N1509 Gonzales

[National 12 Webmaster]

The life of N1509 Gonzales.  Design: Mark 4A, designed by: Ian Proctor in 1955
Original boat name: Tam O' Shanter.

[gbr1918]

Well, I'm now the very surprised custodian of N1509!   The reason I'm surprised is that the last owner told me that she'd been sitting in his back garden under a tarp for 15 years, and I concluded that I'd be looking at a very sad bonfire awaiting a source of ignition.  I mean, 15 years?  What plywood boat is going to survive that long?   Well, the answer to that is a Proctor Mk4A built by  Chippendale, apparently.  The varnish is a bit distressed in places, the coat of white gloss (mistake!) on the inside is only hanging on by force of habit, but the woodwork is pretty darned sound.  The wooden mast and boom are good to go (diamond wires!, galvanised halyards!) and the original sails are certainly good enough to take for a drive.   Attached pics show the boat under the tarp, and as revealed!

This boat was re-named 'Gonzales' in 1990-something, apparently after the cartoon mouse 'Speedy Gonzales'.  I'm not wedded to Tam'O'Shanter, so I guess it stays as Gonzales. 

[johnk]

We look forward to seeing pictures of her sailing. Chippendale did build good boats.

[gbr1918]

Well, here's 1509 going for her first sail since god-knows-when.  There was a dinghy park sticker on the mast from 1993, so it could be 25 years!   This is the 1957 rig - pretty darn good for age.


Now it's back to the shed for some small scale woodwork and some large scale varnishing.  Buy shares in Epiphanes now!
Dave Cooper