Bluster
| CLASS/SAIL DATE BUILT HULL NUMBER | Atalanta A183 November 1966 196 |
| - Other names | Thursday's Child |
| - Condition | Restoring |
| - Location | Aberdeenshire |
| - Engine | Yanmar 1GM |
| - Rig | Masthead, metal |
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If you have information about or photos of this boat we would love to add them to the boat history. - please use this form
Browse the archive for this boat below.
o Gallery - photos through the years
o Blog and Forum Topics - contributed photographs and commentary
o Register - key changes through the years
o Press Appearances - AOA Bulletin and public media articles
o AOA Trophies and Awards
o Gallery - photos through the years
o Blog and Forum Topics - contributed photographs and commentary
o Register - key changes through the years
o Press Appearances - AOA Bulletin and public media articles
o AOA Trophies and Awards
Gallery
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A183 Preparing to scarf new wood into the stringer where the rusted chain plate bolts passed through it.
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A183 Water had entered via the chain plate bolts and partially rotted the stringer behind the hull-deck join.
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A183 The rotten deck and hull laminates around the rubbing strake have now all been replaced.
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A183 These had rotted from the bottom and let water into the plywood bulkhead.
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A183 The new bulkhead glued and screwed in place. The forward board is in two parts.
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A183 The replacement piece for the bulkhead, the backing board, covering strip and part of the forward board.
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A183 The rotten parts of the aft bulkhead were cut away down to the level of the lower section.
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A183 The block continues under the stringer to provide more rigidity.
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A183 A solid block of Sapele inserted in the cockpit corner for stanchion mounting.
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A183 Looking forward.
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A183 Still plenty more to do on the starboard side!
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A183 The deck and hull laminates, apart from those covering the cockpit corner, back in place and awaiting fairing.
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A183 The laminates over the curved cockpit corner have been left off for the moment, awaiting some solid wood to be fitted to bolt the stanchion base to.
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A183 The first laminate layer back on the deck and hull.
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A183 The stringers meeting at the aft cabin bulkhead were both loose; the voids were filled with epoxy. The dowels are filling holes where a stanchion base had been bolted through.
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A183 The three deck laminates have been cut back and part of the first layer replaced.
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A183 The aft deck has come away from the cockpit side deck.
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A183 Where the aft deck shell meets the cockpit deck shell the joint had come apart.
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A183 Repairs to the hull and deck around the rubbing strake on the starboard quarter.
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A183 Port Side Repairs
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A183 A decent boat tent enables work to continue.
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A183 The hull laminations peeled back on the port quarter ready to be replaced.
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A183 Repairs to the bottom laminates under the rudder skeg and the slot in the keel ready for new wood to be scarfed in.
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A183 The upper rudder pintle on the transom was backed by an aluminium plate that had corroded and dissolved the wood behind it. A new piece of Sapelle was scarfed in.
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A183 The splits above the lower pintle position have been broken open and re-glued, and new wood inserted to replace missing sections. The skeg may be replaced completely.
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A183 Engine bearer supports removed, and also the boards sandwiching the lower part of the aft cabin bulkhead.
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A183 The keel stops removed, with the one remaining (partial) bolt.
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A183 Laminations of the keelbox plywood worn through close to the keel pivot bolt.
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A183 When removing the keel support steelwork layers of plywood also came off the keelboxes.
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A183 The lower, outboard corners of the backing plates on the aft side of the main bulkhead were corroded.
Contributed Blog
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 | Cockpit Corner Reinforcement and Repairs to Aft Bulkhead2021 August - Bluster has guard rail stanchions at the aft end of the cockpit. These were bolted through the stringer and the deck with a block beneath and above. Unfortunately, after being pushed around a bit, the water had got in and rotted the deck, so the plan was to insert a more substantial block to take ...Comments: |
 | Repairing the Split in the Topsides2021 July - As reported in Bluster’s last blog post, there was a worrying split in the topsides at the starboard aft end of the cockpit where the aft deck moulding is joined to the one at the side of the cockpit. To repair it, the laminates were stripped back to good wood, leaving approximately one inch overlaps ...Comments: |
 | Repairs around the rubbing strake2021 June - The hot sunny weather we are having in Scotland at the moment is ideal for wood repairs as the exposed laminates are nice and dry before being sealed in with epoxy. Water collecting behind the rubbing strake where it was not well glued to the hull had got into the hull and deck laminates and caused ...Comments: |
 | Bluster Progress – Removing Rusty Iron and Making Good2021 May - Work on Bluster has continued in April and early May. Much of April was spent removing rusty bolts from the engine bay area and rudder skeg. The keel stops were removed without difficulty, the bolt heads and nuts just fell off when hit with a spanner. Only one of the eight bolts securing them had ...Comments: |
 | Bluster’s Keels and Steelwork Removed2021 March - After much prevaricating, Bluster’s trailer was removed and the keels lowered to the ground. The supporting steelwork was then also removed for inspection. Before removing the trailer, I cut off most of the keel band. This was rusty, but still had quire a bit of steel left. However, some of the securing screws were broken and ...Comments: |
 | Steering Gear Wear and Corrosion2021 February - With the snow melting and the weather warmed up (relatively), work on Bluster has resumed with the stripping out of the steering mechanism. The whipstaff bearing had a bit of play, but I wanted to take it out to inspect it. This was easier said than done because the square bushing on the cockpit side had ...Comments: |
 | Engine Bearers and Thrust Bearing2021 February - The weather continues to be very cold this winter in Aberdeenshire, and now we also have 20 cm of snow. Consequently, not so much work has been done on Bluster. After much work with angle grinder, lump hammer, punches, spanners and pipe wrench , the engine bearers, and the bolts supporting them, have all been removed. ...Comments: |
 | Bluster’s 1GM10 Serviced and painted2021 January - Bluster’s engine was winterised, but otherwise in reasonable working order. It was badly rusted in places, the fuel and oil pipes were beginning to rust, and the paint was peeling off much of the lower half, so it needed a partial strip-down, clean up and repaint. Most of the bits that could be removed without ...Comments: |
 | Getting Bluster’s Engine Out2020 December - Bluster currently has a Yanmar 1GM10 diesel engine, a replacement for the Volvo Penta that she previously had. It has been fairly reliable, but the paint was peeling off the lower half due to excessive amounts of bilge water at times, one of the rubber mounts needed replacing, and the water pump needed rebuilding. The ...Comments: |
 | Repairs to Bluster’s Bow2020 November - Work has continued on repairing the bow area of Bluster. The deck area had some rot wherever it had been penetrated by a screw or bolt, allowing water to get into the end grain of the laminates. The king plank was full of holes from alterations to the stem fitting, but was not rotten, so ...Comments: |
 | Bluster’s Foredeck Repairs2020 September - The foredeck from the cockpit to the forehatch has now been repaired and just needs fairing and some longitudinal slats replacing. The top laminate repairs on the bubble have now been faired and a start made to placing an additional lamination on top of it to replace thickness lost due to sanding in the past sometime. ...Comments: |
 | Cockpit Restoration2020 July - I am now restoring Bluster’s cockpit at deck level. Getting the jib sheet tracks off (all four of them) was a struggle as many of the brass bolts were corroded into the wood, sheared off, and had to be drilled out. The curved pieces of deck at the aft end of the cockpit are also in ...Comments: |
 | Bluster Refit Progress2020 July - Making the most of the warm weather and Covid19 lockdown to work on repairing the deck laminations and replace the rotten frame tops. Progress is slow, but steady.Comments: |
 | Side Deck Strengthening2020 June - On Bluster, between the companionway bulkhead and the main bulkhead the side deck and blister were joined without any reinforcement other than the quarter round on the outside. This led to separation, water ingress, rot, and my son putting his foot through the deck, It was patched up and reinforced with a steel bar under ...Comments: |
 | Diesel Bug in Fuel Tank2019 July - Why you should always add a biocide to your diesel fuel (see photographs)! The algal gloop formed a mat lying on the bottom of the tank. As there was a 3 cm gap below the fuel pickup to the flat bottom of the tank, the fuel siphoned out of the tank was clean. Removing the tank ...Comments: |
 | Bluster in two big bits (and many small bits)2019 June - Bluster is now under an all-weather cover so it is possible to work on her even when the weather is not as fine as it should be. Many of the fittings have been stripped off, and today the coachroof was separated from the deck. This was quite a job, but needed doing as she had developed ...Comments: |
 | Refit of Bluster Started2019 April - Work has started on Bluster’s major refit, now that the weather is warmer and dryer. I am starting to strip off the bits that have not been off for a long time, if ever, to expose what lies beneath and repair it if necessary, starting with the deck as many of the known soft and ...Comments: |
 | Bluster arrives in Scotland, from Suffolk2018 August - After many years of being based at Ramsholt on the Deben and sailing the Thames Estuary with forays to Holland, France and Scotland (by trailer), Bluster has now moved to Scotland where she will undergo a refit before hopefully cruising the east, north and west coasts. [EDITOR Note: See also the post from the AOA Forum ...Comments: |
 | The Best Laid Plans-A183 Bluster’s log-July/August 20122013 February - The best laid plans …… Or an enjoyable alternative“Where are you going for your summer cruise Jane?” ”Hopefully West, but if thatComments: |
References in Forum Topics
(Based on contributors tagging their posts with the sail number e.g. A71, 31/3)';
None
Register
Register incorrect? Missing some information? Use this form to let us know (form opens in new tab)Ownership history is available only to members of the AOA
or by exception in response to an enquiry through the Contact Us link at the foot of this page.
| Sail_No | Year | BoatName | Owner | HomePort | Condition | Rig | Engine | Notable EVENT | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A183 | 2020 | Stearn, Jonathan | Thorough restoration being documented on the website. Blister-off repairs to deck. | ||||||
| A183 | 2018 | Aberdeenshire | Restoring | Jonathan Stearn takes over care of boat. After a prolific series of race wins, extensive cruising and many years of DIY maintenance, Jane swallows the Atalanta Anchor. | |||||
| A183 | 1996 | Stearn, Jane | Ted Stearn dies | ||||||
| A183 | 1992 | Yanmar 1GM | |||||||
| A183 | 1975 | Bluster | Stearn, Ted & Jane | Ramsholt, Suffolk | New owner runs Brooksby Hall agricultural college. | ||||
| A183 | 1966 | Thursday's Child | Cox | Cox, JW | Sailing | Masthead, metal | Volvo MB 10A |
AOA Bulletin and Press Appearances
| ArchID | Type | AClass | Category | Ref | Page No | Title | ABoat | ABoat_Name | Author | APages | AComments | APrice | ASort | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 280 | Bulletin | 26, T,F,31 | j. Interior - Mods, Equipment & Gadgetry | 1976-77 | 7 | Modifications to Bluster. 1 Modification, Back Rests, Lee Boards, Fender Board, Gang Plank. | A183 | Bluster | Stearn, EFR & MH | 0 | 2 | 0 | Link | |
| 279 | Bulletin | 26, T,F,31 | k. Exterior - Mods, Equipment & Gadgetry | 1976-77 | 7 | Modifications to Bluster. 1 Modification, 4 Uses: Bow-Roller Pawl, Fender Board, Gang Plank. | A183 | Bluster | Stearn, EFR & MH | 0 | 2 | 0 | Link | |
| 282 | Bulletin | 26, T,F,31 | m. Cruises & Cruising | 1976-77 | 12 | An Eastcoaster Goes West | A183 | Bluster | Stearn J.S. | 1 | 2 | 0 | Link | |
| 297 | Bulletin | 26, T,F,31 | n. AOA Events | 1977-78 | 17 | Atalanta Race 1977 at West Mersea | A183 | Bluster | Stearn M.H. | 1 | 2 | 0 | Link | |
| 310 | Bulletin | 26, T,F,31 | n. AOA Events | 1979-80 | 3 | Annual Atalanta Race | A183 | Bluster | Stearn E. | 1 | 1 | 0 | Link | |
| 354 | Bulletin | 26, T,F,31 | l. History | 1981-82 | 24 | Atalanta | A183 | Bluster | Stearn S. | 1 | 1 | 0 | Link | |
| 378 | Bulletin | 26, T,F,31 | f. Keel Gear | 1983-84 | 22 | Routine Care of Atalanta Keel Mechanism. | A183 | Bluster | Stearn, JS & E | 0 | 1 | 0 | Link | |
| 388 | Bulletin | 26, T,F,31 | m. Cruises & Cruising | 1984-85 | 21 | La Liaison Manche - Ocean, A Breton Canal | A183 | Bluster | Stearn J.S. | 3 | 1 | 0 | Link | |
| 438 | Bulletin | 26, T,F,31 | n. AOA Events | 1990-91 | 2 | West Mersea Rally. | A183 | Bluster | Stearn E | 2 | 2 | 0 | Link | |
| 448 | Bulletin | 26, T,F,31 | n. AOA Events | 1991-92 | 2 | West Mersea Rally. | A183 | Bluster | Stearn E | 2 | 3 | 0 | Link | |
| 493 | Bulletin | 26, T,F,31 | o. General | 1995-96 | 0 | Cover - A183 Bluster at Aldeburgh | A183 | Bluster | 1 | 1 | 0 | Link | ||
| 561 | Bulletin | 26, T,F,31 | n. AOA Events | 2002-03 | 8 | West Mersea Rally | A183 | Bluster | Stearn J | 1 | 1 | 0 | Link | |
| 590 | Bulletin | 26, T,F,31 | m. Cruises & Cruising | 2005-06 | 15 | The AOA Rally | A183 | Bluster | Stearn J | 2 | 1 | 0 | Link | |
| 617 | Bulletin | 26, T,F,31 | n. AOA Events | 2008-09 | 8 | East Coast Rally | A183 | Bluster | Stearn J | 2 | 0 | 0 | Link | |
| 669 | Bulletin | 26, T,F,31 | o. General | 2011-12 | 0 | Cover - A183 Bluster at anchor in the sunset | A183 | Bluster | 1 | 1 | 0 | Link | ||
| 693 | Bulletin | 26, T,F,31 | m. Cruises & Cruising | 2012-13 | 42 | Woodbridge to Conyer | A183 | Bluster | Stearn J | 5 | 1 | 0 | Link | |
| 689 | Bulletin | 26, T,F,31 | n. AOA Events | 2012-13 | 38 | East Coast Rally | A183 | Bluster | Stearn J | 1 | 1 | 0 | Link | |
| 695 | Bulletin | 26, T,F,31 | n. AOA Events | 2013-14 | 23 | East Coast Rally | A183 | Bluster | Stearn J | 1 | 1 | 0 | Link | |
| 708 | Bulletin | 26, T,F,31 | m. Cruises & Cruising | 2014-15 | 48 | Channel crossings and cruising up the Thames | A183 | Bluster | Stearn J | 4 | 2 | 0 | Link |
Trophies
| wdt_ID | trophy | year | awardedto | sailno | boatname | award |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| wdt_ID | trophy | year | awardedto | sailno | boatname | award |
| 11 | Coupe Bernard | 1989 | T & J Stearn | A183 | Bluster | Race from Rye to Boulogne - abandoned |
| 53 | Atalanta | 1977 | E. F. R. Stearn | A183 | Bluster | Winner East Coast Race (West Mersea) |
| 55 | Atalanta | 1979 | E. F. R. Stearn | A183 | Bluster | Winner East Coast Race (West Mersea) |
| 61 | Atalanta | 1985 | T. & J. Stearn | A183 | Bluster | Winner East Coast Race (West Mersea) |
| 63 | Atalanta | 1987 | T. & J. Stearn | A183 | Bluster | Winner East Coast Race (West Mersea) |
| 66 | Atalanta | 1990 | T. & J. Stearn | A183 | Bluster | Winner East Coast Race (West Mersea) |
| 67 | Atalanta | 1991 | T. & J. Stearn | A183 | Bluster | Winner East Coast Race (West Mersea) |
| 82 | Atalanta | 2006 | J. Stearn | A183 | Bluster | Winner East Coast Race (West Mersea) |
| 84 | Atalanta | 2008 | J. Stearn | A183 | Bluster | Winner East Coast Race (West Mersea) |
| 87 | Atalanta | 2011 | J. Stearn | A183 | Bluster | Winner East Coast Race (West Mersea) |
| 88 | Atalanta | 2012 | J. Stearn | A183 | Bluster | Winner East Coast Race (West Mersea) |
| 89 | Atalanta | 2013 | J. Stearn | A183 | Bluster | Winner East Coast Race (West Mersea) |