obscured by clouds
05-03-2010, 05:07 PM
Well, as they say, never look a gift horse in the mouth. However any of you that have ever been given the aforesaid horse will know that what with vet’s bill, feeding the thing and generally seeing to it’s well being, you quickly appreciate that you go from a position of maybe having money in the bank to definitely not.
I've been busy working on Sibrwd for the last few months, and I'm getting to the point where things are coming together....so…. it was’nt something I was looking for when I received an email from someone on the Classic dinghy website, wanting / asking me to go and look at another old Merlin Rocket a few miles away.
Seems a lady’s late father had stuck it in a shed when his dinghy sailing days were over – around 30 years ago apparently and there it had languished, until now. They wanted it out and away since the house was being sold, and if they could’nt get rid of it then it would go as scrap or on the local bonfire. I was'nt very keen since I already have a 1959 vintage Merlin in the shed which has sprung all it's strakes [cascamite does give up eventually] which I suspect will end up being scrapped as it's too big a job and anyway I'm trying to shed all the craft I have, not add more.
Anyway it was’nt far so I said I'd take a look. There it was in this open fronted shed looking a little forlorn under a tatty old canvas cover, covered with bird crap, dust and other unmentionables. It was pulled out and the cover literally torn off – to reveal a piece of furniture in mahogany and varnish. It looked as though it had been last used yesterday.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DnBd67qgF5E/S91CifYVE2I/AAAAAAAAAD4/Eqpmq7Jhbsc/s400/P1040648a.jpg (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DnBd67qgF5E/S91CifYVE2I/AAAAAAAAAD4/Eqpmq7Jhbsc/s1600/P1040648a.jpg)
After taking some photos and heading off home with the promise to put the word out, I duly did that and posted the photos up on the board and sent them to the MR association for dissemination. Cue absolute disinterest from everyone, mainly due to the boat being distant to those who might want a go, and possibly not being the 'right' design - Merlins are a 'boat in a box' and not every variation cuts the mustard. This one - a Moon Rocket from around 1969 was a competent but not spectacular performer.
A few days later and the lady contacted me again by now in a bit of a tizz since she had heard nothing from anyone and she wanted rid asap. She’d give it to me. Well I said, that’s nice but I can’t afford to buy it off you, all my available funds are going towards Sibrwd. No she said – it’s yours, just come and pick it up.
So I did.
Here she is rigged and ready to go
http://premium1.uploadit.org/swordie//Picture-022a.jpg
http://premium1.uploadit.org/swordie//Picture-024a.jpg
This was one occasion when looking a gift horse in the mouth would be a bad thing.
I've been busy working on Sibrwd for the last few months, and I'm getting to the point where things are coming together....so…. it was’nt something I was looking for when I received an email from someone on the Classic dinghy website, wanting / asking me to go and look at another old Merlin Rocket a few miles away.
Seems a lady’s late father had stuck it in a shed when his dinghy sailing days were over – around 30 years ago apparently and there it had languished, until now. They wanted it out and away since the house was being sold, and if they could’nt get rid of it then it would go as scrap or on the local bonfire. I was'nt very keen since I already have a 1959 vintage Merlin in the shed which has sprung all it's strakes [cascamite does give up eventually] which I suspect will end up being scrapped as it's too big a job and anyway I'm trying to shed all the craft I have, not add more.
Anyway it was’nt far so I said I'd take a look. There it was in this open fronted shed looking a little forlorn under a tatty old canvas cover, covered with bird crap, dust and other unmentionables. It was pulled out and the cover literally torn off – to reveal a piece of furniture in mahogany and varnish. It looked as though it had been last used yesterday.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DnBd67qgF5E/S91CifYVE2I/AAAAAAAAAD4/Eqpmq7Jhbsc/s400/P1040648a.jpg (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DnBd67qgF5E/S91CifYVE2I/AAAAAAAAAD4/Eqpmq7Jhbsc/s1600/P1040648a.jpg)
After taking some photos and heading off home with the promise to put the word out, I duly did that and posted the photos up on the board and sent them to the MR association for dissemination. Cue absolute disinterest from everyone, mainly due to the boat being distant to those who might want a go, and possibly not being the 'right' design - Merlins are a 'boat in a box' and not every variation cuts the mustard. This one - a Moon Rocket from around 1969 was a competent but not spectacular performer.
A few days later and the lady contacted me again by now in a bit of a tizz since she had heard nothing from anyone and she wanted rid asap. She’d give it to me. Well I said, that’s nice but I can’t afford to buy it off you, all my available funds are going towards Sibrwd. No she said – it’s yours, just come and pick it up.
So I did.
Here she is rigged and ready to go
http://premium1.uploadit.org/swordie//Picture-022a.jpg
http://premium1.uploadit.org/swordie//Picture-024a.jpg
This was one occasion when looking a gift horse in the mouth would be a bad thing.