Fireflies no.7 plus others

General chat about boats
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alan williams
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Fireflies no.7 plus others

Post by alan williams »

Hi
I attended a performance at Plymouths Creative Arts School. On entering the building the first thing I noticed was a Firefly suspended from the ceiling. I made enquires and spoke to a guy from the school about it. They were given 6 by Classic Keel Boats (is this Andrew Thornhill?), and are restoring them. One of the boats being restored is number 7. The School intends to sail the boats when they are all completed from the marina in Millbay docks. I mentioned to the teacher about the CVRDA and he said he would look us up. Does anyone know the history of number 7 was she a1948 Olympic boat and if this is the case who sailed her as the school would love to know it's history. Could you reply to me and I'll pass it on to the school.
Al Finn6 70, Finn774, FF2923, Shark41 and Plymouth Dolphin 30.
Last edited by alan williams on Tue May 16, 2017 9:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
Michael4
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Re: Fireflies no.7 plus others

Post by Michael4 »

The very active Firefly Association would like to hear about her, their registrar is Peter Lanham.

https://fireflyclass.co.uk/boat/7/

You have to be a bit careful about Fireflies, the hull number (carved in hog or transom) can easily be different from the register or sail number.

Info on their site re F7 is:

F7 NFA Boat Register | Wed 6th Apr 2016
Categories: Boat Details
Name "Miranda III"
Builder Fairey Marine December 1946 Hull number - 3
Deck Colour
.
Hull Colour
.
Usage Racing
Condition Not Known
Location
Present location - not known
Current Owner
Present owner - not known.
Known Owners 1st owner - Mr Edwards, Upper Thames SC
c1965 - Miss HT MacQuistan, Bristol SC
Tideway 206
11+
Sold the 'Something bigger and plastic', it never got used.
Rupert
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Re: Fireflies no.7 plus others

Post by Rupert »

Firefly 7 reached me as a wreck in about 1992, as a project from Andrew Thornhill. Our thought was simply to get her afloat, so the rotted out strip along the keel was replaced with ply, and the rest of the boat was got in Sailable condition ready for the classics meeting at Bristol Avon.

7 predates the Olympic boats by some way. She actually had the shorter side tanks originally, which were lengthened forwards. There was obviously still a lot of prototyping going on at that point.

She had been painted inside and out at some point, something I didn't change.

As with the other boats, she was sold be MDL and kept in a container. Pretty sure she came to light again at Beale Park. Hope she gets a new lease of life, but the project will almost be archeology.
Rupert
Michael4
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Re: Fireflies no.7 plus others

Post by Michael4 »

Sounds like there may be a run on agba in the not too distant future...invest, invest!
Tideway 206
11+
Sold the 'Something bigger and plastic', it never got used.
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Ed
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Re: Fireflies no.7 plus others

Post by Ed »

At one stage the MDL Fairey collection was in the care of the NMM Cornwall and F7 was in the museum at Falmouth.

But I think Thornhill negotiated for all/most/some of the collection to be moved to Beale Park, and presumably now on again to Classic Keel Boats, which as you say, he has a connection to.

One day....someone could write a book.....

Glad to hear she is back under restoration. The NMMC were always adamant that she was too valuable to be restored and should stay in original condition as a historic artefact.

eib
Ed Bremner
CVRDA


Jollyboat J3
Firefly F2942
IC GBR314 ex S51 - 1970 Slurp
MR 638 - Please come and take it away
Phelps Scull
Bathurst Whiff - looking for someone to love it
Rupert
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Re: Fireflies no.7 plus others

Post by Rupert »

Are you sure that was 7, Ed? Not sure anyone could have been blind enough to think she was in original condition - she had been mucked around with many times over the years, by the look of it almost from year 1!
Rupert
chris
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Re: Fireflies no.7 plus others

Post by chris »

I have an original firefly fixed spoon rudder willing to pass on to any original firefly in need. I also have a friend willing to pass on some cotton sails too.
All free to the right restoration.
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Ed
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Re: Fireflies no.7 plus others

Post by Ed »

Well, it is only my memory.... so it may well of failed me....

but yes, painted blue hull with white interior.

I was just a bit miffed, because it was hanging from the ceiling and I asked whether it would be put on the water again and told no....it had too much heritage value being the oldest known Firefly. And I said.....well we used to sail it .....etc....

but who knows, I have problems remembering my own name these days.

eib
Ed Bremner
CVRDA


Jollyboat J3
Firefly F2942
IC GBR314 ex S51 - 1970 Slurp
MR 638 - Please come and take it away
Phelps Scull
Bathurst Whiff - looking for someone to love it
Rupert
Posts: 6255
Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2004 8:40 pm
Location: Cotswold Water Park

Re: Fireflies no.7 plus others

Post by Rupert »

Sounds like 7, but they have had 1 in there for a long, long time, haven't they?
Rupert
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