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These scans of the Tidewater info sent to us by Jim
in Australia. |
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'Kylix'
This class has now it's own page too, click
the picture to go there. |
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'Eirene'
Found in Bradwell.
Odd rounded transom. Timber, construction, planked in ply and built in Rhodesia,
the owner who built it planned to use her to escape, sailing from South
Africa. I hope to find out more. Yes here is the latest....
This is Mr. Scrace's boat Sail No 111. Built in Rhodesia and
later shipped to the
UK after many years sailing the South African coast. As it is so modified we will leave it here with the M.G. designs.
Tony thinks MG actually designed it separately. She is 30 ft long and with extra rig and ballast.
Hollow bilge keels too.
( they are fuel tanks!) Tony was looking for a shared ownership agreement with
maybe one of our number to fit her out and
get her back in the water for 2006. She does not really need
restoring, just sorting! All is there, a coat of antifoul and a lick of
paint on the topsides. The gear on board is all 1970's but most works,
Tony admits it might want more up to date gear as time goes on...
March 2007, Tony has decided to offer her for sale,
and has sold her via our For Sale pages.!!
the new owner Norman has now registered, has the masts back up and
hull part painted!!

August 2007, ' Eirene'
has been launched into the Blackwater!
She will be out and about with the EOG later this year. Norman has
changed the galley and heads and altered the accommodation to suit her new
role as a coastal cruiser. I expect the companionway will get altered
next! More pics of her soon. |
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Sailing on the Blackwater 2012/13 with Norman
the new owner.
2023, up for sale..... |
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One of the Few Francis
Drake Class vessels built. Designed by MG
as a larger version of the GH they turned out 37ft on deck, but
as many, this one stretched to 39!

Review in Y.M. |
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'Matapan'
A 'Good Hope' Design by M.G. Seen here at
Burnham. There is a Ferro version of this, the 'Barrier Reef', in the
R. Colne, sadly now a houseboat! 'Cabonade' The drawings of
this design are now on CD! |
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'Foreland Gull'
A Lone Gull II.
Owned by Malcolm and Cynthia Jolly |
We have started a page just for all the Lone gull II
designs that we have owner information on, courtesy of our Advisor Malcolm
Jolly. See the advisors pageWe have a list of all known Lone
Gulls and some more photos here.
Click
here to go to the Lone Gull II page |
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A Seareach 30, one of the less known M.G. designs. |
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'Providence' The
same SeaReach 30 as above, now afloat and for sale on
www.boatsandoutboardsforsale.co.uk
Who owns it? |
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'Coronette'
Bill Booth's 'Tringa' class MG design,
being hauled out Autumn 2003, in a yard I know well, at Millbrook, Cornwall. |
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Bill booth has made such a nice job on this
boat we felt she should have a page to herself, it could have been on the
restorers section, but we have made her a features boat,
Click here to go to her page. |
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A later pic of 'Coronette' She is up for
sale, Nov 05, see the
for Sale
page |
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Sad to say a new owner got into trouble off Beachy head and she was washed
ashore and wrecked! |
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This is a line drawing of
'Sixpence', taken from 'Dream Ships by M.G.
Where is she now? David Ellis would love to
know.... Well now we know! Thanks to Andrew for this letter
Just a
quick line to say that my father Bill Turton owned 'Sixpence' for many
years. I can still remember travelling to the East Coast with my father to
view the boat - it was painted an awful pale blue - everywhere!!
Based at the PMC (Penarth Motorboat and Sailing Club) in South Wales,
Sixpence was raced very successfully, both crewed (sometimes by me) and
single-handed for many years, and also took a large family on many fondly
remembered holidays to Devon, Cornwall and the South Coast.
She was also entered in the AZAB (Azores and Back) race some years ago,
sailed by Jack Taylor, also of the PMC. JAck's adventures in this race
featured in an hour-long ITV programme which was available on video at one
time.
My brothers and sisters all loved that boat, and were truly sad when she was
sold. The last we heard was that she had been restored to her thirties
splendour, and was moored somewhere in the Mediterranean. There was a sister
ship 'Sequence' which also sailed from Cardiff at one point. She was almost
identical except she lacked a bowsprit.
My father has many many photos of Sixpence, racing, cruising, or just
holidaying. He also has many of MG's books, and once even met the great man
at an Earls Court Boat Show.
Andrew Turton |
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This is Tinka, 'almost' another sister
ship to Sixpence. Seen here in Italy, where she went in 1988.
October 2006, Tinka has been sold
and the new owner has been good enough to send in pics and offer the plans
to us so we may scan them and place them on CD for all!
I have given her a page of her own.
(click on the underlined words).
Below are details of another 'almost' sister ship! |
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Here is
'Sequence'!
she also now has her own page! click here
Below are more extracts from an old YW
magazine, from 1957. This boat was designed by MG for his own use, he
must have been sailing it in the early 1960's. kindly sent in by
Phil Bianchi. |
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This is part of the write up on her. |
Hull lines
The
Sail Plan
The accommodation.
click here to see her own page. So the question
remains, 'Where is sixpence'? |
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Tinka |

The last seven pictures of
Tinka
have been forwarded from Silvio in Italy, June 2010, along with the paper
copies of the original drawings! I will be having these scanned and
will be able to send them out on CD to anyone interested, at cost! thanks
Silvio, a generous gesture. Your ship is a credit to you! |
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Here is a sister-ship,
'Koonawarra'
alongside in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia at a
classic boat event. She is based in Victoria. Thanks to Associate
member and ex owner of a 3 Tonner, Mike Field.
TINKA
Class
BOAT NAME: Koonawarra
BOAT OWNER: David Bullen
LOCATION: AFLOAT, KF1-28 - 8
OVERVIEW: Length: 9.9m, (32' 6"), Launched: 1951, NZ Kauri Pine Carvel
Cutter Designed by Maurice Griffiths and built by David Bullen Resides in:
Victoria
HISTORY: Her owner completed a west-about circumnavigation between 1985 and
1990. Koonawarra has undergone a 10 year ground-up rebuild. Construction.
New Zealand Kauri pine planking. Tasmanian Celery Top Pine ribs. Ironwood
keelson. 2.5 ton lead keel. Perkins 4108 diesel auxiliary engine. Burmese
Teak sprung deck. Spars-Douglas fir. Spotted Gum trims. Fit out below,
African Mahogany & Ebony, buttoned leather upholstery. Aries wind vane
fitted.
Wow that is a nice looking boat!
August 2015, we heard via Italian news that
Tinka
sank on her mooring in dock. Efforts were under way to recover her.
when this was printed on the Stoppress page we had this back from Chris
Keenan! didn't see the news on Tinka..
It wont hurt her, she's used to it. When I first
inspected her she was underwater in Gosport, Portsmouth....
With a dive bottle and dry suit, I felt her curves in
zero viz. Hole in stbd quarter and port bow, mud and sea and tide slooching
thru her. But I felt those curves and smiled. I bought her on the spot.
£2,500. Made plans, went back from Leigh next weekend and lifted her with
plywood patches with pre banged brass Gripfast and sealed with grease and
putty mixed on board to a "sloppy old mix" as my old foreman at Johnson and
Jagos used to say.. lifted her with airbags, hauled her out in Campers,
..knocked in some good mahogany planks and caulked her, all 24 hrs. Stuck
her back in and she hardly leaked. (till I sailed her home to Leigh then the
old tarbut pump never stopped banging away in the cockpit) ..I laid on the
scrubbing posts at Hardway yc. Rented a hi-pressure washer and blasted out
all the mud, again. I did it in campers with a hose but not as good. She had
, has, a harbour bung (ironic now eh?) And it all washed out thru there..
I stripped the old Volvo MD 25 down each cylinder,
rigged a clean jerry can of diesel next to the engine, flushed it all out,
changed the oils etc.. lifted the decompression levers, got her going at the
fastest I could wind her, slammed the levers over and I nearly died,,, it
bloomin well started and ran.....amazing...I gave it a few mins, let it warm
not hot, stopped it, changed the oil again and ran it. Vibrated like hell
and caused years of leaks as the beds were bolted thru the planks, but it
never faulted or failed....loud?? wow,..
So she is no stranger to being under..
Brilliant Chris hope the new owner takes
heart from that! John |
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"Ocean Dove"
Was first launched in 1959. She is a modified
Maurice Griffiths Maplin Class Ketch. Her hull is carvel mahogany on Irish
oak frames. She has a pitch pine keel and bilge stringers. |
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"Ocean Dove"
Lying Northern Ireland.
As a footnote I have just found an
article written by Jim Andrews. Jim wrote for P.B.O. for years and was
best known to most for his Catamarans... however in his book 'Twelve
Ships a Sailing', he reveals he built this boat! He also reveals that
due to an accident with the frames, she was rather slacker bilged that she
aught to be and so over built she floated a lot deeper than she was supposed
to. A lesson for all, try not to
alter the designs.
The designer knew what he was about.
Seems she sailed all round
the western Isles and Irish waters and always gave a good account of
herself, where is she now I wonder. December 05.
July 2010, we have just
heard from the new owner, he has joined us, welcome Peter, he keeps her in
Bangor Marina, County Down. |
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'Quiet Reach'
In need of a little TLC. Is the owner on line?
It is a M.G. Medusa. GRP construction, one of many built. Must be a
better pic of one somewhere! |
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Could this be the same Medusa? she was spotted
in March 2007 for sale on the boatshed website. |
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'Wind Dancer'
a Medusa 25 found in South Africa by Willie Laing. she may have been
called Zigg Zagg and is purported to have sailed out to Africa on her own
bottom. In which case she should know the way home, for Willie is
refitting her for the trip back next year. We want to read the log
Willie! |
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Lots of work to do yet! |
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'Demelza',
Medusa 25 owned by Andy Webster.
Demelza came from Plymouth last year, 2009, she was moored in the
Cattewater and was a brokerage sale from Tony Hole Marine - very helpful and
obliging outfit.
We don't know much about her, being a brokerage, but whilst repainting her
on the hard at her current home, West Bay Dorset, a visitor told me he knew
her - had been moored next to her for a couple of years. Didn't know the
previous owner though.
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PS
any Volvo Penta MD series wizards in the group? |
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Anyway, she needed a minimum of work to use her right away - we brought her
round from Plymouth via River Yealm and Brixham in July 2009 and she has
been busy ever since.
Stripped and repainted decks over winter, took off a load of peeling
Treadmaster, she's almost ready for a return trip to the Yealm in May,
then.... who knows? (South Africa may be a bit ambitious, but it's
encouraging to hear about that journey - do you know who it was?
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She looks very smart Andy and I bet she gets
a few admirers... |
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What is this ? If B. Micklewhite was the owner, is he
still? I think they are two different boats.... not a Tidewater...? Bruce is
in touch and working on her! Can't wait to see the restored boat pics! |
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This picture and the one below were sent in by Bruce Micklewhite (The owner)
so that answers one question, however - what is she? Thanks to Mike
Field in Australia we believe she is a 'Swin' class!
The Swin was designed
jointly by M.G and Alan Buchanon. |
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Another one from Bruce Micklewhite, is it an MG? Note Centre cockpit.
Again we now believe it to be a 'Swin', but with a centre cockpit?!
Hope the owner sees this and contacts us. Was for sale in an Essex boatyard.
No further details known?? Oh yes they are, see the for sale pages!
Peter Larkin, a fellow marine engineer is selling this boat and has sent
details and another pic! she is indeed a Swin class but heavily modified
when built, very different! |
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This is the other view of the 25ft boat, believed M.G. design, possibly a
Swin class, stretched slightly and modified by Parsons of Leigh in the
building? Sept 2004 update, Andrew Wallace, one of our 221
registrants, has bought her and is working on her to be afloat next year we
hope! More pics to follow! It allegedly is based on a MG design!
the 'Swin' class built locally by Johnson and Jago of Leigh on Sea, but centre cockpit! |
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'Misty II'
Andrew
Wallace has sent these latest pics in. Misty is undergoing some
repairs and Andrew hopes to be afloat next spring! |
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'Misty II'
A view
into the aft cabin. The frames up on the left have already been
doubled, but Andrew is laminating new ones in... |
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The main cabin. Andrew admits it is a bit
cramped, so is going to modify it slightly. removing one of the berths
and junking the galley etc to all be replaced by new. |
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This bunk had a very odd set up, one foot under the
locker, the other on the edge of the bunk? Andrew is removing this
one. |
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August 2005
'Misty II' ready for launching, looking
immaculate! |
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Afloat again! Look forward to crossing
wakes some time in the future! |
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These last four pics taken in April 2006. By chance I was in the area and
spotted her. |
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Sitting in the mud at Leigh on Sea. |
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My Swin
class yacht ‘Moonraker’ was built here in Victoria, (Australia)
professionally in the 50s.
I will
join the group and write about the boat soon, every spare minute is going
into the boat.
I have
seen many wooden boats as a specialist wooden boat shipwright and have
rarely seen a better built boat this one, beautifully ribbed and fastened
with strong floors. All the screw fastenings are monel.
She is
built entirely of premium NZ Kauri, full length planking, with hardwood
frames.
As far as
I can tell from the book, she is built exactly to the plan.
Do you
have the edition of yachting monthly, we have almost an entire library of
Y.M. magazines here, I have one on my desk March 1932.
I have
poured over your website and seen that the ‘Micklewhite’ boat is
undisputedly a Swin class yacht exactly the same as mine.
I have
seen nothing to support a Centre cockpit design Swin class with an underhung
rudder, therefore the centre cockpit boat, I think it might be a stretch to
call it a Swin?
(Eds comment. yes we
have seen the letters she is only based on the design and severely altered
to a clients whim).
Wayne
Parr
Wayne at
woodenboatshop.com.au
www.woodenboatshop.com.au
And below, here is Moonraker! |
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SWIN
BOAT NAME: Moonraker
BOAT OWNER: Wayne Parr
LOCATION: AFLOAT, KPWN - 6
OVERVIEW: Length: 7.6m (25'), Launched: 1953, Kauri Carvel Sloop Designed by
Maurice Griffiths & Alan Buchanon and built by W.G. Hughes Resides in:
Victoria
HISTORY: Moonraker was built for Mr A.E Friee of Hawthorn Victoria in 1953.
Her design is directly out of the Book Dream Ships by Maurice Griffiths.
Through the 60s Moonraker was owned by a syndicate of sailing women who
starred in a TV interview sailing aboard her on Port Phillip Bay. Moored
until recent years at Sandringham Yacht Club she has always been known as a
popular iconic boat. Her construction consists of a Jarrah keel, stem and
stern post, Spotted Gum frames stringers and gunwales and full length New
Zealand Kauri planking. Oregon transom and deck structure. A professional no
expense spared restoration over three years (2010 -2013), has included full
removal of the paint, internal fit-out, floor timbers, mechanical and
electrical components, major fastenings, cockpit and every fitting. All
fractured frames approx 50% have been scarf repaired or replaced. New floor
timbers fitted from stem to stern. New engine beds, stern tube, chainplates,
keel bolts, sole, cockpit, chaffing battens, skin fittings, tanks,
electrics, stove, refrigeration and so on... The original fit-out including
the ceiling has been reinstalled maintaining the original configuration of
the boat which works well due to the huge amount of room the raised deck
design offers. Original cast bronze fittings have been re used with several
vintage additions that have been sourced locally and abroad. A new gaff rig
has been built complete with Oregon spars, wooden blocks, hand spliced
rigging served with marlin and laid halliards. A true representation of the
designer's and builder's original concept.
Our
thanks again to Mike Field for sending this in, captured at a classic
sail event in Tasmania!
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'Tugela'
Owned
and sailed by William Challis out of Woodbridge.
She is a 'Finesse 27' jointly designed, we believe, like the
24ft version, with L. Harbotell and M.G. Built by Platts boatyard of Leigh,
Essex..
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'Tugela'
Seen ashore so
we can see her lines and bilge keels! |
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Finesse 24
'Kiboto' on her mooring at Woodbridge.
Owner, John joined us September 2011. |
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Another 'Finesse' near Osea, May 2004.
An extract from a letter regarding MG and the
Finesse class from Alan Stacey
Alan Platt certainly told me about the
initial poor performance and subsequent revisions of the Finesse.
(With MG)
I spent a very pleasant few hours with him in
his yard at Thundersley on two separate days some years ago . The first
being when I asked him to make me a new mast for Stella Marie (receiving a
severe dressing down for breaking one of his masts) The second day being
when I collected my smart new one. I had cause to be near Southend
about two months ago and went to see if he was still around. The yard is
obviously closed and a house or two built on the site. So it would seem that
another yard building "proper boats" has gone.
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'Capricorn'
another
Finesse, from the net by John Stevens. |
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'Maplin Maid'
on her
mooring at Tollesbury, owned by Scott the vicar from Walton now! |
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Another view of
'Maplin Maid' |
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'Maplin Maid'
again.
Scott has contacted us to correct me, She is a 26ft Bawley! I would
have thought she was at least 2 ft bigger! She is for sale February
2016. |
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I have had this in from member Chris Keenan, Former
owner of Maplin Maid and blue water sailor!
I kept Maplin Maid for a few years, the previous owner, Fred Aurtherell,
also did, before me, in this old bomb hole off Small Gains Creek,
there was enough water to scrub her off at low tide. Fred always told me he
thought Hitler was not such a bad bloke for giving us this nice big hole
with loads of water to scrub off with!!
One winters night she went adrift. January gales. I went out in fisherman's
skiff to look for her. I found her on the mud by Two Tree Island, she had
let her riding scope get caught around her bridle anchors. the power of
chain is amazing and she wound the 2 anchors together as she was wind rode
then tide rode as she swung. When Fred saw the ball of chain and
anchors sticking out, he exclaimed 'Christ we caught a mine'. I laughed so
hard I sat down in the snow covered mud. At Five in the morning in a howling gale
miles from anywhere on a freezing night, I did not laugh much longer.
I worked at Leigh, Johnson and Jago's, 1972, 73. J and J's had long since
stopped building 6 tonners and the ones I knew were all like MM, full length
keel. Moon river of Maplin had bilge keels fitted by us so she would sit
upright of Thorpe bay. She often made a drop thru
somewhere, so I was told. Fred reckoned it was because she pounded a bit on the
foreshore as she took the ground. Maplin Maid was always as tight as a nut.
There were one or two 5.5 tonners around, a bright red one, I saw her a lot
up Lawling creek or the next one up, she had a bowsprit and bumpkin. The
beach boats built in J J's like 'Grace Darling' and skylark, were all built
with plates, 'Skylark' used to sail into Chalkwell beach and take out
trippers. As a nipper, my job was to look after the plank whilst they took
out trippers, I
got paid a tanner for a tide. eventually Mum took me on a trip, I was
mesmerized by the muddy water being churned up as we crossed the flats..
that was it for me, I was set for life, I was about 7. had no chance since.
I tried to buy 'skylark' but she was chartering off the pier or something??
He wanted 20 k?? ah well.
'I have some old photos of when we were repairing 6 tonners as we
called them, the Bawleys. I think the Cocklers we called 5 and 'alf
tonners. (This was because we also repaired the real cocklers and bawleys,
like 'Renown', 'Valiant'. 'Navigator', 'Letitia 2' and little Stevie Meddles
'Ranger 3'. she was the first to have a fwd 'wheil'arse' ...)
The latter are of course the commercial fishing boats!
I will look them out! Thanks Chris for the
memories! An update 2015, Chris has
sent a link in to his new website.
www.cksailing.com |
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This is 'Chloe of Mourne'
another 38' Francis
Drake class (Similar the the Golden Hind. )
She is presently undergoing a
refit and the owner may part with her in 2005, watch this space!
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This is the interior of
'Chloe of Mourne'
January 2011 a very sad looking Chloe was for
sale on eBay for £10k..... |
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'Evenstar',
No not a big
Eventide but indeed a steel 'Vulcan' design by MG. This one was found
at Maldon, Sept 04, the owner saying he had just bought her and was
interested in us, I will drop in a welcome pack to him. He thinks he
has a years work to do! Dec 05. I am
pleased to say that the owner, Douglas has registered. We hope to see
more of this fine ship! We have noticed that the boat is looking tidier and
shipshape now. just have to catch him under sail! |
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Another Steel Vulcan? Roberto Barco's boat |
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'Odyssee'
another
Vulcan class, this time in the Netherlands. October 2007, just sent in
by the owner, Eilard, from Amsterdam, who has just enrolled. |
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'Odyssee' Looking
powerful and polished! The Vulcan is a strong looking vessel! |
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'Odyssee'
high and dry, showing how these strong steel
vessels can dry out on a hard flat surface and still be comfortable.
The ship put is aground at low tide south of the island of Ameland. |
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'Odyssee'
Latest pics in for Eilard May 2008, sailing
near the Island of Terschelling in the Dutch Waddensea. Looks great
Eilard! |
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November 2016, Eilard has hauled out, now
scrubbed and sorted. |
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And lowered back into the water for the
winter! |
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Ready to sail March 2017! |
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Eilard's boat trapped in the ice, March 2018!
Strength of a steel hull! Eilard will be released from the ice soon, ready
for the season though and be able to sail the waterways of the Netherlands
and beyond . Eilard is our Netherlands rep! |
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August 2018, Eilard sent this in as she
is today.. |
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'Adora'
31ft steel Vulcan owned by
Florence down in Devon on the River Dart.
She is up for sale, see the
'for Sale' page.
April 08. |
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'Fortuna'
a steel 30 ft boat that looks so much like an
MG design, but which one? the owner thought Kylix, but I think not,
maybe Vulcan or a modified Barcarole.. any thoughts anyone. She is
Belgian flagged and in Holland by the look of the pics.. hoping to get
more measurements from Marc, the owner. |
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Whatever MG design she is, she is
certainly looked after! If that is you Marc, you should look pleased!
Yes it is Marc and we now believe she is a Vulcan. We have been able
to put another Vulcan owner in touch.. |
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March 2009 and
'Fortuna' now sports a very smart new
spray hood. Marc says he may try to get to the Essex Coast this year,
he has a bright new burgee, we will watch out for him! |
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May 2009, out sailing in Holland, Marc at his Galley, very traditional Blakes Paraffin cooker as well! |
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Plenty of room on deck here! |
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Alongside or on a pontoon, she is a fine looking ship! |
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'Banjo'
A MG Bawley
class We have just heard from the owner, Antonia. See
the pic of 'Maplin Maid'
above!
Do we know any more about Banjo? I seem to
remember seeing her on the Blackwater years ago, she is now on the Exe.
Was she in an M.G. book or Classic Boat? We have put the owner
in touch with our Lone Gull II rep. J.W.
I have just found your web site whilst doing
research on my Thames Bawley 6 tonner. It seems that you are creating some
kind of data base on Maurice Griffiths designed boats. If you are
interested you may have a photo or two of mine at present called 'Banjo' I
dislike the name and so may change it.
She is 26 ft overall plus bowsprit rigged as a
cutter. Built by Johnson and Jago in 1965. Mahogany on Rock Elm frames.
She is in excellent condition. Antonia.
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These last three interior pictures of
'Banjo'
show just how
nice she is.. and Antonia is going to keep the name too! Pleased
to hear that. Now where have I seen that picture of her, was it East
Coast rivers maybe?? |
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We are pleased to say Antonia has now registered with us so are able to put
her in touch with two other Bawley design owners. Hope the information
exchange is fruitful! She has sent another couple of nice pics too!
April
05, Antonia is back on the water, and having sorted out the rigging, and
managed to get the heads door open again after they tightened the rig
excessively, she hopes to get out sailing! Looking forward to more
pics. Glad the bush telegraph we have worked for you, She has been in
touch with several other owners! Re Banjo.
I owned Banjo from 92 to 95 and kept her in
Conyer Creek, Kent and sailed her in the Thames Estuary.
I bought her from Mike Godfrey (Marine Engineer /
Admiralty Surveyor) who had owned and restored her for the previous ten
years. I continued Mikes update and restoration until divorce forced her
sale to Alan Gimes.
I have most of her history of original build and
restoration. She was built for a friend of Maurice Griffiths and is to a far
better specification than usual. Stephen Dodge
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'Fortuna' Another
MG Bawley, this time only 22ft long.... Thanks to Jenny and
Nathan for this pic, We have been able to put all the Bawley owners in
touch, after they registered! |
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'Fortuna' April 07, Jenny and Nathan
have just been in touch to ask if we can advertise her, you will find her on
the
For Sale page. she is a splendid MG boat! |
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'La Deselsa'
is Maurice Griffiths Bawley Yacht built by
Johnson and Jago in 1962. Carvel built of Mahogany on Oak with a long iron
keel she was substantially re built in 2001. The deck and Cabin top are all
new in marine plywood sheathed on GRP. All deck beams and carlines have been
renewed as are all keel bolts. |
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She was fitted with a new Yanmar 3GM 30 F 3-cylinder
diesel in 2001, that has done only 200 hours. Currently used as a fishing /
day boat, she offers accommodation for three with a galley and basic heads. |
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2011 she was found on the net for sale!
Now under a new skipper and seen in Essex waters by a member! Waiting
for the enrolment! |
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Looks very smart. Alongside the pontoon
at Brightlingsea... |
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'Taloa'
is a 1950 Thames Bawley built by James Cook at Wivenhoe.
October 2008, Roger Galley has her for sale
on the 'For Sale' page |
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She is 25' long, 30' overall including
bowsprit and bumpkin. Beam 7' 11", displacement 4.5 tons approx. Draft 3'6".
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Carvel construction, inch mahogany planking
on oak frames, copper rove fastened with an iron ballast keel. Bermudan
cutter rig. Aft cockpit with tiller steering. 2 Cylinder sole diesel engine. |
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This is
'Kittiwake'.
A 26ft Thames Bawley class. She is
ownered by Goeffrey Barker and has been totally refurbished over the past 12
years. She is FOR SALE,
see out page, click the link... not quite finished, you just
need to add water! |
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The standard of finish is superb |
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the paintwork gleams! |
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the interior is dusty, but all clean and
newly varnished beneath the dust! |
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Every part has seen restoration. |
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There is a transom to be proud of! |
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From deck beams to companionway steps all
sorted. just need a duster! |
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Cosy interior |
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New mast and even spick and span heads! |
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November 2020, we have just heard from Amber, she has been the owner for 2
years now. She has had the keel removed and bolts all checked etc.
here she is in Porthleven harbour.
Waiting on her enrolment, hoping
to welcome Amber to the group . |
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Amber sent this one in as she sails past the Lizard, eastbound. I met
killer Whales here on my way round the UK in 2018! The red sails are just
right!
Amber keeps her in Newlyn, a handy port when sailing to the
Scillies! Note the leg on the cabin top, need these to stay upright
when drying out. |
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'Kinvara'
Certainly
an MG, but which one? She is 36 ft loa, built of steel, in 1980. Her
first owners sailed her for 7 years around the Pacific? Any one know
who that was? Colin reports she is of 4'6" draft , a gaff rigged cutter with
bowsprit and solid dodgers. She has old style opening deck hatches and
bronze opening ports.
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'Kinvara'
Close up of the
foredeck. |
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Here is a delightful picture of 'Charon'
A
sister ship to 'Tamaris'
We have given
her a page of her own,
please click here to go to
it. She is sailing in Australian waters! |
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This is 'Tamaris',
seen alongside the
quay in Cork in 1988. Picture from a website somewhere courtesy of
Gary Hamilton. Do we know which web site?
Feb 09, info from Ed and Helen Geasly,
they
say she is still lying in east ferry marina where this pic was taken.
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2012, 'Tamaris'
with new mast up and sails
hoisted fitting out and finishing off nearly all done! |
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Tamaris was up for sale
Maurice Griffiths own 6 &
1/2 ton yawl
Built in 1949 by Johnson and
Jago Leigh on Sea Essex.
28 ft. 7 ̎wooden Carvel hull
(full original specification see YM. edition August 1949)
three berths, 2gm Yanmar
inboard diesel, sounder, compass, and vhf and two ringed gas hob galley
and heads,
new mast and standing
rigging, tan sails, fair to good.
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Is it time for Tamaris to go
home to UK waters?. At present she is lying in Cork harbour
contact.... Eddie Meaney on
00353872626907
or email Helen on h.geasley
at gmail.com
Asking €
18000. (Euros!)
Sadly we have not been able to contact the
seller for a while,
2/16
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This is 'Safari'
sent in by Gary, similar to
'Tamaris' above but different rig and other differences. I hope to list them
soon.
Safari is the sister ship to Tamaris and was
built alongside Tamaris at the Johnson and Jago yard at Leigh on Sea in
1950. The vessel was built for a friend of Maurice Griffiths who was a
large man .For this reason a raised coach roof was added. This and other
small details were the only differences in the two vessels. Both
vessels carried identical rigs, although it was found the safari had
bad weather helm while Tamaris was beautifully balanced, a condition which
the designer could not explain and of which was remedied by Mr. William
Milne formerly of Aberdeen who brought safari to the west coast of Canada
I hope this will help you. If you require any
more info I should be happy to oblige.
Gary
Thanks for that Gary,
John.
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The Gulf Stream 42. We have had a request for more details on this
design. do you know of one that was built? The last known holder
of these plans seems to be unobtainable. anyone know where Phil Sheaf
has moved to? |
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'Mackerel Skies'
Owned by Graham Peck, this is a great pic of a Finesse 24. MG was
jointly responsible for her nice lines, who was the co-designer? It was
L. Harbotell! Pleased to get that little gem from an owner! She sailed
out of Maldon for some time, presently at Bradwell on her way to Suffolk.
Hope to see more of her in the future! |
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Another Finesse 24 found for sale on E-Bay.
Do not know is she sold, and cannot quite make out her name....
however the sail number 12 is clearly
visible. Wonder if the owner is out there? |
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A very pretty finesse 27, 'Storm', we
believe she is called, for sale on the web 2012. Who owns her we
wonder? |
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'Meriel' Now renamed 'John Humby'.
This M.G. Barcarole now has her own
page on the Builders and Restorers section.
Hugo is keeping us up to date with the restoration. The boat was in
Maldon, but Hugo lives the other side of the country! |
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This Barcarole was on the Lone Gull II for a
while, (and still is too!) but Hugo Pettingel has identified it as a
Barcarole. Do we have a name? She was snapped on a mooring at
Waldringfield by Ian Clarke.
The owner, Miles has just contacted us,
November 2008. she is called
'Egretta'. sadly 2011 she was lost off Beachy
Head... the new owner managed to leap ashore.... |
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The original Barcarole!
It's good
to see a website on Maurice Griffiths designs. Your website mentions
Barcarole-class boats, but doesn't show any pictures of Barcarole herself.
My father, Philip Hays, was the original owner of Barcarole, and we spent
many pleasant summers cruising the Thames estuary, with occasional trips to
France or Belgium. I have several photos of Barcarole, and would be happy
to share them with you.
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I've attached an unpublished
article that my father probably intended to be published in Yachting Monthly
(he had written several articles that were published in YM describing our
travels in the barge-yacht Dione). I found the manuscript in his files
after his death in 1972, converted it to MS Word, and then added my own
photos. It describes a trip to Ostend that we took over Easter in 1960.
People in the pictures include my mother, Joan Hays, and my sister, Lesley
(shown at the helm as we crossed the French/Belgian border). After my
father's death, my mother married Arthur Bennett, who had owned the Thames
barge Henry. The chart that I added for the beginning of the article was
lifted from the web, and is intended for my American friends who are not
familiar with European geography. |
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Your
website includes a mention of Alan Buchanan. After my father sold
Barcarole, he had a Vashti-class boat built, called Cavalier of Kent. He
owned her until close to his death from chronic leukemia.
-
Tony Hays
We will be adding the text of the log of
Barcarole to the Logs page shortly. |
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Many thanks to William for these excellent pics and the additional
information on 'Banjo',
that we have passed on
to Antonia.August 2007, have just spoken to
a former owner, who spent a long time restoring her, he also gave me the
name of the person in my village he bought her from! I know Eric! Small world. |
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'The North Star'
The two pics on the left show what we were
told was a M.G. Cockler in a very sad state, being
taken from her berth ready to undergo major repairs and refurbishing!
I believe she is in fact a Barcarole, from her dimensions. The new owner Phil Besley, has her in West Sussex and is interested to hear
from any owners of similar boats.
Mail him at the following address, leave out the
spaces and put the @ symbol in instead of 'at' of course! 'phil at
soundmin.co.uk' (For those worried about 'web crawlers' trolling
through and picking up their addresses this is a neat trick! Most of
us have good enough spam killers to prevent problems, but for the nervous,
it works!) |
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June 2006, Phil has sent these pics in and some more
into. He says it is 27'6" long, by my reckoning that is too long for a
Cockler, they were 25ft. The pics of her
afloat show her in Tollesbury, Woodrolfe Creek. The times I must have
sailed past her and not noticed! I still have a mooring there! |
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I think she is a Barcarole, the right length, and the
later ones had no centreboards, again the Cockler did have a
centreboard... or did they we have just had details of one without!
Phil is to have his own page on the restorers section where
'The North Star' can be
watched as he restores her! September 2007, we have
just heard that this vessel was destroyed by being set afire...
The owner could not sell it and the farmer wanted his field back..
What sad end. |
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'Serica'
An M.G. Cockler, owned by Teresa a recent
registrant, June 06. She sails in the Falmouth area. Teresa
confirms her Cockler is 25ft plus the bowsprit, but has no centreboard, but
is a bilge keeler. Years ago I feel sure I went on board a Cockler in
the London River and she sported a board, or was she not a Cockler??
Anyone throw any light on it? I know the first half dozen Barcaroles
were centreboard, but after that they were bilge keelers..... was it
the same with the Cockler? |
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'Veterata'
Sister Ship to Tamaris, new home Found!!
See
the Builders and Restorers pages
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Another Roach class boat found. this one is a
Tollesbury. Spotted by John Stevens. |
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The vessel on the Left is a MG Seareach 30, steel built and looking great!
She is for sale on the net.
http://marinedirectory.ybw.com/boat/new/home.jsp
Sadly the pics do not
enlarge.....
Looks just like a Riptide to me!! |
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'Ayuthia'
This beautiful 1936 40 plus foot MG boat was
found by John Stevens on the web. She is for sale in the States.
Built for her owner in Thailand from Teak and exotic timbers, she was
recently refurbished... One for the wish list I think! |
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This MG 38ft beauty was again found by John
Stevens on the web. She is for sale on Malaysia. |
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A Gulfstream 44. Again found by J.S. on the
web! Another beauty! |
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A Gulf Stream, stated as 45ft this one, for
sale in north Kent October 2013.
with a beam of 12ft, steel construction and with bilge keels she has
apparently been used to live aboard prior to completion as a Gaff Ketch. |
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Cannot quite make out the name....... will the proud owner step forward to
take a bow? |
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'Idle Duck'
found on the web by J.S. this boat was based
on 'Scoter' a boat built in 1894! See the book, '60 years a yacht
designer' by M.G. |
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'Idle Duck'
Bob Telford the new owner and member of this
group, has sent this pic in of her stuck at Oare Creek waiting for the tide
to make! High pressure has kept the levels down! Bob is not
happy! Hope to see her out and about soon. July 06. |
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She has a page of her own on the
restorers section, click here to go there. |
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September 2015 and news in from Bob, she is
taking to the water again! |
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Bob has splashed out on a Darglow feathering
prop too! Bob has also designed and installed a Trim Tab. To be driven by a
standard tiller pilot with remote sensor. |
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Just look and those gleaming topsides |
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And the lovely shape of her! MG
designed her well, Bob has looked after her even better! |
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These scans of her from an old Yachting annual were kindly sent in by Jim in
Australia. |
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'Good Hope',
Roger Crabtree sent this pic of his splendid craft in, he sails the West
Country and beyond! We have just had another good hope owner join us,
October 2006, pics to follow! |
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'Silver Fox'
Designed by MG in the 1930's and seen here in
1945, racing!! Not a shape one would associate with MG today. Thanks
to Ian Clarke for sending this in.
There was a pic of a sister ship, the
'Silver Seal', but not good enough to
print...
She is listed as a 25ft, 7 ton of
the 'Olive Mary'
design. MG told me that the plans for most of his pre 1939 designs,
were lost due to enemy action... The Y.M. store was bombed. he did not
regret it as he said they were not his best!
The following was received from Paul Rockley,
the owner of the original 'Olive Mary' can anyone help him track down the
sister ships? Hopefully a pic of her will be forthcoming soon.
October 2006... On the left 5 pics of
the beautiful
'Olive Mary'!
'with reference your research on
Maurice Griffith's designs. I purchased "Olive Mary" (7ton gaff cutter,
built by Harry King & Sons in 1931) in 1993, kept her in Cornwall for
9 years before moving back to North Wales. "Olive Mary" now swings happily
on her mooring on the Conwy river. If you are in contact with any of the
owners of her sister ships and can put me in touch with them it would be
much appreciated.'
Thanks. Paul
mail me at:- paul.rockey at btopenworld.com
The last four pics are of 'Olive
Mary' taken by Paul after she had been spruced up for her 77th Birthday in
2008! And here's to many more.
A credit to you Paul.
The last 4 pics Paul has found show her
being built at Pin Mill in Harry King and sons yard, and her launching
in June 1931. splendid pics.
July 2009 Paul has just resent these scans in for us as they were lost in
the computer change over a month or so ago! Great finds!


More pics of Olive Mary, sadly because
October 2016 Paul has her up for sale.
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Good to hear that
Olive Mary and Silver Fox are still afloat.
My father and mother
owned their sister ship
'Wendy May' until 1992 and I am delighted to
report that she is still going strong. She was built at Deganwy in 1936 of
larch planking on oak. She was laid up during the war and recommissioned in
the 1950s. The first owner we know of was John Challis who cruised her
extensively around the English South and West coast. My father bought her
from him in 1974 and sailed her up to Kirby Creek in the Walton backwaters
where she was based for several years. During her time on the East coast she
took part in annual OGA rallies including the notorious (and riotous)
Heineken Challenge from Stone on the river Blackwater to Amsterdam. In her
my family explored the Deben, Stour, Orwell and Alde and went as far as
Norwich on one memorable summer She also made many North Sea crossings.
In the late 1980's, we
sailed from Harwich to Findhorn on the Moray Firth where she was based until
Dad sold her in 1992. During this time, ,my parents cruised the West coast
of Scotland and Wendy May became a familiar visitor to many island harbours
and sea lochs. She has sailed through Corryvreckan twice, anchored off
Staffa (in a flat calm) and visited Glasgow as one of the floating
attractions at that City's 1990 Garden Festival. During the passage for the
latter, my father put in at Irvine Maritime museum for the night and was
offered the choice of either berthing alongside the trawler "Altair" (refloated
after being sunk with all hands in the Firth of Clyde) or alongside the
Longhope life boat! As he said later, it had been a long passage from Oban
so if any ghostly visitors came aboard that night they were too fast asleep
to notice.
Her
current owner is - or was - the OGA Secretary and she is berthed on the
Conway and cruises to Ireland regularly.
I know of one other -
"Singapore" - but have no idea if she is afloat and if so where.
Wendy May was the only
one of the four sisters not built by Harry King and it’s a coincidence that
she and Olive Mary are both based on the Conway. Her present owners are Phil
and Lynn Slade. Singapore was sighted by my brother on the Deben in the
1980s so she may still be in those parts.
Jim
Munro
Letter
from MG on the left sent to us by Jim, many thanks, this is what makes this
site unique!
John
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April 2011 and Paul has sent in three up to
date pictures of Olive Mary . (Port Penrhyn, Bangor, North Wales, May 2010) |
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Wide clear decks, something you do not see so
often... |
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And a bowsprit to definitely avoid!
Hope to get some picture of her under sail to add to this section later this
season. |
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Update 2019. |
After an enquiry from Tim one of our WW reps
I managed to get hold of the present owner of 'Wendy May', none other than
Dick Durham, M.G.'s biographer. He
has sent in a load of photos of her to be added here. Thanks Dick,
hopefully enrolling soon.
Dick is at the moment selling to a friend,
Wendy May is staying in Essex and will soon be based at the Island Y.C.
Canvey |
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Wendy May sailing in Hadleigh Ray, Essex. |
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'Coridon'
a 'Swin' Class yacht, this one seen here in the
Netherlands where she is up for sale. the owner Brian Cole has
advertised her with us on the
For Sale page, as well as in Holland. She was built for Brian in 1963 and he is sadly
having to part with her... She is gunter rigged so as to get under the
bridges! |
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'Cailín'
A Levanter 33 owned by Ron and Paula Pimm.
She is steel built of course and is actually 34.5 ft long. Built in
1988 and launched 1989. They believe the mast has been changed at some
stage for a taller rig. Not unusual for MG's boats to have been slightly
short in the mast, the GH had the same problem. |
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Here she is on her mooring at Titchmarsh
Marina Walton Backwaters, and a view of the cockpit with her under sail.
At present they are tuning the rig. All up weight 10 tonnes!
She has a 32 hp BMW engine. A very solid cruiser. Sorry about
the quality of the pics, scanned from photocopies! Hope to get real
pics of her afloat next season! |
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Levanter 33 'Cailin'.



Sold by Ron and Julia and taken on by new
members Martin and Debbie, soon to be based in the west country. February
2019. |
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'Amadis'
Good hope 38 was for sale after sailing from West
Mersea to New Zealand! We understand now from Lily the skipper, that
they could not part with her. Not surprised! She is back nearly where she started. she was
built in Australia.
Lily the Skipper is nor living on her in
N.Z. The old website for her adventures has gone, but Lily tells me
there is a new link,
www.oceanswatch.org An organisation
doing similar things that she and Amadis will no doubt be involved in! |
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What a fine looking ship she is!
we have been keeping track of her on the Links page, she was involved with
survey work at various exotic locations across the world!
We have this design drawing on CD if anyone
fancies restoring or better, building one, in timber or ferro! |
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Designer: Maurice Griffiths. Model: Good Hope
38 – centre cockpit cutter.
Builder: David Kew, completed 1990 in Adelaide, Australia.
Construction: Lead ballast keel, 4 tons;
ironbark keel timbers and deadwood; jarrah carvel planking to waterline,
Queensland maple topsides; karri ribs and stringers. Ply / glass decks and
superstructure.
Length overall: 45ft with bowsprit and wind-vane gear. Length on
deck: 38 ft Beam: 11 ft Draft: 4.6 ft. Gross weight: approx 15 tons.
Designed and built as a seaworthy, offshore yacht by the highly regarded
yacht designer Maurice Griffiths. Amadis is an eye-catching yacht and has
almost completed a circumnavigation; now ready for her next bluewater
cruise. Amadis underwent a major refit over 2003/4 and has been used as
research/ dive/ expeditions yacht exclusively since.
The long, full keel allows for easy handling for two people or solo and
the shallow draft gives access to many areas whether over coral reefs or in
European rivers; she will also dry out comfortably in a mud berth or against
a wall. The wide, un-cluttered decks with 4 "bulwarks and ample handholds
give safe movement in all weathers. The centre cockpit has high sides and
feels very secure. The interior is predominantly white painted with
varnished woodwork and many opening ports giving a light and airy feel.
There are bunks for up to 8 people: aft cabin has 1 double and one single;
saloon 1 single and dinette converts to double; fore peak has two singles.
The nav area has a large chart table and huge drawers for charts. Throughout
there is a huge storage capacity for boat equipment, spares, tools, personal
gear and extra food and water required for extensive cruises. This is a
comfortable livaboard yacht.
Rigging: Cutter rig, S/S rigging (2004), alloy spars, twin headsail poles
on mast mounted tracks. All running rigging new 2004. Wooden boom cradle.
Steering: Wheel. Monitor wind vane steering gear (2004).
Sails: All tan colour. Fully battened main with slab reefing, genoa on
furler, staysail hanked on, spare standard main. All in good condition. Twin
running sails, no. 2 jib, trysail in excellent cond.
Winches: Self-tailing Barient winches. 2 x halyard winch mounted on mast.
5 x cockpit sheet winches. 1 x main reefing winch.
Ground tackle: 60 lb plough, 45 lb plough, 80 lb fisherman, 65 m 10 mm
chain, 60 m ¾’ nylon line, windlass.
Water tanks: 3 x polypropylene tanks (2003), 400 litre capacity. Storage
racks inside, either side of engine ‘room’ for up to 200 litres in jerry
cans.
Diesel tanks: 4 x S/S tanks (2 new 2003), 90 gal total capacity. 800 –
1000 nm range.
Auxiliary: Nanni diesel, 35 hp (1992), approx 2500 hrs, very effcient and
reliable. Fully accessable for servicing.
Electrics: 12 v system, 3 x 109 Ah batteries, 3 x 34 Watt Solara solar
panels, inverter. All new in 2003.
Galley: Gas stove with grill (2006), icebox, fresh and salt water taps
(foot pumps).
Electronics: GPS, depth sounder / log (2004), compass (2004), SSB with
Pactor modem, VHF.
Safety equipment: 6 man liferaft (in service), dan-buoy, radar reflector
horse-shoes, throw line, flares, EPIRB, fire-extinguishers, fire blanket,
harness / lifejackets. All equipment new in 2004.
Toilet: Jabsco manual sea-toilet (2006), chemical toilet (2004).
Bilge pumps: Heavy duty manual pump (2004), engine-driven pump (2004),
electric centrifugal pump.
Heating: Solid fuel stove.
WOW a lot of MG boat!
lifted from the net, found by J. Stevens of
course! |
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Another Good Hope class boat,
'Cinnamon Lady'
Beautifully varnished hull, seen for sale on
the web 2012. step forward the proud owner! |
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'India of Poole'
An
MG classic for sale, and a centreboarder as well!
The owner was just been in touch, Feb 09 asking that we add an
advert,
she sold quickly and we are not sure where she
is now, anyone know?
Solani Class, 12m
Classic Yacht Designed by Maurice Griffiths
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Originally built in 1946 by the Mazagon Yard in Bombay for
a director of P&O Shipping. 'India' was built entirely from seasoned
Indian teak with no expense spared, all from five matched logs seasoned
for five years. The bottom, centre board and rudder were also tarred and
copper sheathed from new and like the hull remain in their original
form. She was kept in the Seychelles before being sailed to the UK by
her designer, Maurice Griffiths. He sailed her for a time (ref book
'Magician of the Swatchways') before she was first sold to a Bristol
owner before passing on to a Hamble based owner. After a number of years
in the UK she moved to Portugal where her current owner, a
respected yacht surveyor, has used her for family holidays. Back in the
UK now, 2009. A lead
ballast keel is fitted that can be lowered to increase the draught to 7
feet. The casing forms part of the internal structure adding stiffness.
The full width decks give plenty of internal space with full headroom
throughout. The current owner has a new project that is taking up all
his time so regretfully he is now selling 'India' (Sold)
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lifted from the net, found by J. Stevens of course!
Updated Feb 2009. and November 2012 |
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A page from the Yachting year! 1947/47! |
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This is a 'Storm' class boat, but not sure
where this pic came from? Do you recognise her? Can you help me
identify her and her owner? |
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Ditto! |
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'Wind Song'
The first boat MG designed, built in 1928/9,
and look at her now! Traced on boats and Outboards site, by John
Stevens. May 2007. |
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Wind Song is an interesting, gaff centreboard cutter
and is the first boat to be built to a Maurice Griffiths design. She was
built by George Feltham of Portsmouth in 1929 of carvel Teak planking
onto steam-bent Canadian Rock Elm frames, Copper fastened. She has Teak
floors and six Bronze knees each side of the centre plate case. Decks
are marine ply covered with woven glass cloth/epoxy, on oak beams. She
offers up to five berths in three cabins! Mechanical propulsion is by
Volvo Penta MD2C 2-cylinder 23 hp diesel offset to starboard driving a
Darglow three-bladed feathering propeller.
http://www.EasternYachts.com/windsong |
Category |
Classic Boats |
Make |
Maurice Griffiths
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Length |
27.6 feet |
Width |
8.0
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Price |
£14,950 GBP
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Region |
Suffolk |
Broker |
Astonbury Marine
Services |
Web Site |
http://www.easternyachts.com
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Comments |
Trade and/or Brokerage
Sale |
Telephone |
+44 (0)1206 305996 |
June 2007, we understand she is 'under offer'. Hope the new owner
gets in touch! |
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This picture of
'Windsong' was sent in by Mark, who very nearly
bought her. He tell me that she was built with no floors, but was later
modified as she always leaked! |
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'Wind Song' anchored
at Pilsea Island in Chichester Harbour, where she is now based for the
3rd or 4th time in her life!
Thanks to Max the owner for this pic, Sept 07! |
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'NYALA'.
GAFF Ketch 1933
Designed: by Maurice Griffiths and built by Everson in Woodbridge.
LOA:34'6" - LWL: 29' 6" - BEAM: 9' 6" - DRAFT: 4' 3"
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For sale on our pages... |
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'Lone Gull' Is this the Lone Gull I?
Found in Tunisia by George our Med rep, on
his travels!
Yes it is. MG's own boat!!! The last we heard one
of our registrants had salvaged and purchased the boat, and was making his way
back to France with it. more later we are sure!!
Update October 2007, Lone Gull is back in
Europe, in France and Steve has written a book about her adventures, more
later on the books page. |
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'Lone Gull'
restored and now moored in France, Steve her
owner has now asked us to advertise her for sale, see the
For Sale page. |
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I am the new owner of
"Dawn", a Lone Gull I. You published some pictures by Hans van Seventer on
your website.
I bought her from him September last year. She was not in a good shape
(already out of the water for a couple of years then and still is), and I am
repairing her now.
I put a few pictures on my website
www.xs4all.nl/~fvgemert/dawn,
if you're interested
I'll send photos of the repair and when she is in the water again.
That may take quit some time, since I am just a part time amateur boat
builder with a job in an office for 4 days a week and many concerts as a
conductor and other obligations in the weekend.
Best regards,
Frank van Gemert
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U/K MG designed 26ft boat, just sold on Boats
and Outboards, October 2007. Where is she, what is she and will the
new proud owner take a bow! |
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This extract has been copied from Mike Kay's brokerage off
the net,
Thanks to Warren Stevenson for
spotting this. So which design is she??
"Cordelia " |
Maurice Griffiths 7 Tonner Bermudan Cutter designed by
Maurice Griffiths & built by Seacraft Ltd in 1950 Part 1 Registration
no.187378(expired) LOA: 8.5m (28ft) LWL: 7.07m (23ft) Beam: 2.5m
(8.25ft) Draft: 0.98m (3.2ft) Displacement: 8 tons |
CONSTRUCTION
HULL: Mahogany and Teak on Oak, DECK: Sheathed T & G Teak over Oak deck
beams S/STRUCTURE: Mahogany and Teak KEEL TYPE/MATERIAL: Long Cast Iron
- BALLAST: Lead Ingots |
Asking Price : £17,950 |
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DESCRIPTION
Cordelia is a very well found example of this attractive Maurice
Griffiths design. The vessel has been the subject of a comprehensive
refit over the past six years by the owner, a highly skilled traditional
boat builder, included in the work is: the installation of a new Yanmar
10hp dsl in ’04, the replacement of the Doghouse and hatch assembly and
the replacement of the Cockpit. This is a particularly good traditional
wooden cruising yacht. Cordelia was featured in Maurice Griffith’s 1952
book Everyman’s Yachting page 241 |
ACCOMMODATION
Four Berths in two cabins |
ENGINE
Yanmar 1GM10 10hp Diesel engine (new ’04), Shaft drive via 3:1 gearbox
12 gallon S/Steel Fuel Tank, Two x 12 Volt 74 Amp Hour Batteries with
isolation switch. |
DOMESTIC EQUIPMENT
Two burner gas cooker with grill, manual water system with foot pump and
35gallon flexible water tank, Lift out sink, Jabsco sea toilet in sep
heads, Taylor’s paraffin cabin heater. |
RIGGING DETAILS
Bermudan Cutter rig with Spruce mast and Spars, Stainless Steel Standing
Rigging, SAILS: Mainsail (White Roller boom Reefing), Four Headsails in
either Tan or White with Wykam Martin Roller furling to both headsails.
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Vessel Details cont.
"Cordelia " |
EQUIPMENT
NASA Clipper Duette Log, NASA Clipper Duette Echosounder, YCM Steering
Compass, Garmin 12 GPS, Simrad HT50 VHF, Tiller Mate Autopilot, NASA
Target Navtex, 26lb CQR Anchor with 120Ft 3/8ths Chain and Warp, 20lb
Fisherman’s Kedge anchor, Spray hood, Awning, and Dodgers, Electric and
Manual bilge pumps, Wetline 3m inflatable dinghy with 2.5hp Outboard
(new ’05), Six Fenders, boat hook, Fuel Can, Purpose made overall winter
cover. |
LOCATION: Helford River, Cornwall |
In my book she should have a weighted
mahogany centreboard, but there is no mention of that on this listing, I
wonder if it were removed, as many others were...
The former owner is a shipwright and wrote
the article on her rudder on the tips page!
A double ender with fine lines, called the
7 Tonner in some books and this one was the first built by Seacraft in
Essex, but I have a sneaky feeling she was not the first of her class, which
might be known by another name....
The new owner, John has just joined us,
congratulations John, a fine looking ship. She will be cruising the
South West of the UK. |
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Look beyond the Lone Gull II
'Brue Gull'
in the foreground and you will spot
'Wisp', a Medusa 25 also designed by
MG. seen here in Cornwall, pics by Warren Stevenson of the GH
'Safrel'. |
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'Crystal Voyager'
a 38ft, plus overhangs, 43 ft, Barrier Reef
class. With 11ft beam and 6ft draft this ferro boat was professionally
built and was Dec 07 up for sale on our pages. April 2008 we
understand she is coming to the Medway and the new owner has joined us.
Hope to see her under sail this summer. For the real deep sea enthusiast... South till the butter melts.....

Recently found write up in Y.M. |
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This photo was taken by the new owner whilst
trying to sort out the ropes and sails! |
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Here is a picture taken a little while back
in Scottish waters. Really a powerful looking craft. |
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Here is another photo taken some years ago,
different colours but the hull and coachroof shape can be clearly
seen. |
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2nd January 2009, Sailing on the Medway at
Upnor! Lucky man! We hope to meet up with Crystal Voyager during
the season and get more great pics of her! |
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Feb 2009 scrubbing off ready for the
'Marclear' antifouling. |
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Looks to be a messy bottom for scrubbing off,
but John tells me the Marclear went on easily!
Summer 2010 she was sold from North
Fambridge. New owner yet to come forward. |
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'Athaena'
This is John Snodgrass's wonderfully rebuilt boat, now known to be an Athaena.
She was thought to be built as the plug for the mould to make the GH
26's in GRP. However we now know this not to be the case, the builder was
a Mr. Solly, a cabinet maker! We had thought that Terry Erskine made the plug as a real hull, so he could
fit her out as a GH as well. Not so. However there was a lot of liaison
between Terry and Mr Solly.
She has been stripped and totally rebuilt in 2007 in Nottingham. Last I heard she was at Hull and
John was
wondering which way to turn at the mouth of the river! Hope you have
sorted the rig now, want to see pics of her sailing! she will have her own
page in the Newsletter, 9th edition. |
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By wonderful chance, I came across Athaena while doing
some research on a boat.
I have just seen some of the pictures of Athaena and
she is as beautiful as I remember.
Athaena was built entirely by my father, a very well
respected cabinet maker, to a design named "Athaena," by Maurice Griffiths.
My parents were and are ardent fans of the Griffiths designs and had been
looking to get back into sailing since selling a previous boat my father had
built and sold. The family fell for her lines and rather than buy anything
it was decided to build Athaena, we knew at the time she was the first one to
be built. My father started building February 1978 & she was launched in
May 1979. She was built at the rear of his business premises in
Marlborough, Wiltshire and was constructed in the evenings & weekends. We
have pictures of the build and launching.
My parents are away sailing on their present boat but
have all the details and plans, I was quite young at the time.
Athaena is a single chine Griffiths design, when they
were at the '78 or '79 Southampton Show they saw her exact drawings on Terry
Erskine's stand, advertising the new Golden Hind 26, which rather pleased
them as the Golden Hind 31 was high on their "dream boat," shopping list at
the time. My understanding is Terry had approached Griffiths to design him
a smaller 31, & he had sent back the Athaena plans. They were changed
slightly, i.e. double chine & semi-hung rudder similar to the 31. His first
boats had the coach roof straight through, however when he saw Athaena he
preferred the drop coach roof, hence the later ones had the stepped coach
roof option. Terry also added a little bit of weight to the keel. I assume
Terry's yard built the plug for the 26, but it certainly was not Athaena.
Terry & my father became quite good friends & he
helped with supply of some of her fittings and at one time they looked at
teaming up.
Athaena is a fantastic little yacht & consistently had
admiring looks more than any boat we have had since, she introduced me to my
love for the sea.
She was launched & kept at Ridge Wharf in Wareham at
the top of Poole harbour. There was one other Golden Hind 26 there, owned
by Eric Porter of the Forsythe Saga fame & Golden Hind 31's Gander & Moon
Beam? (Moon light we believe),
owned by Mark Urry. Also 'Goosander' moored up there the original no.1
Golden Hind, built by Hartwells. We were rafted up next to Gander.
In the late summer of 1983 we sold her to a Gentleman
from Newbury who I know offered her back to my father a few years ago & I
assume this is when she was sold to John. At the time my father was
building a house but was very concerned she found a good home.
Athaena was sold as he had his next boat underway. We
brought what I believe was the only GRP Golden Hind 31 hull produced by KR
Skentelbery in Plymouth, who brought the moulds after Erskine. He had the
GRP hull, cockpit & main bulkhead, with some drawings. Fallow was launched
in May 2005 - a tall masted cutter rig, like Athaena. The tall mast had
been produced for the North American market, and she was a quick boat. My
parents re-designed the interior & used their contacts with Terry Erskine &
suppliers for fittings, my father designed Fallows walk on Bowsprit, as he
had on Athaena. Fallows coachroof was mahogany, like Athaena, and he tried to
use some of the aesthetics of Athaena to influence Fallow, for instance
adding slightly more camber on the coachroof and she obviously needed the
teak decking (similar style to Athaena,) It was agreed with Skentelbery to
launch her as no.250, it wasn’t known exactly what number they were up to at
the time.
Interestingly Mark Urry moored just behind Fallow for
6 years and the standard layout he used for his Golden Hinds was taken from
Fallow, he did many drawing of her, both inside and out and you will see
Fallows styling in his boats. Again he drew much advice on the building
from my father.
Fallow was sold in 1990 when we had a new Rival 36
built by Rival Bowman and have kept her in Lymington ever since, and my
parents are somewhere in the Channel on her now. My father has recently
retired but is ready for his next project. They are now finding Foe rather
large and are missing the shoal draft & bilge plates - he has been
threatening to build another Athaena, or find Fallow - she went to the North
East. Who knows? I know we would certainly value contact with Athena’s
owner & we have much information and drawings on her, as also on the 31.
With regards & thanks
Jason Solly
July 2008
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This pic and the one below were sent in
January 2009, but they date from about 10 years before. |
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Taken off the Channel Isles, Jon says they
were going backwards at the time!
Athena has since been sold and if you go
to the Forum you will see what the new owner has
done to get her back to 'as new'! |
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'Rawanah'
This special MG design is owned by John Cochrane
at the moment, but is for sale on our pages.
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See the
'For Sale Page' for
the full advert. |
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Pretty as a picture! She was a
departure from MG's normal designs, a double ender, and something I do not
think he
repeated.. |
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'Moonraker' a Swin Class owned by Wayne
in Melbourne, Australia. She appears to be an excellent example of the
class. What we need now is some old magazine with a write up on her, with
all the spec etc. Anyway welcome Wayne and we look forward to seeing
pics of her under sail. |
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January 2011.
Have spent hundreds of hours rebuilding the Swin, she is ready for paint,
fit out and ballast keel. Not an inch of the boat left untouched. Check out
the full length New Zealand Kauri planking. Moonraker will sail in
about 6 months….
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Wayne Parr
Shipwright & Sales Manager
E-mail: wayne at woodenboatshop.com.au
Website: www.woodenboatshop.com.au |
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Cockler seen on E-Bay April 09 by John Hopthrow. A bargain for some one at £102! Maurice Griffiths Cockler on eBay, also, Sailing Boats, Boats Watercraft, Cars, Parts Vehicles (end time 10-Apr-09 20:33:59 BST) |
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John Wheaton's Cockler, could this be the same boat??? undergoing
restoration... |
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'La Cucuracha' a Roach class MG launched at Paglesham in 1962 and now owned by Emma and Dan. They are trying to restore her to how she looks here! |
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'La Cucuracha' The name is Mexican for Cockroach, very clever! |
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Pics to left a Roach class for sale in France, March 12. |
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'Megan Loise' ?? Have we got the spelling
right? A Barrier Reef 38. Found at North Fambridge by John Hopthrow of
the Barrier Reef 'Crystal Voyager'. Can't believe how I missed her
when I was there earlier in 2009. Apparently belongs to one of the
staff! I am organising a Seagull meeting there and have to chat to the
harbourmaster next week, so will try and find out more! |
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'Wind Dancer' a Medusa 25 in South Africa.
willies has just found her and is going to renovate her so he can sail her
back to the UK. she was apparently sailed to South Africa in the
1970's so should know the way back home! Any info on The Medusa class
appreciated. We know they were built in Kent. this one moulded by Fi-Glass
developments of Kent (hull no 8) in 1965.). |
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Good Hope Class 'John Barleycorn', owned by
Steve Smith, sailed out of Fremantle Australia, she is a 1971
Good Hope Cutter-rigged sloop Steel built by Karl Lorbach in Melbourne.
She still boasts much of the original
equipment, including the Ford Lees 4 litre diesel (72HP) which now has over
8800 hrs on the clock. Steve is renovating her with a view maybe to
sailing oceans, what she was designed for! |
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Have to say she is a lot of boat! |
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'Black Jack' a 1927 MG design, restored by Willem D Witt between 2005
and 2008. 12m x 3.2, mahogany. 15m mast. Willem is looking for
information , if anyone can help please contact him.
Olde Borchweg 52 9853 tc munnekezijl, 0594 - 688813 |
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M.G.'s Solani Class 'Sheelin' seen on the net January 2011, for sale on
eBay. She is in Dublin. last bid I saw was for 99p! |
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M.G.'s 'Malwen', pictured off West Mersea by
Nigel Seary. Often seen her on a mooring, first pic of her afloat...
Who is the owner then..... |
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Spotted in that delightful Dutch harbour of Goes by Nigel and Heidi who
sailed there in their new Barbican, anyone know this boat? |
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The Vulcan 'Silverhow' up in Scotland and in
need of a little TLC to get her back in the water. September 2010 she was
for sale with 'a little welding to be done' Hope she finds a new home,
looks a capable craft. |
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She has sold and the new owner Tim has joined! She is being moved to
Grangemouth for restoration but hopes will be back in Scotland later this
year! |
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Here is a picture from the former owner's son Jon, he has more info and if
Tim would like to get in touch something to his benefit! (Sadly Tim we
have been unable to raise you on the mail address you gave). March
2013. September 2016 Tim has been back to say Jon has donated a lovely
watercolour, signed by MG to Tim. Have to say she looks splendid! thank for the picture Jon. |
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September 2016 and Tim has been back in touch and sent in a couple of pics
of work in progress. |
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Seems there is still some welding to do, but the decks clean up OK.
Wonder if they will have to be lifted to repair the steelwork? Heard back,
the steel work has been repaired with 'chemical metal' as welding would have
damaged the deck, great idea. hope is lasts.... |
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Vulcan 'Witte raeff'. The owner, Eric
from Middleburg in the Netherlands sent this picture of his new boat in.
He was told she was home built locally and launched about 1980, anyone know
any more? July 2012. |
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Eric en Ellen have sent some nice pictures in. She is a fine looking ship
and looks to be very comfortable. The single chine hull will have a
lot of initial stability. |
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The interior is as homely as you can get. Hard to see that she is steel
built! Very cosy. |
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August 2020, Eric tell us she is sold, in Veere, to an English chap!
Step forward sir!
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Vulcan found when out for a sail in the Blackwater on board 'Dougaljo'. This
boat is moored off the prom in Maldon. Owner has joined us! |
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Here is another view, with Maldon Hythe in the background! |
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Under sail off Osea. Looks a treat. We often see her out and
about Malcolm keeps her up at Maldon and sails single handed it seems, well
he did sail a Maldon Smack for years, so knows the ropes! |
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Sailing well into a F5 off Osea. August 2013. |
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Here is a photo of a MG design that I once
owned. Her name is SYMPHONY she was built in Appledore England in about 1960
there was a Lloyd's registration number carved into the main beam and all
the details of her are recorded in the registry of ships. She was a well
made boat Pitch pine on oak, spruce mast, teak deck, the knees where grown
oak the bulk heads and transom where Honduras mahogany. I salvaged her in
the French canals in about 1984 and over the next 6 years sailed her back to
Australia where I regretfully had to sell her, at the time I was sailing
under British Small Ship registration. I still have the log books and a
journal I keep of the voyage. I have forwarded this information to you as I
feel it's a important part of the yacht’s history and if ever she show’s up
on your web site please feel free to contact me Kind regards Greg Smith
contact him via e-mail gregorybrucesmith at ymail.com
She was built in 1960 as you say by J. Hinks
and Son of Appledore, sadly no longer there! I looked her up in my
1967 Lloyds! At that time she was owned by W.R. Letheren and moored in
Gosport. At 29ft she looks like a Barcarole to me, can you
confirm? I bet she is still about! Have you written any of these
logs up? If so we could publish them in the Newsletter! A trip to
Australia in a 29 foot boat is something to think about! Must have had some
exciting moments! Are you now based in Australia? We have quite
a following there, but of course well dispersed!
I will pass this information on to our
historian.
John
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Looking for
Barrier Reef "Tisza",
(I'll still watch the Eventide site as it
reminds me always of home (the UK) as we spent 18yrs in Heybridge before
moving to France 22yrs ago. I miss the "swatchways" and the big east coast
skies. Back then we moved to Maldon to sail more !
Hmmm......................
You'll know the reality, there was work, the
tides, the children, the fit out, etc. etc.................not as much
sailing as we'd hoped for but great times all the same.
Retired now and sail sail and sail. Chucked the
varnish tins/brushes bought now a "plastic" boat, oh
well...............................
The Barbican 'Tide Time' will have a job
finding a new owner down here amongst the French who want 8 berths in a 36
footer !!!
She'll need a "Brit" to stumble on her just as
we did when we bought her.)
Before we left the UK in 1989 we had a 38 ft
Barrier Reef (Ferro) moored at Woodbridge, she was sold to us by the estate
of the deceased owner and we were sold her as a Ferro 'Good Hope' but we
soon found out we'd a Barrier Reef as the draft was quite a bit more !!
She was called
"Tisza",
had a 4cyl 2stroke diesel and had been built by a Hungarian man who'd
escaped Hungary to live in the UK. He only had one arm after being wounded
in the uprising against the Russians then . Not bad eh ? a 38 ft Ferro built
with one arm . He sadly died in a classic accident......; going from shore
to boat in his tender he fell in and drowned in the Deben. Sad even now .
We wonder where she is now ? Anyone help ?
I'll stay in touch.
Good to hear from you,
Best regards,
Peter
These scans of the Good Hope design, the timber
version, sent in by Jim in Australia. |
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'Arion' A Barrier Reef 38 we believe, alongside
at Watlton on Naze. |
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Found, Winter 2017, by roving supporter John Hopthrow. Will the proud
owner please step forward! |
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'Carina' A Bawley. Seen for sale on the web
January 2012. |
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she is at Conyer on the Swale and this is not the first time she has been
advertised on EBay. She is being lovingly restored,
see her page! |
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'Sequence' This beautiful classic was designed
by MG for himself. As was his wont, he altered the design, removing
the centreboard and fitting a fixed keel, later she had another 10" of keel
added, with MG's approval to improve her performance. The owner
Richard has sent some really nice archive pictures and information, so we
have given her a page of her own! Click here to
see more of 'Sequence' |
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To the left and below are pictures of a framed sail plan by MG dated
1937. They were sold on EBay and though I contacted the seller and bid a
small amount for the drawing, these were the best pictures I could
obtain. As MG said, his pre WWII designs were not his best and he was
not too concerned when the originals were lost in the war 'due to
enemy action'. Would still have been nice to get a clear copy for the
archives. Could not get the seller to remove from frame to photograph
for posterity. Anyone recognise the design? A 28ft
Centre boarder... Could this be 'Tringa'? By the way the foot is
not mine! it's the sellers! |
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'Helen' an MG Bawley. A less than
flattering view of her as she is hauled out, March 2014. loads of growth....
She was called ' La Deseada', (as Alex the new owner says, try saying and
spelling that on the VHF!) |
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She is ashore for a repaint, bottom being antifouled with Marclear!
She will look 100% shortly. Do not expect to see any muck on her
bottom next year! |
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Scrubbed up, she comes up quite well! but will soon look a whole lot
smarter.
Alex tells me he has designed and built a small solid fuel stove for her,
hope to see more of that too. If last Spring/summer is anything to go
by a good investment. |
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something about the lines of the Bawley, very pleasing on the eye. Look
forward to crossing wakes during the season. |
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'Saiorse' A Roach Design. built on
the roach at Paglesham, Essex. Owned by member Chris and sailing in
France. Up for sale July 2014. see
For Sale page. Still for
sale 2016.... |
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'Barcarole'
It's good to see a website on Maurice Griffiths
designs. Your website mentions Barcarole-class boats, but doesn't show any
pictures of Barcarole herself. My father, Philip Hays, was the original
owner of Barcarole, and we spent many pleasant summers cruising the Thames
estuary, with occasional trips to France or Belgium. I have several photos
of Barcarole, and would be happy to share them with you.
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I've attached an unpublished article that my father probably intended to be
published in Yachting Monthly (he had written several articles that were
published in YM describing our travels in the barge-yacht Dione). I found
the manuscript in his files after his death in 1972, converted it to MS
Word, and then added my own photos. It describes a trip to Ostend that we
took over Easter in 1960. People in the pictures include my mother, Joan
Hays, and my sister, Lesley (shown at the helm as we crossed the
French/Belgian border). After my father's death, my mother married Arthur
Bennett, who had owned the Thames barge Henry. The chart that I added for
the beginning of the article was lifted from the web, and is intended for my
American friends who are not familiar with European geography.
Your website includes a mention of Alan Buchanan. After my father sold
Barcarole, he had a Vashti-class boat built, called Cavalier of Kent. He
owned her until close to his death from chronic leukaemia.
- Tony Hays
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'Kismet III'
This luxurious and beautiful MG design is in Australia and owned by James de
Berg, who has just joined us, July 2016.
'Kismet' had disappeared off the radar for many years, MG
lost track of her as he says in his book, 'Sixty Years a Yacht designer'.
See page 78.
'Kismet' has a section of her own in that book. As
far as we know she had no sister ships. 'Kismet', was built in
1966 with a centreboard with a board up draft of 4ft and board down an
amazing 9ft!.
Moored Foster - Tuncurry, NSW Australia.
'Kismet' was fully restored in 2013 when the centreboard was removed and
replaced with a full keel. The deck was also replaced with Ply/fibreglass.
I am not sure I have ever seen an MG design with such a finish! Such
attention to detail, she really is one of the finest.
Had this back from James.
Yes, she was for sale and that (first)
photo is about an hour after I purchased her, thus the signs.
I am not sure where the III came from, she was originally Australian
registered as 'Kismet' obviously at some point it was changed. The original
photos I have of her look very different to today, apart from the colour,
she had varnished wooden coach house, no bowsprit and what appears to be a
sloop rig with a wooden mast. All was changed in the rebuild.
I would be interested to see if you have photos of the original for me to
compare.
I don't have a lot of photos of her out of the water but will try to dig
those up.
Does your CD have drawings for 'Kismet', if so I would love to buy one and
have them printed and framed. (Sadly Kismet's drawings
are not to be found...)
I have dug out a few more photos of the old girl for you to add when you
can. (Thanks added here!)
The website is a sensational resource and no doubt used by thousands. Thank
you for putting it together.
I look forward to working my way through your site.
James
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White Rose III A Cape of Good Hope design found by Greg in Australia,
up for sale for over 80k Au$. Steel and looking well fitted out and ready
to go anywhere! |
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'Moala' This picture of a beautiful MG style
Boat has come in from New Zealand. The owner thinks it could be
an MG. I have to say I think I agree. Built in about 1950 the
measurements and shape are very close to his 'Solani' design. The keen
eyed will not the frayed and broken mooring rope.. that is why she is
aground.. she floated OK! I never rely on rope on a permanent mooring,
use chain! Gathered up so many boat adrift on the London river after a good
blow, all on rope! |
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Matt says she is slightly shorter by a foot or two than the 'Solani' class,
but as they were all different I believe this could well be a modified
version. |
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Awaiting more info from Matt and an enrolment. |
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The shape of that transom and the turn of the bilge is so MG. |
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Real traditional interior. |
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'Mandamus' |
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- Designer: M Griffiths & Dr Harrison Butler
- Builder: Anderson, Rigden & Perkins, Whitstable, Kent
- Year: Launched 1946
- Location Isle of Wight
- Length on deck: 32'3
- Beam: 9'4
- Draft: 3'3" / 4'6"
'Wooden Ships' Comments on this
Centreboard Bermudan Cutter
The design of this centreboard bermudan cutter was the result of a
collaboration between Dr Harrison Butler and Maurice Griffiths and was
built by Anderson, Rigden and Perkins of Whitstable, Kent. Griffiths and
Butler were prolific yacht designers of the time with many successful
boats to their names individually, but there must be very few yachts that
they worked on together. The build started in 1938 but WWII halted
proceedings so she was eventually finished and launched in August 1946 for
Mr Bob Anderson, owner of the yard which had built her. She came into
present ownership in 1995 when she underwent a major two year rebuild by
Alan Staley of Faversham in which the decks were replaced, hull rebuilt,
the engine replaced as well as many other jobs. She has had a subsequent
refit in 08/09 where the coachroof was replaced. She is now in excellent
structural and cosmetic condition and has been cruised and raced regularly
every year in the present ownership.
This slightly unusual design incorporates a centreboard giving very
shallow draft when the yacht is not sailing, a huge advantage for the east
coast where she was built. She has a raised deck mid ships which creates
a lot of volume in the main cabin without losing the sweet sheer line. 5
berths including a double in the saloon. A fine and very smart cruising
boat which has also chalked up a number of trophies in the classic
regattas.
Length on Deck 32’3″
Length waterline 24′
Beam 9’4″
Draft 3’3″/4’6″
Thames Tonnage 8TM
Construction
Hull
Double diagonal mahogany planking all copper fastened with steam bent
Canadian Rock Elm frames.
Heavy section grown oak floors across the centreline with large copper
rivets through the hull and bronze throat bolts.
External lead ballast keel with bronze keel bolts. Centreplate passes
through the ballast keel with a mahogany centreboard box inside the cabin.
Decks and cockpit
Designed with raised topsides amidships so the coachroof effectively
extends to the outer edge of the deck hugely increasing the internal
volume of the boat.
Yacht laid scrubbed teak deck over a marine plywood sub deck, all new
in the ’95-’97 refit. Varnished teak king plank, coverboards and toe rail
all round. Stainless steel stanchions set on bronze feet.
Self draining cockpit with scrubbed teak sole gratings. Laid teak
thwarts with varnished surrounds. Steering with a bronze tiller mounted
on the rudder stock low down in the aft of the cockpit. Varnished
mahogany coamings all round.
Superstructure
Coachroof set on the raised deck increasing headroom in saloon below.
Varnished mahogany coamings with bronze port lights all round. Coachroof
deck is yacht laid teak to match the main deck. Sliding entrance hatch on
the centreline.
Rig
Masthead Bermudan cutter rig on a keel stepped varnished spruce mast.
Varnished boom and spinnaker pole and self tacking staysail boom
Stainless steel standing rigging some dating from 1998 and some from
2009. Twin spreader rig with twin lower shrouds, single intermediate and
single cap shroud. Stainless rigging screws to bronze chain plates
mounted through the deck inboard of the deck edge. The stress of these is
taken internally by metal knee brackets bolted to oversize frames.
Outer forestay to the stem head with a removable inner forestay for
the boomed staysail or storm jib. Running backstays for use with the
staysail. Single standing backstay to a chain plate on the transom.
Outer forestay has a continuous line furling system for the genoa.
Winches
2 x Lewmar two speed self tailing sheet winches in the cockpit
2 x Lewmar non self tailing spinnaker sheet winches
2 x bronze mast winches.
Engine
Perkins Perama 30hp 3cyl fresh water cooled diesel. Single lever
controls with a stainless centreline shaft to a bronze 3 blade feathering
ZF propeller. Aquadrive 20000 coupling to remove any shaft vibration.
The details above were found on the net by Fredrick
and passed to us December 2017. She had just been sold. A real
beauty, hope the new owner comes forward. |
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The Thames Bawley 'Kittiwake'. Found for sale
January 2018 on EBay, what a little beauty! Do hope she goes to a caring
new owner and that they get in touch. I have been in touch with the
seller. |
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'Tina' Medusa 25. She was for
sale, where is she now? May 2006 the new
owner Tony is moving her to Hartlepool and has just registered. Solé 9
hp inboard now, boat undergoing refurbishment. hope for more pics as
refit goes on.February 2016, sold a
while back and now called Stratton's Fancy and moored in Scotland, owner now
John O'Brien. |
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'Wisp', a Medusa 25. Owned by new member
Frank, June 2018 Sailing out of Cornwall. Name corrected, we had an
'h' in there. |
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Seen
in Mylor on my 'Fiddling Around' trip in 2018. Frank has sent new pics in
March 2019, showing off the newly painted topsides! |
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The Medusa 25 'Blue Dolphin' Photo taken
late 1960's by David Jenner, of a boat owned by a friend of his, Eric
Reeves. He sailed with Eric and his daughter Susan from Walton on
Naze. Where is she now? |
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'Tilleanne' another
Medusa 25, seen for sale in Stranraer, via EBay, April 2019.
Hope the owner steps forward, or the new owner if she sells. |
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'Jorrocks II'


Jorrocks II is sadly for sale for family reasons.
SOLD!! I
have owned her for 20 years and during that time she has undergone an extensive
refit, while retaining her original layout. She is one of only two yachts built
to this atypical Maurice Griffiths design; the first one was his own (Wild Lone
II, now Wild Goose, launched in 1935) who was so admired by a former High
Sheriff of Essex that he bought a set of her plans and commissioned the Leslie
Harris yard at Burnham to build him a similar yacht. That yacht was Jorrocks II;
she was completed in 1936 and was the last to be built at the Harris yard. She
is truly a classic.
Jorrocks’ overall length is 35’7", beam 9’3" and
draft 4’7". She is a Bermudan cutter, her hull planked in pitch pine below the
waterline and mainly mahogany above. The mast is spruce (stripped back,
refinished and currently in storage, as she is laid up unrigged in a mud berth
on Faversham Creek) and is keel stepped. Her boom is also spruce, the spinnaker
pole is Douglas fir and the bowsprit is pine. Internally, she has teak joinery
and oak beams. The tiller is of varnished teak as is the cockpit (stripped and
re-varnished this summer). There are 2 anchors; a main 35lb CQR and a 15lb CQR.
She comes with a wooden dinghy that stows on the coach roof between the doghouse
and the mast.
The accommodation from aft consists of a lazarette
accessed via a hatch in the deck which contains a fuel tank to starboard. The
cockpit has seats port and starboard, with a hand bilge pump situated under the
port seat. The companionway is amidships with the engine below it. There is a
quarter berth to starboard and storage to port.
The saloon contains a settee berth each side with
fresh water tanks below, and storage behind and forward. There is an enamelled
Faversham solid fuel stove, a teak table , and the sole
throughout is of polished teak planking. A door leads through to the central
galley which has a sink and a gimballed paraffin Taylor stove with two burners,
grill and oven to starboard. To port there’s a door into the heads with a large
basin and loo (mostly Baby Blake, but with a modern Armitage Shanks pan because
the original one cracked when a bowl full of crockery fell in it!) There are
doors to the fo’c’sle which contains two more berths plus an infill so that a
large double berth can be created. There is stowage below the berths, and
forward of the berth there is storage and chain stowage.
Ten bronze ports are fitted in the teak coamings,
and prismatic deck lights in the deck and cabin top. The deck itself is of thick
tongue and groove pine, covered with marine plywood, sheathed with woven rovings
and epoxy resin, and painted cream. The engine is a three cylinder Volvo Penta
28hp which has been maintained and regularly started and run.
Jorrocks has various sails of various ages, none
very modern, including the mainsail, working and storm jibs, and staysail; she
still has her original Egyptian cotton spinnaker which is very effective in
light airs. As far as her sailing performance is concerned, she is very well
balanced, not at all tender, and speaking as a small person of no great weight I
can only say that I’ve never found helming her difficult in any weather. I have
sailed her up the East Coast, down to Southampton and most frequently across the
Channel to France, Belgium and Holland.
The close-up photographs of Jorrocks’ interior and
of the cockpit etc are contemporary (mid-September 2014) and the rest were taken
a few years ago (the black and white one was taken during the Swale Match).
There are more photos that illustrate an article I wrote about her that was
published in Classic Boat magazine, should anyone have access to the June 1997
edition.
I have all the invoices and records of the work
carried out during my ownership.
Her asking price is
£35,000. XXXX drop the price to £27,500 but would be happy to discuss price
with anyone genuinely interested.
SOLD
Now in the hands of another enthusiast and still in Faversham, Kent
MEFO PHILLIPS
11 /18.
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These two scans sent in by Jim in Australia. |
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The scans of 'Nornah' sent in by Jim as well!
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These scans of 'Solani', a favourite of Maurices, sent in by Jim too.
Maurice presented me with one of the bronze belaying pins from her that
he had kept. I made it into a trophy, with Dave Wright making a timber
stand for it, but sadly it was lost when the old assoc. dissolved, one
of them kept it! |
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Little Gull, a Lone Gull I. For sale
on our pages July 2023.
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Peter Harrold restored her some years ago and here is the article he wrote
about it.
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Little Gull brought back to life
The dear old Surprise (my Dauntless featured in CB…) was fine for estuary
cruising but not really up to offshore stuff…the planks are only 3/8’’ which
isn’t much if you hit the famous ‘North Sea Chop’…
Down at Wells- Next- the- Sea in Norfolk I had coveted a beautiful wooden
boat undercover in a yard, albeit in need of some work. I later discovered
that this was Moonfleet; a 28’ Lone Gull II class designed by Maurice
Griffiths, arguably his finest design and featured on the front cover of
Classic boat way back in spring 1987.
She wasn’t for sale but the seed had been sown. We over winter at Fosdyke
Yacht Haven, where Dave Parkinson and Greg have a wealth of knowledge
concerning wooden boats. Dave suggested I speak to Alan Stacy; owner of
Stella Marie moored at the delightfully named Surfeit Seas End. Alan told me
Stella Marie, an MG ‘Storm’ weighs 5 tons and was very well built by Alan
Platt at Thundersley, Essex. After a thorough refit he had taken her on a
passage from the Baltic Sea through the Lubeck / Elbe canal and on to
Norway.
Searching on the excellent MG Eventide site I came across Gooney Bird – a
fine example of a Lone Gull II built in Fiji in tropical hardwoods and
sailed round Australia, surviving three hurricanes and coming up through
Suez to be a home for the husband and wife owners for 10 years…but she was
out of my price range.
Finding Little Gull for sale on the same site, I was in the Portsmouth area
on business and arranged a viewing. Derrick Daniels was delightful and gave
me a wealth of information regarding the boat he had owned and cherished for
20 years, explaining that he was getting too old to keep up with the
maintenance. Built by Blakes of Highbridge in 1988, she is registered on the
British Register of ships in Guernsey and spent all her life cruising the
Channel Islands and Brittany.
A year or so earlier there had been a serious enquiry from a syndicate, who
commissioned a survey which Derrick was happy to show me. This ran to about
10 pages and listed a small mountain of tasks, mainly superficial and taken
one at a time all manageable? Anyhow the proposed purchasers backed out and
Derrick took the survey to Hillyards for a quote. This also ran to about 10
pages and the bottom line was £27k + VAT! And that was without seeing it.
At this rate the boat was virtually worthless, but I had fallen for her and
I think Derrick appreciated she would be going to a good home and so a deal
was struck. I’m not going to reveal the price but it was very, very fair,
and included all the rigging a host of spares and 10 sails – including a
brand new Genoa. The next task was to arrange transport to the secret boat
yard (a cowshed I rent near to home in Lincoln).
Steve Gaunt operates a haulage business about 3 miles away from me,
specialising in moving mobile homes around the country. His rigid trucks
have a hi-ab crane with an 8 ton lift capacity, saving on cranage both ends.
It was a while before he was in the area but eventually we managed to get a
return load for £750.
Little Gull was stripped out and put under cover. 35 years of paint build up
on the hull was more than my orbital sander could tackle so we called on the
boys from Farrow system who shot blasted her back to bare wood above the
water line using warm water and pumice sand, which keeps damage to the
timbers to a minimum. It also exposes any damage, which in our case was a
rotten plank on either side just below the gunwale. As is so often the case,
it’s the fresh rain water which causes the problems, and this extended to
the foredeck, cabin front and transom.
The interior was fairly sound but a couple of ribs in the forepeak would
need sistering. The survey proved a very useful starting point for a
schedule of works which I felt we could tackle with the help of Gary Scott,
a skilled joiner working next door.
Little Gull’s construction is 1’’ pitch pine planking on 1’’oak ribs with
mahogany cabin sides and interior. A visit to the local timber merchants in
search of pitch pine was looking fruitless until the elderly proprietor
asked what it was for. On hearing it was for a wooden boat I was shown a
stack of pitch pine retrieved from a Liverpool warehouse (roof beams) from
which he was planning to build a welsh dresser. A very reasonable bargain
ensued and armed with this, some oak and a slack handful of copper nails we
were ready to ‘ave a go’. Gary knocked up a steam chest fed by a wall paper
stripper and using the old timbers as a template we bent first the ribs then
the planks into place, Gary scarfing at 6 to 1 no room for a sheet of tissue
paper between the joints.
The blasting had exposed the grain on the pitch pine where it was soft and
much filling and sanding was going to be needed to get a fair finish. Below
the waterline looked reasonably OK (although this later proved to be a
little optimistic). Taking advice from my Broads boatbuilding friends we
decided to use epoxy filler above the waterline and sikaflex below. So
followed hour upon hour of sanding (using a dual action orbital sander with
400 grit which leaves no marks) and filling. To begin with we used
proprietary filler from Traditional Boat Supplies and when John’s supplies
were exhausted we used car body filler from a trade supplier in Lincoln
(Portland Tools). This seemed to be just as good for a fraction of the price
but maybe time will tell.
Gary tackled the cabin front which had rotted in the corners. The whole lot
came off and two new deck beams were needed, made from pine, Gary carving
the Thames measurement from the original. My joiner friend supplied Sapele
(African mahogany) for the cabin front, and Jewson’s the marine ply for the
foredeck. My great friend Richard came up for a weekend to form a wrecking
party and took back various items for varnishing, using his dentists hands
to achieve a superb gloss finish that I can only aspire to.
We then tackled the aft end; tearing back the canvas deck covering on the
after deck and removing the Oak davits which had suffered some rot where
they joined the deck due to poor drainage. The top half of the transom was
rotten where it joined the planking, all due to ingress of fresh water and
had to be cut out with a jig saw and a batten screwed to the transom as a
guide. A slab of sapele was procured which Gary expertly shaped to a perfect
fit and finished off with a capping piece. The Davits were repaired and re
fitted with 3 diagonal drain holes a piece to allow water to pass through
and hope fully prevents further rot.
During the winter months I tackled the interior. A good steam clean, sanding
down and van and tuned it over behind. Cylinders slid upon we took the
injectors nourishing/panting was all that was needed for now but it still
takes time. Marine grade stainless steel shroud plates made up when I had
some money (£300) were bolted through the planking using existing wooden
spacers.
The engine is a 30 HP BMC ‘Captain’ 1.5 litre 4 cylinder diesel, replacing
an earlier 12HP model. Alan who knows about these engines said it would be
seized after not turning for 4 years. So we decided to prove him wrong.
Having removed the injectors and poured diesel down the pots, we turned the
crank with a big spanner and everything seemed to go up and down and in and
out – whether it was in the right order I knew not. The injectors were
returned from a re furb and a hose pipe stuffed up the raw water intake. She
fired up eventually and after a loud clatter we were all covered in thick
blue smoke – a real Fred Dibnah moment!
About this time I decided to set a launch date for August bank holiday as I
felt the project would just drag on if I didn’t. By January I was ready to
apply Witham Oil and paint primer/filler followed by sanding, a process I
went through sever\al times before applying undercoat and top coat – again
Witham traditional yacht paint in County Cream.
The lovely oval brass portholes were taken away to be breathed on by Dave –
he used a very fine wire brush attachment to get a highly burnished finish
which was then preserved using lacquer.
Witham yacht varnish was used throughout; as was their anti-foul and blue
deck paint which I think gives a lovely ‘swimming pool’ look.
Below the waterline didn’t look too bad. After sanding off the loose
antifoul most of the caulking seams looked reasonably tight, but there were
some gaps in the dead wood and in the hood ends that I filled best as I
could with red lead putty, cut and sanded when dry.
The spars are solid spruce and very heavy – no need to worry about kicking
straps! They were in good condition and took well to 3 coats of pine Sikkens
Cetol and 3 coats of yacht varnish. Stainless standing rigging was in good
order with some spare shrouds. Some bottle screws had seized and needed a
good soak in diesel. The running rigging took some fathoming out, using the
only photograph I have from the old days thanks to the Maurice Griffith’s
owner’s web site, http://www.eventides.org.uk/
Peter Jeckells and old friend looked after the upholstery very reasonably
and this was the most expensive single item, but worth it.
I was determined to launch before the summer was out and to give myself a
challenge invited all my mates and anyone else who had helped in the re-fit
to a party at my house at the August bank holiday weekend. I live on a
marina development just outside Lincoln on the Fossdyke canal, so the idea
of having the boat moored outside whilst I got on with fitting out was very
appealing.
Last summer was dry if not hot and I was able to work in the evenings
painting, varnishing and doing the hundreds of little jobs that need doing.
So often I found myself starting one job then getting distracted by another
I’d see that would just take a minute , then another and another until an
hour or too later I’d come across the original job, unfinished!
Anyhow the week before the party I felt as ready as I would be to launch.
Chris was summoned with his tractor to pull the yard trailer and boat out of
the shed and up the drive where Steve was ready with his hi-ab lorry for the
short journey to Burton Waters Marina. Chris followed the truck with tractor
and trailer as we would need this to launch. The yard weren’t happy about
using their fancy hydraulic launch trailer on a wooden bilge keeler, but
otherwise couldn’t have been more helpful. Little Gull was craned back on to
the yard trailer and Chris backed her down the slipway. My intention was to
leave her on the trailer for a while to see how she was taking up, but the
slip was a very shallow gradient and Chris insisted he couldn’t go any
further on his tractor without a life jacket. The only way we were going to
get her off the trailer was to go for a ‘lifeboat’ style launch. Chris
pulled forward and then reversed as fast as he could back down the slip. As
he braked hard we gave a tug with the stern lines and off she came.
Then the fun really started. I’d installed a 500 GPH bilge pump and there
was a good size hand pump. And a washing up bowl if needed. It was needed
and quickly, the old saying about the best baler in the world being a
frightened man with bucket running very true. I was in the cabin passing the
bowl up to George (well into his 70’s) but could see that I was losing the
battle as the floor boards started to float. I grounded the boat on the slip
way fearing the worst.
Dave Dray had been a great help polishing the brass work and runs a
professional business supplying lights and fountains for concerts etc. We
needed more pumps urgently. Dave jumped into his Morris Minor and shot back
to his shed returning 20 minutes later with 3 industrial fountain pumps. I
have a wonderful picture of fountains shooting high into the air through the
hatch from the depths of the cabin.
Within an hour or so the deluge had reduced and the pumps were holding their
own. We couldn’t bloc k the slip any longer and gingerly set off under
engine (the Morse control came off in my hand on first use) to my mooring a
few hundred yards away. The pumps were coping and over the next few days we
took them off one at a time; by the time of the party she had taken up so
that only the bilge pump was needed, and she looked a picture dressed
overall for the ‘pink party’.
Philip came over and installed some basic electrics to get us down to Boston
and round to Fosdyke where I wanted to over winter. To use the boat on the
inland waterways we needed a boat safety certificate (or so I thought). Ian
Lumley had been over to do an I interim survey in the boat yard and I asked
him to advise on the BSC. After much sucking of teethe gave us a list of
pipes, jubilee clips etc. needed for the engine (including an expensive
bilge pump filter). He liked the Pansy charcoal stove but was completely
miffed by the Taylors paraffin cooker as he could find a category for it.
After I assured him it wasn’t working we got the BSC which was re-assuring
although it cost over a hundred.
Mid October saw us setting off for Boston (after another party!). This means
going under Lincoln’s famous high bridge (touched bottom) and down the river
Witham, which had been virtually closed all summer due to the weed. This got
steadily worse until Kirkstead Bridge when it disappeared. A apparently
there are 3 types – blanket weed, which comes up from the river bread in
blanket ‘strips’, duck weed – the green stuff that floats on the surface,
and an American invasive weed which is like green and white polystyrene
balls that flat just below the surface. We had to keep reversing to clear
the prop and cleaning the raw water intake filter; it was like taking the
African Queen up the Ulanga River.
Eventually the famous Boston stump appeared on the horizon and we moored up
for the night before sampling one of Boston’s surprisingly good Italian
eateries.
Next morning the girls embarked early – not confident about the short tidal
crossing from the Witham to the Welland – and Matt joined me for a 6 am
start. The grand sluice at Boston has 2 ‘levels’, 2 hours before and 2 hours
after high tide, and we took the first one to ensure we got to Fosdyke on
one tide. Once the lock gates had closed behind us we were on our own ‘down
below’ as this part of the tidal Witham (The Haven) is known locally. The
engine had not missed a beat through the weed, but above the throb of the
Long bridge lump I could hear a distinct beep! Beep! Which sounded just like
the overheating warning on the old Surprise. But maybe it’s a truck
reversing up on street level? No, it’s coming from the boat. Engine covers
off, no sign of overheating. I tell map we’ll have to stop and sort this
out, consider anchoring in the tideway. Matt is now crawling on the cockpit
floor trying to find the source of the beep! beep! beep! Which seems louder.
It’s coming from the stern says Matt, in fact it’s coming from your
trousers……and yes it’s my mobile phone wake up alarm. Stand the coastguard
down.
A beautiful dawn broke across the wash as we breasedt tab end and turned
right into the Welland. The wash is a truly magical place; rarely do you see
another vessel…just birds, porpoises and seals. Fossdyke was reached in good
order and a day or two alter Dave Parkinson lifted her out onto blocks for
the winter. By coincidence we were alongside Stella Marie, the 26’ MG storm
that inspired my purchase of Little Gull. Owner Alan has taken her to the
Baltic and Norway.
We were taking on more water than was healthy and I could see where it had
leaked out when taken out of the water, which was addressed,
with sealer.
Over the winter Phillip set too doing a ‘proper job’ on the electrics. More
or less everything was re-wired, including the mast (lights and VHF). A new
control panel was made from white plastic and illuminated toggle switches
buzz bars sprouted in the battery locker and under the chart table. We
usually made a weekend of it, sleeping on board and sustain ourselves at the
Ship Inn – Batemans and Adnams with real food (the steak & kidney pudding,
with real suet, is a belter). One weekend in February the temperature
dropped to -14 C – at 6 pm! With the ‘Pansy’ charcoal burning stove mastered
and supplemented by a mains electric oil filled heater we were warm enough.
(Once when I was lighting the Pansy and flames were leaping out of the top,
someone asked if Id got gas on board. Nah! Too dangerous I replied.)I got on
with jobs around the hull, sanding down the filler that had squeezed out of
the seams and re-painting. And strengthening the rudder (which had developed
a crack) with 6 marine grade stainless steel bars bolted through.
Come the spring the mast was rigged ready for raising using Dave’s 1954
‘iron fairy. Crane and we were soon ready to go back in. This went Ok using
Dave’s 50 ton slings and leaks appeared to be much less than last time. We
spent a night on board and the following day set about bending the sails on.
The Genoa went up the reefing slide well enough but to get the main on meant
turning the boat on the mooring to head the wind. Normally at high or low
water this isn’t a problem, but the river flow was stronger than usual
following heavy rain. In fact it was so a lot stronger, and although I was
on board under power to assist, once the bow was pushed out the current
snatched it round very quickly. Phillip managed to get a turn on a cleat but
the snatch pulled the fairlead off the transom with a slice of sapele. This
was bad but probably took the strain from the Samson post. We had to wait
for the flood tide before we could get her properly alongside as she was
pinned against a motor launch. The owner turned up 10 minutes before we
could move Little Gull but there was no damage to his vessel and profuse
apologies were accepted all round. As they say, you never stop learning and
hopefully we won’t do that again.
The passage across the Wash to the summer mooring at Wells was uneventful –
no wind, flat calm so a good test for the engine which was fine. Wells is a
bustling, friendly port with a new outer harbour to cater for the offshore
wind farm traffic and plenty of fore and aft moorings, which we felt was
important to avoid any damage to the bilge keels which can occur on swinging
mooring. If the flood tide lifts the boat and a keel catches on sand bank
there is a huger pressure on it. The harbourmaster is particularly helpful,
coming out to meet first timers in his powerful launch and helping with
mooring etc. Readers will know that the summer of 2012 didn’t start until
August so sailing has been a bit restricted, but there have been some golden
moments already. A dash over to Skegness and back in a day- 80 miles under
sail and 4 mackerel. Blakeney to Hemsby and back (another 80 miles) and
Brancaster Fairway to Wells Fairway in an hour under genoa only. Lone Gull
has proved to be as good as they said – on anything form a broad reach to
close hauled she can be left for up to minutes without attention, thanks to
the long heavy keel and bilge keels.
Finally mention must be made of the Jabsco toilet. A veritable throne with
standing headroom and sliding doors for privacy, it really is a luxury.
Until we ran out of loo roll and used kitchen towel. Big mistake –blocked
loo! I took the pump apart, no sign of problems. Working towards the sea
cock (where’s the sea cock? Out the b----y window cock!) I deduced the
problem was at the out flow. The green ribbed 2’’ pipe must have been fitted
from new 45 years ago so a hacksaw was needed to get it off. Blockage
removed, we tried to get the pipe back on the toilet outlet. Nowhere near.
But by heating up the pipe end in boiling water and banging a conical wooden
bung into the end to make a ‘trumpet’ it slid on. At the time of writing the
toilet pumps out beautifully but won’t pump water in. I knew that bucket
would come in handy.
And the cost of the project? Well lets say there was change out of £6k,
including purchase price…..plus my time of course, which I thoroughly
enjoyed!
Peter Harrold 30/8/12
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