Hillyard 2.5 ton - great, good or bad?

[ianc1200]

There's another book called "Two and a half ton dream" by Ray Whitaker, published 1959, and buying a boat (after looking at other small types like a Blackwater sloop) called "Puffin", a 2.5 ton Hillyard built 1936, and learning to sail her with various misadventures in the Blackwater.

IanC

 

[Forbsie]

Here we go (under the tarp)...

...and some damage

 

[Guest]

My fathers - this photo extracted from my Fathers 8mm cines ... picture is way back at least 40 yrs ago in Yarmouth Isle of Wight ... when it used to be piles and no pontoons ....

 

[Saguday]

My, now that book brings back memories. I read it when I was about 7 (in the sixties) and it completely hooked me on the idea of sailing. I think I re-read it about 4 times as a kid and used to do pencil sketches of the cover /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Over the intervening 40 years I've managed to track it down twice, the last time through a library on the East Coast. Very dated writing style now /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif but I'm very fond of it. Funny, although I read it as a child in the Midlands my first "big boat" (23ft!) was bought and sailed on the Blackwater, in the very waters he wrote about.

Never owned or sailed a Hillyard but been very fond of them ever since.

Cheers

Neil