When friends of mine, who were keelboat racers, successfully restored a Hunter 19 cruiser and changed the rig I was impressed. If they could do it, maybe I could too - it 1 seemed they'd started a trend.
It began at the 2004 Squib Nationals when a couple of ex-Squib champions took pity on a Hunter 19 that was languishing at the back of Holyhead Boatyard. They bought the yacht and took it back to the East Coast. They restored it with a new interior and put a Squib rig on it before taking it cruising.
At a more recent Squib Championships in Holyhead there was a lay day due to strong winds and, during a discussion at the bar, it transpired that another unloved H19 was on a trailer which had been acquired on ebay and that the trailer was sold to (yet another) Squib champion in Burnham-on-Crouch The boat was surplus to requirements so if I could fetch it from Burnham I too could have a project to keep me busy for a year.
Crouch Cheetah
So, after quite a lot of diesel and the generous provision of a trailer, the 1972 vintage Hunter 19 No34 found its way to Anglesey for a project which was to be shamelessly based on my friends' yacht.
I found out that the boat had been raced as Crouch Cheetah at Burnham-on couch by David Blake in the Burnham Sailing Club fleet and, as an early number built by the designer Oliver Lee, had the Mk1 keel which is highly prized by Squib sailors to this day.
On inspection, the interior was beyond restoration - and full of sails and other paraphernalia - so it was an easy decision to remove all the existing structures and start with a totally empty hull. As much as possible of the interior GRP lay-up attached to the hull was retained for stiffness. Holes that had been cut for a self-bailer and a transducer were filled and the rusted keel-bolts were replaced with stainless steel bolts and lifting hangers; now construction could begin.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 2022 من Practical Boat Owner.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 2022 من Practical Boat Owner.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
A sailor's guide to UK sharks and fish
Genevieve Leaper looks at some of the shark species around the British and Irish coasts and how to spot these fish from your boat
Multihull anchoring
Brush up on your multihull sailing skills before heading off on a holiday charter with Gavin Le Sueur's guide to anchoring
A revolution in fabrics
Marine fabrics are using natural fibres, less harmful chemicals and longer-lasting colours. Jake Kavanagh looks at the cut of the cloth
Shoestring voyage of adventure
Richard King and Serafin Colmenares Jr. look back at the remarkable Pacific voyage of Florentino Das in his 24ft home-built boat
A fine day out with a visitor
Six hours afloat and a guided tour to vindicate a fictional sailing heroine's navigational skills
Boats for Baltic cruising
Duncan Kent picks the best sub-40ft sail and power boats for crossing the North Sea and exploring a Baltic summer
Boatyard life
The tide of the year Is rising. Time for work
Weather or not to go sailing
Ignore the apps: it's much safer to swear by the weather wisdom of a local oracle
The angelic East Coast pocket cruiser
It is 100 years since the first Deben Cherub was launched. Julia Jones looks back at the history of this 21ft river racing class
Best anchor types for varied cruising
Rupert Holmes on choosing the best anchor for your boat, your style of cruising, how you’ll use it and your budget