tophatyachts.com

I am a past Top Hat owner and am looking around for a Mark 1 as a more sensible replacement for my current boat which is has a dinghy type hull and rig and, these days, not so user friendly to sail. I came across a boatpoint ad for Saracen which is located at Mannering Point and am intrigued by the broker's description of the boat as having a bilge keel (does not stipulate twin bilge keels) I regarded this as a printer's error until I noted that the boat has a Yanmar with sail drive which I cannot visualise on the standard Top Hat unless the installer created a cut out in the keel. I am sure one of you Lake Macquarie guys are familiar with this boat. From the photographs it appears to be what I call a Mark 1.5, built when manufacture was taken over from Baker with the standard galley/head configuration, but a dinette fitted without the loss of the cockpit locker. The interior also looks like a refurbishment in progress which has come to a halt.
I intend having a look at the boat but would appreciate some clarification from someone familiar with the craft rather than the dealer's explanation.
Thanks for any assistance
Gramps

Hi Gramps

I think he means it has a bilge in the keel under the motor Sail drive ??????


Cheers Bear

Hi Bear,

Thanks for the quick reply. I have assumed that the broker means that it has an encapsulated lead keel, but the sail drive has got me baffled. Maybe he also means that it has a mast and is sail driven :lol: I will phone today but do not expect to get reliable answers from the broker.

Cheers,

Sean (Gramps)

Hi Gramps

If you have a close look at the photo you can see her keel and it's just a plain "pretty " Mk1 It wouldn't possible to fit a sail drive in a TH even with major surgery

Cheers Bear

perhaps not... you can do anything it seems to a mark 111....look carefully, (apologies to the boat owner if he is on here!!!

Hello



Spot the difference Look carefully I think it's a pull my finger job



Bear

Damn and I thought my little ruse would work...ROFl- well done Mr Bear, I was shit scared it would be someone on here's tophat. twas a little late in the evening of a long day so my sense of humour was being silly , must say I totally agree with your view of the later marques, which is why I would never pick on an earlier Tophat for this Task although I must say (from an extremely biased viewpoint) that a real Tophat is made of wood with a really silly main hatch that pivots forward, just for authenticity the engine use to face backwards and belt driven too!!)

Hey Chris nothing wrong with being silly ? look at some of the things I say and do eg; Standing a mast ! Maybe that's why he might be selling it ? Some bastard stuck a sail drive under it ! Don't panic I have a mate who knows a good lawyer ,if he's no good he has a friend who knows one with an Indian accent and lives in Delhi and works over the phone with a small cash payment up front If that fails do you need a passport ?

I do have a passion for the timber Top Hat must be why I built my model . I looked at a timber Top Hat before I bought my beloved Egret II .Even thought about building one ,but the cost was ridiculous . Tossed the idea of a hull only a putting a teak deck and doghouse etc .again cost was ridiculous .

Bear

PS you might have started another topic when we go quite again .

Thanks for all the comments, including the saildrive picture which was impressive, if not believable. Good try all the same! This story still does not have an explanation of the "sail drive" installation - but it certainly does for me. Despite my pointing out to the broker that it would take major changes to the keel configuration, he assured me that this Mark 1 is fitted with a saildrive. In the end I told him that if that was true, then this boat is an orphan and I went looking elsewhere. I have seen three Mark 1 boats now and regret to say that all have been seriously neglected by their owners and are in a deplorable state. On balance the cost of restoration is is too significant to write off as a love affair.
I am sorry I ever parted with my old boat but I intend to find one and will just keep looking. Do you guys know anyone out there who has a Mark 1 he is not using as much any more and would like to see it go to a good home?

Sean

Hi Sean

You must get a photo because it 's got me stumped how you fit a sail drive in a TH there's no room
Yet what would I know

Yes Sean ? I've said all along the Mk1 is the prettiest and the original is the best . But sadly they are getting on in age ,just like me !It took me 3 years to find Egret II and she was in a sad state and hadn 't been used for over 18 months . I was at the heritage boat festival at Toronto (Lake Macquarie )at Easter and there was a Baker Built Mk1 there .I got chatting to the old gentleman that owned her and he was saying ' The late Geoff Baker built her as the 1st display TH for the Sydney International Boat Show .It had been resprayed etc and looked good .I think he wanted $22000 for her. He was trying to tell me it was 50 years old, like I said an old Gentlemen .I would be guessing 40 years old ? the Top Hat! not the Gentleman.

Bear