tophatyachts.com

Hi,
I'm thinking of buying a top hat...have been for a long time.

Have come across one in Hobart but it doesn't look stock. It's ply not glass.
Anyone know of this model or indeed the boat?

Thanks.

http://www.boatpoint.com.au/boats-for-s ... ?R=3153360

Hi Flat chat, (Sorry don't know your name)

Yes that is a timber Top Hat Mark 0, no matter that the agent will try to tell you its a Mk3!!
It has a new deck on that looks like a Mk3. Mark 1,2 & 3's are of fibreglass and do not have ribs!

Age of this vessel will be about 40 years or there-a-bouts, unless he can tell you who built it and show proof of when. I do know of 2 timber TH's that were built in Tasmania (1960's) but this one could have come across from Melbourne or even South Aust. where some (No?) were built in timber also during the late 1960's.

Try to find out the names the vessel has operated under, this may tell us when it was built. There were about 14 plus timber Top hats built that I have been able find, 1 was wrecked early 70's in Java the other sunk at its mooring in Williamstown last year, most of the others are missing in action but I do know the first one built is still alive in QLD and is a beautful example of a timber Top Hat.

If you decide to buy, get a good survey by that outfit building timber boats south of Hobart,
you'll know who I mean.

Best of luck
Phillip
SEAKA

Thanks Phillip.

I figured it was a Mark 0 ....an old timber design.

I'm honestly not sure to go down this path or look for a later model. Glass boats are a little bit less maintenance intensive.

Appreciate your help,
Matt.

Re: Mk 0 old boat would have it surveyed.As glues not as good as today for example etc
coachouse not orginal so resale value drops .Old boat more work less fun .If cold moulded harder to repair

Hi All,

Re Mark 0's in Australia.

The first Australian Top Hats produced by Mouldcraft in Melbourne were Hot Moulded,
whereas the English did theirs using the cold moulding method.

I am not sure about Australian privately built ones, but suspect that they would have been cold moulded.

Phillip
SEAKA

G'day Matt
The boat in Hobart that you are looking at is most likely "Laragh" which is not the original name. The vendor should be able to advise on the previous name, which may be of help in tracing her history.
As far as I'm aware, it is a Mk "0" and as others have noticed, has a custom coach house built in later years.
It is a triple diagonally laid hull (so I am told) and was built in Melbourne in the 1960's and later sailed to the north west coast of Tassie then again later sailed down to Hobart.
I am told that it is a very dry hull (no leaks). I used to race against it in cruising division with my Mk1 TopHat (Sintra II). It performs very well in the harder weather but a bit slower in the light stuff.
If you would like to contact me for a comparative look at a glass Toppie, I am happy to oblige.
cheers
Austin

One thing to consider is that the coach house would possibly have had to have been replaced due to rot. I've seen mark 1 and II Top Hats with sagging coach roof and deck around the front step down section and they were of fibreglass. To repair a deck and coach roof on a fibreglass Top Hat is a considerably expensive thing to do, and I would expect similar for a timber Top Hat. It stands to reason that if someone took that much time to redesign and build a complete new coach superstructure, one with much more head room and light than the original Mark 0, you would expect that they did the complete boat, including the hull. This means that providing they did the job "properly" using well tested methods, it would be possible you have very well put together boat.

As Phillip suggests, make sure a well positioned timber shipwright does the survey and if you do purchase, you might well have a "one of a kind" yacht and an interesting talking point for a small amount of hard earned.

Michael

Great job on the coach house - love the forward hatch - certainly a professional job.

I see it has sold -- did you buy it?