I have just become the proud owner of Merlin Rocket 2895 and have recently joined the MROA. I am led to believe that she was built in 1973 by Debenham and is a 'Broad Scooter' design. She does not currently have any name on her but I believe that she was called 'Hispanoal'. Can anyone confirm the above and add to her history? Many thanks, Steve

well done steve, I hope the boat goes well for you. I was the other 'big' bidder on it and had thought that my final offer would be enough. It wasn't, but even at the price you paid I think you've got a great boat.

Will it be seen on the South Coast at all?

D

The year book confirms the information above.

Hope you enjoy the boat,

Nigel

David

This is my first Merlin, having admired them for many years. She really is a credit to her previous owner and is fantastic condition for her age. I'm not sure how well the Broad Scooter design goes, but the previous owner said that she would suprise the RS400 boys and they could only get away by raising their kites. I just want to get her on the water now to find out myself. No wind since buying her! I'll let you know.
I'd like to get her out and about to a few of the MR series venues. I've got a lot to learn about the boats. I'm based at Oxford SC so a trip to the South coast may be in the offing.

Steve

Broad Scoter/Scooter was a development of the earlier Northern Light design I owned for a few years and which was the first decent Merlin I had.  I was very tempted to bid but maintaining one Merlin that I'm not really sailing enough is really all life needs!  The shape is Northern Light with more flare above the waterline and a little less rocker in the bow.  A great boat on restricted water, quick-tacking, good acceleration, good in fairly light winds, but the round midsections and narrow transom mean that stability is not great downwind and I found out a lot about nosediving in a blow from that boat.  Richard Debenham built beautiful boats with nicely engineered bracing for the centrecase etc so it should be strong and stiff still.

Enjoy!

Hi David,

2895 was at the Cam Sailing Club for some years owned then by Chris Martin. (a different one) Broad Scoter (2686) was made for Lou Olivier as a development of the Northern Light. The story I remember was that 2895 was made for a chap at Oulton who had one leg. Hence the name of the boat and the unusually wide plate case at the back as he used to sit on this as he made his way across the boat. Well this it what was was told to me perhaps someone from Oulton knows mores.

The boat was excellent on our narow river but a like the Northern Light, as the design guide says, "tricky to handle downwind in a blow".

That's my excuse anyway.

Rick Benson

2337 (Northern Light design)

Welcome to the Merlins.

Another great elder team boat!

Rick

I love the story of the chap with one leg. My daughter recons the boat should be just fine for me as I travel across the boat with the speed of someone with one leg!

Your comment ..."Hence the name of the boat..." - I can't find any reference to what the name means. Its not in any of my dictionaries and the www has not gleened anything. Is it a medical term?

Thanks for all of the info

Steve

I haven't a year book to hand to confirm the name of the boat, but Hispanola was the name of the ship in Treasure Island and therefore associated with a distinguished one-legged sailor!

"Ah Ha Jim lad that's the name of the ship alright. "  

I hope you enjoy the sailing and now when someone asks "why is it called that Mister? "  you can enjoy telling them too.

All the best

Rick

Hell Steve

Please send me your address and E Mail and I will add you to Vintage mailing list

OUr first Vintage meeting is next Saturday at Bourne End, first race at 
14.00. I t would be a good place to try your boat as we are all quite well behaved

2895 is not shown in the 1974 Year Book so I doubt whether she was built in 73.
The 1975 Book records her as a Northern Light design and named 'Hispaniola'. The owner was D. Brooke, 1 Fieldview Drive, Lowestoft, Suffolk. Wavenet and Oulton Broad YC.
The design was changed to a Broad Scoter in the 1979 Year Book as also was the recorded owner to C. Martin, Glebe House, Melbourn, Royston, Herts and Cam SC.  
If you would like me to research later year books please let me know.

Tony

Many thanks for your research. I you could find out more it would be great.

So she would appear to be later than 1973 and is in fact a 'Northern Light', the same as Rick Bensons, not a Broad Scooter.

I wonder if the 'D. Brooke' was the 'one legged' sailor that Rick Benson talked about? If that was the case, i'm sure someone at Wavenet & Oulton Broad YC would remember such a character!

She still has a makers plate on the inside of the transom - Debenham boat builders, Lowestoft.

If anyone can gleen any further info I'd appresiate it. I bought her from a chap in the cotswolds. I wonder how she made her way over to this part of the country?

I took her out today. No wind, but I just had too! Very suprised with her. Very light wind and she was moving quite well. A couple of times the beeze picked up and she took off. Very promising. Can't wait for a decent wind!

Thanks one and all.

Steve

I'm getting confused! Its not that difficult under normal cirmcumstances and this is now getting very confusing!
Tony - I take your comments on board as you researched them from the year books.
The MROA web site design guide quotes:
Northern Light, builder R Debenham, year book ref 29a (?), 2077 (1967) to 2662 (1972). 26 built.
Broad Scooter, builder R Debenham, year book ref 29c, 2686 (1973) & 2895 (my boat number) (1974). 2 built (presumably No's 2686 & 2895?).

So is she a Broad Scooter of 1974 (not 1973 as I had be told - what's a year at her age!), or a Northern Light of 1975 (R Debenham stopped making the design in 1972?).

To many questions - I'm so confused!!!!


Steve

I met Richard last year, wonderfull chap,he sails a dragon now.

My first Merlin was his own boat Impuls built 1976, and sailed just like my Jacko tales. Fast in light winds, gybes like an Ent.(full board is fatal) we have had 3 dips this year, we took 2 dips in 7 years,both on the same day at Salcombe sailing our Wine 3316.

He built his last Merlin in 1995 a Turbo scooter 3524 Inspiration.

Steve
2895 'Hispaniola' was almost certainly built in 1974. Although she was shown as a 29a Northern Light design in the 1975 YB this could have been an error that was corrected by Mr Martin after he bought her. If so she is a Broad Scoter (not Scooter) and she appears as such in all succeeding year books.
The 1989 Yb shows her as being owned by B. Smith, Finchdale, Finch Lane, Harvington, Evesham, Worcs and Ragley SC. By 1990 he or she had moved to Leamington Spa and later Barbourne, Worcester and joined Severn SC.
The 1993 YB shows the owner as R Smith, Robin Down, Stockwood Lane, Inkberrow, Worcs and Redditch SC. By 1995 the owner was J. Haken, 7 Highfield, Hampton, Evesham and the same club.

2686 was built in 1972 and was named 'Broad Scoter'. She is recorded in the 1973 YB as a 73a Velvet Scoter design. This was changed to a 16d, which was not a named design, in the 1975 YB.
It wasn't until the 1979 YB that she became recorded as a 29c Broad Scoter design! 
I hope I haven't confused things further.

Some of this confusion may be due to the parting of the ways in 1967 of Nick Truman (A. D. Truman -The builders of Mark Twain, Surf Scoter and her sisters,(amongst them My own Beat Nik and John Harris's Paragon, Nicks 1966 boat Super Scoter and so on.) with Richard Debenham who worked with Nick for A. D. Truman and who took the lines with him - the moulds remaining at A. D. Truman,- he was at least in part maybe more the designer - and had to find a new theme for names hence Northern Light etc., etc., both remain good friends, Nick now a freelance boatbuilder and Richard more or less the private boatman to Peter Colby. All the boats (Whichever builder.) were beutifully built very fair and used only the highest quality ply and timber. Both were and are based in the General Oulton Broad/Carlton Colville area.

Just out of curiosity thinking about Debenham designs, has anyone seen Super Nova 2315 since I sold her in about 1998?  I think she went to northern Norfolk but not to an association member nor a fleet.  She was in pretty good condition at the time though the arrangements for the spinny shute were causing problems in the front tank.  Had been completed by Barry Mourant from a Richard Debenham shell.

Andrew

I think I may have managed to track down the original owner via Waveney and Oulton Broad YC. I have just sent him a letter via snail mail, so hopefully I may get an answer on what she was originally (a weird duck or an apparition in the sky).
Mr D Brooke is apparently alive and well and an active assistant at the YC with disabled sailors (he has, apparently, one leg).
Hopefully I will get a reply and a definitive answer. I'll let you all know.
Many thanks - Steve