64 Saltwater Boat Angling

It sounds peculiar to some, but I am very fond of smallboats, especially those that can handle a larger seathan they look as though they should. It is all very well

spanking around at high speed, but there is a lot to besaid for keeping things compact and uncomplicated. I goafloat to escape the hustle and bustle and hopefully catcha few fish. Simple boats provide simple pleasures at a veryaffordable level and are perfectly capable of putting youover decent fish. The Orkney Spinner is just 13 feet longand so is easy to tow behind even the smallest of cars andwill fit in a confined corner of the garden or tuck away in astandard garage.

StableThe rounded bilge makes it very stable and is a provenshape over hundreds of years. The full length keel hogand small bilge keels help her to take the ground safelywhen beaching, keeping the majority of the contact tothe stainless steel protection strips on these protrudingfeatures. The keels also help to provide grip on the waterwhen turning and the boat will go around almost in its

own length if you need it to. She is a very easy boat tohandle solo and with two people easier again.

A touch of the traditionalMoulded with a simulated clinker effect to the hull thatadds a touch of the traditional boat builder’s art to thelines, but also has a practical benefit in that it addsstrength, in the same way that the corrugations in a roofsheet do and the step of each plank provides a measureof spray deflection. The Spinner has a traditional provensmall boat layout that allows the boat to be rowed as wellas used with the outboard. Don’t underestimate the effectiveness of rowing quietly when approaching yourfishing spot or whilst trolling lures, out on either side,with the rods propped over the transom, or better stillclamped in gunwale mounted rod holsters. The reduceddisturbance will increase your catch success.

Self draining wellThere is no storage other than in the forepeak, but thereis plenty of space for keeping clothing, picnic and loose

Simon Everett gives us the lowdown on the Orkney Spinner 13,a traditionally styled boat builtby a household name with over40 years of boat building experience behind it.

Boat TestOrkney spinner 13

P64-66 Boat Test.qxp_Layout 1 04/01/2017 22:22 Page 1

Saltwater Boat Angling 65

gear tidily, out of theway and well protectedbehind a bulkhead andunder the foredeck. Anchor tackle can be kept inreadiness in theopen, self draining well, moulded intothe foredeck.The foredeck itself is furnished with a decent sized bronzecleat and two bronze fairleads that are the perfect accompaniment to the teak trim and work well for anchoring or keeping the boat on a mooring or trot.

Built-in buoyancyThe forward thwart is moulded as partof the upper deck and forms part ofthe bulkhead for the forepeak. Under this thwart a second bulkheadis added to form a buoyancy compartment filled with high densityfoam. The central thwart is made froma single, teak plank and is bolted inplace on knees that sit on the clinkersteps while the aft thwart extends forward each side to allow sitting offcentre to steer. The quarters under the aft thwart are foam filled compart-ments to provide built-in buoyancythat together with the buoyancychamber forward will keep the boatafloat in the event that it should become swamped. The centre thwartis positioned perfectly for rowing thishandy little boat and the bronzecrutches add a touch of class that isthe kind of detail you can expect fromOrkney. Although the oars I was givenfor the day were a little on the shortside, the boat rowed easily enough.

Tiller steering for more deckspace inboard The thwarts are well positioned toprovide legroom and working spacefor each occupant. There is roomenough for three people to fish usinginshore methods and two friendswould have more than enough roomto enjoy a day fishing without gettingunder each other’s feet. Tiller steeringmakes a great deal of sense for asmaller boat. There is nothing

The Yamaha F6 is a compact, lightweight motor thatsuits the boat perfectly

With stowage in the enclosed forepeak and anchor well formingthe foredeck, making the most of the space available

The cockpit is very spacious for a 13-footer

P64-66 Boat Test.qxp_Layout 1 04/01/2017 22:22 Page 2

66 Saltwater Boat Angling

wrong with allowing your children to grow up learning tohandle a tiller steered boat, most of us cut our teeth onthe water in this way in a small boat with a low poweredoutboard and a pair of oars. Making the most of modernlamination technology Orkney have kept the power consumption down so the Yamaha F6 was more than adequate to get the boat moving but she will take theF9.9 if you have to combat strong tidal flows.

Tiller extension A tiller arm extension can be purchased separately as anaccessory, is actually more trouble than it’s worth in thisinstance. I tried various combinationsand found that sitting on the aft thwartand using the standard tiller was themost comfortable. Instead of using thetiller arm, put some ballast in the bowor reduce speed from full revs to keepthe boat nicely trimmed when runningsolo. With two people in the boat thenshe trims well naturally. Trying to run at full throttle with thebow in the air simply uses fuel likepouring it down a drain. I got throughthe two litres in the engine mountedtank in about 5 miles. Compare that to running on an evenkeel, at just 1.5 knots slower, the sametank lasted me the rest of the day withfuel to spare. There is room under theaft thwart to stow a 5-gallon fuel canand funnel.

A full day of testingI had the boat for the day in Poole Harbour and had theopportunity to spend several hours in her. The weatherwas sublime but there was a breeze from the south westthat gave me the chance to see how she would cope withwind waves, which is always the worst of conditions todeal with in a small boat, more so than big swells. Thewind chop is shorter than the boat and so if you are goingto get wet, it will be in these conditions. The little boathandled the conditions superbly. She moves to the water,of course, but always in a predictable, controlled manneras she rides the waves. With a beam sea the rounded bilgeallows the wave to pass under the hull without excessiveroll.

SecurityEven at full throttle I could put her about so hard that shewas turning in just about her own length, more or less onthe spot. The freeboard is quite sufficient to give a strongsense of security and the stability is such that I felt confident in propping the camera up in the bow on theself timer to get the picture with the sunset astern. TheOrkney 13 Spinner is a surprising little boat that handlesmore chop than many people would give her credit for.The hull shape has been proven over many years and is an ideal inshore fishing platform that can be towed behind a small car or left on a trot. We had the new,custom version with the teak and bronze additions and

it is still an affordable package that is cheap to run provided you are circumspect with the throttle use.

Specifications

Length 13’ 0” (3.96m)Beam 5’ 5” (1.65m)Weight 250lbs (115kgs)Passengers 3Max power 8hpMax design speed 8 knots

Performance(with Yamaha F6 6hp outboard)

Cruising speed 5.8 knotsMaximum attained 7.6 knots

PriceFrom £3,594.00. incl VAT.

Package with Yamaha F6 and roadtrailer £5,840.00 including VAT @ 20%

ContactOrkney Boats, Telephone: 01243 551456Email: sales@orkneyboats.co.uk

Teak bright work and bronze deck furniture set the boat off beautifully

She can turn on a sixpence and remains stable whilst doing so

P64-66 Boat Test.qxp_Layout 1 04/01/2017 22:22 Page 3