For those if you who knew me as an enforcer...

Well done Kim, makings of a fine boat you have.

GRP hull and wooden top is a nice combo I think.

What happened to the 6.354's? I might be able to help with spares disposal....
 
Hi kim it's been a pleasure reading your work over the last few years,you could show the youngsters a thing or two(haha).anyway good luck &keep in touch,best regards m m 1.
 
Welcome to the outside world! It's not so bad out here, although you're not helping yourself by trying to renovate that old heap!

Good luck, and see you around no doubt.
 
Well there's two ways of looking at it - 'the old heap' gives me plenty to write about, just to keep my hand in (I have a new day job so am not a threat to the finite pot known as freelance budget) and the bills arising from 'the old heap' will keep the nose to the grindstone so I won't be getting fat and lazy anytime soon (okay I lied, I'm already fat but what the heck.

Now I have my officially prepped reasoning out of the way I can reveal the real truth which is I am a romantic fool (no, honestly) and couldn't resist a lady in distress. :-)
 
Brilliant and well done. We all hope that now you are outside IPC, you will continue to post here, especially with your project progress. I can see why you fell for the old girl - real character - think Bridget Bardot or Sophia Loren. Even in their later years, you still would, wouldn't you? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

like you, I am off to a new job starting Sep 8th. Unlike you, I am actually selling my boat as I don't have time for her anymore and I am unsure of what to do next in the world of boating. I'm going to sit it out for a couple of years before I decide. My current thoughts are turning to raggie and leaving the UK for the Med...jury is still out though.

Interesting and not-quite-forgotten point you made in your post "until 25% VAT killed their business as boatbuilders". Hmmm - that was a labour government as well wasn't it. And here we are again some 30 years on with the threat of red diesel costs looming. Groung-hog day. And the governments of the day seem to never learn by their past mistakes.

Keep 'em coming Kim, and all the very best of luck to you.
 
I'm sure all those of us who have been "Kimmerised" in the past are looking forward to Kim getting his first "Danilisation" /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

What a project Kim, I wouldn't know where to start! Please keep us informed as to your progress
 
Fantastic job Kim, hardly the same boat as the old girl you took to Holland with MBM a couple of years ago. Look forward to meeting you on the high seas one day.
 
Formanda forebears.

What a fantastic job you're doing.
Did I tell you that she was ordered new by a friend of my Parents (Barstows - no, not swearing). It was the last boat they ordered before giving up boating. I always thought she was very well spec'd. Royden didn't exactly stint on the original spec'. Nice to see her being loved again.
In addition to being an old romantic, do you have any long term cruising plans with her? Seems a lot of work just for romance?
Incidentally, I believe her forbears were known as "Seariders". There is a particularly sad one in Reading on the Bowls club island. Slowly deteriorating year by year.
 
Re: Formanda forebears.

I didn't know about the one at Reading Bowls Club. Is it still there?

Yes, Searider was the class name used by Beecham. I recently saw an all wooden one down at Bristol Floating Dock.

In terms of long term cruising...no not yet. We spent the first retirement fund on restoring her, now need to make the second... :-)
 
Re: Formanda forebears.

Very much still there, or was 2 weekends ago. A few years back it was in lovely condition, but now the varnish is mostly grey and the green gunge is moving in too. I may be wrong but I think she is called "Octavia". I would say around 40 feet long. On the moorings of the Thames Valley Cruising Club, if you have any contacts there?
Good luck with Formanda.
Were you anticipating an article on her restoration?
 
Re: Apologies, long post with big pics

Hi Kim, I trust you're well and happy doing whatever you're doing. Formanda looks like a hell of a scarily expensive 'project'. Gulp. Keep us updated with pics. What are your plans? Long distance cruising?
 
Re: Formanda forebears.

So did you have to leave IPC when they found out you knew something about boats? /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Seriously, looks a great and brave project, and i hope when finished she gives years of happy cruising
 
Re: Formanda forebears.

The astute and pragmatic here might observe I would never have purchased Formanda if I knew anything about boats :-)

Certainly I have discovered a load more about them than I ever thought possible, even after three decades of all sorts of boating...as is said you clearly never stop learning in life.
 
Re: Apologies, long post with big pics

Hi Mike - as long as money and health permit we see Formanda as a long-term boat now, so quite a few of the decisions we took about the quality of the deck timber and the way we have approached the refit are geared for that. Every time we had to call a 'bodge' or 'do properly' decision we went with the latter - it means that we now have a boat that is currently almost unusable but one that we hopefully won't have to re-engineer in a big hurry.

In the short term work and other commitments means we're not going to get too far away from base but further along we have a boat that is big enough to make a comfortable home for extended periods, with relatively economic performance and heavy enough to make cruising and extended periods at anchor practical.
 
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