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[Shaun]

From: Paul (Original Message) Sent: 25/06/2003 3:59 AM
Hi Guys<o:p></o:p>

<o:p></o:p>

Thought I would join your group – may be able to help some of you in the future. I owned my first Top Hat in 1984. I purchased it new from Formit Fibreglass, and it was the first one built to survey standard, as I was using it for my sailing school. It was built with an extra heavy lay up with an additional layer of woven roving in the hull, oversized rudder shaft and a few other mods. I sold this boat in 1988 and built a Martzcraft 35 from hull and deck stage which I launched in 1997. I have just gone full circle and purchased another Top Hat in Sydney which needs a lot of work, and I will be transporting it at the end of July to the Sunshine Coast in Queensland where I live. Meanwhile I am arranging for a shipwright friend of mine to do some work for me. When it arrives here I will be stripping the boat completely of all deck gear and redoing it all, as well as taking out all the electrics and redoing those as well. The hull and cabin will also be resprayed and the complete interior redone. (I need something to keep me occupied on a weekend!). I have worked in the marine industry for the last 20 years in various facets and have done the last 18 Sydney Boat Shows, and will be there again this year. If any of you would like to come and say hello let me know before hand and I will tell you which stand I am working on.



If I can help anyone let me know. Ran the sailing school for a couple of years and cruised the east coast for a couple of years.

Regards

Paul Sinclair<o:p></o:p>




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Recommend Message 2 of 2 in Discussion

From: PaulG99 Sent: 11/09/2003 6:43 PM
Hi Paul,

My wife and I are bvuying a Mk1 as our first boat. We have looked at dozens of different models around the $15k mark and this looks like the one for us.

Had a question: this particular boat has the transom cut out to allow the outboard motor to work - is this standard ? There are some cracks in the gel coating below this cut out that have had an attempted repair.

Is there anythin g else we should be wary of on these boats prior to going to survey.

Many thanks - great to see there are many of them out there. Are you doing the boat show in Sydney this year (when is it ?)

Cheers and hope your project is going great.

Paul