valiant 18

[kelso]

I have just purchased my first sailing boat a valiant 18 built 1974
and i have no information about the boat or how to rig it
all i have is a boat on a trailer with a mass of ropes and a mast lying on top can anyone help me

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[boatless]

Whereabouts are you and the boat Kelso? I'm sure that a passing forumite would spend half an hour with you - in exchange for some refreshments!

John

<hr width=100% size=1>my opinion is complete rubbish, probably.

 

[kelso]

southern ireland where are you from

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[Johnboy2004]

hey , check out sailing.ie under the advertisement, crew available
theres loads of helpful people advertising there, who will assist you FOC, in exchange for some sailing, they most likely will give you offers of training also FOC!!

i got a few offers of assistance from there and the people were from ur neck of the woods, so check it out,

hope u get sorted...


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[boatless]

Dorking in Surrey. No Guinness for me then. B*m.

<hr width=100% size=1>my opinion is complete rubbish, probably.

 

[freebird1]

This was my first boat too. Mine was number 123, also 1974. They were built in Essex by a company called Fi-Craft, now closed. As i recall, she had a standard rig in every respect found on much bigger boats, ie fore and aft lower shrouds as well as the rest. A look at almost any yacht in your area, and most books should give you the right idea and fortunately, the mast is hinged about a foot from the deck and light enough to raise by hand with one assistant to connect the bottle screws. My one had a brace in the cabin, under the foot of the mast, spanning the width of the coach roof and no vertical mast support (otherwise the sea toilet would be unusable). If you tension the shrouds etc too much you will flex the deck inwards.
I found her to be a 'proper' boat in her manners and a great one to learn on.
Very predictable and suprisingly sea worthy for her size. The only problem i ever had was with the moulded in water tank in the bow. I could never get rid of the taste of the fibre glass. Also beware of the bottom support of the rudder. It is hidden in the skeg and mine was worn (ie lots of movement). I would not want this to fail. I never got round to fixing mine before i traded up.
Good luck

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