My Fairey Huntress project.

[burgundyben]

Its not Tally Ho, Mai Star or Chance!

My Huntress project, she was sold to the racing car builder Harry Lester in 1963, part finished as a lot of boats left Fairey.

She's a 'long cabin' Huntress, so the main bulkhead further aft and smaller cockpit.

Was twin Mercruiser, then twin Volvo, then a single Iveco shaft/surface drive experiment (!). Then in the mid 90's a big rebuild with the engineering to Navy spec, that time Fitted with a 315hp engine giving over 40 knots...and 9 knots at tickover....

From 2003 to 2022 she sat in a barn until I liberated her.

 

[michael_w]

Too cool! The marine equivalent of a vintage Jaguar or Maserati - Ferraris are too common!

 

[PeteCooper]

Gorgeous. I have always loved Faireys in that style.

 

[burgundyben]

I'm lucky that I don't work Fridays, so I'm at the boat at 8am.

In the 1970's she had a heads in this corner, in the 90's a galley built there, since I have a wife and 7yr old, a heads is more use, so I'm reinstating a heads.

Her first name was Elle Va - She Goes, same as the Elva racing cars, so she's going back to that name. I'm going to have a go at sign writing, its all straight lines...

 

[PCUK]

You need a Baby Blake in the heads to be in keeping with the boat's age. Plenty of brass to polish!

 

[burgundyben]

You need a Baby Blake in the heads to be in keeping with the boat's age. Plenty of brass to polish!

They are quaint and in keeping, but extremely heavy, complex, expensive and a faff. My one nod to modernism in the boat will be an electric bog.

 

[burgundyben]

I've glued a few bits back together and filled in the seacock holes up in the bow with wooden plugs in the holes and in the bolt holes, bit of filler work to finish off. I use epoxy, works very well with the hot moulded hull.

I felt the 'ELLE VA' was too small, so I've printed another one, I think it looks better.



I need a brush, one shot enamel, chinagraph pencil, malh stick and fineline tape.

 

[Wansworth]

Make a negative drawing of the name……avoids missing out letters and gets it properly spaced. There are lots of type faces get one with a bit of flair……to suit the name…..hombre

 

[burgundyben]

Make a negative drawing of the name……avoids missing out letters and gets it properly spaced. There are lots of type faces get one with a bit of flair……to suit the name…..hombre

There's a specific reason for the font, I'm intending to replicate something from another Fairey boat.

 

[burgundyben]

Not much to report, busy week, half term, tent survived all the weather.

Harold Leak made a pot of loot with his Point One electric guitar amplifier and spent some with Fairey on a stretched Swordsman which named Point One, she survives albeit quite poorly.

See on the cockpit coaming the name, Point One, with red text, its backlit. I always rather thought its a lovely feature, so I'm going to copy the font, location and colour for my Huntress name Elle Va.

 

[Bouba]

Elle Va....love the name

 

[jamie N]

Lovely looking boat.
Out of curiosity, what thickness is the hull, and does it vary from area to area, given the different stresses?

 

[burgundyben]

Lovely looking boat.
Out of curiosity, what thickness is the hull, and does it vary from area to area, given the different stresses?

Good question!

The hot moulded Fairey hulls are made with 2.5mm thick veneers, mine has 6 on the bottom and 5 up the sides.

Race boats and Navy hulls had extra layers, the bigger boats had more layers too.

The Huntsman 31 I had was built to race spec, bigger scantlings and a 9 layer bottom , as it turned out she never did race.

 

[burgundyben]

Heads floor is done, I epoxied the fiddles into place today. The ply floor is cut, I'll screw it into place, no glue, I'll bolt the throne to the ply, then screw the ply to the fiddles, its not in keeping, but it will be a 12v electric bog, much more acceptable to my son and wife.

I'm nearly out of the woodwork and fairly well ahead with the paint and varnish.

Behind with the engine and windows.

I'll get some pics next week.

 

[harvey38]

Photos, photos and more photos please........love seeing a project actually being completed, a rarity in these parts

 

[burgundyben]

Photos, photos and more photos please........love seeing a project actually being completed, a rarity in these parts

Its my 4th Fairey rebuild, the first 3 were finished so this one should be ok.

 

[burgundyben]

A bit more work done on the heads.

I'm nearly out of the woodwork.

Some spare time coming this weekend, I'd like to finish hacking and sawing at bits.

 

[Bouba]

A bit more work done on the heads.

I'm nearly out of the woodwork.

Some spare time coming this weekend, I'd like to finish hacking and sawing at bits.

Is it a privacy screen ?

 

[burgundyben]

Is it a privacy screen ?

Yes, there will be a curtain in a track running across the front.

 

[Gsailor]

Is it similar to the huntsman?

I have never been fortunate enough to be very familiar with motor vessels.

Beautiful craft you have.

Enjoy