing the crack produced by the flexed timbers

In trying to assess and value Hilda, we got in touch with knowledgeable experts at the International 14 organisation. The general consensus was that she was a great example of a very early National 14 and had significant historical value. No-one was able to put a financial value to her unfortunately.

In crude terms, a conservative estimate of her scrap and parts value is in the region of £1000. This accounts for her solid bronze centreboard; copper ballast tanks; new, unused spruce mast and original, and no longer manufactured, centre winch. There’s also the nicely crafted rudder and sundries such as the rollocks.

Whether her value as a whole, with all the specially crafted fittings, and nearly a century of history within her timbers, should be less than her scrap value, remains to be seen.

National Fourteen

Hilda's New Home

1920s F. C. Morgan Giles, National 14 Sailing Dinghy: Hilda's Story

Hilda's Value

Hilda's Location