About Fireflys...

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Michael4
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About Fireflys...

Post by Michael4 »

I may be trying to relive school days (see an earlier post) but I have a hankering for an early Firefly.

This one seems to fit the bill and looks like she will give me something to do. I know little but am I correct in assuming that she is a MK1?

Image1066 forward view by dralowid, on Flickr

1066, named Hastings.

Image1066 internals by dralowid, on Flickr

I notice things like to rope handles, wooden top to mast etc etc.

Image1066 mainsail by dralowid, on Flickr

Grateful for any comments/suggestions...observations or what, apart from the obvious, to watch out for!

Michael
Tideway 206
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Sold the 'Something bigger and plastic', it never got used.
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Ed
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Re: About Fireflys...

Post by Ed »

Yup Mk1a

Looks pretty original.....nice wooden-top mast....

Boom isn't original, its a proctor rather than original Reynolds. Original spoon rudder and fairey stock though. Ali or steel plate?? can't see it in photos, which would make me suspect its the steel one.

Set up for early jibs, which sheet outside shrouds, which may be a pain, at least if you get some new sails, but easy enough to bring them inboard

Inside the bouyancy tank sides have been removed. That's OK, they nearly all leak anyway.

Internal hull-support strips have been replaced, which in my books is good as the original ones rotted and this shows that some work was done on hull at some stage, so fairly good chance that other danger areas like hog etc may of been looked at.

Looks live a lovely boat and would certainly give you something to do.

Things to watch for?

Any cracks between hull and hog. ANY cracks are something to worry about, although may be easily fixed, but certainly always worth concern and further research. Problem is that water gets in and then then rot from inside to out. All fixable of course, but worth knowing early. Likewise, check for any rot anywhere. Could be in any place that water has been allowed to collect over the years.

Other than that, general de-lamination can be an issue with older Fairey hulls; lean into boat and push heal of hand hard onto inside of hull, anywhere with footfall. .... listen for any clicking noises, which are a sign of delamination.

Finally look underneath for and deformation of hull or keel caused by being left full of water or resting badly on trolley supports. Remember that 95% of weight should be on the keel.

Looks like a nice old boat. But sure that Mike and Rupe will have further thoughts.

eib
Ed Bremner
CVRDA


Jollyboat J3
Firefly F2942
IC GBR314 ex S51 - 1970 Slurp
MR 638 - Please come and take it away
Phelps Scull
Bathurst Whiff - looking for someone to love it
Rupert
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Re: About Fireflys...

Post by Rupert »

Mk1, not Mk1a, Ed.
Rupert
Michael Brigg
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Location: Gosport, UK

Re: About Fireflys...

Post by Michael Brigg »

Hi there Michael,

Congratulations!

You are about to get involved with the boat with one of the widest range of competition and participation by helm and crew age sex and background!

Most of what can be said about fireflies has been said in detail and often repeated on the forum pages.

Plenty also to be found on the Firefly site:-

https://www.fireflyclass.co.uk/forums/

although Its a bit confusing there having just undergone a big re-vamp/update of the website and forum.

Use the search facility entering words such as "Leaking plate case", "Delamination," "Reynolds mast" and "Firefly decks" and so on and you will discover a wealth of reading material, with, in the style of this forum, a variety of enjoyable wandering off topic.

For example...Start with "My new old firefly" posted a while ago by Catriona,

viewtopic.php?f=22&t=1629

...or Alloy masts ...here:-

viewtopic.php?f=23&t=5454&p=46796&hilit ... nce#p46796

and for the rest of it follow your nose! Try these...

viewtopic.php?f=23&t=1334

viewtopic.php?f=23&t=1374
Michael Brigg
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Ed
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Re: About Fireflys...

Post by Ed »

Sorry rupe....you are right.

in my memory they were Mk1a and Mk1b rather than Mk1 and Mk1a

either way it is the original deck layout!

:-)

eib
Ed Bremner
CVRDA


Jollyboat J3
Firefly F2942
IC GBR314 ex S51 - 1970 Slurp
MR 638 - Please come and take it away
Phelps Scull
Bathurst Whiff - looking for someone to love it
Rupert
Posts: 6255
Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2004 8:40 pm
Location: Cotswold Water Park

Re: About Fireflys...

Post by Rupert »

Not sure I can add much to what Ed and Michael have said. The gold boom, as Ed says, isn't original. The Reynolds boom tended to corrode inside, and snap at the kicker point. The gold boom went with the rotating gold mast, which was pretty horrible, being too stiff.
Rupert
Michael4
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Location: West Sussex

Re: About Fireflys...

Post by Michael4 »

The current owner hasn't had her that long and doesn't know too much about it but the boat has been at UTSC for some years.

The last time I worked on diagonal planking it was a gaff ketch based on the 1903 Exmouth lifeboat ( a pulling and sailing job). Two layers of Honduras mahogany with cotton soaked in lead putty in between (or some such) . The buoyancy tanks at either end also had a leather lining. This looks a little gentler but I'm sure I'll be asking familiar questions when I find areas of de-lamination which I guess will be back toward the transom.

I think I'll go up there and kick the tyres but will take money and trailer with me!

Michael
Tideway 206
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Sold the 'Something bigger and plastic', it never got used.
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Ed
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Re: About Fireflys...

Post by Ed »

Ah......thought the number was familiar (as well as obvious Merlin connections)....

Have fun picking her up.

When I bought Iska (Merlin 6) from UTSC, that same boatpark I think....

It took me 3 visits (I think) for meals with all the membership, before I was deemed reliable enough to become her custodian!!

cheers

eib

PS Fairey moulded ply ain't much like diagonal planking. Much easier to work on....and all-together much better.
Ed Bremner
CVRDA


Jollyboat J3
Firefly F2942
IC GBR314 ex S51 - 1970 Slurp
MR 638 - Please come and take it away
Phelps Scull
Bathurst Whiff - looking for someone to love it
Michael4
Posts: 504
Joined: Fri Jan 03, 2014 5:25 pm
Location: West Sussex

Re: About Fireflys...

Post by Michael4 »

Well after a few hours of motoring at 49.999 mph (what is the limit for trailers anyway?) Hasting is now on the South Coast where Hastings really ought to be (OK wrong county). The ex Stephen Hawkins Classic Racing Tailer doing sterling work again!

Our Merlin Desperation 950 (also ex Stephen Hawkins) is also ex UTSC so things are tying up nicely. I like the little train that runs between dinghy park and club (Marlow Mule?)

Unfortunately the place suffered badly during the floods of the winter before last and is, I am told, far from being sorted

As for the Firefly, apart from some investigative prodding she is now in the dry where she may sit awhile...or I'll stuff her in the water and see what happens. She appears to leak a tad, I could see the rainwater dripping slowly out of her bow when tilted forward but have yet to find a soft or bendy spot and the inside looks as if it was once attacked with an angle grinder!

More soon

Michael
Tideway 206
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Sold the 'Something bigger and plastic', it never got used.
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Ed
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Re: About Fireflys...

Post by Ed »

Marlow Mule? FOFL Marlow Donkey!

The track used to cross our garden and drive....

My brother raced up the drive one night on his motorbike....and seeing no lights and hearing no noise hurtled around the corner to find the train stationary across the drive. Ended up breaking his leg. My sister used to take the Donkey to school, and the train would stop at edge of our vegetable patch for my sister to jump aboard. Of course, it is all built up now with infill.


The angle-grinder look is common with the early Fairey shells and is normally original. They got better with later boats.

eib
Ed Bremner
CVRDA


Jollyboat J3
Firefly F2942
IC GBR314 ex S51 - 1970 Slurp
MR 638 - Please come and take it away
Phelps Scull
Bathurst Whiff - looking for someone to love it
Michael4
Posts: 504
Joined: Fri Jan 03, 2014 5:25 pm
Location: West Sussex

Re: About Fireflys...

Post by Michael4 »

Ed wrote:Marlow Mule? FOFL Marlow Donkey!

The angle-grinder look is common with the early Fairey shells and is normally original. They got better with later boats.

eib

My apologies to the donkey.

I'm used to boats built by Walker and Chippendale, I guess I need to get used to Fairey's techniques now....
Tideway 206
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Sold the 'Something bigger and plastic', it never got used.
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Ed
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Re: About Fireflys...

Post by Ed »

Thing is.....Fairey were 'mass-producing' ....or at least trying to :-) and boats were built on a production line, rather than individually built.

Arguably they were the biggest ever mass-producer of wooden boats. In general the quality is incredible, but you have to remember they were designed to be built quickly and hopefully to a price (they never got that one sorted out)

For instance, (Rupe will correct me if wrong) but the decks and deckbeams were all made in one piece off the shell and dropped on in one go.

Sometimes you wonder why it was built like this or that and the answer is normally because it was faster on a production line.

The build is therefore very different to a Walker or Chippendale boat, but none the worse for it. They are easy enough to work on and lots of fun.

eib
Ed Bremner
CVRDA


Jollyboat J3
Firefly F2942
IC GBR314 ex S51 - 1970 Slurp
MR 638 - Please come and take it away
Phelps Scull
Bathurst Whiff - looking for someone to love it
Rupert
Posts: 6255
Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2004 8:40 pm
Location: Cotswold Water Park

Re: About Fireflys...

Post by Rupert »

There is a wonderful Pathe news clip of them plonking a complete deck onto a shell. Down it goes, a few taps with a mallet and done!
Rupert
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