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Nice to see her back on the water Gil, hope you get lots of lovely sailing weather together.

Sou'wester now off to a new home at Liverpool SC. Good luck to the new owners, she is a lovely boat and it will be nice to see her being used. Spectacular looking clubhouse there, may have to drop in one day.

Ok, I know it must be me but....trying to place a boat for sale ad, fine until I go to publish then web site tells me off, says I did not enter boat number, design etc BUT I cannot see any such fields on the input page?? HELP!

So pleased to report that Sou'wester is now back on the water. Several nice cruises on the estuary and four races - all in light winds. Results - four first places!

All good but in the longer term she will need a  home with an owner who understands these boats. Anyone interested?

War Cry has now been sold and will have a new home at Christchurch. Now just need to find an equally good home for N2302!

Hello to both - I used to own Porky (I'm responsible for the pink lettering!!!) Hope N2134 made it back on the water - I'd also be interested in knowing if Porky is still sailing??

Ian Smith -  (N2302 & N2323) both about to go back on the water on the Exe estuary
i509@btinternet.com
01395 222136

Sou'wester is now sorted and ready for the water but unlikely to get wet until her owner is fixed so along with N2323 she awaits the next sailing season (or possibly a new owner.....) Anyone interested in owning a lovely original twelve can contact me on 01395 222136.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/138936801@N05/albums/72157664945044090

A summer of fun and 'War Cry' is ready for the water - unfortunately her owner is not so I can't tell you how she sails but at least she is sound and pretty once again. No paint to hide all the mended bits, just lots of fixing up, two coats of epoxy throughout (including the front tank) and lots of varnish. Mast refurbished, sails all cleaned up and some new buoyancy bags - she even has a nice cover (albeit a home made creation) in pretty green canvas. A proper cradle to fit on the trolley and a road trailer to suit her age. Only problem is that N2302 is also sitting on the drive and I can't keep two 12's....or can I???

Logically either N2323 or N2302 has to go to a new good home - age and common sense tells me I probably ought to keep just our 1965 Gull to sail and let both the Twelves go to people who can use them.....anyone interested??? 01395 222136

Pretty pictures at https://www.flickr.com/photos/138936801@N05/albums/with/72157662827474671

Thank you John.

N2302 now has a new home in Devon, she has quite an interesting history.

I'm not sure how uncommon it is but she has remained in the same family ownership from new in May 1965 until February 2016 when I assumed responsibility for her - I know that may sound a bit pretentious but as she was commissioned as a 21st birthday present and remained with that person until ownership transferred to her daughter I feel that this needs to be respected.

The boat remains pretty much as built by Chippendale, no evidence of fittings being moved around, added to or removed. Still has the original mast (Proctor with diamonds), sails (by Lucas with wooden battens) and if not the original then at least a very early cover (anyone know anything about 'Renowned' covers?)

Apart from some nibbling by mice(?) along the edges of the seats and thwart the overall condition is pretty good, a month or so of fettling might see her back on the water.

I've also received a number of original documents (invoice, measurement details etc. and a paper from Ian Proctor (1/1/65) about the relative characteristics of the series from MK VIII to MK XII.

I hope to get the boat (and / or N2323) to a CVRDA event this year otherwise the Exe estuary will be their new sailing home.

I cant work out how to post an image so .....pictures at https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/138936801@N05/sets/72157664945044090/

Well nobody wanted to take over this little project so she's still with me - and actually I'm quite glad as she's coming together quite nicely now the weather has improved. Lots of woodwork already done and quite a bit still to do but much of the hull planking is really nice and I'd like to know if this is because the hull was painted from new or if it was originally varnished. Does anyone know?

Just an observation, I had been in contact with the seller of this boat when it was on Gumtree recently (at £200 or offers). I then found it had been 'sold' very recently on eBay for £122 however according to the seller he declined the sale. At this point he stopped answering my emails. I noted with interest the reappearance on eBay at £500....

I bought 'On the Shark' as she was then from Tim Laws. She had been much chopped about - sorry I mean lightened - and my crews hated the 2" wide thwart..... My only 4 planker after a number of clinker boats I found she wasn't for me and was sold on to James Chew (also at Lympstone). He renamed her Frantic which was quite apt in a blow. Sold on again a bit later and I hope someone still loves her.

Another one of my 'couldn't resist it' finds from 20 years or so back, actually she was in pretty good shape after sitting in a friends garage for many years. It became a standing joke in our office that Smith was dashing home at lunchtime again to put yet another coat of varnish on Natasha's bottom.....Eventually sold on to 'Mark and Michelle' from Norfolk to sail on a pond somewhere.

Touchstone was mine for a while around 2004/6 ...ish! Bought off a driveway in Exmouth where she sat upside down under a not very weatherproof tarpaulin. The owner thought she was dry until we tried to move her but the rain had gone through the tarp, between failed glue joints in the planking and filled the front tank. Drain holes were 'created' and an hour later we could turn her over and view the rather blackened foredeck. After a couple of months she dried out enough to work on, various bits peeled away intact and were subsequently epoxied back on. We loved her, lots of freeboard, more like a small day boat than a 12. Long solid mahogany seats from the rear tank right up past the thwart. Happy wife, no need to sit on those narrow side decks. (Don't tell anyone but we even rigged a spinnaker for a while). Later sold on and subsequently turned up again at our club when an elderly visitor asked for tips on rigging. When gently asked if he knew much about dinghies he said he had had a folk boat so was quite confident.... luckily it was a really quiet day when he launched. Up for sale shortly afterwards but now seems to have disappeared.