Restoration Projects
Windflower
8 Ton Sloop
LOA : 30' LWL : 27' Beam : 9' 1" Draught : 4' 9"
Displacement : 8 tons TM
Lloyds Registered : N° 163440
Rob McCall is selling his 1933 8 ton sloop
Windflower. He has owned her for 2 years and
although he has not been able to give her the time
and investment she needs she has not
deteriorated in his ownership - he says if she had
remained as she was when he bought her,
she may not still be here today. The weather has been
kept off her decks and
superstructure completely using 100% waterproof tarps
with a lightweight timber custom tent
frame beneath. In this manner she has “slept in the
yard” where she is currently to be found
in Llandysul, Carmarthenshire.
However she now needs to find a new home
urgently.
Further
details - Information Sheet
http://hillyardwindflower.blogspot.com
Rob McCall. 01584 817930 mccallroba@gmail.com
'May'
Two & a Half-Ton Sloop
From thoroughly dedicated
Hillyarders
Dear HOA,
Having sold Sequoiah our 12 ton Hillyard in 2011 we were
hoping to
enjoy
the use of the wooden S&S 'Sage' for some years to
come and that
this
would be the only wooden boat we would have to
look after but a rather fateful telephone call yesterday
from Peter
Lucas in Dartmouth alerted us to the 1933 21/2 tonner
'May' in need of
a
good home and currently lying somewhat dejected in
Darthaven Marina. Having tracked down the current owner
and getting
permission to go and have a look see, with a prodder and
torch we
trekked down to the marina.
See photo attached.
The deck canvas has lifted everywhere the rigging loose
and baggy (but
with some nicely varnished spars), more paint on the
inside than i
could
ever have imagined, but the diesel engine did turnover
and some reasonably clean and useful sails inside the boat
(not sure
she
has had any sails up in present ownership) A number of
cracked frames
but surprisingly few soft patches we have agreed a
sale price and will be taking her over shortly.
Now to find somewhere to keep her and then try and work
out what to do
with her.
Will keep you posted and you better reinstate my
membership so perhaps
you could send me details.
(Oh and send for the men in the white coats)
Kind Regards
Allen
Zahura - Two & a Half
Ton
Project
Hi there folks,
Thanks for getting back
to me, it’s
very much appreciated. I’d be delighted to join the
Yahoo area. Just
send me the link to join and I’m there! I saw all the
info on the site,
and she is indeed listed.
I’d love to know a bit
more about her
history and especially how she came to get to the far
North of
Scotland! The guy that had her in Inverness
unfortunately died last
year before I got her, so I cant trace any info that
way.
I won’t be beginning
the restoration
until later in the year, but she has been covered up
nicely to conserve
her in the condition she is currently in.
I’ve just finished
restoring a Stella
yacht for my father, and have restored and built a few
clinker sailing
dinghys so it should be easy enough to take on this job,
although it is
the first carvel boat I’ll have worked on.
I’ve attached a few
pics of her that
I took before putting the cover in place to show you
what state its
in(which aint too bad really). She was purchased
initially for the
engine, a Yanmar 1gm10, that was removed and installed
into the Stella.
She is way too gorgeous to cut up though, as my old man
suggested!! I
simply couldn’t do that!
I will do her up and
put either the
Dolphin engine out of the Stella in her, or a Seagull
outboard on a
bracket on the stern.
She is Bermudan rigged,
and I need to
know the length of the mast to replace or repair it when
the time comes.
Hope
to hear from
you again soon,
Kind
Regards,
Barry
Little Hillyard For Restoration
Marcel Writes
I want to sale my small boat to a boat-lover who will take
the time to
remodel her.
She seriously needs to be mended, after 15 years in a
garage.
The constructor was David Hillyard.
Lenght : 2, 46 meters or 8.07 ft
Width : 1, 20 meters or 3,93 ft.
Can you tell me if you know the story of this boat ?
How much can I ask for ?
I live in Brittany in south Finistere, close to Fouesnant
and Port La
Foret.
She was previously owned by a family of Douarnenez
(close to my
home) and
they use her only to go to the Tristan Island, a few meters
off the
coast.
Thanks for your reply.
Yours truly,
Spartan - A Very Special Little Hillyard
Neil Greenfield writes
Good
evening
I hope you
are
well and thank you
for the mail.
Hope you had a
good
holiday
Im fairy
sure she
is planked in mahognay, which have been swaged and the ribs are either oak or ash,
with knees in
i think oak.
The decking was
ply,
which i assume is not orginal.
I have
enclosed
some pictures, please let me know if you want more?
She has an island
sailing club ( Cowes IOW ) burgee on her bow.. might
help?
I am hoping for a
simpathic restoration, and my feeling is she has been
'buggered' about
with, in term of seating and furniture, so any help
would be great.
neil@epsnet.co.uk
Waterwitch - 4 ton - 1935
Nigel Sherratt writes
Some pictures of work on
'Waterwitch' at Alan Staley's yard in Faversham that
might be useful
for the site. I've compressed them but can send the
originals if
needed. Stuart Turner P66D engine (1970s) taken
out and
donated to a good home and work started on the hull
and filling in
the prop cut-out. The stern tube and bearing could
not be removed
and have been cut off flush and filled with epoxy
(photo 40, 43).
The hull is mostly in good shape but some damage
from clumsy
caulking at the stern requires splining and a
big lump of
epoxy justifies a new section of one plank. The
copper 'tingle'
patch (photos 38, 43) is interesting. Like
something out of a
Giles cartoon to my eyes but not a surprise to Alan
Staley. I have seen
a similar repair to the floor of a greengrocer's in
Greenwich using a
piece of zinc. Photographs by Tim who is doing most of
the work.
Nutmeg - 9 Ton
http://nutmeg-restoration.blogspot.com/
GIROUETTE - 4 Ton -
1937
A recent visit to
Emsworth recently resulted in a chance meeting
with Nick Gates who owns
and runs Nick Gates & Co, a traditional
workshop that
specializes in wooden boat repair and
restoration. Although looking at
another Hillyard he very kindly showed me
Girouette who's images below
tell virtually the whole story, but as I know
you Hillyarders like a
yarn.
Girouette has been in the same family for nearly
50 years. She was
first worked on by Nick Gates when she was taken
to Combes
Boatyard for restoration in the early
1990s. Following the closure
of the yard, she was laid up for nine years. She
is now being fully
restored, with work including new deck, interior
and engine.
Nick
trained at the International Boatbuilding Training
College in
Lowestoft, Suffolk, from 1986-7 before joining the
renowned Combes
Boatyard in Bosham, West Sussex, in 1987. He
remained with the
yard until its closure in 1999, latterly working
as slipway manager,
and then set up Nick Gates & Co (formerly
Southbourne Boatyard).
For
Services that can get you Hillyard looking like
this please contact:-
Nick Gates
Nick Gates & Co
Unit B, Thornham Marina, Emsworth, Hampshire. PO10
8DD
Tel: 07957 422941; Email:
nick@nickgates.co.uk
www.nickgates.co.uk
Be inspired by this
first class restoration and superbly
presented website http://www.mariposa-hillyard.co.uk/
Bunty
John Casey writes;
I own a Hillyard called
Bunty. Ive been perusing through your site and found her
on the "List"
with her details along with another boat Joy. I bought her
in 1999 and
rebuilt her through the years to 2008 when she was
launched in the
july. I have her history from 1978 but would like to track
down further
details. Do you have any hints on tracking down history or
have details
in your records please? I
sail her out of Skegness Yacht Club
on the east coast of Lincolnshire. Enclosed is a pic took
off the
sandbanks south of skegness in 2010
Bunty (Joy 2) 1927 6 Ton
Your members may be interested to hear about Girouette,
a 3
ton 1936 Hillyard that we are currently restoring. She has
been owned
by the French family for forty-odd years, and her
restoration started
back in the mid eighties at Burnes Shipyard in Bosham.
That yard closed
just as most of the boat had been dismantled, and she was
moved to
Combes Boatyard, also in Bosham, where I worked from 1987
until its
closure in 1999. During that time she was almost
completely reframed,
the ballast keel was removed, the wooden keel and
garboards replaced. A
new pine T&G deck was fitted, traditionally canvassed,
and trimmed
in Brazilian mahogany. She was relaunched and kept in a
mudberth for a
few years.
When Combes closed in 1999, I moved her by road to
Thornham
Marina, Emsworth, where she was stored outside, but well
covered, for
the next nine years. During this time I have established
my own
business maintaining and restoring wooden boats, many of
which are
ex-Combes customers.
This spring we stopped up Giroutte’s dried-out hull, and
relaunched her into the marina pool where she stayed
afloat (after a
fashion!) for most of this summer. In the autumn we put
her in the
workshop, and have removed the now-rotten canvas deck
covering. We have
fitted an interface of plywood and have sheathed the deck
in epoxy and
glass cloth, giving a ‘canvas look’. To complete Girouette
we will be
fitting a new interior, engine, and refurbishing the mast
and spars.
Apart from the deck, we have a ‘no plywood’ policy with
this type of
restoration, and by using a wealth of family photographs
will return
her to her appearance of fifty years ago.
If any of your members are in the Chichester area they
are
more than welcome to pop into the workshop for a hello. If
its tea
break they may even be lucky!
There are some pictures of Girouette on our website,
listed
at the foot of the page. I do hope you find this
information of
interest.
Yours sincerely,
Nick Gates
nick@nickgates.co.uk
She floats! Petmar hardly took in any water, and only a
few
dribbles remain. She is floating way above her waterline,
as we have
removed all the internal ballast.
What a relief, and the beginning of a new stage of the
repairs
3rd August 2009
After 5 months hard work on Petmar, we are relaunching
her
tomorrow morning! Thank you all for your advice and
support during the
first phase of her restauration. Next up, cabin sole,
galley and
recovering the cabin top, with some deck sanding, painting
and
varnishing thrown in.
Will post photos when I get a minute. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hillyards/
Suffice to say she looks like a different boat now, with
her new paint!
2nd July 2009
Work on Petmar is progressing well. All the planking
that
needed doing at the stern is done, and we will soon be
moving on to the
ribs. As you can see from the most recent photographs
uploaded in the
album, paint is beginning to cover the bare planks, and
she is looking
much much better.
We got a helping hand from Bernard, a shipwright who
stopped
in Boulogne for a couple of days, for the longuest plank
that needed
doing. We had to bring the new one quite a way because an
anode bolted
on the hull had caused the old plank to crack all the way
through. Once
that was done, the hole in the stern really began to close
up, and
suddenly she looked like less of a wreck.
The kindness and enthusiasm of several people has really
made
a difference. Someone here who owns a boat and who I
barely know gave
me a brass diesel tank and some other odds and ends from
his old boat,
which saved me from buying that! People get all
enthusiastic seeing a
wooden boat being repaired, and ask all sorts of
questions. They aren't
as common in France as I think they are in England, and
the first query
is "are you recaulking her?" It seems thats all they know
about wooden
boats here, that they need caulking. Actually, Petmar's
caulking is in
tip-top condition, not showing its age at all, so all we
have to do is
replace it where it has been removed around new planking.
We are
repaying the seams though. The mastic in there was plain
linseed oil
putty I think, and had hardened and cracked. Being
replaced with red
lead putty. Only the starboard side left!
On another note, there is a classic yacht festival in
Boulogne from the 11th of July to the 14th (for the
Bastille day
celebrations), with tall ships, sail fishing boats, music
on the
quayside and plenty of food and drink. I will be present
on Geoff the
shipwright's boat Coppernob(1959 East Anglian). If anyone
would like to
come for the festival and enjoy the free mooring, drinks
and meal on
the Saturday night, let me know and I can fill in and send
of the form
for you, seeing as this is very short notice. (information
requested:
Boat name, type, size, year, number of people on bord-for
meal
tickets-, and any special features). It would be lovely to
see some
other Hillyards in the flesh (or wood!), and of course
meet the proud
owners.
Best wishes to all, hope you are enjoying the lovely
weather
we have had recently,
Abigail
Petmar arrived safely in Boulogne and the hull is almost
striped of all paint. The boat was emptied of all the
accumulated stuff
and the rusted balast removed. As the paint comes off it
is wonderful
to be able to view the beautiful planking and imagine all
the work that
went into it. Also, it allows my favourite shipwright and
myself to
identify problem areas and take a look at some of the old
repairs. Most
were of very high standard, with diamond pieces graved in
so neatly! It
is nice to see that someone cared for her a great deal. I
personally
have a softspot for the Elm half heart-shaped rudder! We
have soaked it
in linseed oil and wrapped it up to prevent cracking.
Unfortunately, it is this area (the stern) which
concentrates
most of the work, with one spot of rot going straight
through the hull.
Good job we didnt prod that one too much when she was on
the water!
Those bits of planking will be replaced. Reading the posts
on rot
caused by electrolysis, it seems that that is what as
happened in some
places, with old repairs simply rotting and the rot
spreading. There
were three anodes on Petmar: two on the rudder straps and
one diretly
on the hull. I will probably get rid of all when she goes
back on the
water and see how she fares without. Friend here has a
wooden boat with
no anodes and the prob/prop shaft etc seem to be doing ok.
We are just
careful to unplug the boat as soon as we are not on her.
She will be going into the shed on Friday for the hull
repairs, so the real work is about to begin!
All in all though, the more I work on her the more I
like
her, the cabins look better with all the junk out and the
badly
designed galley sink in the tip (someone added a sink on a
pedestal at
right angles to the original galley, which greatly reduced
the space
inside and looked rubbish). I can actually see the boat
now, and I have
spent some time down there daydreming already! I have the
feeling I
will spend many an hour simply admiring the beauty of the
wood and the
craftsmanship. I am one happy owner!
On another subject, does anyone happen to have the details
of the
people who owned her for 40 years or their family? I though
they might
like to receive some news of their boat and perhaps be
relieved to know
that she is being restored.
Many thanks again for all your comments above,
Abigail
Update - Monday 27th April 2009
Greetings to all!
Work is progressing fast thanks to the nice weather and
the shipwright
friend (can never thank him enough!). Unfortunately the
chandlery that
was supposed to lend us their hydraulic cradle on wheels
decided that
they wouldnt at the last minute so work is being done
outside on the
hard. This has led us to reorganise the schedule somewhat
as the sun
beats down hard and there is barely any shade. The hull is
drying out
and seams opening. To delay this I have already applied
the primer and
first coat of white above the waterline and will be
learning how to
repay seams this week to get the paint on below the
waterline asap.
Meanwhile, Geoff (the shipwright), has been getting on
with
the stern, which is really why I have come for your
experience and
advice today.
The area aroung the stern tube is completely rotten.
This
includes planking and the horn timer. Some repairs were
made before,
but only to the outside. As the whole area is open and
accessible, I am
considering replacing the stern tube for a stainless one
to avoid
electrolytic damage in the future. This would also mean
replacing the
rudder shaft and straps as well as the stearing fitting at
the top, as
galvanised and stainless just do not mix. The original
stern tube is
not badly corroded. The dilemna really is that there is
limited time
and getting such things made can take ages, simply because
everything
needs to be fitted exactly right and it will take a fair
bit of time to
be made. Also it will cost be quite a lot.
Has anyone else who has had this problem with the tube
fitted
a new one? If you haven't, have problems in this area
occured again
after replacing the rot?
For the moment I am leaning towards the do not replace
side
of the argument, and will probably keep the original tube
if thats what
seems to be the general trend. We will replace the wood
and rebed the
tube and hope for the best.
Thanks to all,
Regards
Abigail
The twelve ton Hillyard Antipodes has now been laid up
ashore
for three years with little time for the owner to work on
it as he is
in the business! At present the cockpit and tanks are
stripped out,
plus the rudder stock tube and exhaust hull fitting. The
tanks may well
be rebuilt by Tektanks. While the ironwork has been
partially and
incorrectly replaced by a friend of a friend. Not such a
good idea
after all! Summer '09 afloat may be wishful thinking but
Summer '10 is
a must.
The owner Jonathan is on 01243-512494 for advice help
and
encouragement.
Jonathan has over 40 years of sailing experience and
recalls
David Hillyard from 1962/63 when his father was
negotiating with him
for 'Permission' to but a new boat.
Postscript
Jonathan, please can you drop me an email on hillyardyachts@ntlworld.com
as I am working from a photocopy with some missing print
and want to
make sure all the above is correct.
Balboa Yacht Club, Amador, Republic of
Panama
Charlie is a 1960's Hillyard yacht under restoration in
the
Republic of Panama, where a top class wooden boat industry
is being
developed. Using skilled wooden boat shipwrights and
superb local
timbers at excellent prices, the boat is being given a
face-lift.
Originally, the Fernweh, that sailed from California to
Balboa in the
Republic of Panama, she had fallen into disrepair and was
about to be
scuttled until bought by Panama Yachting Services S.A. for
restoration
In March on the railway of the Balboa Yacht Club the hull
was restored
and painted and much of the deck replaced. With new
mahogany planking,
caulking, new pine decking under plywood the hull was made
sound and
she got fresh paint. A second time on railway concentrated
on a new
deck house and the interior. She is on her way to becoming
a top
quality Hillyard yacht again. Still to come are teak
floors and a teak
deck, made from Panama's local teak supplied by Panateak
S.A.
The work on LETONA was very slow in getting started but
now
that the professionals are involved things have moved on
apace. About
30m of mahogany planking has been replaced with oversized
fastenings in
the original frame holes. That was a job best left to the
professionals, who will also caulk the new seams. I will
plug the
nailhead holes and pay the seams with putty, rub down and
paint the
entire hull: topsides, boot-topping and antifouling. I
also have to
replace a small section of the af terdeck and somehow
cover that with
the same kind of synthetic canvas that sheathes the rest
of the decks.I
have to fit new chainplates which I have had made, re-glue
the mast
sections and attach the standing rigging. All the
brightwork needs
sanded and re-varnished, there is a splendid Taylor
paraffin stove
which needs a thorough clean and polish. The Baby Blake
head and the
12hp Petter both need servicing, the stern gland
re-packed, water and
diesel tanks drained and cleaned, new carpets and cusions
made and
fitted, rewiring and some internal joinery and a lot of
painting and
varnishing.
After a fit-out for the 2009 season she should be ready
to
go! There's nothing to it...
As aye
David
Twenty years ago I persuaded my friend Howard Nixon to
partner me on the restoration of a tiny little cutter
called TEXA,
which had been under a tarpaulin on the beach at
Tayvallich in Argyll
for as long as anyone could remember. The project took us
nine months –
that’s another story – but I am happy to say that TEXA is
still very
much in use, and that Howard and I are still friends.
Having spent the last few seasons skipping around Loch
Sween
in a petrol-powered Shetland, I was beginning to have
notions about
returning to the glory of sail. I was half-looking at GKs
and Sonatas,
thinking how much fun my family could have off Scotland’s
west coast in
something fast, safe and comfortable enough for overnight
stops,
without having to worry too much about maintenance.
I don’t spend much time on the internet, but have been
occasionally compelled to scour the Projects section of
boatsandoutboards.co.uk in the vain hope that something
very useful
might be going very cheap, very close to home. And in
June, it was.
FREE TO A GOOD HOME the advert announced – seducing me
into clicking
for more information.
The last thing on my mind was another wooden boat in
need of
restoration, but sometimes one must listen to the heart,
rather than
the head. A Hillyard 9-tonner awaited a new owner, 15
miles away in
Ardfern. We went to look at her. All I could picture was
the image of
her anchored off Tiree sent to me by the heartbroken but
pragmatic
owners. All my wife Mandy could picture were the other
images sent by
email: sections of planking missing from sheer to
waterline on both
sides, afterdeck removed and hood ends sprung from the
sternpost. All
our daughter Niamh could picture was a vision of herself
at the helm,
dressed as a pirate captain and muttering nautical
nonsense. She’s
eight. We had a week’s holiday in Cornwall (where it is
almost
impossible to escape from boats) during which Mandy agreed
to let
Howard assess the project’s viability, and to be guided by
his opinion.
Well, you’re reading this in the HOA Newsletter, so we
reached the
right decision. LETONA has now been moved to A&R Way’s
boatyard in
Lochgilphead, where I will work on her as time,
inclination and money
allow. There’s a lot to do, but I’m confident that I can
do most of the
work myself. If I get really stuck I can call on the
professionals, and
I will certainly be very grateful for handy hints from
Hillyard owners.
Letona on The Road
Gallant Maid is currently being restored by John
Hamilton and
June Cockton at the River Brede Moorings, Rye, East
Sussex. All being
well the plan is to have her back in the water by the
spring 2008. As
you can see by the photos punctuating this article there
has been
plenty of hard work put in to the project to date. June
and John write,
"I'm sure lots of other Hillyard Owners will only
understand to well
the love they have for their boats. Love, sweat and
tears....."
" Who says Hillyards can't fly...." A photo of Gallant
Maid
being craned from the hard standing at her moorings to a
nearby field
whilst work was carried out By the Environment Agency on
local flood
defences. Note the trustee tyre on her bow that kept her
covers on
throughout the recent bad weather.
A further picture shows John ' King of the Corkers (sic.
Caulkers) hard at work.
I am sure all Hillyard Owners reading this will offer
their
best wishes and support to this fine looking restoration
project.
Please see For Sale and News pages for more details or via paulholmes1956@hotmail.co.uk
Detailed below is a request form member Xavier Kormann
owner
of 9 Tonner Sarkl who is currently based in France
Hello,
We are French and we own a 12 ton sloop build in
1964 .Is
name is SARKL. We complete restored the boat: 60% of the
hull is new,we
used 5000 copper rivet,we also changed the decks and
roofs.
I like to change the portholes but I have
difficulty
finding them. Maybe would you be kind to help me for the
search. They
can be in stainless steel or brass. The dimensions are 600
x 200
4 units and 400 x 200 4 units
Thanks you in advance
M. KORMANN
Please contact Xavier via evasport@wanadoo.fr
Please follow the attached link to see some stunning
restoration images and associated story. An inspiration
from new member Arne Sylvester - http://sylvig.dk
Part One
Owner - Will Fennell
Just to let you know my plan for my lovely little
hillyard
2.5! Last year I purchased Alice, believed to be 1936, but
definately a
Hillyard 2.5. She was owned by the secretary at Aldeburgh
boat Yard,
Suffolk, where I am a boat builder. She hasn't been afloat
for 3 years
but I am in the process of giving her a quick spruce up so
i can enjoy
a summer with her for the first time.
At the Aldeburgh Boat Yard we specialize in classic
restoration, mainly in the meter boat classes. Recent
projects include
8 meter 'If', 6 meters Maida, Jo, Abu and Houri. 5 meter
'Indian', 50
sq seafart cruiser 'Hiltgund' and Alfred Mylne yawl
'Gudgeon'. Yard
owner Peter Wilson is also currently building a modern
(wood composite)
8 meter for himself.
A quick look over 'Alice' reveals that although she is a
delightful little boat, she suffers from what I am told is
a common
problem in the 2.5 ton class, that of low standard joinery
and general
finishing. The hull however is in superb condition. The
entire back
bone is sound, no cracked timbers or floors and all well
fastened.
Therefore my plan for winter 2006 is to 'lift her lid!'
and
replace the deck, coach roof and any deck beams which
refuse to part
company with the current, rather flimsy deck. I also plan
to fit a very
small inboard diesel engine with offset prop, and maybe if
my budget
and spare time will stretch to it, a hollow wooden mast.
I was pondering replacing the coach roof from the moment
i
got Alice, but I was swayed when the current owners of the
afore
mentioned Mylne yawl 'Gudgeon' handed me a Tesco bag with
4 bronze port
holes in it! Not only are they simply fantastic to look
at, they were
the 1920 originals from gudgeon which the surveyor
rejected during the
restoration, despite having twice been trans Atlantic! So
Alice having
square windows, of course needs a new lid to fit round
ones, decision
made!
I will endeavour to keep you informed with words and
pictures
during next winter and of course if you or any other HOA
members are in
Aldeburgh please feel free to drop in. There is always
something
interesting going on!
Regards
Will Fennell
Aldeburgh Boat Yard Co Ltd.
Part Two
I'm not sure whether to call this project a restoration?
I
think a project becomes a restoration when and if the deck
comes off
the boat and in this case I have stopped just short of
that!
I took Alice out of the water when the very expensive
bilge
pump I installed which was keeping her afloat packed up.
Having sailed
the entire summer with a more than damp bilge I started to
get an idea
of what I was in for this winter/spring.
As soon as Alice was out of the water I took the
opportunity
to drop the keel off. All the nuts came off the bolts with
no real
problem and before the boat was dry from her scrub the
keel was on the
floor. The hard crumbly layer of white lead stuck to the
bearing
surface of the keel showed immediately the cause of the
wet bilge. what
was probably a good soft seal between lead keel and wood
keel 70 years
ago is now a chocolate tea pot.
After giving the keel bolts some welly on the anvil they
showed no sign of deterioration or metal fatigue so will
be reused in
the spring. With no room for Alice in the shed I have had
to build a
tent over her outside. This has worked really well so far
standing up
to a nearly full gale.
The first job in the tent was removing the coach roof.
this
was quite quick and was shortly followed by the cockpit
and 3
bulkheads. All have been kept in one piece for patterning
because they
were nicely fitted but very tired.
I started stripping the layers and layers of paint from
the
cockpit area and when I had done so I had a good poke at
the areas
susceptible to rot. I found the usual water logged timber
ends and some
over generous use of sitka flex on the hood ends, but the
real heart
sinker was the stern knee. From my short season sailing
Alice i knew
there was a leak from somewhere around there. Some good
poking with a
screwdriver showed the stern knee and floor on it to be
very soft
indeed. I decided I would never get a better opportunity
to replace it,
so out it must come. The 5 bronze bolts all came out
easily bar one,
which had to be drilled out. lots of screws were taken out
of the
planking near the hood ends, and after some grunt with a
prise bar the
knee popped out.
I'm glad I did take it out because all the bolts holding
it
in fell apart on the anvil, the stern post was behind the
knee was wet
and the knee itself had seen much better days. The stern
post is now
drying out nicely and I have made a new knee. when I am
satisfied
everything has dried out well and I have done the
necessary work on the
hood ends I will fit the new knee and repaired floor. I
will fasten
with new bronze bolts and bed on sikaflex.
I will try to keep you up to date. Sorry about the
essay,
please feel free to edit where you feel necessary!
Regards
Will Fennell
6th November 2006
Part Three
Quick update on Alice. All floors have been removed,
repaired
and refastened, mast compression post removed and replaced
with ring
frame to free up cabin space, complete repaint inside, all
seams
cleaned out underwater, timber ends replaced where
neccessary.
Will Fennell
4th July 2007
Owner - Steve Langdon
My wife and I were smitten by the Allan Lindsay's
lovely lines when we first got a glimpse of her at the
Poole Yacht Club
on a cold day in April of this year after driving down
from Cambridge
to have a look at her. The Allan Lindsay, a
Canoe stern 6
tonner, (28 feet, beam 7ft7in, draft 5 feet, bermudan)
with a centre
cockpit built in 1957 of mahogany on oak, had been slowly
deteriorating
at her berth in Poole for the last eight years and was now
up for sale.
Despite our growing panic at the amount of rot we found
and
our inexperience (The Allan Lindsay is our first boat), we
were
determined to have her. An offer was made and accepted,
and, with the
encouragement of Michael Walden, Commodore of the Hillyard
Association
and many others. we began the restoration of the Allan
Lindsay
Owner - Geoff Winter
Michael
Walden suggested during his visit that I contribute
some notes for
the newsletter on what I have been doing during what has
turned into a
very long drawn-out refit. Much of the work has been
intended to make
her more efficient both under sail and under power,
particularly if
short-handed: in part due to the competition for space on
the water
these days: also to reduce maintenance in what is quite a
sever
climate. The changes to her general appearance and
character are
minimal.
General Comments
As I do nearly all the work myself I use materials and
fittings which I think are most suitable or which can be
adapted. Also,
I keep a lookout for things which may come in useful (an
inherited
habit!). I have a Davey & Co. catalogue of the 1920's
and it is
clear where BRYNHILDR's fittings came from - how easy it
was in those
days. Not just in those days, a few years ago a local
galvaniser lost
two bollards and Davey & Co. were able to supply
identical
replacements. I have recycled as much original timber, and
used
existing holes in the structure where possible. I have
also used
plywood where appropriate (e.g. for hatch covers and
locker bases).
History:
Built 1933 to my later father's order and brief
specification. From memory I think he said the cost was
£760 (of which
about £100 was for the engine and £5 for the dinghy - 10
Shillings per
foot!) ready for sea. I still have the dinghy, but rarely
use it.
1933 - 1957: West Coast of Scotland
1957: Shipped from Port Glasgow to Sydney, Australia
following the
families relocation in 1955.
1957 - mid 1970's: Sydney Harbour, mostly weekend sailing.
Mid 1970's to date - maintenance only initially, then
major refit with
occasional use under power. The longest period out of the
water has
been about six weeks.
Steering:
Some years ago I increased the efficiency of the rudder
by
almost eliminating the gap between rudder and transom,
slightly
reducing the propeller aperture in the rudder blade, and
tapering the
training edge of the blade. I can thoroughly recommend
this for transom
hung rudders.
Last year I made a tiller lock, which seems to work well
but required a
new tiller. A 10mm nylon hole attached to each toerail,
passes through
a series of five 10mm holes or eyes in a fitting built
into the tiller
about two handbreadths from the end. Numbering these hole
or eyes from
one to five: 1& 5 are holes in brass cheek plates
recessed into
each side of the tiller, 3 is a fixed eye in the centre,
and 2 & 4
are eyes on a block which is moved fore or aft by a rod
threaded in a
knob (in effect a nut) on the end of the tiller. Turning
the knob,
which draws eyes 2 & 4 towards the tiller end jams the
tiller line.
Ballast:
I had thought for a long time that BRYNHILDR was rather
tender considering her hull shape. I have lowered the
centre of gravity
if the internal ballast. The effect was noticeable even
when moored,
confirmed under sail 9th November 2000.
Spars and Standing Rigging:
The spars are original: the boom and gaff were shortened
in
1935 when a cloth was taken off the leech of the mainsail.
The mast was
unnecessarily tall; I have taken 2ft-6in off the head and
lowered the
hounds 5ft (but not the forestay). Backstays now give
additional
support to the forestay terminating just inboard of the
toerails about
5ft 6in aft of the mast on travellers on a stainless steel
bar,
controlled from the cockpit. I studied published designs
and many
books, from Dixon Kemp and Claud Worth to Tom Cunliffe
before making
any changes.
Sails:
A new polyester mainsail, not as high peaked as the
original,
is now in use, and a 1960's flax staysail. I have fitted
two of the
original three tan cotton jibs with hanks. A stay, to
which a jib is
now hanked, is attached to a bowsprit traveller. The
geometry of the
rig enables the stay to be set up taut by the outhaul. The
jib can be
set, or lowered and held down by a downhaul, from the
mast. The jibs
never had as much use as the other sails; even after sixty
seven years
they still have a pleasant aroma when warmed by the sun.
Running Rigging:
All halyards and sheets (except headsails at present)
are
synthetic. Headsail halyards are low-stretch rope; small
winches for
these have been fitted to the boom gooseneck mast bands.
The throat
halyard now has a single block with becket at the gaff
instead of a
double, which gives the same purchase as peak halyard.
Coiling away
after setting sail is now much quicker.
The above is a brief outline of some of the work done so
far.
If any members would like additional information, whether
mentioned
here or not, they are welcome to contact me direct.
Owner - Joel
Howdy Hillyards association, found your website a while
back
and it has been great to look through the pictures and
info. Especially
to see some of the restoration projects. I have just
recently purchased
a Hillyard 9 tonner. She is in North Carolina and I live
in New
Hampshire so I plan to move down there to work on her this
upcomming
winter. She has been out of the water for 8 years and
needs a whole lot
of love. I'm really excited for this project and fell in
love with the
boat when i went down to visit her. I guess I just wanted
to let you
know about this project that im so excited for. If you
want to post the
pictures of the restoration on the site that would be
cool. I have a
ton of pictures as she sets right now.
Take care Joel
Joel's 9 Ton Hillyard
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