Fair Maid, 30’ Eric Cox sloop, 1951

[Aquinian]

Fair Maid is out for some work at the moment. Engine install, bottom scrub, a little caulking, transom repair, bow repair, topsides paint, cabintop stripped for leak repair, etc. It’s been a busy couple of weeks. Hoping to splash by Wednesday or so.

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Lots more photos on the blog.

[Hugh MacD]

WOW!

[wizbang 13]

Fine lookin vessel

[Jay Greer]

That is, indeed a maid of faire Form Sir!
Jay

[Aquinian]

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Thanks gentlemen, yes she is pretty. And a lot prettier today than she was two weeks ago!

One more significant job remains before we splash, we’re dressing the house with teak veneer marine ply. Should set it off nicely.

John.

[Aquinian]

Good morning Internet,



I'd like some aesthetic advice please. The front of our cabin top is very boxy and looks to my eye rather ugly. Reconstructing it is not a realistic option. However, adding a pair of round ports would seem to be a good idea. My feeling is it would improve the looks (as well as ventilation and light - the cabintop roof has a plastic square hatch in it, which has to go). What do you guys think?

Here's how she looks at present.

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Regards,
John.

[Hugh MacD]

Round portholes and a hinged skylight? Or maybe some scuppered tailing boxes on the forward cabin panel...and a hinged skylight

[Aquinian]

Hugh, I had to look up what a scuppered tailing box was, and failed to find anything...

Long-term I'd like a butterfly hatch, but that's years away. Right now I'll be happy with a boat that isn't rotting due to deck leaks, and has an engine that runs and stays running for a few years. We've had such a saga with raw water getting back into the head and stuffing up the valves.

But a couple of ports cut into that forward cabin section, I can do, and I reckon it will distract from the boxy shape.

[John B]

I agree , a couple of boxes for spare rope or halyards( with scuppers) could go there and fair in that cabin line a bit better. I also always believe that a half round moulding at the cabin top to cabin coaming joint softens the line and even lowers it slightly visually, as does a a different colour on the coaming to top.
Cox is designer that I see around a bit, not so much now . I was anchored next to one at Easter, a boat that was owned by a friend for few years , Hinemoa. and funnily enough I have a 12 ft Cox fishing dinghy myself . Great burly thing it is with a funny little part pram bow.
Is the design 1951 ? I could look in some sea sprays in case its written up. I have a full set from around that time on.

[jsjpd1]

I agree , a couple of boxes for spare rope or halyards( with scuppers) could go there and fair in that cabin line a bit better. I also always believe that a half round moulding at the cabin top to cabin coaming joint softens the line and even lowers it slightly visually, as does a a different colour on the coaming to top.

+1 to this, I was going to suggest a little trim around the cabin top to soften it some.

[Aquinian]

I agree , a couple of boxes for spare rope or halyards( with scuppers)

Ah, got it.

could go there and fair in that cabin line a bit better.

OK, will have a poke around and see what might work. They would be very useful too.

I also always believe that a half round moulding at the cabin top to cabin coaming joint softens the line and even lowers it slightly visually, as does a a different colour on the coaming to top.
Cox is designer that I see around a bit, not so much now . I was anchored next to one at Easter, a boat that was owned by a friend for few years , Hinemoa. and funnily enough I have a 12 ft Cox fishing dinghy myself . Great burly thing it is with a funny little part pram bow.
Is the design 1951 ? I could look in some sea sprays in case its written up. I have a full set from around that time on.

I'd love you to check the old Sea Sprays please John. The son of the original owner told me that's where his dad saw the plans, in circa 1949/50.

Scroll down this page - http://fairmaid.blogspot.com/2017/ - for some correspondence I had with NZ library people trying to track down the info. There's also a write-up of the history of the little ship as far as I have been able to research it.

[Aquinian]

+1 to this, I was going to suggest a little trim around the cabin top to soften it some.

Definitely a good suggestion, thanks Jim.

We're going to wood the cab sides and front, with teak marine ply veneer, and varnish it, and put a teak-laid deck on the cabin top, so there will be a trim piece around the top corners to cover the join. The teak laid cabin top is so I can stand on there to reef etc. And of course for looks.

Cheers,
John.

[Hugh MacD]

I think I'd be inclined to move that halyard winch a bit higher on the mast, too. That looks really awkward to use!?! The handle looks precariously close to the front edge of the cabin and could be a real knuckle breaker. I think I'd mock up any boxes/cabin changes and see how they affect ergonomics for working halyards. But some boxes would be nice for stowing winch handles, halyard tails, etc.

[simonmags]

Good morning Internet,

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Regards,
John.

Hey John,

Could you move the Solar panel out from under the boom to sit on top of the wooden/plastic hatch forward of the mast as well?

The Solar panels let a little bit of light through them as well so if you are able to use it for the hatch cover then you get the bonus of some light coming through it, until you can make a butterfly hatch at least

I like the idea of adding a piece of Trim to go along the front face of the cabintop too.

Looks like you've been hard at it lately. What's the trouble you've been having with the raw water side? I like the blog too, after reading that it sounds like most of your trouble was related to the Exhaust design.

Simon

[Aquinian]

Hi Simon,

That's a timber hatch, with a vent on it, so no go with the solar sitting there. But the panel isn't mounted on the cabin top anyway, it's stowed when sailing. I was pondering keeping that horrible aluminium centre-console roof thingy over the stern, and mounting the solar on that, but we've now ripped that off and it's not going back on. I can't express how pleased I was to see Fair Maid without it encumbering her lines!

The exhaust system was badly designed. The motor sits below water level. The exhaust hose ran UP to a water-lock pong-box, and from there down to the through-hull in the transom. We have now placed the pong-box below the engine, with a longer hose after it which loops up before heading down to the exhaust port. I'm not sure if the previous bad design was our major issue, however, because I realised only recently that we had another significant mistake, entirely my own fault, which was that the raw water intake for cooling the heat exchanger needs an anti-siphon valve, otherwise it can flood the motor. We've now added one, so I am hopeful that the motor issues are behind us. But as an added precaution, I'm going to shut the raw water intake cock prior to shutting down the engine each time, and only shut down the motor when the water stops spitting out the exhaust port. I reckon that should secure the motor against water from either direction getting back to the head.

Hugh, good suggestions, and you're dead on about that winch handle!

Latest pic showing the aluminium monstrosity gone.

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And before:

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[brucemoffatt]

Hi John,

I reckon I'd put some dummy ports into the forward face of the cabin before committing to size, shape, or even whether to do it at all. I once saw a boat with a couple of ports that looked like googly eyes and it has scarred me for life.

She looks a real beauty, and I strongly agree about the removal of the monstrosity.

Cheers,

Bruce

[Aquinian]

LOL Bruce.

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll definitely do that.

Cheers,
John.

[Aquinian]

Bruce, I think portlights in the cabin front always look like eyes.

These ladies both look slightly surprised, to my mind:

[brucemoffatt]

Yep, that's the way to do them. Not great big googly ones. I think that look of surprise is a bonus, like "Holy cow look how fast I'm going!!"

[donald branscom]

Here is a Photoshop revision.

[Priscilla]

Not so sure about those round head lights maybe elliptical to match existing
The Concordia would look better with one matching those in the cabin sides or none at all imho and realistically they do not brighten the forepeak.

[John B]

It is possible to get a portlight to seal well , put 1/2 cubic metre of water on them , not so much.

The thought of how many times I've had the bow under and a wave on top of it to the mast just keyed a memory from last year.

Friend in very robust 48 footer leaves a bit late for the pass at the atoll we all were at. Gets lulled by the light wind and sunny day so travels out under motor with the forehatch open and two crew on the bow with cameras. The first 800 metres is fine but the last 50 has stand up waves about 10 M apart or less.( enough to stick the bow right down.) Bow goes under, one crew washed off her feet , camera over the side , a cubic metre of Fijian water down the hatch. Repeat for one more wave. Cost of one leeetle misjudgement , one camera , one scraped leg , a lot of wet bedding , a pump workout ,and people like me ribbing him .
hahaha.

the next day we left as well but an hour earlier relative to the tide and it looked like this , we may have got some on deck but not much and you can bet everything was dogged down, unlike our mate.

anyway , I digress , my point is portholes in a pressure location like the front of a coaming......they will leak!



I'm having trouble finding the magazines because of a house shuffle around , so I'll have a proper go later on, John.

[donald branscom]

It is possible to get a portlight to seal well , put 1/2 cubic metre of water on them , not so much.

The thought of how many times I've had the bow under and a wave on top of it to the mast just keyed a memory from last year.

Friend in very robust 48 footer leaves a bit late for the pass at the atoll we all were at. Gets lulled by the light wind and sunny day so travels out under motor with the forehatch open and two crew on the bow with cameras. The first 800 metres is fine but the last 50 has stand up waves about 10 M apart or less.( enough to stick the bow right down.) Bow goes under, one crew washed off her feet , camera over the side , a cubic metre of Fijian water down the hatch. Repeat for one more wave. Cost of one leeetle misjudgement , one camera , one scraped leg , a lot of wet bedding , a pump workout ,and people like me ribbing him .
hahaha.

the next day we left as well but an hour earlier relative to the tide and it looked like this , we may have got some on deck but not much and you can bet everything was dogged down, unlike our mate.

anyway , I digress , my point is portholes in a pressure location like the front of a coaming......they will leak!



I'm having trouble finding the magazines because of a house shuffle around , so I'll have a proper go later on, John.

Maybe too much anchor chain in the bow?

[Aquinian]

Here is a Photoshop revision.

Thanks Don, very kind of you.

I reckon those are slightly too big, heading for Bruce's googly eyes...

John B, great story, and a pic to go with it! I had the same thought. What leans me towards adding them anyway, is we need more ventilation down there, and I won't be adding a cabin-top hatch for a year or two. So the primary purpose is ventilation, not looks, but the looks are a factor, although on that score I agree that some trim will change the effect anyway, by highlighting the nice convex curve across the front top, which currently disappears due to the all-white paint.

We're also wooding the sides and front with teak veneer, so that will change the appearance considerably.

Regards,
John.

[Priscilla]

Ventilation without the risk of any accidental flood as JB points out is easily achieved with some simple Dorade cowl vents.
Wooden boat like yours needs to breathe a bit like humans.
The bigger the better.

[Peerie Maa]

Not so sure about those round head lights maybe elliptical to match existing
The Concordia would look better with one matching those in the cabin sides or none at all imho and realistically they do not brighten the forepeak.

These light the forepeak.
https://sep.yimg.com/ay/yhst-3175550...p-frame-57.gif

[Aquinian]

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[Garret]

I may be a bit late to the portlight party, but here goes...

I think a couple would look great - as I have them on my boat.



Also notice the side/top junction. While the suggestion above of half round is a good one, a traditional method was/is to use "eyebrows". They are exaggerated D (or U on its side) shaped pieces more than half round - so they stick out more than half round would.

[Aquinian]

Thanks Garret, not too late at all.

Wow, what a gorgeous yacht! What is she?

[Garret]

Thanks Garret, not too late at all.

Wow, what a gorgeous yacht! What is she?

Thanks

Seaborn/Blanchard Sloop launched in 1941. A labor of love/frustration/joy/hearbreak:



Oh - here's a pic that shows the eyebrow a little better (& the varnish issues before I wooded the cabin sides ):

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[donald branscom]

You can always paint eyebrows on and that eliminates screws going in the cabin top
and starting the rotting process by letting water getting into the cabin sides.
I have seen that problem many times.

[nedL]

When they have her in the slings, is there a line between the two slings that we can't see??? I would be very concerned about that forward sling slipping up her stem and dropping her on her nose. --- It does happen.

[donald branscom]

I think some color will help.

[Aquinian]

Ned, no, but she is quite bow down in the slings, precisely to deal with that problematical angle. The photo doesn't show it.

Don, we’re going for a varnished timber finish on the sides and front of the house, so yes, “colour” of sorts.

Regards,
John

[John B]

I may be a bit late to the portlight party, but here goes...

I think a couple would look great - as I have them on my boat.



Also notice the side/top junction. While the suggestion above of half round is a good one, a traditional method was/is to use "eyebrows". They are exaggerated D (or U on its side) shaped pieces more than half round - so they stick out more than half round would.

Just because I said half round , doesn't mean that's what I meant. heh. I agree.