A Blog-site for sharing news and views on Jollyboats

Allegria - J17 falls to Pirates and is scuttled

Skip on many years, I thought it would be quite fun to get a j Jollyboat to show the Wayfarer fleet at Lydney YC a thing or too. After a few searches on the internet, a suitable boat was found and we set off to collect her, only to find out that the boat I had found was Allegria.

Unfortunately, when I got her home, I discovered that the hull and Keel were in very poor condition with very little sound wood aft of the mast step in the bottom of the boat.

It was too hard to let her go though, so she sat in a corner of the barn for several years awaiting a mammoth restoration, but eventually my head won out over my heart and she was given to another friend to celebrate her birthday in.

So Allegria was eventually taken by rum drinking pirates and wrecked…

Al

Well this is my first ever blog.
This Fairey finished boat is being redecked with the help of my friend Ian, Jollyboat deck maestro and owner of the very beautiful J261 Jimini.
I have the Jollyboat owners association records and have been trying to keep a list of active boats.
Please let me know if you have a Jollyboat.
I have been phoning and emailing to get as many Jollyboats as are saillng to Bosham Classic boat revival 25 and 26th June.
At least 5 boats going and of course lots of classic day boats and CVRDA boats.

Decks off J161

This is why the decks needed replacing - extensive areas of delamination.

Bung through to cavity under deck

New bulkhead and new deckbeams.

Foredeck going on.

Tanks had "fillet" of black glue which had cracked. All removed and replaced by epoxy.

More pictures to follow as work progresses.

Jollyboat Sula is still looking for a good home.

She is free for anybody who wants to just come and pick her up. All I would like is to see this wonderful old Jollyboat brought back to life. It would be quite possible to do so, but I don’t pretend that it wouldn’t be quite a big job.

If you would like to know more, please do just look at the photos at: http://bit.ly/imxj2l

and get in touch with me as soon as possible.

She really won’t last another winter.

ed@cvrda.org

Trevor Chanter has been busy on the decks of J9 ‘Pataka’.

After a few years of hard use, the decks were looking in need of a little care and attention, so Trevor decided to try out the much discussed ‘G4′.

So far his thoughts were: “not overly impressed, but OK”

On the whole, although I have used it quite a bit, I would say that my impression was much the same. There is no doubt that you can get good results with it and I admit it is cheap, but there is quite an art to getting the best out of it.

Not like old Blakes Woodseal (RIP), which was such a wonder-primer. Maybe we will learn to use G4 instead, but maybe the next ‘best-practice’ is yet to be truly established.

We now have three sets of Jollyboat Rules and a Measurement Form on this site.

Of course, as the Owners Association is not currently established, there is nothing or nobody to say that you have to stick within these rules! In reality few of us have stayed exactly within the last known ratified set of rules from 1967, although most have tried to stay within their spirit.

There is some confusion due to the fact that we know that there was a set of amendments to the rules prepared for the 1971 AGM, which included a wide set of changes that reflected a wish by the class membership for a much looser set of rules allowing for some development by the owners. This included an extension to mast height and freeing of the rudder shape.

There was also a set of proposed rule amendments made in 1993, which we have, but as the class association was never re-formed, we can only presume that they were never ratified and we can only guess as to the support they had then or now from Jollyboat owners.

Anyway, they are now available from this website here.

A call to all Fairey Jollyboats in the UK.

Let’s try and get as many Jollyboats together as we can for the Bosham ‘Classic Boat Revival’.  You can see their poster on our site or watch their site at: http://boshamsailingclub.com/ and I am sure that something will go up there soon (if it hasn’t already).  This isn’t a CVRDA event, but there is bound to be a good turn of both local and CVRDA boats.  I think we have at least 5 Jollyboats who have shown an interest in being there…..so lets get more!

Our last nationals was in 1971 and since then we have had very few get-togethers.  The last of any real size was the Fairey Marine 50th anniversary regatta held at Hamble by MDL in the mid 90s.

Jollyboats line up at Hamble

We had 14 or 15 Jollyboats turn up for that with 8 or 9 racing in a range of trims from original with wooden mast and early Ratseys, to twin wire and fully battened main.

It was some of the best fun sailing I have ever had and I think it is well past time that we did the same thing again.

If you know any other Jollyboats, do give their owners a nudge and certainly put the date in your own diaries.

If you know you can make it, do drop a comment under this post.

Happy sailing!

eib

Photos of Jolly Fox at Bosham:

https://picasaweb.google.com/boshamsail … /JollyFox#

Looking forwards to seeing her in the flesh in June!

J83 is still looking for a decent trailer of combi, so if anyone has got one, do get in touch.

J-94 for sale - Looe, Cornwall

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200591428175&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_500wt_1004

Item No: 200591428175

Part restored – needs finishing – attention to hull & aft deck area required.

No Mast, Cotton Main, 3 Cotton Jibs and Spinnaker.

Wooden Board, rudder and 3 tillers

Currently very low price….

Could really do with a good owner!

Details from Apollo Duck:

http://sailingdinghies.apolloduck.co.uk/display.phtml?aid=189194

This 18 foot racing dinghy has been in the family since new. Designed by Uffa Fox and built by Fairey Marine. It has been garaged for the last 30 years, except for 2 years use on fresh water. It is ready to sail / race and comes with all necessary equipment, inclubing refurbished road trailer, Dacron sails, spinnaker, sheets, trapeze, fitted PVC cover, lifejackets. It has built in bouyancy to the sides/ rear and bow, Elfstrom self bailers and 2 transom flaps. Alloy Proctor gold mast and boom,on centre horse. Stainless steel rigging and trapeze wires. Timber lifting rudder and timber encased swing centreboard. Woodwork is in excellent condition and sound. Cosmetically could do with decks stripped and revarnished as has been sanded and patched in places. Photo taken in 1966 on loch Lomond, but 20 or more 2010 photos available upon providing me with an e-mail address. Will be moving home shortly and unlikely to be using the boat again, so looking for “a good home”. Rare opportunity for an enthusiast. Available for this years sailing but can store it for a while, if required. Ready to tow away. Viewings welcomed.

Price:  £13,999.00

Sounds like J133 is in need of quite a bit of work, but if you are looking for a cheap shell for a complete rebuild then this might be worth following up on:

http://www.cvrda.org/community/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=3319&sid=12b469c93b59ea6727b5efc10e81a896

If you want to chat the idea over…..leave a message here.

eib

The whole question of value is very hard to ascertain with any classic wooden dinghy, but it seems especially so for Jollyboats.  I think we would all agree that the Fairey Jollyboat is one of the most beautiful racing dinghies of the 50s-60s and yet with no functioning class association and no racing, the demand for these wonderful boats can be intermittent at best.

For quite a few years, none came on the market and there was certainly a few people who had money in their pockets who were prepared to pay a reasonable amount to get a boat.  This lead to some owners spending quite a lot of money on re-builds and in one case down here in Cornwall, of even starting afresh on a new-build.  But then a few came on the market and suddenly there was a very real absence of people wanting to take a Jollyboat on.  This has lead to a very abrupt fall in the expected price for a Jollyboat on the open market.

The crux is that most owners, when they want to sell a Jollyboat are far more interested in making sure their old friend goes to a good home, rather than in necessarily getting the best price.  This has meant that boats have sometimes been given away (to a good home) rather than being put on on ebay, where they may be sold for such a low price that they run the risk of being bought to be used as a garden ornament.

On the other hand, no-one would deny that the  Jollyboat is thoroughbred and a truly great boat, for fun, for racing, for the family.  Surely, therefore one would expect to have to pay a half-reasonable amount to buy one that is ready to go on the water?

But for sure, the marketplace is very confused on what is the going price for a Jollyboat:

For example, there was one on ebay recently for over £1500, whereas at the same time there was one on the CVRDA forum for £150.  I would like to believe that a good Jollyboat was worth £1500, but horrified that one could go for £150, but still the one for £150 sold (and is coming to Roadford Lake – which is great news!) and the other most probably didn’t.

So who’s to know?

Jollyboat for sale on Ebay

and on the CVRDA Forum:

Jollyboat for sale on CVRDA Forum

I own J US 191 since 1967.It came with sails that dated back to 1958. I have restored this boat several times over the past 40 years, but never got “on board” with the upgrades in spars and sails that I saw in the 1970’s- Bendy booms and masts for instance> I would like to get some suggestions as to current spar types/sources and related sail makers> Judging by the action pictures on this site there have been some huge rigging changes.
I also came across a reference to production of foam cored glass boats( as opposed to the solid glass boats that apparently lacked the stiffness to weight ratio of the wooden boats)I f anyone can put me on to a foam cored jolly source, I’d be grateful.

I have an 18ft Jolly Boat that I have just fitted with a spinnaker though I have yet to finish rigging it.  Does anyone have any suggestions as to the simplest and cleanest way ro rig the sail?

Thanks,

Justin Cetas

Portland, OR USA

I am looking for information on how to step the mast on a fiberglass boat that I was told is a Jollyboat.  The mast is aluminum and has a UK manufacturer.  Both hull and upper decks are molded fiberglass.  The foredeck has a “cutout” slot for the mast.  The sole of the boat has a small “slot” for the base of the mast which has a “screw with a phenolic disk”, I presume for tensioning the mast & stays.  Any advice is welcome; what should the mast base look like and the reciever?

Does anybody have any thoughts on the class rules? I ask from the perspective of considering a new rudder for JB9 and would consider a more modern profile than suggested in my copy of the rules. I aim to keep mine within the spirit of the class but wondered what other considerations people had?

I have an 18ft Jolly boat in Portland, Oregon USA ( a picture on the site shows it as the “Canadian” jolly boat)  and I recently had a spinnaker made for it according to the original plans.  I dont think the boat has ever been rigged for a spinnaker and as I also a novice at using a kite I am looking for advice.   What is the accepted rigging method on the Jolly boat? Any advice (no matter how obvious) would be appreciated.

Andrew Richardson – the association’s ‘Keeper of Records’  has just had a great success on ebay.

A full set of Fairey Marine plans came up for auction and the owner emailed me to ask if I was interested.  I was, but it made far more sense for Andrew to bid and me to pray that he got them rather than try and compete.

Well he did and I was thrilled!  It is a fantastic bit of news for the asociation and a completely irreplaceable part of the history for our class.  Not quite sure how yet, but I hope that we will be able to digitise them and put them up on the site here some time in the future:

Here is what the full set of plans  includes:

Full Listing::

Drawing number C18157  – Timber List
By Fairey Marine, Hamble (size B3 )
Drawn by : G Wood… 1961

Drawing number A18068 sheet 1 – General Arrangement of 18 ft Jolly Boat – all hull and deck
By Fairey Marine, Hamble (size 1310×740 mm )
Drawn by : R G 1962

Drawing number A18068  sheet 2- General Arrangement of Centreboard Box, Hoist and Keelhoist Gear
By Fairey Marine, Hamble (size 1310×740 mm )
Drawn by : R G 1962

Drawing number A18068 sheet 3 – Hull Assembly Diagrams with fittings and procedures
By Fairey Marine, Hamble (size 1310×740 mm )
Drawn by : R G 1961

Drawing number A18156  sheet 1 – Beams, Strakes Braces and Pads
By Fairey Marine, Hamble (size 1310×740 mm )
Drawn by : G Wood 1961

Drawing number A18156  sheet 2  – Bouyancy Tank Knees, Centreboard Shelfs, Towing Post and Pad
By Fairey Marine, Hamble (size 1310×740 mm )
Drawn by : G Wood 1961

Centreboard case diagrams and assembly method.

Drawing number B18074  – General Arrangement of Boom and all fittings thereto
By Fairey Marine, Hamble (size 750×500 mm )
Drawn by : A E Young 1954

Drawing number B18150  – Sail Plans and Layout on Masts
By Fairey Marine, Hamble (size 750×500 mm )
Drawn by : A E Young 1956

Drawing number A18041  – General Arrangement of Mast and all fittings thereto
By Fairey Marine, Hamble (size 1310×740 mm )
Drawn by : W Osment

Drawing number A18041  – General Arrangement of (Wood) Mast and all fittings thereto
By Fairey Marine, Hamble (size 1310×740 mm )
Drawn by : W Osment 1953

Drawing number A18054  – General Arrangement Metal Mast
By Fairey Marine, Hamble (size 1310×740 mm )

Drawing number B18147  – Horse for Main Sheet
By Fairey Marine, Hamble (size 750×500mm )
Drawn by : P Barnes 1957

Drawing number B18052  – Cable Lengths and Assemblies
By Fairey Marine, Hamble (size 750×500mm )
Drawn by : F Heath 1953

Drawing number C18046  – Forestay Attachment Fittings
By Fairey Marine, Hamble (size B3 )
Drawn by : F Heath 1953

Drawing number C18063  – Chain Plate for Shrouds
By Fairey Marine, Hamble (size B3 )
Drawn by : F Heath 1954

Drawing number D18064  – Shroud Nut Plate
By Fairey Marine, Hamble (size B3 )
Drawn by : F Heath

Drawing number C18075  – Fishplate
By Fairey Marine, Hamble (size B3 )
Drawn by : F Heath 1953

Drawing number B15036  – Centre Board (detailing)
By Fairey Marine, Hamble (size 750×500mm )
Drawn by : D Cheale 1955

Drawing number A18048  – General Arrangement of Fixed Rudder
By Fairey Marine, Hamble (size 1310×740 mm )
Drawn by : H M Cole 1955

Drawing number C18101  – Fixed Rudder Cheek
By Fairey Marine, Hamble (size B3 )
Drawn by : H M Cole 1955

Drawing number A18100  – Blade for Fixed Rudder
By Fairey Marine, Hamble (size 1310×740 mm )
Drawn by : D Cheale 1955

Drawing number A18062  – Assembly of Retractable Rudder
(full detailing of all components and workings)
By Fairey Marine, Hamble (size 1310×740 mm scale 1/1 )
Drawn by : H M Cole 1955

Drawing number B18084  – Retractable Rudder Cheek
By Fairey Marine, Hamble (size 750×500mm )
Drawn by : H M Cole 1955

Drawing number C18096  – Centre Block for Retracting Rudder
By Fairey Marine, Hamble (size B3 )
Drawn by : H M Cole 1955

Drawing number A18161  – General Arrangement for Rudder Blade for Lifting Rudder
By Fairey Marine, Hamble (size 1310×740 mm )
Drawn by : A E Young 1954

Class measurement form (2 sheets A4)

Drawing number B18088  – Jolly Boat Rules
Diagrams to support rule forms covering hull, rudder, centreboard, cockpit.
By Fairey Marine, Hamble (size 750×500mm )
Drawn by : R G 1962

Build and Finishing Procedure – by Fairey Marine, Hamble (3 A4 sheets)

Instructions for Varnish and Paint Finishes – by Fairey Marine, Hamble

Drawing number B12388 – General Information and Diagrams on Hull Repairs
By Fairey Marine, Hamble (size 750×500 mm)
Drawn by : A E Young, 1958

Sula is a gorgeous Jollyboat but now in real need of a quite a bit of tender loving care.

She was made in the 1950s and was kept at Roe Island Sailing club along with her very sucsesful sister boat – Samantha J35.

It would be really nice if we could find someone who was willing to take on Sula and get her back to her original condition and come sail with the rest of us.

You can see a full set of images of her sailing in the 50s and now by clicking here.

For more details, please do just get in touch with me on ed@cvrda.org

Fancy starting a Fairey Marine collection?

Want something like the Jollyboat, but a bit shorter?

Always fancied a 14?

If so, grab this 14 now:

See details at: http://www.cvrda.org/community/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=1497

It would be hard to find a Fairey 14 nicer than this.

For more details, post here, or email me on ed@cvrda.org.

Jollyboat Sula is looking for a careful new owner.

She needs quite a bit of work doing to her.  She was given to me a couple of years ago, by the owner at the time, who had started to undertake the work, but had then lost faith.

She certainly needs new decks and a few holes in the hull need fixing.  But there is no doubt that she is certainly worth it.  I was going to do this work myself, but at moment my hands are full with getting J3 back on the water in time for the Nats in July.  I am also picking up another Jollyboat project in the near future, so Sula really needs to find a new home.

I have got a centre-plate and rudder, most probably a boom, but I suspect the mast has had it.  There are some sails, but I would really suggest getting some new canvas I think.

She was a Fairey hull that was fitted out by another boat-builder.  I do not know exact date, but suspect she is an early boat 1955-1957.  She does not have a number as she has never been registered.

I do have some photos and paperwork as I have been in touch with the original owner.

I am not looking for any money, but would just really like to see Sula go to a good home.

She is presently down in Cornwall, but I may be able to deliver her if you could pay the petrol.

If you want to hear any more, please do just post here or contact me on ed@cvrda.org.

cheers

eib