N2153 Reflection

[National 12 Webmaster]

The life of N2153 Reflection. Design: Sparklet, designed by: Leslie Landamore in 1962

 

Burton Cup winning boat, Llandudno 1966, Robin Steavenson and Howard Steavenson.

[angus]

I appear to now be the owner of this boat, which I saved from a fate worse than death and she now resides in a farmers shed who is more than a little sympathetic to 12s. Unfortuneatly there she will remain until I have time and place to carry  out the required work unless some body is interested in paying me what I paid for her (£200) to put her back on the water. She seems solid but requires striped to wood and fitting out plus a set of sails, those I got with the boat belong to an intermational 14.

[angus]

As nobody made me an offer for her I have been slowly working away. I had sort of hoped to have her ready for Hayling Island but on reflection (soory about the pun) its probably just as well I didn't, would have been a pitty to break her so soon. Nay way here are some before and where I am now pics.
Hope you can work out which is which

[angus]

Ahh in my usual skill manner I have managed to add the same picture twice, don't worry Howard you are not seeing double!
Try again

[angus]

And a couple more just while i am on a roll

[Tim Gatti]

She's looking lovely Angus - nice work.
Good luck woth your target of getting the final varnishing and rig/sails sorted in time for Leigh and Lowton

Tim

[moggseyb]

The varnishing looks superb what brand did you use , the first coat was it thined down at all and did you use a brush or roller? I am just about to start varnishing my boat N2208.

[angus]

Actually at this stage there wasn't any varnish on. I cann't remember whether it was 4 or 8 coats of SP300. I put on four coats back to back in a day left her for a few days sanded down and put on another 4 coats all with a brush. Since then I have put on four coats of International Original varnish with a roller and foam brush. Three of the coats were thinned down by about 10%. I experimented with the 2nd  coat putting it on unthinned hoping I would then beable to put fewer coats on but found I could not get as good a finish. Unfortunately the last coat did not go on very well due to working in poor light so she does not look as good now as she did then. It will be easily sorted with another coat but that will have to wait till after L & L if I am going to get her ready in time.

[angus]

Well I made it to Leigh and Lowton......just Going down with a kit of parts on Friday night I was up at 6.15 to start fitting out. With moral support and coffee from Ed Willet I managed to make it down to the start line for the five minute gun. Not everything worked as planned with the kicker requiring two people to put on and it was obvious Reflection was not pointing nearly as close as the other boats. My crew Matt Smith was obviously not impressed and borrowed his dads boat to win the crews race. More work on Sunday improved things slightly and we managed 2nd in the pursuit race. Unfortunately the wind got up again for the real racing and we were last again. My thanks to Matt who remain totaly un flustered regardless of what his helm did at the back of the boat. We gave everybody a good laugh trying to come in with out lifting the centreboard after taking off the fixed rudder in the very light winds after the pursuit race!
Anyway didn't think it was too bad first time on the water for I don't know how long and we managed to finish four races with no real disasters. The tiller extension coming off was quite exciting specially as it was one of the few times we were in close proximity to another boat and the toe strap coming undone on the first roll tack of the pursuit race left me praying the wind stayed light.
Reflection has been a bargin basement job with mast coming from Mr. Jones, Main and fixed rudder from Agent Orange, Jib from Roly Mo, I think and various other bits gifted from other boats.
Some pictures thanks to Brian Herring

[angus]

And some more pictures also taken by Brian.

[angus]

Reflection living up to her name after another coat of varnish.

[angus]

As some of you are aware Reflection suffered serious glue failure at Solway last year. The keel had seperated from the hog allowing water to flood in around the bottom of the mast and centrboard case. 
I had left the boat to dry out through the winter and started work a few days ago. I started by removing the keel band, which came off nice and easily to reveal the screws holding the keel on. They were covered with filler which had to be chipped away first. The first couple of screws came a way fairly easily but then the fun started as the next couple the heads disintergrated and a number broke off. I was hoping that if I removed enough screws the remainder were in such poor state they would just disintergrate. Not surprisingly the keel totally refused to move, there was no sign of the glue failing. after a phone call (the audience were no use) and a bit of head scratching I took a chisel to the keel and chiseled away round the tops of the broken screws until I could get hold of them with my vice grips.
Now a faint crack had appeared at the stern. I was now able to ease my chisel into the crack and gradually work it apart. As I worked along a few more screws appeared that I had missed. (The screw were not regularly spaced making it difficult to work out where they were. The keel eventually came off not quite in one piece, the glue was still quite good in some places and totally shot in others. 
I then removed the plank that was directly below the keel, I did think about trying to save this, but in someplaces it was stuck down harder than the veneers!
First photo so keel after keel band removed second shows keel and plank below removed and waiting for a delivery from Mr Robbins.

[edwillett]

located worryingly close to the wood pile there Angus......

[angus]

Its OK I move her further away when I am not working on her.

[angus]

Just a couple more coats of varnish and keel band and slot gasket replaced and she will be already for Harwich except for a crew. Looks like I am going to miss my third event of the year due to a lack of crews:(
To think I was prepared to give this boat away as I did not think I was up to repairing her, Although it has rather set back work on 2969.