Wednesday 19 September 2012

Meteor is an almost forgotten Arthur C Robb design

The paperwork for my Meteor indicates she was 'an Arthur Robb design' but the design isn't mentioned in the listing found at Sailboat Data or similar. Is my boat a forgotten Robb design or designed by a different Robb to the famous yacht designer?
Wouldn't it be fun to find out?
So I did some more searching and found, courtesy of Bartlett Library in Falmouth: Part of National Maritime Museum, Cornwall.
"Robb, Arthur C Meteor Yacht, sloop 21 ft LOA - see also CB 2004/04 p 31 Yachting World 1951/03" This looks like it could be the same as my boat.
Falmouths wonderful database showed a couple of Arthur Robb' or Robb A's or similar in their search results. There may have been more than one Arthur Robb: There is an A M Robb and an A C Robb as well as an A Robb so which Robb designed the Meteor?
Update 20120921: The articles [copies available from the museum] confirm it's the same design as my Meteor, that the Meteors were designed for and built at Easticks Yacht Station Ltd, Acle, Norfolk and that it was designed by the famous Arthur C Robb, designer of so many wonderful yachts including the Lion class.
This has been a fascinating journey to track down both the designer and find out who requested the design be built. It is a great pity that more of the Easticks records havn't survived but it's good to know my little boat is in such wonderful company.

The Museum of America and the Sea at 95 Greenmanville Avenue Mystic CT, 06355 may hold correspondence between Robb and Easticks. I have requested copies of anything available.

3 comments:

Annieye said...

What an interesting post, Tony. It's confusing when there is more than one person of the same name, but I'm glad you found your designer.

WoodwindMark said...

Well done Tony. I have always thought that Arthur C Rob designed the meteor, although like you I failed to find any mention of it in the usual internet sources. What convinced me is the similarity of line to the Lion Class. In the days when boats were truly "drawn" by the designer, without the aid of computers, the line is as
good as a signature.

tonysmusing said...

Hi Mark, I am impressed you have such a good eye for ships lines. I admit to loving the lines of Gesine but lack the skill to vompare them.