A wooden dream boat

[AntarcticPilot]

I should declare a tiny interest - the son of a friend used to work for Spirit! He's moved to another yard at Woodbridge. But the build quality is amazing.

 

[boomerangben]

I didn’t intend to drift the thread down the lines of economic ideology, merely a smaller Spirit would suit me fine and leave money for other more altruistic things. As for reality, my current boat will do just fine!
But I do like the idea of green boat building and electric auxiliary propulsion

 

[Chiara’s slave]

I didn’t intend to drift the thread down the lines of economic ideology, merely a smaller Spirit would suit me fine and leave money for other more altruistic things. As for reality, my current boat will do just fine!
But I do like the idea of green boat building and electric auxiliary propulsion

We’ll go electric when our petrol outboard is past it's best. We have used 18 litres of fuel this year, so it should be perfectly practical. A spirit is highly unlikely though. I do not posess the necessary trousers, nor the necessary attitude.

 

[winch2]

As the owner of a mere 20ft traditional wooden boat, I’d have to agree. If you need to check the state of your bank balance before saying yes, don’t do it. Even our little baby can make a serious dent.

Gulp.. and there Iam succumbing to the other halfs insistance that our next boat on pain of death is a classic wooden Vertue....Mind you they are lovely.

 

[Wansworth]

I had a wooden Mashford four toner,23 long after initial sorting out like new keel bolts maintenance was simple without fancy chemicals and epoxy stuff and none of that polishing grip every Spring

 

[14K478]

Gulp.. and there Iam succumbing to the other halfs insistance that our next boat on pain of death is a classic wooden Vertue....Mind you they are lovely.

I knew a chap who had owned in succession a plastic Twister, a wooden one, a wooden Vertue and a Harrison Butler Englyn. He liked the HB best, then the wooden Twister, then the Vertue, then the GRP Twister. Fwiw…

 

[SaltyC]

Took this when visiting Ipswich outside side Spirit Yachts.
First time I've seen a cover for a toe rail

I just wish I could afford the fenders holders

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Gulp.. and there Iam succumbing to the other halfs insistance that our next boat on pain of death is a classic wooden Vertue....Mind you they are lovely.

They are indeed lovely, and a fine sailing boat. The issues that can cost money are things like broken ribs, or a bit of rot in a dark corner. The XOD gets a fair few rib failures, probably all that barging at the mark. Just cos they’re a classic doesn’t mean people treat them with kid gloves, it gets quite aggressive. But we winter them indoors. Pluses and minuses. My skipper is a guybwho restores them. A boat can be had for say, 6k on a trailer. The restoration to near new is going to be 50k. New fasteners, a few new ribs, new decks, interior (seats, coamings and floorboards) and the latest deck layout. It takes 2 guys 3-4 months. A Vertue experienced surveyor is the way forward. If it needs work it’s not an automatic no, but clearly you need to contain costs. Guessing here that if youkre after a Vertue, you’re not a potential Spirit owner of philanthropic ‘I’ll have a perfect bit of history’ squilliionaire. I’m not, either. I’d love to have a 50k rebuild on my XOD. It’s not happenning.

 

[Poignard]

I knew a chap who had owned in succession a plastic Twister, a wooden one, a wooden Vertue and a Harrison Butler Englyn. He liked the HB best, then the wooden Twister, then the Vertue, then the GRP Twister. Fwiw…

There's a man on the Twister Class Association forum trying to give away a wooden Twister (well, he wants £1 for her).

He admits she needs a lot of work but she could be a nice project for someone with time and the apprpriate skills.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

There's a man on the Twister Class Association forum trying to give away a wooden Twister (well, he wants £1 for her).

He admits she needs a lot of work but she could be a nice project for someone with time and the apprpriate skills.

My mate would be ideal there, but, in spite of being a X class devotee, and a brilliant helm, he has been seduced by the Dark Side for cruisers. I think it happened when the log hit 20 after a particularly well timed pump of the spinnaker sheet.

 

[14K478]

There's a man on the Twister Class Association forum trying to give away a wooden Twister (well, he wants £1 for her).

He admits she needs a lot of work but she could be a nice project for someone with time and the apprpriate skills.

My friend said that the shape was altered to get the GRP hull out of the mould so the wooden boats are faster.

Much depends on who built her. If she was built by Tucker Brown in Burnham, snap her up!

 

[Poignard]

My friend said that the shape was altered to get the GRP hull out of the mould so the wooden boats are faster.

Much depends on who built her. If she was built by Tucker Brown in Burnham, snap her up!

Not I.

I have enough on my hands keeping my composite Twister in order!

 

[14K478]

Not I.

I have enough on my hands keeping my composite Twister in order!

There is a solitary Twister that was cold moulded by Souters. I was once tempted but the teak gaff cutter sans merci held me in thrall.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

There is a solitary Twister that was cold moulded by Souters. I was once tempted but the teak gaff cutter sans merci held me in thrall.

The 3 slowest boats in the XOD fleet were built by Souters.

 

[Stemar]

Gulp.. and there Iam succumbing to the other halfs insistance that our next boat on pain of death is a classic wooden Vertue....Mind you they are lovely.

Just tell her, "Of course, Dear. I'll take care of the mechanical bits if you take care of the woodwork. Deal?"

 

[Wansworth]

Go for the Virtue…….youre feel virtuous

 

[Buck Turgidson]

I have a real soft spot for Vertues having sails one to the Azores with a mate.
It did however sink on the next leg.
I bought a GRP Twister. very unlikely to spring a plank.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

I have a real soft spot for Vertues having sails one to the Azores with a mate.
It did however sink on the next leg.
I bought a GRP Twister. very unlikely to spring a plank.

Such extreme events shouldn’t put people off. Wooden boats sink due to lack of attention, or the not so soft embrace of rocks, or coral. That’s why maintenance is expensive of course, it must be thorough. On a cruiser it’s much harder to check all your fasteners, and for other initially minor structure problems, and itks harder and more expensive to put them right. Replacing ribs with an XOD, get the cover boards off, drill out the fasteners and remove rib. Steam the new one, tap it in, refasten, new cover boards, refinish the bottom and topsides. All for about £25 worth of oak frame. That’s why people put it off.

 

[Sumara of Weymouth]

Gulp.. and there Iam succumbing to the other halfs insistance that our next boat on pain of death is a classic wooden Vertue....Mind you they are lovely.

I've had my wooden Vertue for 32 years and wouldn't dream of changing boats. They can't be that bad!

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Good Lord that looks like a lot of work, beautiful though.