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Thread: Flying Ant Restoration
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1st August 2007, 03:37 PM #1Intermediate Member
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Flying Ant Restoration
Hi all never built a boat before but mentioned in another thread that I had a Flying Ant that hasnt seen water for over 10 years. The other thread has got me keen to undertake some restoration inorder to get it seaworthy for my daughter to learn to sail in.
I am pretty sure the previous owner made some non standard modifications to the boat and I was wondering where would I go for plans so I can see what he has changed and if I should change it back.
The boat is all ply and currently varnished but the varnish is starting to blister and the rear deck is turning fury where the rudder arm was rubbing.
Its been stored in a boat shead on the beach all this time as well.
Any tips pointers or general advice as to what I should do with it would be appriciated.
PS I have never used the spinnaker as I never recived a spinnaker plole from the previous owner and was not show how to put it up. So I would need to make / buy a pole - I do recall the guy telling me a broom handle would do and just to buy the fittings down the yacht shop - but never got around to it.
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1st August 2007 03:37 PM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
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2nd August 2007, 07:11 PM #2New Member
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Try these guys. http://www.flyingants.org.au/
Btw, Flying Ants aren't a one design class so limited variations are permissible in any case. Nice little boats too.
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2nd August 2007, 07:15 PM #3
The older Flying Ants are great little training boats - and nice singlehanders for adults too.
I am pretty sure the previous owner made some non standard modifications to the boat and I was wondering where would I go for plans so I can see what he has changed and if I should change it back.
The boat is all ply and currently varnished but the varnish is starting to blister and the rear deck is turning fury where the rudder arm was rubbing.
It is probably not worth trying too hard to make the boat match the class rules or to set it up as a race boat because the Flying Ant has well and truly lost its way with adults waving chequebooks frantically so their kids will win races - just a mast, boom and spinnaker pole - just the tubes - no fittings at all - are $2200 in carbon fibre. On the other side I just prowled through the class site and there are still secondhand boats available at reasonable dollars - maybe there is a chance they will see the mistake of going the full carbon hog?
The boat you have is much more wholesome and will teach your daughter to sail very nicely indeed. It would be fine for mixed fleet racing.
Any tips pointers or general advice as to what I should do with it would be appriciated.
PS I have never used the spinnaker as I never recived a spinnaker plole from the previous owner and was not show how to put it up. So I would need to make / buy a pole - I do recall the guy telling me a broom handle would do and just to buy the fittings down the yacht shop - but never got around to it.
So the boat has been sailing already? This is a very big start. How did it go? Did it take any water? Did you capsize? A lot can be acheived with just basic boat setup - how much to tension bits of the rig.
Have a look at the beginning of the thread for the Cadet that Meerkat fixed up for his son a year or so ago. In that case he found a nice lightweight wooden boat and wanted to set it up as a raceboat - their class rules have tended to keep the Cadet at a reasonable cost.
http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ad.php?t=29435
But it is probably not worth going the full epoxy hog of that particular project. Keep it simple unless you really, really want to get into the woodwork side of things.
There was also the Cadet thread as well which was a different approach.
http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ad.php?t=29465
The main thing is to think carefully about the result you want and the time you want to spend.
Hope this helps.
Michael
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2nd August 2007, 07:35 PM #4
Just fishing round the class website ...
http://www.flyingants.org.au/
here are the plans for the wooden boat
http://www.webefx.com.au/documents/Flying%20Ant%20Plans%20COMPLETE.pdf
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2nd August 2007, 10:01 PM #5Intermediate Member
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Michael, thanks for your reply.
Looking at the drawings you posted a link to, the previous owner (a boat builder) did some modfications.
The boat now has a rear deck about 600mm long to make boyency tanks front and rear.
I agree just want to keep it simple but stop it rotting away and make it safe and reliable. Quite happy with my Aluminium mast and wooden boom.
Much appreciated I was never a memeber of a club simply sailed it on my own off edithvale as a child so had nobody to show me how to use it or what to get to set it up. My dad taught me the basics then I was off on my own.
I sailed it as a kid from about 10-18 since then its been out about twice in 1995 and not since.(I am now 31) Its been stored in our boat shed down at edithvale.
It used to take on a bit of water but was reasonalby good a day down the beach would result in a litre or 2 in the boyancy tanks.
How much what?
I will head down next week end and try to get some photos of it.
Thanks for you help.
As I had said in another post I thought it had just about had it untill I found this forum and had been trying to give it away. All keen to fix it now. I will have a reaad of the other theads you mentioned.
Regards
Ben
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2nd August 2007, 10:47 PM #6
Photos would be great - closeups of any doubtful spots a couple of overview shots as well to show how its laid out.
All the older boats had front/rear tanks then went to a self draining cockpit and no rear tank a long time ago.
MIIK
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2nd August 2007, 10:51 PM #7Intermediate Member
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Well its definitly old, when I got it the boat builders son had out grown it and was about 25 so he had had it around 15 years so its heading on 35+ years old.
Never thought about how old it is before.
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7th January 2016, 10:48 PM #8Intermediate Member
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OK well I started this thread in 2007 and got a little side tracked as I do on other projects but last weekend I dragged the boat out photographed it and started sanding. the Ply has opened up a bit and I will need a good grain filler to use under the marine varnish. I have posted the starting point pics below.
20151227_140031.jpg20151227_140035.jpg20151227_140039.jpg20151227_140043.jpg20151227_140047.jpg20151227_140050.jpg20151227_140711.jpg20151227_140714.jpg20151227_171939.jpg
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8th January 2016, 10:03 AM #9
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8th January 2016, 04:31 PM #10
Agreed, not that bad. I'd recommend you avoid sanders, as those bronze nails seem right on the surface, the veneers are really thin and you'll just curse a lot, tearing paper every time you hit them or burn though with aggressive sanding. Use a cabinet scraper in the areas away from the edges and fasteners and a chemical stripper to get the rest. Follow the instructions and lather it on. Your elbows will love you for this decision.
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22nd July 2017, 01:16 PM #11New Member
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I've taken on a pre-loved Flying Antflying_ant_cavalier_exMargaret&Mathew_Miles_=unnamed.jpg to re-furbish (thank-yous to Margaret & Mathew). She ("Cavalier", no sail #) needs a little work but I launched her at Lake SomersetlakeSomerset180717IMG_0567.jpg (the Stanley River catchment, a tributary of the Brisbane River, 27.1153° S, 152.5565° E) last Tuesday & ,yesterday, Hinze Dam (in the headwaters of the Nerang River 28.0497° S, 153.2791° E) for the first time in maybe 15 years & she floated with only a small leak at the patches that may have once been venturi-self bailers. Her rig remained aloft for the afternoon's sail in a breeze gusting to 10knots. I'd really appreciate anyone knowing her provenance/pedigree to contact me
Last edited by mone; 22nd July 2017 at 07:54 PM. Reason: updating text
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25th July 2017, 03:07 PM #12SENIOR MEMBER
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I can't help you with info about your "ant" but it looks like it could have been built from the same plans as the one I built in 1969. Mine has not been wet for about 17 years. Sorry about the photos, the boat is stored upside down suspended from the roof of my shed. Just when you want the uploader to turn your photos it doesn't.
IMG_1313.JPGIMG_1312.JPGIMG_1311.JPG
Ha. I did turn them.
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29th July 2017, 11:04 PM #13New Member
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Flying Ant Restoration
thank you for your post Picko. Cavalier has timber spars, possibly dating it older than yours with aluminium.
I have purchased a set of plans dated circa 1972 which do not show the rear bouyancy tank.
Do you still have the plan-set you built with ?
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29th July 2017, 11:15 PM #14New Member
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3 sheets 1 of 3 dated July 1972
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30th July 2017, 05:22 PM #15SENIOR MEMBER
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G'day mone. My plans did have drawings for timber spars but I decided to buy aluminium. I do still have the original blueprints and could possibly photograph them for you (they're too big to scan). I'm away from home for about two weeks but will try that when I return.
Cheers John
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