A Smart built NSM on ebay

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Hotspur
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Re: A Smart built NSM on ebay

Post by Hotspur »

Ed wrote:yes, it is always a temptation....

but still sad when they go that way. To be honest, I don't think it is happening as much as it used to.

Not sure it is a behavior the CVRDA should condone though....well unless the boat is really past it and of little interest anyway.

A Smart built Merlin somehow seems to me like a boat that should be saved though.....would seem a tragedy to cut it up.
I've done my bit of Merlin saving recently or I might give it a go. At the moment though, they're just too much boat for me to manage given that available manpower = me. Sadly, I was unable to sail Fearless (Proctor MkXVI) and lost money on it, but not too much. That was another one where someone wanted to buy the trailer and scrap the boat. I fear the odd open-decked moulded dinghy on eBay currently might go the same way as it has a very nice galvanised trailer with it!
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stuw
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Re: A Smart built NSM on ebay

Post by stuw »

This is an NSM 1 and was built by Laurie Smart for Barry Dunning. Also belonged to the McAuslands and could be the boat they are sailing in in the Merlin Rocket book at topsham I think. Worth saving I would think. Smart boats are so well made
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Ed
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Re: A Smart built NSM on ebay

Post by Ed »

Interesting.......that number is certainly in the register as a Hooligan.

Does make a difference. If it is a Smart NSM, then I think it could really be worth the work.....but if its a Hooligan, then I think there would be less demand.

Have to say that it would seem more likely to be a smokers or NSM.....there were just more of em.

Has anyone gone and looked at it. Some of that water damage does look like it might be quite bad.....I hope the ply hasn't gone soft.

For me....it if is a NSM....and hasn't gone soft, then it really could make a lovely boat for someone and if I had the money and time, I would certainly be very interested.

cheers

eib
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davidh
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Re: A Smart built NSM on ebay

Post by davidh »

All,

at long last there is real 'news' on this boat and let's hope that the new owner will save it rather than asset strip it and then burn the hull. One of the reasons is that 3136 is a boat that has some history associated with it!

Way back when.... Barry Dunning had the boat built to his specific requirements - which included a dagger Board. At this time some national 12s had been built with dagger boards as the rules didn't prohibit them - then Dunning found that the Merlin Rocket Rules had the same loophole. The boat was built....only for the Class Association to promptly ban daggers. In the National 12s, the ame happened but the boats built then were 'grandfathered'. In the Merlins, as only one boat had been finished, the certificate was 'pulled' meaning that the boat had to go back and have a proper centrecase retro fitted.

So, a little bit of Merlin Rocket history in the boat, a shame if that were to be lost!

D
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Ed
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Re: A Smart built NSM on ebay

Post by Ed »

In which case.....can we confirm that it is an NSM, rather than a Hooligan as it says in the register?

Must be up by now anyway???

Did any of us get it?

I do hope it wasn't broken up.....seemed way to nice for that.

cheers

eib
Ed Bremner
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davidh
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Re: A Smart built NSM on ebay

Post by davidh »

Ed,

yes but no but..........................

Not a Hooligan - that is definite. Much too early to be an NSMII, but could be an NSMI although an early one(excuse the pun) - certainly Laurie's first NSM if that is what it was.

I've spoken to 2 of the owners and neither of them have been able to confirm exactly what it was - best guess is an NSM but with 'modifications'!!

D
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Mikey
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Re: A Smart built NSM on ebay

Post by Mikey »

David - felt I had to chip in as "Hooligan" came up. I owned 2941 "Chrysalis" a "Hooligan - WT special" ex. Chris & Liz Wilkinson (note the play on names) and as a lightweight found her a nice boat to sail but a real devil to quick tack. I owned her for about 4 years and always lake sailed.

Mike Liggett.
davidh
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Re: A Smart built NSM on ebay

Post by davidh »

Mike.... I think Phil M was already thinking about having the two distinct lines - the Smokers for the bigger helms, the Hooligan for the lighter. As I understand it, Phil built something of a hollow into the forrard sections to help keep the bows in - to the point that you could get water down the shute going upwind.

Do you have any pictures of your boat Mike - somewhere I have a picture of PM at the Warming Pan launching the prototype

D
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stuw
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Re: A Smart built NSM on ebay

Post by stuw »

Believe Barry Dunnings old boat has been saved to be fully restored and is to be sailed at Rudyard Lake. Still believe it's an NSM1 looking at the pics and comparing it to 3143 which I sailed in the late 80s which was a Rowsell NSM1. When it was referred to an NSM, Barry D never corrected it on the M/R forum
davidh
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Re: A Smart built NSM on ebay

Post by davidh »

Stuw.... yes, saw that over on the MR forum.

It's never easy with these things that are less than clear. I'm with you 100% that it looks an NSM but.....not only in the Yearbook, but in some other reports that I have from the period it was suggested that it wasn't - without saying quite what it was!

In addition, the week before xmas, I did a video interview with Barry (and Alan Warren) and the topic of the boat came up - and even that was inconclusive. Yet for all that, my money is with yours....an NSM1!

D
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Ed
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Re: A Smart built NSM on ebay

Post by Ed »

Just glad it is going to be given another lease of life!

Hope it makes it to one of our events some time.

eib
Ed Bremner
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Mikey
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Re: A Smart built NSM on ebay

Post by Mikey »

Yes David, I do have pictures of "Chrysalis". However they are proper photos, the kind you used to hand round and bore friends and relations who visited and had no interest in sailing!
Will contact you to arrange.

Mike.
stuw
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Re: A Smart built NSM on ebay

Post by stuw »

David H do you possibly know where I could get hold of a merlin year book and a few old news letters from v late 70 s and the 80s. Not a member of the association as mainly sailed N 12s but always messed about and had a big interest in them. Any help appreciated

Stuart :P
davidh
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Re: A Smart built NSM on ebay

Post by davidh »

Hi Stuart,

I wish I could help but......I'd lost all my mags and yearbooks from that era in my many moves around Europe. Once I started the book, to get the background for that period I had to ask for help but in this respect I was very lucky and some very generous people dug through their own bookshelves to find what I needed. The early 80s in particular were important to me as this was when I was sailing my one-off special - it was just one of those boats that always seemed to be quick however badly you sailed.

I think I'd try over on the MR forum - just before xmas someone had a whole load of mags that they wanted to dispose off so you could well be in luck.

The alternative is to start saving or do lots of useful jobs around the house in exchange for an extra special Christmas present this year. The 'shape' of the book is starting to firm up; a size up from A4 (I think it's 33cm x 28cm) in landscape format, with the history of the class from day one, pictures and...line drawings of the more significant designs, in a large enough format to be able to see what the designer was doing (plus some very useful comments from the likes of Keith Callaghan who is very good at being able to describe just why one boat went - or didn't!)

Chapter 7 - the last in the book, is all but done - that just leaves Chapter 6, 1986 -1999 and it's done (though I still need to complete a number of interviews...Spud, Phil M..... Jon Turner...).

What next - Moths or 505s!

D
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stuw
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Re: A Smart built NSM on ebay

Post by stuw »

National 12s of course, so much history and development, loads of info from the likes of Robin and Howard Stephenson, Jo Richards, mike Jackson, rob Peebles etc even great yacht designers like Hugh Welborn. What more could you ask for. Even Keith dabbled
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