Orion boats - does anyone own one?

[Nightwatch]

I was shown over Oak last summer when she was at Thatcham. She is the most beautiful, eccentric, gloriously fitted boat I have ever seen. Bevelled glass in the windows and fabulous joinery.

Nice.

[Joshua]

I was shown over Oak last summer when she was at Thatcham. She is the most beautiful, eccentric, gloriously fitted boat I have ever seen. Bevelled glass in the windows and fabulous joinery.

 

Hi Waterwitch, so nice of you, clearly you have great taste!

Off topic but still about nice boats and Oak joinery, in about 5 weeks time I will be sailing a 1931 wooden (Oak on Oak) ketch https://www.dropbox.com/sc/n3t2ch8suqx8ndg/abLzYDeqfT around your coast from Plymouth to Gloucester, don’t know how close to the coast you are, but email me if you are interested in joining us for any of the legs or just want to come and say hello again.

 

 

Franco Belge, if I remember correctly. I'd forgotten that (the boat) had hydraulic drive. The one Frank has is a cranked prop shaft set up.

The first owner had made his fortune from manufacturing and selling loudspeakers. He and his partner oversaw the fit out which was not by recognised boatbuilders but by joiners who worked a lot with architectural reclaim materials. As I say, if I remember correctly.

 

 

Absolutely correct Dominic, great memory you have.

[waterwitch]

Hi Joshua.

 

I know Josefine. She sits at anchor at the mouth of Millbrook Creek. I would be interested in what you think of her compared to the Irene.

 

I would do a longer post but am a bit pissed.

[Joshua]

Hi Joshua.

 

I know Josefine. She sits at anchor at the mouth of Millbrook Creek. I would be interested in what you think of her compared to the Irene.

 

I would do a longer post but am a bit pissed.

 

What do I think of Josefine? I love her, prettiest ketch on the south coast, probably in the world.

But then I am a tiny bit biased, I just bought her!

Currently in Birmingham, or will be by this afternoon, we are heading down to Gloucester ready to bring Josefine ‘home’. Irene is currently at Tommi Nielsons in Gloucester and her First Mate (Charlie) is helping me sail Josefine round in April.

It’s a small world isn’t it!

Hope you haven’t got a hangover, the weather here today is spectacular.

[MtB]

The gas locker (in the bow) was designed to take only 3.9kg bottles – it has since been altered, by adding a 6” sill to the hatch opening, so that it will take 1 (but only 1) 13kg bottle.

 

This is a consequence of the low freeboard 'tug' style of Orion shells. The foredeck is too low for the gas locker to be tall enough to accommodate the height of a 13kg bottle, given the base of the gas locker needs to be above the waterline. It's a price you pay for that style of shell.

 

 

The boat weighs (per Dominic’s crane) 23 tons yet there is virtually no ballast, instead the boat is floored, for three quarters of its length, with quarry tiles. None of these can be lifted to gain access to the bilge.

 

How do you know there is no ballast when there is no access to check? I'd have thought it was the other way around and 23 tons indicates there IS ballast concealed under the floor!

 

Even so, Richard is very inclined to do whatever the customer wants after a brief discussion of any drawbacks, in my experience as a customer. I suspect his customer for this boat asked insisted on the quarry tiles.

 

 

MtB

[Leo No2]

This is a consequence of the low freeboard 'tug' style of Orion shells. The foredeck is too low for the gas locker to be tall enough to accommodate the height of a 13kg bottle, given the base of the gas locker needs to be above the waterline. It's a price you pay for that style of shell.

 

 

 

 

How do you know there is no ballast when there is no access to check? I'd have thought it was the other way around and 23 tons indicates there IS ballast concealed under the floor!

 

Even so, Richard is very inclined to do whatever the customer wants after a brief discussion of any drawbacks, in my experience as a customer. I suspect his customer for this boat asked insisted on the quarry tiles.

 

 

MtB

Mine weighs 20 tons and I know there are plenty of engineering bricks stacked nice and securely under the floor so like MtB I find it odd that there should be virtually no ballast. If you have an off set Gardner there must be something to balance it apart from usual appliances on the opposite site. Edited March 9, 2014 by Leo No2

[MtB]

Mine weighs 20 tons and I know there are plenty of engineering bricks stacked nice and securely under the floor so like MtB I find it odd that there should be virtually no ballast. If you have an off set Gardner there must be something to balance it apart from usual appliances on the opposite site.

 

My boat weighs 20 tons according to the crane at Thames and Kennet. It also weighs 16 tons according to the Tuckey's mobile crane.

 

So much for the accuracy of crane calibration - the 23 tons recorded by Dom's crane may also not be accurate.

 

 

MtB

 

 

MtB

[frahkn]

My boat weighs 20 tons according to the crane at Thames and Kennet. It also weighs 16 tons according to the Tuckey's mobile crane.

 

So much for the accuracy of crane calibration - the 23 tons recorded by Dom's crane may also not be accurate.

 

 

MtB

 

 

MtB

 

 

I'll let Dominic speak for himself as to the accuracy or not of the crane which he used but I noticed that he replaced the area of hard-standing on his wharf, immediately after lifting my boat - there may be no connection of course.

 

You may be correct about the ballast - I only know that ther is none in the areas (the back and front) which are not tiled.

 

Leo No 2

 

I have a beta 43 but see your point - perhaps I am making an incorrect assumption about the ballast - if I can source some matching tiles, I will take one up and check.

 

Frank.

[waterwitch]

 

What do I think of Josefine? I love her, prettiest ketch on the south coast, probably in the world.

But then I am a tiny bit biased, I just bought her!

Currently in Birmingham, or will be by this afternoon, we are heading down to Gloucester ready to bring Josefine ‘home’. Irene is currently at Tommi Nielsons in Gloucester and her First Mate (Charlie) is helping me sail Josefine round in April.

It’s a small world isn’t it!

Hope you haven’t got a hangover, the weather here today is spectacular.

You have bought her! You crazy man...two boats! Oh dear, oh dear. Josefine is indeed a very pretty boat and I'm sure you will have good times on her. We are still trying to sell our old boat so that we can move onto the NB. We went for a walk round Edgecombe park this morning and were looking at Josefine as she sat on her buoy at the entrance to the creek...lookin' good she is.

[Pluto]

Sorry, but this is the only Orion boat that interests me.