Fagel Grip Suffers A Collision...
Last month was trying times for Jerry Lees the owner of the 30sqm yacht Fagel Grip. While at rest on her mooring in Sydney harbour, she was hit by a passing boat in her stern section. The damage wasn't catastrophic but it would have likely sunk the average sqm yacht.
Fagel grip however is not your average sqm yacht. Fagel Grip was relaunched in July after completing an extensive restoration in Thailand. She was modified with a removable stern to fit a 40 foot container.
This modification with a sealed bulkhead for the stern section prevented water from entering rest of the yacht.
Recently she was slipped at the Woolwich slipway where she had her stern repaired and the yacht is making up for lost time on Sydney harbour sailing in the Balmain twilight series and the SASC classic division racing.
Last month there was 2 yachts that where reunited with their history. The first event took place at Woolwich Slipway while Fagel Grip was undergoing her repairs from her recent collision.
The owner of Fagel Grip from back in the 1970s Alf Patton and Tony Fletcher, visited the yacht to relive old memories and share them with Jerry Lees and myself Cameron Wiklund. Alf while disappointed at first because the boat had gone from a varnished hull to white, was however greatly impressed with her overall condition and understood the need to change her appearance with there being so much new timber not matching the old sun exposed timbers.
Larool meets her past...
The other reunion took place more recently on Sydney harbour between Keith Daltons grandson , Mac Dalton and her current owner Tjerk Dusseldorp. Keith Dalton was the previous owner of Larool and his grandson Mac Dalton has had a picture of Larool on his office wall which could only fuel his fascination of such a wonderful yacht.
Mac showed an interest in meeting up with Tjek Dusseldorp which went well by the report Tjek supplied me.
I thought I'd let you know that I took Mac and
Penny Dalton sailing on Larool last weekend, and they clearly
enjoyed the experience with Mac taking lots of pictures. Mac is
actually the nephew of Keith Dalton who commissioned the boat, and
as he was only 2 years of age when Keith died, all that he knew
about Larool was passed onto him by his father who was much younger
than Keith. Mac has been in the boating business for most of his
life, but gave up sailing some years ago, and is only just returning
to it now. Hence his interest in Larool.
Mac told me he's considering the idea to build
himself a boat with some of the characteristics of the skerry
cruiser but with a bigger cockpit and some more mod cons.
The ASQMA will be keeping in touch with Mac to follow his progress.
The Story of Benchmark continues...
She has her lower planks removed to inspect the deadwood and ribs and so the can of worms is opened.
"So Carl have you heard of the 2.37 rule?"
The yacht is measured for replanking and replacement ribs.
Carl laminates a rib. Then another and another and....
Nice work....
More to come on Benchmarks progress....
Wings...
Wings is slipped for a clean and and inspection of her sheathing.
The inspection went well and she gets a new red coat of antifouling.
While this is not an offer of my antifouling services I did find her relatively easy to clean up and antifoul due to the small amount of wetted area these yachts have.
With the cabin top made of four pieces of aged ply with 2 cracked structural beams and the the old winch mounts, I decided the cabin top had to go.
The bulk of the ply is removed. There would be some long hours spent chiseling the rest away...
Visualize the Dream... Visualize the Dreammmm...!
Every time I did this however I would open my eyes and the dream was whisked out of my thoughts..
The satisfying strip out. Surprisingly under all that muck only a handful of ribs and one cracked floor needed replacing.
Having removed the automatic bilge pump I was surprised to discover she is a dry boat.. Just a small amount of water comes down the mast when it rains.
It was a rough time of it with a mountain of dust and sanding before reaching this point.
Next month, a few home made additions are finished and the sole is fitted.