Atkin's enduring Ingrid

Of all the designers inspired by Colin Archer's seaworthy double-enders, William Atkin seemed to get it just right. And of all the boats he designed in that tradition, his Ingrid seems to inspire blue-water sailors and wannabes the most.

Of the design he said: "She has all the characteristics usually associated with seagoing ability. She is the kind of boat that behaves in rough water. She can be depended upon to sail herself. She is ableness personified. And equal to any situation."

Since the design appeared, boatbuilders have made Ingrids of wood, fiberglass and even ferro cement. Spiritus is as beautiful an example as you are going to find. She's made of fiberglass, most likely by one of the several boatyards who produced Ingrid hulls.

Many of these builders would sell to any stage of completion. For every well-found yacht like Spiritus, there is probably at least one unfinished boat in a field or boatyard whose owner ran out of money, time or enthusiasm. In one boatyard I visited, there were three Ingrid hulls lined up - two of fiberglass and one of ferro cement - the boats were decades old, yet never finished. A sad fate for a lady made for the sea.

LOD:37' 6"
LWL: 30'
Beam: 11' 4"
Draft: 5' 6"
Displacement: 25,000 pounds
Sail area: 816 square feet

Originally designed as a ketch, later Ingrids also had a cutter rig, like this Alajuela 38.