Marea (1315) has now had her top port clinker cutback and replaced, along with all the fore deck ribs and other ancillary deck frame work. she is now ready to be redecked ie fore deck and both side decks (they must have a name but not sure what they are called). I hope she will be back on the water this summer?? sailing at Commes sailing club in The High Peak. I have before, and progressive restoration photo's of the work I have carried out. looking at other forum devotees for restoration projects I think that with a bit of carefull planning and research you could have ago? I am not a joiner/plumber or electrician, and have been able to use existing structures as templates to replcate the new pieces of woodwork, along with the knowledge of a friendly builders merchant who is knowledgeable in wood. 

My next quandry once the boat is seaworthy, is how is she rigged? I have a basic idea from the evidence of the existing strings and twine that hang from the mast, but where can I find a diagram of such, if such a thing exists??? Also when you "step the mast" what keeps it in place? ie stops it falling Aft??

a1

Keith, Lots of Merlins don't have forestays...

When sailing, the jib luff takes the tension - so you'll never sail without a jib.

In th boat park, there's a metal gate latch that drops across the back of the gate... This isn't really good enough so I use the spinnaker halliard clipped to the jib tack fitting on the foredeck (tighten the halliard & cleat it).

There's lots of photos in the rigging guide! Maybe thaey help.

Cheers,

Colin

I always used my spinnaker haliard to hold the mast up when jib not up or kept in the boat park with mast up, I NEVER left the jib up even furled.

We have a strap fitted which buckles around the mast and holds it in place. Once the jib is up and rig tension on it is superfluous but always there as a standby. The jib halyard is used as a forestay - taken down to the deck and cleated off when the boat is parked up.
If you want to see others come to the Vintage Merlin or cvrda events = see websites for details but Clywedog in mid Wales isn't so far for you.

thanks to all replies. Another quandry I have,is? Marea's hull, in/out board is presently dressed in just plain old varnish. Would it be proper to paint her from keel to gunnel in a bright red,blue,pink or green dress? leaving the inboard and decks just wood/varnish? (I have seen a 3000ish sail with similar attire and she looked quite smart)?

Or varnished topsides and a coloured bottom say dark red or white. Not difficult to get a straight waterline but time consuming.

On old boats I like the idea of varnish - it lets you see if there is anything going on underneath the surface as regards rot etc.  Paint can hide a multitude of sins.

Keith, I have the same dilema - I have a second MR 2172 waiting to become a project. I think the varnished planks are rather dull and I will probably paint the outside. I believe the varnished boats had a better quality exterior veneer so I will protect this with at least 2 coats of clear primer before painting. UCP is a really good primer anyway. Thus, the boat could go back to varnished one day if desired. If not primed thoughtfully the paint job is irreversible!!

Ben thanks for your reply I have seen a younger merlin at the Combs sailing club in Derbyshire with a painted skirt with vanished topside and she looks very smart. me is thinking this the way i will go.