N341 Mat

[National 12 Webmaster]

The life of N341 Mat.     Design: Uffa King, designed by: Uffa Fox in 1936.

[Tim Gatti]

I collected 'Mat' N341 from a family in Glasgow last May who had been "looking after her" since the 1960's. Unfortunately, she had been out in all weathers with a leaking cover for some time so had some rot and timber discolouration, but was still in exceptional condition for her age.

She's an Uffa Fox designed Uffa King and was amateur built in London in 1938. The letters R.S.C. on her transom lead me to believe she may have been sailed at Ranelagh SC before the war, but officers at the Club can find no pictorial evidence of her on the water there. There was little  to indicate that she had been sailed much during the intervening years although she still had all her original standing rigging intact along with a wood and brass jib tensioning lever which proved very effective when she was put back on the water.

I spent about five months stripping and renovating every part of her and she was re-launched, with her original cotton sails, at the Yeadon Open in October. I plan to sail her at some of the N12 Vintage events in 2007.

[Tim Gatti]

A couple more photos...

[Tim Gatti]

I discovered that 'Mat' was suffering from a soft section of her oak keel when I took on her renovation, due to water incursion along the grain at the front of the centre-board case.  Initially I patched this up with epoxy to get sailing again, but this summer feeling more confident in my renovation skills, I decided to tackle the repair properly. Luckily, I found a piece of seasoned oak that was perfect for the job which I cut into two pieces and glued together to effect the repair. After working with more lightweight timbers like obeche, sycamore and spruce recently, I had forgotten just how much effort it takes to work a good bit of English oak.  I've attached some photos to show the stages of the repair - what isn't shown is the templates I made up to ensure the replacement oak keel was shaped to match the curvature of the hull - the rocker on the early Twelves was quite extreme! I replaced the 4" brass screws with silicon bronze equivalents but played safe and used epoxy to glue the new section in place as well. Photos show keel with rotten section removed; fabricated oak blank; new keel piece shaped, sanded and drilled and finally, the completed keel repair.  She's now ready to take to the water again.

[Tim Gatti]

As a result of this work I am even more in awe of the skills of the original builders and their materials.  Although the keel had rotted from the centre, the waterproof layer of what I think must have been turpentine and white lead between the keel and the hog was still intact and the hog had not been affected at all.  It smelled as if the joint had been made only days before when I removed the final layers of the keel; instead of the 70 years that had passed since her original construction at the home of her original owner - a Mr M H Bone who apparently built her in his front parlour with the help of a local cabinet maker. Great stuff.

[icecreamman]

Elvstroms Tim what is going on there?

[Tim Gatti]

Now don't go all purist on me!! She had no transom drain holes or bailers when I took her on and leaked extensively.  The only bailers I could find that would fit in the narrow planks were mini Elvstroms. With an increasing amount of carbon appearing on some vintage 12's - booms, centre boards, rudders, tillers and extensions (!) I hope my right to a dryer boat will not be denied.

[Tim Gatti]

In response to johnk's query about the hull shape of N760 Bobtail posted today - here are a couple of pics of the Uffa King taken from the bow during restoration in 2006.  Not that dissimilar from the Landamore design

[Tim Gatti]

Picture of 'Mat' in convoy with other ribbies at the Ribby Event at Yeadon in October 2009