A few years ago I thought it might be nice to do a model of something quintessentially English in the world of wooden boats, so I went to Peter Freebody’s lovely old yard on the Thames at Hurley to measure a Thames Slipper launch. Imagine my delight when an old boatbuilder gave me a copy of his original table of offsets which he would have used when he built all the very first slipper launches for the now, alas, defunct Andrews of Maidenhead.
The Slipper launch is a very distinctive kind of vessel only seen on the River Thames. It has straight sections to its frames all the way through and the stern slips away to almost nothing. Indeed the transom block is just a section of oak 8″ square and slightly curved.
The model built perfectly according to the boatbuilder’s offsets except one frame being a scale 1 1/2″ narrow on the starb’d side. When I mentioned it to the chap he said he had to put an inch and a half of wood on every one he built!
I built it from spruce framing and plywood skins, veneered in steamed pear for the scale mahogany look, as I do with all my woodies. Real mahogany doesn’t look like mahogany on a 1/12th scale model.
In order to make it a quintessentially English boat I also made a model wind up gramophone with a copper horn and silver tea service on a silver tray.
All the deck fittings were made in brass and nickel plated.
A friend ended up buying the model to remind him of his own boat when he travelled around for his work.
Thames Slipper launch in 1/12th scale
Thewoodyworks's Blog 
You wouldn’t happen to have a copy of that table of offsets for the slipper would you? I am HIGHLY interested in building a full scale slipper and I ca be assured of getting an accurate boat with that table 🙂
Hi John, I have a feeling we spoke before, but I’m afraid the table and the drawings I did from it got lost in our big move from house to boat.
I’m so sorry. I’d love to help, but you could contact Peter Freebody’s and ask to see one . If they have one in frame, so much the better, as they are SO simple to measure and make. Every frame comprises four straight pieces of wood, all the way through. No compound curves at all.
I hope you manage it.
Cheers.