I am very happy to have recently purchased Merlin 214 which is in excellent condition. It has been fitted with a deck stepped aluminium mast (+boom) and has dacron sails also in very good condition.
As an historic boat which won the Merlin National Championships in 1953 should I be looking to find a wooden mast and cotton sails and if so where would you go to source these items?
Any advice appreciated.
Vintage Merlin Diabolo
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Garry R
Diabolo
Thanks Gary,
Just spoke to Mike who did have two but sold one and is keeping the other for Flinkidink. He may also have a lead on cotton sails.
Just spoke to Mike who did have two but sold one and is keeping the other for Flinkidink. He may also have a lead on cotton sails.
Nick
Glad to hear of another fine old lady around, hope we see her around next year.
Main halyard usually went up the hollow mast but the jib halyard went from jib head up turned a block, back down jib luff( via hanks) turned a block at the foot , along the deck to a cleat on the fore deck. This reduced down pressure on the wooden mast and incresed stiffness on the jib.
The early masts also rotated and were quite broard fore/aft. 412 was probably built just after the rule change that lowered the rig from 25' to 22'6". So having said all that last year I aquired a wooden merlin mast built as 22'6" that is non rotating, narrower fore/aft than iska's mast and has two cleats on the mast suggesting that the jib halyard just came down the outside of the mast. The main does go down inside though. (also only one diamond instead of 2 or 3)
Worth asking on the merlin forum about masts and cotton sails. The first time I took Iska to one of the thames clubs some admired the cotton and said they thought they still had their old ones somewhere.
Last thought... Old wooden mast + new shape and size modern sails = broken mast. ask John MR36 and I broke one on 507 a few years ago.
Cotton sails are smaller in real area and put less stress on the mast. They probably let quite a bit of wind through too!
So keep two rigs and their sails Old and new.
I have a set of cottons from no. 54. They are blue, in quite good nick but small. Could consider loaning them or possibly passing them on.
Chris MR6, 507
Main halyard usually went up the hollow mast but the jib halyard went from jib head up turned a block, back down jib luff( via hanks) turned a block at the foot , along the deck to a cleat on the fore deck. This reduced down pressure on the wooden mast and incresed stiffness on the jib.
The early masts also rotated and were quite broard fore/aft. 412 was probably built just after the rule change that lowered the rig from 25' to 22'6". So having said all that last year I aquired a wooden merlin mast built as 22'6" that is non rotating, narrower fore/aft than iska's mast and has two cleats on the mast suggesting that the jib halyard just came down the outside of the mast. The main does go down inside though. (also only one diamond instead of 2 or 3)
Worth asking on the merlin forum about masts and cotton sails. The first time I took Iska to one of the thames clubs some admired the cotton and said they thought they still had their old ones somewhere.
Last thought... Old wooden mast + new shape and size modern sails = broken mast. ask John MR36 and I broke one on 507 a few years ago.
Cotton sails are smaller in real area and put less stress on the mast. They probably let quite a bit of wind through too!
So keep two rigs and their sails Old and new.
I have a set of cottons from no. 54. They are blue, in quite good nick but small. Could consider loaning them or possibly passing them on.
Chris MR6, 507
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Garry R
If you ever hear of a set of cotton sails that might fit Secret Water - she has a 21ft mast remeber - please think of me!! When I got the Dacron sails made for Secret Water and Gannet I specifically asked for sails of the cut for boats of that era. Chris beat me to the internal halyard question and thereby saved me a load of typing!!
Diabolo
Thanks to you both. Mike Stephens was seeing someone this morning at Tamesis about getting cotton sails made. I will also post a message on the Merlin forum.
Nick
Nick,
When I went down to see 'Blue Moon' recently, I heard how her mast had broken and been 'scarfe'd'.
Adding a bit on the bottom should, in theory, be possible, as long as it is below gooseneck height. I'd be tempted to set an extra pair of lowers though (at gooseneck height) to keep the whole thing in column.
D
When I went down to see 'Blue Moon' recently, I heard how her mast had broken and been 'scarfe'd'.
Adding a bit on the bottom should, in theory, be possible, as long as it is below gooseneck height. I'd be tempted to set an extra pair of lowers though (at gooseneck height) to keep the whole thing in column.
D
David H
I did speak this afternoon to Laurie Smart who said he could scarf the mast if he can get a bit of Spruce. The boat already has lowers on the ali mast. Early boats had diamonds but if spreaders were fitted would they be necessary?
The mast luff slot would end quite high up the mast but should be fixable with a bit of track.
Just hope I can find some sails!
The mast luff slot would end quite high up the mast but should be fixable with a bit of track.
Just hope I can find some sails!
Nick
Nick,
did you see the piece I did a few months back called 'keeping it up'? (sorry about the title folks but.....)
I covered as much as possible the evolution of the 'rig', complete with Pics (many of which I took at Shearwater and BW).
There are two 'key' points:
Firstly - the mast MUST stay straight - as soon as it starts to bend the cracking noise (followed by the sounds of sawing as the remains get cut into firewood) is not far off.
Secondly - the nature of the Merlin main - and it's almost unique shape - rise from the rules regarding top battens and the way the sail is measured.
An 'old' Merlin sail could have as much as 20% less total sail area than a modern one.
Hence, as has been said already, the questionability of placing modern sails on a wooden stick.
D
did you see the piece I did a few months back called 'keeping it up'? (sorry about the title folks but.....)
I covered as much as possible the evolution of the 'rig', complete with Pics (many of which I took at Shearwater and BW).
There are two 'key' points:
Firstly - the mast MUST stay straight - as soon as it starts to bend the cracking noise (followed by the sounds of sawing as the remains get cut into firewood) is not far off.
Secondly - the nature of the Merlin main - and it's almost unique shape - rise from the rules regarding top battens and the way the sail is measured.
An 'old' Merlin sail could have as much as 20% less total sail area than a modern one.
Hence, as has been said already, the questionability of placing modern sails on a wooden stick.
D
David H
Mike Mcnamara did my new sails for Gannet and did a lovely job. A creamy colour that look like older cotton material. Cut them appropriate to the age of boat. A thoroughly nice guy too.
Chris Barlow is a scarfing of masts expert!! See the restoration of No 36 on the Repairs pages in the photo section of the Merlin site. hard to believe that the mast on Terrapin was salvageable and then again after the breakage at Baltic Wharf last year.
Chris Barlow is a scarfing of masts expert!! See the restoration of No 36 on the Repairs pages in the photo section of the Merlin site. hard to believe that the mast on Terrapin was salvageable and then again after the breakage at Baltic Wharf last year.