Category Archives: Bonito class

Originally named Pelagos, Floray was designed by Alan Buchanan, and her measurements suggest she’s an example of Buchanan’s Bonito class, although I’m not certain of this. She was built in 1963 and was raced by Ted Dallimore for a time. … Continue reading →

Pineapple Poll was a Buchanan designed Bonito class yacht, built in 1961. Indeed she was the first Bonito, with a wooden hull built by French Bros. of Battlesbridge, and then finished by Stebbings. The hull was used as the plug … Continue reading →

Sarda of Burnham is an example of Alan Buchanan’s Bonito class of GRP-hulled yacht. Although she was built in Burnham-on-Crouch, these days she is moored in warmer climes, at Mornington, Victoria, Australia. It’s not clear at the moment which year … Continue reading →

Cassis, built in 1967, is an Alan Buchanan designed Bonito class sloop, based on a GRP hull from Seamaster of Dunmow, Essex. She was originally named Silwen, and was built for Mr D.T. Beer, of Porthmadog, Wales, where Silwen was … Continue reading →

Cyprinus was built by Stebbings in 1963 for East Coast racing man Ronald Hill. She is an example of Alan Buchanan’s Bonito class and was fitted out by Stebbings on a GRP hull, probably from Seamaster. In the year of … Continue reading →

The Alan Buchanan Bonito used a glass fibre hull made by Seamaster.  The hull was a composite construction with wooden stringers running length ways to stiffen the boat. By today’s standards many such boats of that era were over engineered, … Continue reading →

The photos above show the 10.5 ton Bonito Class sloop South’ard, designed by Alan Buchanan. She was built by Stebbings for an American buyer, and is seen here being loaded aboard United States Lines’ s.s. American Trapper on April 26th … Continue reading →