Moving Quickly Along - Merlin 950

General chat about boats
davidh
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Re: Moving Quickly Along - Merlin 950

Post by davidh »

Jon,

Can you check the diary and if possible, add the dates for Shearwater in! This is NOT my preferred conditions and I'll moan non stop about the windshifts - nor will the smokers like flipping about from tack to tack.

But if we can - let's be at Shearwater...better still...be at Shearwater in a 'banana boat'!

D
David H
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jon711
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Re: Moving Quickly Along - Merlin 950

Post by jon711 »

In the diary, and confermed.... :D

Sounds like it should be just like sailing on Oulton Broad!!!

Stephen, you will make the other sailors at your club jealous by how lovely she looks!! You never know you may be able to convert a few more from the plastic bottles, into real boats!

Jon

(Hang on sailing in October - are we mad?? I promised myself when I reached 40 that I would not do winter sailing again - another resoloution I may have to break!!)
Rupert
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Re: Moving Quickly Along - Merlin 950

Post by Rupert »

October's not winter!

As for Shearwater conditions - like nowhere else on earth! Love it.
Rupert
Pat
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Re: Moving Quickly Along - Merlin 950

Post by Pat »

Shearwater is the place where the flags on the six marks all fly in different directions and you can have two boats with spinnakers flying (now that's rare at Shearwater) running downwind towards each other! More likely, you beat up the lake then beat back down the lake.
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jon711
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Re: Moving Quickly Along - Merlin 950

Post by jon711 »

Pat wrote:Shearwater is the place where the flags on the six marks all fly in different directions and you can have two boats with spinnakers flying (now that's rare at Shearwater) running downwind towards each other! More likely, you beat up the lake then beat back down the lake.
I take it the two boats will be yourselves and ourselves, as we were the only boats I saw at Bough Beech flying kites!!! :wink:

Jon

(Appologies if someone else did and I missed it!!)
Stephen Hawkins
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Re: Moving Quickly Along - Merlin 950

Post by Stephen Hawkins »

For constant wind, perhaps a curry is in order. :shock:

Lake sailor's song:

Sails, centreboard, balance, trim, course made good. Sails centreboard, balance, trim, course made good. Sails, etc.

No time for conversation, the wind has changed.

Steve Hawkins
Steve Hawkins

1967 National 12 2383 "Sparkle"
davidh
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Re: Moving Quickly Along - Merlin 950

Post by davidh »

Pat,

I can think of NOTHING worser! But, one cannot have a Bough beech each and every weekend - more's the pity!

I'll be there but expect non-stop moaning about the wind direction (or lack of it), then I'll moan about the wind strength, the 'go around every buoy on the lake' course.....

Seriously though - am looking forward to a sort of sailing that has hardly figured in my time afloat to date...

I may be naff at it, I may complain, but deep down, I'll enjoy it!

D
David H
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jon711
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Re: Moving Quickly Along - Merlin 950

Post by jon711 »

David,

Don't worry, you will have a Broads sailor on board. We are used to those style of courses, and those fickle winds....

"Let me take you buy the hand and lead you round the marks of Shearwater, I'll tell you something that will make you change your mind"!! appologies to Ralph McTell..

Jon
roger
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Re: Moving Quickly Along - Merlin 950

Post by roger »

Having sailed on the broads a long long time ago and then about 8 years ago i can asure you that Shearwater is nothing like Oulton Broad. The winds are positively steady at oulton. Which reminds me of the SGP at QM SC when we came off the water an Osprey sailor was saying it was really shifty...... cant say we noticed.

Be good to see you both there.
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Ancient Geek
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Re: Moving Quickly Along - Merlin 950

Post by Ancient Geek »

Was that because you found the wind steady after Shearwater, or because you didn't notice the shifts?
Simples.
Stephen Hawkins
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Re: Moving Quickly Along - Merlin 950

Post by Stephen Hawkins »

Okay,

Well I picked here up last night, quite a road trip and did not get back into to Swindon until 10.45pm.

So what have I got for my money? I shall start with the bad points:

1. The deck is covered with thousands of longitudenal cracks in the varnish. For some reason the new varnish has failed. It only had two coats of International Schooner varnish earlier in the year,one of which was thinned, which was not enough, and the wood has expanded/contracted, resulting in the splits. There are a couple of soft spots on the deck, but nothing to be really worried about in the short/medium term.

2. The cover is plastic, very crispy and full of holes. This cover will only last as long as the bodge tape I will be using to cover the holes. So I have to budget for a new canvas cover before we go into winter.

3. The boat has been holed at some point and there is ronseal wood stain covering the car body filler that has been used to plug the hole. The corrugated cardboard backing peice is still visible inside the boat.
The hole does not seem very big, but I will have to sand off the wood stain and varnish to be sure. A plywood plug would be much better and less noticable.

4. Above the hole there is a chunk of gunnel missing - its not all gone,width wise, and I am sure it can be easily built up again with carefully shaped bit of timber.

5. What looks to be the top block for the spinnaker halyard is breaking up (plastic wheel inside block). I will not be able to hoist the spinnaker until it is replaced. However it is triangular shaped and seem to form part of the forstay. I have never seen a fitting like it and its removal would change the length of the forstay I think. Wont know until I put the mast up.

6. Two bits of mahogany kicking around the inside of the boat with jamming cleats and the spinnaker sheets threaded through the cleats. Where they should be fixed I do not know.

Well, thats the bad points that I know of. Now the good points.

1. She looks pretty solid and worthy of the effort to bring here back. All the kit seems to be present.

2. All the bags are holding air.

3. Two complete sets of sails, including spinnakers, that are all in pretty good order and all marked up with the boat number - i.e they should fit. And I should not need new ones in the short term.

4. A nearly new road trailor.

Summary: So she has her issues. There are good points and bad points and other than the cover, it should not cost much to put right - time and effort. But on the whole I feel that I have not done badly.

Plan: Well plans are divided into short medium and long term jobs:

1. Short term - She cannot be sailed until I seal up the decks, so for the next three nights I will be varnishing the deck with some International yacht varnish from B&Q. I need to inspect/clean and lube all standing rigging, so that I have a chance to sail her this weekend and start the 'shakedown' period.

2. Medium term - Repair the gunnel (temp), sort out the spinnaker block and fix anything that arises from the shake down.

3. Long term - Permanently repair the hole in the side. Look at the possibilty of a full strip and revarnish of the outside of the hull. Consider painting her. She will need to be re-decked eventually - probably.

I wont be bored.

Steve Hawkins
Steve Hawkins

1967 National 12 2383 "Sparkle"
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jon711
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Re: Moving Quickly Along - Merlin 950

Post by jon711 »

Considering she's an old lady - dosn't sound too bad - although the car filler repair with cardboard backing, made me cringe!! We used to get loads of boats at the yard that were repaired in such a way!!! Brought back memories... (Must have been owned by a Broad's sailor at sometime!!)

Jon
Garry R

Re: Moving Quickly Along - Merlin 950

Post by Garry R »

Got the Isopon and a large cardboard box ready for every eventuality at Oulton!! I may need a crew (possibly occasional) as Trish's tennis elbow still has not got 100% sorted out. She may not be able to sail every day. Hence the lack of her presence at Wimbledon!! Serena was much relieved!!
Obscured by clouds
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Re: Moving Quickly Along - Merlin 950

Post by Obscured by clouds »

I will be varnishing the deck with some International yacht varnish from B&Q.
Eeekk! check the small print on the tin, I suspect it might just say 'not suitable for marine use' somewhere there. The formulation has changed leading to a loss in the uv properties and waterproofness of international yacht varnish [and others].

Two pack is ok but pricey

I've switched to Le Tonkinois varnish, which not only does'nt contain nasties [its 100% organic] it also smells lovely as you put it on! and it's flexible enough to move with the wood.
Tony



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Ancient Geek
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Re: Moving Quickly Along - Merlin 950

Post by Ancient Geek »

Don'r panic Captain Mainwaring! A racing dinghy sailed primarily on fresh water and covered when not in use is hardly "marine use"!
Simples.
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