Old wooden dinghy project looking for a new home...

[PaulJS]

Hi everyone.
I have a plywood Mayfly sailing dinghy which is in need of a caring owner.
I have started cladding the hull in glass fibre, but just don't have time to progress the job. There is a little rotten wood on the inside keel just forward of the transom, and the whole boat could be completely restored in about one or two weeks.
I am going to scrap it if I can't find it a new home, but this really would be a shame. To appease my conscience, the price is zero, and I will deliver it anywhere within 100 miles of my home in SW Scotland, although there might be some delay because I work overseas.
Please let me know if you can adopt a sadly neglected, but very capable little dinghy...

 

[lw395]

GRP cladding is not a great way to 'restore' a plywood boat.
You could try the CVDRA, some contacts on the y&Y forum.

 

[KINGFISHER 8]

Sounds like a job for a boatbuilding school student ... any up your way? They'd probably collect it. I started my sailing adventures in a bigger version - a Seafly, in about 1965 ish!

 

[PaulJS]

Pleasantly surprised to have two responses already.
Iw395, I would have loved to have had time to replace damaged plywood sections, but time pressure and the previous glass fibre - ish repairs made this the best choice at the time. If it was going to live in the water I wouldn't have even considered it��. Who is the CVDRA, and where is the y &Y forum please?
Kingfisher, I would love to give this to a boatbuilding school, but don't know of any up here....

 

[lw395]

cvdra classic/vintage dinghy racing association
y&y
http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_topics.asp?FID=8&title=dinghy-development

Unfortunately the market for 'project' boats in dead classes isn't great.

 

[Neeves]

Offer it to a local school who offer sailing as a 'sport' and who also still do woodworking.

Or am I out of touch.

Jonathan

 

[Tam Lin]

Sorry, can’t help but you reminded me that the Mayfly was the first boat that I ever went sailing in, back in the day. As a youngster I was a bit scared!

 

[PaulJS]

Change of mind... I dragged the dinghy out of the garage today, and I just can't bring myself to dump it. It might be another job to put back on the "to do" list, but so be it.
At least I can now get into the garage without having to climb over the boat!
Thanks for the replies anyway ��