Beautiful old boat on Gumtree...

[jwilson]

Neils Jeppersen 1937.....

and no, spend £2.5k on one that works.

They are over £80k to latest Petticrow spec, and top flight are all dry sailed with new sails by first class post.
Plenty of usable sails about then....

About 5 years back did a week in Cannes racing Dragons; the borrowed boat we were sailing was certainly by far the tattiest one in the fleet, but we managed a 2nd in the first light wind race, before the breeze increased and bits of the complex rig progressively broke and we slid downhill in the rankings.

There were quite a few boats with owner plus professional paid crew, most boats arrived on custom all-alloy-frame trailers behind new Range Rovers, with crisp new sails, and hulls polished as shiny as the car bonnet. Good parties though.

 

[jamie_Cacique]

She has lovely classic lines.
I bought a GRP boat that had been standing for 10 years, it cost me at least double what I estimated it would cost (but realistically 3 times). For example the foreward bulkhead was delaminating, I thought ' just hack it out, cut and glass a new peice of plywood to fit, a couple of weekends max'. After three months the work was complete, after the bulkhead came out I discovered the kingplank under the deck was rotten, but it was glassed in so I had to grind out the glass remove the old plank and epoxy in a new one, same story with the plywood plate under the bow roller, I challenge anyone to grind out that at the deackhead at the very bow, I had to use scuba equipment. Best of luck, you could get it sell the trailor and spars and equipment, torch the hull and still break even.

 

[Koeketiene]

it cost me at least double what I estimated it would cost

After refitting two boats, I have formulated the following Yachting Axiom:
Everything costs at least twice as much as budgetted for.
Everything takes at least twice as long as originally planned.

 

[cliff]

Can I just reply on an optimistic note - what a pretty bum.

Ye cannae mean this one surely

- anyone willing to admit they recognise the ass?

 

[Keen_Ed]

All the value's in the lead, IMHO. Too many knackered Dragons about to be of any other value.

 

[Stemar]

After refitting two boats, I have formulated the following Yachting Axiom:
Everything costs at least twice as much as budgetted for.
Everything takes at least twice as long as originally planned.

Ah, an incorrigible optimist

When it comes to boats I use a factor of at least 3 - and I'm still usually shy of the real figures.

 

[Kilter]

Ye cannae mean this one surely

- anyone willing to admit they recognise the ass?

I know!

 

[sailorman]

I know!

looks Spanish to me with a hint of Greek

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Ye cannae mean this one surely

- anyone willing to admit they recognise the ass?

Oooo....you're in trouble when she sees that!

 

[fantasia7628]

Came across this open sailing yacht on Gumtree. I am a sucker for these types of boat. I think that they are amongst the most beautiful ever created.

http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/fin-keel-sailing-yacht-boat-29ft/112432749

Does anyone know what it is? I am tempted even though it's wood and represent's a life sentence of scraping and varnishing! In my mind's eye, I see it as completely varnished wood.

I would like to thank the OP for this post as this Dragon is not just any old Dragon. It was built by Pedersen & Thuesen (Denmark), probably in the mid to late 1960's. Their were only ever 30 built by them and they are now considered to be the best and some of the fastest Dragons ever built. I am sure that she will restore beautifully with splined mahogany carvel planking all varnished. She is THE missing boat and should now be on her way back to Denmark to be restored to racing condition.

 

[cliff]

Oooo....you're in trouble when she sees that!

and there are more in the archives

 

[skodster]

I would like to thank the OP for this post as this Dragon is not just any old Dragon. It was built by Pedersen & Thuesen (Denmark), probably in the mid to late 1960's. Their were only ever 30 built by them and they are now considered to be the best and some of the fastest Dragons ever built. I am sure that she will restore beautifully with splined mahogany carvel planking all varnished. She is THE missing boat and should now be on her way back to Denmark to be restored to racing condition.

This would actually make a great serial story for YBW because it sounds like the history of the boat can be traced right through its life up until the hopeful happy outcome where it will be seen racing in its full beauty. It would be nice to also read something about the restoration of a wooden boat for a change.

I personally think it's what readers would like to read. Its also a well known design.

 

[trw99]

Just resurrecting this thread as I am writing an article on Pedersen & Thuesen for the British Dragon Association annual magazine.

The Danish boatbuilding firm of Pedersen & Thuesen was started in 1949 and was in existence for 34 years, closing in 1983. It constructed a total of 97 beautifully made International Dragon yachts over an 18 year period, from 1952 until 1970. That is an average of 5 Dragons a year; they took 10 months (1600 hours) each to build. It is alleged that for the first ten years until 1962/1963 these Dragons were built maximising the then class rule waterline length. These early Pedersen & Thuesen Dragons were apparently faster than their competition and have since acquired a reputation for being the cream of carvel constructed racing yachts and are still in demand today. I have started a register of these 97 wonderful Dragons and am aware of 67 of them to date. There is no doubt that a Pedersen & Thuesen Dragon is beautifully well made, a tribute to the small but very skilled workforce and a demonstration of how to successfully turn trees into objects of desire!

When optimised for current racing conditions, they remain highly competitive. We have just finished organising the World Championship regatta in Weymouth. DEN 138 Eva finished 7th overall out of 77 boats competing; NED 412 Troika was 20th. Eva was built by P&T in 1957, Troika in 1961.

 

[Sybarite]

And if you do go and see her you could pop into Pier 36 in Donaghadee where there will be a fire roaring at this time of year!

Or maybe visit Grace Neill's the oldest pub in Ireland : 1611.

http://www.graceneills.com/