Pics of an old boat of mine that I am trying to identify.  Thought to be a Jo Richards design, Possibly 3122.  Link to pics below

http://www.flickr.com/photos/89539249@N05/8148215492/

Clickable link

Very difficult to say anything from those photos.  They look old, looks a professionally constructed hull from late 70's with a flatter foredeck than usual.  Transom profile is always a good one.  Is there no evidence of the sail number engraved on the hull or in any documentation?

The aluminium bars are more likely to have been added later to stiffen the hull at the shroud attachment, a common problem with early wide boats with high front tanks.

The centreboard case construction looks similar to that of Meglo (3138), also a Jo Richards design that I owned about 20 years ago.  Which also had the jib cleating on the centreboard case, rather than going up to the side deck first.

Anyone got a pic of Meglo or other Jo Richards early designs I can compare mine to?

Alan, I think I'm going to be seeing Nigel Waller later this week - if the boat is an early Jo Richards then he probably built it or had some involvement. I'll steer him in the direction of the photos. Regards

Simon

Alan- the pics dont look much like the Jo Richards Dumper Truck design that was built by Graham Edwards for Pete Baines at Hamble (MR3189) in 1979.The Dumper had a much lower freeboard and a very wide transom by the standards of the day. There is a picture of the transom in the Merlin Rocket book by Jim Park and Ian Holt complete with "Bashers" face peering over the bow! Design wise , the boat wasnt a great success---not one of Joes best efforts.

I've posted a couple more pics on Flickr showing the transom and the a wide view form the stern.

Is there not a number of the hog at the back of the case? They sometimes take some finding.

It's certainly a pro or very good amatuer build. But it doesn't look like the handiwork of anyone whose boats i've seen before!

Chris, I don't have the boat anymore as I now have 3643 'smoke on the water' so can't check the hog or plate, I think it is was 3122 or a very close to that(I am just trying to find out for my own interests) but I am sure the deigners plate said Jo Richards and I seem to recall the builder being Runnymede or Rowsell.

obviously I mean 3463, not 3643 ( I wish!!)

Well, it's NOT a Dumper Truck & the transom profile doesn't really look like anything else either.  3122 in the yearbook is down as Spernal Flyer designed by R.M. Hickman, owner built.  This may well be right.  No other contemporary design turns the top plank in at the transom AFAIK.

3122, Spernal Flyer is in the yearbook as a Smokers home build. It is currently owned by our Sottish Area Rep Andy.

Sorry Jez, my year book agrees with Andrew---38fOB---a Hickman boat not a Smoker.

I think you will find that there is a mistake in the yearbook. It is listed as a 38f but there is no such design. Yes there is a 38. R.M.Hickman but he only did one design. However at the time of build the smokers was being built in big numbers which is a 28f. I would suggest that the typo is more likely the 3 and not the f. Particularly as the current owner also thinks it is a smokers.

The 38, Hickman is number 2443 build in 1971 years before this boat and is ironically called Q'est Ce Que C'est?

Typo may be right thinking but that transom is definitely not a smokers.Back to the Puzzle!

There were some quite bizzare interpretations of the smoker by amateur builders, but that transom is definately not a smoker.

Looks almost closer to being Summer Wine ish to me?

Thinking about it, I think he did originally say he thought it was a summer wine? I will check back with him again and see, unless you are reading this Andy? It seems it would be a good idea to come to a conclusion. I will ask the RYA what the certificate says!

It may not be 3122! is there a list of all Jo Richards sail numbers somewhere?

RYA have this for 3122:

The builder is R Hollington, Design is Smokers Satisfaction, Construction is unkown. 

Does that help?

Does anyone have any pics of Meglo or Mania out there... it may be Mania as 3142 rings a bell with me.

Robin Hickman was a member of SMYC and lives quite close to me ( his wife is the local practice nurse  ) . I'll contact him and alert him to this thread .

Alan alerted me to this thread. Yes 2443 (Q'est ce que c'est?)was my fault! First go, left room for improvement. So 2708 (Apparition) was second go. I was pleased with her. Did the '74 nationals in North Wales. It blew and she went! Happy days. Robin H.

Update:  having trawled the newly arrived year book, I am wondering if it could be 3211 'Banana', winner of many titles in the hands of one P.E. King ?!!

No, bananas met its demise some years ago i'm araid.

Yes, so did this beauty; I bought is off a boat yard in Salcomeb and siale dit for 2 seasons before, to my great regret, leavin it on Small's Cove a couple of weeks ot long and it got trashed in the first Ocotber Gale. I think I has it around '83-'84. She was a beauty and very sadly missed by me and my fellow teen sailors from the Island Cruising Club.

I owned 'Second Chance' no. 3176 in the 80s, she was an NSM 1 built by Laurie Smart. The boat in the photos looks similar to 'Second Chance' in that she has dark gunwales like all Laurie's boats of that period. Just a thought.

3122 is definitely my boat! Smokers Satisfaction. Pics here (with Luke Patience....maybe we can get him to come to the dark side and give Stu Bithell a run for his money mwuhaha) http://www.caledoniasailing.com/rya-scotland-big-weekend-2013-report

I am starting to think I will never figure this one out!  I bought the Boat from Winters Marine, Salcombe, around 1982/3 (I think someone may have failed to pay their bill or abandonded her there) as she was mint condition and a steal at £500 all up!  I sailed her for about 2 years and then she got wrecked on Small's Beach in an early October Gale.  Pictures on Flickr as listed above.  I am sure the Makers Plate referenced Jo Richards as designer and she does look like the Dumper Truck picture in the 'Merlin Rocket Book', especially the aluminium spreaders bars. Any final ideas?

bump....