Classic Fairey Faun project - some advice needed!

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nicclark

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Hi all!

First time on YBW, and first all wooden boat...

I've just purchased a 1959 Fairey Faun, hull 3. It's a 16' plywood built day boat with a vedette inboard. She's been on the tidal Thames for a long time and I'm bringing her to Marlow. Apart from a few modifications for the BSS there are two main issues:

1. The ply hull has been repaired really badly - the (zinc!) screws can be seen poking out under the filler and no consideration was given to the wood used so it's watertight and not rotten, but looks terrible. I think it is going to be really hard to remedy this to a good enough standard to varnish her, so I think I am going to make the repair better and paint the hull. Does anyone have any recommendations for paint, undercoat etc or any other observations?

2. Some ribs have been replaced and more are in need of replacement. The ones that have been 'fixed' have been cut off below the rot and replaced nearby. Is this OK or a bodge? Should I be looking at replacing the whole rib with a new steam bent one? I am a competent woodworker, but have never steam bent anything! Again ideas and advice would be really helpful.

We're going to use her mostly as she is this season so look out for us on the Thames - probably called 'Sirena' if it's not already taken.

Thanks :-)
 
If the faun is built the same way as the bigger Faireys she was laminated from agba strips with a phenoilc glue and cooked in an autoclave to gain strength. There are repair processes that are written down for the bigger hulls.

try looking here www.faireyownersclub.co.uk and / or make contact with burgundyben of this parish!
 
If you post some pictures on the CVRDA website you will get very good advice. Many members have restored Finns, Fireflies, Jollyboats and Albacore sailing dinghies and all these are built in the same way as your Faun, from layers of Agba veneer.
 
Well done. she's a fine boat, I had plans to buy her, but a new cockpit canopy for the Huntsman scuppered that!

Will reply in more detail about repairing Fairey hulls later.
 
Firstly, we'd be delighted to have you as members of the Fairey Owners Club if you fancy it.

Lots of technical help, extensive archiving, 2 magazines and five club events each year.

Is this the same boat as the one listed on Woodenships.co.uk?

Repairing the hot moulded hull is slow work but fairly easy, general rule of thumb is a 2" overlap on each layer. Robbins can provide the 2.5mm agba. The original glue was Bordon Aerolite, but epoxy is best now. You may need to screw a batten in place to provide a former in some places, this can be helpful.

I would do the work to keep her varnished, but I have found International pre kote to be excellent.

The most important thing to do with the hull is protect the end grain of the veneers from the ingress of water. This is where they suffer and it is crucial to keep ingress at bay.

Regarding repairs to ribs, I would laminate from thin strips. Much easier than steaming.
 
burgundyben said:
Is this the same boat as the one listed on Woodenships.co.uk?
Click to expand...

Yes it is Ben. I did put up a post in the Classic Boat forum but when I tried to search for it, I was informed that I was banned for no specific reason, never to be lifted. I have absolutely no idea what that is about.

The boat was re-named, I think by the current owner and the cuddy was removed and may still be in the garden of our yard.

I was told that it had come across the North Sea from, I think, Denmark with, again if I remember correctly, 2 girls.
 
milltech said:
Is yours the one advertised on woodenships.co.uk? There's a Faun+Vedette listed there.
Click to expand...

Took a good look at pictures on woodenships.

Our family owned a Fairey Faun in the 1960's which went very well with a 5 hp Evinrude. There were plenty of Fauns about on the Thames at that time but all outboard powered.

I was brought up with many boats with the Morris Vedette and owned a 26ft Osbourne cruiser with an unusual twin screw installation so know the engine very well.

However no clue why anybody would want to put a very heavy engine which dribbled out of production in 1953 into a 1960's boat pretty designed around outboard power is a little odd. Would be interesting to know who put the two together and when, certainly a bit of a shotgun marriage.

Thames Conservancy looked a the Faun as a small low cost patrol launch, eventually Fairey Marine at Maidenhead sold the T.C. modified 19 ft Flying Dutchman yacht hulls which were fitted out by Bushnells of Wargrave. The modified Dutchmen patrol boats had inboard power and they slipped along with very little wake, however the crews hated them and they were quickly sold off.
 
Wow, I am sorry I have not replied to this - I am overwhelmed by the interest and the history! The two pictures of Helonaki are amazing history! In answer, yes she is the boat that was on wooden ships - hull #3. I fell in love with the shape of the hull, and we got her back to Marlow under her own power two weeks ago - a 10 hour non stop trip from Eel Pie island.

She's being lifted from the water tomorrow onto the hard as after bailing out the massive amount of water in the bilge we found some seriously messy repairs under the seat bases and some rotten areas in the hull where the ribs have been left to rot. Pretty much the only thing keeping it afloat was the 1mm epoxy underwater coating.

I am going to order Agba from Robbins tomorrow to do as good a job as I can. However, she will have to be painted - the side you can't see in the pictures has a massive hole patched up in a really poor way using the wrong wood and there are numerous other repairs dotting the hull. At least for now, we're going to paint her. There was also a bilge pump installation that was secured through the hull with 1.5" zinc screws which allowed the river to seep in therefore justifying the pump's installation, how I laughed!

I am also really interested in how the boat and engine met - the engine is from 1948-50 at the latest. It is a wonderful machine but I agree rather heavy. Apparently when it arrived to one of the previous owners the boat was again outboard powered and the engine just filled with oil to preserve. If anyone has any ideas, I'd be really interested. There are plenty with inboard power.

The boat has been generally a little neglected - not maintained and has deteriorated. I am not complaining too much as I was able to purchase her reasonably :)

So I have some more questions if anyone is able to help...

Does anyone have any suggestion as to the wood used for ribs? We're going to stem bend them... I think!
Also the best and most cost effective wood for making seating battens and also for flooring - I'd like to make a solid ply floor but have some kind of decorative veneer.

Any more pictures from her history would be really great and also any info on the Scandinavian connection - I have also heard that she was used in Denmark. My wife grew up there and we lived there last year so would be a wonderful connection to have.

Thanks so much!
 
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