Any 'shoestring' sailors?
Discussion
tr7v8 said:
Looking good, but am I allowed to say I preferred the white?
Fair comment! I almost felt the same but having already (over) bought the red I cracked on.I love it to be fair, it’s gone one really well. I thinned it 10% with thinners 100 and used a flocked roller and I also tipped it despite that apparently not being needed with toplac plus.
I’m very pleased so far
I've just found this thread - what a lovely job you've done on your boat! I looked at H22s (I'm a sucker for long keel traditional stuff) and ended up buying a 24/70 - it's also a great design though mine was a bit of a lemon in the sails and engine department. I sold it, which has to be one of the worst boat related decisions I've made so far, I still miss my "little big boat"!
It's definitely possible to sail on a budget, as I've done to a greater or lesser degree since I was a teenager.
Current boat is an Itchen Ferry - it's a strange 70s combination of a hull modelled on an old sailing fishing boat, with a modern cabin top that gives it impressive accommodation with the drawbacks you can expect from that...
Weighs 3 tons and has a keel running from stem to stern and a rudder like a barn door, it sails like it's on rails but causes chaos in marinas!
When conditions are even slightly ropey she won't really make any progress to windward - leaving salcombe I could see the same spot even after 4 hours of beating into a f4-5
Still, you can have fun in any boat, and I recently sailed it from Poole to Swansea singlehanded in 8 days (plus 4 waiting for weather windows) to hopefully get more sailing in now it's only half an hour away
For a small (and don't tell her - very tubby) boat it's been about a lot. It's definitely still possible to have fun on a small boat on a modest budget
Maybe one day I'll move up the ladder and get a centaur, or something folkboat-ish like a Contessa 26, Invicta, Cutlass or similar for a bit better sailing performance. For an ex dinghy racer the rig of an itchen ferry is disappointing to say the least
It's definitely possible to sail on a budget, as I've done to a greater or lesser degree since I was a teenager.
Current boat is an Itchen Ferry - it's a strange 70s combination of a hull modelled on an old sailing fishing boat, with a modern cabin top that gives it impressive accommodation with the drawbacks you can expect from that...
Weighs 3 tons and has a keel running from stem to stern and a rudder like a barn door, it sails like it's on rails but causes chaos in marinas!
When conditions are even slightly ropey she won't really make any progress to windward - leaving salcombe I could see the same spot even after 4 hours of beating into a f4-5
Still, you can have fun in any boat, and I recently sailed it from Poole to Swansea singlehanded in 8 days (plus 4 waiting for weather windows) to hopefully get more sailing in now it's only half an hour away
For a small (and don't tell her - very tubby) boat it's been about a lot. It's definitely still possible to have fun on a small boat on a modest budget
Maybe one day I'll move up the ladder and get a centaur, or something folkboat-ish like a Contessa 26, Invicta, Cutlass or similar for a bit better sailing performance. For an ex dinghy racer the rig of an itchen ferry is disappointing to say the least
Plymo said:
I've just found this thread - what a lovely job you've done on your boat! I looked at H22s (I'm a sucker for long keel traditional stuff) and ended up buying a 24/70 - it's also a great design though mine was a bit of a lemon in the sails and engine department. I sold it, which has to be one of the worst boat related decisions I've made so far, I still miss my "little big boat"!
It's definitely possible to sail on a budget, as I've done to a greater or lesser degree since I was a teenager.
Current boat is an Itchen Ferry - it's a strange 70s combination of a hull modelled on an old sailing fishing boat, with a modern cabin top that gives it impressive accommodation with the drawbacks you can expect from that...
Weighs 3 tons and has a keel running from stem to stern and a rudder like a barn door, it sails like it's on rails but causes chaos in marinas!
When conditions are even slightly ropey she won't really make any progress to windward - leaving salcombe I could see the same spot even after 4 hours of beating into a f4-5
Still, you can have fun in any boat, and I recently sailed it from Poole to Swansea singlehanded in 8 days (plus 4 waiting for weather windows) to hopefully get more sailing in now it's only half an hour away
For a small (and don't tell her - very tubby) boat it's been about a lot. It's definitely still possible to have fun on a small boat on a modest budget
Maybe one day I'll move up the ladder and get a centaur, or something folkboat-ish like a Contessa 26, Invicta, Cutlass or similar for a bit better sailing performance. For an ex dinghy racer the rig of an itchen ferry is disappointing to say the least
Interesting boat the Itchen Ferry, as you say, a bit tubby perhaps but nonetheless charming! Didn't they do them in various sizes (stretching the original hull)?It's definitely possible to sail on a budget, as I've done to a greater or lesser degree since I was a teenager.
Current boat is an Itchen Ferry - it's a strange 70s combination of a hull modelled on an old sailing fishing boat, with a modern cabin top that gives it impressive accommodation with the drawbacks you can expect from that...
Weighs 3 tons and has a keel running from stem to stern and a rudder like a barn door, it sails like it's on rails but causes chaos in marinas!
When conditions are even slightly ropey she won't really make any progress to windward - leaving salcombe I could see the same spot even after 4 hours of beating into a f4-5
Still, you can have fun in any boat, and I recently sailed it from Poole to Swansea singlehanded in 8 days (plus 4 waiting for weather windows) to hopefully get more sailing in now it's only half an hour away
For a small (and don't tell her - very tubby) boat it's been about a lot. It's definitely still possible to have fun on a small boat on a modest budget
Maybe one day I'll move up the ladder and get a centaur, or something folkboat-ish like a Contessa 26, Invicta, Cutlass or similar for a bit better sailing performance. For an ex dinghy racer the rig of an itchen ferry is disappointing to say the least
Quick update;
Sunday, we did a big family lunch then my partner and I got up to the boat, was a nice afternoon and big spring tide so decided we'd get the dinghy out again.
Had a gentle motor up to Warkworth and the back down to the harbour, spotted a convenient space between two trawlers right in front of the Fish Shack so we tied up and went ashore and had a quick drink. Food looked amazing and we've booked in next Saturday night to eat.
Regarding a kill switch on the dinghy, yes, probably a good idea (though I would also add I won't be letting my stepson out alone in it for some time).
Sunday morning I started attacking the deck with the sander - a lot of work to do here but you can see the difference between Port and Starboard.
You might be able to see but she has texture printed into the gelcoat to give areas with improved grip; it's in poor shape though so I think I'm going to sand it flat and just build up a decent layer of interdeck in those areas. I've a plan for a colour scheme which inverts the norm. The original topsides were grey on this boat, so any of the 'shiny' bits I am going to paint in toplac atlantic grey, with what were the original textured areas in white interdeck.
I did also get the second coat of red on, glassed up the bottom of the skeg and finished the sink drain seacock. Bec continued painting and upholstering inside, though I've not photographed any of that yet
Sunday, we did a big family lunch then my partner and I got up to the boat, was a nice afternoon and big spring tide so decided we'd get the dinghy out again.
Had a gentle motor up to Warkworth and the back down to the harbour, spotted a convenient space between two trawlers right in front of the Fish Shack so we tied up and went ashore and had a quick drink. Food looked amazing and we've booked in next Saturday night to eat.
Regarding a kill switch on the dinghy, yes, probably a good idea (though I would also add I won't be letting my stepson out alone in it for some time).
Sunday morning I started attacking the deck with the sander - a lot of work to do here but you can see the difference between Port and Starboard.
You might be able to see but she has texture printed into the gelcoat to give areas with improved grip; it's in poor shape though so I think I'm going to sand it flat and just build up a decent layer of interdeck in those areas. I've a plan for a colour scheme which inverts the norm. The original topsides were grey on this boat, so any of the 'shiny' bits I am going to paint in toplac atlantic grey, with what were the original textured areas in white interdeck.
I did also get the second coat of red on, glassed up the bottom of the skeg and finished the sink drain seacock. Bec continued painting and upholstering inside, though I've not photographed any of that yet
sanguinary said:
You won’t go wrong at the Fish Shack. I’m from Manchester originally but settled up here over ten years ago. I adore most places along the Northumbrian coast, there are some cracking little eateries up here.
Good to hear! Amble has certainly come on in the years since I used to be there regularly. We've been frequenting the Cock & Bull most weekendsD1bram said:
Interesting boat the Itchen Ferry, as you say, a bit tubby perhaps but nonetheless charming! Didn't they do them in various sizes (stretching the original hull)?
Yep they did a 25' one as well, but ultimately they weren't as successful as the Cornish Crabber boats that had a similar sort of design (but lighter)My understanding is there were loads of small boat builders popping up everywhere then, including some who bought mouldings in and then did the rest.
And some companies really did buy an old mould, chainsaw it in half and lengthen it
You're lucky though, Hurley were a respected builder who made very decent boats. The spars on mine are original, made by Hurley as well!
I think when the resin prices increased in the late 70s the quality of a lot of boats went down as they went from "if in doubt, make it thicker" to "Hmm let's see if we can get away with just stuffing glass mat in with a bit of resin on top"
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