Sea Fire on the bay

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phil58490
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Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2012 1:23 pm
Location: Kellow, Looe, Cornwall

Sea Fire on the bay

Post by phil58490 »

Advertised as a Sea fire, someone was looking for one.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sea-Fire-Sail ... 6016.l4276
Just across the Tamar in South East Cornwall

Solo 4928
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Hotspur
Posts: 117
Joined: Sat Sep 10, 2011 7:38 pm

Re: Sea Fire on the bay

Post by Hotspur »

Aha! Thanks!

I was beginning to despair of ever finding one. I hope this one isn't cream-crackered.
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Nessa
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Location: East Angular

Re: Sea Fire on the bay

Post by Nessa »

the seller offers a test sail.....hmmmmm.

Does anyone have a pic of one afloat or in action? looks a nice boat.
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Re: Sea Fire on the bay

Post by Hotspur »

Doesn't look as though I'm going to be able to take up the offer of a test sail, but my Dad's going to go and have a look at it as he lives in that neck of the woods. High hopes for this one - although the wooden battens in the GRP floor did give me slight cause for concern. Aren't those an issue on older GRP Solos?

@Nessa - here's a link with a pic of the prototype (originally named '4-1') under sail in its two-handed guise http://seaflymemories.org.uk/images/sdbrochure4_lg.jpg
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phil58490
Posts: 203
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Location: Kellow, Looe, Cornwall

Re: Sea Fire on the bay

Post by phil58490 »

[quote="Hotspur"]the wooden battens in the GRP floor did give me slight cause for concern. Aren't those an issue on older GRP Solos?

I had a GRP Solo with soggy wet floor battens, caused by holes from the toe straps and other fittings through the thin layer of fiberglass over the wood. I don't think it would be too hard a job to replace them by cutting/ sanding off the top layer of cloth, carefully peeling out the wooden stiffeners leaving a channel then and replacing with new wood and glassing over. Others may be able to suggest a better way to do it.
Just across the Tamar in South East Cornwall

Solo 4928
Solo 3406
Hit 5 Sold
Hotspur
Posts: 117
Joined: Sat Sep 10, 2011 7:38 pm

Re: Sea Fire on the bay

Post by Hotspur »

phil58490 wrote:
Hotspur wrote:the wooden battens in the GRP floor did give me slight cause for concern. Aren't those an issue on older GRP Solos?
I had a GRP Solo with soggy wet floor battens, caused by holes from the toe straps and other fittings through the thin layer of fiberglass over the wood. I don't think it would be too hard a job to replace them by cutting/ sanding off the top layer of cloth, carefully peeling out the wooden stiffeners leaving a channel then and replacing with new wood and glassing over. Others may be able to suggest a better way to do it.
Thanks Phil. It looks as though the '4-1' may have undergone some development before becoming the Seafire. It mentions a 'tumblehome' to the hull, which by the look of those images on the old brochure, it has at the stern. However, the pics of other Seafires I've seen definitely have a slight, but obvious flare all the way along the hull.
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Hotspur
Posts: 117
Joined: Sat Sep 10, 2011 7:38 pm

Re: Sea Fire on the bay

Post by Hotspur »

Well, I dispatched my parents to go and have a look at the Seafire today, they took some pics. Will debrief properly tomorrow.

I don't own the boat yet but I'm hopeful. I suspect it dates from the early 60s rather than the 50s, and it's certainly a lost class - I take it it's fully CVRDAable?
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Nessa
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Re: Sea Fire on the bay

Post by Nessa »

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Hotspur
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Re: Sea Fire on the bay

Post by Hotspur »

Thanks Nessa. That's the related Seafly - looks as though it can handle a breeze OK!
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alan williams
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Location: Devon

Re: Sea Fire on the bay

Post by alan williams »

Very CVRDA able.
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Nessa
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Re: Sea Fire on the bay

Post by Nessa »

I was doin that thing where you crane your neck trying to see further up the sail whewre the logo is...
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Re: Sea Fire on the bay

Post by Hotspur »

Nessa wrote:I was doin that thing where you crane your neck trying to see further up the sail whewre the logo is...
Haha, I know what you mean! The symbol was briefly visible on the 'getting ready to go out' video, though both symbols are quite similar as you'd expect. I suspect the Seafire would look very similar afloat, just with lower freeboard - according to the owner it ships a bit of water in a chop, but the self-bailer deals with that. My Dad says it's actually quite big and heavy, a bit more than I was expecting. They obviously built them to last down in South Devon. I've never seen one in the flesh but I'd thought it was Solo-sized, apparently it's a good deal bigger. I need to be able to handle the thing by myself so I may try and get down there before the auction ends.
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alan williams
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Re: Sea Fire on the bay

Post by alan williams »

According too dinghy data base 14ft by 5ft 11inches. Weight ?
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ent228
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Location: Stoke Gabriel, On the Dart, South Devon

Re: Sea Fire on the bay

Post by ent228 »

The brochure says "tumble home" deck design provides comfortable sailing.

I assume this is not refering to the hull but to the deck and I can only imagine that it means something like the sloping inwards deck of a Solo....
Hotspur
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Re: Sea Fire on the bay

Post by Hotspur »

I've decided against this one on the basis that it doesn't have a proper road trailer which would be suitable for long distances, plus the boat is actually somewhat bigger and heavier than I had thought. Still, It is apparently in good nick and would be well worth a go if someone wanted an unusual but attractive classic boat that reportedly performs well.

I've got some more photos I'll post when I'm at my PC
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