Thanks for posting the wee nip video. I've never sailed or built one of these, looks like it would be a fun little boat to have, certainly would be easier to transport than most of my sailboats!
Joe 😉

Thanks Ian, it was also good to see the impressive tug in the other video.

Thanks Tony,

It was good to get up to Cheddar and have a peaceful sail and capture the day on video. I've had this old Bugsier for a few years now and finally got it the way I want it. I dug out an old copy of MB from 1976 and noticed Bugsier was being advertised then, I don't know when Graupner introduced it, it would be interesting to know.
Anyway, thanks for the interest and all the best,

Ian

A couple of the local sailors have that yacht. Seem to sail well and they get a lot of enjoyment out of them.

Or as we taught some of the Moroccan sellers of re-coloured crystals to say when hawking their wares as gem crystals, e.g. amethyst -
"It's a genuine original forgery Sir" 😁😂

Beautiful yacht and well done. Too much goes into a skip, this proves a point.

Hi Phil, brings back a few memories. The guy who started producing glass Marbleheads in Auckland in the 70s (Fred Martin) lived just round the corner from me at Bucklands Beach. He was probably partly responsible for the large interest in the class in the early days. They weren't cheap even back then, but it's gone really stupid with the newer IOM boats being as much a $5000 these days. I know what I'd rather spend that sort of money on - a full sized yacht, Just ridiculous!!
It's become a rich couch yachties game. I see them where I run my boats, all turning up in their Land Cruisers, Mercs and BMWs, and most live in exclusive areas. Definitely not a kids hobby any more!
JB

I've just bought a Mickey Finn hull on Ebay. Any ideas where I can get any details, like sail plan etc?

Cheers,
Nerys

That's very nice!
You should make a video of it.
under sail that is!

Love to see one built and working. Design very similar to an ice yacht which I imagine would be incredibly fast on a good flat piece of ice. First time I saw an ice yacht was on a frozen lake near Les Rousses in the French Jura. Pull the sheet in and they'd be down the other end of the lake is seconds. Always fancied trying a real one, land or ice or both. Think it would be a great experience.
We watched the ice yachts for a while, then drove on down, about an hour, to Geneva, beautiful warm sunny day with real yachts sailing on the lake.

This boat developed a very noisy stuffing box even though it had marine grease. After a more careful inspection I discovered the gentleman who built it 25 years ago, had mounted the motor in a way that was not inline with the shaft. After running the boat for awhile the inner noise became more like annoying. The older universal used a flexible spring between the couplers. See photo.

I cut a nylon dog bone which was then inserted into a brass tube. Glued with super glue to make an extended universal. Next will be aligning the motor with the shaft and creating a new motor mount.

Many thanks Guys, yes we did a trial business in 2016, to test the market 'Broadland Classics'. The initial runs sold with real enthusiasm, and reported back to us the best they had ever had as kits, however, sadly, my own failure was being far to fussy on getting every kit out more than perfect, and treating the kits as so individual to every customer per real commissions, that I slowed down the production process massively, thus creating self worries on demands, which I became concerned if we could not keep up with supply. We were so lucky to have gained the original lines plans from these classics life sized craft, but I had to make a decision, and following our one year trial, ceased, which I recognise broke many potential customers hearts. I was simply not prepared to do mass production in the sense of same, same. Every customer to us had to have their kits as though the real thing, beyond perfect,a commissioned kit if you like. I know perhaps crazy, but there you go, it is what we strived for and just took far longer than any other kit manufacturer to produce.
We are looking at way of perhaps re-producing the kits that people may enjoy, or even do commissions, but just need to carefully think it all through one final time. Being we have the complete rights to the designs in model form, there is no rush from our part against competition, and of course only we know every real detail imposed on the real Broads craft to relay to every kit.
Lots to think about all over again, but it has finally come to light following lots of enquiries of our kits, that we simply wanted to show them in their pride and glory here.
Cheers to you all.

I have only just come across these build photos and must say I really do admire both yachts the one shown sailing with the dinghy behind it particularly. I am not surprised that you were overwhelmed with request to buy the kits, to me they are simply lovely. I have a friend who purchased a real one some years ago and had it shipped to Leics and it was on the River Soar, lovely thing with a cabin roof that could be raised for headroom and canvas cabin sides.
I am sure there would be lots of interest if you resumed production.
Best regards Chris G