The life of N3408 In The Pink. Design: Final Chapter, designed by: Michael Jackson in 1987
From memory Rob Wilson from Ely Sailing Club had hull with centreboard case fitted of In the Pink built by Nigel Waller. With the plan to then spend the winter 1995 decking her and her fitting out. Unfortunately time and being sort of cash meant he ran of money and cut a few corners. The result being he didn’t do the best of jobs and she was neither pretty nor very stiff in places.
After only a few months after finishing her Rob then decided to sell her to fund his way through nursing collage. The next time I saw In the Pink was on the beach at Weymouth Burton Week ‘96 owned by someone from Salcombe. Who might have taken the decks off and started again.
I built my Chapter (3407) at the same time as Rob. I remember him sailing Aces High at Whitstable Burton 1994 and he was just about to take delivery of his new Waller hull. He was very enthusiastic about the project but suddenly dissapeared - I never did get to see the finished boat and wondered how it had turned out. Incidentally, Aces High was on ebay last week and looking in a pretty sorry state - hope it has gone to a good home.
I bought 3408 some time ago from Oxford. Sailed her a little bit,Gerald Copsey entered her at a BSC open a few years back having borrowed her.
She had been repainted when I bought her (originally pink of course), but as you say, she was interestingly constructed, (very asymmetric deck lines to say the least!) and I have now taken her back to bare hull with the aim of having a little experimental fun. Original construction is glass matt over foam.. bit odd, considering when she was built, but daresay it was a cost saving measure.
how she has looked for the last 18 months or so... half done project, vintage re-build (2431) has put this on ice!
last one, ready for transport for storage until I get the chance to bring her home again
It good to see her again, guessing you've managed to square her up? As I seam to remember she ended up being a bit out of true after Rob put the deck on.
Simon; Yeah it was a real shame we were gearing up for spending sometime campaining her and then he got bogged down with work. Before disappearing off to do a nursing course on the southcoast somewhere and that was the last we saw of him :(
Really nice to see the pictures of in the pink, she was my only attempt at diy boat building, not my finest moment. When Nigel Waller, built the shell he made it so she could have her bilge keels removed, afterwards which we did. she also had a buoyant fixed rudder. Did she ever get put back together?