If......

We have sold "Rising Damp" (N3232) to a good home and replaced her with N3434. A few adjustments to the rig were required so we accepted an invitation to race on "If", Peter wilson's splendid 1930s 8metre. A long race on a damp autumn day. Despite a premature start, line honours went to "If" with the Championship of the Alde. Tom learnt lots of new words, how to mix a martini and help sheet a spinnaker. He was relieved that cigar smoking was reserved for consenting adults. A great day out but looking forward to racing 3434 on Sunday.

Work on Bobtail going well . All the varnish is stripped and the planking cleaned up. Just the small matter of rexing the keel and filling all the screw and nail holes. She should be ready to varnish early next week.

Lots of mahogany dust to clear up before then....

Health and safety being taken seriously. I hadn't realised how good the hi-vis overalls are! No chance of being run over in the garage.

Latest Progress

Work has started again on the old girl again. The promise of ribbed 12s racing at Aldeburgh next year has me motivated again.

Bobtail is now upside down supported on some disguised fence posts in the garage.

After about 8 hours work over the last 6 days one side is now stripped and sanded. My finger prints are now nearly worn away from the effects of 60 grit paper.

I wonder how long the other side will take? I must remember to use some gloves..
The outside is much quicker than the inside.

A six foot straight edge shows how much rocker there is forward.

And how straight she is aft....

The only problem I have found is that the keel is fixed to the boat with steel screws . Not sure how to remove the rusty fixings or if I have to...
Just add some stainless fixings alongside?

How bored are You?

Nothing to do with boat building, but we were bored one evening and thought we would tease the dog!

How much fun can you have with a box, a dog biscuit and a Springer Spaniel? Dizzy is now very good at getting her head out of the box. Perhaps I should glue the biscuit to the bottom of the box? Large crisp bags are fun too!

Decking....

The reconstruction of the decks is now finished and 4 coats of varnish applied. Time to make some trestles to suit the deck profile so I can make a proper side on the outside.

The stern deck looks as if it has been painted with wood stain in this picture, but it looks much better in real life! Not bad for (relatively) cheap ply. The oak and mahogany is probably better timber than was available when she was built after the end of WW 2.

I have burnt the varnish off the top 2 planks and on the bow. Not sure how much more I can sand before the nail heads are worn away.

Aldeburgh Yacht Club Regatta

A week of sailing elderly boats, none of them National 12s.....

I have been crewing on "Harkaway" in the mornings. Not sure when she was built but it was the late 1940s and she is part of Peter Wilson's impressive collection of vintage and modern yachts.

Unfortunately, "Panther" a more modern version caught her back stay on Dove Point, a large marker at the end of Halvergate Island, snapping the mast at the jumpers.

"Apache" was lucky to survive an attack earlier in the week by a frisky "Orion" who nearly suceeding in mounting her. Has anyone bred a Dragon in captivity?

Here we are in Tringa sailing through Orford. The pagoda building on the "Island" was part of the Atomic Weapon Testing Program, it is now owned by the National Trust (the Island and buildings, not the bombs!).

The wind picked up after lunch and racing, with a 38.2 mph gust recorded on the Slaughden Sailing Club anemometer. We sailed back under jib only, at times surfing on the waves, recording speeds of over 6 knots against the tide!

The Lapwing was designed by Morgan Giles and No1(Lapwing) was built in1947 for Jill Fowles who continues racing her.

How about some vintage National 12 racing against the Lapwings next year?

Fun on the start line earlier in the week. Perfect weather and some very close racing. Too close at times....The best we can finish will be second overall but third looks more likely.

No its not a National 12. It is a Lapwing an Aldeburgh Yacht Club One Design dinghy designed as an alternative to the "expensive" development class we are racing no 57 "Tringa" this week. No racing today so a few hours work on Bobtail.......

The original gunwhales were oak and as the Yard have run out of mahogany it was an easy choice to make when I saw some nice straight grained oak on a building site. A suitable 4 metre length was duly delivered by Mr Duggan in his mercedes SL convertable..

The Oak was too dry to bend cold so 10 minutes in the steamer ws required to make it nice and flexible. A quick turn in the front garden and the port side is now in place. Soon be time to get the varnish out.

Transom complete including spline to cover the end grain of the ply decks

Summer Sailing

We have spent too much time sailing N3232 and not enough time in the garage working on Bobtail.

Finally got all the fittings that will be hidden beneath the decks fixed , the remaining deck panels are now glued in place.

The wash boards are also finaly fixed in place. I am pleased with the jonit on the centre line of the decks. It is as good as my woodworking skills allow....I used the old ones as a pattern, Starting from scratch would have been impossible.

The mast is deck stepped in the little triangle behind the wash boards

Final clean up required together with some cover pieces etc.

Soon be time to roll her over and start on the other side.

Transom complete apart from spline to cover end grain in ply decking. Bronze horse plan failed so Purely Metal have made a very nice stainless steel one. Thanks Colin.

I need some nice gold lettering as seen on "Tessa". Where did you buy them Tim?