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Post by New Boy on Dec 10, 2009 18:45:46 GMT
Greetings,
This is my first post. Let me introduce myself, I'm Martin and a few months ago I bought 814 "50 Something" (imminently to be renamed!). She is currently being completely refurbished (bare wood ) - I hope a recent photo has appeared in this message!
I've been reading all the recent posts and really enjoy seeing the exchange of ideas. I will be joining the assosciation in the New Year and hope to compete at a few opens. As a newcomer, please let me say that I haven't minded at all some of the robust exchanges; indeed it shows that people don't mind sharing their views in an open forum.
I have been especially interested in the recent debate about how Moths may be percieved. For my part it's partly nostalgia (I learnt to sail in them at Hunts SC - when it was on the river at Houghton!) and partly because I like to have a boaty project on the go. Having gven it some thought, I think my interest is in a low-cost boat that gives me the opportunity of racing and building/renovating (something I can't do with my Laser). So I would very much like to see kits again. What happened to Meritlock? Are the plans for these still available? They are basically stitch and glue; and maybe the method is a bit out of date now, but it is simple and reliable a way of making a good boat at a low price.
It's just a thought, but I would certainly consider making one, as I believe that there is probably very little difference in boat speed between the different hulls, as the tolerances are quite tight. I'm a great believer in the biggest difference in boat speed being the nut on the end of the tiller!
Regards to all
Mart814
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Post by New Boy on Dec 10, 2009 18:58:39 GMT
Here is a second go at attaching the photo.
Regs
Mart814
Hi Martin
I moved your post to your own thread and in doing so lost your pic. Reallly sorry. Could you add it again here please.
Welcome to the site and hope to meet up soon.
If not before come along and visit us on the stand at the boat show.
New Boy
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Post by mart814 on Dec 12, 2009 16:59:18 GMT
OK - I think the picture is now uploaded. To view please try clicking "link to post". Thank you for creating a new thread, New Boy, although I was loosely following yours. I am genuinely interested to know whether the Meritlock kits could be re-introduced as another option for new-build, or providing a new hull for an existing rig. I am a naval architect by profession (steel ships - not yachts!) and although I haven't seen the newly available plans, I suspect that they do not include the 'developed surfaces' of the hull strakes. If this is true then self-build could be a lengthy process, because it takes time and skill to form even a simple single-chine hull to the correct dimensions (and make it measure). The beauty of the Meritlock kits was that they came ready to assemble, and were very well thought through. I wonder whether Jeff Ambrose knows where the design/plans of the kits are. He was also a member of Hunts SC in the '70's and I believe he played a role in bringing Meritlocks to market. 814 is a Skinner boat. Minimum weight and very efficiently constructed. I'm enjoying stripping back the paint and varnish and bringing her back to life. She should be ready for racing around March time. Regards to all Mart814 Attachments:
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Post by New Boy on Dec 12, 2009 22:44:52 GMT
It's great to hear about your project. Could you add more pictures along the way as I would love to follow your progress! If you need any help, people here are very willing to offer advice and all are more qualified to do so than little old me. I am learning though as I have a very good teacher. Kits. Funny you should mention that as I am in the process of trying to get something sorted. There are a couple of people who may do kit boats in the future but they are not in a position to do so right now. Bet I will get a pile of replies now telling me there are, so watch this space as they say (I hate that saying). Meritlock kits were long before my time but I am sure someone here will comment about them. It does seem that lots of people would like to put together their own boats and for those with the skills to do so it must be very rewarding. With this in mind I will see what I can do about getting kit form boats back on the market. I moved your post as I am trying to keep the Price thread more as information from myself, rather than a conversation as the prices would quickly get lost within the chat. New Boy  |
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Post by mart814 on Dec 17, 2009 8:51:41 GMT
I have found some more photos of 814 that show her refurb. I dont know if all three will appear, but let's see what happens. The first shows the sorry state of the varnish. Note the part-painted transom and water damage to the aft deck. The second shows the transom and bottom of the hull part stripped. The third shows how she looks after just 2 coats of varnish. Mart814 Attachments:
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Post by mart814 on Dec 17, 2009 8:53:23 GMT
OK, I get it now - only one attachment per post. Here's the 'before' photo Attachments:
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Post by mart814 on Dec 17, 2009 8:54:20 GMT
And here's the during! Mart814 Attachments:
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Post by New Boy on Dec 17, 2009 14:17:55 GMT
Hi Nice pictures. As not everyone in the Moth Association uses this site I was wondering if you could do an article to go in the Chrysailis. Maybe about the restoration of 814 or just about how you found yourself in a Moth. So hows it all going? is she floating yet? I spoke with John Claridge about kits and he said that if there is a demand even a small one he will produce a kit. It will be some time away as he is working hard to build six Moths for his Juniors. New Boy |
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Post by casablanca on Dec 17, 2009 18:06:39 GMT
How do you find the attached picture? Am I being thick? Sorry, I've just found them!!  |
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Post by mart814 on Dec 21, 2009 9:01:48 GMT
In reply to Newboy's enquiry about progress on 814 .... none I'm afraid. It's definitley not tropical in Kent; and it's simply too cold to contemplate painting or varnishing in my garage at present.
Years ago I built an International Moth (when it was still possible to build competitve boats from plans). It was a Sprite, which I think was designed by Chris Eyre. Anyway, my poor mother was struck down by a severe bout flu on Christmas Eve and didn't surface from her sick bed until New Year.
In the mean time I moved my Moth indoors to the dining room, where I was able to add up to two coats of paint or varnish per day. My Dad, sister and I managed all the Christmas food etc from the kitchen. And everyone was happy - apparently.
However, when poor mum emerged from her sick bed she was highly unimpressed by my lateral thinking and quickly ordered my winter project out of the house and back to the garage! (Sorry Mum!).
My wife knows about this piece of family folklore.... and I have been warned. So 814 is in limbo at present....
I think I might manage to bring the rudder and centreboard into the kitchen without too much bother (and I know my wife doesn't look at this site!).
Happy Christmas to all
Mart 814
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Post by mart814 on Jan 1, 2010 16:54:38 GMT
Happy New Year! I'm pleased to be the 'first-footer' on the forum (unless someone beats me to it whilst I'm typing!). Some progress with BM814; the cockpit is now sanded and ready for varnishing (but still far too cold to start that malarky). Here is a picture of the rudder and centreboard - I sneaked them into the kitchen for a few cheeky coats of undercoat. By the end of tonight they'll both be ready for top coats. I found by accident that a good tip for the winter is that whilst it feels too cold for painting, sanding keeps you very warm indeed - even in a cold garage. Laser sailing on Sunday - wind chill predicted to be around -5degs. Roll on summer! Best regs Mart814 Attachments:
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Post by New Boy on Jan 3, 2010 16:18:31 GMT
Glad you are getting some work done on her. I should say there are very few words you can not use on this site but one that offends most is the L word and I don't mean Love! In future could you refer to it as the other boat or the boat with no name. New Boy Just back fro dragging a Granny out of a hedge and not even working till later.  |
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Post by BMBA Admin on Jan 4, 2010 0:00:19 GMT
At least he's sailing something today New Boy. Unlike a certain soft-boy somebody I know that's now wrapped up his ickle boatie for the winter!  |
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Post by mart814 on Jan 4, 2010 13:09:14 GMT
Sunday sailing was pretty good, considering the weather. The "other-love-boat-with-no-name" behaved herself very well! 3 races back-to-back in a fleet of around 8 similar craft. We all had ice in our mast steps and had to resort to cups of hot water before rigging. At least the sheets didn't freeze this time.
Back to 814's foils: managed to fill all of the nibbles on the trailing edges using a rapid epoxy under masking tape; and then sanded smooth. After that I applied three coats of undercoat and one top coat. It's much faster indoors.
I guess everyone else does the same, but when applying multiple coats of paint in a short time I usually wrap the brush in cling film between coats to cut down on cleaning.
One more top coat to go, but sadly I'm off to S.Korea on business very soon and may not return until the end of the month. And in case you're wondering, it's blooming cold there too!
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Post by BMBA Admin on Jan 4, 2010 15:41:16 GMT
The "other-love-boat-with-no-name" behaved herself very well! Mart814 1, Newboy 0 ;D We all had ice in our mast steps and had to resort to cups of hot water before rigging. At least the sheets didn't freeze this time. Similar conditions at "Tropical" Frampton a couple of days earlier on New Year's Day. The lake thawed just enough for the mixed handicap fleet of six to actually race, which is the first time in a couple of weeks; the drifter conditions would have been laser-killing in a Moth, but I'd agreed to sail with Dad in his Wanderer. Keeping the old tub moving in F0 was almost as challenging as staying awake to do so after an early hours finish at the gig the night before down in Bristol and resulting, albeit traditional, lack of head-on-pillow time. However, when we hit the pack-ice on the penultimate mark the momentum in Hibernia's extra weight paid dividends and we just carried on through to the finish. Unlike half of the others; a Gull, a Laser and a Mirror, still rocking backwards and forwards trying to break free of the grip of the ice by the time we were ashore and packing our sails away  A 2nd place finish makes that our best of the year. Or, it by then being 2010, perhaps sets the standard we now have to live up to in the year still to come? Enjoy South Korea. Look forward to maybe meeting 814 on the water somewhere when the weather gets a little warmer! |
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