Ive had the upturned hull of an old merlin in my garden for the last two years, now my son wants to get it going.Its just the hull we have no other fittings.Q.1 Should we just sell the hull and try to buy a simpler complete package,(we have little dosh to spend!)Q.2 How would one go about refitting this boat, I would like to see it sail again but am a little daunted at the prospect. Help please!

How old is it? So much of getting the fittings will be dependent on the design because as you probably know the Merlin is a restricted class with a lot of design changes over the years.  Don't be put off - Merlins are beautiful boats and the people who sail them are very helpful and offer loads of useful advice.

Mike,  Congratulations, depending on what you have you are almost certain to gather the bits you need for peanuts or next to peanuts.  As Garry says, the class is known for its generosity and the amount we help each other.

The main things that would help are the boat number and a rough idea of where you are geographically.  The boat number should be stamped on the boat somewhere in big numbers and will be four figures long and somewhere in between 1 (unlikely as somebody has number 1 already!) and 3600 (unlikely too, as you won't have one of these if money is tight!)  Failing that, the boat name would be good.

Also, if you could take a photo of the boat we could all have a good look (because there's nothing we like more than having a gawp at other peoples boats).  If you don't have the facilities to put a photo on the web, email them to Mags and he will probably stick 'em on the site.

Mike, where are you based ? maybe one of us could visit you, to offer advice.

I have a small box of leftover cleats, fairleads etc, I could donate. I'm sure other generous souls would join me....

I have an old Gold Ali mast i don't want. It has no spreaders but they could be added.

And some random bits of rope...a jib that needs the window repairing....
I never throw anything away!!!

i have an old spinaker kicking around, and poss. a spare rudder. there was an old tin mast and boat cover on E-bay

or a carbon one off a 600 that could be adapted!

I bet everyone is now looking at the 600 carbon mast on ebay for a tenner!

I did all that Carbon for £10 lovely

Why, you people are really generous and quick to respond, thanx. I'll try to find the boats number and post it. As to the question of my location, I'm way up near Inverness.I think I'll try to restore as opposed to sell hopefully it wont be to hard...

Mike, I'm in Inverness and I have some bits - get in touch.

hmmm, a tenner? thats my budget all right!
is this one on ebay really feasible to convert to a merlin?

hi Mike,
drop me a line. Always a pleasure to hear from another Merlin in Scotland. Have you checked out the Event at Dalgety Bay over Easter 2006. First of many for a Scottish series this year.

The 2002 year book states its a JTFS/OB Tales

oops wrong thread, shows I'm getting old

I've found the boats number is1006 and that is rather worse off  than i first supposed. Some of thr boards are rotten at the stern. Will keep you posted

I don't know if 1006 has a name now but back in the early 60's she was called 'Nanki Poo'and was at Ranelagh. Apologies if you already know this but she was built by Wyche and Coppock & O.B.and is an Ian Proctor designed Mk X1.

I seem to remember that odd name is from the musical 'The Mikado' ???
Goodness knows why you'd want a boat named that though.

There could be a photo of Nanki Poo launching at Ranelagh in the winter of 62/63. You can only see 006 on a sail in the background.
Nick

And if you blow the picture up, you see the 1 on the other side of the sail.

Obviously there were Mikadophiles in the fleets of yesteryear as both Pitti Sing (360 built 1952) Pooh Bah (1791 built 1965) in addition to Nanki Poo (1006) also appear as Merlin names from the past - wonder were they the same owners - perhaps Ancient Geek (aka Ko Ko - the Lord High Executioner) can enlighten us as to that idea?

Nice idea but having looked back at the YBs I doubt there is or was any connection between the original or later owners of these 3 boats.
1791 started life as 'Blue Too' and was owned by P. J. Care of Cookham Reach S.C. I think Gerry Burnham may have changed the name to 'Pooh-Bah' when he became the registered owner in 1967.
The earliest record I have of 360 'Pitti-Sing' is the 1962 YB when her owner was recorded as T. Collins  of Avon S.C.

The earliest record on our trophies at Cookham of Pooh-Bah was when Gerry had it so i would suggest he changed it. He won salcombe week in that boat i think.

More likeley "Katisha" who you will recall had an attractive right elbow and loved thunderstorms and lightning!Speaking of which had a magnificent one last night "from China 'cross the bay"!

There seems to be loads of people from scotland sailing merlins!

Yes, the merlin Class is growing in Scotland all the time. Not bad that in a year we have gone from no class to ten+. Why dont you come to the Easter event in Scotland and meet us all.

broken record anyone!

Speak of the devil! Pooh-Bah has just appeared for sale!

Once we get Ko Ko, Pitti Sing etc we'll be able to have a sing- song

She looks lovely and sailed by the same person since 1978 according to the ad.  Very well looked after it would seem.  Good photos too - helpful to me with a Proctor IX

does not appear to have gone far either. He must have bought it from Gerry and taken it 15 miles down the road! She does look good still could be a good buy for a river sailor.

hey Mike,
I am busy restoring 1018 and i want to let you know that I am also new to the class and that every body has been more than helpful, with regards to advice, donations etc.... 
As i have completed my work on the hull, i am now about to move onto the cockpit areas and decks and hopefully then she will be ready, do have some rigging to do but ill get to that once im done with the hull. I did post some pics of my renovation here on the forum but looks like ill have to send you a new link of the pics of all the work so far. good luck!!!!

Hamish, I would love to come to Scotland but the distance is a little to far for me especially just to come last!

last place is just a frame of mind. its not the wining ect its the taking part blah blah blah....

Russ, you will be missing a great event. We even have some first class sponsors on board now and anyway you will have the experience of racing in Merlin Fleets and that got to count for something. Perhaps you could make it next time......

Since we're going from Wiltshire and usually take last place you've got something that you can beat easily!

I just wondered how many years it has been since the last Merlin event (Noth and South) wa sheld in Scotland.  I am hoping to blag some whisky out of the local distillery as a prize so correct and nostalgic info would be good to have to hand!!

Certainly on the Clyde 
1948-52?

Thanks for that fount of all knowledge!!

It was at the Clyde Yachting Fortnight, 11th - 23rd July, 1947.
I am currently scanning in the newpaper cuttings!

Please let me have your name & address, phone no. and I will add you to our Vintage mailing list