The plantation-grown stuff hasn’t worked in this case, and it has led to some nasty rot and a repair job? So what is a boat builder to do? Charlie Hussey sets out the problem and discusses the issue with intheboatshed.net regular Tiernan Roe.
Tag: boat builder
2013 Finesse meet scheduled for Stangate Creek, 24th May
Author and Thames Estuary sailor Nick Ardley tells me that Finesse yacht owners are planning a gathering for all sizes of the timber-built craft in the Medway area during the late May Bank Holiday weekend.
Finesse builder Alan Platt also built a few one-offs, and these are also welcome too.
The plan is to gather at Stangate Creek on the Friday, and then head up river on the Saturday morning to berth at Chatham Marina, where the events pontoon and marquee have been booked. An evening BBQ is planned.
Sunday is to be a dock day, with dispersal on the Monday 27th May. For details, contact
Nick using the email form at his website: www.nickardley.com.
Tides for the River Medway are a little after noon on the Friday, and the hope is that this will give East Coast boats an opportunity to attend – there is currently a growing fleet of Finesses in the Leigh and Canvey Island area, and another around the Swale and Medway’s creeks.
Some 12-13 owners are already expected, and one South Coast-based Finesse 21 owner has also indicated his intention to sail up and use the meet as an opportunity to explore the swatchways of the Thames Estuary.
Nick’s latest book Jottings of a Thames estuary Ditch-crawler contains a chapter about the Finesse yachts based on an interview with Alan Platt, that includes the story of Platt got his business started in a yard in Hadleigh Woods, by the side of the Thames Estuary.
I gather from Nick that the original Finesse 21 hull was designed by Laurie Harbottell, with a deck structure and fit out by Platt. The F21s were either gaff or bermuda rigged, sloops and cutters. All had centre plates and a shallow long keel.
The F24 was stretched out from the F21, and that there were no official drawings – it was all done by eye, Nick says the design works well. [There’s a boat designer’s saying that almost all existing hull designs can be improved by simply making them 10 per cent longer, so this seems to make sense – Ed.]
The F24s were also gaff-rigged, but most were Bermudan sloops and cutters. They have a fairly deep long keel that makes them great ditch-crawlers, and many also had centre plates that take their draft to around 7ft when right down; however, some had plates and bilge keels or no plate and bilge keels…
Platt then built a F27, the Tugela. She was a one-off: following further demand for the larger boat, Alan asked another well designer, Maurice Griffiths, to re-design his F27 – and she came out as the F28. All of these were long keeled with no centre plate.
Nick tells me he’s had Whimbrel, F24 number 64, from her build in 1983/4 (she was launched in April 84) and has enjoyed her ever since – he believes his boat is the longest in same ownership, though there is apparently an F21 that has been in the same hands for even longer.
Many of the boats have been owned for lengthy periods: for example F24 number 1 has been in the same family since her build in 1969, and passed from father to son some years ago.
For more information about Finesses, see the Google Finesse forum and the brand new Finesse Owners Association website.
Tiernan Roe of Roeboats issues his newsletter – while his boats star in the Game of Thrones
It’s always good to hear of a boat builder, repairer and restorer is busy despite the straightened and worrying times in which we live. Here’s Tiernan Roe’s newsletter about the doings at Roe Boats down at Ballydehob, County Cork:
Well it’s been a busy few months here at Roeboats. I’m currently finishing up the interior refit of a Squib keel boat, all of the wooden interior has been replaced with low weight plywood and epoxy coated to limit water absorption and hopefully keep the boat as a light as possible. Of course a fiberglass hull is going to be heavier than a wooden one and probably absorb as much water. Doing this job has reminded me of how much I dislike fiberglass as a material.
I’ve also been spending much of my free time developing plans for the Belfast Lough One Design ‘Jewel‘ class designed by Linton Hope. There’s not much information available about either the designer or the boats, but I think they could be excellent day-sailers/classic racers for the 21st century. More anon. [Read about the Jewels in Folkard on pages 309-312.]
I’ve also been busy building a 16ft micro cruiser for a repeat client. It’ll be a one-person, self righting, yawl-rigged sharpie very similar to the Catbird I built in 2010. I should have the planking finished soon: she’s scheduled for a May launching, just in time for summer.
Other news is that the boats I built for the HBO Game of Thrones TV series are featured in the trailer for season 3, which is way cool (I’ll have to get a tuxedo for all of the Oscars I might win). Watch it here you’ll see the boat around the middle of the clip, don’t blink or you’ll miss it. It’s the one on fire.
That’s all for now, next issue will most likely include the launching of the boat above and a schedule of where you can see some Roeboats on the water during the Summer.
Tiernan can be reached by phone (tel +353 (0)28 38973 and +353 (0)86 158 6937 [mobile]) and via his website.
I must say I’m amused about the Game of Thrones thing… I never imagined I’d be posting about it!