Spider in the garage....N12 info please.

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solentgal
Posts: 466
Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2010 9:01 pm
Location: twixt Chichester & Pompey

Spider in the garage....N12 info please.

Post by solentgal »

I know most of us have have spiders in the garage.......but I think I have just acquired the original "Spider" design N12.

Long story short........ I needed a "just add water, but interesting" boat as we were down to my half finished Moth (building work has halted any progress currently) and a ready to go (but a bit tame) "picnic boat-on-mooring" (Kestrel # 986)....so I was internet shopping......saw a dinghy advertised as ready to sail not too far away.......went to look, and although it is far from ready to sail, (need to keep the salt out of the woodwork!) I came home with N12 2523.... I really couldn't resist her! (I am seriously grounded by 'er out-at-work now though!)

If you look at the pics you can see she is mostly original and in quite sound condition....... I will renovate her in due course (had to evict Fi-Fi, my trusty Standard 10, from the garage and add a car port to the "to do" list), but in the meantime, I would love to know more about Spider's history.

The N12 website has details http://www.national12.org/boats/index.p ... value=2523 but if anyone can fill in more info I would be very interested.

She is a similar vintage to a N12 I owned 20 years or so ago (not sure what number/design unfortunately, but she was a real handful sailing single handed in a decent breeze) so I have fond memories......and the "Mothiness" of a N12 of this era just adds to the fun for me :) ......and, yes, that is the Kestrel in the background....she hasn't actually made it to her mooring yet.....Monday hopefully!

Pics:

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Sami.
davidh
Posts: 3166
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 10:43 am
Location: Ventor Isle of Wight

Re: Spider in the garage....N12 info please.

Post by davidh »

Sami,

BRILL....another one for the archive!

Way to go,

D
David H
smilie
Posts: 9
Joined: Sat May 31, 2014 8:42 pm

Re: Spider in the garage....N12 info please.

Post by smilie »

Looks good and really good to have another early 4 planker saved for obscurity, look forward to see some yotin’ photos.

By her history she should be good one being built by Impact boats and all.
Rupert
Posts: 6255
Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2004 8:40 pm
Location: Cotswold Water Park

Re: Spider in the garage....N12 info please.

Post by Rupert »

smilie wrote: saved for obscurity,.
Well, we are a niche area...
Rupert
stuw
Posts: 26
Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2012 11:20 pm

Re: Spider in the garage....N12 info please.

Post by stuw »

You seem to have acquired a very well known 12 in it's day. Think it was built in 1971 to a design by Dave East and did very well at the following Burton Week, placing in the burton cup and winning the Coronation cup crewed by him and his wife Ricky. Think it moved up to Scotland and was owned by Lady Anne Coventry. Illustrated twice in the Nat 12handbook and used to illustrate the A12 in sailing dinghys of the world 1974/5 ish. Interesting boat and well worth a bit of elbow grease to keep her going
solentgal
Posts: 466
Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2010 9:01 pm
Location: twixt Chichester & Pompey

Re: Spider in the garage....N12 info please.

Post by solentgal »

Ah......very interesting, thanks very much Stu........I'll try and find out a bit more now I know she is of interest.

I've started a thread re Spider on the maintenance section, with some more pics.

Thanks for your interest everyone, and anymore info to fill in the gaps would be very welcome :)
Sami.
smilie
Posts: 9
Joined: Sat May 31, 2014 8:42 pm

Re: Spider in the garage....N12 info please.

Post by smilie »

I don't know if know or not but the National 12 after the success of the clinker 12 series and inlands. This year they are running a series for 4 plankers. Might be well worth trying to get along to one.

There load more info here on the N12 website http://www.national12.org/events/2014/F ... 202014.pdf

Would be good to see at Ely SC :wink:
solentgal
Posts: 466
Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2010 9:01 pm
Location: twixt Chichester & Pompey

Re: Spider in the garage....N12 info please.

Post by solentgal »

Hmmm.....very interesting...a bit far due to cost of travel, and not sure if I will have her ready in time anyway....and I'd need to practice a LOT! ....and there's the problem of not having a current certificate.....if it matters, that is?
Sami.
smilie
Posts: 9
Joined: Sat May 31, 2014 8:42 pm

Re: Spider in the garage....N12 info please.

Post by smilie »

solentgal wrote:Hmmm.....very interesting...a bit far due to cost of travel, and not sure if I will have her ready in time anyway....and I'd need to practice a LOT! ....and there's the problem of not having a current certificate.....if it matters, that is?
I wouldn't worry to much about being out practice the idea is good friendly racing and not having a current certificate isn't to much of problem either. It's more about getting these old boats to together and remember what life was like before double bottoms and funny rudders.

Good luck and I hope get Spider back on the water soon :D
stuw
Posts: 26
Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2012 11:20 pm

Re: Spider in the garage....N12 info please.

Post by stuw »

Rupees, Spider came 6th in the Silver National Cup in 1971 not 6th in the Burton Cup. The Silver National s based on how well the boat did across Burton Week where as the Burton Cup is a single race of around 4 hours with legs f a minimum of one mile in length, Traditionally sailed on the Wednesday of Burton Week. Don't know when it is sailed now the National Champs are sailed over a long weekend
stuw
Posts: 26
Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2012 11:20 pm

Re: Spider in the garage....N12 info please.

Post by stuw »

Rupert, Spider came 6th in the Silver National Cup in 1971 not 6th in the Burton Cup. The Silver National s based on how well the boat did across Burton Week where as the Burton Cup is a single race of around 4 hours with legs f a minimum of one mile in length, Traditionally sailed on the Wednesday of Burton Week. Don't know when it is sailed now the National Champs are sailed over a long weekend
solentgal
Posts: 466
Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2010 9:01 pm
Location: twixt Chichester & Pompey

Re: Spider in the garage....N12 info please.

Post by solentgal »

So basically sixth overall in the 1971 national championships effectively then? Good for a boat that can't have had many hours of helm/crew getting to know her properly if only just built!
Sami.
angus
Posts: 128
Joined: Wed May 03, 2006 7:03 pm
Location: Aberuthven (just south of Perth)

Re: Spider in the garage....N12 info please.

Post by angus »

I am very friendly with the second owner of Spider who has been very helpful to me in providing shelter for my boats and a place to work although he did suggest once that perhaps I should sell a boat before I bought any more and that was just my 4th boat! Any way I brought this thread to his attention and this is the email he sent me in reply.

Thanks for that ,Angus. I normally avoid social media like the plague, and have not a clue how to reply. You can forward this e-mail if you like. I bought Spider from David East after Burton Week at Scarborough. She is a variation of the Whisper design and I think there was one other one built. She probably did more for my sailing than any other boat I have sailed. David said she would not point as high as other boats of the time, so that helped me to kick the pinching habit. At some point in any race she would produce a burst of speed that would take you past the opposition. Fiona and I were almost unbeatable until Hugh Macintyre bought a Dart. She was originally painted dark blue with a two pack polyeuretyhane paint which was starting to crack. I stripped her down to the wood, melting the glass joints in the process, so i had to replace all the exterior taped joints. I painted her green, a brighter version of what she is now. We bought a Paper Dart in 75 and I sold Spider to someone in the club, but I do not know where she went after that. She looks in remarkably good shape.

Mike

This probably does not add much to the history but I know mike thogut highly of this boat as it is the one he talks about most although he owned several 12s after her including a couple of desgin 8s. He now sails flying 15s and is still diffcult to beat. Fiona is his wife.
N2153, N2969, Merlin Rocket 3484, Mini Sprint
solentgal
Posts: 466
Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2010 9:01 pm
Location: twixt Chichester & Pompey

Re: Spider in the garage....N12 info please.

Post by solentgal »

Wow......thanks Angus....this is great stuff. Would you please say a big "thank you" on my behalf to Mike for this information, it is really interesting. I will be posting more pics and reporting progress as I go on the other thread I started if Mike is interested to follow it.......but I'm just off out for a sail in our Kestrel now, so work starts again tomorrow :)
Sami.
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