See more pictures on his blog.
Showing posts with label reader's boats. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reader's boats. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Readers' boats: Heron update
Peter Anderson from Dunbar, Scotland posted some picture of his newly launched Alacrity "Heron" on his blog. She looks great.
See more pictures on his blog.
See more pictures on his blog.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Counteracting mast bend
Another way is what Thomas Gladius describes on his blog. He added some forward lower shrouds. This is obviously the more professional solution, but on the already cramped deck of the small boat it adds more obstructions.
Read his report here.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
New Alacrity blog
Sunday, May 1, 2011
New Alacrity Blog: "My Girl"
Randy Rain's blog about the restauration of his Alacrity "My Girl" is the latest addition to the list of Alacrity blogs. Randy's boat does look like it needs quite some work and we wish him all the best with his project!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Plywood Alacrity for sale
I got an email about this plywood Alacrity for sale.
Circa 1965 Alacrity, Plywood Construction, Currently lying in Shepperton, Middlesex
Deneb has been out of the water for some time and due to other
commitments we are now seeking a new owner to take on the work of putting
her back on the water where she belongs.
As you can see from the pictures she will take some work to finish. Major
items left to do are to finish strengthening the side decks and re-attach the
cabin top. She will then need a complete paint job inside and out.
We will supply all the wood that has been cut to size as well all the original
hardware, engine, etc.
This includes:
Refurbished Coventry Victor MW-2 Inboard Engine (approx. 3.5 HP)
Working Raritan Sea toilet
2 Mainsails and 2 Jibs
Any sensible offers considered, please get in touch for more details if you are
interested.
briansibthorp@hotmail.com
Pictures:
Circa 1965 Alacrity, Plywood Construction, Currently lying in Shepperton, Middlesex
Deneb has been out of the water for some time and due to other
commitments we are now seeking a new owner to take on the work of putting
her back on the water where she belongs.
As you can see from the pictures she will take some work to finish. Major
items left to do are to finish strengthening the side decks and re-attach the
cabin top. She will then need a complete paint job inside and out.
We will supply all the wood that has been cut to size as well all the original
hardware, engine, etc.
This includes:
Refurbished Coventry Victor MW-2 Inboard Engine (approx. 3.5 HP)
Working Raritan Sea toilet
2 Mainsails and 2 Jibs
Any sensible offers considered, please get in touch for more details if you are
interested.
briansibthorp@hotmail.com
Pictures:
Monday, October 25, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
Seawitch blog update
Andrew French has updated his blog about the refurbishment of Alacrity "Seawitch". Check it out here.
Friday, February 26, 2010
The refurbishment of Little Grace
David Appleby, who recently moved his Alacrity "Little Grace" to Finland is now going to refurbish the boat. He has sent some before-pictures and will keep us updated on the progress of his work.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Little Grace to Finland
A journey of the more unusual kind: David Appleby trailered his Alacrity "Little Grace" all th way from Coventry in the UK to Finland. He used a 1600 Ford Focus estate at max kerb weight, using a braked trailer and Bulldog stabiliser (the latter to reduce the risk of fishtailing). David writes:
"The car coped really well and the whole rig was very stable; having said that I stuck to a max of 80km/PH."
Here are some pictures.
"In one of the photos you can just see the stabiliser that I think helped a
lot. Another detail that may interest others is an easily obtainable elastic
net that fitted very well over the cockpit which meant that I was able to
fill it (the cockpit) without having to worry that things would fly out,
such as the step ladder you can see.
It was tempting to go faster and indeed the optimum speed for cruising
seemed to be 85-90 km ph but only on level and very smooth road surfaces.
The boat was loaded with a lot of my personal effects, as was the car, which
also carried two people and a Labrador. The heavy items were in the car, not
that the people or the dog are particularly heavy. Lighter, bulkier items
travelled in the boat. The car’s max tow weight is 1200 kg.
We set off at about 14:00 on Sunday and drove to Dover where we got the
ferry at around 10:15. When we arrived in Calais we drove through the early
morning to get away from the industrial/more built up areas. Stopped and
slept in the car from about 2am.
After breakfast we set off again once the rush hour traffic had died down.
The use of Tom Tom and sticking to the E roads made driving smoothly and
safely easier.
The only problem that occurred was when we got lost in a diversion and had
to stop quickly at traffic lights outside of Eindhoven. Stopping was not the
problem but the handbrake popped up and the retainer dropped into the
ratchet. Not knowing this we continued towing until the breaks overheated
and boat seemed to be getting heavier. Luckily we pulled into a service
station and reached a parking space at the same moment that the boat trailer
refused to move any further. After identifying the problem and anxiously
waiting until the beaks cooled down and proved that for certain that it was
not the bearings, which had been replaced the week before departure we set
off again. The retainer that had dropped into the ratchet was taped up so as
to prevent it causing another cardiac arrest.
The next stop in Germany was recreational and a chance to exercise the dog.
After a short stint the next stop was for a meal and sleep during the busy
traffic period in the evening. Driving through the night and luckily getting
through km after km of road works the next stop was at 3 am followed by a
short drive at 5am to the next services for more sleep then breakfast until
the rush hour was over.
We finally arrived in Rostock North Germany 10 hours early for the ferry we
were due to board at 00:00. This was as a result of choosing to stay on the
E roads and push on after the scare at Eindhoven rather than a more
leisurely approach, i.e. to give us time to deal with any problems, but
there were no more.
The crossing to Finland was 26 hours in a F10-11. At Helsinki at 8am there
was snow. The last leg at normal speeds is normally 1.5 hours. We arrived
home (my new home) at around 12.30 having stopped a couple of times. The
last few kms were on minor roads in the countryside that had settled snow on
them but not much. There was one minor but steep hill that was just a little
tricky and I had to get the revs right to avoid wheel spin but the car
managed the pull with enough grip.
"The car coped really well and the whole rig was very stable; having said that I stuck to a max of 80km/PH."
Here are some pictures.
"In one of the photos you can just see the stabiliser that I think helped a
lot. Another detail that may interest others is an easily obtainable elastic
net that fitted very well over the cockpit which meant that I was able to
fill it (the cockpit) without having to worry that things would fly out,
such as the step ladder you can see.
It was tempting to go faster and indeed the optimum speed for cruising
seemed to be 85-90 km ph but only on level and very smooth road surfaces.
The boat was loaded with a lot of my personal effects, as was the car, which
also carried two people and a Labrador. The heavy items were in the car, not
that the people or the dog are particularly heavy. Lighter, bulkier items
travelled in the boat. The car’s max tow weight is 1200 kg.
We set off at about 14:00 on Sunday and drove to Dover where we got the
ferry at around 10:15. When we arrived in Calais we drove through the early
morning to get away from the industrial/more built up areas. Stopped and
slept in the car from about 2am.
After breakfast we set off again once the rush hour traffic had died down.
The use of Tom Tom and sticking to the E roads made driving smoothly and
safely easier.
The only problem that occurred was when we got lost in a diversion and had
to stop quickly at traffic lights outside of Eindhoven. Stopping was not the
problem but the handbrake popped up and the retainer dropped into the
ratchet. Not knowing this we continued towing until the breaks overheated
and boat seemed to be getting heavier. Luckily we pulled into a service
station and reached a parking space at the same moment that the boat trailer
refused to move any further. After identifying the problem and anxiously
waiting until the beaks cooled down and proved that for certain that it was
not the bearings, which had been replaced the week before departure we set
off again. The retainer that had dropped into the ratchet was taped up so as
to prevent it causing another cardiac arrest.
The next stop in Germany was recreational and a chance to exercise the dog.
After a short stint the next stop was for a meal and sleep during the busy
traffic period in the evening. Driving through the night and luckily getting
through km after km of road works the next stop was at 3 am followed by a
short drive at 5am to the next services for more sleep then breakfast until
the rush hour was over.
We finally arrived in Rostock North Germany 10 hours early for the ferry we
were due to board at 00:00. This was as a result of choosing to stay on the
E roads and push on after the scare at Eindhoven rather than a more
leisurely approach, i.e. to give us time to deal with any problems, but
there were no more.
The crossing to Finland was 26 hours in a F10-11. At Helsinki at 8am there
was snow. The last leg at normal speeds is normally 1.5 hours. We arrived
home (my new home) at around 12.30 having stopped a couple of times. The
last few kms were on minor roads in the countryside that had settled snow on
them but not much. There was one minor but steep hill that was just a little
tricky and I had to get the revs right to avoid wheel spin but the car
managed the pull with enough grip.
Friday, July 17, 2009
The Restoration of "Poppy"
Another bump of an article from the old site. This boat is just too beautiful to not be admired once again...
by Simon Harison
Simon Harison's "Poppy" is the best documented wooden Alacrity I have ever seen pictures of. As can clearly be seen the means of construction make for big differences between this and the later fiberglas versions of the boat. Most prominently the differences can be seen in the keels. However, the fact that this Alacrity also has a skeg is due to her once having been fitted with an inboard engine and not the plywood design. And once in the water the differences almost disappears.
In March 2001 we took Poppy out of the water for a repaint. The topsides in the
starboard cockpit area were found to be damaged by rainwater running off the seat
and being trapped behind an epoxy fillet on the locker bulkhead. This was a poor
quality ‘repair’ carried out by a previous owner. This was rectified using Khaya
mahogany laminated into the hull and progressively overlapped onto the sound hull to
form a strong bond. The job turned into a full repaint of the boat including epoxy
coating the entire surface of the hull inside and out to fully protect the boat against
future water damage. All major equipment was either replaced or refurbished at this
time-see inventory. Below is a series of pictures showing the progress of the work.
When we re-launched we took a swinging mooring at Davis’s boat yard in Poole from
which we have enjoyed three seasons sailing around Poole, Swanage and
Christchurch. We have also been on two summer holiday cruises around the Solent,
staying on board for 12 days each time, visiting Christchurch, Yarmouth, Keyhaven,
Cowes, Bembridge and Port Solent."
Poppy’s trailer is custom made from a German Al-Ko caravan chassis and separate
launching/recovery dolly. This means that the trailer with its delicate brakes and
wheel bearings never has to enter the water. There are ramps on the trailer and a
winch, which allow the boat to be rolled into the water and pulled out under full
control.
by Simon Harison
Simon Harison's "Poppy" is the best documented wooden Alacrity I have ever seen pictures of. As can clearly be seen the means of construction make for big differences between this and the later fiberglas versions of the boat. Most prominently the differences can be seen in the keels. However, the fact that this Alacrity also has a skeg is due to her once having been fitted with an inboard engine and not the plywood design. And once in the water the differences almost disappears.
In March 2001 we took Poppy out of the water for a repaint. The topsides in the
starboard cockpit area were found to be damaged by rainwater running off the seat
and being trapped behind an epoxy fillet on the locker bulkhead. This was a poor
quality ‘repair’ carried out by a previous owner. This was rectified using Khaya
mahogany laminated into the hull and progressively overlapped onto the sound hull to
form a strong bond. The job turned into a full repaint of the boat including epoxy
coating the entire surface of the hull inside and out to fully protect the boat against
future water damage. All major equipment was either replaced or refurbished at this
time-see inventory. Below is a series of pictures showing the progress of the work.
When we re-launched we took a swinging mooring at Davis’s boat yard in Poole from
which we have enjoyed three seasons sailing around Poole, Swanage and
Christchurch. We have also been on two summer holiday cruises around the Solent,
staying on board for 12 days each time, visiting Christchurch, Yarmouth, Keyhaven,
Cowes, Bembridge and Port Solent."
Poppy’s trailer is custom made from a German Al-Ko caravan chassis and separate
launching/recovery dolly. This means that the trailer with its delicate brakes and
wheel bearings never has to enter the water. There are ramps on the trailer and a
winch, which allow the boat to be rolled into the water and pulled out under full
control.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
An Alacrity with a lifting keel?
This is one of the posts I am transferring from the old site. However, as I find it quite interesting, I thought I'd bump this post up a little instead of hiding it in the archive. Maybe someone has any ideas about this boat now...
I got an email from Nick Bamer from the UK telling me about the boat he bought. He thinks it is an Alacrity, but it does not have twin keels but a lifting keel. A further examination showed that the boat also has a well for an outboard engine in the cockpit. The mast has been moved aft by some two feet or so and is now located at the same spot where the original configuration has the cabin roof vent.
Now, this surely does look like an Alacrity, does it not? Except for the keel of course.
This is the outboard well.
The centerboard or liftting keel case. Now, this pic also shows that the bunks are made of fiberglass and not wood. This does, in my opinion, indicate that it could in fact be a Vivacity and not an Alacrity. Still the former owner did state the boat's length at less than 19 feet, which is Alacrity size. The Viv is to be 20 feet long.
The forward part of the cabin. A double berth, again, making a point for the Vivacity case.
Finally the liftting keel. This of course does not help to indentify the boat. It could still be a Vivacity (remeber that the Viv did come in a fin keel version as well, while the Alacrity did not). However, the boat could also be some totally different prototype by Russel Marine, that never got into production.
Now, if anybody has any idea or more information about this particular boat, or any knowledge about any other Alacrities or Vivacites having been made in a lifting keel configuration, please do tell us!
I got an email from Nick Bamer from the UK telling me about the boat he bought. He thinks it is an Alacrity, but it does not have twin keels but a lifting keel. A further examination showed that the boat also has a well for an outboard engine in the cockpit. The mast has been moved aft by some two feet or so and is now located at the same spot where the original configuration has the cabin roof vent.
Now, this surely does look like an Alacrity, does it not? Except for the keel of course.
This is the outboard well.
The centerboard or liftting keel case. Now, this pic also shows that the bunks are made of fiberglass and not wood. This does, in my opinion, indicate that it could in fact be a Vivacity and not an Alacrity. Still the former owner did state the boat's length at less than 19 feet, which is Alacrity size. The Viv is to be 20 feet long.
The forward part of the cabin. A double berth, again, making a point for the Vivacity case.
Finally the liftting keel. This of course does not help to indentify the boat. It could still be a Vivacity (remeber that the Viv did come in a fin keel version as well, while the Alacrity did not). However, the boat could also be some totally different prototype by Russel Marine, that never got into production.
Now, if anybody has any idea or more information about this particular boat, or any knowledge about any other Alacrities or Vivacites having been made in a lifting keel configuration, please do tell us!
Sunday, February 15, 2009
The Hungarian refit
On the old Alacrity site are a few pictures of "Bellissimo" the boat a guy named Oskar keeps on lake Balaton in Hungary. I just recieved an email from him where he tells me about the complete refit he has recently completed. He has uploaded more than 70 pictures to the yahoo-group documenting it, but here is some sort of summary.
As lake Balaton is quite shallow the probably most important change was that he cut 15cm off his boat's keels.
He also repainted the boat white.
The interior does look nice and fresh as well.
The boat also got a new name: Sail-Face, which is a play with the Hungarian word "szélfész", meaning a gale.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Alacrity #47
I recieved an email from Ari Rocklin, Victoria, BC, Canada. It includes some old photographs of his Alacrity, with sail numer 47. He writes:
"Hi, feel free to publish these to your website. I bought it in 1976 and sold it in 1980 to a fellow in Sault Ste. Marie Ontario Canada.
Looking at your website pictures, this would be the oldest one at sail #47. It was my first sailboat, and it took me to a lot of places, including a storm so violent that the coast guard came and offered rescue. I refused and sailed her home, no worries."
Thanks for the nice pictures, Ari. I'm not so sure though the sail number really makes it the oldest. Perhaps the oldest Canadian one, as I think the numbers are not global. Surely this one is older.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Sea Devil
Sea Devil is another Alacrity, owned by Jesse Gibbons from Poughkeepsie, USA. He writes:
I just wanted to send you a picture in case you want to put it up on the site, I will try to get some more this spring, It will have new paint on it and I am putting in a forward double berth in place of the single. I will be racing it this next year so Ill be sure to let you know how it goes.
I am looking forward to it!
Monday, December 22, 2008
Another new owner
David Appleby sent these pictures of his Davalon. He will soon start workning on her and I hope we will soon see more pictures documenting his progress.
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