Arthur Robb Lion On E-Bay!

[Tanbark Spanker]

I've been on this boat. It is in very good condition. Don't let this one get away! I have no financial interest, so if you want to know what I saw when I looked at it, feel free to ask.

[Tanbark Spanker]

I believe the engine is a low hour Volvo that may have been over heated. The planks, frames, fasteners, and floors are all good. There may be some soft spots in the deck, but overall the topside are very good. The woman who owned her sailed her from LA to San Diego, in the worst storm we've seen in years, and she reported not a drop of water shipped through the hull. I notice another Lion for sale in VT. for 28k and looks to be in about the same shape. I've made other plans, so when the boat was offered to me for 4k, I reluctantly said no. It is a true bargin for under 5,000.

[StevenBauer]

Tan, is it a Cheoy Lee Lion? Like Siandra?

Steven

[Ian Marchuk]

NOOOOOOOOO! STOP !!!! PLEASE !!!!
The bid now clicker finger is getting really twitchy.....
My medication isn't working.... I may be in BIG trouble
Is there a boatitis support group I can be referred to...
You mean this is IT?
Oh dear oh my .....

[John B]

you come here for help ,Ian:D

I've been on Siandra a few times. verrry useful boat she is too. She's currently on the hard in Launceston( sp) Tasmania.

[TerryOz]

Tan
Very interesting, had a good look around EBay, but I cannot find it to look it over...Do you have a link?

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

A Lion Class for how much money?

Somebody buy her, for heaven's sake - preferably someone who reads WB and knows what they are doing...

[Alan D. Hyde]

Here's one for sale in the UK---

http://www.yachtsnet.co.uk/boats/l80605/l80605.htm

http://www.yachtsnet.co.uk/boats/l80605/l80605-hull-bow2.jpg

http://www.yachtsnet.co.uk/boats/l80605/l80605-saloon-fwd.jpg

http://www.yachtsnet.co.uk/boats/l80605/l80605-anchored.jpg

Alan

[ishmael]

Last I looked the bid was around 1900 USD, with five days left in the auction. From the pics it looks like the cockpit is going to need more than cosmetics. I didn't wait for all of them to load.

West Coast, so I'm out.

[John B]

I've never seen a fractional one before !

[Tanbark Spanker]

There are a few plywood issues, topside, but all the beams and corner posts looked fine. Some of the cap rail and toe rail will need replacing. They are great boats, very fast.

I told my friends that if I ever turn my nose up at a deal like the one I was offered, to just shoot me. So, here the same deal comes around and ... I think I have to leave town.

[Sea Smoke]

I couldn't find it on E Bay. Has it sold, or am I entering the wromg search words?

[ishmael]

Sea Smoke,

I found it by going to E-bay motors and then following the prompts to sailboats. It's on the first page.

[Sea Smoke]

OK, I found it. I went by way of the Atkins cutter, posted above it. How many here have bought boats through E Bay, is it a satisfactory marketplace for them?

[StevenBauer]

Wow, what a find! Someone's going to end up with a beautiful boat. These boats have circumnavigated. She needs some work but Wow!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/CHEOY-LEE-ROBB-35-SAILOBOAT_W0QQitemZ4646140446QQihZ002QQcategoryZ63 731QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting

http://jccmedia.com/sub-domains/ktiz/Ebay/Cheoy%20Lee/picks/01.jpg

http://jccmedia.com/sub-domains/ktiz/Ebay/Cheoy%20Lee/picks/20.jpg


The listing doesn't mention that Cheoy Lee planked their boats with teak.
Steven

[John B]

Thats one of those boats that just could be the buy of the century. All that original gear on board . Sails will be puckolered.
"Doesn't leek" is usually quite a good sign but " covered in epoxy" isn't. Could just be what it says.... a coating of resin with no fglass.

[StevenBauer]

Man, it's killing me that this boat is 3000 miles away. :(

Steven

[Ian Marchuk]

The write up says that the hull is covered with epoxy. Tanbark , do you know what he means by that? Epoxy Paint , epoxy + glass ,what ????Thanks .... Ian

[StevenBauer]

From the Cheoy Lee Association website:

Specs

LOA - 35'2"
Beam - 8'9"
Draft - 5'6"
Displacement - 14,500Lbs
Keel Weight - 5,650 Lbs
CCA Rating 21.9
Sail Area
Main 475 sq ft
Jib 175 sq ft
Genoa 275 sq ft
Hull - Teak
Frames - Ipol
Stempost & Keel - Yacal
US Price $13,950 (1960)

Stats submitted by Jim Kearney
Lion_line_int.jpg (12805 bytes)
Click for Interior Line Drawing

James,

The Lion was designed by Arthur Robb. It was 35 feet overall, 8' 9" beam, drew 5' 8", displacing 14,500 pounds and was about 24' on the waterline. The resulting 11' of overhangs gave her astonishing reserve buoyancy as well as graceful good looks.
I have heard that some were made in glass, but have never seen any other than teak planking on ipol frames with mostly wood floors, though near the mast there were some galvanized floors as well. They were fastened with copper rivets (that never seem to go bad), with bronze screws in the hood ends.
The horn timber was a huge, single piece of teak that probably could not be bought today for any price.
Teak decks were common, but the teak was laid on 1/4" plywood. Chinese plywood of that era was notoriously lousy, so all of the Lions I ran into had massive delimitation problems (as did mine).
The companionway was open to the cockpit floor, something I find rather dangerous for offshore work, so on Amber I built a bridge deck out of teak.
The keel was external, iron, and about 6000 pounds.
The Lion's single 50 foot mast was Sitka spruce, hollow in a box section with two sets of spreaders. Some (including mine) were rigged as double headsail sloops with a self tending staysail on a boom.
All of the ones I know of used a tiller for steering, which could be quite a handful on a boat this size. I cut a hollow roach in the main and changed the 3 bladed prop to 2 blades, which got rid of most of the weather helm and made her a joy to singlehand. Sailing under main and staysail I'd often (singlehanded) tack around inside marinas to the great consternation of dock committees, but she handled so well there was never a problem.
The Lion's plans, as well as most of Robb's designs, were donated by his widow to Mystic Seaport Museum. You can buy copies from them; I purchased a complete set years ago for (as I recall) about $50.
Keep up the good work with your site!

Jack

Thanks Jack for the input and for publishing your stories for us to enjoy, james



http://www.cheoyleeassociation.com/Owners/Members%20Photos/fairlady2.jpg

http://www.cheoyleeassociation.com/images/Lions/Lion_Lineside.jpg

[StevenBauer]

Bidding is up to $3150. Still a bargain. 3 days left.

Steven

[John Bertenshaw]

Arthur Robb;Good Kiwi lad that he was . As a matter of interest he was a good friend of a friend of mine. Con stayed with him in Engulund when on leave from his submarine duty through the war and has spoken about him from time to time. He designed the post war rig for Iorangi ( owned now by another mate of mine, I've sailed on it quite a bit) The rig was built by McGruers in Scotland and shipped out here complete !!It was too heavy in the boat. that rig is gone now.

ahh thought so. Siandra and Iorangi together at Mahurangi 2 or 3 years ago.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid102/pdba5cfc0f0bc2823ce3216ef32d67754/f9cd167a.jpg

[Jase]

who killed JohnB.....

[SC-Lion]

Sorry I missed seeing this one, who got it? I hope it was someone here who can take care of her.

BTB: Many of the CL Lions were fractional, a masthead rig was an option.


Duh... I just got the link above and found her on eBay. Thanks for the link and thanks for the post! 19 pics! Very cool. I think I saw this boat about 8 years ago hauled in Santa Barbra, she looked tierd then. This boat is a masthead double spreader rig, not the fractional version.

[StevenBauer]

Ends in 10 minutes. But now they are calling it a Robb 35, not a Lion. Similar sized design still built by Cheoy Lee. Up to $5000.

Steven

[StevenBauer]

She went for $5000. Maybe they'll show up here looking for help.

Steven

[Bark]

Looks like the deal fell through ...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cheoy-Lee-Robb-35_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ63731QQihZ015QQitemZ 250006935368QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

[StevenBauer]

Didn't the latest WoodenBoat Magazine have a Lion listed for free? Man they'd make a nice family cruiser.

Steven

[Bark]

Yeah, I saw that free Lion listing. In New York somewhere, if memory serves. I wonder if it's been snatched up ...

Ben

[ClassicGuy]

Great to see such interest. I note that this was the second on ebay, the first being a teak CL in California which went for ~$20k.

Here in UK we are proud owners of "Leonie" a shallow (4'6") version built by Woodnutts IOW in 1953. Now restored she has done us well winning both class and round the island race (Isle of Wight IOW) in the recent (last month) British Classic Yacht Club regatta. You can see some video on Cowes Online, look for video coverage of the Classic Regatta.

Lionie is masthead, ~ 35' mast, quite squat but just the ticket in 15-20knts. We've had over 12 knots VOG with a swell behind but regularly top 8-9 knts with big yellow up (spinnaker).

Wonderful boats, pretty as hell and just slide through like a knife in (warm) butter. Make sure you get the nest one!

Best wishes from UK, Rowland

[TerryOz]

I remembered this thread and have often wondered where it all ended up? Is she in the right hands awaiting restorartion or is she suffering another fate? It was a very interesting vessel...

[Bark]

Yeah, Terry, I wondered the same thing. The original ebay deal apparently fell through, but it seems to have sold a month later after being relisted. I'll see if I can contact the winning bidder through ebay and get a report - I'm a Lion owner, so I'm always curious ...

Interesting that the Lion Siandra won the Sydney-Hobart race twice, in '58 and '60, I think.

Ben