I'm moving abroad to Qatar and my winter restoration project to get back into Merlins isn't going to happen.
"Brigand of Blackstone" is an all wood Satisfaction (28c) built by Tony Lock in 1977.
She needs a new foredeck and a repaint.
All the gear is there (apart from the rudder), good Proctor rig, twin poles, hoop etc. Sound suit of sails (No. 1) and spinnaker.
There's an old cover, but no trolley or trailer.

Come and get her!!

Steve Brown
Grimsby; tel 01472 317797

Thanks for all the interest, I've promised her to a chap from Ogston SC who is currently doing up a Hooligan. He also crews Albacores which is my current class in the absence of a Merlin fleet in the Grimsby area.
If anyone out there is interested or knows of someone who wants an Albacore, I have my 2 Albs for sale:- 
1) an all wood Young A7429, new sails, all the gear, fully competitive £2,950ono
2) GRP Fosrite A5179, excellent M3 spars, reasonable sails and gear, trolley, cover, good entry level Alb, £650ono.

All for sale because I'm off to Qatar....... does anyone know of any Merlin sailors out there?

Cheers 
Steve Brown 
(ex Wembley SC Merlin fleet)

Hi All,

I am the chap from Ogston.  My Hooligan should be up and running during the next couple of weeks, I am looking forward to practicing my swimming a little more (I fell out of the Albacore into Loch Lomand last weekend and almost won the award for best freestyle swimmer, but it was a strongly contested event).  The Smokers will be my next project; when it's completed I will try and sell the Hooligan to another Ogston crew to swell the local MR contingent.

P.S. The Midges were not too bad at Loch Lomond, but take the nuclear deterrant to Holy Loch anyway.

Could we have the inlands one year on Loch Lomond d'ya think?

MR 3102 is now residing in my barn, the woodwork is a little worse than expected, but it should repair.  I will let it dry for a couple of weeks before I decide if it is beyond economical repair or not.

Not much sailing in Qatar. At least there wasn't when I was living out there a couple of years back. That said when I left they were in the process of building a new sailing facility in preparation for the Asian games held last year, so may have improved.... 
Only boats out there were mainly Laser's sailed out of the club next to the Marriot Hotel on Ras Abu Aboud. There was also a "sailing school" based at the Sheraton Hotel run by an English guy called Mike Lawton. 
Enjoy...

Well the Qatar job didn't work out so I'm in Bahrain now, much more established place. Just curious to know whether John Swain decided to restore 3102?

Lots of sailing in Bahrein, European Style and hitch a ride on a racing dhow its "different"!

One of my former crews subsequently sailed a small yacht to Australia, and sent me a photo he took of 3 guys sailing a Merlin off the coast of Oman near Salalah.