Pirates, Ahoy!

Page published 21 January 2021

This page was originally published as a blog post on 14 April 2012

Ian's Purchase of "Summer Breeze"

Ian has been thinking about Pirates and even going to look at some. It's a 17ft version of the better known 19ft Prelude, a well respected yacht, designed by the equally well respected. Ian Proctor. Even though it's not a SeaHawk, it seems a reasonable choice as a replacement for his home-built Deux Chevaux. Then about a month ago I received a short email, with photos attached:

What do you think of this one? Sail number is 14 and it's Rydgeway not Ryplas - oh - and it's a bit bit more than I dare admit to money wise.

Ryplas was the second builder of the marque. They produced it mainly as a cheaper part-built craft for home finishing and it lacked some of the internal mouldings that made the earlier Ridgeway built boats generally better regarded.

The photographs were those the seller had taken, a couple of years earlier, judging by the EXIF data on the files. As all white boats do, it looked very pretty in the photograph.

Three days later another equally brief message arrived:

This is the one I went to see - er -nearly home - work starts tomorrow.

This too had a photo attached. Late that evening I replied, "Oo-er! Certainly looks like you did more than go to see it. :-)".

The next morning back came a review of all that had been taken on...

The boat is a mess but seems to be all there. It's had no use since 2009 and no cleaning since before then. Antifoul needs doing and there are a few paint application or touch up jobs. The gunwales have never had protection on them so I am not sure what to do with that. This season may just be a basic sort and get it in the water - target is 1/5/12.

Another day passed and I had yet another message. This time the Subject Line was "After a Day cleaning". It included photographs showing a boat that really looked quite impressive.

Ian continued to work on Summer Breeze over the next few weeks, while I could only say, "Looking forward to my first close inspection! :-)". Emails arrived discussing where to launch her. Another issue was sails. I got involved in delivering sails to a sail maker in Coventry, as it was only a short drive from Diana's flat in Kenilworth. Ian collected them himself on his way back from a visit to Oldbury. More emails followed.

SB is coming on - its cleaned up a bit, the rigging I have now got -ie 170m of various ropes at the boot sale £40 which seemed ok to me, hope I got enough, most of the wood is now varnished, the keel lifting gear is now new, trailer has a jockey wheel and the winch replaced (only needed the strap but the whole item only cost £2 more) . The bow U bolt will be sorted soon but its a two person job, new wooden block inside and P40 to bed the lot in with.

Moorings are paid as is Insurance and broads tax - am I missing anything? I am really looking forward to trying this boat out, smooth hull shape, deep 3cwt keel and 15%ish more sail than a Seahawk - if I can get all its rigging sorted, it should go well - need a second opinion when you have time though!

I responded to the "two person job" comment with the question "Can you cope with the P40". I wanted an excuse to go over and see it and if you read Ian's blog on the building of Deux Chevaux you'll know he's gone super allergic to resin. So a visit was arranged. And it was to include a visit to a local workshop where I might be able to have a boom tent made for Just 17.

So it was that today I went over to Briston to see Summer Breeze. All I had to do was hold a piece of wood, well smeared with P40, in place while Ian bolted the bow U-bolt in place. It only took five minutes, but it gave me a chance to see what he'd been spending his time on. It's really going to be a rather nice boat.