Anyone is welcome to view the Fairey Atalanta Forum and Boat Blogs but you may not contribute without creating a website account. Registering for an account is simple, free and enables you take a full part in our discussions. Better still why not become a member of the AOA and help keep the boats and this website working.

Boat Blogs

Contributions associated with a particular boat
(e.g. history, photos, cruises, modifications etc.)


Browse a Boat Blog

Enter Sail Number – eg. A178, A89 or A31/4 or F36. If you don’t know the sail number search the Boat Registers to access by boat name.


or

Forum

Questions and comments not specific to a particular boat. Any subject you want…


Click on ‘AOA Forum’ to browse discussions or use the ‘Search’


or

Recent Website Activity


Showing Blog-posts and Forum conversations XX for the last 18 weeks
(27 January 2023 to 03 June 2023)

Boat Blogs and Comments

Recent posts below. Click here to see all blogs
(takes a few seconds to load)

NEW POST> A1 Atalanta For Sale - £10,000
May 12th, 2023 by
2020 07 A1 Photo Shoot Pin Mill 140

A rare chance to buy a practical, trailable cruising yacht and a piece of yachting history. For details including details, inventory, location and viewing please click here.


NEW POST> Helene's cabin update
May 6th, 2023 by
IMG_3328-95a0059f

This spring the painters and decorators had a go at updating Helene’s cabin. Interesting comparison with Nick’s 2015 photo below. Title: 2015 08 Helene East Coast 021-f6d16bbeCaption: August 2015

NEW COMMENT: May 6th, 2023 by Gregory Manning
We are impressed

NEW COMMENT: May 7th, 2023 by Bernard Marshall
Great work Jim……a bright and airy cabin. The keel box flexible seals are also admirable, it will


NEW POST> New mylar keel gaskets
May 3rd, 2023 by
IMG_3319-6f8fd15a

Following work this spring to address water ingress along the bottom of Helene’s keel boxes, new slot gaskets were installed using Hawk 150mm mylar gasket material obtained from RS Sailing. The badlyRead More…

NEW COMMENT: May 3rd, 2023 by Gregory Manning
I am impressed!

NEW COMMENT: May 5th, 2023 by Richard James
She's going to slip through the water really well now. I wish I could do the same on COLCHIDE, but c


NEW POST> Feli broken up.
April 30th, 2023 by
A48 Feli Scrapped on Shetland

A48 Feli has been broken up. She sank at her moring in 2015 during a storm. I got her re floated and took her out of the water. Unfortunately the stern wasRead More…


NEW POST> Two Keels - Quiz 1st April 6pm
March 25th, 2023 by
Two Keel Quiz Night

A casual get together in the Zoom bar of the ‘Two Keels Inn’. Bring your own drinks and snacks. Open to anyone who wants to come along. This year we are planningRead More…


NEW POST> Centre line repairs
March 23rd, 2023 by
Photo 4

  Over the last several years water has leaked into Helene’s forward cabin. The amount was relatively small – more annoying than anything else – but something was not right. Everything pointedRead More…

NEW COMMENT: March 23rd, 2023 by Mike Dixon
Jim, Seems a very robust repair. Nice job. I had a similar (but considerably worse) problem on


NEW POST> A77 under sail
February 12th, 2023 by
A77 under sail in USA1.1-8758af51

Photo of A77 Blue Goose sailing. Title: A77 under sail in USA1.1-8758af51Caption: Out for a sail


NEW POST> Mallette promoted anew to restoring and still married/spliced.
February 12th, 2023 by

Thanks for the resources over the years. Word to the wise: It would have been easier to buy one in better condition! Should you undertake a similar restoration be prepared for ChristsRead More…


WINTER COVER - DIY
January 22nd, 2023 by
SBDfull-088c7c16

I did learn before I bought  A90  that the enemy of an Atalanta  was not sea water  but rain. So off to Sturminster Newton and Hansons’ massive material warehouse. Then bumping backRead More…

NEW COMMENT: March 21st, 2023 by Fairey Mary
I like the lacing idea, more robust than a zip. And more flexible.

Forum Topics (shaded) and Replies


NEW TOPIC>Roller reefing genoa available (New Topic)
May 9th, 2023 JimSumberg

I have a roller reefing genoa that is surplus to requirements and looks to be in reasonable condition. It is cut for an Atalanta fractional rig. It is yours in exchange forRead More…


NEW TOPIC>Rudder control cables (New Topic)
May 5th, 2023 Gregory Manning

I have owned A142 for 23 years and in that time have had the rudder control cables break four times. On the first occasion my co-owner and a friend were positioning fromRead More…

NEW REPLY:May 9th, 2023 by Gregory Manning

Thanks Mike, I am using TS Rigging of Maldon who I think rigged the Cutty Sark so have been assuming that they would be using quality cables but I note the referenceRead More…

NEW REPLY:May 9th, 2023 by Mike Dixon

Greg, Tempting fate here, but I have never had a cable fail.  Twice, on different boats, I’ve had the pulley blocks pull out of the adjacent woodwork which in effect gives theRead More…

NEW REPLY:May 9th, 2023 by Gregory Manning

Thanks Jim, I have considered tension as a factor.  I have made sure they are never overtightened although I have had them tighter than I have them now.  I have have twoRead More…

NEW REPLY:May 9th, 2023 by JimSumberg

Greg, This is an interesting challenge. A couple of points: Judging from the materials in the archive, reports of failed steering control cables seem to be quite rare (and I don’t imagineRead More…


NEW TOPIC>Sweet Sue A138: Progress report and Aft Cabin bunks - a rethink (New Topic)
April 18th, 2023 Ryan Patrick Morley

  Hi all. Sweet Sue’s keel renovations are moving along nicely. As ever though one job reveals other jobs that need attention. We’ve rebuilt the prow after finding rot under the anchorRead More…

NEW REPLY:April 18th, 2023 by Chris Green

Hi Ryan Congratulations on the refit progress. Members have carried out various modifications to make better use the large aft cabin area. I have revamped the aft cabin on Elle to provideRead More…


NEW TOPIC>Battery maintenance (New Topic)
April 5th, 2023 Gregory Manning

I note the comments that Richard has made in the latest news letter.  Sugar Plum has a 45 amp hour cranking battery and a 75 amp hour domestic leisure battery.  Both theseRead More…


NEW TOPIC>Mud berths and lifting keels (New Topic)
March 20th, 2023 T12

What experience is there for the combination of a drying mud wallow and Titania keel slots? I may be able to keep Harrier in such a berth this summer which is lessRead More…

NEW REPLY:March 22nd, 2023 by Nick Phillips

I kept Helene on a drying mud mooring.  Generally all okay. I originally left the keels right up. I twice had issues with the keels not dropping immediately when being lowered afterRead More…

NEW REPLY:March 22nd, 2023 by Mike Dixon

George, For many years I had Gellie, T4, on a drying mooring in Stonehaven.  The mooring dried to softish mud – the sort where you definitely don’t want to stand for tooRead More…

NEW REPLY:March 22nd, 2023 by Trevor Thompson

George Calista is afloat all the time on her mooring – so I cant give a definitive answer.   However I don’t think you will have a problem. When she is sittingRead More…


NEW TOPIC>Equally iconic perhaps, but a Fairey Atalanta is not a Morris Minor (New Topic)
March 8th, 2023 JimSumberg

Some reflections comparing the situation for the Fairey Atalanta with that for the Morris Minor.

NEW REPLY:March 9th, 2023 by Richard James

As a former SAAB owner, I’m interested in the company’s history and products. Following the Second World War, Fairey transferred their superb aircraft design and manufacturing skills to make Atalanta wooden yachts.Read More…

NEW REPLY:March 9th, 2023 by AOA

As an aside, people may want to contrast a Morris Minor 60th celebration with ours in 2018 …. Watch the first video ‘trailer’ (only 1.15) and then the main video follows on.


NEW TOPIC>I Want to buy TREADMASTER off-cuts (New Topic)
March 8th, 2023 Doug Odgers

Has anyone any spare Treadmaster off-cuts. Diamond tread shape in fawn. I appreciate for £100 I could buy a square metre – but I don’t  want to ! I am refurbishing theRead More…

NEW REPLY:March 11th, 2023 by Mike Dixon

No problems Doug – I’ll get them off to you. I inherited them free, so no charge.  A suitable donating to AOA funds would be appreciated I’m sure! Aye Mike

NEW REPLY:March 11th, 2023 by Doug Odgers

Mike, Thanks for getting back. Yes,  very interested. How many & how much ? Regards, Doug

NEW REPLY:March 9th, 2023 by Mike Dixon

Doug, I have a few Treadmaster ‘pads’ new and unused.  They’re tucked away somewhere.  Before unearthing them, can you let me know if you’re interested – colour beige/brown from memory; size aboutRead More…


NEW TOPIC>(C) 24229 + (New Topic)
February 14th, 2023 Timothy Mallette