Introducing

I’ve had a unhealthy interest in the National 12 class ever since I saw the front cover of the December 1990 edition of Yachts and Yachting.  I can still remember the picture of 3162 flat out at the Llandudno nationals. At the time I thought that was one of the coolest things I’d ever seen and in my memory at least it’s one of the best images of sailing I’ve seen. I wish I could find it.

Although I’ve not been an active member of the class for a while, their website has always been one of the first to be scanned for new stuff every lunchtime and their stand one of the first to be visited at the Dinghy show. 23 years on, I’ve just acquired N3252 (Silent Running) for £50 from Owen who sailed her at Twickenham. Unfortunately there is a reason for the low price and these pictures probably sum it up quite well. 

Poor SR had a close encounter of the Hayling Bar kind at the 2012 champs.  The mast jumped off the step and went through the hull leaving rather nasty little hole.  In the process the mast step/hog  has also been damaged and will repairing again. The front bulkhead was also dinged. Oh and the mast is now in three pieces and the main ripped.
Owen's insurers concluded it was a write off and Silent Running became my restoration project and this Blog is my record of the process.

It starts with these simple objectives. 

• Make Silent Running seaworthy again
• Try to reverse the signs of ageing a little and keep her pretty looking
• Spend as little cash as practical
• At the same time as making her as competitive as possible
• Have fun 

Achieving the first objective could be relatively simple but it’s the other three that I think will prove the most challenging but the most fun of the coming months (possibly years).