Pippin 20 Thread - For New and Experienced Owners :)

[stbdout]

We have a trolling motor which only seems to be good for getting you home if there's no wind. But we have an epropulsion spirit that is pretty good for pushing into a reasonable headwind (we found out today) not that we've used it that much. For info the trolling motor is a pig to load through the well but can be done - much easier to load it from underneath when ashore; not helpful if you are already on the water.

 

[stbdout]

 

[mmcare00]

Lol It's written in Yachtlish!

I just know, reading that, that I'll find myself inserting a clevis pin in someone's bowroller alright! (Probably mine!)

Have you seen this vlog ?

It's a hoot, and very much affirmative of my own motivation for getting a boat, and my experience whilst doing so I'm hoping my next foray onto the water will go a little better than it did for Harry and his dad!

Great fun though

All the best!

Martin

 

[mmcare00]

Marvellous to see two Pippin 20s on the water

Roll on next year, when I get FranklyM4 onto H2O

 

[Russ Fisher]

Marvellous to see two Pippin 20s on the water

Roll on next year, when I get FranklyM4 onto H2O

Hi all. Just figured out how to register here. I have a pippin on Rutland. At Whitwell. Bought earlier this year as a downsize from a coastal-moored boat. Lost a wheel off the trailer on the A1 collecting her from Morpeth. 1500 quid later I have one new axle. New bearings in the other axle and all new tyres. I’ve just modified the trailer with 60 small wheels on the bunks to make winch recovery easier. First try yesterday was successful. Boat is currently named ‘final fling’ but I’m not keen on that (sounds a bit ominous!) so I’m reverting to ‘Grace’ which was the name used when the boat appeared as a prop on ‘Vera’ the detective series. There’s one other pippin at Whitwell which I believe is for sale. ‘Kittiwake’.

 

[mmcare00]

Hello Russ and many thanks for contributing to our new Pippin 20 thread. It sounds like I will be heading to Rutland Water at some point for a meet and sail, given the flotilla that seems to be resident there. We had my sister and brother in law with us this weekend, whose base in the South West (fairly central near Launceston) does have a certain pullas a base for 'FranklyM4', and I can see there being a few trips South next year. However, my son in Lincolnshire also has access to secure storage, and Rutland Wayer is a relatively short hop from where he lives, so that has strong attraction too.

We haven't had the boat off the trailer yet, as she is undergoing a 'recommissioning' process having been neglected for more than a decade. However I like the sound of what you have done with the trailer. Do you have any photos of the work and the outcome - that would be very useful for us novices looking for tips .

Do post some pics too of 'Grace' - no doubt you chose carefully when you acquired her, and it is always good to see similar craft kept to a high standard.

Also, as I asked Steve and Neil earlier in the thread, what electric motor do you use on Rutland for pootling about?

General question for all, what are your plans for over wintering your boats? I think mine will be billetted on my drive so I can continue the revamp project in relative comfort, but I'm keen to hear your plans

All the best & Pipp Pipp to all!
Martin

 

[Russ Fisher]

Hello Russ and many thanks for contributing to our new Pippin 20 thread. It sounds like I will be heading to Rutland Water at some point for a meet and sail, given the flotilla that seems to be resident there. We had my sister and brother in law with us this weekend, whose base in the South West (fairly central near Launceston) does have a certain pullas a base for 'FranklyM4', and I can see there being a few trips South next year. However, my son in Lincolnshire also has access to secure storage, and Rutland Wayer is a relatively short hop from where he lives, so that has strong attraction too.

We haven't had the boat off the trailer yet, as she is undergoing a 'recommissioning' process having been neglected for more than a decade. However I like the sound of what you have done with the trailer. Do you have any photos of the work and the outcome - that would be very useful for us novices looking for tips .

Do post some pics too of 'Grace' - no doubt you chose carefully when you acquired her, and it is always good to see similar craft kept to a high standard.

Also, as I asked Steve and Neil earlier in the thread, what electric motor do you use on Rutland for pootling about?

General question for all, what are your plans for over wintering your boats? I think mine will be billetted on my drive so I can continue the revamp project in relative comfort, but I'm keen to hear your plans

All the best & Pipp Pipp to all!
Martin

I’ll get some photos of the trailer modification and post a link to the suppliers of bits. Grace will be at Whitwell for the winter. I can still sail some days all year I think. Winter jobs include repainting the non slip deck bits. Trying to straighten a slight kink in the mast. Replacing the keel lifting line as a precaution and lowering cleaning and repainting the keel. The latter will involve moving the boat back on the trailer and jacking the whole trailer up about a metre to gain sufficient clearance. I will probably need some scaffolding to support it all before working underneath. Photo of boat and electric outboard. Minn Kota 56lb thrust. Good enough for about 2kn in still air!!

 

[stbdout]

I wonder if we could get a picture with 3 (or more!) Pippins on the water? Maybe next year.
Russ - sounds like an eventful trip down the A1 and expensive. In an earlier post I mentioned our keel.winch 'jumps' so I'd be interested on how you get on servicing the lifting mechanism. Not worried about the lifting rope that looks in good condition but I'd like to know if its attachment is still sound and give the pulleys a once over. If I get there first I'll share my experience. Not sure I'd fancy jacking the trailer a metre! Is it worth enquiring at the sailing club as they must have some lifting rigs for this sort of work.
On a different note, has anyone thought of removing the table to give more space in the cabin? Sailing on a lake we don't need it for chart plotting and I doubt we'd 'eat at the table' anyway.

 

[Russ Fisher]

I wonder if we could get a picture with 3 (or more!) Pippins on the water? Maybe next year.
Russ - sounds like an eventful trip down the A1 and expensive. In an earlier post I mentioned our keel.winch 'jumps' so I'd be interested on how you get on servicing the lifting mechanism. Not worried about the lifting rope that looks in good condition but I'd like to know if its attachment is still sound and give the pulleys a once over. If I get there first I'll share my experience. Not sure I'd fancy jacking the trailer a metre! Is it worth enquiring at the sailing club as they must have some lifting rigs for this sort of work.
On a different note, has anyone thought of removing the table to give more space in the cabin? Sailing on a lake we don't need it for chart plotting and I doubt we'd 'eat at the table' anyway

 

[Russ Fisher]

The keel winch ‘jumped’ on mine last time I raised it. The problem seems to be that the winch drum is not aligned to the pulley which feeds the rope on. The result is that the line piles up on the aftmost side of the drum then slips off. I will look into re aligning it. The table is removable. It just sits on a tapered leg set in the floor. Might be a bit tight/ corroded but they do pull out. Mine had a small metal tab holding it against the keel box.

 

[mmcare00]

It does make a difference having the table out, which I did when I got 'FranklyM4' as the bilge was full to overflowing. Having got the boat dried out and tidied up, it will depend how much use we make of her for overnight, but I think we'll probably leave it in place, with it's nicely hammerite'd leg and newly varnished top.

Gawd knows what the shenanigans will be when it comes to trying out the drop keel on mine - the winch and raising warp do seem a little worse for wear, even though the 'wear' was simply sitting in the previous owner's back yard for 12 or 13 years doing nothing...



It's a good job she's still on the trailer! I'd be having visions of the keel heading down to the deep if I was looking to lower it using that lot! Anyone got pictures of what it 'should' look like? (so I can sleep tonight)

To be fair, I think it is just a bit of surface rust and that the rope has become stained with the erm 'humidity' that was standing in the bottom of the boat for a good few years. I'd be interested in your thoughts though!

 

[oldbloke]

Because most of those winches are used for non yachting purposes you can buy new ones for trivial amounts of money from non nautical suppliers. Low rech polyester ropes are also v cheap. Not worth messing about.

 

[mmcare00]

Ok, so today's conundrum has two parts, and is about the rubbing strake along the port side of the boat, going aft.

As you can see from the below, part 1 of the problem is that due to being stood exposed to weathering for many years without maintenance, the rubbing strake has rotted and split forward of the waist of the boat. The wood 1cm either side of the split is good (solid with no apparent rot) and will clean up for a re-varnish in the same way that the starboard side strake has done. I am not entirely sure how to go about effecting a repair, so any advice and guidance would be greatly appreciated



And from the other side:



Part 2 of the conundrum is that the fixing (flat-head bolt with internal nut) just seems to spin around in the recess, and doesn't seem to want to come out. Has anyone else any knowledge of what the internal arrangement is behind the rubbing strake, for the bolts to secure to? I'll persevere with all manner of jiggery pokery to try to get the bolt out, but am concerned that I don't know how it might be replaced, depending on how the bolts fit to the hull. Again your wisdom, experience, insights and suggestions are all welcome! (My apologies for the slightly fuzzy image below).



My own thoughts were to try to repair the existing rubbing strake by letting in a piece of timber, rather than going the whole hog and replacing the lot. Having said that, if I were to replace the whole rubbing strake and kick plates (which to be honest have seen better days) what would YOU use or suggest? I do have to replace the short piece from the back of the boat, which had given up the ghost long before I took the boat on...

Thoughts? Ideas? Jokes at my expense? C'mon, I know you know you want to say something

Martin in Lancashire

 

[Stemar]

I expect that you'll find the rot goes further than you think, but scarf jointing a new piece in shouldn't be too difficult.

As for the bolt, is it a coach bolt with a square bit under the head?

That bit locks it into the wood to prevent turning and, when the wood deteriorates, stops gripping it, so it spins freely. If you can get a spanner on the nut inside, a pair of Mole grips on the outside might do the job, otherwise, it's bolt cutters or an angle grinder.

 

[mmcare00]

Hello Stemar,

Thanks for the reply - the bolt is a flat headed stainless steel one, slotted for a flat screwdriver. It is just spinning and loose in the hull but appears to be connected to something (a nut perhaps?) as it won't slide out of the hole, even with a persuader underneath the head. I'm leaning towards the angle grinder approach and yes, a scarf joint should do the trick, with the strake either side secured with stainless self-tapping screws into the hull.

I'm going to measure up and price a full replacement, probably going the synthetic approach for ease of maintenance, even though I think a pretty boat like the Pippin 20 deserves to keep her traditional look.

Cheers!

Martin

 

[Alfie168]

I used to live about 300 yards from where the Pippin was originally manufactured in Ralph's Lane Wyberton. I went round and had a chat with them and I was very impressed with the overall quality of the boat and it's simplicity. About a mile away was Parkers who then made the 235. Pippin moved to a unit in Sutterton and then both Parkers and Pippin fell by the wayside. I was very sad as there was nothing wrong with the boats whatsoever.
I'm sure you will enjoy your Pippin. I certainly remember a few in the boat park at Rutland water.

 

[mmcare00]

Hello Alfie and welcome to our little thread!

Thank you for sharing your reminiscences about the Pippin and Parker yards - I'd read similar warm thoughts on other threads before I got mine.

As part of my 'due diligence' (yeah right!) before acquiring the boat, I did read up on the history and various opinions on the craft. I have to say the general positivity about the Pippin 20 was one of the major factors in me getting very excited at the prospect of owning one, and in due course, thanks to the wonders of fleaBay, that came to pass a few short weeks ago.

I have to say that, even taking into account the effects of more than a decade of general neglect, I am absolutely delighted with my little boat. She sits very well on her trailer, and has begun to feel sailable in spite of the distance to water and the need for replacement of much of her running gear. I'm leaning towards a season on freshwater before venturing onto the sea, although I am pretty sure my brother in law (a very keen and experienced yachtsman currently between boats) will have other ideas down in Cornwall! Current potential destinations include Ullswater, about 2 hours away under kind conditions on the M6 or Rutland, further away but closer to my grown up son who is very keen on getting on the water with us.

I don't think we will get afloat this year, but of course one should never say 'never'! Most likely will be a sustained programme of pottering and weekend maintenance, including the replacement of most rope work and the standing rigging (I'm told by a friend that insurance companies go all funny about masts falling down and causing damage, if you can't specify to within a nanosecond when the stays and standing rigging was last replaced).

My next major task is to overhaul the electrics which, apart from a crappy old car based cassette player and radio powered by a robust and still holding charge leisure battery, is pretty much dead as things stand. I'd be happy to hear any thoughts about how to build a basic set up from the battery up. I anticipate adding a 240 volt connector and an uprated consumer unit as a minimum, but if anyone has had experience of setting up an electrical system on a small yacht from scratch, do post some ideas on here.

I'm going to sit on board and drink Guinness this evening (on my drive, of course!) and contemplate the stars, before the heavens open with a predicted 'rain bomb' at the tail end of the weekend. I will dream of the day I'll look up into the heavens from a swinging mooring, or even better whilst making passage somewhere under sail. I feel the call of the water more strongly each day, and thank my Dad (Frank - 1927-2015) for his inspirational obsession with sailing despite being landlocked in Lancashire like me! He's coming with me on the maiden voyage, one way or another

Me & my boys in 2005



Dad at the helm of Tamarisk in 2005


An inspirational Sea Dog! Miss you Dad xx

Do keep posting your thoughts, pictures, ideas and inspiration. I'm loving it!

Martin

 

[mmcare00]

I've bought a book on (simple) Boat Electrics, as I'm planning to update the fairly basic set up that is on board at the moment. As things stand there is a large(ish) 12volt leisure battery in the galley (under the sink) feeding a few instruments, cabin lighting, rigging lights, a car-style cassette deck and radio, all linked to a fused 'consumer unit' on the port side panel. The instruments are showing their age and need updating, and the fuse panel / consumer unit looks like it came out of the Ark, so there is work to be done.

I don't plan to go mad, but some sensible mods like LED lighting, uprated consumer unit, perhaps a 240 volt shore coupling and more modern instruments all seem like practical things to have a go at. I was wondering if anyone had attempted any such projects, and if so, how they went and what the before and after looked like?

Of course I will document my own project on here, but just wondered if anyone had already been there, done that, got the tee-shirt with it already?

Cheers!
Martin

 

[stbdout]

Sounds fab! We have probably the simplest system just a couple of batteries to power simple instrument (speed/depth), internal lights and trolling motor (if used). No nav or deck lights. Neil had a spare battery so I wired in a battery switch so that we would always have a spare (or easily removed one for charging while still having one onboard if needed). I also added volt/charge moniters so we could tell which needed charging. It still needs some tidying... Sounds like after the winter if we have any queries about pippin you'll have draft Hannes manual ready

 

[Sandro]

Quote: "Darn near burned my clutch out though, reversing up the cul-de-sac to the drive !"
Are you sure the brake does not come on when reversing?