Fairey Marine Atalanta

BobGiles

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Hi one and all.

Does anyone out there now were there is a fairey marine atalanta for sale. i have been looking for one for a long time. i have found lots at the association but, they seem to want an arm and a leg for them.

i just missed out on one going for £1000. how gutted m I.

thanks for your time

bob /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 

Mudhook

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Between £5 and £10k for a 26ft classic "an arm and a leg". Come off it! The one you missed for £1,000 will probably have been a heap of junk needing a lot of very careful repair work. You probably know a lot more about Atalantas than I do, but the ones I've seen in good working order seem quite well priced at the sort-of £8k that they seem to go for. A friend of mine has just launched his after rebuilding it for at least two years. He got his for a song and there's hardly a piece of wood in it that he hasn't had to lovingly repair. Individual boats are frequently overpriced; classes generally aren't - they go for what people are prepared to pay for 'em. Or maybe I've missed something?
 

Colvic Watson

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Atalanta's have always been expensive. A superb classic built to be strong, seaworthy and a good sailer. That combination normally commands a good price. The up side is if you look after her you'll most likely get your money back when you come to sell.
 

webcraft

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Moulded laminate construction (hot or cold) is not easy to fix if damaged. I imagine a cheap example may well be in poor condition and not worth repairing. If I was looking for one I would want the best one I could get, as I suspect they don't make good 'fixer-uppers'
 

rich

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I seem to remember a story about a certen gentelman, I think he was from Irland, he had sailed an Atlanter, for 2 or 3 years before he found out that he was supposed to let the Keel go down.
 

BobGiles

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well i have to say, that the response i have had to this call has been varied. from nice to nasty. Having spent a lot of time on atalantas, i can tell you a cpl of things about them. you are right about the hull problems, however you can repir them by buying the laminate planks to staple, glue, unstaple, sand and finish.
 

BobGiles

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mudhook.

yes your right you do not know as much as some others. for instance the last atalanta that was sold before i could get my hands on it, was in perfect working order, and was up for £4,500. and whent for a little under £3000.
 

aitchw

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If you want contact details for the yard let me know. I will be there at some stage during the weekend and could take o few pics if it would help. I am not sure the yard even knows what she is but if your hunt is not going well nearer home moving her wouldn't be that daunting a task. I bought my little Seasafe from a yard down your way vaguely and trailered her home.
 

kds

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I spent some years restoring one - perhaps rebuilding would be the right word. There are some good ones. But a "cheap" one will not have been maintained.
1/ Do look along the hull very carefully - - if allowed to fill with water, they will distort over the hull supports on the trailer.
2/ The plywood bulkheads and transom will need replacing. As the central one is a laminate over 2" thick, it is not easy.
3/ The keelboxes are a nightmare - like dinghy centreboard houses, but you can't get at them.
4/ The deck may need all three laminates replacing if fresh water has been allowed to sit in corners, support strakes etc.
Relaminating is not difficult - just immensely time consuming as you need to clean old wood and glue. I ended up using a router. Oh - and it cost me a good few thousand to get right.
A wonderful boat - keep it light and it sails like a witch. Heavy Atalantas are boring. The AOA is an excellent group and you would do well to look at their boats for sale section.
Good luck, Ken
 

SwedishLass

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Atalantas are around at a variety of prices depending both on condition and circumstances. In reality a project boat especially of this construction can result in a steep learning curve as detailed earlier in the thread. They are far from impossible to renovate and there are some excellent examples around. As for the high prices, do they reflect the care and quality of the boat on offer as against one in working order? With a boat like this you can come across boats at deflated prices because the owner wants a comitment to ensure the future of his/her baby. How do you value your quality time, in woodworking or sailing? Is renovation an HP agreement without contract?
At the end of the day look not at the price alone but what is on offer. I was lucky, the previous owner spent over £20k on the restoration (wages for professional work were a major factor) including new trailer, new engine & plenty of toys. I picked her up for just over £7k. The surveyor's insurance valuation is £17k ouch! Most of the negotiation seemed to involve whether I would be a suitable owner and my plans for the boat. Every year the boat gets a full winter of loving care under cover and just gets better. Every summer I am out most weekends-pricless! Good luck in your search Grahame A65 Joann www.hillgf.freeserve.co.uk/joann
 
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