Welcome aboard, Hazel.

Having two friends with ferro boats which has lasted well, I have quite good confidence in the material. but your vessel surely is quite a beast!

A few questions (since you want input on the rig):

• ·         About how much does she weigh?
• ·         What is your sailing ambitions with her? Are you aiming for an 80/20 motorboat with aux rig, a 50/50 motorsailer or 80/20 sailing vessel?
• ·         Are the position of the masts literally cast in concrete, or do you have any idea of moving them? I ask because I think three masts result in very steep sheeting angles.
• ·         Could that sail plan be fitted with a scale on it, indicating a 10m length? That would make it much easier if someone would have a go on drawing sails to her.

As for the matter of gender, I can only say good luck (and mean it). For my own part, on this JRA-website, issues like political, religious or sexual orientations, as well as skin colour, eye colour and preferred cars or whisky, are of little interest to me.

Cheers,
Arne

Having grown up in Australia, I don't hold the usual phobia about Ferro as every second backyard had one being built.

You get a lot of boat with a ferro hull.  Water accumulation in the bilge doesn't rot or corrode her.  Exterior damage can easily be repaired with non marine epoxies.  Industrial coatings and techniques can be used.

Well done to Hazel (or Ian?  confused).  A big project but that nice dry interior with wheelhouse and WORKSHOP will be well worth it.

Hard to see a heavy boat sailed shorthanded that size being anything other than a motor sailor, respectfully, so the junk rig is PERFECT for her.

Please keep us up to date.

Thanks to those who have responded to the request for boats to feature each month. Working through the membership list, about 50% are responding which is pretty good, I guess.

I started this thread because I think it would add an interesting dimension to featuring a new boat each month if there were a little feedback.

I thought the scow from last month was a particularly interesting and unusual design.

........................................................................

Featuring Colne, this month, was done especially in the hope that members who have expertise would offer advice to Hazel as to how the rig should be set up.

This is huge project, but great progress has already been made. The hull has been cleaned up and much of the interior is now done, and looking good. Here are some thumbnails showing some of the interior (Click on them for full size.)

When Hazel got the boat, two of the sails were unusable and new ones were ordered immediately, so Hazel is committed to the sail plan shown on this drawing. They look like old-school Hasler McLeod, flat cut, very high AR - a bit like Badger's original sails?

The running rigging was a mess, and it is in this area that comments and advice would be especially welcome. Even better, it would be great if there is someone in the immediate locality (St Osyth, Essex) who could pay a visit and give some hands-on advice. Contact details can be found by searching "coln spray" in the membership directory.

Comments on this thread would be welcome.