Fair Maid, a 31' sloop designed by Eric Cox of Christchurch, and launched in Perth, Western Australia in 1951

Fair Maid has an interesting history, and requires some work to bring her back to her best.  This blog is to document the history and repairs/improvements as information comes to light and work proceeds.

Fair Maid has a waterline length of 25', and when launched she had an over-all length of 30', and with her bow rail extension she is now 31'.  Here is how she looks today.

This photograph was taken yesterday, on the Swan River.

These two photographs below were kindly supplied by John Lesslie, the son of the original owner, David Lesslie.  John was 21 when she was launched, and is now 86 and going strong.  A real gentleman, with warm memories of Fair Maid.  The photos were taken during a Fremantle to Bunbury and Return Ocean Race, in the early 'fifties.  The sail number is Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club 49.

David Lesslie was an expatriot Scotsman, from Dundee, and he named his boat after the Sir Walter Scott novel, Fair Maid of Perth.

Fair Maid is carvel-planked, which means that she has smooth curves, with no hard chines.  She has Western Australian Jarrah planks below the waterline, probably Oregon planks above the waterline, over steam-bent ribs, with cotton caulking along the seams.  The cotton and timber both swell when wet, and the cotton is crushed by the expansion, producing a tight waterproof seal.  The planks are fixed to the ribs with copper clenching nails, riveted on the ends.  The building of such a boat was labour intensive and required a high degree of knowledge and skill.

Fair Maid's rig was originally timber, but now aluminium.  She sails incredibly nicely, with a stateliness absent from more modern designs.  Her displacement is over 6 tons.