Old Quarter Tonners -Magic Bus

Discussion in 'Sailboats' started by steveo-nz, Oct 5, 2008.

  1. MYD
    Joined: Dec 2008
    Posts: 11
    Likes: 1, Points: 3, Legacy Rep: 14
    Location: Sweden

    MYD Junior Member

    Bargain for a projectoholic

    This 1/4 tonner has been shown here before as it was taken out of the water after many years some 2 years ago. It has now ended up in my custody as the last station of hope. Not without reason as I am a projectoholic and boatbuilder.

    It´s a Norlin built for the Cup in Finland 1977.
    Hull and most of the deck is built from vinylester/airex and seems sound except for the deck beside the cockpit where they used balsa core.
    Internal structure of plywood is probably rotten so inside will be swept clean.
    It´s a centerboarder with internal ballast.
    My aim is to first get her out sailing in original configuration just to get a feel for what mods are adequate.

    I´m grateful for any info you might have about the boat.

    I am located in Gothenburg, Swedish west-coast and would also like to get in touch with other owners of old quartertonners in the area for racing.
     

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  2. quartermaster
    Joined: May 2009
    Posts: 21
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    Location: california

    quartermaster Junior Member

    A friend of mine, Arne Jonsson, who helped me restore my quarter ton, "FUN", used to build them in Sweden. He gave me a picture that he took during the Finland worlds, so I know he was there. I don't have his email address, but I do have his phone number. 510-522-5838, or 510-769-0602. He lives in Alameda Ca. and is retired, but I'm sure he is a wealth of information.
    Quartermaster
     
  3. Richard 4073
    Joined: Feb 2010
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    Location: Auckland, NZL

    Richard 4073 Junior Member

    Hi MYD,

    Good luck with the project. I see that C'est Si Bon comes up in the 1977 results at 9th, held in Helsinki, see:

    http://www.histoiredeshalfs.com/Quarter%20Tonner/Quarter%20R%E9sultats.htm

    Quartermaster, do you have any photos of Fun since her restoration? She features in a book I have coming out in early March on the NZ Ton boats and it would be great to see what she looks like now.

    cheers,
    Richard
     
  4. quartermaster
    Joined: May 2009
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    Location: california

    quartermaster Junior Member

    Richard,
    Lots and lots, there are some good photos on the French Website for quarter ton boats. Go to the boat name listings and find FUN. Click on it and you can see what it looked like before , during, and after the refit. I race it now and then PHRF and win about 50% of the time. A lot depends on the crew. It's not an easy boat to sail. If you need more, email me and I'll send you a file.
    Quartermaster
     
  5. Paul B

    Paul B Previous Member

    Be sure to let us know how to place an order for your book. You can consider this a pre-order.
     
  6. Richard 4073
    Joined: Feb 2010
    Posts: 28
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    Location: Auckland, NZL

    Richard 4073 Junior Member

    Hi Paul, yes, will be sure to post a web page link here for you and other possibly interested members when its available (aiming for 5 March) - the title is "A Lighter Ton - the Champion New Zealand Yachts of the 1970s", 186 pages, B&W, contains 82 photos and 15 drawings including 6 lines plans.

    Quartermaster, found those photos thanks, nice to see Fun in such good condition. An interesting transom rudder set up, presume it gives more control than the original inboard cassette arrangement.
     
  7. Gary Baigent
    Joined: Jul 2005
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    Location: auckland nz

    Gary Baigent Senior Member

    I doubt it, Richard, no end plate effect from the hull, has to be larger to equal the more efficient underhung design, more turbulence and air cavitation problems - Laurie had it right from the get go.
     
  8. Paul B

    Paul B Previous Member

    Shame it's only B&W photos. Some of the spinnaker colors and clothing choices from those days make more impact in color.

    Hopefully you take paypal or crecit card payments, for those of us on the other side of the world.


    I have to agree with Gary. The revised rudder design is a step backward. When I first saw that done to such a historic boat it made me sad. But it is not my boat, so whatever the owner wants to do is his choice.
     
  9. phum
    Joined: Apr 2009
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    Location: Sunny QLD. in the great South Land

    phum Junior Member

    Quartermaster,
    Can you post a link to the photos, I can't find them.
    Richard4073,
    Put my name down for a book too please.
    Peter
     
  10. quartermaster
    Joined: May 2009
    Posts: 21
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    Location: california

    quartermaster Junior Member

    Yes, you guys are right, the rudder set up is a problem. When I first bought the boat, I didn't know what I had or really understand the design. I'm not a yacht designer, or even a boatwright. So I'm thinking, move the rudder back to make more room in the cockpit, get rid of the runners, update it a little. I bought some boat design books ect. did the mods, some things worked well, some didn't. I have built a larger rudder than the one pictured, and it worked great, untill it broke. The design was good, but the enginering.... Trial and error. I'm learning, and even though I make a lot of mistakes, the boat is good enough to make up for them. Slowly it's coming around to be a great boat again. The rig was not the best set up for it either, but that's another story. The link for the French site is further back in this thread, the author is a nice guy, owns a quarter ton himeself. I know how you feel Paul, I've often thought maybe I should have just restored the boat and not altered it. It was on it's last legs, what I have done has given it a second life, it is still greatly addmired, and that is better than the scrap heap.
    Quartermaster
     
  11. sean9c
    Joined: Jan 2011
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    Location: Anacortes,WA

    sean9c Senior Member

    Here is a link to the pics.
    http://www.histoiredeshalfs.com/Quarter Tonner/Q Fun.htm
    I'm also puzzled by the redesign of the rudder. Seems to me the original was pretty straightforward and I'm sure worked well. The new one looks odd not to mention it must have been a lot of work notching out the back of the boat and building all that. Rudder also looks big, though pretty high aspect, makes you wonder about slow speed efficiency, which is the only away these things sail, sort of like trying to scull a M24.
    Has to be hard figuring out how to resurrect a boat like that. It was designed for a moment in time, a moment long past. There is little historical value. I'd of asked Laurie what to do. Or rebuild it just as it was, move to the UK and have a ball racing it with all the other dinosaurs.
    Did Clay Barnard, who has Business Machine buy Fun?
     
  12. Richard 4073
    Joined: Feb 2010
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    Location: Auckland, NZL

    Richard 4073 Junior Member

    Phum quote (sorry, don't know how to do the quotes properly!) "I'd of asked Laurie what to do."
    The rebuild of Blackfun gives you an idea of what Laurie would do (see photo), as he was quite involved in the project. Has the rudder quite well forward, and I think even further forward than the original.

    Paul, yes, colour would be better, especially to illustrate as you have said a few pages back that the 70s not only gave us disco and flares, but some pretty wild spinnaker colour combinations! It's just been a bit of a cost/value consideration as the book is a self publish effort. Am still working with the publishing company about final details so will see if I can have it set up with both options. Thanks too for your interest Peter (and to Gary B for helping me with sourcing quite a few of the illustrations).
     

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  13. Paul B

    Paul B Previous Member

    I would be willing to pay a few dollars more to have a copy with color. I am probably in the minority.

    I fully understand your issues with self publishing. I've spoken with Bill Barton regarding his self-published book about IMP. He sure wasn't going to get rich off of the project, after spending quite a bit of money upfront for all the pre-printing and printing costs.
     
  14. Paul B

    Paul B Previous Member

    Yes. After the 1976 Worlds Fun was bought by Clay Bernard. He won the 1977 NAs with it, then had a bad regatta at the Worlds.

    He sailed the boat again in the 1978 NAs and finished 2nd to Blivet.

    He then built the 50 foot version Great Fun and won the SF Big Boat Series in 1981 with that.
     

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  15. phum
    Joined: Apr 2009
    Posts: 61
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    Location: Sunny QLD. in the great South Land

    phum Junior Member

    Quartermaster,
    the boat is a credit to you, what a finish.
    Peter
     
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