Angus Primrose

[oldvarnish]

Primrose's Moody 33 was, arguably, the boat that started the trend towards high internal volume boats that are common these days. It was a successful boat, but I think he was aware of its aesthetic shortcomings. In an interview with me at the start of the 1976 OSTAR, he described it as his 'block of flats'.

 

[Plyn]

HWMBO & I sailed on Hippokampus in the early 70's, when she was owned by someone who lived just outside Andover- senior moment - I have forgotten his name!

 

[A1Sailor]

He's the only yacht designer named after a flower.

There's a flower named Angus?

 

[Pitterpatter]

My brother has a Truman 30 - one of Primroses lesser known designs. For a 30 footer it is truly cavernous and very well built. He is forever getting asked about the boat which I find interesting as it is an early 80s grp design - not a formula that sticks out.

One of the fun things on it is that it has an 'anchor well' at the front (similar to his Moody designs) which apparently is not an anchor well at all, but a forward cockpit. Supposedly Primrose knew that the first place kids head on a boat is to the front to sit and play. So, to make them safe he gave them a cockpit at the front. I don't know whether that is true or not - but I like the idea and it is supported by the fact that the Truman has a nice teak grate up there!

 

[nauticalnomad]

How is her engine these days? About twenty years ago a mate and a bunch of engineers from NEI Parsons hired Hippokampos from Arnold Clark on the Clyde and the engine practically fell apart. Being a bunch of engineers they loved her mechanical difficulties to bits.

The engine blew up 3 hours off of Harwich enroute to Scheveningen about 2 years ago as the weather increased to gusts of F8 and 9s and rather than rebuild the old Perkins 4107 which as i started to dismantle the engine and contemplate a recondition the thing started to crumble as i unbolted.
I have now installed a brand new 43HP Nanni engine and the old Vee drive that was in there was taken out and is now run by a hydraulic propulsion set up rather than gearbox. She did fine motoring back accross from NL and now i dont have the hassles of the unreliability of the older engine. It pretty much worked out the same cost exercise as a reco compared to the purchase of the new unit and after fitting it myself which was just bolting the skid to the hull with nothing to line up was an easy task. I then being a fitter fitted all the hoses and hopefully shell last another 40 odd years..
Prior to that Hippokampos had a full hull reco back to the bare mahogany and a few patches repaired and the hull is as new condition.
Currently she is having a new mast and rigging fabricated from Formula marine and will pretty much be a brand new yacht in the next up and coming months.
I got some photos from Dan Primrose a few weeks ago of his Angus on Hippokampos and when she was built and launched

It

 

[joha]

He also designed the Warrior, Challenger and voyager 35 for Trident Marine.

J