Merlin Rocket 950 pics and a question

[Michael4]

Called...''Desperation'!. Proctor MKVIII 1959

I took the boat over from Steve Hawkins a couple of months back. She's a beautiful thing and now ready for the water.

DSC00887 by dralowid, on Flickr
She's been sharing the garage with a 13 plank Tideway (more of that another day)

DSC00932 by dralowid, on Flickr
Steve had stripped the varnish making my job a lot easier. Is this what they used to call a banana boat?

DSC00906 by dralowid, on Flickr
I haven't touched the inside. I've learnt my lesson stripping the insides of one and a half Tideways....

DSC00951 by dralowid, on Flickr
Anyway, I hope you agree that she looks presentable though as Steve will tell you, I have photographed her 'better' side here.

DSC00954 by dralowid, on Flickr
I guess this plaque comes from one of the Thames clubs? Any idea which one?

[chris]

No, a banana boat was a particular design by Jack Holt and much earlier. c. no 180's end of 1948/to 1949. much more extreme rocker and minimum wetted area. 950 is out of the Proctor stable. a mark 8 built by Chippendales some 10years later.
Looking good!

[JimC]

I guess this plaque comes from one of the Thames clubs? Any idea which one?

That's a Thames SC burgee.

Banana boat is also used generically for anything with a lot of rocker for the class in question.

[Ed]

mmmmm.....lovely!

Yes, I have another Proctor MkVIII, which I have also heard others refer to as a 'banana boat'.

Although have to say, am no longer sure where I heard it called that....is there a reference in the Merlin history or the design listings that calls a MkVIII a banana boat?

Not sure at all...

eib

[Michael4]

mmmmm.....lovely!

Yes, I have another Proctor MkVIII, which I have also heard others refer to as a 'banana boat'.


eib

If there were only six Mk VIIIs built as I have read somewhere (two Chippendale and four W&C) then we can account for two thirds of the population! Who built yours?

But one wonders why so few......

[Stephen Hawkins]

Can I have her back now?

She is not a Banana Boat, as indicated above. She is, however, a design that has been optimized for the river/restricted waters like, perhaps, the original banana boat - A MkVI with a bit more rocker if you will. If you search through the Merlin Rocket Owners Association Website, in the sort of vintage areas you will find a letter written by Ian Proctor, where he specifically mentions the design and his hopes for it.

But whatever - as a class, if you hold your national championships event at more open venues, like the sea, with extended courses, then any design optimized for the river and not sailed by a 'big name', is unlikely to feature in the top rankings. Either way, people are more likely to buy a 'winning' design than any other, whether that 'winning' design is an appropriate boat for the venue they are sailing at. I am not suggesting that people followed along blindly, or playing safe, but there is also the resale aspects to take into account, etc.

So only 6 were made.

Cheers

[Michael4]

Steve, you need this...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/171393706607? ... 1423.l2649

[chris]

Surely, Stephen, you need it for your N12 collection, looking through the Nat 12 book L for Leather is no.1023 built 1952.
Looks in good condition, an easy(ish) project for someone to get a real vintage wing boat.

[Rupert]

I guess this plaque comes from one of the Thames clubs? Any idea which one?

That's a Thames SC burgee.

Banana boat is also used generically for anything with a lot of rocker for the class in question.

http://www.thamessailingclub.co.uk/

Have Thames changed their burgee in recent years?

Not Tamesis,, though. They use TC, rather than TSC, and also have an anchor, but have a blue/white flag.

[Michael4]

Surely, Stephen, you need it for your N12 collection, looking through the Nat 12 book L for Leather is no.1023 built 1952.
Looks in good condition, an easy(ish) project for someone to get a real vintage wing boat.

or this, which is for sale just round the corner from me by Michael Goffe for whom it was originally built and looks as if it may be in excellent condition!

http://www.national12.org/boats/index.p ... &value=504

[chris]

504 came to the Holt centenary weekend at Wraysbury that the CVRDA put on 2012. It is certainly in excellent condition and with a good pedigree too. I remember it needed to get wet and plim up though.

[Bill-Conner]

It IS Tamesis club that identified the boat as Tamesis in their shared dinghy park with Arien S C (BBC.)

[Stephen Hawkins]

Pack it in you lot!

Anyway, I have already got a leaky Holt 500.

Still trying to get Spider ready for the weekend - but am a bit tied in knots with the rigging.

Another couple of evening scratching my head, should do it.

Cheers