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Thanks Paul - really glad we made the effort to get down to TVSC with N341. A smashing day on the river ( with all the Boy Scouts!!) and a great evening meal to round things off.  

Please pass on thanks and best wishes to all who contributed to making the meeting such a success. Look forward to seeing you at Ripon/Yeadon soon and visiting you at TVSC again next year. Tim

Here's a b&w pic of Gnasher being sailed by Donald at Yeadon circa 1981 before he sold her to Ian Escritt.

Sorry Martin - I'm hanging onto her after all that hard work and should be sailing in some of the events later this summer when I'm not out with the Vintage fleet in N341.

Unfortunately, (for those who had planned to attend both) the new date clashes with the Vintage Event running at Norfolk Broads YC at Wroxham that same weekend.

N3109 'Gnasher' was one of several Pipedreams built by Donald Acklam in the 1970's and 80's.Its beautifully crafted, curving thwart is a key feature of his handiwork. After many years away, she eventually returned to her original home - Yeadon SC where, unfortunately, less caring owners neglected to look after her and she fell into a bad state of disrepair.

In 2003, I pursuaded the owner, who was by then unable to sell her, to let me have her as a restoration project. I approached Donald, now in his 80's and still a member at the Club,for help and he eventually agreed - after much pursuasion, to give his time and expertise to bringing her back to life. She dried out in storage for nearly three years whilst Donald completed a number of other projects and we started work on her in June 2006.

The majority of the work on the hull and decks was carried by late November that year. Unfortunately - it was to be the last project Donald was to work on as, sadly, he passed away in early December. I completed the renovation in mid-June and hope that the end result is a fitting tribute to the man who gave so much to the Class and to Yeadon Sailing Club and to all who knew him. He is much missed.

Chris /Alastair - quite forgot - I've posted a couple of photos of N341 post- restoration on the N12 boat database.  Just look her up and scroll down the entry to find them. Cheers. Tim

Hi Alistair - just picked up your post. Don't know if you've got an answer to your query about wood finish yet?

I used a marine product- Deks Olje- a Swedish boat oil, when I renovated N341 last year.  

Search on Google if you need more info.

You strip and sand then apply the thin penetrating D1 oil - lots of coats over a day.  Then apply several finish coats - you guessed it ...D2.  Much easier to use than varnish and the results are superb.

It gives a flexible, non-cracking, but shiny surface just right for clinker construction as it doesn't crack as the wood moves and flexes.  Can send you some photos of the finished article if required.

Planning to be there to boost the Vintage fleet with N341 following its brief appearance at Yeadon last October.

Possess some dacron sails now (thanks to Howard C) so don't have to worry about getting the original cotton ones wet!

Looking forward to meeting you all and seeing how we fare against N153 and any other Uffa Kings.

Just in process of sorting a crew - any thoughts/offers/willing volunteers?!

I collected 'Mat' N341 from a family in Glasgow last May who had been "looking after her" since the 1960's. Unfortunately, she had been out in all weathers with a leaking cover for some time so had some rot and timber discolouration, but was still in exceptional condition for her age.

She's an Uffa Fox designed Uffa King and was amateur built in London in 1938. The letters R.S.C. on her transom lead me to believe she may have been sailed at Ranelagh SC before the war, but officers at the Club can find no pictorial evidence of her on the water there. There was little  to indicate that she had been sailed much during the intervening years although she still had all her original standing rigging intact along with a wood and brass jib tensioning lever which proved very effective when she was put back on the water.

I spent about five months stripping and renovating every part of her and she was re-launched, with her original cotton sails, at the Yeadon Open in October. I plan to sail her at some of the N12 Vintage events in 2007.

Quick update - met up with Brian Herring on Saturday and he sold me an 'pre-owned' aluminium plate he had recovered from an old 12 that was broken up some time ago.

Have reshaped it to fit and it's scrubbed up pretty well - so just looking round locally to find a place to get it powder-coated to stop any likely corrosion - esp from seawater.

So a substantial saving in weight of approx 30lbs and a large saving in cash, which means I've a bit more to spend on other aspects of the restoration - like a suit sails that don't mind getting wet! I'll keep the original 68 yr old cotton ones for best ie when it's sunny, there's no chance of a capsize and when I don't mind them being well undersize.

So if anyone has an old suit that might do the job please let me know.  

Still on the hunt for some period brass/bronze rudder fittings too, so I can make a lifting rudder.  Brian had a perfect set - but wouldn't part with them as they were fixed to the Yorkshire Ouse Transom Trophy he had proudly on display on the wall of his workshop.

Just started restoring N341 - a 1938 Uffa King with all the original gear and sails intact.
Need to replace the 44lb steel centreplate with something lighter!
Does anybody know where I might get hold of a second hand Permali or aluminium plate?
A lifting rudder with the old style 3/8" (9.5mm) fittings would also be useful - especially as I'll be mostly sailing at Yeadon.
Thanks  
Tim