bignick
Active member
I would recommend giving Steve Goacher a ring. As mentioned before he's an avid fifteen sailer, and often sells his old sails. I'm sure he could be persuaded to sell some of his old ones (or even not do old ones...).
Saved from the bonfire...new project!
- Thread starter Iain C
- Start date
Iain C
Active member
I've drilled out all the chainplate holes oversized, filled with silica-rich epoxy in preparation for drilling out to the right size and bolting the chainplates in for good. I've also done a similar thing with the bow fitting...there's two s/s straps which transfer the loads down from the bow fitting on the foredeck down to the keel/hog, however they were not fixed on very well so I've been making a few modifications, using bolts instead of screws. However, this did mean a trip into the bow tank...actually, it's more like a forepeak in there! I'm nearly 6' and not small...and I could probably sleep up there! Might be a bit different when the spinnaker chute and bouyancy bags are back in though...
sarabande
Well-known member
it's really good to see life being brought back into a boat since intrinsically beautiful as the FF.
When you launch I hope you have a real sense of great pleasure.
When you launch I hope you have a real sense of great pleasure.
Iain C
Active member
As Jeremy Clarkson often said...
"I was on the internet last night and I found this!"
I reckon the picture is about 13 years old, it's at Draycote Water, and it looks like she is serving up some whupass to much newer boats coming out of the leeward mark! I can't see much detail, however I think that is the sailcloth chute cover bunched up on the foredeck (I'll probably just leave this off for pond sailing TBH), I think the black mast actually looks quite good, although I'm glad I swapped the red numbers/insignia for black as it would have looked a bit odd in red. I'm also really glad I stripped off all that grey treadmaster off the deck as it doesn't look right IMHO.
Hopefully not too much longer before she is back where she belongs!
"I was on the internet last night and I found this!"
I reckon the picture is about 13 years old, it's at Draycote Water, and it looks like she is serving up some whupass to much newer boats coming out of the leeward mark! I can't see much detail, however I think that is the sailcloth chute cover bunched up on the foredeck (I'll probably just leave this off for pond sailing TBH), I think the black mast actually looks quite good, although I'm glad I swapped the red numbers/insignia for black as it would have looked a bit odd in red. I'm also really glad I stripped off all that grey treadmaster off the deck as it doesn't look right IMHO.
Hopefully not too much longer before she is back where she belongs!
Stork_III
Well-known member
As Jeremy Clarkson often said...
"I was on the internet last night and I found this!"
I reckon the picture is about 13 years old, it's at Draycote Water, and it looks like she is serving up some whupass to much newer boats coming out of the leeward mark! I can't see much detail, however I think that is the sailcloth chute cover bunched up on the foredeck (I'll probably just leave this off for pond sailing TBH), I think the black mast actually looks quite good, although I'm glad I swapped the red numbers/insignia for black as it would have looked a bit odd in red. I'm also really glad I stripped off all that grey treadmaster off the deck as it doesn't look right IMHO.
Hopefully not too much longer before she is back where she belongs!
Looks good, sure I know 2 of those boats. I think you will find the bow flap is very useful in windy weather, avoids frantic bailing, amazing how much water can get through that hole.
Bru
Well-known member
Only just discovered this thread, very impressed!
There's a wooden ff sitting on it's trailer with a deck cover on it in the front yard of a terraced house just down the road from where Jane works which AFAIK hasn't moved for years and the times I've been tempted to knock on the door and ask them if they want to sell it ... ! However, common sense says I've got quite enough to do keeping up with one boat!
Only ever visited Draycote once in my dinghy sailing yoof and as far as I can recall it wasn't sailing a ff (which I had a brief spell of crewing but I can't even recall the name of the bloke I was crewing for). Happy days!
There's a wooden ff sitting on it's trailer with a deck cover on it in the front yard of a terraced house just down the road from where Jane works which AFAIK hasn't moved for years and the times I've been tempted to knock on the door and ask them if they want to sell it ... ! However, common sense says I've got quite enough to do keeping up with one boat!
Only ever visited Draycote once in my dinghy sailing yoof and as far as I can recall it wasn't sailing a ff (which I had a brief spell of crewing but I can't even recall the name of the bloke I was crewing for). Happy days!
Lakesailor
New member
I was offered a grp one on a trailer for £100 (or free to get rid of it, to be realistic) but it had sat on it's rudder which had punched through the hull and bent the rudder stock.
I thought about it, but on Windermere launching facilities are limited to sailing clubs. There is the council slip, but it's a dear do to park and launch.
I thought about it, but on Windermere launching facilities are limited to sailing clubs. There is the council slip, but it's a dear do to park and launch.
Sea Change
Well-known member
What a fantastic looking boat. Glad there are some people in this world who do not treat everything as disposable.
Nick Chaffey
New member
Hi Iain
Just taken on FF 233 with my son. Long time since I had a boat. Your story is inspring and very impressive. Hope to share some helpful tips to get afloat. For now it seems to be some sanding, painting and minor repairs should do. Let's see. Good luck with the rest of your project.
Cheers Nick
Just taken on FF 233 with my son. Long time since I had a boat. Your story is inspring and very impressive. Hope to share some helpful tips to get afloat. For now it seems to be some sanding, painting and minor repairs should do. Let's see. Good luck with the rest of your project.
Cheers Nick
Iain C
Active member
Very nice! Loving the bilge pump!!
Iain C
Active member
Varnishing is done. It's not perfect but it will do...for something done outside over the winter it's okay. I'll let this harden for a week or so and try some 3M compound on it to get rid of the dust. I'm actually more annoyed about the wrong coloured filler in the epoxy on the foredeck join on the stbd side...looked fine in bare wood but obviously the wood has darkened and the filler hasn't.
The foredeck has come up ok, I've not really tried to hide the damaged bits which are visible along the gunwales...at the end of the day the boat is almost 50 years old and I want her to have some character and battle scars to offset the modern modifications and carbon bits rather than a pristine deck and a "Trigger's Broom" scenario!
Just fairing the hull and then time for some fresh white paint.
The foredeck has come up ok, I've not really tried to hide the damaged bits which are visible along the gunwales...at the end of the day the boat is almost 50 years old and I want her to have some character and battle scars to offset the modern modifications and carbon bits rather than a pristine deck and a "Trigger's Broom" scenario!
Just fairing the hull and then time for some fresh white paint.
Last edited:
Twister_Ken
Well-known member
Looks pretty pukka to me!
TQA
New member
- Joined
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Looks like a 'PROPER JOB'.
I would be proud of a job like that.
I would be proud of a job like that.
onesea
Well-known member
+1 she looks great.
aslabend
Well-known member
She looks smashing.
When you get her on the water, can we have a photo so we can all get that fuzzy warm glow of a story completed?
When you get her on the water, can we have a photo so we can all get that fuzzy warm glow of a story completed?
Iain C
Active member
Quite a big moment tonight...I got the mast step in, the forestay fittings on and the mast up. More to the point, with 400lbs of rig tension on the shrouds, nothing went bang or creaked, which is a result, as when I got the boat, she was incapable of taking any rig tension at all as the port shroud point was in a very bad way. The additional carbon has probably helped here!
On with the filling, fairing and painting, and also the fit out. Getting the mast on now was quite important as I wanted to make sure nothing folded up under load, before I painted the hull, and also as the mainsheet bridle and some other things will need accurately positioning on what is a new stern deck (with no old holes to reference).
On with the filling, fairing and painting, and also the fit out. Getting the mast on now was quite important as I wanted to make sure nothing folded up under load, before I painted the hull, and also as the mainsheet bridle and some other things will need accurately positioning on what is a new stern deck (with no old holes to reference).
sarabande
Well-known member
Looking very sleek 
quick techy question pls.
Does your trailer have brakes, or just plain suspension units ?
quick techy question pls.
Does your trailer have brakes, or just plain suspension units ?
dylanwinter
Active member
bloody good ian
Dylan
PS - the outboard bracket on harmony is moving freely and fitted
not been used yet
Dylan
PS - the outboard bracket on harmony is moving freely and fitted
not been used yet
Iain C
Active member
It's an un-braked trailer. The boat "only" weighs 300kg so brakes might be a bit OTT. What makes that trailer quite clever is the fact it's designed so the keel is below axle height, making launching and recovery easier and keeping the centre of gravity lower for towing.
Iain C
Active member
Really glad to hear that Dylan...how did you free it up? I take it the holes were right?
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