I think I have found my next boat. Is there anything that I should know about 3428 before I part with the cash? 

Many thanks

David

Yes.

Nice boat, was quick in its day and had a couple of top 5 finishes at the Nationals I think. Deffinatly at least once.

She has all the kit and looks in good order. Hes a deck stepped raking rig too.

The NSM 4 is a good and common design which should suit what you are looking for. Spud ia a top builder so no problems there.

I say part with the cash and enjoy. If you wish to join us at some opens then she is more than suitable for that too. Good luck.

Jeremy

Hi David,

Go for it. Perhaps get yourself a secondhand set of National 12 sails, or have one of the surplus mains cut off at the bottom batten, so as to avoid over excitment when the wind is over 12 mph when you are on your own - and tie in a decent sized bucket in case you do get blown over. A roller furling jib is also useful when sailing single handed.

3428 looks much better than 3112, the original Rowsell NSM, looked when I bought her so judicious removal of the odd 'milky' patch of varnish and careful rebuilding of the protection where necessary should avoid a full strip off. 

Enjoy yourself and the kids will soon be gagging to play with the jib.

Peter

this boat was sailed one up at whitstable for a few seasons !

I've got an NSM IV that i'm intending to list next week. 3374, Rowsell, period rig, decent sails and all the kit. £1300.

Please email if interested.

Having been the first owner of 3112 I can attest that 3125 Footloose (Spuds) boat came off the frames first, 3112 was built by Jon Turner when he worked at Spuds.

>Go for it. Perhaps get yourself a secondhand set of National 12 sails, or have one >of the surplus mains cut off at the bottom batten, so as to avoid over excitment >when the wind is over 12 mph when you are on your own - and tie in a decent sized >bucket in case you do get blown over. A roller furling jib is also useful when >sailing single handed.

Thanks for the tip. I have some old contender sails, I think I'll practice cutting those down first as they are not worth anything and see how I get on. I take it that dropping the main sail area doesn't have as serious impact on the boat handling as leaving the jib behind? Thinking back to my student days, I can remember going sailing with the jib only on silly days - the sort of days that it takes a few people to hold the boat on the trolley with the sails down. I am not sure if that was the Larks or the Merlins that followed them.

>3428 looks much better than 3112, the original Rowsell NSM, looked when 
>I bought her so judicious removal of the odd 'milky' patch of varnish and 
>careful rebuilding of the protection where necessary should avoid a full strip off.

I hope so. I don't really have time to do the whole job this year!

>Enjoy yourself and the kids will soon be gagging to play with the jib.

They had nothing to do in the Harrier and so tended to get bored. I can't see them getting bored in a Merlin!

Thanks Peter

>Peter 	Peter 3112 	17 Dec 09 17:40
>this boat was sailed one up at whitstable for a few seasons !

That is good news. It sounded from the advert as if everything was run back in reach of the helm. Thanks t.

You can't make any progress to windward under jib alone in a Merlin in any wind strength in my experience.

It may well have been the Larks and the progress to windward may have been pretty limited, at that stage I didn't care. Anything was better than moping about on the shore.

btw. Has anyone got a jib furler they are willing to part with?

Thanks

David

Oh dear, the illusion of originality shattered, but at least the then Desperado - now Lucky Strike - was probably registered first!

Still goes though!

Peter

They don't sail too well with only the main and they don't sail at all without even a small one.

Well I bought 3428. She will definitely need some immediate work on the varnish and I fear that the cover will not be salvageable. (It is a frozen lump at the moment.) I couldn't see anything else that really worried me, but my inspection was less thorough than it should have been because of the snow. I forced Stuart to stand in the snow and rig her so that I stand a chance at home, which I thought was pushing my luck far enough.

Many thanks

David

A decent cover is absolutely essential. Breathable is best but a PVC cover set up so as to be just clear of the decks will do. There is a possible one for sale by Andy Beardshaw in the Equipment for Sale list. He could be open to an offer.
Merry Xmas,
Peter

Thanks for that. I have sent Andy an Email asking for more details. I presume from what you are saying that PVC boom up covers are OK, but boom down covers would pretty much have to be breathable as they pretty much have to sit on the deck?

Many thanks

David

I would say that for a wooden boat if it cannot be kept undercover, that you should use a boom up breathable cover every time.

Excellent ones from Rain and Sun - see previous discussions on covers.