TRAWLERS & SAILING YACHTS INC.
P.O.BOX 333,
Midland, Ont. , L4R 4L1
VOICE: (705) 527-0442 FAX: 527-0967
CONTACT: DOUGLAS I. STEPHENSON
ANOTHER
YEAR, ANOTHER ADVENTURE!
Brewers
websites, http://www.bcpl.net/~bcboykin/whitby_home2.htm and the newest one, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WhitbyBrewerSailboats
that includes a thread chat line that is very active, we can see we have a good
representation in the cruising grounds half way around the world as well as
locally in the Caribbean and the Windward Leeward Islands!
To
that end, there are new owners about to start their dream with Lion’s Paw,
Whitby 42 #315, with an intended departure of 2009. She is currently on the
hard behind the factory where she was originally built, sitting nose to nose
with Pilgrim, Whitby 42 #304. In mid February, Pilgrim is about to go inside
the original Whitby Boat Works Ltd. building for some final upgrades before
going to Europe in the second year of their retirement plan! You will be able
to follow Brian Stewart & Jane Witherspoon on board Pilgrim at http://www.Pilgrimspassages.com The place where the work is being undertaken
is at **Whitby Boat & Specialty Woodwork Ltd. where Alex Magnone is the
owner of the business and has more than 25 years of experience working with
Albergs and Whitby 42, 45 & 55s. See note of ‘Items for Sale’ at the end of
this Newsletter!
For
any non-owning admirers, I have 7 Whitby 42s offered ‘For Sale’.
They
are priced in US Dollars as follows:
1975,
Ketch #62, @ $99,500.;
1976,
Ketch #88, @ $99,000.;
1981,
#169, Staysail Rigged Ketch with Bowsprit @ $129,000.;
1981,
Ketch #171, Ketch @ $108,000.;
1982,
#193, Staysail Rigged Ketch with Bowsprit @ $109,000.;
1983,
Ketch, #307 @124,900.;
1983,
#302 Staysail Rigged Ketch with Bowsprit & Tall Mast @$129,000.;
1984
#315 Staysail Rigged Ketch with Bowsprit, under contract and closing this
weekend;
And
the last Whitby 42 built in Canada,
1987,
#333 Staysail Rigged Ketch with Bowsprit, asking $149,000.
I
am awaiting details on 2 others to be presented shortly, a 1985 and a 1981.
A
C&C 39 Landfall 39 is also on the list @ $110,000.
All the Whitby 42s for sale are on the East Coast with the exception of the 1982, which is on Lake Michigan!
The
Landfall 39 is on the Canadian side of Lake Ontario!
Some
good news, sort of; Jack Horner has softened his negative attitude towards the
Whitby. His claims are still very harsh in fact and I suppose, in some way he
continues to play down the actual performance, capability and building
techniques of Whitby Boat Works Ltd. What he says is at best, very negative and
sometimes wrong. I quote Mr. Horner
“One of those details not particularly to my liking is Whitby’s liberal use of
pop-rivets as a means of fastening structural components. Even the deck-to-hull
joint of most Whitby 42s is fastened with pop-rivets, fiberglass and resin.”
What is wrong with this statement?
I would share with you that I witnessed many Whitby 42s being assembled, including the through-bolting of the decks; on the vessels with the short Genoa Track, the Toerail has approximately 100 through-bolts on an average of 10” on the perimeter of the Hull/Deck Joint, on vessels with the extended genoa track, sixty extra bolts were added.
It
is true that the hull deck joint was bonded chemically and mechanically. The
rivets were merely acting as a temporary clamping device, not a structural securing
device. When holes were drilled for the through bolting, the rivets were easily
compromised to allow way for the through bolt. In addition the deck and
principle bulkheads were also chemically and mechanically secured athwartship.
Currently
among the members group, a number of owners are going to a lot of work to take
pictures in out of the way/hard to get to places to document all of the above.
My good wishes to them, as they will be able to provide evidence to counter the
misconceptions of this particular Surveyor.
I
hope everyone will keep up the dialogue with Bernie Boykin and John Cece on
this Hull/deck Joint topic. This will help you and everyone else that owns or
wants-to-own one of these special vessels.
If
you are having problems posting information on the new site, send a note to
Greg Temple, the owner of Whitby 42 #313 ‘My Destiny’, who is very
knowledgeable about ‘Web Posting’. Bernie, also has a website and is the
‘Editor in Chief’ of the official Whitby Brewer Association Newsletter. He is a
Willing Purveyor of all matters helpful to the Association.
Just
in passing on the topic of the same Surveyor’s report, in the same article he
declares that the “Auxiliary power is provided by a 67 HP Ford Lehman diesel
engine installed beneath the cockpit deck. This is plenty of power for a 23,000
lb. cruising boat, and the 200+ gallon fuel tank provides a cruising range of
more than 1,200 miles without refueling”. I would just like to share that the
standard engine in the Whitbys built in Canada from shortly after production
started in the early 70’s until the mid eighties was a Ford Lehman 4-254, rated
by American Diesel at 80 HP. I know that factory personnel would declare it as
’80 HP, and about 67HP on the shaft’ so perhaps it was we at the factory that
provided the basis for confusion!
I
recently heard from one owner who was having the cutlass bearing removed. The
service person could not disengage the shaft from the flange and so it was cut
and then pulled. Then, as I understand, the flange was removed surgically and
has possibly damaged both faces. In trying to get the Cutlass bearing out,
damage occurred to the stern tube and surrounding glasswork and farings. I
understand that time is dollars and if a repair person takes too much time,
you, the customer, will be all over them about the length of time to do the
service. However, when steel components have been together for a long time,
another example being the exhaust components, one must allow for the time for
corrosion fighting fluids to do their stuff. This may take several return trips
for many applications and hence the clock ticks! If you do the faster process and pay fewer dollars for the
clocked time, it may cost more for the abusive work. But as for failing to use
proper tools such as a bearing puller designed to do the job, there is no
excuse.
If
we remember that these boats were built primarily in the 70s & the 80s and
think about the number of miles that the 400 or so Whitby & Brewers have
under their keels since then, it is gratifying to realize that there is no
constant or common problem with the original build/design of which I am aware!
The only real problems are those which go along the overbuilt aspects of these
vessels--for example, too much water tankage making it hard to keep stored
water fresh. The same with the fuel-- keeping it active and clean is a
responsibility, storage space abounds and when you go looking for a particular
item stored a few years earlier, you may feel the Easter Bunny Hidden-egg
Syndrome creeping over you!
Just
a final note, I am researching a fuel-monitoring device that will keep track of
your net usage of fuel and performance information. It is also capable of
multi-tank information. It would be of significant assistance when moving long
distance when wind, tides and weather don’t add to your enjoyment. I know of
one ex-Whitby owner of #321, Austin Thorne, who is pursuing more information
with the intent of installing it. If anyone has already done so, I would
appreciate an email or note about their experiences with installation, cost
(over US$1000.), and actual utility! It is the ‘NAVMAN DIESEL 3200’ & their
website is:
http://www.navman.com/marine/products/fuel/diesel3200/index.html
And
remember, as a Seller or a Buyer, your best friend is a Qualified Surveryor,
with Qualified sub reports on Sails and Oil Analysis. Another is a competent
owner who will share the history about his Whitby or Brewer. I am always leery
of the Brokers who have many disclaimers for anything that he or she, the
broker, or the seller may have said or indicated in the buying process!
Best Regards and may Fair Winds
and Clean Diesel Fuel be yours,
Douglas
**Alex Magnone, Pres., Whitby
Boat & Specialty Woodwork Ltd. 1710 Charles St. Whitby Ontario, Canada, L1C
1C2 Phone 905 430 6766 Fax 905 430 6449
Alex has recently disassembled a
Whitby that was destroyed when hit by lightning. He has a regular size Rudder,
a Ford Lehman 4-254 and a Westerbeke 4.4 Kw Generator that had the electrical
output portion rebuilt a short while ago before the incident. I am not the
owner or in any way involved in the sale of these, so please deal directly with
Alex. I would recommend bench testing for operating status and verification of
performance. (End)