Reminiscences

Went to a wonderful Gaffers get together today, hosted by the Hills who own Charm.
I had a long chat with Neil Mordey about Robinetta, finding out all sort of interesting things about the time Mike owned her.

Neil thinks that the last time she was scrapped back to bare wood was in Mike's garden 1993 (he's not certain about the year).

Before Mike fitted the Yanmar GM10 she had an air cooled diesel engine which had been used as a static engine on a railway somewhere. It only had one gear, but the prop could be feathered to drive her backwards, via a complicated mechanism that Neil never quite trusted to work. The hot air exhaust did make the cockpit toasty warm though....

Because of the unreliable engine Mike tended to pick up buoys under sail, (which we like to do to) but he would do it single handed (which we've never tried). Neil told me how to rig the line from the bow to the cockpit to make it easy, and I really must have a go!

I asked about the small sail area, and Neil says that Mike was talked into it when he got new sails made, but that the gaff was always as short as it is now. The main was fuller cut before, and I know from previous discussions that the foresails were larger.

Neil also said he has a lot of photos he took of Robinetta from his boat, and he will try to look them out for us.