Fairey Atalanta

[ValleyForge]

Always hankered after one of these rare birds, anyone any comments on what to check out, experiences etc ? Probably for use on Windermere, home waters. (currently boatless, help !)

 

[kds]

Glorious boats - sail well if kept light - as you would expect of Uffa Fox design - but people do overload them. Decks will need a lot of work if they have been neglected. Re-laminating is an easily acquired skill, but consumes vast amounts of time. Keel boxes are a nightmare - bulkhead plywood was rubbish and I had to replace all my bulkheads.
If well maintained - you could be a lucky man.
If you want to phone - use website details.
Ken

 

[ValleyForge]

Thanks Ken, thats great. There are a couple up't north for sale on the owners club website, I hope to view them soon.
I have an exploded diagram of the keel hinge box, it does look a bit frightening - still, all part of the fun. Didn't know about the bulkhead problem so thats a good tip. Any comment on the engine, I wondered if an upgrade to a modern diesel was a good idea, probably lighter & quieter than the original ford 105e lump ?
Cheers,
Tony

 

[kds]

It is not so much the metalwork of the keel as the construction in wood and ply of the box. If you have repaired a dinghy centre board box - double it in size and then remember there are two of them.
I cheated on the engine - used a 10hp. Johnson outboard and put it into the transom by making an internal box. Gave me 6+ knots. I also fitted twin rudders. The dinghy style rudder was modified By Faireys 5 times and was never satisfactory. The AOA club has a wealth of information and is a delightful organisation, as well as being very helpful.
Ken

 

[Parashandy]

It's always worth giving the underside of the hull a close inspection as owners may have allowed the boat to dry out over a "projection" in an otherwise sandy bottom.

 

[Freebee]

they have their own forum here:
http://www.faireyownersclub.co.uk/forum

 

[SwedishLass]

Second comments made by KDS. Like all drawings they can appear frightening at first but it is the keebox woodwork that can be suspect. Something to do with being unwilling to unship 500lb of cast iron each side at inspection time. Rudders are ali and a known weak point due to electrolysis and stress fractures. The hull itself is usually sound and repairs if holed are obvious due to the lack of internal joinery and usually excessivly strong. Call it paranoia. Decks are an issue particularly if water has got in at the joint between blister and deck. They will flex slightly (at least under my 18st!) but weakest areas are forward of the blister and aft deck. After deck is often reinforced. Joann completed 1500 miles last year in conditions ranging from f0 in the channel to f9 in the North Sea. Often described as slow by modern standards, but designed to be sailed light. the transom should be dry but rarely is! Wonderfully safe boat a dream to handle single handed due to centre cockpit.
Joann is fitted with a beta 482z 13 hp with 2:1 redn punches along very well. reaches close to hull speed.
Atalanta Owners assoc: http://www.atalantaowners.org.uk
Joann A65 images http://www.hillgf.freeserve.co.uk/joann
Alresford creek newsletters http://www.hillgf.freeserve.co.uk/acboa (June trip to London)

PM if further required. (off sailing at w/e)

 

[tomlawton]

You'll (hopefully!) all be pleased to hear that the class drawings are all now scanned from the microfilm. Once I've finished straightening and indexing them, I'll be able to offer a full CD of them to Association members- beats buying prints 6 at a time! So at least if you do get rot in your keelboxes, you'll know exactly how to put them back together..!

Tom- AOA Hon Sec

 

[SwedishLass]

Welcome to the forum, Just spent 11 hours in a ben first 25.
I prefer the motion from the centre!