What type of boat?

[Metung]

Recently brought this boat on E-Bay - sight unseen I hate to say, but she was desribed as being in "as new" condition and the price seemed right and not expensive. She was described as a "Gwen 125" but that description was retracted and I haven't been able to ascertain exactly what type, if any, she really is. She was described as being 4 metres long. Thanks.

[catbuilder]

Howdy

Thats a 125 dinghy, a national class (australian class) should be 12'6". I've got two of those somewhere around here. Nothing to do with a Gwen.
Good little boat for any age really (2 people) I used to sail with my Dad or my brother or a mate and when required or suitable by myself.

They can fitted with a spinnaker, but we didn't for the first year or so. There will be a National association or possibly a state association, you should find out and if going to join a yacht club, join the associaiton as well, its a good source of things like new masts, secondhand bits and pieces etc...

Regards

Matt

[catbuilder]

Gday

Just had a bit of a look and found, www.125assoc.com (http://www.125assoc.com) I was always going to build one, I have a set of plans that I bought about 15 years ago, as the two here have been lent to the local yacht club as trainers:doh: and well they've been beaten up a bit, borrowed one back for a regatta probably 5 years ago, still went OK, we one the handicap sternchaser ( had about an hour head start:U )

Regards

Matt

[Metung]

Thanks Matt.
Picked her up today. Certainly wasn't in "as new" condition but I went ahead with the purchase anyway.

[Gumby]

Those pics were taken at Albert Park.

They were good boats in their day but have gone the way of a lot of OTB classes. They had a spinnaker and trapeze, which made them very 'flighty' downwind.

Good fun boats though. :wink:

[Metung]

Matt,
Visited your link to thr 125 website which was very informative, thank you. I did notice that they had a link to "Matts Sailing Page". Could it be?

[catbuilder]

Howdy

No nothing to do with me, unless it help you win races and sail like a world champion, in that case, yes it is all me and my amazing natural ability:D :D

I didn't see that, I'll have to go back and have a look, see if its worth claiming as my own.:U

Look, they are good fun boats, with spinnaker and trapeze if you want to. We used them for the last years of junior racing (say 15-18 years old) and I still used it for a while in the senior ranks. Bits and pieces are easy to get hold of and cheap, if you go into a sailmaker and ask for a set of 125 sails they know what your talking about, etc..

The only thing I can remember about say building another one, would be some additional support some way or another for the floor, to stiffen the whole show up, I'd have to look at the class rules, but something like some fibreglass reinforcement over the whole floor area.

Regards

[Gumby]

Don't you just love ebay. 'As new' condition.

That sail number (955) is a sign that it's done a lot of miles and probably changed hands several times. They are well into the 3000's now.

Still, at the right price, it's cheap fun.

[catbuilder]

Hi Guys

From memory I got mine (sail no 1036) for $500, required full strip down and painting, but I don't recall having to buy anything significant to get her going, was complete with spinnaker but we didn't use it for the first year as the other 125 around didn't have one.

The second one (sail no 1039) we got a couple of years later for $550, we didn't repaint it to get it on the water although the varnished interior was a bit rough, we waited til winter to fix her up, again everything was there.

I have been wondering for a couple of days now, whether they would be good rebuild projects, think removing all interior to the bare shell and refitting? I might wait to see if this years going to bring the rain we desperatly need for our lakes. (If it wasn't for 11mm falling overnight and this morning, we would not be having showers tonight! Seriously:no: )

Regards

Matt

[Christopha]

My sons sailed 125s' at school and we bought them an old 145 which they sailed at our local club for several years. They are great little boats and were excellent "trainers" in more ways than one for my sons....

[Christopha]

Oh, by the way, I have half another 145 in my lounge at the the beach shack... shelves!

[Metung]

It would seem that woodworkers are a more civilsed bunch than sailors. I notice that the 125 Discussion Forum has been closed because "It has been observed on a number of occasions that this discussion forum has been misused for the purpose of personal attack." Then again, considering some of the things I have read in these forums, sailors must be just a sensative lot.

[Christopha]

Who is you callin' "sensitive" ya scurvy dog?? ;)

[Metung]

As I haven't put the boat in the water yet I suppose I am still a "land lubber" so sticks and stones might break my bones but you can call me anything you like, for the moment.:2tsup: Even then, I would always consider myself a hybrid. I wonder whether pure salts are like pure bred animals - highly strung.:~