SPOT THE BOAT not you Kwacker yer banned

It's funny how things happen sometimes
Drestwos was 'camping' at My Gaff last weekend
I mentioned a certain type of craft I had blimped in me mates boatyard on the Menai Strait.
I described.
Drew said 'Fairy' I said, 'No I aint'!
Straight away Drew knew it was an Atlanta from My description
So we had to take a look.
I had 'inspected' said vessel a few weeks before
Blimey She is in good nick.
Then it goes on
There is another bigger Fairy of the same type in Gallows point up the Strait in Beaumaris.
Now I aint no sailor (or fairy!!!) but I do admire properly built craft with or without power.
I have been in awe and a fan of the Huntress, Huntsman et al for years.
I didn't know they made saily boats till we stumbled on this one.

Man in charge at the Yard that is overseeing plus doing some work on the vessel is a craftsman
Sort of semi retired.
Knows His stuff
Kinda breed we are loosing unfortunately.
He shall remain anonimous cos He will want to.
Sarabande
He told me the tale about 'agba' last week.
Could be 'folklore/myth' .
It kinda goes like this.
'They went into the forest for teak etc and cut down the agba to get at the prized timber.
Then noticed a few years later that the agba, previously thought 'waste' was still hard an tough after settling in damp conditions for years!'
 
Ben will probably concur that the result of the autoclave process was that the glue was encouraged to penetrate deep into the fibres of the wood. It was this which was said to given the boats their incredible strength and resistance to termites and other boring creatures.

Being associated to an aircraft manufacturer, I suspect that Fairey were just keen to find the lightest densely grained mahogany available and it was this that made them settle on agba.

I cannot ever imagine Fairey stumbling through forests looking for wood, I suspect that's the other sort of fairy story.
 
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Fairey Atalanta or Fulmar?

Definitely not a Fairey Fulmar old bean, they don't ave a bog on board, just throw it over the side like the froggies.

800px-Fulmar_protoype.jpg
 
I was admiring the one on the moorings at Beaumaris & pointing it out to the missus earlier this week. One has to train 'em about what a proper boat looks like! :D Never seen inside one before, but I recognised the shape pretty quick.

Wasn't Uffa Fox involved with the design, he used a similar construction for lifeboats designed to be dropped from bombers so that downed aircrews could rescue themselves. You baled out into a Carley float & then hoped that your own boys spotted you before Gerry picked you up. The lifeboats were carried under the wing of a bomber & dropped nearby. You paddled your float to it & there was food & water, a simple sailing rig & a small engine with some fuel in it, plus compass & charts - a strong & simple get you home kit.
 
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