Wednesday 20 April 2011

Hard Times


I seem to remember when I was a lad in Scotland it used to snow during the Easter Holidays.
  I know Easter is late this year but what fantstic weather. 
 In fact it was so good I decided to go for a Sail. I needed to take a few more photos of the Coot which was a great excuse and the clear skies and gentle breeze were too good to miss so I headed off down to Swanwick Hard. 

Max of Bursledonblog dropped by for a chat but he had to shoot off to work. 


I didn't really pay a lot of attention to the chap who was launching his boat beside me, other than to pass the time of day, and I noticed he had a pretty little Scow, which in its various guises is the indigenous boat around the Solent.


The wind was very light and the last of the incoming flood meant conditions were a bit flukey so we traded tacks for a while as we tried to head down river. 


I'm happy to say the Coot held her end up well. 


When we got back in and started chatting it transpires she is a Paul Fisher Design built by the owners father-in-law who is now on his third!  The standard of build was excellent but as usual i forgot to get any decent photos. 




Details of this and loads of other designs on Paul's web page. 


selway-fisher

I think this is the first of the three to be built 













4 comments:

Bursledon Blogger said...

I'm going to have to get going on my SCOW restoration now !!!

Might have been easier just to order up Paul's plans and start from scratch!!

Brian said...

I met the chap who built these three boats at keyhaven recently. He has built them beautifully. To stop him building any more he destroyed the moulds!
The red one is in the dinghy park at keyhaven and I am hoping to have a sail in her if the opportunity arises.
Because Paul drew her as a genuine Scow, it is possible to build your own class legal Scow, for far less than the £7500 a new Lymington Scow costs complete. These cost £1500 in materials complete including trailers.
With a Sanders sail I believe she would be the fastest Scow arround, being much lighter than a grp hull.
Brian

Graham Neil said...

Max, I'd forgotten you had a Scow hidden away. Surely a good example would be suitable for 1001 boats.

Brian, Thanks for the extra insight, destroyed his moulds!! insanity.

We have a GRP Avon Scow at St Deny's and are looking for another second hand one, budget around £1.500. Just missed one recently in Poole. So if you see any please let me know.
Graham

Brian said...

Paul has also drawn a S+T multi plank version. I think if build S+T for the lower planks to give a smooth hull and lapstitch for the upper planks for the clinker look, she would look great and be even faster.
With the DXF files used for cutting a kit it could be a super nice and quick project, producing a reasonably valuable boat, since Scow second hand prices are very high.