Any 'shoestring' sailors?

[D1bram]

hidetheelephants said:

D1bram said:

- Fitted the rudder, though we've found it must have been spaced off the hull where the tube bolts off so I have some nylon/HDPE to make up some spacers and we will have a fettle.

Excellent stuff. You won't be after extra jobs to do but that rudder looks to be an awful shape, transom hung rudders are always a bit of a compromise but it should be vaguely aerofoil shaped with a fine taper down to the trailing edge which should be no more than 10-15mm thick; a new rudder might be a good winter project to keep motivation up in the long dark months.

You’re right, it’s not pretty! But it will do for now. Ideally I’d split and then rebuild it.

I would argue though that transom hung rudders are pretty ideal in a cruising boat, well protected and relatively easily replaced or repaired.

Once it’s one properly I plan to strip the old paint, then hit it with the angle grinder and epoxy to do the best I can

[D1bram]

Jaguar steve said:

+1 for Scapa tape - it's brilliant stuff.

No more faffing about with tubes of gloop that gets everywhere you don't want it for me.

Yep, I’m sold, it’s so neat and easy to use

[C n C]

I've just seen this thread for the first time today and read through it all - a very enjoyable read, and so interesting.

One of the earlier posters mentioned their dad had a Macwester Wight for years, which sparked a distant memory. As a navy cadet at school back in the 1980s, one of the teachers had what I seem to remember was a Macwester Wight Yawl? and several of us had the opportunity to help crew this and put into practise stuff we'd learned about navigation, sailing etc.. On one occasion the teacher and 4 of us sailed from Hull to Gt Yarmouth (getting "stranded" in Blakeney for 3 days due to the weather), and another time 3 of us, along with the teacher's daughter went from Gt Yarmouth to Hellevoetsluis in the Netherlands across the North Sea, which was a great adventure. Even more memorable for me, as I ended up dating his daughter for the next few years!

This was in Blakeney (North Norfolk)
N22 by conradsphotos, on Flickr

One of the boat taken on the Haringvliet "inland sea" in the Netherlands
N21 by conradsphotos, on Flickr



I look forward to further updates as you make progress on "Astra" or "Tigh Na Mara" - great to see what can be done on a limited budget, yet still provide you with a practical and enjoyable sailing experience.

[felixflyer]

Great thread,

I'm in the same position and about to buy my first boat. Looking at 3 possibilities, a Hustler 30, Hurley 24/70 or an invicta 26. All have pros and cons but I'll be following this thread with interest.

Oh and I've never sailed so will be doing my RYA quals and joined a club to get experience while doing it up.

[Jaguar steve]

felixflyer said:

Great thread,

I'm in the same position and about to buy my first boat. Looking at 3 possibilities, a Hustler 30, Hurley 24/70 or an invicta 26. All have pros and cons but I'll be following this thread with interest.

Oh and I've never sailed so will be doing my RYA quals and joined a club to get experience while doing it up.

It'd be worth some time working out where and how you're going to keep any boat before you buy too.

There's waiting lists in some of the more popular or cheaper locations and the annual mooring or berthing costs can be a very significant part of ownership.

[felixflyer]

I've joined a club and they have moorings and hardstanding available and are very reasonable so that should be ok.

Depending which boat I go for there will be varying amounts of time in its current hardstanding location getting it ready to go on the mooring so that's something to help decide between them. One is already in the club on a mooring so that's a plus.

[D1bram]

Some fantastic memories there C n C!

felixflyer said:

Great thread,

I'm in the same position and about to buy my first boat. Looking at 3 possibilities, a Hustler 30, Hurley 24/70 or an invicta 26. All have pros and cons but I'll be following this thread with interest.

Oh and I've never sailed so will be doing my RYA quals and joined a club to get experience while doing it up.

Oh interesting, are they all similarly priced?

My heart would be in the hustler personally but then the Hurley will almost match it for accommodation but will be mo match performance wise. The invicta is also a great boat which I can’t help but admire.

Work still progressing as fast as life will allow, I’ll do a proper update at the weekend.

[Arnold Cunningham]

C n C said:

One of the earlier posters mentioned their dad had a Macwester Wight for years, which sparked a distant memory

Yeah, that was me. And we occasionally did similar things too - I was in the Navy cadets & school sailing club and we'd sometimes host a sailing weekend, or just some lads from school would come with us.

The good times were really good - but I have to admit I've lost all my gusto for sailing these days, which is a real shame. I wish I could find it again.
I ended up doing so much dinghy racing - it became all about the race, and not about enjoying the sailing any more.

So much so that I did have an opportunity to take the boat on when he died in 2018 - but I declined. Partially to let bygones be bygones, partially because I think we'd have just used it as a caravan.

Edited by Arnold Cunningham on Wednesday 5th April 10:27

[D1bram]

Long time, no update...

I'm not dead and the boat is now afloat! As this picture of us approaching the Newcastle City Marina demonstrates



It hasn't all been plain sailing, there have been a few setbacks and ultimately it took us a month longer than expected to get her home. My budget is now blown and she's still far from finished.

We're getting there though and she is at least a sailing project, well she will be once I can solve a fueling issue...

I will provide some chronological updates once I have time, including our experience of being taken under tow by a trawler

[SpeckledJim]

Excellent stuff, congratulations. Bet that felt great pottering along the Tyne?

Glad you're taking the time to actually enjoy it as a boat, rather than just work on it as a project.

[D1bram]

SpeckledJim said:

Excellent stuff, congratulations. Bet that felt great pottering along the Tyne?

Glad you're taking the time to actually enjoy it as a boat, rather than just work on it as a project.

It was great, would have been even better had I not had to bleed the engine every twenty minutes!

The City Marina is a fantastic facility, we moored up, met my brother and a friend then went out for drinks... stumbling back to the boat later in the evening.

As we both don't have much leave this year we decided we would buy a season pass to it, we can be up there and moored in 4 hours then use the boat as a weekend crash pad. We're off to see Sam Fender on Friday night at St James Park so doing exactly that then.