Highfield lever

N

northele1

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I have a Berthon 50 foot 1949 that has a few issues. Hope you can help.
The port side running back stay lever broke at the end of the summer. Its made
from bronze and cracked about 8 inches from the free end. Would it be possible
to repair this. Do you know where I could buy one.
Last winter ashore I found rot in the mahogany planking at the mild steel bolt fastinings to the mild steel floors. The fastinings through the floors were coach bolts and were in a bad way.
I replaced these with silicon bronze bolts. The frames and ribs are held with copper nails.
When the iorn bolts were near the copper nails then I found rot. She is aflote now
for 7 months and there is a build up of salts on the remaining steel bolts. The bronze seem ok. I added two more anodes and wired all four togeather to all
floors, engine etc. Any better ideas on what I have done would be appreciated.
best regards,
John.

<hr width=100% size=1><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by northele1 on 30/12/2003 17:12 (server time).</FONT></P>
 
Re: Highfield leaver

IMHO I'd get rid of the anodes, they have in my experience caused far more problems in wooden boats than they solve, My last boat had lasted 40yrs with no problems. (Galved iron floors, copper riveted through hull). Owner then advised to add anodes with whole lot connected together. within 6-7 yrs several ribs needed replacing where in contact with iron. Once anodes removed all build up of salts around hull fittings etc stopped. Do a search on these forums as the subject has been covered in depth before now. Mike.


<hr width=100% size=1>"Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get me."
 
Good surveyor needed, urgently.

There are serious issues with mahogany planked boats from this period, as I'm sure you know. Lloyds revised their yacht Rules soon afterwards because of electrolytic decay issues in African mahogany planking. You need a very good surveyor with buckets of wooden boat experience to advise properly, but the thing to bear in mind is that mahogany from this period is extemely prone to electrolytic degradation. Be religious about turning the battery master switch off, etc.

I am very tempted to say "scrap the anodes and cut the wires, as soon as you can", because that is what has worked on my (teak planked, pre-War) boat, but without seeing the boat I am cautious.

You will find any amount of discussion of this point in the archives of the Wooden Boat Forum on the Woodenboat website; worth reading through.

If the lever is an original type Highfield, Daveys still carry them. If its a Giles, Classic Marine have the patterns, and have been planning to cast some as soon as they get enough orders. Anyway they are a good source of advice.

(I have to confess that I picked my pair up at a boat jumble for a tenner!)

Oh, by the way, what a lovely boat!

<hr width=100% size=1>Que scais-je?
 
Is Northelle the same that was based at Troon for a few years. If so what a beautiful yacht you have. Safe sailing.
Paul.

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Intrigued

Are there any accessible pictures of Northelle anywhere? I should like a Butcher's Hook at this lovely vessel...


<hr width=100% size=1>"Stop mucking about, darling, and get the bloody mud weight over."
 
have you spoken to Berthons, they may be able to help. But be careful mixing metals and get rid of those anodes!

<hr width=100% size=1>
 
Thank you all for your advice and it looks like I made a mistake by adding more
anodes. I will remove then in the spring. Had a good look at www.woodenboat.com
Lots of advice on this subject. Its a serious site...
Will try and load a picture of Northele on her moorings in Crosshaven. I have
uploaded a picture to www.imagestation.com a free web site and hope to load
this from them to classicboat forum.
Again thank you and happy new year.
John.

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Hello Paul,

Dont know her history only that she was based in Scotland for some time.

If you are interested I can mail you some pictures.

best of sailing in 04...
John.

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Re: Intrigued

Hello Kris,

I have some pictures I can mail you if you wish. Dont know how to upload them
to this site. If you can help it would be great as I am new to all this.

all the best,
John.

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John,

If it is bronze it should be possible to weld it up with two different methods.

One is simply gas welding with the flame set correctly for Bronze, the other would be TIG welding using Argon as shielding gas.

I believe today it would be easier to find a good TIG welder than a proficient gas welder.

One other way is cheating by manufacturing the lever from steel and then coating it with either bronze, brazing rods or silver solder (very expensive).

I have had success by using shavings of a lathe and melting the shavings onto to mild steel using not Oxy/Acetylen which has a flame temperature of about 3600 Degr. Cel. but propane/oxygen which has about 2600 Degr.Cel. and therefore somehow seems to work better. Lots of brazing flux helps the process.

You can also use this method to create other fittings.

regards ongolo

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Hello Winfried,

Thanks for the info. I have given the leaver to a local college who have a
department dealing in bronze. Hope they can help me.


all the best,
John.

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northele's past

Hello , we are past owners of Northele and did a major refit on her in the Carribbean in 1986/88. If you are interested we have photographs from that period and would be happy to transmit them to you.
 
<a href="http://s791.photobucket.com/albums/yy195/helpME7/?action=view&current=img397.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy195/helpME7/img397.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
 
img397.jpg
 
northele1 said:
I have a Berthon 50 foot 1949 that has a few issues. Hope you can help.
The port side running back stay lever broke at the end of the summer. Its made
from bronze and cracked about 8 inches from the free end. Would it be possible
to repair this. Do you know where I could buy one?
Click to expand...

Ask a specialist Metalworker about the repair but it seems unlikely. New sold by Davey & Co, or Classic Marine. You could also look at www.Toplicht.de , a german firm but I think they just stock the Davey pattern. Very expensive, but look out at jumbles and ebay. Just got myself a large pair for £100. Pricey but a lot cheaper than new. (about £600 the pair)
 
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