Fancy a Maurice Griffiths?

FullCircle0

FullCircle0

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Not some kind of Cockney Rhyming slang. Although maybe it should be...and if so, what would it mean? Answers?

but... there is on eBay an unidentified yacht that has been salvaged up near Oxford which I reckon is a MG bawley or similar.

I would have it myself if I wasn't already swanning about in a Rossiter Pintail, but it would make a great and possibly cheap project for someone.

let me know if you pick it up.

just put this Item number in the search field: 230203229268
 
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It does have that look about it
 
I dont think it is,looks like a lifeboat conversion.all in my humblest opinion of course. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gifHaving studied the photos again,i dont think its a lifeboat conversion,a M.G maybe, but what?
 
Its nice to see the massive increase in watchers on eBay and I would like to think that the person who buys it did come through the forum.

I am reasonably familiar with Maurice Griffiths, not least because my Pintail has a very similar design and is often mistaken for one... and everything about this mystery boat, the topsides, shallow draft and centreboard all point in that direction.

If someone here does get her, I would like to hear how you get on. There must be a number somewhere on her and thus will be traceable through my Lloyd's registers I have here.

PM me if it's you.
 
I have looked at the other photos on ebay. This is almost certainly a Cockler class designed by MG and built by Seacraft at Leigh on Sea in the early 1950's. There is a short description on p60 of MGs book 60 years a Yacht Designer and a drawing on page 61. A similar class was the Bawley which did not have a centreboard and was built by Johnson & Jago also at Leigh. There is a photo on p45 of the same book. Above the water they are very similar.

I hope somebody saves this boat. It will be very well built in smart "fishing boat" style. Restored in period style (ie nothing too fancy) it will make somebody a very able creek crawler and coastal cruiser. If I did not have two boats already (one of them a well known MG boat) I would be rushing up the A34 to Oxford!
 
Well, I've just seen the auction has finished and somebody got it for just £205.. That has to be a great bargain.

Not wishing to underestimate the work required to bring something like this back from the brink, but this should be a brilliant project and quite a tale to tell when she's finished.

Good luck to you Pearce479 whoever you are.
 
Yep Pearce479 is 'Foxtrot' on here, A very reserved type of chap he took the chance and bid blind on her.
We went to have a look at her to day a 7 hr round trip from Manchester amazingly we made good time on the M6 and M40 both ways all though there was a lot of traffic.
She is is in surprisingly good order nothing seriously broken or sprung just a few little soft spots here and there.
The forward part of the coach roof planks have lifted and de-laminated and one of the starboard side stanchions has been ripped out leaving a rather large hole in the ply deck. So a new side deck may be in order.
Fortunately she has suffered no vandalism having been in a very quite spot on the river, just been left and neglected possibly by a long gone owner. The seller is the land owners agent and is drawing up the appropriate paper work to complete the sale and transfer to her new owner.
Every where is full of mud and she really only needs a though clean out scraping down and re painting nothing that time and effort won't put right.
Our biggest concern is the engine bores, but even that can be sorted with a re-bore and new stones.
We have not been able to find any name or number but it is early days so something may turn up I will keep you all posted of her progress.
Cheers David.
 
TG was also built by Seacraft (if Tranona's reference to MG's book is right). If TG is anything to go by, Seacraft used good spec timber - in fact she's over engineered really; everything is one inch iroko. So if Seacraft used equally good timber, the outlook could be surprising rosey. They had a very good reputation having moved I understand from building Bawley's to yachts after the war.

I would be a bit worried by that sheet of ply on the starboard quarter which is obviously a before sinking elastoplast. It would be nice to get some reports on assessment and then progress.
 
Really pleased someone is taking this one on. Not sure how it acquired its Perkins engine (4/107 I presume). Would probably have had a 15 hp Lister 2 cyl originally - possibly even aircooled and hand start.

Old Salt Have sent a PM so that I can let you have some background info from MGs books
 
Hi David
Enjoyed our chat earlier and thought I had best do this before I forgot
This thing here is what I was talking about , the metalwork laying on top makes up a frame to support the sides and hold in place , it used to be a launch trolley at Wells
Any use for the needs you mentioned ?
If so it's yours buddy

tn_trailer001.jpg
 
Hi Dave thank for your kind offer.
I will look into the + & - Can you let me know the overall length, width, width of the keel support the wheel track and if it is the same front & back all so it has to support 5 tons.
The major is the cost to pop over with the wagon about £85 for the round trip against building one.
Looking at it, it will require some mods to support the bilge keels.
Cheers David.
 
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