| Title: | SAILING |
| Notice: | Please read Note 2.* before participating in this conference |
| Moderator: | UNIFIX::BERENS |
| Created: | Wed Jul 01 1992 |
| Last Modified: | Mon Jun 02 1997 |
| Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Number of topics: | 2299 |
| Total number of notes: | 20724 |
"ARCADIA"
When we first set eyes on Arcadia in late May 1989, we knew nothing about her history
and little about the amount of work we would be taking on in her subsequent restoration.
surface she was not a pretty sight, displaying an assortment of fiberglass coatings,
rotting deck canvas and rigging to match. Despite this dilapdated outward appearance
she still retained an intangible elegance from a byegone golden era of yachting, and
the 'For Sale' sign she was displaying was all that was required to ensnare us in 5
years of hard work. By the time my father and I had scraped together the funds to
purchase Arcadia she had been moved from a floating mooring on the old quay at
Sandwich, down river, where she lay in a tidal berth taking the mud at low water.
Her vendor, who had himself only recently acquired her with the view to taking her
back to New Zealand, had assiduously started the refit process by stripping down all
running tackle etc. and fitting cheap softwood facades to the interior. He had evidently
of steam fairly quicky as he had come to the realization that Arcadia would be
hardpushed to reach Newhaven let alone New Zealand, and he wanted out. This should have
the alarm bells, but by this time we were hell-bent on owning her, which to this day
I am sure failed to secure us the best purchase price, by a factor of several thousand
pounds. Nevertheless we got our way and became proud owners of a great historical
survivor but a visual eyesore.
At this point in time we did not realize just quite how remarkable Arcadia is in
historical terms. Her original British Registry, official no. 104083 (at the Port of
Yarmouth) reveals that she was built in 1896 by Chislett and Lewis at Poole, as an
auxiliary lugger. Subsequent investigations show that she was designed by H.P.Blake
for a C.Addison-Williamson who was a member of the St. Yare yacht club. According to
the Guinness Book of Motor Boating Facts and Figures by Kevin Desmond, Arcadia was the
first paraffin-engined yacht ever built. We can find no trace of Chislett and Lewis
today, but know from Lloyds list that they built several other yachts which were
Arcadia's contemporaries, namely: Averell (1895), Elspeth (1895), Caracol (1896)
and Arawatta (1896). We have been unable to trace the original plans, and it has been
suggested that she could have been built from a sectioned block model design. Her
dimesions are approximately 36' overall, beam 9' and a moderate draft of something
under 6'. She was not built to the highest yacht standards and employs simple materials
which have proved to be remarkably durable. She has a straight stem and elliptical
counter, long keel and reletively soft forefoot profile with mainly internal shaped
iron ballast. On deck she has a long and rectangular coachroof and a small self-draining
well. She is rigged as a gaff yawl with bowsprit and tabernacle mast. Construction
carvel pine planking on alternate bent and futtock oak timbers or frames, with tongue
and grooved pine decks and coachroof coamings, canvas covered.
Arcadia's long history is sketchy. From 1914-18 she disappears from Lloyds Register,
and it is conceivable that as she was engined she may have been requisitioned by the
Royal Navy for war duties. Between 1939 and 1945 Arcadia was in Cubitts Yacht Basin
(nr. Chiswick) and was owned by a B.S.A. Bantham driving Stan Smee and used as a house
boat. She was moored alonsgide the famous Wolsey Thames Barge (see photo). She was
probably not in fit condition to make the trip to Dunkirk, as many boats from Cubitts
did. Prior to 1989 she was owned by an Albert Douglas of Sandwich for approximately 12
years. He sailed her on occasions to France and in Old Gaffer's races, and lived on
board in the latter years.
The story of Arcadia's restoration is a long one. As any old boat restorer will be
aware most jobs are never straightforward. You start on one job which leads you to
discover another problem which in turn reveals some other problem. At the end of many a
days work we'd progressed one step forward and ten back ! Looking back now there is some
inner satisfaction that we didn't adopt an 'out of sight, out of mind policy' and got
to the bottom of the problems we encountered and rectified them. For those of you
thinking of undertaking a similar venture here is a very condensed summary of the work
we have performed.
After purchase we had Arcadia lifted out of the water at Sandwich. Being summer
mindful that she would dry out very quickly and performed the hull recaulking in as
short a time as possible (6 weeks). The caulking materials used were oakam and a mix of
linseed oil,putty and red lead. We have been very happy with this combination and
believe its inherent flexibility knock spots of modern compounds. It can be smoothed
and sanded without it cracking of falling out. Since recaulking Arcadia is watertight.
While out of the water the lowered main was inspected and found to be rotten at
the top. All fittings were removed (make a plan of their positions!) and an 18' scarf
fitted by Dover Boat Company. At the same time the rudder was removed to replace the
stock and rudder trunk. The rudder had dropped several inches due to a missing heel
fitting. This was replaced in pitch pine scarfed into keel.
The counter stern had suffered considerable rot through rainwater seepage through
the deck. The support infrastructure had been weakened to the extent that it responded
like a springboard. All decking was removed and new internal supports were installed,
some counter planking replaced, and redecked.
All internal ballast was removed, scaled and painted. This exercise I'm pleased
to say only involved one trip to casualty for lower back muscle strain. Certain pieces
of the shaped iron ballast weigh approx. 2 cwt !
All remaining toe rails and rubbing band were removed and restored. Large
sections were replaced; teak for the toe rail and oak on iroko for the rubbing band.
The removal of the fittings was very hard work. We must have extracted approximately
200 phosphour bronze screws in pristine condition, varying in length between 3 and 6
inches long.
All decks and coachroof sides were stripped of canvas,fibreglass, copper tacks,
rubber crack filling compounds etc. and sanded extensively. Rotten deck planking was
replaced and all decks canvassed using 12 oz. cotton canvas and the excellent Jeffrey's
'Liquid F' solution. New quadrant was shaped and fitted around coachroof base.
All permanent and running rigging was overhauled, repaired and replaced where
necessary. Arcadia came with an extensive set of wooden blocks nearly all of which were of
serviceable condition. The four working sails, main,mizzen, jib and stay sail, were all
effectively new tanned terylene sails by Goldfinch of Whitstable.
The lead-lined cockpit had long ago ceased to be waterproof and needed stripping
out completely. The planking underneath was suffering from extensive rot and its removal
revealed that it alone had been supporting the mizzen. Support for the mizzen was
installed and all planking replaced with marine ply with inserted drains, and canvassed.
Whilst the floor was out the opportunity was taken to remove clean and repair the ancient
diesel fuel tank. This operation later proved to have been a waste of time and effort,
after several engine failures at sea due to fuel outflow blockages, and the tank has
since been replaced. The mizzen mast, which was no longer in evidence, was commissioned from
Mr. Tyrell of Faversham and stepped on a supported block on the new cockpit deck.
Internally Arcadia's floorplan was conjested and she was generally poorly fitted out.
Most the available floor space was taken up by three large oblong fresh water tanks. One
of these has been discarded and the remaining two cut and shaped to fit under a bunk and
locker arrangement. Many of the original features and fittings are still in evidence
e.g. brass water pumps, mahogany sink, chart desk etc. One very interesting piece is
the Belgian 'Continental' woodburner which dates from the turn of the century.
Several gallons of paint and varnish, and many hours fiddling about on small but
necessary jobs has more or less completed the restoration. Arcadia is now a fine and
scarce example of the Edwardian sailing yacht, moored at Dover and insured through
Hayes Parsons for sailing from Elbe to Le Harvre. Arcadia is now up for sale.
(see note 4)
| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2238.1 | resized 80 characters | MCS873::KALINOWSKI | Mon Sep 25 1995 09:56 | 145 | |
<<< UNIFIX::DISK$AUX_SYSTEM:[NOTES$LIBRARY]SAILING.NOTE;1 >>>
-< SAILING >-
================================================================================
Note 2238.0 Arcadia - a classic boat No replies
TRUCKS::ENERGIS 122 lines 25-SEP-1995 05:25
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"ARCADIA"
When we first set eyes on Arcadia in late May 1989, we knew nothing about
her history and little about the amount of work we would be taking on in
her subsequent restoration. surface she was not a pretty sight, displaying
an assortment of fiberglass coatings, rotting deck canvas and rigging to
match. Despite this dilapdated outward appearance she still retained an
intangible elegance from a byegone golden era of yachting, and the 'For
Sale' sign she was displaying was all that was required to ensnare us in 5
years of hard work. By the time my father and I had scraped together the
funds to purchase Arcadia she had been moved from a floating mooring on the
old quay at Sandwich, down river, where she lay in a tidal berth taking the
mud at low water. Her vendor, who had himself only recently acquired her
with the view to taking her back to New Zealand, had assiduously started
the refit process by stripping down all running tackle etc. and fitting
cheap softwood facades to the interior. He had evidently of steam fairly
quicky as he had come to the realization that Arcadia would be hardpushed
to reach Newhaven let alone New Zealand, and he wanted out. This should
have the alarm bells, but by this time we were hell-bent on owning her,
which to this day I am sure failed to secure us the best purchase price, by
a factor of several thousand pounds. Nevertheless we got our way and became
proud owners of a great historical survivor but a visual eyesore.
At this point in time we did not realize just quite how remarkable Arcadia
is in historical terms. Her original British Registry, official no. 104083
(at the Port of Yarmouth) reveals that she was built in 1896 by Chislett
and Lewis at Poole, as an auxiliary lugger. Subsequent investigations show
that she was designed by H.P.Blake for a C.Addison-Williamson who was a
member of the St. Yare yacht club. According to the Guinness Book of Motor
Boating Facts and Figures by Kevin Desmond, Arcadia was the first
paraffin-engined yacht ever built. We can find no trace of Chislett and
Lewis today, but know from Lloyds list that they built several other yachts
which were Arcadia's contemporaries, namely: Averell (1895), Elspeth
(1895), Caracol (1896) and Arawatta (1896). We have been unable to trace
the original plans, and it has been suggested that she could have been
built from a sectioned block model design. Her dimesions are approximately
36' overall, beam 9' and a moderate draft of something under 6'. She was
not built to the highest yacht standards and employs simple materials which
have proved to be remarkably durable. She has a straight stem and
elliptical counter, long keel and reletively soft forefoot profile with
mainly internal shaped iron ballast. On deck she has a long and rectangular
coachroof and a small self-draining well. She is rigged as a gaff yawl
with bowsprit and tabernacle mast. Construction carvel pine planking on
alternate bent and futtock oak timbers or frames, with tongue and grooved
pine decks and coachroof coamings, canvas covered.
Arcadia's long history is sketchy. From 1914-18 she disappears from Lloyds
Register, and it is conceivable that as she was engined she may have been
requisitioned by the Royal Navy for war duties. Between 1939 and 1945
Arcadia was in Cubitts Yacht Basin (nr. Chiswick) and was owned by a B.S.A.
Bantham driving Stan Smee and used as a house boat. She was moored
alonsgide the famous Wolsey Thames Barge (see photo). She was probably not
in fit condition to make the trip to Dunkirk, as many boats from Cubitts
did. Prior to 1989 she was owned by an Albert Douglas of Sandwich for
approximately 12 years. He sailed her on occasions to France and in Old
Gaffer's races, and lived on board in the latter years.
The story of Arcadia's restoration is a long one. As any old boat restorer
will be aware most jobs are never straightforward. You start on one job
which leads you to discover another problem which in turn reveals some
other problem. At the end of many a days work we'd progressed one step
forward and ten back ! Looking back now there is some inner satisfaction
that we didn't adopt an 'out of sight, out of mind policy' and got to the
bottom of the problems we encountered and rectified them. For those of you
thinking of undertaking a similar venture here is a very condensed summary
of the work we have performed.
After purchase we had Arcadia lifted out of the water at Sandwich.
Being summer mindful that she would dry out very quickly and performed the
hull recaulking in as short a time as possible (6 weeks). The caulking
materials used were oakam and a mix of linseed oil,putty and red lead. We
have been very happy with this combination and believe its inherent
flexibility knock spots of modern compounds. It can be smoothed and sanded
without it cracking of falling out. Since recaulking Arcadia is watertight.
While out of the water the lowered main was inspected and found to
be rotten at the top. All fittings were removed (make a plan of their
positions!) and an 18' scarf fitted by Dover Boat Company. At the same time
the rudder was removed to replace the stock and rudder trunk. The rudder
had dropped several inches due to a missing heel fitting. This was replaced
in pitch pine scarfed into keel.
The counter stern had suffered considerable rot through rainwater
seepage through the deck. The support infrastructure had been weakened to
the extent that it responded like a springboard. All decking was removed
and new internal supports were installed, some counter planking replaced,
and redecked.
All internal ballast was removed, scaled and painted. This exercise
I'm pleased to say only involved one trip to casualty for lower back muscle
strain. Certain pieces of the shaped iron ballast weigh approx. 2 cwt !
All remaining toe rails and rubbing band were removed and restored.
Large sections were replaced; teak for the toe rail and oak on iroko for
the rubbing band. The removal of the fittings was very hard work. We must
have extracted approximately 200 phosphour bronze screws in pristine
condition, varying in length between 3 and 6 inches long.
All decks and coachroof sides were stripped of canvas,fibreglass,
copper tacks, rubber crack filling compounds etc. and sanded extensively.
Rotten deck planking was replaced and all decks canvassed using 12 oz.
cotton canvas and the excellent Jeffrey's 'Liquid F' solution. New
quadrant was shaped and fitted around coachroof base.
All permanent and running rigging was overhauled, repaired and
replaced where necessary. Arcadia came with an extensive set of wooden
blocks nearly all of which were of serviceable condition. The four working
sails, main,mizzen, jib and stay sail, were all effectively new tanned
terylene sails by Goldfinch of Whitstable.
The lead-lined cockpit had long ago ceased to be waterproof and
needed stripping out completely. The planking underneath was suffering
from extensive rot and its removal revealed that it alone had been
supporting the mizzen. Support for the mizzen was installed and all
planking replaced with marine ply with inserted drains, and canvassed.
Whilst the floor was out the opportunity was taken to remove clean and
repair the ancient diesel fuel tank. This operation later proved to have
been a waste of time and effort, after several engine failures at sea due
to fuel outflow blockages, and the tank has since been replaced. The mizzen
mast, which was no longer in evidence, was commissioned from Mr. Tyrell of
Faversham and stepped on a supported block on the new cockpit deck.
Internally Arcadia's floorplan was conjested and she was generally
poorly fitted out. Most the available floor space was taken up by three
large oblong fresh water tanks. One of these has been discarded and the
remaining two cut and shaped to fit under a bunk and locker arrangement.
Many of the original features and fittings are still in evidence e.g. brass
water pumps, mahogany sink, chart desk etc. One very interesting piece is
the Belgian 'Continental' woodburner which dates from the turn of the
century.
Several gallons of paint and varnish, and many hours fiddling about on
small but necessary jobs has more or less completed the restoration.
Arcadia is now a fine and scarce example of the Edwardian sailing yacht,
moored at Dover and insured through Hayes Parsons for sailing from Elbe to
Le Harvre. Arcadia is now up for sale. (see note 4)
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