Category: Suppliers

Save Albert Strange’s Fastnet winner Tally Ho!

Tally Ho – one of the larger Albert Strange-designed boat and winner of the 1927 Fastnet race. She’s currently lying at Port of Brookings, Oregon

If you’d like to sail a magnificent gaff topsail cutter from the early 20th century, and have the resources to restore her, The Albert Strange Association is definitely looking for you.

The organisation is working to save Tally Ho, at 47ft 6in by 12ft 10in by 7ft 6in and rated at 30 tons, one of the larger boats designed by Albert Strange (1855-1917), a leading artist and boat designer, as well as a writer and sailor.

Tally Ho has a great reputation as ocean sailing boat, having won the 1927 Fastnet Race, and has had various names over the years – readers may have come across her under the name Betty, but she has also been called Alciope, Escape to Paradise and Escape.

See Thad Danielson’s article on the newly created Tally Ho pages of the ASA website here.

The ASA is working hard to find a way forward for Tally Ho. Happily, unlike many older yachts, she still has her shape, thanks to having been strongly built. I think she richly deserves a new lease of life – but then I’m an Albert Strange fan…

The photo below shows Tally Ho in her glory days.

Fowey boat builder Marcus Lewis restores a classic Uffa King National 12 racing dinghy

  

  

 

Marcus Lewis spent some of his summer renovating this splendid Uffa King National 12 dinghy

Fowey boat builder Marcus Lewis sent over this collection of photos showing some of the things he’s been working on during the summer of 2012, including this magnificent Uffa King National 12 class racing dinghy. Here’s what he says:

‘Just thought I would fill you in on what we have been up to over the summer, apart from the usual repairs, maintenance, and replacing broken bowsprits on Troy class racing yachts, we have had a major rebuild to do on an old National 12. Flook, boat number 888, was one of the last Uffa Kings to be built – she is believed to have been built around 1947.

‘This Uffa Fox design revolutionised the National 12 class in the 1930s.

‘Flook had been in a barn for over 20 years, but had a few split planks, a few old patches, delaminating decks, usual sort of stuff. We went right through her, refastening the centreline, replacing eight planks, completely re-timbering her, cleaning up her original wooden mast and re-rigging, re-decking, and a good varnishing all over.

‘The owner also had a new set of sails and is now enjoying watching his grandchildren coming to terms with a rather tippy National 12!

‘We have also had Wayfarer number 11 in for a bit of a tidy up, refastening the panels to the stringers, making good old repairs, paint up, repair original wooden mast, re-rig, etc.

‘Cheers, Marcus’

That National 12 looks great after your had work. I wonder whether those youngsters knew what grandad had got them in for – though in those days I guess the boat likely had a nice heavy steel keel to help keep things under control. It’s also nice to know there are still some of the earliest Wayfarers afloat – I know not everyone loves them, but I’m a little soppy about them as I learned to sail in a Wayf, and round our way their numbers are dropping like flies…

For sale: pilot cutter Breeze, and cutter Medusa Bay

Pilot cutter Breeze

I’ve learned that two great but very different boats are for sale.

The 39ft pilot cutter Breeze is up for auction on eBay. She was built in 1887 by Coopers of Pill near Bristol for the pilot Albert Cope.

She started her working life working from Cardiff in 1887 and continued to work primarily in the same family ownership until around 1912. She’s believed to be the second oldest Bristol Channel pilot cutter still around, and the only remaining example of a Coopers of Pill-built cutter.

Also the Conyer-built 37ft cutter Medusa Bay is for sale priced at €90,000 in Belgium. She’s said to be in near perfect condition, and I know she has a number of admirers in North Kent, so if anyone is interested, contact me at gmatkin@gmail.com and I’ll put you in touch with the current owner.