the gigs

Training vessel

The Elegant, fast, and French, Bantry Bay gigs are 38 ft wooden long boats with 10 oars, three masts, and a dipping lug rig. Based on an 18th century French naval vessel captured on the shores of Bantry Ireland in 1796, the Bantry Bay gig is the perfect design for crews to test their skills in leadership, communication, teamwork, and seamanship.

In the right conditions, Bantry Bay gigs have reached 6 knots under oars, and up to 10 knots under sail. The long keels do not allow the boats to turn easily. Tacking requires the whole crew working in unison, as yards must be dipped, the fore backed, and a tacking oar often brought out to bring the gig through the eye of the wind. 

The crew is often required to alternate between rowing and sailing. The boats do not make good progress to weather and are often rowed into the wind.

The crew is comprised of 13 young people and everyone has an important role on board. Whether they are coxswain, bow watch, or mast captain, handling the sheets, yards, halyards or oars, the crew is always busy.

Lines & plans

Many individuals have worked to aid in developing a good set of working plans to make it possible to construct replicas of the original craft. Atlantic Challenge International has adopted plans by naval architect Steve Killing of Canada (original sail plan by Francois Vivier) as its official plans, and these may be purchased by emailing the Canadian Trustee, Scott Wagg. This set of plans includes 21 large sheets with full size body plans and profiles. Included are hull lines, sail plan, construction plan and many details including oars and spars.
Atlantic Challenge International is striving to preserve the spirit of the original vessel and demand the gigs taking part in the Atlantic Challenge International Contests of Seamenship to comply with Class Rules.

The plans and rules are aimed at capturing the spirit of the original vessel, and only a few changes from the original artifact have been made on the plans or in the rules. These are mostly in the interest of safety of operation, structural integrity of the boats, and availability of materials. Please contact Diarmaid Murphy, Chairman of the Events committee at [email protected] for the latest version of the Class Rules.