What is this yacht

[Hulgarth]

Hello chaps

I am a first time sailer looking at buying a little project yacht to mess around with while I go to college for engineering. Can anyone identify this yacht it what it once was?

https://ibb.co/mAr4Pe

I have looked around sold listings on ebay and assume it is between 16 and 19 feet but I could be wrong. The owner has no idea as his dad bought it to fix up but they never got around to it.

Any help would be great. I will be going to see it in a few days but a model would help me know what to look for.

Cheers

 

[PeteCooper]

Looks like a silhouette to me - 18ft design by Robert Tucker.
I think that hard chine and grp makes her a Mark 2 - not sure on that though.

 

[duncan99210]

It appears to have a single fin keel, which made me think that it couldn’t be a Silhouette.... But this link http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=4230 says that some fin keel boats were made, so it looks like it is Silhouette. Visit the Hurley Owners Association site for more info or join the Hurley Yachts page on FB.

 

[VicS]

Looks like a silhouette to me - 18ft design by Robert Tucker.
I think that hard chine and grp makes her a Mark 2 - not sure on that though.

+ 1 for Silhouette

Would not like to say which mk though . There were several, I to V I believe See https://www.soia.org.uk/history.htm

Fin keel relatively uncommon I think

See also http://www.hurleyownersassociation.co.uk/pages/sil.htm

 

[PeteCooper]

My rough understanding from memory is that Mk 1 were plywood, Mk2 were GRP but retained the hard chine and Mk 3 were GRP but round bilge.
However, and not wanting to go too far off the topic, I have seen some for sale that were made in steel.
Back in the 60s we occasionally met a guy who lived with his dog on a Silhouette. He cruised from harbour to harbour picking up casual work. I remember seeing him climb harbour walls, the type with a chain dangling down and foot holds cut in the wall, with the dog standing on his shoulders.

 

[sailorman]

My Mk 2 was Ply & the only bilge keeler i have ever owned

 

[Champagne Murphy]

To the OP; don’t overpay! The price of older boats hasn’t dropped off a cliff in recent years and that one doesn’t look as though it will be any different. If it hasn’t got a decent mast and rigging and the sails are in tatters, walk away! Plenty more out there.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

My rough understanding from memory is that Mk 1 were plywood, Mk2 were GRP but retained the hard chine and Mk 3 were GRP but round bilge. However, and not wanting to go too far off the topic, I have seen some for sale that were made in steel. Back in the 60s we occasionally met a guy who lived with his dog on a Silhouette. He cruised from harbour to harbour picking up casual work. I remember seeing him climb harbour walls, the type with a chain dangling down and foot holds cut in the wall, with the dog standing on his shoulders.

The plywood ones were tougher than you might think, too - we once accidentally dropped one off its trailer onto a concrete slip when it slid backwards! The boat was fine, and went on sailing for many years afterwards.

 

[coopec]

Here's a variety of Silhouettes

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=...rZ7dAhWQFogKHSXwCXIQ_AUICigB&biw=1280&bih=586

Clive

 

[jwilson]

As others have said: hull and coachroof very much a GRP Silhouette. The shallow fin keel may be a centreboard casing: although almost all ply and GRP Silhouettes were bilge keel I believe a very few were built with deeper fin keels or a shallow fin housing a centreboard.

 

[Hulgarth]

I am just in from college but thank you for all of these amazing replies. To give an Idea in edinburgh boats do not come up often and the owners are unwilling to part with anything decent for under 2500 pounds such as a snapdragon 747 I went for.

The boat is nothing but the hull and the owner is asking 250 quid with a trailer no sails or mast or engine. They have also tried to repair some gaps with polyfiller or something like it.

The trailer is not road legal so I was planning to drop the cost of some break lights from the asking price.


I would be a project boat but I will get some picture. I assume I would have to redo the polyfiller and was toying with copying the amazing work done on ming ming two.

If anyone has a guide price for something like this hull I would be very greatful.


Cheers

 

[Tranona]

I am just in from college but thank you for all of these amazing replies. To give an Idea in edinburgh boats do not come up often and the owners are unwilling to part with anything decent for under 2500 pounds such as a snapdragon 747 I went for.

The boat is nothing but the hull and the owner is asking 250 quid with a trailer no sails or mast or engine. They have also tried to repair some gaps with polyfiller or something like it.

The trailer is not road legal so I was planning to drop the cost of some break lights from the asking price.


I would be a project boat but I will get some picture. I assume I would have to redo the polyfiller and was toying with copying the amazing work done on ming ming two.

If anyone has a guide price for something like this hull I would be very greatful.


Cheers

He should be paying you (at least) £250 to take it away.

It is absolutely worthless as it is without a rig and no legal trailer.

Does not form a basis for a sensible project. Boat design is OK but you will struggle to find a rig for it and without that it is useless.

 

[chriss999]

For me, guide price of a boat like that should be nil, or maybe a little over if you are feeling kind, I should say.
There is a reason why the previous owner didn't do anything. Refurbishing even a small boat is expensive - I'm in the middle of my project boat!
Maybe you could pick up a cheap dinghy mast and sail * , and bits from boat jumbles. But paint is expensive, and if you need to pay for yard space, that isn't cheap either.

(* Are you thinking of going junk rig? If so, scrub my suggestion of a 2nd hand dinghy mast & sail.)

 

[chriss999]

ps looking at the picture, could you have the lamp post thrown in ?

 

[jwilson]

It appears to have a single fin keel, which made me think that it couldn’t be a Silhouette.... But this link http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=4230 says that some fin keel boats were made, so it looks like it is Silhouette. Visit the Hurley Owners Association site for more info or join the Hurley Yachts page on FB.

The Sailboatdata page shows a profile that is not, I think, any model of Silhouette. Your photo is probably one, though maybe a rare variant. I concur with others in saying that the hull and non-roadworthy trailer are now essentially valueless - sad but true. Unless you have unlimited time, and are a good enough woodworker to build a hollow spruce mast and solid boom, and a good enough canvas worker to make decent sails, then buy another boat that has all the gear.

 

[prv]

I concur with others in saying that the hull and non-roadworthy trailer are now essentially valueless - sad but true.

And for the OP's benefit, jwilson sells boats for a living and knows whereof he speaks :encouragement:

Pete

 

[Balbas]

The trailer is so far from road legal its laughable. Don't get caught towing it. Ideally hire a flatbed trailer and winch the lot on to that.

You *might* get away with something like a Wayfarer mast. At 16ft or so it's a similar size and you should be able to find one second hand (plus boom and sails), so that *may* be an option to get you going.

For a cheap engine that'll push that along, look for an old Seagull - someone'll probably give you one if you ask around for long enough.

If doing GRP repairs DON'T go to the chandlery, find a GRP supplier and buy direct, you'll save £lots.

 

[Hulgarth]

ps looking at the picture, could you have the lamp post thrown in ?

thanks again for all the great replies, I went and had a look at the boat today.

I can confirm she is water tight as it had about 3 feet of water in the bottom of it. Construction was plywood but only a few signs of rot i could see although all the paint was flaking off, one of the sea lockers had been ripped out and a fair few hatches where missing.

We had a chat about it and the lad seemed to have jumped into head first without knowing anything about boats. Something I have almost done myself.

I suggested he empty the water out and at worst he could part out the hardware and take the keel to the scrappies but he had interest from a few people who it might sail yet.


Thanks for the help and jokes guys, I will be back searching out a 24 foot something or other this winter when buyers remorse hits everyone.

 

[Hulgarth]

The Sailboatdata page shows a profile that is not, I think, any model of Silhouette. Your photo is probably one, though maybe a rare variant. I concur with others in saying that the hull and non-roadworthy trailer are now essentially valueless - sad but true. Unless you have unlimited time, and are a good enough woodworker to build a hollow spruce mast and solid boom, and a good enough canvas worker to make decent sails, then buy another boat that has all the gear.

I feel bad for the lad but i said as much to him, thanks for your insight.

 

[Hulgarth]

The trailer is so far from road legal its laughable. Don't get caught towing it. Ideally hire a flatbed trailer and winch the lot on to that.

You *might* you'll save £lots.

Thanks for the advice I will keep it in mind. My perfect boat would be something like a snapdragon 747 or an anderson 22 but the Anderson are as rare as hens teeth up in Scotland.