Exceptionally well-priced for a boat of this quality $10,000

For Sale – Valeska

Iain Oughtred Shearwater – 3.6m Plywood Lapstrake Sailing Dinghy

Valeska is a beautifully crafted example of Iain Oughtred’s Shearwater, built using traditional plywood lapstrake construction and finished with an exceptional level of care and detail.

LOA: 3.6m
Beam: 1.5m
Construction: Plywood lapstrake
Designer: Iain Oughtred
Includes: Trailer, sails and complete rigging

Construction of Valeska began at the Duck Flat Wooden Boats Autumn Build School in 2014, where her builder described the workshop as:

“A space to achieve your dreams among the continuing projects of continuing boat builders.”

Over the years that followed, a special friendship developed between Terry and Duck Flat Wooden Boats team, as Valeska gradually took shape.

Named after his late mother, Valeska became the material expression of more than four years of painstaking craftsmanship. She is far from a standard Shearwater, with a number of thoughtful modifications incorporated to improve both structural integrity and practicality, including a flat floor and reinforced transom.

No expense was spared in either the materials selected or the aesthetic detailing.

Quality Hoop Pine has been extensively used throughout the boat, complemented by carefully selected feature timbers including Fijian Mahogany, Kapur for the keel, tiller and other components, and striking Gaboon plywood used for the transom and hull planking, side benches and floorboards.

Perhaps the most distinctive details are the hand-carved Shearwater motifs adorning the port and starboard corners of the transom—a fitting signature for a boat that was very much a labour of love.

Her fittings, all Silicone Bronze, have been selected to respect the traditional character of Oughtred’s design while retaining the practicality expected of a modern sailing dinghy. Polished horn cleats sit comfortably alongside contemporary auto-release clam cleats, creating a boat that is both traditional in appearance and straightforward to sail.

While a blue hull stripe was originally planned, Valeska presently remains finished in cream, complemented by Egyptian cream sails. The understated colour scheme allows the contrasting tones and grain of the numerous timbers to become the defining feature of her classical lines.

With her generous beam, Valeska is a stable and confidence-inspiring sailing boat, yet carries enough sail area to come alive when the breeze arrives. She is equally suited to an enthusiastic afternoon sail or a quiet day exploring sheltered waters.

Valeska is offered complete and ready for her next custodian, including her own trailer, sails and rigging.

A Boat with a Story

More than simply a wooden sailing dinghy, Valeska represents the final major project of her builder’s life.

She consumed much of his final years—not as a burden, but as a joyous final chapter spent creating something beautiful with his own hands. The attention to detail throughout the boat reflects the enormous amount of thought, patience and craftsmanship invested in her.

His family describes Valeska as his legacy.

One of the quotations he passed on perhaps describes the boat, and the process of creating her, better than anything else:

“It has been said that to sail a boat is to engage in a metaphor—that to sail a boat is to negotiate a life. If this is the case, then to build a boat is to have the most challenging and rewarding way to begin that life.”

Valeska now awaits a new owner who will appreciate not only the qualities of Iain Oughtred’s celebrated Shearwater design, but also the craftsmanship, history and very personal story embodied in this remarkable little boat.