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Windboat Tradewind


captainsharp

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I think that idea that the boats were too heavy is correct. 

Rafiki weighs 18 tons. Its like a super tanker on the canal systems. 1. the wash is substantial especially in narrow water ways and 2 the screw / engine isn't powerful enough to stop the boat at all. 

As an owner its quite rewarding as you really have to think ahead, plan everything your doing. Entering a lock, it may appear the boat is going way too slow and cautiously but its the only way to not over cook it. And when it goes wrong it can cause quite a bit of damage, not to the boat, but to other boats  and property (and people, my wife badly broke her arm trying to push off against another boat).

On the plus side, it's extremely stable. Staying board during rough weather or when other boats go past, she's rock steady. You may see light weight GRP boats bobbing about when Rafiki barely seems to be moving at all. And its surprising insulating. Staying aboard in the winter isn't a problem at all. Even though it doesn't have a fancy diesel heater. As for repairs, I haven't had to repair anything.... yet. The comment about screwing into it or modifying the hull in any way is valid though.

So the weight issue is probably the reason it didn't take off, especially for the rental market. 

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1 hour ago, annv said:

 hire boats don't have big engines cost plus speed plus high fuel use means smaller engines thus no stopping power. John

Sorry, can't agree with that as a general comment. The hire boat business has been looking into this equation for several decades. Surely it is in our own interests that our boats should be able to stop when they want to?

A displacement hull on inland waterways does not need a big engine. Not even on a 400 ton barge. What it does need, is a suitable match between the engine, and the size and pitch of the propellor.

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Interesting topic. My father was chief naval architect and general manager at Windboats designing many famous boats. They did not go straight from timber to concrete. They did small boats in aluminium and glass fibre. Donald Hagenbach and my father had a bitter disagreement about the subject of concrete v glass fibre which resulted in him resigning on the spot from a good job. He was convinced that glass fibe boats would be the future. He then borrowed money and set about designing the Griffin 35 (Bourne) which was the first of many commercial sucesses in glass fibre. He always maintained that concrete was more expensive to build and relied heavily on the skill of the plasterers. If even a pin hole is left water will get into the reinforcing with serious results. I do not know if that is right but it certainly is the case in concrete buildings.

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Any ferro boat is only as good as it's armature and protecting that armature is paramount,

Interestingly, some yachts are now employing a stainless frame/chassis/armature encased in GRP. And all rigging, engines and deck gear is bolted directly to the frame. With the stress running though the metal work the GRP hull, bulkheads and superstructure are non-structural and can be layed up lighter.

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I saw that clip. I think it's a great bit of footage. I especially liked seeing how the hull was made. 

I also liked the little detail of seeing the bedroom cupboard being stalled. That could be Rafiki and the cupboard that I put my things in. I don't know exactly how many tradewind 35's were built. I believe there were 9. Does anyone have any more information on that?

This little clip of a Tradewind being launched is also interesting. I assume its the first one. 

 

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  • 1 year later...

I was just googling my grandfather Donald Hagenbach and this forum came up the owner talking about Rafiki and asking about her background. I am on holiday with my mother who is interestingly filling in some of the gaps.

The development of concrete hulled boats came about because of my grandfather’s nephew Paul Hagenbach, a structural engineer. They had just dug up the Mulberry Harbours and found that the concrete was stronger than when they were originally cast. He had been the engineer working on the roof structure of the Sydney Harbour Opera House, with Ovi Arap - the combination of these experiences led to the experimentation. They agreed that if they had ever had to prove this to a Board it would never have happened.

I remember the first seacrete dome being on Windboats yard, propped up and Grandpa’s tales of being challenged to build a dome strong enough to hold a man’s weight - there was a picture with about ten people standing on the dome. He eventually made it in to a pond in his garden.

It was true about the seacrete hulled boats being able to be driven flat out in to a quay head, as tested by some of the engineers who had their doubts; unbeknownst to my Grandfather took the boat out the night before the launch and did just that. The quay was damaged but the boat was untouched. 

Unfortunately it was very easy to build concrete boats in peoples back gardens, but they were not Windboats seacrete and eventually Lloyds refused to insure concrete boats because there were so many that were not sea/river worthy.

We are told that the Aluminium day boats in Henley upon Thames are or were Pearly Miss’ - the Windboats Aluminium speed boats. Windboats had many famous clients, George Formby and his wife Beryl who called all his wooden hulled boats ‘Lady Beryl’, all the dinghies were called Baby Beryl - and the tender with the engine that went wrong on her first trip out was called ‘Crazy Beryl’.

It is sad that Windboats is no longer, it has been a remarkable boat builder at every stage of its business. Many great people worked there and have been involved. It is wonderful to see Rafiki and many other boats still being cherished. 

 

 

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  • 8 months later...
  • 3 months later...
On 26/04/2021 at 20:18, captainsharp said:

Unfortunatly circumstances (inc covid) have meant that I have to sell Rafiki. It breaks my heart as Ive had 13 great years with her. 

I have no idea what she could be worth. Do any members have an idea?  Id let her go to a good home for a fair price. 

Hi Captainsharp,

Is Rafiki still for sale?

She used to be owned by my grandfather in the 80’s and early 90’s when moored at Beccles, Suffolk.

Thanks.

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