Scarab

Introduction

Scarab appears in The Picts and the Martyrs, the eleventh book in the Swallows and Amazons Series. She is a newly-built dinghy belonging to Dick and Dorothea Callum. 

Description

Scarab's boatbuilder states that Scarab is "as near the same as [Amazon] as we could make her" (The Picts and the Martyrs, Chapter 2). Her basic design and size are, therefore, very similar to Amazon's, save that Scarab has a red sail. However, it is unlikely that the two boats would have been completely identical because the builder would have been building by eye and thus it is unlikely that he'd have been able to produce an exact copy.

It is clear from Ransome's description's and line drawings that Scarab was a lugsail dinghy, some 13' long, of wooden clinker construction, with a heavy iron centre-plate.

Ownership

At the start of The Picts and the Martyrs, Scarab is nearing completion, having been commissioned by Professor Callum on behalf of his children, Dick and Dorothea. The project has been overseen by Captain Flint, using one of the boat builders at Rio, on Ransome's fictional "Lake in the North".

Scarab appears in

The Picts and the Martyrs.

Factual Inspiration

In 1934 Ransome aspired to introduce a close friend, Charles Renold, to sailing. He therefore persuaded Renold to commission a dinghy from Crossfield's in Arnside, the firm who most probably built Swallow. Ransome oversaw the build on Renold's behalf and the finished dinghy was called Coch-y-bonddhu, after a well-known fishing fly.

Renold did not take to sailing and soon gave Coch-y-bonddhu to Ransome. He took Cochy with him to Suffolk in 1935, and then returned with her to the shores of Coniston between 1940 and 1944, during which period she was a familiar sight on the lake. It was during this period that Ransome wrote The Picts and the Martyrs, with cochy finding her way into the book as Dick and Dorothea's new dinghy.

What Happened to the Real Scarab?

Cochy remained in Ransome's possession until the mid-1950s. She was subsequently owned by Arnside School. 

At some point Cochy moved north to Scotland where, by the early 1990's, she was rotting in the grounds of a hotel. Rediscovered by TARS members, she was completely restored to sailing condition by the Society before being relaunched in 1995. She now belongs to TARS and has been used frequently at members' events. Cochy has also made a number of appearances in TV documentaries about Arthur Ransome.

Until 2006, Cochy was kept on public display at Windermere Steamboat Museum. Following that museums closure for restoration, she spent several months in Falmouth during the summer of 2008, on display at the National Maritime Museum.

Coch-y-bonddhu is currently on display at Windermere St Anne's School.     

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