Sorting out Hartley TS16

[Larks]

Although I've been having a bit of fun (therapy) ripping things off the H28 I really want to get "Vagabond", my Hartley TS16, back on the water for Summer.

I thought I had a couple of days of work to do on her so figured I'd drag her out and spend the next two on her before heading back to Darwin tomorrow night. Unfortunately I'd forgotten the reality of where I'd left off with her six months ago.

It's a miserable rainy day so can't do much else as far as work on the house but a good time to wash the dust off and scrub her out with sugar soap.

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/05112008005-1.jpg

It might seem a bit odd washing her on a wet day but when you're on tank water it tends to be the best time for washing cars and so on to save on water.

So the job list is a little longer than I remembered, mainly:

- strip paint to exterior cabin sides and fair up rough old job before repainting
- refit new perspex to cabin (the reason for fairing)
- repaint foredeck
- replace or sister a cracked frame in cabin top
- replace all floor frame timber (probably using Oregon/Douglas fir left over from the house)
- reconstruct cabin bulkhead where rotten frame and paneling has been removed
- fit centreboard pin flanges to CB case(per a previous post)
- repaint all of interior
- strip paint from ply floor panels and repaint
- replace top beam of transom frame (where various owners have cut out chunks for various outboards)
- fit new stainless transom bracket
- patch up and repaint other cabin damage and old repairs



the old floor frames, floor panels and some stock to work from (and H28 rudder)

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/05112008003.jpg

New stainless transom bracket

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/05112008008-1.jpg

However work is temporarily stalled while both I and "Vagabond" dry out and watch the news (me not "Vagabond").

[seanz]

Nice to see someone caring for a classic.
:)

Got your sabre saw ready?

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd164/seanz_2007/ts16-16loa7ft6in-beam-or-48mloa-225.jpg
I think a TS16 without a cabin would be a very handy boat indeed.
:)

[Larks]

That'd save me a fairing job but, no, keeping the sabre saw away fom this one, I enjoy sleeping on board her too much

[seanz]

Just a thought......:)

I wasn't joking about the 'looking after a classic' bit though.

[Larks]

Yes, I agree, this one is hull no. 110, built in 1964 in Sydney. I reckon she might hold the mileage reckord for a Hartley as well, I bought her in Darwin from a guy who found her in Gove (North East NT), before I took her to Hayman Island for a couple of years and back down to the Gold Coast.

[TonyH]

Are those sea miles or road miles? That would be a wonderfully adventurous voyage in a TS16!

[WX]

Keep at it Larks. I will be posting some photos of what I have been up with Redwing soon. All I will say for now is it is involving a lot of short bits of timber and odd shaped bits of plywood.

[Larks]

Are those sea miles or road miles? That would be a wonderfully adventurous voyage in a TS16!

Nah, road miles Tony, the trailer part of trailer sailing. Though it sounds better leaving that part out.

Gary, sounds like you're doing the cabin soles/floors?

[WX]

Nah, working on the WC. I'm putting in a bucket dunny which will use sawdust. The idea is the buckets when full can be brought home and the contents composted...or if required either buried ashore somewhere or just dumped over the side. I would have liked to to have installed an Airhead but at $1200 AUS it's out of reach. besides new 20 litre paint buckets are only $10 each.

[py]

I reckon I had hull no 108 20 odd years ago. Was a bit heavy, made as I recall from 3/8 rather than 1/4 ply. I'd like to get another one day, shorten the cabin to nothing more than a cuddy, maybe 2' long, extend the cockpit seats accordingly, and put in a gaff rig.

[skuthorp]

Look up Sofala Larks, I think he is about in the same stage you are with his Hartley.

[Larks]

Sorry guys, missed a day getting sorted to head back to Darwin (where I am again now).

Py, any idea of what has hppened to your Hartley? Mine is very heavy as well, built in Sydney by a guy called Monty, I've forgotten his full name (will see if I can find it again) but I managed to track him down through the Hartley registry when I bought her a few years back. She was originally named "Camira" or "Chamira" or something (sounded too much like a cheap Holden).

He did say that he and a few mates built a handful of them together back in '64ish, they raced them in Sydney and other mates that followed on after built them much lighter and started beating them, but he doesn't think too many of those Hartleys are still about.

cheers

[Larks]

OK, so a year and a half or so later - (working away from home in Darwin certainly cramps your style as far as working on your boat goes) - but have finally made it back to "Vagabond" to finish her tart up.

She's still not finished but I've been using her as my "study break" for the last few weeks and have managed to get a few things done:

I've replaced my centreboard pin "bolt" with a stainless pin that I can get to easily enough to remove the centreboard without having to rip out a gallon of sikaflex that was used to seal the old bolt and washer set up. It's basically a couple of plumbing fittings with an end cap sealed on with plumbers tape. (Yet to be tested)


http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/22112008.jpg


http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/09122008006.jpg


http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/P9280173.jpg

I've also messed with the centreboard case to close it up and take the slop out of the centreboard. It had way too much movement before so I made up a mould with MDF in way of the centreboard and filled the rest of the centreboard case cavity with epoxy and microballons. This may seem a bit extreme but it will also seal up the CB case as well. Also untested as to whether it resolves the weather helm that she had but otherwise it seems to be all OK (The CB fits back in anyway).

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/P9280172.jpg

Other than that it has been a case of replacing cabin sole frames, sanding and painting so far:

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/P9280171.jpg

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/PA140195.jpg

More to come

[Larks]

So plenty of painting action over the last couple of weeks

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/PA140197.jpg

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/PA300275.jpg

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/PA300272.jpg

And I also knocked up a quick but nifty little cockpit table to slide into the new centreboard case cover:

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/07102009002.jpg

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/07102009.jpg

It will stow neatly behind the bulkhead.

[Larks]

A guy that worked for me a few years ago made me up some cushions for "Vagabond" but I have had them stored in plastic for the last 5 years or so. But having gotten as far as getting the cabin soles down I couldn't resist pulling them out to finally see how they fit and look:

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/PA300278.jpg


http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/PA300285.jpg

And the cockpit table in place:

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/PA300283.jpg

I still have a few cockpit sole frames to finish painting and fit before I can put those soles down. I won't yet repaint the hull but I will repaint all of the cockpit seats, cabin top and decks but I also need to re-fair the cabin sides so that I can mount the new Perspex windows from the outside using double sided foam tape and sikaflex.

[RFNK]

Looks great Greg, nice job! You'd better see if you can get a pair of Bermuda shorts to go with those cushions! Rick

[Candyfloss]

Maaaaate. Too flash for a Hartley!

Bit more than a couple of days work, but.

Excellent job.

[WX]

Can I put my name down as crew for a day?
I've only sailed on a 16 once and I had to content myself to be just a passenger.

[Duncan Gibbs]

I'll be ballast! :D

Great to catch up today mate and a terrific job on Vagabond: Love the table!

[rufustr]

This boat is rapidly becoming too good for you.:o:o

Better wear a harness or she will eject you at the first opportunity.:D:D

[Larks]

Thanks guys, I'm pretty pleased with how she's coming up for an old girl. I hope to have her ready by the time we all get together again.

[WX]

You might to put our names in a hat to see who gets to go first.:D

[Larks]

You might to put our names in a hat to see who gets to go first.:D

No need mate, I've had eight on her before and can sail with six up quite comfortably.

[JimD]

So when do we get to see the outside? Eh? Eh?

[Larks]

So when do we get to see the outside? Eh? Eh?

This is an old photo from when we lived in Darwin, not long after I repainted her hull about 8-9 years ago. But other than the windows being replaced and fitted on the outside with tape and sika' instead of nuts and bolts, plus a new coat of paint around the deck and cabin sides, she won't have changed much externally (from this angle anyway). I'm not planning on repainting the hull again at the moment - maybe next year:).

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/Cgristmas2002023.jpg

[Duncan Gibbs]

Bumpety bumperama Greg!

Wot's bin garn on? Enquiring minds wish to know. :)

[JimJ]

That Duncan is subtle as a sledge hammer

[Duncan Gibbs]

Well Jim I was going to try and put up a thread about doing this raid through Morton Bay at some stage y'know...

Sledge hammers can quite subtle at times as well! :)

[Larks]

Bumpety bumperama Greg!

Wot's bin garn on? Enquiring minds wish to know.


Yep, big goings on here.....I turned the hull last weekend!!!:eek:








http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/10112009014.jpg









http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/15112009007.jpg



:D:D:o

[Larks]

Actually, since finishing my study I've been getting stuck into work on the house while I have time between contracts (somewhat in case we need to sell it at some stage if no contracts are forthcoming). But I've been fixing a few frames and doing some tinkering to finish up work on the inside, so turning the hull was actually a mini milestone so that I could start re-faring the cabin sides to paint them and fit the windows.

Here's a cracked cabin top frame that I just sistered a new one to:

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/10112009007.jpg

the new frame being roughed out

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/10112009010.jpg

Meanwhile, this is a little block set up that I made up to support an adjustable boom tent-crutch-light holder thingy using a bit of aluminium tube and a fitting from the camping store that allows me to adjust the height of the crutch while providing a handy little light hook.

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/10112009005.jpg

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/10112009004.jpg


the peg on the block locates and holds the boom tent crutch in place, the ally' pipe slides over the transom bracket, onto the peg and a pin adds a bit of strength if needed (but it seems pretty sturdy without it)

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/10112009.jpg

[Larks]

a couple more, the boom tent crutch and light hook

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/10112009002.jpg

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/10112009001.jpg

[Duncan Gibbs]

Mate, it's all brilliant: I love all the little touches you're giving her. She's going to be a real little raid beauty. You'll be cruising in total style, luxury even. Top notch, Greg!

[Chip-skiff]

Since I sold my Hartley, dear little tub, I've been suffering. Not sure if this makes it better or worse. But the boat is a beaut and your work is an inspiration.

What's the beer limit aboard? One slab per day per man?

[Larks]

One slab per day per man?

Mate, you speak Australian :eek:, only we don't need no lousy limits here;).

And you should know that the only way to fix the suffering is to get another one!!! :D

[WX]

Makes tacking a bit laborious, moving all the beer to the windward side.

[Candyfloss]

http://pic50.picturetrail.com/VOL458/12377907/22018525/378254862.jpg

Great work mate, but please cut those bolts off & fit dome nuts.

[Randall Dedrickson]

good lookin boat. I've been working on one myself. I started mine six years ago and working on it when time and money allow. I decided that I would put two ice box storage compartments. I have storage at the rear part of the cockpit seats and just forward of that a lidded compartment on both sides that will be insulated and sealed for cold storage. Compartment forward of that will be accessable from cabin. Someday I will post pictures.Its good to see what others are doing .

[Candyfloss]

good lookin boat. I've been working on one myself. I started mine six years ago and working on it when time and money allow. I decided that I would put two ice box storage compartments. I have storage at the rear part of the cockpit seats and just forward of that a lidded compartment on both sides that will be insulated and sealed for cold storage. Compartment forward of that will be accessable from cabin. Someday I will post pictures.Its good to see what others are doing .

Waddaya mean someday? Now's good.

[Chip-skiff]

Makes tacking a bit laborious, moving all the beer to the windward side.

It's a beer-shagger (like a sandbagger, with an Australian twist).

[Larks]

A bit of an update, 'been tinkering away over the last few weeks between work on the house, I hope to have her ready for a trip up to Noosa on Christmas day.

I wanted to experiment a bit with fixing the windows on (see separate thread on "Fitting Perspex windows experiment") but had to clean up the cabin sides before doing that so have sanded back and faired them:

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/01122009002.jpg

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/PC030010.jpg
Then a slap of paint:

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/PC030011.jpg

And a couple of windows:

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/PC200070.jpg

[Duncan Gibbs]

You big fibber! You told me on the phone you messed 'em up a bit!

They look fabulous!! :):D

Launch shots y'hear! We need launch shots!!! :)

[Larks]

These were the ones that I'd started tonight and was working on when I was talking to you, the stuff up is on the new thread on the windows themselves.

[philcostello]

it looks great!!!!

nice job

[py]

Nice work Larks. Looks like a good Xmas coming up
Phil

[Larks]

Thanks Phil, Merry Christmas mate.

[Geary]

Looking good Larks. How do you know that the adhesive/sealant is strong enough to use without fasteners? (The plans say to use bolts too, right?). How thick are your windows? My plans call for 3/16", but I can only find 1/8" or 1/4".

And Randall ... post some pics please!

[RFNK]

Looking great Greg! We had a TS 16 when I was a kid. First boat I ever sailed alone! Rick

[Larks]

Looking good Larks. How do you know that the adhesive/sealant is strong enough to use without fasteners? (The plans say to use bolts too, right?). How thick are your windows? My plans call for 3/16", but I can only find 1/8" or 1/4".

And Randall ... post some pics please!

Geary, 3/16th seems to be about the standard for persepex here. To be honest I didn't specify what thickness when I took the old ones in to have replacements cut but they gave me 3/16th anyway.

The Sikaflex, (I'm usng 291), sticks lick shyte to a blanket and I've used it for a few years on different projects so I don't have too many worries about it failing. I'm not sure which sikaflex they use commercially but if you are worried about how strong it is buy a small tube and do some tests and leave them in the weather foir a while to see how they stad up to the climate there. You could also make the windows a little more oversize and give them more of a sikaflex coverage area but I don't think it should be a worry.

My biggest concern with the windows failing would be on the road after the windows and sika have hd a few years of weather exposure, but I reckon by then I'd be happy to replace them again anyway.

[Larks]

Well I managed to get "Vagabond" sorted in time to take up to Noosa for Christmas, though everything seemed to conspire against me getting her out for a sail. Anyway, here are a few photos of her from when I was packing her up before we headed off:

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/PC240083.jpg

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/PC240085.jpg


http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/PC240090.jpg


It didn't seem like I was meant to get her out for a sail though, nothing at the time seemed insurmountable, my neighbour had borrowed my oars and gone away for Christmas without returning them, when I went to fire up the outboard to test it the fuel pump inlet was broken and unrepairable without ordering parts. So I had no backups if the wind failed but I figured that'd be unlikely, plus I had Kate's new kayak that I was going to tow behind the Hartley so I figured If needed I could tow the Hartley with the Kayak so decided to take her up anyway.

Although I didn't rig her up to check everything before I left I loaded up plenty of spares, lines, tools and so on to be able to cover any eventuality - or so I thought.

Finding a boat ramp with some available parking was a bit of a chore, so I missed the first day and headed out early(ish) on Boxing day to find a ramp with parking before they all loaded up.

After rigging her up at the top of the boat ramp on the Noosa river I found that I'd left the goose-neck fitting behind at home - two and a half hours drive away - what a bloody dolt!!!

I chucked her in anyway because I wanted to check that my centreboard still swung freely (after modifying the case to tighten it up by filling the sides with resin and fillers) and all was good there so I decided I may as well try to take her for a bit of sail without the boom using the heady and unboomed main anyway.

Here's the last shot of her before we chucked the sails on, just to show that she does still float - (but before I'd adjusted the stays to bring the mst back a bit and after which my missus didn't manage to take any more photos...).

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/PC260097.jpg





We went up and down the river a few times, traffic was horrendous with jet skis, fools in big plastic power boats zig zagging all over the place and any other lunatic that could come out of the woodwork on Boxing day. So not having an ideal set up for sailing we beached, met up with my sister and my nieces, had a few ales and lunch and played with the new kayak instead (which, bye the way, was a bloody ripper!!!!):

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/PC260106.jpg

[Chip-skiff]

Great looking sheilas.

Shame about the cushions, mate. Never seen a Hartley with that sort of luxurious bum-feathers.

[Larks]

I'm happy to report that I finally got a decent sail in today, albeit a bit of a working session to try out an old Tohatsu 2.5hp loaned by a mate (to see how well it would push the Hartley along) and to test run my Johnno 9.9 after a bit of an overhaul and repair job. I'm thinking of selling the Johnno for something lighter, the 2.5 was OK, pushed against the tide well enough, but it was a short leg so a bit hard to really judge it on the Hartley as all the ski/wakeboard boat wash kept lifting it out of the water, I reckon a 4hp would be fine, a 6hp would be more than enough.

There wasn't a great deal of wind but I still had a very pleasant sail up and down the Coomera river (dodging 12 year olds on jet skis doing about 40 knots) and had a good old tinker with the rig and so on.

I finished the day clamping and tying on my sculling oars for a bit of experimenting and was pleasantly surprised just how well they worked so will set them up properly. I do need to set up a topping lift now though, if I drop the main I'd normally just lay the boom onto the side while motoring or sit it on the boom crutch at anchor, unfortunately I can't have both the boom crutch and tiller in play at the same time. So rather than have to take it all down and shove it in the cabin there is enough room under the boom for me to sit and row if I had a topping lift.

I've also realised that I had chucked away all of my pockets and shelves so need to get some new hidey holes for my phone, keys camera etc.

So, no sailing photos unfortunately, the problems of sailing by yourself and getting too engrossed in what you're doing. I need a few lessons from Joe on setting up the camera on the gaff or something. Maybe next week.

This was just a shot that I took in memory of another post about raising the stick on a Hartley. I never have any problems with mine alone, I take a line around the rear ladder rack on my ute and as I lift the mast and walk forward I take up the slack on the line so that when I have it up I can keep the tension as I go forward to tie off the forestay.

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/P1070122.jpg

[Duncan Gibbs]

Very nice mate! Should cat chup and crew for you some time!

[PeterSibley]

Very pretty Greg .:)

[Larks]

Very nice mate! Should cat chup and crew for you some time!

Certainly, though we need to get up on the bay where there's some consistant breeze and not so many bloody rev heads.

And thanks Peter, but I need to get some under sail shots of her.