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1960s Trimaran "trespasser" At Potter Heigham?


AdnamsGirl

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I was sent a collection of photos on a CD just before Christmas amongst which is a series of shots from the 1960s which were taken at the launch of a trimaran called "Trespasser" at Herbert Woods boatyard. I've attached a couple below.

I've searched the internet, but can't find any reference to this particular vessel. Does anyone remember it being berthed at Great Yarmouth? Was it actually built by Herbert Woods?

 

Carol

taylor60s_trespasser02_sml.jpg

taylor60s _trespasser03_sml.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

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I have a vague memory that I read somewhere that HW built three trimarans but don't take that as gospel. I also had a hunch that that might have included one for a fellow called Donald Crowhurst and that lead me via Google to a trimaran built at Brundall by a yard called Eastwoods who used to build some really smart cruisers in their time. Interesting and tragic story:

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Mu4lCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT59&lpg=PT59&dq=John+Eastwood+boat+builder&source=bl&ots=-Mgd27pIL1&sig=2o3EVmak56sKrRcF0dkL6FAkREw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiry8fwyeDRAhWIIsAKHZuLCxkQ6AEIKjAD#v=onepage&q=John Eastwood boat builder&f=false

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I will try and dig out the photos.  I remember there was quite a bit of fuss as they thought the launching would create a huge surges around the basin.  This was the back basin which I had only recently been connected to the main basins and a bridge built over the cut (visible) so past 1965 but before 1970.  In the event it was a damp squib as the launch was a bit slow. I have to admit I don't recollect whether it was built there or just launched there.  Salvor and Cookie were in action

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Many thanks!

Funnily enough, I had come across the Donald Crowhurst story whilst searching for information about the trimaran.

Hopefully someone else may be able to confirm whether HW did actually build three of these.

 

Liz - I'd love to see your photos please if you can find them. What a coincidence to you were there too!

 

Carol

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Well I climbed over a load of boxes this morning (literally), checked my albums and found them in a box, with no date but it would have been between 1965 and 1970. It was summer because we also went south which we only did on 2 week holiday! If anyone can remember when the back basin was also connected to the main basin that will narrow it down a bit more?

Now the scanner has been disconnected......... but my photos show two things, one it was coming out of a shed and two I don't think it is the same boat!  Slight design features differ - windows in different places etc.  Will scan asap. Liz

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  • 2 weeks later...

If my memory is correct those earlier trimarans were cold molded ply, glass ones did eventually come along but I reckon 67/68 was before there was sufficient demand to build what was still quite a radical design in GRP. I can't see Trespasser not being built at HW's because I really can't see the logic of building elsewhere and just launching at Potter. Getting the hulls there via the roads of the time would have been no mean feat! 

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1 minute ago, springsong said:

Teignmouth Electron was built by Harvey Eastwood in Brundal. I don't remember if it was Glass fibre or ply.  

Coincidentally I have just re-read my previous link to the Crowhurst saga & I note that his hulls were built by Cox Marine, the only Cox Marine of those days that I recollect was down in Ipswich. I also note that the hulls and decks were clad with grp which suggests that they were plywood construction and possibly delivered to Eastwoods in sections which might also have been the case for Tresspasser at HW's. GRP clad ply was very much in Vogue for multihulls at that time, designers such as James Wharram with his Polynesian Cats & Charles Green at Bungay's Cruiser Kits also championing the cause.

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I have the book about this man I was interested  a because  it was in Brundall  and b it was at Eastwood  where our boat was moored at the time.Cant give any more details because  the book is on the boat.We are going up the end of the month. Back to the book,he attempted to sail round the world single handed.Did not quite  work out he was far from doing so.In fact he fooled everyone but a US warship I think  found  the boat ,he was not on the boat.A interesting story if you get a chance to read it

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Many thanks Nigel for having a word with Mike. As I mentioned, I have had confirmation from someome who worked at Woods at the time that it was indeed built there, in the Fairmile shed. Whether wood or GRP I don;t know. He didn't remember much about it other than it was definitely built there.

Interesting about the Cox Marine connection and possible "kit" form trimarans. That would make a lot of sense. Hopefully I'll find someone else who was working there at the time who may remember a bit more.

Having read a bit about Donald Crowhurst, I bought a copy of the documentary which was released in 2006 about his ill fated trip. I've not had the chance to watch it yet, but it does look very interesting.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000NA6UQU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Thanks to everyone for your help with this so far - much appreciated as always cheersbar

 

Carol

 

 

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In this picture I feel certain that we can see that the weather has stripped the white finish off and that we can see matting on ply, typical of the era. The hull is also clearly of a chine construction which back then, with the technology of the day, would have been subject to flexing if it was grp only thus it was common practice to build composite hulls, ply for rigidity and glass for tying the whole thing together. We had a large catamaran built at the Waveney River Centre back in the '70's and that was exactly how she was built.

http://gearpatrol.com/2015/05/08/the-teignmouth-electron/

Open this picture then click on it to enlarge, the cloth matting is entirely visible.

TeignmouthElectronWreck.jpg

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