Query about uffa fox 14 ft Dinghy

[Garry R]

Have turned a shade of green with envy but this has been followed by having a quick look at walnut shell futures on the stock exchange. Buy buy buy!!! Seriously there seems to be a lot of work there but it looks a real gem.

[jon711]

Not that I am an expert on I14's, but that look's very similar to one....

[davidh]

Sharon,

You've made a few people very envious here!!!

Can we ask one more question? Is the boat now owned down at Hayling Island by John Hartley?

If yes, then we are getting to grips with the 'provenence' of the boat but if NO - then by an amazing coincidence, two great 14s have appeared in a short time frame.

The boat is fabulous though!!

D

[Ancient Geek]

CWOR!
All those nice quality boat building touches, the big panel Transom n Centreplate case side routed out to save weight the floor reinforced where feet tread and water runs, the athwartship beam rounded off to an elipse to save weight without losing strength so much nicer than just knock the arris off. Bloody great solid bronze plate must weigh several hundred pounds.
A genuine worthy and potentialy very expensive project, but oh yes it has to be done!

[jon711]

Calm down AG, you will give yourself a coronary...

But, she is beautiful, or could be with the correct amount of TLC...

Jon

[Fantasia]

From the posts it seems as though there may be two similar design 14's of similar vintage out there at the same time!

This is a real coincidence, but I think that it is true that two similar boats have emerged at the same time. The images here are of a similar, but not identical boat to No.521 Tiptoes. I shall only prove this by posting images of her as well, which I intend to do as soon as Ihave taken them.

[davidh]

john,

proof, if any were needed, that the classics scene is alive and kicking, in good health!

Good luck, please show us some pictures as we're all very keen to drool some more on the prospects of these boats re-appearing in restored condition

D

[sharon]

Hi guys,thanks for the feedback,sounds like Ive got something good here,but I'm still not definitely sure what.Can anyone give me a definite i.d. for this boat?We are in Cornwall,near Falmouth. Also can any one tell me what its worth as it is, or once restored?

[clibb]

Can only reitrerate, if it's Hobby Hawk it is number 479, a Henry Curtis Hall design from 1944, built by Uffa Fox. The boat itself is a 1946 build, was originally registered to T C Ratsey, and later owned by E E Deuchars.

The plans of this design are shown in the International 14 book, but I haven't been able to get a clear enough image to post.

As to value when restored or unrestored, clearly there is no Glass's guide to dinghy prices. In terms of the class's history it has value, but the cost of restoration must make this a labour of love, and it's attraction to the CVRDA sailing fraternity is limited by it's practicality. As is, £500 max, restored £1500 max. What do others think ??

Nick -Int 14 839

[clibb]

Further to my earlier note. Looking at the plans in more detail there is a pronounced flare in the upper part of the hull in the first 4 feet or so. This is replicated clearly in the interior shots of the hull, though is not apparent in the outside shots. I think it is clear, therefore, that this is Hobby Hawk.

Nick. Int 14 - 839

[Ancient Geek]

Value of course depends ultimately on what the buying interest is and how much ultimately some one is prepared to pay for the item at the time concerned, as the many buy to sell antiques programmes on television demonstrate.
£500 would seem a lot by what the restorers on the CVRDA site seem to want to pay, and it's present state, there is admitedly enough to see the quality of the workmanship and the immediately post war materials, (Uffa broke a few of the austerity regulations, post war, but then the man who designed and built the Airborne Lifeboats was entitled I suppose.) but enough to see that there is a lot of boat missing and lots to do if there is to be a chance of it sailing in say the lower threequarters of the UK weather. Otherwise it might be a museum job where they can indulge in the old fashioned tequniques in the certain knowledge it will never be sailed. But where? Most of the collections of which I know have at least one nailed up 14.
As to the restoration costs, they will be large and one is tempted to quote Sir Thomas Lipton that if you need to ask you can't afford it you can't! Having just had a wooden keelboat built only in 1966 restored to 2011 competative standards, I know that such projects are a black hole.
The value restored, - with a rig and sails and trailor etc?
A lot.
Who would buy a done up boat? Most of the people on this site seem to want to do it up. I'll get howled down but cost (Which does not equate to value.) of restoration to a sailable going concern with the work done professionally cannot be far short of £20,000.00. Of course time and the CVRDA network means that the right bits could be sourced cheaply and DIY work with copious (But often conflicting.) advice available (Showing that there many ways of skinning cats.)
Whatever you do please do not burn it, though with all those coper fastenings she make a pretty blaze!
Good luck, and keep us informed please.

[clibb]

I tend to agree, and the wildly different amounts between restoration and final saleable value (even if I seriously underestimated it) would not make restoration worthwhile unless the boat had an equally worthwhile history. The Hobbyhawk design was not particularly original, but this example was an Uffa Fox build, and it did have some racing success, scoring 4th in the 1947 POW, with Franklin Woodroffe at the helm, and 5th in 1950 with Colin Ratsey at the helm. However, this was at a time when the class was dominated by Stewart Morris, Charles Curry and Bruce Banks, so the competition was not to be sneezed at.

Worth doing ? Definitely yes, but don't expect to get your money back.

Nick Intl 14 - 839

[Ancient Geek]

I thought I was careful to differntiate between value and cost, cost is almost certain to be by a very larger factor larger than value if value is the resale price.