Got a couple of questions, I think I understand the basics but was hoping someone could elaborate:
High tank vs. Low - low tank is better because boat is stiffer, kite easier to drop and goes up wind better as well as being a bit more durable?  Question is: for someone who is not planning on racing competitvly other than club handicap racing will there be a significant difference and should one command a real premium over the other?

and

FRP vs Wood - I know wood looks better but is harder to keep but what are the advantages of FRP/GRP over wood in a merlin other than maintenance.  There's talk of FRP boats being heavier  (foam sandwich ones I mean) than the wood ones, if so how much?  Should one command a premium again and for the same crew should it matter.

This will be my first merlin indeed boat so I'm looking for something that will get us going (I'm a senior instructor as is my girlfriend and have raced at club level for 6 or 7 years now)  I don't plan to do nationals though and if I get good I'll by something fit for the purpose at the moment I'm looking for something sub £1,000 that will get me on the water over the summer.

Is there anything else I should be looking for?  Cheers Oli.

Low tank is definatley better.

FRP hulls for low maintenance are a bit of a red herring in your case as all the boats in your price range will have a wooden deck - the question is what are you saving?

In my opinion you should choose the boat in the best condition and most suitability for you that matches your budget and with the options available either a wood or a plastic hull will do.

Also bear in mind that FRP boats are not maintenence free, indeed I question whether they are truly low maintenance at all. It's just that the maintenence they require is differant. Wood or plastic you still can't leave the boat full of water for 7 days between sailing and an equally well kept wooden boat's paint or varnish should last years.

So whats the concensus on high tanks.  If I've found a high tank wooden boat in nice nick should I go for it?  What I mean is will it really make that much difference if sails, spars and rigging are in good condition?  Is there any weight advantage of wood over FRP?  Cheers Oli.

Oli,

Low tank is better, strength wise.

Wood or FRP - it's your choice at that age, my boat is wood I keep it garaged - apart from normal dinks and scratches as good now as when it was finished 4 years ago. 

I know one chap who regularly puts his FRP boat in a plastic bag with a dehumidifier attached to reduce water take up.

Go for a boat from a known builder which has been well maintained.

if you are club racing on handicap, then it doesn't matter what you sail, because the age handicap thing will cover all eventualities.

get a nice looking reasonably priced boat and sail it for your own benefit!

if you want more, then buy a hot winder or ez-roller.

wood only takes a bit of sand paper and varnish every few years, well worth it and no bother! - don't be too fussy, blemishes n'all.

Oli, in answer to your tank question low tanks are better not only for the reasons you mentioned but a significant advantage is that when you capsize the whole of the tank is below water level and hence you will float a little higher and empty quicker. If you are not planning to be too competative this year then i really would not worry which you get as there are plenty of fast club boats out there which have high tanks.

With regard to plastic/wood, personally i would always opt for wood. This is mainly because they look better but an old foam sandwich boat can soak up water and become over weight the wood ones can also do this but will dry out.

The main points you should look out for are the builder which if you go sub 1k would suggest a Rowsell or Smart, turner if you can get one. Get a design which suits your all up weight, the NSM's are good allrounders but best post the design on here and people will give you an idea what it is likley to be like.

Hope that is of help. Good luck and let us all know what you end up with.

Basically I'm trying to decide between a low tank FRP Roswell built NSM and a high tank NSM made of wood.  There's about £250 worth of difference in them with the high tank baing more expensive.  However the high tank boat comes with a nicer launching and road trailer, 2 sets of sails (instead of one) one of which is mylar, 3 spinnakers (instead of one) and has much newer spars and rigging.  They both look to have been well maintained so the descision is very hard (I personaly am thinking the wood high tank one, because never will be competitive at anything other than club handicap racing so might aswell get the slightly lighter?  boat that I prefer the look of....just need to know if its a value for money purchase?  Cheers Oli.

Do you know the history of the boats? The names? The age?

On the face of it i would probably go for the one with the newer rig and better kit, however if the plastic one is later it probably has a case stepped mast rather than hog stepped and if it has been kept well then it will be the better option in terms of performance. Besides which £250 will buy you a brand new spinny or go a long way to a new main!

Can't be any more help than that with out knowing which boats you are looking at?!

This is a good boat. Get up to Rutland this weekend and see the training that is going on. Give brian a call and see if you can have a look at Blow Job II.

I'd be generally inclined to stick with the wooden one if it is so much better.

If it's 3170 "Blondie" then it was a good boat, i think Paul Davies owned it at one time.

Also well worth a look is the NSM II that has just come up at £995 which looks to be in pretty good condition. I think it's 3269, and is also on ebay.

I noticed that one too. Looks good.

You are indeed correct in guessin that its blondie.  Think I've done a deal on it now so looks like she has another new owner!  Feels good though posting a message as an owner instead of a wannabe!  Just gotta part with the cash now and pick her up...Thanks guys and see you on the water I hope.  Oli.

You beat me to this Oli - I think you have made the right choice.  From experience of buying older Merlins condition is top of the list of requirements as once things have started to go wrong visibly there is always something worse under the surface.  If well-maintained wooden boats still are very competitive (have a look at the recent results of open meetings!).  The advantages of the low bow tank are twofold.  One is that it's much easier to get the water out after you capsize, the other that particularly if you intend updating the rig the low tank stiffens up the hull between shroud attachments and keel/mastgate.  Less important in your 1st Merlin for handicap events.  I personally think a racing record is important.  If the last owner didn't get the boat to a competitive level in club races then you have to wonder why.  It's always nice to know a boat went well when new.

Good Choice, looks like a nice boat and in good nick. The inside looks good and that is important as it can be a pain to re-varnish because thats where all the fittings are!!

Which club are you going to be sailing from then?

I'll be sailing it out of my local club (Aberdeen and Stonahaven Yacht Club) in the north sea just south of aberdeen, so it will bve a good test for how sea worthy she is!  I'll let you know how I get on.....Oli.

For info Blondie was quite successful in its youth, used to be owned by John Shorrocks, NSM is a good stable but quite quick 1st Merlin

ah yes, old man Shorrocks!  He looks and sounds the same as he always did! John was at Cowes week last year in his 1720, as were other former Merlin sailors - ie me, Mikey Bees, Shaun Barber, and of course youung Simon Blake!  Blondie was a very nice looking Rowsell NSM in its day, I hope it has aged well.

Well from what I can tell in the pictures it has certainly aged better than some other relics from '79 lying around our house!  Oli.