Crowther Seafire 35

[rustyrusty]

Anyone know what he build is I think its solid glass hull but not sure deck could be foam. cant tell from looking and owner not sure ?? any one know the boats.

[GordMay]

LOCK CROWTHER DESIGN NOTES AS PROMISED ~ by cat man do
➥ https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...html#post53638

[rustyrusty]

Thanks for that Can I assume a Crowther seafire would be foam deck and maybe below the water how do you find out.

[catsketcher]

As to the construction - you have to look for thickness - thick means foam.

Start at the windows - the cutouts should show foam between two skins of glass. Then look in the cupboards and under seats - foam will be easy to see.

As for the hulls - it gets harder. One clue is to check near seacocks - if you see the area around the seacock ground down it is well built foam. If not is either core removed, dodgy no core removed or solid glass. I would check the bilges and keep looking for unpainted areas - there may be a change in thickness near the bilge - this would show a solid skin underwater and foam above - which is pretty normal on production boats.

Get in the hatches and look up at the deck. Good foam construction will show inserts under winches and other fittings. Climb in the hatches where there is more chance of the deck underside not being painted. Eventually you will see evidence of a thick core. Cores are good - stiff and light.

But almost all cats with large flat areas have foam or cored decks. The Fastbacks are one cat with solid glass decks but this is pretty rare. I would bet on the decks being foam and the hulls down to the waterline at least. Norm Silva - who was part of Jervis Bay cats who built some Seafires, worked for Lock and knew how to build a cat.

cheers

Phil

[NevilleCat]

Personally I am surprised that you think it would be foam rather than balsa. I also would assume windows section, and deck fitting areas would be solid glass.