A 12 rigged with a spinnaker on ebay?

[Tim Gatti]

This planked boat is being sold as a 12 - but certainly can't be no 300 - unless they've found a way of carefully removing all its ribs!  Look carefully and you'll see the foredeck has been modified to allow a spinnaker to be launched from spinny bags underneath. Has someone been boldly experimenting outside the rules.  Must have been acting on recent posts on ways to widen the appeal of the Class!
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/National-12-dinghy-vintage_W0QQitemZ200234463437QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item200234463437&_trkparms=72%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C65%3A12&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

[martin 1262]

That was very eagle eyed of you.
Perhaps this is the way to go, I wonder if there are any pics of it in a force 6 with spinny up??
 

[Richard]

The holes in the deck look as if they have been cut to allow the use of a modern style jib 2.2m The old 2.8m jib would have had a longer foot and therefore missed the foredeck

[philipcosson]

That sail looks in very good nick

[Tim Gatti]

Thought there might be some other explanation - thanks Richard.  I have to agree - the mainsail looks almost new, and definitely not made of cotton.  Strange the things you see on ebay.  If it's '65 era wonder if it's a Starfish or Mk 12? The decks are certainly narrow enough. Can't be N2300 though, as that's the sail no of Ken Goddard's Mk12 'Duodecimal'.

[icecreamman]

Has anyone noticed what look like some form of non varnished transverse strips in the bottom of the boat. Maybe these are hiding the missing ribs.....:-/

[Tim Gatti]

On closer examination the strips appear to be just varnished areas of the hull where the owner decided not to put sand on the planks. There are no additional timber strips.  For my money she's definitely a 1960's glued plank hull design (Proctor Mk 11 or 12 or a Starfish), that's been well looked after.  Not sure I'd have taken a jigsaw to the foredeck though! Tim

[Lukepiewalker]

I suspect they've found a careful way of removing the last digit from the sail number of the boat the sails came from...

[ken goddard]

I agree with later respondents; this is no ribbed boat but typical of the type of construction of the 1960's, as the vendor says. The narrow side decks and the side seats is unusual. The holes in the deck are not so unusual. It was a way of running a stiffening strut from the neighbourhood of the shrouds to the mast gate and removing some of the intervening decking to lighten the boat. The boat appears to be well kept. Not sure what to make of the mainsail.
Ken Goddard, N.2300

[Tim Gatti]

Well - it seems I was right all along - just got this info through from the owner...
"Unfortunately no name or boat number. I bought the boat a couple of years ago
for my son and I to learn to sail from the secretary at Lympstone Sailing Club.
He kept the boat in such good condition. I can answer the question about the
foredeck it was cutaway to allow for a spinnaker.
There are two jibs and both
are in the same condition. The boat is rigged so it can be single handed as
well as sailed by two."
So - a National 12 with a spinnaker and being sailed single-handed is already out there folks!  (In case anyone's interested, I'll post any further info as I get it). Tim

[Tim Gatti]

Latest info from the owner: This boat is actually N2340, registered in 1966 it was, and still is, called Touchstone. Only one of two built to Alec Stone's Tizyer design. It was built by J Stone in Salcombe to sail in
the estuary.