That’s were they are…..

[Wansworth]

Watching a BBC documentary about the east coast of the UK and there they were a catalog of british boatbuiding of the last 60 years.Lying in the Essex mud were the westerly 22,Alacrity ,burley’s,almost all the small Marcon range all looking the worse for wear ,the vido was several years old so there are probably even more in semi retirement or in their permanent mud berth,embarmed in bird shite and mud

 

[lustyd]

Which is odd, given how many on this forum say the older designs are more desirable than current ones. You'd think their owners would cash in.

 

[Gsailor]

Watching a BBC documentary about the east coast of the UK and there they were a catalog of british boatbuiding of the last 60 years.Lying in the Essex mud were the westerly 22,Alacrity ,burley’s,almost all the small Marcon range all looking the worse for wear ,the vido was several years old so there are probably even more in semi retirement or in their permanent mud berth,embarmed in bird shite and mud

Do you mean the moulds of the boats were abandoned in the mud?

I believe Canvey Island in Essex made the Alacrity and Vivacity until they stopped. The building now sells fibre glass materials (often for making ponds and repairing flat rooves).

On the same industrial estate is where prout catamarans were made. In 2007 they were trying to give away for free a cat mould. They now make motor catamarans and export some to Dubai (along with a free Range Rover)

 

[Snowgoose-1]

I believe Canvey Island in Essex made the Alacrity and Vivacity until they stopped. The building now sells fibre glass materials (often for making ponds and repairing flat rooves).

I seem to remember Jaguar Yachts were also moulded on Canvey at the location that you mention above.
I have purchased fibre glass supplies from the them . They are very knowledgeable . Quite fascinating seeing their current projects.

 

[johnalison]

My memory of the Alacrity/Vivacity boats was that when one needed to walk over their decks one needed to tread carefully in view of the amount the deck would sag under one's feet, at least when compared to the Cirrus that I had at the time, with its convex rather than flat decks. The A/Vs served their purpose but would appeal to today's market, but there were also some dreadful designs and builds around at the time in the '60s/'70s.

 

[Mark-1]

the amount the deck would sag under one's feet, at least when compared to the Cirrus that I had at the time, with its convex rather than flat decks.

My Corribee with flat decks gives me the heebie jeebies for the same reason. I've never noticed it flex but I bet if I was below and a similarly fat powerfully built person walked up the side it would be sagging alarmingly. It also pools water.

 

[lustyd]

My Vivacity 20 decks were perfectly stiff, although mine did have the premium moulding on the inside of the cabin roof

 

[LittleSister]

My Corribee with flat decks gives me the heebie jeebies for the same reason. I've never noticed it flex but I bet if I was below and a similarly fat powerfully built person walked up the side it would be sagging alarmingly. It also pools water.

My Vivacity 20 decks were perfectly stiff, although mine did have the premium moulding on the inside of the cabin roof

I don't know about those particular models, but many boats will have a sandwich deck - two layers of GRP bonded to a core of balsa, or later plastic foam - which forms a very strong and impressively rigid 'platform'. (But care must be taken with through deck fittings to avoid ingress of water to the core, easily achieved if done properly but some owners (and builders) were/are perhaps either ignorant of the issue or simply careless - balsa cores can rot if left sodden, eventually resulting in a 'springy' deck.)

Some smaller boats may have small enough areas between supports from bulkheads, beams or the shape of cabin tops, coamings, etc. to avoid the additional work/cost of sandwich construction. (Van de Stadt was particularly adept and ahead of the game at using shape to add strength (and aesthetic value), but also used sandwich construction, I believe.)

 

[Wansworth]

In many cases there was not the level of craftsmanship in grip construction comapered to wood,my own small experience in the small gap yacht construct was lots of bodging by inexperienced people

 

[johnalison]

In many cases there was not the level of craftsmanship in grip construction comapered to wood,my own small experience in the small gap yacht construct was lots of bodging by inexperienced people

There were one or two firms, mainly on the East Coast, whose solution to any perceived design problem was ‘make it heavier’, leaving clumsy boats with the sailing qualities of a cistern.

 

[Wansworth]

Yes very much “feel the thickness”………I was told to glass in kneees to take the chain plates on a thirty footer and I reckon the encased ply and lathering of csm and resin would have lasted although in no way scientific…….I found a really nice mound of a pulling dinghy and did a deal with the boss…..I would clean the mound up in exchange for using the off cuts of CSM and odds and ends of resin……..everybody contributed and the dingy would have been fit to break ice in the Norwegian Sea

 

[Gsailor]

I seem to remember Jaguar Yachts were also moulded on Canvey at the location that you mention above.
I have purchased fibre glass supplies from the them . They are very knowledgeable . Quite fascinating seeing their current projects.

Yes, you are correct of course. I forgot. When visiting Essex about 30 years ago perhaps I talked to an old chap at the fibre glass ‘shop’ and he said that he used to make the jaguar boats - he may have even shown me an old mould waiting to be dumped ( but my memory is not accurate).

I was most surprised that Prout could not sell or even give away a mould for one of their most famous cats. It was extremely large obviously and taking up space in their car park. I wonder if they had to cut it up and dispose of it?

I also wonder why they stopped making the cat - their cats are after all extremely good as far as I know and many of them have sailed all over. Perhaps the Dubai contract dictated proceedings. The man showing me the mould was kind enough to give me a tour of their factory - a really nice man who did not have to take time out of his day to show an amateur around - Essex is perhaps a friendly county - temperature controlled facilitY and the all pervading smell of resin ( that I as an amateur liked having used it to make so many repairs) but all workers wore respirators as they SPRAYED the glass fibre and resin in one shot - new technique of laying up to me and extremely quick and efficient.

Prout cats - were they a defining moment?

 

[johnalison]

I had a tiny cat-rigged pram dinghy that had been cold-moulded by Prout in their wooden days, and I think it had their name on a plate. I like to think that having been once a Prout owner affords me a certain status in the sailing world.

 

[Keith 66]

There were one or two firms, mainly on the East Coast, whose solution to any perceived design problem was ‘make it heavier’, leaving clumsy boats with the sailing qualities of a cistern.

You must be thinking of Thames marine's Snapdragons! But they did make the 23 ft centreboarder which is actually quite a quick little boat. I used to work there in 1980 when they were churning out Mirages. Prouts were down canvey point building Cats & later moved to Charfleets ind estate. Jaguars built their own range plus the MG Spring 25, Island yachts built Wing 25's for a while at that time & i bought the very last hull after they went bust.
There were other firms building stuff & it was boom time.
Russell marine built Alacrities & Vivacities over at Rochford & probably on Canvey too. Then there was Hunter yachts.
Strange that back in the 80's there were scores of boatbuilders working locally, now i would be hard pushed to recomend one.

 

[johnalison]

You must be thinking of Thames marine's Snapdragons! But they did make the 23 ft centreboarder which is actually quite a quick little boat. I used to work there in 1980 when they were churning out Mirages. Prouts were down canvey point building Cats & later moved to Charfleets ind estate. Jaguars built their own range plus the MG Spring 25, Island yachts built Wing 25's for a while at that time & i bought the very last hull after they went bust.
There were other firms building stuff & it was boom time.
Russell marine built Alacrities & Vivacities over at Rochford & probably on Canvey too. Then there was Hunter yachts.
Strange that back in the 80's there were scores of boatbuilders working locally, now i would be hard pushed to recomend one.

Actually, I didn’t have Snapdragon in mind. I some ways I think they were one of the better ones. I won’t mention names because some are still around and I don’t wish to offend the owners.

 

[Wansworth]

David Feltham ,yacht designer had a lot to do with that area and he went on to design the Cobra and sea wolf craft

 

[Snowgoose-1]

You must be thinking of Thames marine's Snapdragons! But they did make the 23 ft centreboarder which is actually quite a quick little boat. I used to work there in 1980 when they were churning out Mirages. Prouts were down canvey point building Cats & later moved to Charfleets ind estate. Jaguars built their own range plus the MG Spring 25, Island yachts built Wing 25's for a while at that time & i bought the very last hull after they went bust.
There were other firms building stuff & it was boom time.
Russell marine built Alacrities & Vivacities over at Rochford & probably on Canvey too. Then there was Hunter yachts.
Strange that back in the 80's there were scores of boatbuilders working locally, now i would be hard pushed to recomend one.

Nice report.
I wonder if Dragons are still made at Petticrows at Burnham on Crouch . Could be the only place left in Essex.
About 20 years ago I was in Leigh and Tideway sailing dingies were still going but gone now. I think a few hulls of the Gunfleet Yachts were moulded at Colchester not too long ago.

 

[Stemar]

You must be thinking of Thames marine's Snapdragons!

We had a 24 for years, and she served us well, taking us across the Channel and looking after us in 30+ knots. No, she wasn't the best to windward, but get the wind on the beam or, especially on a run, she could surprise a lot of bigger boats. I'll never forget bring her into the Solent after buying her at Wareham - dead run, goose winged with poled out genny. There was a big deck saloon job going the same way; he did get past us, but it took him all the way from Yarmouth to Egypt Point.

When I put 28HP under the bonnet, she'd surprise people under power too

I had a revue of the 24 from one of the yottie comics that described her as a capable family cruiser. For her day - late 60's, early 70s, I would say she was. These days, I'd describe her as a tough little motorsailer.

 

[Wansworth]

We had a 24 for years, and she served us well, taking us across the Channel and looking after us in 30+ knots. No, she wasn't the best to windward, but get the wind on the beam or, especially on a run, she could surprise a lot of bigger boats. I'll never forget bring her into the Solent after buying her at Wareham - dead run, goose winged with poled out genny. There was a big deck saloon job going the same way; he did get past us, but it took him all the way from Yarmouth to Egypt Point.

When I put 28HP under the bonnet, she'd surprise people under power too

I had a revue of the 24 from one of the yottie comics that described her as a capable family cruiser. For her day - late 60's, early 70s, I would say she was. These days, I'd describe her as a tough little motorsailer.

I nearly bought on in Galicia 10 years ago……I should have

 

[Mudisox]

Sailcraft and Reg White, almost his last, still going.