The Ballyholme Yacht Club Insect class dinghy number 12 Tarantula has turned up in Larne in Co. Antrim.
One of 17 built by French and McDermott in the early 1950s, this 14-foot clinker dinghy was owned by the late Mr Alex Munro since 1999 and is now looking for a new owner.
Insect dinghies racing in Ballyholme Bay on Belfast Lough in the 1950s
Tarantula is the latest known to be under restoration, the others being Moth at Silvery Light Sailing Yard in Newry, Lacewing in Bangor, Red Admiral in Greenwich and Mantis at the Maghery Boat Restoration works in the southwest corner of Lough Neagh.
The upturned hull of the clinker Insect dinghy, Tarantula
Tarantula was in 1953 listed in the BYC Regatta programme as owned by Miss June and Mr James Loughridge and in 1958 by Mrs June Ledlie and Mr James Loughridge. The next documented owner was a Mr Werner Geyer of Lisburn. Then in July 1999 Alex Munro of Larne bought it from Mr Geyer, planning to restore it. Although he did manage to do some work on it, illness intervened, and he has passed away. Now his son Jonathan is gifting it to someone keen to finish the job.
The late Mr Munro had told me that he bought the boat complete with gunter rig, all running rigging and sails.
Tarantula's centre plate
The plan was to refurbish the dinghy, and on striping the paint off the hull, he discovered several split planks. The spars, centre plate, rudder and fittings are all available but at present, Jonathan has yet to find the sails.
Tarantula listed as no 12 in the Ballyholme Yacht Club Regatta 1953 programme
Some documentation on the sale of Tarantula to Mr Munro is available.
Tarantula's sale documentation
Enquiries through myself at [email protected]
