James Silver of Rosneath and John Bain designs.

scandalpete

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For what it's worth my 1956 SIlver was re-engined in the 70's ( I think maybe as a result of sinking but not sure - lots of port side planking had been renewed) with a couple of marinised Ford lorry engines. coupled to Velvet Drives They're referred to as 2701's - 4 cylinder models and I think are rated at about 80hp. They were marinised using standard Bowman heat exchangers etc. One benefit is that I can go to the local Ford commercial dealer and get a set of gaskets etc. The other alternative for a slow revving engine would be an old Perkins - 4107/8. If you watch Travels with Geordie on UTube you will be aware of his involvement with various types of Perkins but lastly Beta. It all depends on your pocket I suspect !!
 

jstarmarine

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For what it's worth my 1956 Silver was re-engined in the 70's ( I think maybe as a result of sinking but not sure - lots of port side planking had been renewed) with a couple of marinised Ford lorry engines. coupled to Velvet Drives They're referred to as 2701's - 4 cylinder models and I think are rated at about 80hp. They were marinised using standard Bowman heat exchangers etc. One benefit is that I can go to the local Ford commercial dealer and get a set of gaskets etc. The other alternative for a slow revving engine would be an old Perkins - 4107/8. If you watch Travels with Geordie on UTube you will be aware of his involvement with various types of Perkins but lastly Beta. It all depends on your pocket I suspect !!

Hi Pete,
You own "Bodilla", do you have any photos of her so I may be able to get some idea of the layout of my Western Isles 40ft. which at just 2 ft. longer may have a similar layout.

Regards

Simon Papendick
Owner of Chance "aka Token"
 

scandalpete

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I have a "general arrangement" drawing of her sister ship "Lemara" on a large sheet of paper which I'll photo and try and get onto this site. There are certainly some similarities judging from the pictures you've put up. Do you have a copy of the book published about The Silver company and what and how they built their boats ? I have but can't find it at present !! I you don't have one I'll take a further look. It's possible there may be photos or even a line drawing of the Western Isles craft. Annoyingly there's no mention of either "Bodilla" or "Lemara". However "Bodilla" features in the 1956 Yachting World Annual.
Regards,
Peter Lacey
 

jstarmarine

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Hi Peter,

I do not have a copy of the book published about the Silver company, I am sure it would help me no end to put the interior and the deck fittings back as they should be when Chance was launched in 1948. If you could download the general arrangement of the boat it sure would help. Only parts of Chance are as she was build. The main cabin apart from where somebody put the diesel cooker heater in the starboard cabinet and cut out the cabinet work and mess about with the cabinet work putting it in there. The galley in Chance appears to be the opposite of all the other Silver's of the general length of Chance. Sink to port and cooker to starboard. Mine is the other way round? It the fore cabin it appear there was a sea toilet fitted many years ago which as not been present for a number of years. The only other area that appears to be untouched was the engineering room on the starboard side behind the cockpit. the aft cabin and toilet compartment were messed about with when Chance spent a lot of years as a liveaboard houseboat. Also you would not know where I could get a rigging plan for Chance as she was a ketch rigged sailing boat as well as a motorboat. As the position of the masts are still present on the fore deck and aft decks and seeing as I have the masts and booms I would widh to put the rig back on her.

Regards

Simon Papendick
 

scandalpete

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Simon - I have tried to attach a photo of the plans but have been told the file is too big. Maybe someone can point me in the right direction to overcome this issue. Its a jpeg file of 3.1 MB.
In the meantime I'll keep looking for the book !
Regards,
Peter
 

Uricanejack

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I have a "general arrangement" drawing of her sister ship "Lemara" on a large sheet of paper which I'll photo and try and get onto this site. There are certainly some similarities judging from the pictures you've put up. Do you have a copy of the book published about The Silver company and what and how they built their boats ? I have but can't find it at present !! I you don't have one I'll take a further look. It's possible there may be photos or even a line drawing of the Western Isles craft. Annoyingly there's no mention of either "Bodilla" or "Lemara". However "Bodilla" features in the 1956 Yachting World Annual.
Regards,
Peter Lacey
Interesting, I knew Lemara well. I spent many winters helping to scrape sand and varnish her. I do recall seeing a copy of an old YM article about her, and the original owner. Which could possibly have been about a sister ship. She was re engined, during the 70s, with 2 60hp thornycroft. When I last saw the boat she was in very good condition.
 

scandalpete

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Fascinating. I believe she is still around because I remember seeing her details about 4 years ago on a brokers site with the reference that she had been sold. I contacted the broker for details of the new owner but unsurprisingly they wouldn't disclose them to me nor apparently did they pass on my interest to the new owner.
 

Uricanejack

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I saw her for sale a few years ago, I believe somewhere on the East Coast, My uncle kept her on the West coast for almost 40 years. Unfortunately when he was no longer fit enough to enjoy her, I couldn’t afford to keep her. Even though she was in very fine condition. The time, effort and money were just beyond me. In the end she sold for a fraction of estimated value. To what we hoped was a good home. Someone who could maintain her. At the time she was 60 some years old. An odd sort of boat. Designed as a motor sailor. My guess she never sailed very well. The rig had long since been removed. She had been owned by a Scottish business man who kept her down in the Med, bring her back t9 the Clyde to sell in the late 70s,
Torquil bought her. She needed some work but it was mostly cosmetic. The bones of the boat were still great and the engines relatively new.
The teak decks had dried out, it took us years to find and caulk all the leaks. The winters were spent in a shed in a boat yard in Renfrew, where there was a group of enthusiasts of old clyde built boats. I am pretty sure Torquil enjoyed his winter in the yard as much if not more than the summer. He had quite a few friends with various handy skills. We would spend about half the day, working away a something, my brother and I doing a lot of the scraping and sanding varnishing,
around lunch time we would head for the pub, after which we would tidy up the tools ect.
Round the end of March begins of April, it would be the day we went back in the water, it would vary depending on when other boats were ready. Down the Clyde to Inverkip. To wait for our annual weekend trip through the Crinan Canal. 4 of us would arrange to transit the Canal together.

The idea was to arrive at Loch Giphead in time for the Canal opening first thing on Saturday morning. We would set of in a convoy up through the Kyles of Bute a bit before Dawn to get to the Canal first. The idea was to have sufficient helping hands to work the locks and handle all the lines .

Our first trip through the Canal. Didn’t go entirely to plan. We arrived early, There was a fishing boat ahead of us. But we were into the Canal nice and early. It was important to get an early start on Saturday, to get through befor the Sea lock at Crinan closed. At 1700 or Maybe it was 1800. if You didn’t make it you would be stuck till Monday morning or Next weekend for most pleasure boats.
Everything went according to plan. It being our first time, Lemara‘s skipper and crew, the Least experienced. We quickly got the hang of it. We had enough hands to help the FV ahead of us and we’re going quickly, often having the lock ahead fully prepped and ready for us.
We arrived at the Cairnban bridge just before lunch time.
Torquil although living near Edinburgh. Was From a local family, as was my mum, Having grown up in the area. He knew everyone or at least most people from the area. Including of course the bridge operator. and most of the staff at the Cairnban Hotel.
Most of the locals knew well ahead, of time Torquil had himself a nice new boat. So we had a few visitors and some offers of assistance. Naturally quite a few had a wee dram.
After a the Bridge man had been on board for a tour, a wee dram It was the wee bodach‘s lunch time. Naturally we dined want to keep him from his lunch, So Torquil invited him to join us for lunch.
We all headed of to the Pub at the Cairnban for lunch.
I had a very nice lunch, can’t recall what, every time someone bought a round I had another shandy, and I had quite a few.

After a while a few other skippers, began to show up. Asking if anyone knew where the Bridge operator was. And the crew of Lemara. Along with the crew of a couple of other vessels who’s name I won’t mention to protect the guilty.
Every so often, someone would look at their watch. Various opinions were expressed, with a varied of estimates on how long we had to get to Crinan. Before the lock keeper went home.

There was a rather huffy Kevinside chap. Who kept coming over and complaining about the time, which didn’t really help.
Eventually it was decided it was time to get going again.

So of we went, back to the boats, with the Bridge operator. By now the sun was well past the yard arm, and there was quite a few boats behind us had caught up. Even a boat going south.
So we quickly apologized ect and got the first few boats through the bridge.

By now the kelivinside chap,was really quite angry and annoying, The wee bodach who ran the bridge took offence. So after waving us a good trip he headed off back to the pub, to finis his lunch. Promising to send a message to Crinan Torquil was on his way.
We pressed on, Things going quite well until we arrived a little late in Crinan.
Fortunately or message had been received, We found the lockeeper, and after buying him a couple of pints in the Crinan hotel.
He let us out through the Sea Lock and we sailed of into the sunset on our separate ways to our summer moorings.

Apparently the Fishing vessel ahead of us and our self’s were the only boats to get through the canal that weekend.
I
Lemara has a full length long keel like and older sail vessel. With several tons of lead. She is about 15 ton if I remember correctly, At the time, there were not many yards North of the Clyde who could lift her.
So we would make the annual voyage through the canal most years.

Or we would go round the Mull , which was probably easier, but I enjoyed our trips through the canal. It was a couple off weekends to look forward to.
In later years, he kept the boat in Crinan boat yard rather than making the trip. Crinan had the trades who still worked on older wooden boats.
I grew up, moved away no longer available to crew the annual voyages. Though I would still try to fit a trip or so in with my uncle when I could.
We often had grand plans for a exploration of the western isles, ussualy found our selves storm bound somewhere between Ghia and the Mishnish Hotel.

Life took me to Canada, so trios to the western isles became a rare pleasure for me. As Torquil grew older, he was unable to run the boat himself and hired someone to help. Unfortunately the Boat was grounded by the fellow he hired.
Crinan Boat yard was able to put her right.

When. I heard she was up for sale, I knew Torquil was unwell, So I came back with part of my plan to take him for a final cruise,
But he had left her in the Yard, as he was no longer fit enough to board her without help.

So we visited a few old haunts, but unfortunately we had to drive.

The last time I saw him, I missed my bus having a few pints with him in the pub by the bus stop in Lochgilphead, fortunately it wasn’t the last bus. And I wasn’t flying out until the next morning.

I hope someone somewhere is looking after Lemara.
 
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jstarmarine

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Hi Peter,

The plan does give a few ideas on how the interior should look, Thank you for taking the time to send me the plan it is gratefully received.

Regards
Simon
 

scandalpete

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Uricanejack - thank you for such a wonderful story. Your descriptions are good enough for a film plot. Must have been such fun all together with like minded people during the winter months. I hope to find out if Lemara is still around. One daymaybe Bodilla will find her way back to the Clyde ??
Kind regards,
Peter
 

jstarmarine

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Uricanejack - thank you for such a wonderful story. Your descriptions are good enough for a film plot. Must have been such fun all together with like minded people during the winter months. I hope to find out if Lemara is still around. One daymaybe Bodilla will find her way back to the Clyde ??
Kind regards,
Peter

Hi Peter,
I hope to take Chance to Silvers' yard when she is back afloat as part of my cruising plans.

Regards
Simon Papendick
 

SaltIre

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Simon - I have tried to attach a photo of the plans but have been told the file is too big. Maybe someone can point me in the right direction to overcome this issue. Its a jpeg file of 3.1 MB.
In the meantime I'll keep looking for the book !
Regards,
Peter
Here's a downsized version of the image you e-mailed me, Peter. I'll split it into two images, hull & cabin, and upload each into two posts and try to get the text legible.
Bodilla-plans1200x866.jpg
 

SaltIre

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I saw her for sale a few years ago, I believe somewhere on the East Coast, My uncle kept her on the West coast for almost 40 years. Unfortunately when he was no longer fit enough to enjoy her, I couldn’t afford to keep her. Even though she was in very fine condition. The time, effort and money were just beyond me. In the end she sold for a fraction of estimated value. To what we hoped was a good home. Someone who could maintain her. At the time she was 60 some years old. An odd sort of boat. Designed as a motor sailor. My guess she never sailed very well.
.
.
I hope someone somewhere is looking after Lemara.
She is possibly on the Thames or the Severn under the ownership of Ed & Heather White. Page 48 & 50 here is the first stage of the 2018 delivery trip, from North Shields towards the Severn but as far as Grimsby in that article. They were over-wintering at a Thames yard to get the saloon refitted.
At the 2019 AGM of the Thames Vintage Boat Club Ed received an award:
Boat Handling Trophy for “Most skilful boat handling’ - Ed White with ‘Lemara’
...so I suspect someone somewhere is indeed looking after Lemara.:)
 

SaltIre

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Teddington - June 2020
82248565_1560533874124580_939942450518186262_n.jpg
 
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