Winter project:  Rehabilitate Fireball 14150
 

This is Dogbolter, Fireball dinghy 14150, built in Australia by Peter Delange in 1989.  I found the boat in this condition in the Coal Harbour in Dun Laoghaire in November 2011. I sailed in the boat many years ago and decided to acquire it for a complete rebuild.  My project for the winter 2011 - 2012.  Perhaps the boat will sail the 50th anniversary UK National Championships in Cornwall in mid-August 2012.

I am fairly certain that Dogbolter is the only Fireball to have sailed in Australia and four other continents.

History:

1990 AUS Nationals - 1st - John Dransfield/Andrew Perry
1990 Worlds (Japan) - 1st - John Dransfield/Andrew Perry
1991 AUS Nationals - 2nd - Mark Matthews/Peter Sinclair
1991 GBR Nationals - 27th - Mark Matthews/Peter Sinclair
1991 Worlds (Sweden) - 8th - Mark Matthews/Peter Sinclair
1991 Europeans (Czechoslovakia) - 2nd - Callum Burns/Peter Sinclair
1992 GBR Nationals - 22nd - Vince Horey/Stan Shaw
1992 Worlds (USA) - 14th - Vince Horey/?
1993 GBR Nationals - 11th - Vince Horey/Nick Beloe
1994 GBR Nationals - 18th - Vince Horey/J. Webb
1994 Worlds (South Africa) - 26th - Horey/J. Webb
1995 Worlds (Ireland) - 47th - Ruan O'Tiarnaigh/Stephen O'Byrnes
1997 GBR Nationals - 104th - Garrett O'Carroll/Derek Lynch
1997 Europeans (GBR) - ?th - Garrett O'Carroll/Derek Lynch
2000 Europeans (Ireland) - 33rd - Pat Leane/James Lenehan
2002 Various IRL events - Marie Barry / Cariosa Power
2009 A few IRL events - Brian Kenny / ?
 
 

What's in a name?  It's an Australian beer!
A busy summer and poor finances meant we didn't get anywhere near Cornwall for the 50th UK Nationals.  Next target is the DMYC Frostbite series, beginning the first Sunday in November and running to the last Sunday in March.

27 October 2012
And so here we are at the Royal St George Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire to rig the boat and check for niggles, of which I suspect there will be many.
 

Here I am, tightening the centreboard bolt.
 
The hull is very fair, don't mind the spotty look, different shades of grey primer sanded and polished.  The boat has character.

I put the builder's plaque back in a prominent spot.

The Ryan Bros rigging the boat for its first sail in god knows how long.

Dogbolter swims!  Using borrowed sails from "Goodness Gracious."  Tomorrow is the first Frostbite race.
 
Repairs to the HULL, to the DECK, to the COCKPIT, to the FOILS