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Not all of above post got posted.  The preamble was I had made progress to find prevoius onwner, Mr Mark Tilley who wrote the following: 

 "Cygnet was bought for me in 1947.  I must have been 14.  The previous owner was Van Swannenberg who lived at Cape Farewell where the Loddon joins the Thames at Wargrave. She had been kept in this particular water and had a hard limescale inside and out which was terrible to remove.  By then the oak ribs had blackened in the bilge. We paddled her down to Townsends at Bourne End whence the Cookham Reach Sailing Club was spawned. I raced her at Cookham and Tamesis Club at Teddington.  In Sept 49 Guy Pearce trailed her to Burnham Week on the Crouch for me.  We raced in class D handicap, the smallest boat in the regatta.  This was just before I joined Royal Naval College Dartmouth.  In summer 1950 she followed me by rail and sailed on the Dart.  She returned by rail to Cookham and I raced her there and at Tamesis for one or two more seasons.  She was sold and then kept at Minima S.C."I am wondering if Mr Van Swannenberg was maybe MrVan Zwannenboug who was an Olympic canoeist in the British team in 1948.  Further information would be welcome. 

Hello everyone. 
I was asked by a few folk after the AGM where is and what is the Brightlingsea Sailing Club.  Please have a look at www.sailbrightlingsea.com or better still come along to Pyefleet Week which commences 1st August when you can experience this club in full dress.  Its racing couses are in a sheltered tidal estuary and useable at all states of the tide.  Ferry services to Mersea Island and Point Clear and lots of things to do around for the non sailors in the pack.
 
Now, I am not blowing the club's trumpet indeed far from it; I am merely responding to the queries!

Ooooooooh nooooo,  not gate starts!  Did a Merlin champs a few years ago with 84 on the line, no trouble once the black flag was flown and the number whittled down to 60 or less!  For myself with boat weighing in at 250llbs and seive like sails, I need to take a run at the line so can some of you look over your shoulder and let me in please as I would hate it if my 40llb honed hardened steel centre plate were to slice through your transom.  Yep, Stephen Potter tactics at work already!

Sorry, I really can't make Rippon but do have a good series everyone.  I am wondering however, what the tidal range and flows are like on the mere as a means for practicing for the forthcoming sea event.  Last time I looked at Thorpe bay the water disappeared.  I didn't think that happened at Rippon unless there is a plughole somewhere and the Yorkshire rain is heavy enough to fill it again in 6 or so hours.

What will be done about measurement certificates for the vintagers.  Neither of my boats have certificates, copies not available from RYA archives as they were lost in the great fire. Do I really need to prove these steel plated hernia agravating boats are not underweight and the 50 year old sails are kosher?  If the measurers scales break while hauling them up will I have to pay compensation? Will the measurer like to borrow my estate agents elastic tape?  I know one boat doesn't measure because it has 1/8" thick oak nameplate screwed to the transom thereby increasing oa length which must give her a huge advantage over the latest plastic fantastics.
 
Guidance please, Chadders.

N443 or N1719 will stroll on down.  I will commute! If someone wants to borrow one then shout.

Howdy, Chalky.  I have one of these fittings on 1719, well its similar as the rocker is a flattened V.  With the tack on the rear part, the tension pulls up on the rocker and theoretically tensions the forestay in unison thereby splitting the tension between luff wire and forestay.  I think mine is a brass fitting so will fail sooner rather than later so I am watching it carefully.  When it goes then it will be a standard stainess replacement and a highfield tensioner on the halliard and a system to tension the forestay to stop flopping.
On a Merlin i have I do not have a forestay at all so have to remember not to drop the jib before using the spinny halliard as a beach forestay.  Only did that once and the fancy footwork to catch the mast before the club window bust was equalled Renaldo! On another old boat the hankless jib is tensioned on a highfield and the flopping forestay is really not too much trouble except when the crew fouls it on the spinny pole.
 
It should be ok on your boat as I doubt you are going for huge tensions unless you want to reduce the beam and increase freeboard!

Yes I will have to give this one a go as its nearly on my doorstep. I will sail either something old or very old.  Will check forcast nearer the time!

You know, when I had a summer job delivering lemonade and ghastly premix shandy to the Lincolnshire resorts of Clreethorpes Sutton on Sea and Mablethorpe I used to stop for my lunch and watch the RAF do their practice bombing runs at Theddlethorpe St Helens.  Bloody marvelous. They would sweep in, drop the lumps of cast iron on the target and climb away on twin afterburners.  Those things would burn off the old varnish from my fleet from a good deal more than ten paces.  At the air shows the big event was always the Lightning scramble 0-40,000 ft in mere seconds.  In those days I suppose we could afford the fuel. Too many accountants now. God bless em.

[face=verdana,geneva]Ed, I recently sailed my undecked UK in a F5 wind over tide in the Colne Estuary single handed with a reduced size main. Big waves and a fantastic sail and got her up on a plane too.  The old brass tube style bailers kept up with the spray and all was well.  I admit to retiring due to fatigue but not until two vintage Merlins retired before me.  And don't forget it can also be very calm in the Thames sea area!:)[/face]

Howard, I can stroll down to Thorpe Bay with something between 50 and 70 years old that could float for at leat a circuit.

Mmm, nice idea but for me to travel constantly 500 miles per meeting is a wee bit too much!  Are you thinking of at least one meeting somewhere on the A1 south of Newark?
As a matter of interest I bumped into a former vintage 12 man at Alton Water (Suffolk) who would like to see a vintage event there.  I sailed the lake yesterday in my Mk8 and it is a pleasant 400 acre lake with excellent launch facilities.  Run by Anglian Water so the "club" is ad hoc but racing was well organised. 
There is by the way a forlorn looking 12 in the "bonfire" section of the boat park.  Could be a Mk8 but no number visible.  Steel plate and timber mast.
I have made enquiries and if available at £0 is there anyone out there who would take her on?

Can someone please let me know who I should contact regarding tuning this old boat?

Well done to all at Hykeham and many thanks for lending me Robin Jones. An excellent and knowledgable crew who shoulkd go far!  And Steve, a big thank you for looking after Cygnet 'til the Naburn Paddle meeting.  This has saved me so much time.  Feel free to have a sail in her!  Thanks.