Search found 534 matches

by Stephen Hawkins
Mon Jun 14, 2010 9:54 pm
Forum: Boat Chat
Topic: Dreaming of Merlin Rockets
Replies: 30
Views: 12177

Re: Dreaming of Merlin Rockets

I have just spoken to the guy selling the Merlin down in Devon. It was on ebay a month or so ago, but the winning bidder did not make contact. And when finally contact was made by the seller, the winner gave some cock and bull story about not really bidding for it. I had a 'virtual walk around' with...
by Stephen Hawkins
Mon Jun 14, 2010 1:10 pm
Forum: Boat Chat
Topic: Dreaming of Merlin Rockets
Replies: 30
Views: 12177

Re: Dreaming of Merlin Rockets

Chris, I did read about Rozzer, but its condition, or more importantly, its completeness was rather off-putting. I also have a Cadet in the back garden that I need to redeck and I am only allowed one project at a time. This will be my first attempt at a redeck. I will be pinning it, as I am not yet ...
by Stephen Hawkins
Mon Jun 14, 2010 11:47 am
Forum: Boat Chat
Topic: Dreaming of Merlin Rockets
Replies: 30
Views: 12177

Re: Dreaming of Merlin Rockets

This might be just up my alley although starting at £350, I am wondering what the seller is actually after: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Merlin-Rocket-racing-sailing-dingy-/150455272474?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Sporting_Goods_Sailing_Boats_ET&hash=item2307d5441a As opposed to this: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/...
by Stephen Hawkins
Mon Jun 14, 2010 10:43 am
Forum: Boat Chat
Topic: Dreaming of Merlin Rockets
Replies: 30
Views: 12177

Dreaming of Merlin Rockets

All, I am a lake/gravel pit sailor that currently sails a Miracle at South Cerney Sailing Club (near Whitefriars). I have an irrational desire to own (covet) an old Merlin Rocket. 1. There are no Merlin Rockets at my sailing club. 2. I have never sailed one. 3. The club is dominated by Albacores and...
by Stephen Hawkins
Tue Nov 17, 2009 12:46 pm
Forum: Boat Identification and Dinghy History
Topic: Bosun
Replies: 13
Views: 10083

Re: Bosun

Having learned to sail as youngsters and having spent some time in the RAF my brother and I have come across Bosuns on various occasions. 1. As a youngster my brother and I did several sailing courses at Calshot. The training boats we used were Bosuns. We learned a great deal on these boats about 'p...
by Stephen Hawkins
Thu Nov 12, 2009 1:49 pm
Forum: Boat maintenance, repair and restoration
Topic: Cadet - Wooden masts
Replies: 11
Views: 4056

Re: Cadet - Wooden masts

Chris,

I would love to come an see it.

But before I do, a couple of questions:

1. Is it straight?
2. Does it have any cracks in it?

Cheers

Steve Hawkins
by Stephen Hawkins
Thu Nov 05, 2009 11:05 am
Forum: Boat maintenance, repair and restoration
Topic: Cadet - Wooden masts
Replies: 11
Views: 4056

Re: Cadet - Wooden masts

All, The mast is solid and tapers up to the top. The cracks go across the width of the mast. I might be using too much tension and also be trying to rake the mast back too much to get it to keep up with the aluminium masted boats at the club. It might be that the wooden mast prefers to be more uprig...
by Stephen Hawkins
Thu Nov 05, 2009 9:38 am
Forum: Boat maintenance, repair and restoration
Topic: Cadet - Wooden masts
Replies: 11
Views: 4056

Re: Cadet - Wooden masts

Looking forward to it..... I rang up another spars supplier in Oxford who quoted me £300-325 (+ vat) for a replacement - which was better than the first quote. But they also suggested that a repair might be viable, at least to get another season out of it, by just getting some epoxy into the cracks....
by Stephen Hawkins
Wed Nov 04, 2009 12:02 pm
Forum: Boat maintenance, repair and restoration
Topic: Cadet - Wooden masts
Replies: 11
Views: 4056

Cadet - Wooden masts

My son sails Cadets at South Cerney Sailing Club. His Cadet, called OXO, is very old - aprox 1954/5 we were told - and still sports a wooden mast and boom. However, when we took it off the water last week we found that the mast had 3 cracks in it, 2 of which go almost half way through the width of t...