N42 Sea Horse

[National 12 Webmaster]

The life of N42 Sea Horse. Design: Uffa King, designed by: Uffa Fox in 1936

[JonathanH]

Seahorse is currently on the Isle of Wight and is in superb condition having been restored some years ago.  She is in the process of being re-varnished and re-fitted and I hope to be able to race her later this year.  She's missing various bits and pieces, but nothing insurmountable.  She still has her two belaying pins and a number of other original brass fittings.  She'll look great when she's complete!  Now, back to the varnishing after which the brass keelband and slot gasket will be fitted.  Then its time to flip her over and start on the insides.

[Chadders]

Sounds great, we had an Uffa KIng at the Burton last year any chance you could bring her over to the North Island and join us at Hayling Island?

[JonathanH]

The hull is now varnished and both the keelband and slot gasket are in place.  I'm working on the inside of the hull trying to remove all the accumulated dust and muck that's lying between the planks and stringers. Its a long, arduous job and when I said I'd be racing later this year it looks like being Christmas!  Must plough on, I'm halfway along the inside of the hull.  I'm hoping to make an appearance at Burton Week with a camera instead.  Take a look at www.jonathanhoare.com and you'll see what I'm up to!

[JonathanH]

I didn't realise there were so many of us working on old Nats!  Many thanks for all your kind words of encouragement.  Further blogs to follow as slow progress is made.

[JonathanH]

The varnishing (Epifanes) is coming along nicely and Seahorse is starting to glow.  I've one more coat to do, after which its a matter of fitting out.  Say it quickly and it doesn't sound too bad, but sanding and varnishing between all those ribs is a real pain in the back.  Here's a question for all Vintagers.  Just ahead of the shroud plates on each gunwhale there are two, very small plates.  They look like mini shroud plates but to be honest, I've no idea what they do.  Any ideas?  I'll attach a close up in due course.

[JonathanH]

The little plate on the right is the one I was referring to.  It looks very much like it was designed for secondary shroud.

[Tim Gatti]

Hi Jonathan
She's looking good and from the photos seems to have a lot more timbers than most of my 'ribbies'. For example, my Uffa King has 19 sets of oak ribs, so you certainly have your work cut out with all the extra surfaces to rub down and varnish.

As for the second plate - I've not come across one before - all I can think is that some of the old 12's had a una rig option with the mast moved forward of its normal position, so you sailed with mainsail only. The original Uffa King plans show this as an alternative sail-plan.

Perhaps these plates allowed for a shroud fixing forward of the normal two sail rig?
Did you get your mast rigging positions sorted with Dare's help??
Tim

[JonathanH]

Hi Tim,
Thanks for your advice, your input is much appreciated.  Unfortunately, there's no provision for the mast to be moved forward at all.  Its a great shame as this would have been really useful for singlehanding Seahorse.  I wondered for a moment if Seahorse had a second set of shrouds, rather than diamond spreaders, which prevent the middle of the mast bending but they would undoubtedly interfere with the jib.  It may be that you're right about the the una rig - perhaps the second set of shroud plates were fitted to provide a future option.  Dare was absolutely brilliant, thank you and helped enormously with the location of various mast fittings and advice regarding numerous odds and ends on Seahorse.  And yes, I sent him your love!  I haven't spoken to him for quite some time and you've reminded me that I really ought to make contact with him.  The varnishing is coming along (hellish job, as you've identified) and once complete I'll go to work on the mast fittings.  I've retained Dare's plan very carefully.  I need to locate the top fixing on the mast for the shrouds and diamond spreaders, so if anyone as any great ideas they'd be much appreciated.  Diamond spreaders on a dinghy this age?  It never ceases to amaze me how sophisticated these boats are!

[johnk]

If I remember correctly, in two places the hollowed out section in the mast was filled in to allow the shroud anchorage and the spreader to be fitted. At this point there was only a small hole down the front of the mast to let the main halyard through. These locations need to be identified. Traditionally the mast maker would mark these during manufacture.
I suspect that a "stud finder" might be able to detect these solid sections.Another alternative might be to lower a shackle on whipping twine down the (upright) mast and find where it sticks. Repeat with the mast inverted to find the spreader position.

I assume that there was a brass strip with three tangs wrapped round the front and sides of the mast which was fixed to the mast by a 3/8 in or 1/2 in brass bolt. A wire forestay strop about 6 in long held the jib halyard block and the forestay to the middle tang. Each of the other tangs had an aft hole to attach the shroud and a foreward one to attach the diamond wire - usually 16 gauge piano wire. The spreader was usually 3/8 in 15 gauge aluminium alloy tube with an outer sleeve fitted through and within 2 in of the mast. Split pins and washers located the spreader to the mast. The bottom of each diamond wire was fixed to a brass tang with a turnbuckle and the tang bolted to the mast with a 3/8 in bolt below the main halyard exit where there was no hollow in the mast. The turn buckles HAD to be locked when set so that they could not come undone.
This adjustment method was used in rigging biplane wings in the 1930s and copied for dinghies.

[JonathanH]

Thanks to both Tim and John for this information - two people who clearly know their stuff!  Seahorse has 47 ribs each one of which I have come to know intimately either with sandpaper or brush.  One more coat to go, if my back holds out.

[JonathanH]

Okay, I know I've been a little slack, but I'm still making progress on dear old Seahorse.  She will, however, be ready to sail next season.  The hull is largely completed with buoyancy bags and toe straps in place but the one issue that is baffling me is the floorboards.  Does anyone have any information regarding the floorboards for an Uffa King? The ribs are so delicate that I can't imagine anything would been screwed into them and yet there are no obvious fixing points for one-piece removable boards.  Any advice would be much appreciated.  This is possibly the biggest job of all, after which I have a to drill a hole for the diamond spreaders in my beautiful Collar mast.  Gulp.

[BRS]

http://www.woodenboatbuilder.co.uk/?p=572
 
Pics here of floorboards.

[JonathanH]

Thank you, a very neat solution, and simple, too.  J

[JonathanH]

Seahorse is now sailing out of Bembridge Harbour on the Isle of Wight.  Photos to follow.