Thread: Seacraft "Alert" Plans, info wanted

Here is a photo of the actual boat, looks worse than it is in the photo as it is covered in dust and dirt, has been sitting in a shed unused for the last 30 years!!

http://i1143.photobucket.com/albums/...ket_30303_.jpg

Howdy .. A little bit of history.

There used to be two sailing/boating magazines in the 50s, 60s and 70s.

Modern Boating
Seacraft

You ears should be pricking up already.

Seacraft was actually a two pronged organisation created by Norman Hudson. It produced the magazine and also sold boat plans throught the "Build a Boat" magazine as well as special editions like "Six Sailboats you can build at home"

More here

Both Seacraft and Modern Boating found it hard to compete when Australian Sailing came on the scene. Also Norman was starting to become quite elderly by the late 80s when I came into the plan industry.

But "Build a Boat" magazine still survives and many of the old plans are still available. They can be less economical to build from scratch these days, but for fixing up older boats or a slice of history they are very valuable.

From the Yellow pages website
Build-A-Boat Plans Pty Ltd
Boat & Yacht Designers & Plans - Brookvale, NSW
PO Box 474, Brookvale NSW 2100, Australia
(02) 9938 4933

Couldn't find any webpages or website

Michael

I can well remember the pile of Seacraft magazines my Dad had and I spent many happy hours reading them all as a youngster. It was not the best quality mag but I don't suppose it was any worse than others of its time.

Originally Posted by Boatmik

Howdy .. A little bit of history.

There used to be two sailing/boating magazines in the 50s, 60s and 70s.

Modern Boating
Seacraft



Michael

Michael, my very vague memory is of Seacraft and another mag before Modern Boating came along. I may be wrong but I have these memories of another mag in competition with Seacraft. OT I know but this thread triggered things I had forgotten about.

Thanks Michael,

I was leaning towards the plans being linked to Seacraft Mag in someway.

I've been buying up old Seacraft mags to see if I happen to find a mention of these plans, definitely a needle in the haystack, but no luck so far.

I will give Build a Boat a call and see if they can give me any more info or hopefully a master of these plans (mine are very poor cond)

Was Hudson a designer as well or a journalist?

I will start looking out for old Buid a Boat Mags

Thanks Again
Mick

There's no "Alert" in my Build-a-Boat cattledog.
Quite a few similar designs from that era, but no "Alert"
You might want to write to them at the address MIK has provided.
cheers

I have just unearthed a large number of Seacraft magazines which are at the moment in a pile of stuff waiting for council cleanup. If anyone wants them, you are welcome to come and get them in the next week.
Cheers
Graeme