Author Archives: admin

Having recently bought ‘Erika’, Finesse 24 with sail No16, Jim Hughan sailed her from  Cardigan to Howth (south of Dublin), departing Sunday 25th July 2023 from the estuary of the Teifi river. The next step was on to Ardglass (south … Continue reading →

Everything looked fine on deck- the surveyor had passed over the area just one month previously- but there had been warning signs.   Rainwater had been finding its way down the sampson post in the chain locker, and there had … Continue reading →

The main sliding hatch over the companionway receives quite a beating over the years, what with UV, heat, rain and general wear. Eventually the outer ply(s) can start to crack up as the varnish gives up the ghost. The capture … Continue reading →

Finesse 24 ‘Cevenne’ (sail number 20) was built in 1974. These are some photographs of the original build, kindly provided by Maureen Chapple.  Her husband, Mike Canty, died in July 2022 and Cevenne is now for sale (as of September … Continue reading →

The keel bolts- for the ballast keel, the centre plate and the bilge keels- were all originally manufactured in imperial sizes. Can replacements be readily obtained? Choosing the material Stainless steel should not be used. It contains chromium, which forms … Continue reading →

This article concerns the spring-loaded actuator that connects the clutch operation cable to the clutch shift lever on the side of the gearbox. The gearboxes that use this connection are the Kanzaki KM2A, KM2C and KM3A units. These are fitted … Continue reading →

Ade Chapmanlaw’s description of the replacement of the stern gland, prop tube and cutlass bearing on Tig (F24) during the Spring of 2021: The stern gland on Tig was leaking a lot after our rough trip out to Studland. It … Continue reading →

For those of us who are using Yanmar engines, here are three different manuals. They cover the 1GM, 2GM, 3GM and 3HM family. Yanmar Operation Manual. A handbook which may have come as a hard copy with your engine, covering … Continue reading →

Finesse 24 Quo Vardis, sail number 33 (now renamed Blue Bonnet), was photographed at an early stage during her construction in the late 1970s. In this first picture the keel timber is supported by trestles. Below this picture is the … Continue reading →

A gaff cutter rig was an option on a new Finesse. However, the majority of F24 gaff cutters sailing today are conversions. Since there are no class rules to dictate (or recommend) the rig dimensions, designs can differ significantly. It … Continue reading →