MK0 measurements Dec 3, '08 9:22 PM
by Wade for everyone
Does anyone have any information or photos that might help me regarding the underwater shape of a MK0 cold moulded timber Top Hat ? Id love a photo of one out of the water.
I'm needing a trailer so that I can move the boat and have to give the measurements to the trailer maker. Ive only just purchased this boat and its still on a swing mooring but it needs years of work to get it sailing again.
As far as I can gather all Top Hats share the same underwater shape. But is this 100% true, or are they only similar in shape.? The only drawing I can find is the one of the Mk2 on this site.
Any help welcome.
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tales1 wrote on Dec 5, '08
Wade,
I have a pdf file which is a copy of the original detail of Black Billy (the very first Top Hat) from an article in Yachting World May 1963. It gives the information you ask for (and a lot more) however I don't know how to put it on this site.
I could email it to you perhaps - I think it is 4 mb.
It may even be possible to get a better copy from Y.W. direct?
The last page of the pdf is from a different magazine a couple of years later but includes a beaut cutaway drawing which even shows the 3hp Watemota inboard.
Interesting also is the inner forestay and the fact that it has only rear lower shrouds.
These items were given to me by a fellow Top Hat owner some years ago.
There is a lot of history out there to be found.
Cheers,
Tom
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surrealbass wrote on Dec 8, '08
hi Wade- i too had the article from yachting monthly, excellent read- the lines drawings and sail plan are great! when the article goes up i'll see if there's more that i can add. in the meantime if you go to the view members page and click on me i have some photos of my timber tophat up that may help. this one was built in about '71carvel planked iroko and mahogany.professional boat builder built it for himself, they really are great little ships- handle just about anything!
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tophatyacht wrote on Dec 10, '08
Thanks Tom,
This "multiply" site is very limited in its applications, until we get the stand-alone site up, you can see this info that tom supplied at the link below: (click on the "BlackBilly" file)
http://groups.google.com/group/tophatyachts
Shaun