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The most significant characteristic of a traditionally built wooden boat is that it is pretty. The intermingling of its function and its form mean that it has to be beautiful. And yet, it’s got this job to do. An important … Continue reading →

The Kanzaki gearboxes used by Yanmar use a ‘wet’ cone clutch, in which the cone, together with the gears and the bearings, all run in an oil-splash environment. When this starts to slip, the internet usually suggests grinding the contact … Continue reading →

Some modifications made to an F24 galley to make living on board more delightful…

If you are looking for a new bespoke sail, please allow me to recommend Jeckells of Wroxham. We ordered a new (boomed) hanked-on foresail for our gaff-cutter-rigged Finesse 24, made in Clipper canvas to complement the mainsail (which was made … Continue reading →

If your engine has been in place since the year dot, the alignment between the gearbox and prop shaft flanges won’t be keeping you awake at night. However, what if your old engine mounts are no longer up to the … Continue reading →

The Heritage Crafts Association now lists traditional wooden boat building on its Red List as an ‘endangered craft’. This means that there are serious concerns about its ongoing viability. Boat building joins other skills, including canal art, oar and spar … Continue reading →

The Dutch love sailing boats and they are very knowledgeable. The most usual question that they ask us about our  Finesse 24 is, “Did you sail her across the North Sea?” And we have to confess that we did not. … Continue reading →

Our Finesse has separate starter and leisure batteries. When we bought her, she had one of those large rotary switches connecting the single alternator to either battery, both batteries or none. This was a level of complexity that was way … Continue reading →

Because it is a wooden boat, a Finesse is always a bargain these days. Who wants to spend their precious time maintaining a vessel made from trees? As someone once wrote, who how long would a fine dining table last … Continue reading →

I took the opportunity of buying a couple of second-hand Tufnol winches last year (2022), to make it possible to pull in Lady Christina’s foresail boom in a blow. The sheet arrangement gave only a 2:1 purchase, but a ratio … Continue reading →