MERLIN ROCKET FORUM

Topic : I found an old Merlin

I've recently been given an old Merlin Rocket no. 1099 which I think is a Mk IX or XI.

It will need a certain amount of work to bring her back to life, but nothing too bad; the hull is sound, the decks are ok, the varnish is of course shot, and the sails appear original. proctor gold mast and boom, decent rudder and c/board.

Does anyone have any history of this boat? I hope to have her on the water sometime next year [I have a N18 to sort out first]

Cheers!


Posted: 07/02/2009 18:08:19
By: Tony
Tony,

No - it's a Bob Hoare built Proctor 6, which went by the name of
Pintabeer!!

Sounds good though

D


Posted: 08/02/2009 14:36:49
By: David
Pintabeer... that's what the owner told me it was called!
OK Procter MkVI.. there's absolutely nothing with it bar mast, old main [wooden battens!]rudder assembly and c/b... any pointers?


Posted: 08/02/2009 17:41:44
By: Tony
Tony, nice one! I have a spare boom from my XII, you can have it!


Posted: 08/02/2009 18:10:39
By: Mike
Thanks. boom I have. what I really need is a main and jib that will suit a mast of that vintage.
If anyone has those going spare/for sale then get in touch.


Posted: 08/02/2009 19:55:05
By: Tony
Tony I have a full set of sails for a Proctor MK11 all original made in 1961 by Ratseys.  Email me for further details.


Posted: 09/02/2009 06:39:33
By: Charles Lawton
I've emailed you [work address] otherwise you can contact me on:  swrd 'at' hotmail.com


Posted: 09/02/2009 17:49:43
By: Tony
Oh as an afterthought who is there in the N Wales area with an old Merlin that I can take a look at in order to get some idea about layouts and the like.

Oh and for those who like piccies here's a couple or three.

[URL=http://www.uploadit.org][IMG]http://premium1.uploadit.org/swordie//merlin-1.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
[URL=http://www.uploadit.org][IMG]http://premium1.uploadit.org/swordie//merlin-2.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
[URL=http://www.uploadit.org][IMG]http://premium1.uploadit.org/swordie//merlin-3.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

what you see is more or less what I got, so there's some scavenging of bits needed.

when's the next silver tiller meet at Abersoch? ;)


Posted: 09/02/2009 20:17:03
By: Tony
Pintabeer? Come and sail the vintage wing and cvrda events with our Half Cut! 

Clywedog (mid wales) at Whitsun then
Roadford (August Bank Holiday) is the big event of the year.

http://www.cvrda.org

Posted: 09/02/2009 20:38:01
By: Pat2121
Doesn't look 14ft....my eyes must be decieveing me.

http://premium1.uploadit.org/swordie//merlin-1.jpg

Posted: 09/02/2009 20:49:13
By: Mags
Well assuming the number is correct it's not a National 12 as they were still nailed and ribbed at number 1099.

Have to say it looks like a 12 footer in the first photo though.


Posted: 09/02/2009 21:06:06
By: Chris M
Looks right for a Bob Hoare boat of that vintage & in the 3rd photo there is a deck bush for a spinny sheet so is a full-bowed Merlin I think


Posted: 10/02/2009 07:52:39
By: Andrew M
It looks almost identical to my Hoare built XII from around the same era


Posted: 10/02/2009 09:46:41
By: Mike
Definitely a Bob Hoare - but she looks a gonner to me


Posted: 10/02/2009 10:28:02
By: ITK
Well there is a lot of dirt and scruffy varnish but there isn't any obvious rot on the pictures.  Will need a bit of bravery and a lot of work to get this one sailing again & 48-year old cascamite isn't brilliant at holding planks together.  Not impossible though by any means.


Posted: 10/02/2009 11:17:33
By: Andrew M
I can assure everyone that it is 14' long! and 5'6" wide.

I've done some prodding and have'nt found any rot [yet]. Most of what you see is mulch and dirt which will need to be properly cleaned out before she's put inside to dry.

As for cascamite letting go, well it's not something I've come across before [yet] but since I never intended to race this boat, if I have any worries on that score I might just drill and coppernail/rove the whole boat! just like I did when I were a lad - I still have memories of being stuck under a clinker sailing dinghy holding a heavy dolly whilst the nail was rivetted down.

Gotta have a go anyway


Posted: 10/02/2009 12:33:55
By: Tony
Tony, it's not so much that it lets go, more that it is brittle and you can spring planks by stomping around in the back of the boat and particularly by bouncing it up and down on a trailer.  I can't blame the cascamite for what happened to 1498 in my ownership as I had capsized in the surf at Gurnard and the boat got bounced on its beam ends a few times!  Was never quite the same again after that.


Posted: 10/02/2009 12:38:29
By: Andrew M
I had 1728 and yes there were a few sprung planks but really it's no big deal to sort them.  The restoration of 1728 is on the site here in the repairs section.  I think that 1728 was a lot worse than this looks, so just get stuck in and do it.  I would avoid the copper nails though - this will be a plywood boat and won't take that kindly to a load of nails through the hull I guess.  Wedge any sprung planks apart, scrape out the old glue with a hacksaw blade and pop in the epoxy.  Take out shares in West Epoxy!!


Posted: 10/02/2009 12:58:54
By: Garry R
West epoxy - alrady have shares!

this is coming on the back of a 1970 Nat 18 rebuild [another proctor design] which will be a bit differnt to the original and will require a fair amount of epoxy, sikaflex, balcotan and what have you.

The amount of stuff I will have over will be plenty for the Merlin.

the copper nails thing was a bit of a joke - the wedge/hacksaw/lolipop stick with epoxy route is well practiced.

met a sailmaker friend this lunchtime who sailed Merlins as a lad and he gave her a quick look over. Reckoned that since she was Hoare built then there would'nt be that much amis apart from the obvious.


Posted: 10/02/2009 13:33:48
By: Tony
Hi Tony
I've got a main, jib and old rules spinnaker for the satisfaction I had up for sale - if you're interested I could send an e mail with pics or mail you some picures with dimensions -basically to suit a main luff of 5905 by 2320 foot according to the measurement certificate. These from a Proctor D mast which looks like the one you have on your boat.


Posted: 11/02/2009 21:25:46
By: KM2825
She must be a Merlin Rocket, she has carrying handles. In the 50s and 60s I decked and finished three Merlin Rockets from bare hulls, they were 'Genevieve'No. 838, 'Grey Goose' No. 1047 and 'Wild Goose' No. 2105. For me the most difficult job was fitting the handles onto their sloping decks. Later I bought 'Wishful thinking'  No. 2366 which did not have handles, neither does Mervyn's 'Kate' No 1.


Posted: 12/02/2009 09:17:46
By: Robert Harris
Last month I just bought a spini pole from a nice bloke called Graham. He has the whole rig from an old Merlin including mast and sails - might be worth a call (I hope he doesn't mind me putting his number here but he did this a few months ago himself in replying re the spini pole) - 07775 664104


Posted: 12/02/2009 16:30:52
By: DaveC

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