Mk I is a stronger boat
Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2009 11:37 pmFrom: bill (Original Message) Sent: 20/04/2003 8:51 PM
Hi everyone. After searching for ages on the net I have finally found a site on Tophats. I have just recently bought my second Tophat, a Mk 1. I owned a Mk II before which I sold to buy a 32 ft ferro boat - a big mistake. It might have been bigger but on sailing it up the coast with my 5yr old daughter I never once felt safe in it, especially being hit by a storm coming up the coast to Bundaberg I then found out she had cracks in her. 8 months later she is sold and we are back on a good old Tophat.
First impressions: she is more solid than the Mk II, the decks do not give as you walk on them, the key hole companion way gives you more protection from the weather when sailing it works a bit like a solid dodger. I have a photo which shows you clearly just how much more protection it give. If any one wants it please send email. The main sheet track is bolted into a very solid piece of wood. The Mk II I had was pulling out of the fibreglass cabin I also think the built in furniture looks more homely than the fibreglass moulded furniture plus you get a stainless steel sink which is a lot more robust than the moulded one. On the Mk II the fibreglass sink chips with age. We are on our way down to Sydney tomorrow (22nd April) from QLD to move on board. She is in Drummoyne and we are going to live full time on her - that is me Bill and my daughter Jamie - Lee. We have a few things to sort out - one is selling the 1988 subaru 4x4 wagon $700, no reg but it has to go and also sort the boat out before sailing back up to Qld. Anyone wanting to keep in contact or would like to say hello to us either on the net or over the bar please feel free it would be most welcome. The boats name is Calypso (does anyone know her?) Oh, one last question - she is a Mk 1 but we were told 8 Mk I's were built by Baker at the Formit factory before he sold the molds but I feel Formit might have built some Mk I's. Does any one know if Formit did build any Mk I's and if so how many? This one is a 1975 model. Look forward to hearing from you all, Bill and Jamie.
Hi everyone. After searching for ages on the net I have finally found a site on Tophats. I have just recently bought my second Tophat, a Mk 1. I owned a Mk II before which I sold to buy a 32 ft ferro boat - a big mistake. It might have been bigger but on sailing it up the coast with my 5yr old daughter I never once felt safe in it, especially being hit by a storm coming up the coast to Bundaberg I then found out she had cracks in her. 8 months later she is sold and we are back on a good old Tophat.
First impressions: she is more solid than the Mk II, the decks do not give as you walk on them, the key hole companion way gives you more protection from the weather when sailing it works a bit like a solid dodger. I have a photo which shows you clearly just how much more protection it give. If any one wants it please send email. The main sheet track is bolted into a very solid piece of wood. The Mk II I had was pulling out of the fibreglass cabin I also think the built in furniture looks more homely than the fibreglass moulded furniture plus you get a stainless steel sink which is a lot more robust than the moulded one. On the Mk II the fibreglass sink chips with age. We are on our way down to Sydney tomorrow (22nd April) from QLD to move on board. She is in Drummoyne and we are going to live full time on her - that is me Bill and my daughter Jamie - Lee. We have a few things to sort out - one is selling the 1988 subaru 4x4 wagon $700, no reg but it has to go and also sort the boat out before sailing back up to Qld. Anyone wanting to keep in contact or would like to say hello to us either on the net or over the bar please feel free it would be most welcome. The boats name is Calypso (does anyone know her?) Oh, one last question - she is a Mk 1 but we were told 8 Mk I's were built by Baker at the Formit factory before he sold the molds but I feel Formit might have built some Mk I's. Does any one know if Formit did build any Mk I's and if so how many? This one is a 1975 model. Look forward to hearing from you all, Bill and Jamie.