Re Peter if you go on the fairey marine website that builds the boats it gives you a list of all the boats and what they should look like , pretty good read actually and gives you run down of everything on each boat ie colours size and some cabin pics it’s helped me out well with a lot of help from Chris f and a few

Hi Chris also noticed mine has hatch in cabin roof will try and get picture for you thanks again for your help i t hink i will fit some spray rails and give it a tidy up regards peterl3

Hi Chris very helpful yes I think you are wright it could be a huntsman 31 look like the one on the water

Hi Peter - that explains your question on the strakes/spray rails then. Apart from the MFA Spearfish I don't know of any other kit or drawings so my guess is that it's a Precedent Huntsman 31 that has been modified from aft cabin to the open cockpit Sport version as a few of these have been built and it looks very similar to a Spearfish. Started building one myself but then changed it to an aft cabin as I was already building/have a number of full cockpit models.

Sorry if I'm probing but I've got the Fairey T-shirt and anorak 😀 and am always interested in something that is different. Have you got a photo?

To answer your question. If it needs work then yes you could fit the strakes which will add to the looks more than anything. If not try it on the water to see how it performs before fitting them as you will need to remove the paint first.

Photos show the Spearfish out of the water and the Huntsman 31 Sport on it.

Chris

THANK YOU CHRIS still think it's a spearfish although a wooden hull also has reverse seats in cockpit as spearfish thanks for your reply peterl3

Peter - they do to some extent but that's really the job of the chine rails positioned at the junction of the side and bottom skins.

The strakes or spray rails as the name suggests (stringers are actually part of the hull costruction and are inside), do deflect spray at the bow but also create lift to make it easier to get on the plane. This is more important on full-size boats though as they have limited power.

I thought the Spearfish had a fibreglass hull with integral strakes/spray rails? Or do you mean a Swordsman?

Chris

Hi are the stringers on the hull to help the boat grip the water I have a fairy spearfish but with no strikes would thay be worth adding ?? Looks like a nice referb 👍👍 peterL3

I know what you mean Ive not done a lot to the huntsman just a bit now and again been painting my fence and the front garden while the weathers been nice as for decking lights I was going to get proper decking lights but found some rock spotlights on Facebook that the person had never used ,2 sets for £25 so manged to get the wires into. The summer house ,then spotted the colour changing ones on Facebook for £10 the lad said they were red which I thought I would just get different coloured bulbs ,but when we got home we found out the changed colours on app on phone will try put pics on,only problem I had was as you said few of board were getting old and rotted but just changed for new deck screws and got them all back into place

Yes, now that the weather has taken a turn for the better I'm now spending more time outside doing things and so the model boat building has dropped off over the last week or so. It was always intended to be mostly a winter hobby anyway apart from the sailing side of things. Must get my motorbikes up and running after very little use last year.

Had to smile at your mention of colour changing decking lights. I bought some, more years ago than I can remember, when I built the decking, and rather than building them in built timber enclosures for them, well I built 1 out of four! Trouble is the decking is starting to rot now so I need to do some repairs! They were expensive lights as well!

I may have to do some soldering soon as I'm gathering the parts and materials (brass) required to build the rudder for the Faun. I'll try the soldering iron first before the torch!

Chris

Edit: Managed to find a photo of the decking - wished it looked like that now and the one light!

Chris f lol mate I’ve only got this build but been preoccupied with garden project getting all the decking lights in and led colour changing lights on my bigger decking so I’m on with like 3 different things manged to solder the bow rails tho will put pics on tomorrow think I’ve cracked this solder lark

Hi Razor1955,
Yes I do agree.
I went into a boat yard in Norfolk and he had a sign that read

" If boats where meant to be made of Fibreglass
Then God would have made tree from Fibreglass"

I do have one I built in wood way back in the 70's and have built a couple of others in wood and bought one wooden one that I gave one to my brother.
But I have also got a Fibreglass hull of one that I bought of just the hull and was going to build a top end on it of just a top of my own design.

Don't know what it will ever look like but I do have all the shapes of the wooden parts drawn around onto some heavy wall lining paper in case I ever wanted to build another one in wood. I done this from a previous purchased one.

I always love the lines of a Fairey boat.
so much more elegant than the "plastic fantastic" cruisers of today.

I really, really must dust mine off and get it painted! It's been sitting on a unit in the lounge for ages now! That's the trouble with having so many builds on the go, currently 7!

Chris