Message from the past

[Hermit]

We own a 1977 built Moody 42 aft cockpit ketch which we bought in April last year. One of the jobs this winter has been to re-rig the mizzen and whilst down, to remove the mast base plate and re-seal it as there are some leaks from around that area (over the aft cabin).

When I got the base plate off (with some effort), I found this written in pencil underneath:

Fitted by XXXXX, Athel(stn? Road), Bitterne, Southampton on the 11/2/77 at A.H. Moody Swanwick.

Anyone else found any time capsule type stuff while digging around in your boats? Nice to think of someoene doing this sort of stuff!

 

[syvictoria]

I love to find messages from the past! Even old wallpaper, or newspaper below the floorboards, and the like can provide a tantalising glimpse into the previous life of the boat/house/etc.

May I suggest though, that you perhaps edit your OP to remove the name and address from your text? Google, etc. will otherwise be pumping that round the interweb for years to come!

 

[The Q]

Most of the removable pieces like bed boards drawers etc, have code letters on the motorboat. She's an ex hire broads boat, so when they stripped her out for a major service all the pieces would go back to the right boat..

 

[steveinnice]

I've always wanted to write " I will kill again" on the wall before wallpapering. SWMBO always talks me out of it.

 

[Biggles Wader]

Back in the days of "clocking" mechanical car odometers there was that message "Oh no not again" left behind the speedo.

 

[rotrax]

I found a piece of masking tape on the screen of a fairing I was given. It was the special tall screen model used by Mick Grant on the HR500 Two Stroke three cylinder job in the TT.

It had faint pencil writing on it as follows :- Here is a message
From the Lads
Watch the Brakes
New Pads.

I had seen the same message on Kork Ballingtons GP Bike, The four cylinder KR 500. Stuck onto the true monocoque chassis tank and written on gaffer tape.

These days, of course, discs and pads would be changed as a set.

Budgets were tighter in the 70's!

 

[DanTribe]

A while ago someone was refurbishing a boat built at Wallasea Island Essex. this exposed a panel signed by several shipwrights and posted a picture on one of these forums .
I showed the photo around our sailing club and several members said they were their Dads, Uncles, friends etc.
Started many reminiscences.

 

[PeterV]

I’m redoing the headlining in my Westerly GK29. All the panels have the yard number on one side and ‘Uppy this side’ written on the other side covered in lining.

 

[steveinnice]

My father always use to write the date and cost on anything he bought, it drove my mother mad . I have continued the tradition, luckily doesn't drive my wife mad.

 

[trevbouy]

Stripped the many layers of wallpaper from my previous 1905 house dining room. Underneath on the bare plaster written in pencil was, "Decorated by George Wilkinson 1929" and a list in feet and inches of each wall size plus how many cut sheets of wallpaper required.
After that I was most careful each time we decorated a room but disappointingly never found anything else.

We had cause to remove the front door stone step as it tilted to one side, underneath that in the centre was a roman coin. Puzzled by this I took it to the local museum. They told me builders used to do this to bring luck to the house. Needless to say I put it back under the step.

I've never forgotten the thrill of finding a bit of long past personal history.

 

[Porthandbuoy]

I was advised to unscrew Ladybird's official number plaque and have a look if anything was written on the back. There were names or previous owners, dates of refits, new engines, etc.
Worth having a look of yours can be unscrewed.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

The clock chamber of our church tower has a variety of inscriptions - none terribly ancient, but some 100 years old.

 

[ashtead]

Stripped the many layers of wallpaper from my previous 1905 house dining room. Underneath on the bare plaster written in pencil was, "Decorated by George Wilkinson 1929" and a list in feet and inches of each wall size plus how many cut sheets of wallpaper required.
After that I was most careful each time we decorated a room but disappointingly never found anything else.

We had cause to remove the front door stone step as it tilted to one side, underneath that in the centre was a roman coin. Puzzled by this I took it to the local museum. They told me builders used to do this to bring luck to the house. Needless to say I put it back under the step.

I've never forgotten the thrill of finding a bit of long past personal history.

I have found old Edwardian pennies under skirting boards of previous houses. Presumably from when the house was built. The other thing we find are random small keys in a flower bed not in a pile but scattered about as if someone thought they would grow into key bushes.

 

[mjcoon]

I have found old Edwardian pennies under skirting boards of previous houses. Presumably from when the house was built. The other thing we find are random small keys in a flower bed not in a pile but scattered about as if someone thought they would grow into key bushes.

I vaguely remember something about putting metal into a flower bed to give hydrangea flowers some colour. (Note: I am not a gardener!)

 

[Yellow Ballad]

A friend found this on his Moody 47., I'm sure he won't mind me posting it.