Mark 1 v Mark 2 hull?

[Phillip]

Tom,

That is great news that you have found Geoff's brother Norm.
My info was that he also had passed on, I am glad I was WRONG!

Could you pose the following questions please.

1. Is there a good photo of GB [head and shoulders] and with or without a TH that we could use?
2. Can you get better dates for start of production of TH 1's and how many were produced?
3. Did GB use Illingworths drawings and did he have any influence on the hull produced by GB? What was the timber yachts name?
4. You said that Norm helped to draw up the MK2 cabin, did GB produce any Mk2's or did he just sell the mould to Formit?
5. Exactly what other boats came out of the Baker yards?
6. When did GB stop producing yachts and where/what did he do afterwards?

That will do for a start. Have PM you Tom.

Phillip.

[davet]

Some more info re the construction and dates etc from the last post.

The Top Hats were being produced in 1967 in Geoffs first factory in Garden St Narabeen. At the same time the Bluebird was being made, in both single and twin bilge keel and if memory serves over 50 Bluebirds came out of the mould.

With regard to the lay-up everybody assumes that as they were made all Chopped Strand lay up they must have been put on using 300gsm mat that was not the case!.

They were laid up using a rovings cutter to apply the chopped rovings to the mould at around 300-400gsm then resin was bucketed onto the chopped glass by roller. A much more finicky way than using a chopper gun which applied both pre-catalized resin and chopped rovings.

Also until around 1972 all gelcoat was made in factory from raw materials and applied by the use of rollers and brushes applying 2 coats.

After that time a Binks 230 pressure pot spray gun was used and Synthetic Resins supplied un-pigmented gelcoat. Certainly it can be said that the quality of gelcoat application was a factor in the low incidence of osmosis.

Also ALL the laminating resins were waxed, which required that sanding occur at any time the laminate had cured. Geoff never believed in the use of un-waxed resin except for gelcoat.

Up until late 1973 the factory produced Bluebirds, Top Hats, Currawongs, Brolgas, 4 off Tempest [ IOC ] , 1 off Cape Barren Goose [ male moulded foam sandwich] and a one off 43ft power boat hull from a supplied mould. All from a purpose built factory in Perak St Mona Vale.

[Tales]

Great to get all this background!

Was chatting today with Bob Keely - he made the sails for the first 16 wooden Top Hats here in Melbourne.
He put me straight on Geoff's circumnavigation. It appears that Geoff and Lois terminated the trip in Darwin and sent the boat back by truck. Bob explanined that they learned the West Coast was more formidable than they first thought.

Bob has loaned me some TH drawings and other paperwork which I have coppied.

I also have a copy of a chapter of an Australian sailing book written by Geoff about building a stock fibreglass boat which is very interesting.

All the best,

Tom

[Miker]

Davet, here's a question for you, even though it's a Mark III from about 1980 odd.

From a survey in 2005, then a slip report in 2009 and another look by me personally when she was slipped in January 2010, there were about 6 "lumps" on the keel. The survey listed them as blisters, not necessarily osmosis. The slip report in 2009, before I bought listed them as blisters as well, and they were the same size as originally stated in the survey. I measured them again in 2010 and again they're the same size. They don't sound hollow and aren't soft at all. In fact, they're solid bumps in the fibreglass.

So, from that description, do you think the guys who did the antifoul last time may be correct in summising that these are perhaps deformities caused by the manufacturing process, or when they put the lead in the keel?

I'm not worried about them, seeing as how there has been no change in 5 years, well so far anyway.

Opinion?

Michael

[Phillip]

Michael,

I had a few of them on SEAKA's starboard side and they were osmosis.
Cut them all out with a grinder last slipping but missed two small ones which I will do next time.

Even Mk 1's can get osmosis, mind you the lumps have always been there since I have owned SEAKA.

Phillip.

[Phillip]

Tom,

What is the name of that book please.

Phillip.

[davet]

The book was called "Sailing" if my memory serves me correctly with about 20 chapters each by an expert in their field. The book also had a picture of the interior of the factory at Perak St.

Sir James Hardy's autobiography also mentions Geoff and Fibreglass Yachts but doesn't have anything complementary to say! Mainly because we built the Tempest to the rules which made them very heavy with regard to every other hull.

At the same time the ABC did a series of shows on boat construction etc which included the laying up of GRP hull and other small parts taken at Fibreglass Yachts.

Phillip would be right about the osmosis.

The keel lead was placed into the keel in ingots then lead shot and shavings were used to fill in the cracks and finally resin used to bind it all together. Topped with a glass layer which was the bottom of the water tank. So the amount of water capacity was dependent on the skill putting the ingots tightly together. As the cabin sole placement was controlled by the depth from the topside of the hull.

This was was done whilst the hull was still in the mould as the interior bulkheads and stringers were being placed.

Dave

[Miker]

Thanks Dave and Phillip.

Interestingly, the surveyor, the people at Gladesville and Careel Bay all said to ignore them unless they get soft or grow larger. So it will be interesting to see if they've changed in the year since the last slipping.

Is there any way of getting hold of the ABC programs on the boat building? That would be a thing to see.

Michael

[davet]

yes osmosis is one of those things which you can chase over the hull for years doing some every year or wait until it seems there are no more appearing [ assuming they aren't causing any structrual flaws] and are only in the first 'glass layer. Then you go all out and get them all done at one filling with epoxy and finishing with a 2 pack top coat.

Interestingly, in boats at finger wharfs it can appear only on one side, most noticeably the side with the most sun in others it breaks out on both side with no other causal effect, other than poor 1st laminate adhesion to gelcoat.

In your case Mike you have it on the keel which suggests poor adhesion as temperature variation is lesser at depth!!

Regarding the ABC program it was in black and white and well before the advent of VHS recorders so maybe an enquiry to the ABC may bear fruit