The life of N2778 Soggy Moggy Too. Design: Cheshire Cat, designed by: Michael Jackson in 1973
Previous boat names: Soggy Moggy, Macavity Too.
Soggy Moggy, Burton Cup winning boat, Falmouth 1976, John Royce and Angela Saunders.
This boat is N2778 - the original 'Soggy Moggy', a Cheshire Cat design from 1974, originally built by Impact Boats. This boat has 'history' in that she won the Burton Cup in 1976 along with numerous other trophies around the mid 1970s in the hands of John Royce.
I found this boat 3 years ago in a garage in Norfolk - she was in a poor state and has needed a lot of TLC - the restoration is unfinished, so there is still some work to do. Someone had painted some form of epoxy over the top of the varnish in many places, the foredeck was a complete mess and there were several 'dings' to the exterior hull.
I have stripped all of the varnish/epoxy bodges off the interior, and revarnished - 3 coats of International 'Gold'. Redecked the foredeck and part of the sidedecking with marine ply - 2 coats of varnish. The interior is therefore sound although some of the staining caused by water damage will never come out and God knows I tried. New ash gunwhales forward of the shrouds - planed but not sanded. I have also stripped all the exterior paint off and repaired all the damage - a new panel (about 6" square) scarfed into the stem area and numerous fills. All cracks cleaned out and repaired. The exterior hull needs sanding and painting.
I have most of the original fittings - those worth saving anyway, although I chucked the rudder stock - there is a rudder blade and centreboard - also repaired. Mast is the original Needlespar - looks OK but needs a good clean/inspection. No boom supplied but I have an old ally boom that was donated, which should do the job. Sails look ok.
Hello all, I'm now the owner of this famous old boat, collected from Jon Whitehead in April and ready for what is likely the first sail this century later this week.
I'll get some photos posted of the mast up etc and on the water after the weekend but I'll be very happy to see the old girl back on the water.
Soft timber and bad glue all taken care of with penetrating epoxy, gaps filleted etc and I suspect even lighter and stiffer than when first measured.
I'll let you know how I get on and I'm sure I'll come of the water with bags of questions!
Hope to see you all at some regional events once I'm up to speed and have my crew all trained up!
Finally back on the water (sail number yet to be changed on the main), and there is still a quick inland boat in there once tuned up and the helm has had some more practice!
Definitely felt the reaching and pointing ability, so overall I'm delighted with my first sail in a National 12, and even more so this one after the hard work myself and various owners have put in since the early 2000's.
Keep your eyes out for us on the circuit!