Following the Pied Piper.

[Larks]

Thanks Graeme. I spent about two hours looking for Fosters a couple of years ago and was only able to find all of those fancy apartments. I had the address from the web site but it didn't seem to exist in that little enclave.

[Rayjing]

Hey Graeme,are yachtspars still going ?. They were on Birkenhead wharf I think, and they made good rigs

[Candyfloss]

Today I sliced up my new acquisition. If you don't think this is traumatic, think again. This may well be the last one in captivity;



After careful measuring 19mm was the amount of mast base that needed to be lost, then match both halves back together for a near-enough-to-perfect fit. Welding is almost as forgiving as glueing with West System epoxy, or so I'm told. In the event, I was able to get it so close that even the engineer was impressed. And it only took half a day;



I tried Ray's suggestion of using a cut-off disk first, which was fine for the cut thru the base, but the rest was too finicky, so I just hacksawed it. What's an hour with a hacksaw to a man who has just spent a week sanding his rooftop, and is about to spend another week longboarding his topsides? A mere bagatele.

[Candyfloss]

Last time I was on Birkenhead wharf (why would you go there? There ain't nothing there but Birkenhead) there was nothing there but a bloody great empty restaurant........... and Birkenhead. Mind you, there was a lovely little cafe where I got a very nice glass of Merlot at a price that didn't entirely nuke my wallet, on the left of the windy, narrow, character-filled road that leads to the great, empty, cultural wasteland that is Birkenhead, where my wallet got stolen.

As for Yachtspars, I have no idea.

Editorial disclaimer: All opinions expressed by posters on this thread are entirely those of the posters and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editorial staff, who may or may not exist. Especially opinions about the great City of Auckland.

[Candyfloss]

John, with all due respect, I can think of several boats after "Moonlight" that were very different, although of course they were easily identifiable as Townson boats. "Ashara" for one. I can't believe there was only one built. Then the very wide-bodied "Pipedream", which morphed into the Townson 10, and of course "Highland Girl" with her very unusual underwater configuration and 9/10ths rig. And these are only the ones I've had personal experience of, living as I do out in the boonies.

I believe that Des once said in an interview that someone had said that he only ever designed one boat, but this is not something that I would ever accuse him of. Sure, they all look the same to the uninitiated, but that was of course Des' intention; he was fiercely proud of his "signature" & a Townson boat had to look like a Townson boat, unlike some other designers who would draw anything you wanted for you, even if they thought it looked like s**t & would probably perform like it as well.

In the sense that he had a mid-body section that worked for him (with masthead rig) & a sail-to-ballast ratio that he thought was about the optimum, then yes, it is true to say that many of his boats came from the same mould, but that is far from the sum total of his later years as a designer.

Hell, you could say the same thing about any of the great designers, Bruce Farr for instance. Light, flat & beamy, pointy at the front, wide at the back, he's only changed his basic design philosophy by tiny degrees as requirements have demanded over many years. There is not much difference between the 7.6 & what he is producing now that cannot be traced through small incremental changes, & he has had huge, sophisticated, hi-tech, computer-powered blah blah blah, whatever. Bet you, if he were to design a 25ft cruiser/racer now, you'd be hard put to tell the difference.

Fact is, there isn't much further you can go. All the great boat design breakthroughs have been made. You can sail a Young 88 to Australia, but it won't be much fun. An H28 may be slow, but it sure is comfortable. You have to find what suits you somewhere in between. For performance, comfort & sheer jaw-dropping beauty, you just can't beat a Townson boat, and you never will.

I know I am preaching to the converted, please forgive me, but I just couldn't let that pass.

[snow(Alan H)]

Check Fosters out at this link to a CYA NZ function

http://classicyacht.org.nz/forum/vie...Fosters#p10046

[Larks]

I remember you posting that Alan, that post was the reason for me going looking for them.

[RFNK]

Well, I looked but I couldn't find it in Gift Ideas so I'm guessing it just ain't there : (

Rick

[Redeye]

looking at that list I see three of the Restless design were built. I'm aware that the first Restless, built by Des, was heavily damaged in a collision a little after he sold her, but don't know the full story. Also, does anyone know where the other two are?

[Slacko]

I watched a Townson 36 "Hotspur" cross our bow going to windward in 30-40 knots in the sounds a few years ago.
The crew were having a beer in the cockpit.
We were getting caned in a Ross 830 on the opposite tack heading for a bay for lunch.
That design went to the top of my wishlist at that point, and has stayed there ever since.
Where would that fit on the list above?

[AnalogKid]

Last time I was on Birkenhead wharf (why would you go there? There ain't nothing there but Birkenhead) there was nothing there but a bloody great empty restaurant........... and Birkenhead. Mind you, there was a lovely little cafe where I got a very nice glass of Merlot at a price that didn't entirely nuke my wallet, on the left of the windy, narrow, character-filled road that leads to the great, empty, cultural wasteland that is Birkenhead, where my wallet got stolen.

Phew, just got back from a late breakfast in Birkenhead with Bidgit's cousin, up from Hamilton for the weekend. Sounds like I was lucky to get out alive.

I'm really enjoying the thread Graeme, I'm just sitting back and picking up heaps of knowledge while you seem to be confidently progressing through that to-do list. Please give plenty of warning so us culturally empty Jafas might make a trip up to Thames for the splash.

Andy.

P.S. Straight after breakfast we went to the beach and had a splash of our own - Sam's SOF kayak.

[Johnmac]

Graeme - the comment "after Moonlight I [Des] didn't stray far away from her design ideas and figures" came from Des during one of my seven interviews with him. Cheers John

[Candyfloss]

Hi Andy. Yeah. I didn't have a very good time in Birkenhead. Fortunately my lady friend had enough necessaries to get us both home and it only took a week to replace all the stuff in my wallet. I guess you could say that the experience has somewhat jaundiced my view of the Shore west of Glenfield.

You got pics of the kayak? I'd love to see them. And rest assured, when this boat goes in the water, you will know.

[Candyfloss]

Oh boy! I just posted that & found your thread right next to it. Well done mate.

[Candyfloss]

Seven interviews, John! Are these published somewhere? Can I read them?

[Candyfloss]

Progress on longboarding my topsides;



This is not exactly the ideal sanding medium. In fact the paint was designed to robustly resist abrasion........

[Candyfloss]

But perseverance pays off. I had left the toerail overhanging a little so I could sand it back, fairing the sheerline as I went, & it turned out to be well worth the effort;



Then I bogged in the gap where the deck had previously been rounded off. The result is a much fairer sheerline & (vertically) straightened topsides;

[Candyfloss]

Got my mast base back from the engineers today;



A little bit of filler & a bit of paint & it'll be as good as new.

[Rayjing]

that looks really good Graeme,well done

[Larks]

I'm a bit surprised they didn't fill those pits with weld and sand them back Graeme, easy enough to do.

[RFNK]

Barbarians over there they are!

Rick

[Candyfloss]

I'm not complaining. He's a (very) smalltown engineer. Most of his work is in transport, repairing & modifying trucks. And he's cheap. I'm lucky to have him.

[floatingkiwi]

As he is, you.

[Candyfloss]

Finished longboarding the topsides, both sides, today, & got a coat of epoxy hi-build on the port side. It is now a most fetching shade of Battleship Grey;

[Rayjing]

Graeme,Looks good,I take it you are leaving the transom open,where are you going to hang the outboard ?

[Candyfloss]

No Ray, I'm going to fill the transom back in. I'm leaving it 'till last because it will make getting on & off a little more difficult.

You weren't here at the time, so I'll tell you the story of the delivery voyage down from Auckland. When I bought her the rig was unusable so I had to motor all the way. The outboard was mounted on a hideously ugly bracket on the port quarter (you can see the holes in that pic) & every time the boat rolled, even a little, with the wash from a passing boat for instance, the prop would lift out of the water & the engine would scream. After a few hours of this I promised myself it would be the first thing to go.

[Rayjing]

Yeah,that would give me the ****z too. On the piedy I sailed on,the owner (who was new to yachting at that stage) put an 18hp evinrude on the back!!.It ended up in the ocean somewhere,the next out board was a 4.5hp longshaft seagull. It was appropriately nicknamed 'Stink'. The seagull worked ok,but we generally sailed everywhere.A good fun boat.

[snow(Alan H)]

Graeme

A flash back - here is that outboard bracket

;

And a couple of pix to remind u how far u have come !!

;



Cheers Alan

[RFNK]

I always like that, seeing a few 'before' shots thrown back in late in the restoration! Thanks Alan! Actually, it looked pretty good then to me, except for that bracket! but it just looks fantastic now!

Rick

[Candyfloss]

Looks can be deceptive, can't they? Longboarding the topsides has revealed just how unfair they are, & the sheerline has taken a bit of straightening.

Thanks for those pics Snow.

[Candyfloss]

It's not that I get bored with sanding, in fact it's quite satisfying in a mind-numbing kind of way, especially when it's your own boat, but you can only keep it up for so long & then you need to do something else (as the bishop said to the actress). Besides, I ran out of paint & today is Sunday.

So I started on the mast step. I have a bit of Mahogany left over which I will use for the job so as not to suffer from Ray's dreaded mast-step crush, but first the pattern;



Draw 'round the mast base, find the center of the mast, add 18mm or so all round the edges, find a focus for each of the corners & draw the arcs. It won't be perfect 'cos we are starting with a casting, but it always looks best if it at least appears that the foci of the two items is the same. Does that make sense? Locate the pattern over the hole that still remains on the cabintop that marks the center of the mast, make sure it is square on, & draw 'round it.

Cut it out of Mahogany & figure out the angle of bevel. The cabintop slopes forward where the mast goes, so first get it level. Guess what has to come off, grind off a little less than that, offer it up, blah, blah, blah. When it's level both ways, set your adjustable bevel to the angle of rake as shown on the plan, turn the bevel 'round from the way you took the angle off the plan, & set the level on the upstanding arm. When the level shows vertical the step is at the right angle. I hope.

Then glue it down & cove it all 'round;

[Rayjing]

Longboarding is ............................... Therapeutic .....!!

[Candyfloss]

And if it weren't for the dust it would be good aerobic exercise, but alas, I don't think we are going to be able to sell it to the pilates people any time soon. The dust might make a mess of milady's leotard.

So while I wait for the paint to arrive, glueing on the port rubrail seems like a good idea. Here is my last chance to hide the unevenness of the sheerline & get the whole thing straightened out;



It's a triangular section that will be rounded off on the top corner after I have planed, filled & sanded the toerail to the same sweep of sheer;





I'm pretty happy with the line I've got. In fact, even if you were to go back thru the entire thread, you will not find a pic that shows exactly that view. I've been too embarrassed to post them.

[Johnmac]

Seven interviews, John! Are these published somewhere? Can I read them?

Hi Graeme
All seven have featured in my column in Boating New Zealand during the past 11 years, but please don't ask me for the exact issues.
Hint - if you are interested in an aspect of Des's work buy the May (next month) edition of Boating NZ.
cheers
John

[Candyfloss]

Thanks for that John, but please, I really do need more. As I have said previously, I live in the boonies, & most of what I know about Des is second hand. I've known about him since I was a teenager, but I've only met him five times.

Yes, I can count them. First when he came to see me when I was building "Candyfloss", as I believe he tried to do for all of his builds, (at the time he was also looking in on "Reliance", a 38, "Sonata", an 8.8, "Pipe Dream" of course, & a guy called Charlie who was building [perhaps the first] Townson 9, all in Tauranga, all at the same time, & all, probably, at the instigation of David Peet), then when he delivered my Electron "Chiquita", then when I went to his place to get "Chiquita" repaired & to buy the plans for "Mercia" (as she is properly called) & the Townson 2.4 dinghy, when we had a lovely chat, then at an Electron regatta near Rotorua, and lastly on the beach at Milford for the Zephyr 50th anniversary.

That, honestly, is all I know about the guy. I would love to hear more from someone who knew him more intimately, although I do understand he was a very private person.

[Johnmac]

Thanks for that John, but please, I really do need more. I would love to hear more from someone who knew him more intimately, although I do understand he was a very private person.

Hi Graeme, your best bet is to wait until Brian Peet finishes his book. Brian knew him as well as anyone, and his book will certainly be the definitive work on Des. You may have to wait another year or two though.
cheers
John

[snow(Alan H)]

G
This might be of interest to u .

Cheers Alan

http://classicyacht.org.nz/forum/vie...p=15567#p15567

[Candyfloss]

Not this boat this year I'm afraid Allan.

Why has this strange little vessel appeared in my avatar, or am I the only one who can see it?

[Larks]

Not this boat this year I'm afraid Allan.

Why has this strange little vessel appeared in my avatar, or am I the only one who can see it?

May be only you, I still see legs....

[RFNK]

And what they're joined to

Rick

[snow(Alan H)]

[QUOTE=Candyfloss;3355528 Why has this strange little vessel appeared in my avatar, or am I the only one who can see it?[/QUOTE]

All looks the same at this end = try taking 1/2 the meds

[Candyfloss]

Now this gets really weird.



O.K. Here is the said aforementioned strange little vessel, & it also has appended itself to both Rick's & Greg's avatars, but not Snow's.

I don't want to change my medication. This is as much reality as I can handle.

And just in case you think I have been slacking around the last few days, here is the starboard side longboarded, painted, & longboarded again, & the rubrail fitted;

[Larks]

I'd only start worrying if it wasn't such a nice looking strange little vessel.

Nice progress though Graeme, she's looking very sleek.

[RFNK]

That's funny as I don't even have an avatar! I thought avatar meant really dumb movie! But, the boat i.e., your Piedy, is looking just great!

Rick

[Candyfloss]

I fixed the bugger. My AdBlockPlus addon in Firefox got rid of it.

[Candyfloss]

Been working this week, earning enough to continue the project, so progress is not spectacular. However, I finally summoned the intestinal fortitude to climb down the quarter berths & start painting in earnest. The Port q.b. with 3 coats on;



The Stbd q.b. with only 1;



Not the most fun I've ever had lying down, & I've lost a lot of skin off my elbows, but I'm getting the hang of it.

And just for something totally different, I glued the Stbd cabintop end thing on;



Two layers of 5mm thick Sapelle, the first glued & screwed to the cabintop, the second glued & clamped over the top. Clever eh? Wish it was my idea.

And finally, since I won't be finish coating the cabintop for a while, I took off the masking, just to see what it looks like;



The hole just below the rubrail is a drain for the toerail. It'll be a little less noticeable with a coat of white paint inside it.

[RFNK]

Might I suggest a little tube extension on that drain hole? This way you'll avoid a dirty streak down the side.

Rick

[Larks]

Crikey that's a nice profile there Graeme, I assume you have a chair suitably parked where you took that photo to sit and crack a beer and .........well.........."ponder"...............

[Candyfloss]

Good idea Rick, I'll look into it.

It's actually an old Fergie tractor Greg, that Brian has parked in just the right spot for me to sit on & contemplate the wonders of the universe while the meds take hold.

[witchywomoon]

Hi Graeme,
I was directed to your blog here by your housemate,Jonnie..and I have so enjoyed your well written discriptions of restoring this boat and your interests etc.
Reading these entries has sparked off my interest in boats and I have managed to track down two boats my father and grandfather had..on the North Shore,Auckland.

"one day at a time"