My Project - But What is it?

[alb40]

G'day to all. Ive been reading the recent undertaking of projects on the forums with interest, so thought id post a little about my boat with a view to finding out more about it.

My ongoing project has been a 35' wooden cruiser which I bought this time last year as it had been damaged. The only information i know so far is its possibly a 'Robinson' Classic launch made for the MOD, probably in the 60s?

Shes got a carvel wooden hull below the waterline (not sure what wood) with plywood sides above. She has a few new panels in recent years and the bottom has also been covered using west epoxy resin and matting. (Dont leak a drop!) On this are strip planked decks (which leak alot) and a nice varnished (until the varnish came off) cabin top built a bit like a broads cruiser style.

Shes powered by two Perkins 6354 engines, which run well, but ive never had here going due to all the sterngear being damaged. These have direct drive gearboxes which link into 'Walter' V drive units (anyone know anything about them?). The rudder and P bracket layout is very unusual as they are combined into one unit.

Ive loaded some pictures up to here: http://s43.photobucket.com/albums/e390/al_b40/ , which might help in finding its identity.

Shes not in bad knick overall, but leaking windows and decks have caused alot of damage to the wood. Ive been tackling these and waiting for the sun to come out to continue!! The deck is rather thin now in addition to the leaking, so i started covering in west epoxy and matting to strengthen and waterproof it. The hull seems to be in pretty good order, but one shaft log is a little soft and may need replacing. Lots of painting and varnishing to play with too! The rather naff interior has been brightened up now too, but has some way to go.

Im only 22, and have had other boats before, but not something like this! I know very little about wood, but im picking up the pace fast with this one! All advice greatfully recieved!!!

Thanks for looking. Alex.

 

[Casey]

As a start to identifying your project have a look at

http://www.bmpt.org.uk/index.htm

This is the web site of the British Military Power Boat Trust. She was probably built in the 1940s or even pre war. Look particularly at the RAF HSLs.

Good Luck

 

[alb40]

Have sent them an email to see if they have any clues.

Im guessing from the use of plywood in its construction and the age of the engines, that it is new than wartime, so 1960s is my guess

 

[Topcat47]

If it is a MoD vessel, then it's design is very pre-60's. Casey's estimate looks about right to me. The lines are very 40's influenced. A 60's 35'er would have been aluminium, although the RN were introducing glass around then for cutters and other ship's boats, relacing carvel and clinker wood.....nothing like fast craft, and certainly nothing like the form of your boat. The Lines look very like the old seaplane tenders.....check out Janes for 1945, '50 & '55 (or thereabouts). Thornycroft were the engines of choice for launches in the 50's early 60's. I didn't start comming across perkins until ~ 68 and I worked for the MOD then.

Civilian craft kept the racy lines (40's) look longer than the MoD, who were more function oriented,

 

[Topcat47]

Consider the possibility that she's been re-engined, too

 

[alb40]

Yes it is possible it may have been re-engined. The v drives and perkins engines are all the same age according to serial numbers.

It may be possible shes not MoD at all, but things like the combination of plywood and traditional carval built in the same hull and its unusual rudder arrangement seem to suggest MoD origins.

It has the title 'Robinson Classic Launch' on a previous sale, which is the only possible design or builder info i have. Anyone know about them?

 

[burgundyben]

You absolutely must get some clamps in place on those injector pipes or they crack within a very small period of running, I'll try to get you some photos of how they go on a 6354 over the weekend, I'm away sailing but will pop down to the boat at some point. (I know this from personal experience....)

I reckon 60's built, not Vosper/BPB Co, too much deadrise at back of hull, aft sections were much flatter earlier on.

Distinct look of Bruce Campbell (there was some later bigger Christinas I seem to recall) about the cabin structure, hull looks a bit Powles-ish to me, post the pics on the mobo forum, there's a occasional user there called Byron, he'll know whats she is, I'd have said Broads but not with 6354's.

Hope this helps, remind me about pics for your injector pipe clamps (which you can get from www.diperk.co.uk)

 

[alb40]

Thank you for your advice, particularly on the injector pipes.

Ill attend to that as soon as I can. She doesnt run at the moment as I still have some work to do and a dead V drive to repair. Be wise to have the clamp for reliability though when it does run.

She does have the look of a broads boat, but as said, with two 175hp engines and that deep V hull, its so likely. Shes a very heavy boat (around 9 tonnes) but in working order can give around 18 knots on a good day. Bit quick with all this speed checking on the broads!

 

[miket]

Sabia?

Well blow me.
Back in the early 1960's my parents belonged to a Thames motor boat club, at the time based around the Wargrave area. There was a chap called Harry Fountain (Byron will remember him because he's even older than I am) who had a boat built which was named "Sabia" and was either this boat or the splitting image.
Unfortunately I have no memory of where it was built or who built it. It is possible it was built by Thames Marine, at Thames Ditton Marina, owned by Nobby Pierce at the time, another well known Thames character.
If it is Sabia, it started life with 2 x Chrysler outboards, which were not a success and Harry had them changed to 2 x VP inboard outboards. I think they were petrol. It was used wholly on the Thames until Harry and his wife stopped boating, around the mid to Late 1970's.

 

[alb40]

Re: Sabia?

It is shaft drive as opposed to outboard or stern drive, so id be doubtful its the same boat. 35' feet of very heavy boat would have been too much for outboards! Couldnt imagine the running costs in fuel!

Many thanks for your information anyway, its possible there were other similar boats that may have had sterndrives???

 

[miket]

Re: Sabia?

The outboards were a pair of Chryslers at 100hp+ each so almost as much as your current Perkins.
Fuel consumption was the main reason that he changed to the outdrives.
The conversion from outdrive to "V" drive would seem relatively straightforward apart from the big 'ole in the back!!

Anyway, it looks as though you are making a nice job of the outside refurb'. I am surprised that a plywood hulled boat has lasted so well as they are somewhat prone to serious delamination at every joint.

 

[alb40]

Re: Sabia?

Dont have any problems with the hull below waterline as its carvel built and now epoxy sheathed as well.

The plywood hull sides are in fairly good condition. A couple of panels are a bit suspect, but most are ok. A few appear newer than others as you can see the grain in the paint.

One of the things i did when i was out of water was to scrape and seal the joints in the plywood to prevent the delamination occuring. Generous amounts of polysuphide sealant used, and it stands slightly proud of the joint so that it has more to grip onto. It can be seen in the pictures as diagonal line, but paintjob still looks fine with them. All adds to the character I think.

Still not sure on the outboards. You say he changed to outdrives, but the boat is an shafts, with huge engine beds that run for over 2/3 of the length of the hull. There are pictures of the V drive units on the photo website.