tophatyachts.com

Hello Hatters

I was having 'a" beer with Mr Greg while watching the Wind Warriors racing yesterday afternoon ,and the comment was passed on how many faults/ problems the Mk 2 and 3's seem to have compared to the Mk 1.....
I didn't want to be bias so I continued drinking my beer.....! and thought to myself, yeah ? anchors that don't fit in wells , headsails on furlers to small different mast heights etc etc maybe it,s true !


Bear

The only problem with my mk2 Bear is that it is so much fun to sail in the big ocean that I now find sailing in puddles boring. Oh well, it's a price that you have to pay for owning such a dry, sea kindly and sea worthy little craft. Funny, most Mk1s I see seem to spend their lives on moorings in Brisbane waters and Pittwater - it is sad to see the old girls rotting away from lack of love. There is a nice double speeder Mk1 moored in the next bay from me but I have never seen a dinghy out to it.Ditto for the one in Hardy's Bay which I have never seen off the mooring. Do Mk1 owners spend more time at the watering hole than on the water?

Mark
One thing I have notice over the years that a lot of the Mk 1 Top Hats are still owned by what seems to be the original owners ,who are now in their late 70's or early 80's .And maybe that is why so many seem like mooring minders ?
The biggest problem I find at the moment is trying to find the time to use mine .With a young family and weekend sports, and trying to renovate the family home the weekends just aren't long enough .Not to mention the crappy weather

Cheers Bear

Mmmm.

Sorry, guys, but I'm not sure there's much point dancing on the head of our own pin... ! 3vs2vs1?

I've done a fair amount of ocean racing, lake cruising, some sport stuff & dinghies & when I bought Stardust it was after 2 years of looking. Took me a while to get the hang of her (and Pt Phillip) but it's hard to explain how much the design feels like a seaworthy boat vs racers, bene-whatsits, bay (boy) racers etc. Stardust's slow in light airs because she's underpowered but she handles the Pt Phillip chop and 30kn across the deck really well. Great balance, headroom and comfortable watching the stars out the forehatch!

Isn't the hull shape and sail plan pretty much the same? The rest is cosmetic (where's the galley).

When I saw the little fleet at the gathering last year I was impressed by how good they ALL looked!

Oh, and I feel really comfortable out solo or with raw crew. Better than I expected, once I get going!

riddle me this Batman, That Windchaser is listed on Ebay stating it is the original deep draft version. Is the more that one draft? If so what are they?

Rob
Sundowner

Rob,

There were a few Mk3's and maybe some Mk2s [nobody knows how many] that were produced as shoal draft Top Hats. As far as I know there were no Mk 1's produced with a shoal draft.

What Formit did was put a foam plug in the bottom of the mould [it was about 300 deep] to reduce the draft.

As a result extra[?] lead was put in to compensate for the the reduced draft and righting action.

These shoal draft Top Hats have no water tank below the cabin floor [its all ballast].

If you want to see one, look out for Shaun and BLUE MOON, as his junk rigged Mk3 Top Hat is a shoal draft version. [Talk a bout wanting to be different!!!!]


Phillip.

'Walu' down here in Port Phillip is also a MkIII shoal draft

Tom

where abouts in port Phillip is it Tom? any chance of a look at her?

Rob
Sundowner

Thanks Tom,

That two, anybody know of any more shoal draft Top Hats?

Phillip.

Here is a picture of Walu at the Top Hat get together at Hobsons Bay last year.

Cheers,

Tom