Wooden boat lament…….

[srm]

I knew a chap who bought a wooden boat from a doctor in Stornoway, and managed to sink her 2 years later.

That is probably the one. I read about the loss in YM at the time.

 

[srm]

I am feeling intimitated.. recently made two masts with oregon pine, glued with epoxy, as is the rest of the boat. Big differences with 'classic' plank on frame.
Lots of room for modern techniques with wood, esp for one offs or short productions runs. Spirit Yachts?
Agree that old tore outs may be beyound economic saving, but they were built with a life in a different era.

Wood reinforced epoxy often with glass or other fibres is a totally different form of construction to what I think we are discussing here. It is closer to GRP in terms of maintenance. Cold moulded wood hulls as in Wansworth's Commando were a step on the evolutionary way. I think Uffa Fox was a pioneer, if not the originator, of that form of construction with the lifeboat he designed that could be carried in an aircraft bomb bay and dropped for downed aircrew to self rescue.

 

[Wansworth]

Commando class……picture features Angus Primrose in the cockpit.I am almost sure that my boat was the original of the class,it was registered Commando S.A….(stanstead Abbotts)were itwas built.Unfortunately it was wreaked in the ría de Pontevedra in a winter storm under ownership of a Galician backin 1985.

 

[dancrane]

Isn't that a Seafly, top-right?

The coachroof reminds me slightly of a Sailfish 18.

Unfortunately, you are a permanent fixture on these pages where you can find a myriad of reasons not to treat yourself to a boat.

I don't think it's unfortunate. So far this year I've enquired about two boats and been to see another...no business has been done, and after such a feeble start to the UK summer, I don't feel remotely the loser for not having bought. Those myriad reasons carry weight because they're so sensible.

Regarding the theme of the thread, I reckon acquiring a wooden hull would be to delay the launch date even later than continuing not having a boat. At least with a GRP hull you can wait a month or a year (or till whenever) before fixing things. It may not be sailable meanwhile but it won't just rot or sink. And there's such a lot of wood on many GRP boats, you could satisfy the chippy instinct, making washboards and passerelles and bottle racks and cabinetry while enjoying watertight peace of mind.

But I'll bet the price of a drink against you buying a boat in time for any part of this summer. Actually I really hope you won't, because these threads which plumb the question of whether it makes more sense to buy, than just to languorously enjoy thinking about boats, are some of the best.

As long as you haven't bought a boat, you'll enjoy imagining owning any of them. I'm not sure that's not better, it's far easier and more accessible!

We thought about having a day-trip on the Shieldhall, to watch the Round the Island Race. It sounded great if the weather was agreeable...

...but footage taken from yachts gave me the feeling I couldn't possibly have had a happier time out there, than by watching at home.

That photo is from quite an entertaining video (below), once the lad stops filming all the tedious deck activity. Yachts, eh? Frightful lot of work.

 

[DownWest]

Aerolite 306 was the usual glue back in 1960, theough recorcinol was about.

 

[DownWest]

Wood reinforced epoxy often with glass or other fibres is a totally different form of construction to what I think we are discussing here. It is closer to GRP in terms of maintenance. Cold moulded wood hulls as in Wansworth's Commando were a step on the evolutionary way. I think Uffa Fox was a pioneer, if not the originator, of that form of construction with the lifeboat he designed that could be carried in an aircraft bomb bay and dropped for downed aircrew to self rescue.

I forgot the smiley

 

[Minerva]

Isn't that a Seafly, top-right?

The coachroof reminds me slightly of a Sailfish 18.


I don't think it's unfortunate. So far this year I've enquired about two boats and been to see another...no business has been done, and after such a feeble start to the UK summer, I don't feel remotely the loser for not having bought. Those myriad reasons carry weight because they're so sensible.

Regarding the theme of the thread, I reckon acquiring a wooden hull would be to delay the launch date even later than continuing not having a boat. At least with a GRP hull you can wait a month or a year (or till whenever) before fixing things. It may not be sailable meanwhile but it won't just rot or sink. And there's such a lot of wood on many GRP boats, you could satisfy the chippy instinct, making washboards and passerelles and bottle racks and cabinetry while enjoying watertight peace of mind.

But I'll bet the price of a drink against you buying a boat in time for any part of this summer. Actually I really hope you won't, because these threads which plumb the question of whether it makes more sense to buy, than just to languorously enjoy thinking about boats, are some of the best.

As long as you haven't bought a boat, you'll enjoy imagining owning any of them. I'm not sure that's not better, it's far easier and more accessible!

We thought about having a day-trip on the Shieldhall, to watch the Round the Island Race. It sounded great if the weather was agreeable...

...but footage taken from yachts gave me the feeling I couldn't possibly have had a happier time out there, than by watching at home.

That photo is from quite an entertaining video (below), once the lad stops filming all the tedious deck activity. Yachts, eh? Frightful lot of work.

is the Sheildhall still earning it's keep? Spent a good few meetings in what was once the board room for West of Scotland Water which still kept the model of the Shieldhall, and IIRC her predecessors in glass various cases.

 

[srm]

I think, as others have suggested, you are in love with the idea of owning a boat. Unfortunately, you are a permanent fixture on these pages where you can find a myriad of reasons not to treat yourself to a boat.

Surely you have been around long enough to realise that any ones interest in leisure boats, whether owned or not, is all about the dream.

 

[rotrax]

Surely you have been around long enough to realise that any ones interest in leisure boats, whether owned or not, is all about the dream.

And I'm living it at the moment, on 'Q' hammerhead in Cherbourg Marina, had a fabulous meal and a first class bottle of Medoc in a nearby resturant last night, collected the last of the shopping earlier today.

First mate has the washing machine on, clearing the wash basket before we leave tomorrow or Thursday for Weymouth.

Our comfortable Motorsailer has been the subject of much envy on the pontoon from those with aft cockpit yachts as the weather has been, to be generous, pretty crap!

Our dream was to be travellers by water, an ambition we have fullfilled in Spades.

Our modest efforts wont seem much to many, but we were in our early 60's before we started serious sailing.

If we had been Sailors instead of Motorbike Racers at an earlier age, we might have been 'World Girdlers', but I'm afraid, its a bit late for that now.

We are, however 'at it' and enjoying most of it.

Which, in life, is a pretty good effort.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Commando class……picture features Angus Primrose in the cockpit.I am almost sure that my boat was the original of the class,it was registered Commando S.A….(stanstead Abbotts)were itwas built.Unfortunately it was wreaked in the ría de Pontevedra in a winter storm under ownership of a Galician backin 1985.

Commando class….. you sail that with no pants on?

 

[oldmanofthehills]

And I'm living it at the moment, on 'Q' hammerhead in Cherbourg Marina, had a fabulous meal and a first class bottle of Medoc in a nearby resturant last night, collected the last of the shopping earlier today.

First mate has the washing machine on, clearing the wash basket before we leave tomorrow or Thursday for Weymouth.

Our comfortable Motorsailer has been the subject of much envy on the pontoon from those with aft cockpit yachts as the weather has been, to be generous, pretty crap!

Our dream was to be travellers by water, an ambition we have fullfilled in Spades.

Our modest efforts wont seem much to many, but we were in our early 60's before we started serious sailing.

If we had been Sailors instead of Motorbike Racers at an earlier age, we might have been 'World Girdlers', but I'm afraid, its a bit late for that now.

We are, however 'at it' and enjoying most of it.

Which, in life, is a pretty good effort.

And we spend at least two months a year cruising to France or Scilly or Scotland every summer. We live our dream, and so what if we use the engine more than the pure-bred sailer, we are still sailors out on the sea, and in mid 70s have at least a decade more before we must seek our retirement creek, pill or even marina for us to sit in and simply dream.

Messing about in boats as Ratty said

 

[Stemar]

We far less ambitious, but still get enormous pleasure from Jazzcat. We're off to the boat later this morning and all we're going to do is chill on the mooring. A nice, chilled rosé might be involved, once I've fixed the switch panel.

Back onto the club pontoon for the quiz tomorrow evening, then a daring expedition to Poole is on the cards for the weekend.

"Messing about in boats as Ratty said"

 

[PhillM]

My old wooden boat misses me. She’s been allowed to rot and with bodged repairs is rapidly becoming end of life. Sad really as I thought she would be in good hands.

 

[Wansworth]

Was this your boat?

 

[oldmanofthehills]

My old wooden boat misses me. She’s been allowed to rot and with bodged repairs is rapidly becoming end of life. Sad really as I thought she would be in good hands.

She is in good hands - the hands of nature absorbing her into the natural world from which her parts were made. A fitting end for a boat and long established as process