86 CLASSIC BOAT OCTOBER 2016CRAFTSMANSHIP
GLOUCESTERSHIRE
Altricia back at the
yard after arson
A recent arson attack has caused
significant damage to Peter Methven’s
beautiful McGruer 8-M cruiser-racer
Altricia, featured in CB last year, and
which drew crowds to admire her
wonderful bright-finished hull at this
year’s London Boat Show. It was in
fact the adjacent hay barn that was
set ablaze, but the heat was bad
enough to necessitate new portholes,
and removal of all varnish on the
starboard side of the boat, before
re-finishing. Henry Goldsmith at Mylor
Yacht Haven in Cornwall, told CB that
“we weren’t expecting to have to do it
quite so soon after completing the
whole job but there we go!” The boat
was insured.A traditional automotive coachbuilder and boatbuilder have united in a new
venture called H and H Woodworks this year. For four years, Matt Cowdery has
been serving an informal apprenticeship under retired master coachbuilder Tim
Hasting, who is now 80 and still passing on his knowledge. Meanwhile, Jack Livesey was
busy building boats at Cockwells, among them the all-wooden tender to Malahne. The two have
joined forces and showed their latest projects at the recent Henley Traditional Boat Rally. The boat
in the photo, completed in July, is a replica Switzercraft Bullet built to order. She has a mahogany skin
on a cedar frame, with a mahogany and koto deck and 1952 Johnson 25 outboard, soon to be upgraded
to a 65hp Mercury of similar vintage. The car being worked on is a 1930 WO Bentley 4.5l Birkin Blower
with a replica coach-built body in ash.
C/O H AND H WOODWORKSBERKSHIRE
Keels and wheels
New
classic
range of
sailsHyde Sails has
launched a new
range of sails
for classic
sailing vessels,
called ‘Hyde
Heritage Sails’,
offering a
choice of cloth
colours,
traditional
finishing and
other options.
hydesails.co.ukBRIGHTON, EAST SUSSEX
Serious job on Grand Banks woodie
We’ve referred to various American sailing icons in the past – the
Concordia Yawl and the Beetle Cat for instance – now here’s one with an
engine! The Grand Banks 32 Freya, built of mahogany on white oak by
American Marine in Hong Kong in 1969, is the second of her kind we’ve
heard of being restored on British soil this year. Freya belongs to ex-RN
weapons armourer Derek Stubley, now a buildings surveyor. He was looking
for a trawler yacht on which to enjoy his imminent retirement and “fell in
love” with this one after seeing her in Brighton Marina.
He bought the boat for £9,000 with a great hull, engine and transmission,
but the entire superstructure (and on a trawler yacht, that’s most of the
boat) had been cheaply refitted with poor-quality ply and domestic screws,
so Derek, with friends Pat (engineer and joiner) and Tim (joiner) have been
rebuilding nearly everything bar the hull in top-grade plywood and hardwood,
including century-old reclaimed mahogany. “We caught her just in time,”
said Derek. “The owner was offered double my offer to gut her for a
houseboat, but the owner took my offer, as he couldn’t bear to see that
happen.” The boat will be largely as original, with much of her original gear- including the pre-GPS autopilot – remaining. The original, naturally
aspirated Ford Lehman 120hp six pot is an engine so simple and beautifully
engineered, Derek can’t see it ever giving in. We look forward to the launch.
C/O THE OWNER