Cherub 2 1/2  is so nick-named  because she is an enlarged version of Cherub II.  The customer wanted a copy of the second boat Albert Strange designed for his own use in 1893. Being a large man (where Strange was of small stature) and also requiring to winter the boat on the inland waterways, he decided to enlarge the original design proportionally, until the beam came up to the maximum which still allowed transit of the canal system. This yielded the dimensions  below:

LOA:     23ft 5in

LWL:     20ft 3in

BEAM:   6ft 7in

DRAFT: 2ft 4in / 5ft

SAIL AREA (suggested) 315 sq.ft.

The Displacement is 1.86 tons. The original Cherub II was 20ft LOA and displaced 1.1 tons.

Fabian Bush drew up the new boat for cold-moulded construction and produced very accurate offsets from which I built the hull.  The customer planned a fixed cabin and a gaff rig.

Provision was also made for a small inboard diesel (Watermota, single cyl. air-cooled). This engine and sterngear are available if required, and the deadwood is bored for the tube.

The hull is Western Red Cedar, strip-planked on laminated Sapele frames. The hull is sheathed externally with glass cloth and epoxy (which currently has a layer of peel-ply covering it). The interior is sealed with 2 coats of epoxy resin.

The lead ballast keel and deadwoods are fitted, as is the centreplate case, beam shelf and two deck beams. A main bulkhead is fitted, and it was planned to cut this to its final shape later.

The customer originally planned to finish the project from this point himself, but his plans changed.

This makes for a very unusual opportunity to be able to complete the boat in a number of different ways, to suit individual preferences and tastes. One option would be as an open boat,  or half-decked, another would be to copy the lifting cabin of Strange’s original design, or a fixed cuddy/cabin of slightly lower profile than the one shown (see the sail plan above). 

The hull of ‘Cherub 2 1/2’ is lifted out of the shed, and turned over

The boat could also be rigged in a number of different ways. The original battened lug yawl rig (right) was considered a great success by Strange, and good for single-handing. A gaff yawl is the most obvious alternative.

Interior views:   looking forward

                         looking aft

The picture below is taken from Yachting Monthly, 1911. It was painted by Strange to illustrate an incident where Cherub II grounded briefly on Blakeney bar in Norfolk while attempting an entrance. It is blowing hard, and the picture shows well how the batwing mizzen has been furled, while the mainsail has all three reefs down snug, facilitated by the full length battens.

Under an agreement with the owner, I am able to complete this project to customer specifications at significantly below current cost. This is a rare opportunity to acquire a bespoke craft at reasonable cost.