An early Merlin racing dinghy built 1949-50 at Lyness.
Permission (license) to build a Merlin was obtained from Yachting World Magazine in January 1948 by Jock Barbour who lived just north of Lyness at Mill Bay. Yachting World had sponsored the design of a new light weight dinghy; decked for stiffness but capable of being easily handled both on the water and on land and towable by the average family car of the time when fuel rationing was still in force.
The dinghy was built by Davy Wilson at Ore, Lyness mainly from old floor boards using plans purchased from the designer Jack Holt. As a result of re-using old materials the boat was slightly on the heavy side which meant she was best sailed with a tall weighty crew in a fresh breeze.
Orcadian was sailed at most regattas in Orkney during the 1950s winning many trophies.
