Where are they now?

I spotted my old mans boat Muiden lady a 33' Dutch steel sloop at Chesil beach yard driving past 30 years after he sold her then again 15 ish years ago against the wall in Minehead with a yellow hull and name changed to Wind thief.The recognition I think just from having a picture of her on my bedroom wall as a nipper. If she's still out there I still have an eye open for the next meet.My guess is she's still Bristol Channel.
 
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We had a wonderful, very old gaff cutter when we were young - in the early 1990s.

She is one of those boats that is loved by her owners and they look after her and keep her going. We see her every now and again on the specialist wooden boat brokers site. She has just turned up again and someone has just spend a lot on her to keep her going for another very long while. Great to see her again with so little of her essentials changed.
 
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Just found these photos of Severn,one of the 8 meters I was looking for ,laid up in Cork Harbour at Gearies Boatyard in 1965 probably taken with my Brownie Box !

Look at the counter...sheer yacht porn!!

Mad Pad
 
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I would like to know what happened to "Betty Rose", an Osborne centreboarder of the Merlin class (of which they built 3) which we owned from 1975 until 1983 and kept on the trots at Pwhelli in the days before the marina. My wife and I cruised extensively in her in the Irish Sea with our 3 children when they were under 10. The last time I heard of the boat she was in Portmadoc, owned by the ironmonger, but a cursory visit to the town a couple of years ago was unsuccessful in sighting her.
 
All of you (us) looking for "our boats of old", keep your spirits up. I found Benbecula after 34 years. I just asked questions on websites, followed a line of owners by telephone and letters, did a bit of detective work asking organisations, boatyards etc but never seemed to get any closer to her.

Then one evening in 2014 the telephone rang. A Welsh voice asked:
"Are you the gentleman looking for Benbecula?"
"Yes, I am."
"Well, I've got her."

I have since visited Pembrokeshire to meet the man, watch him restore her from a virtual wreck, learnt about her story since 1980 and last year sailed on her again. She's now back to her original name, Myfanwy, given to her when she was launched in 1897.

Magic!

As I said, don't give up.:encouragement:
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Mad Pad said:
Another yacht I used to sail on was an 8 metre called the Severn.I think she was sold to the Clyde.
Cork harbour also has two more 8's the If and the Wye.

Mad,
Pad
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Th 8 metre If is based at Aldeburgh [or was last year ] and is a regular competitor in the East Coast Classics regatta.
A wonderful thing to behold.
Interesting about the names If & Wye, was there a Wear, Wenn, Hoo & Watt?
 
First yacht a Debutante named Zeeheks at Loe Beach was renamed by me to 'Janie B' as the owner wanted to keep the name. The Deb was last seen around Truro and Helford areas not sure if she is still around now.
Next yacht a plywood Armagnac 26 'Captain Moon' rescued off Cape Cornwall which I bought / swapped for the Debutante, done up and re named 'Moon Shadow' she was sold back to the French after 12years and went back to north France in a January which they done in 23 hours, still going strong the last I heard.
Next yacht a Snapdragon 26 named 'Audrey D', could not live with that name so re named 'Free Spirit' which is still at Loe beach. Yacht now is a Seawolf 30 at Falmouth.
 
DanTribe said:
Th 8 metre If is based at Aldeburgh [or was last year ] and is a regular competitor in the East Coast Classics regatta.
A wonderful thing to behold.
Interesting about the names If & Wye, was there a Wear, Wenn, Hoo & Watt?
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As you say they are probably the most beautiful yachts built , and I was lucky enough to sail on Severn in the 60's.

Don't know why..in Cork we had 2 rivers Severn and Wye , let alone If?

Can't answer for the rest of your names...,but I don't think so!!

Weren't most of them built on the Clyde?

Mad

Pad
 
Tomahawk said:
Sold her to Big Nige on the East Cosat. He apparently vacuumed up al the silverware that next season.
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Not 'arf he did! He dominated his class & overall in the CHS (now IRC) in Offshore events for several years.

I had the the Toledo's only Bigger Sister (32ft) which was the 1976 LIBS exhibit on the Elizabethan stand. Originally named 'Liz of Lymington' by Peter Webster, she'd been re-named 'Dizzy Lizzy' by the time I bought her. Not only couldn't we beat 'Djinn Seng' on handicap, we often couldn't beat her on the water! We knew that, in an offshore race, if 'Djinn Seng' was in sight astern at the end, she'd beaten us.

I sold 'Dizzy' in '95 & the last I heard, she was transported as deck cargo to the Caribbean.
 
JumbleDuck said:
I'd love to find Kelpie, possibly the last survivor of the 20' Innellan Class on the Clyde. She acquired a wishbone gaff with combined topsail (white) and mainsail (tan) although I understand she may have reverted back to conventional gaff rig. There was a spotting of her at Ardmaleish boatyard some years ago. For many years she belonged to a friend of my parents who is now very elderly and would like news of her adored boat.
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I've just heard that she died the day before yesterday. Damn. I'd still like to know what happened to Kelpie.
 
Late last year I found 'Islay'. I sailed on this lovely boat every summer in the early 1960's from Roseneath in the Gareloch to as far North as Stornaway, with her then owner, Doctor Ian McKay.
A fantastic way for a very young lad to pass his holiday time. Thank you Doc.
Amazing to find her, having last been aboard in about 1966. She is still in use from Largs marina. Pictures enclosed.
 

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Bobc said:
I found my last boat (a Beneteau 345 called Fric Frac IV) last year at Chichester marina.

However, it would be nice to know where the following ones are:-

Jaguar 25 - Seawitch
Colvic Atlanta 32 - Solitude
Vivacity 650 - Little Gem
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Vivacity 650 "Little Gem" was in Poole Harbour on a mooring near Sandbanks for a good few years, and wintered on a driveway on Herbert avenue, not sure about currently.
I used to have a vivacity 650 called "LOT 1" at the time which I sold to some guys from Romsey in 1998. They kept her briefly in Poole, but I have never seen her since.
 
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There was an Islander built by Ronnie McGrouther of McKellars Slipway, Kilcreggan in 1969 and named "Ptarmigan of Glencoe". I was at the boatyard when she was launched. I seem to recall she was sold to a Dutchman who used her for some years but eventually Ronnie bought her back and was going to refurbish her but I think it was sold off when the yard was sold. I just wonder where she is now, anyone seen her.
 
choppy said:
I spotted my old mans boat Muiden lady a 33' Dutch steel sloop at Chesil beach yard driving past 30 years after he sold her then again 15 ish years ago against the wall in Minehead with a yellow hull and name changed to Wind thief.The recognition I think just from having a picture of her on my bedroom wall as a nipper. If she's still out there I still have an eye open for the next meet.My guess is she's still Bristol Channel.
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"Windthief" was in our Club (Barry) for quite some time in the ownership of a member from Bristol. When he sold her about 5 years ago she fell on hard times and, following several sales on Ebay, there was an ill prepared and ill fated attempt to sail to Ireland culminating in rescue by the Lifeboat within hours of leaving. She was cut up for scrap a few months ago - sad end to a boat that was well used for many years
 
donm said:
"Windthief" was in our Club (Barry) for quite some time in the ownership of a member from Bristol. When he sold her about 5 years ago she fell on hard times and, following several sales on Ebay, there was an ill prepared and ill fated attempt to sail to Ireland culminating in rescue by the Lifeboat within hours of leaving. She was cut up for scrap a few months ago - sad end to a boat that was well used for many years
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Well thank you that's a bit sad to hear. I did see a for sale pic online and she looked a bit as if "hacked at" The Dutch shipright my father proudly said reckoned the spruce rig would do 40 years and looks like it made 50+ & just saw him out so this was correct. 1 of the 4 sister ships won or did ok in an early transat format race so for a heavy displacement (short for steel )yacht no slouch.
Thanks
 
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Interesting thread and timely as I have a question someone might be able to answer. I was copying my sailing logbook on to a website I designed and for some reason I didn't write down the type of boat that I did my first channel crossing on.

It was called Reflections of Life and the trip was Hamble - Cherbourg - Hamble on 25-27 Sept 2009. I'd be intersted to know what she was if anyone has come across her.
 
SimonFa said:
Interesting thread and timely as I have a question someone might be able to answer. I was copying my sailing logbook on to a website I designed and for some reason I didn't write down the type of boat that I did my first channel crossing on.

It was called Reflections of Life and the trip was Hamble - Cherbourg - Hamble on 25-27 Sept 2009. I'd be intersted to know what she was if anyone has come across her.
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there was this boat in the 2009 Round the Island..
[TABLE="width: 520"]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl63, width: 111"]GBR1473L[/TD]
[TD="width: 216"]REFLECTIONS[/TD]
[TD="class: xl63, width: 193"]Gibsea 33..
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
 
I'd be interested to hear the wherabouts and condition of the lovely wooden carvel Folkboat ' Wind Willow ' - sadly I don't have the sail number.

In the early 80's she belonged to John Foster of Trinity House and was kept in Falmouth, but he passed away quite a while ago.
 
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