Sheila was designed in 1903 by reknown artist and boat designer Albert Strange under design #70.
The plans for Sheila were finalized by Strange on October 20, 1903 (Humber Yawl Club copy) or October 22, 1903 (Robert Groves copy.)
The WP Stevens copy
The most detailed design plans of Sheila by Albert Strange are kept at the Mystic Seaport Museum Library. Mystic Seaport is a museum institution located south of Boston, in Connecticut USA. Sheila’s designs are part of the W.P. Stephens Collection of 2,163 sheets, representing 1,141 designs. The collection contains plans of historic recreational craft from 1850 to 1930. Mr. Stephens collected and preserved the plans of other designers, many of these originals, in his personal reference collection.
The Humber Yawl Club copy
In The Canoe Yawl by Richard Powell, Lodestar Books 2016, the following is added, in confirmation :
This plan is dated October 20, 1903. Sheila did not have her name yet.
In the specification published in the 1904 Humber Yawl Club Yearbook she was described as follows: ‘Although she will not often be sailed single-handed the sails have been kept small enough for easy working by one hand. The deep (too deep!) waters of the lochs and harbours admit any amount of depth of keel, so a centre- board was not made part of the design and the placing of nearly the whole of the ballast outside, at a depth sufficient to give ample stability without seriously effecting the ability of the boat to take the ground, gives excellent floor space and head- room in the cabin.’ The specification was for pitch pine planking, 3⁄4in finished, with 1in garboards, elm keel, oak stem, stern post and timbers. These are 21⁄2in × 21⁄2in on the sections shown in the lines, with two steamed elm timbers 11⁄2in × 1in between. The coamings, cabin top and king plank are of teak and the deck of 21⁄2in × 7⁄8in yellow pine. The cabin plan shows ample locker space and three berths can be arranged (one athwart ship).
One other boat, Sea Breeze, was built to the design at that time by the same builder, and possibly another one, this time sloop rigged with 378 sq. ft. of sail for a W. Booth in 1915.’
According to ASA data, although another yacht to the same design as Sheila was built, Sea Breeze, built by R Cain as well, is design #75, a different and slightly shorter yacht to Sheila.
Another ship, Mist (design #78 – 1906) is a slightly larger variation of Sheila. She is 26’ 6 and was built in Belfast.
The Yachting Monthly copy
This plan was published in February 1907, along with the conclusion article on Sheila’s cruise to Western Scotland, This plan is the only one which shows the exact position of the mizen mast.
The Robert Groves copy
When J Y Wilson went to see Groves in Lymington in 1948 he asked to trace the original set of drawings that Groves still had which would, Groves being the commissioner of the design and of the builder, most likely be the ones to which Robert Cain built her.
This drawing includes only some construction details but it contains a design of the deck and intentions of the rig handling detail that are not on the Stephens plan. The plates for the cleats on the cabin top to which to lead halyards aft are shown.
This plan is dated October 22, 1903. It is transmitted from one guardian to the next.
The Albert Strange Association copy
This plan is similar to Stephens’.
Additional notes on the design :