Heron Renovations - Projects around the nation

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Justin Carey

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Mar 30, 2020, 2:47:14 AM3/30/20
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Hi All, looks like world affairs have intervened to cut our sailing season short.... On the plus side this gives us more time to spend renovating those older boats and getting them looking beautiful ahead of a great new season for 20/21...  Remember a well presented Heron makes a huge difference to how we attract new families to our beautiful class!!! 

So - in the spirit of starting what I hope will be a vibrant forum post over the winter. How about we post pictures and stories of our renovations here on the Heron forum to give everyone ideas, tips and inspiration... 

To get the ball rolling - here is a photo of our much loved "Little Aussie - 9671" - stripping the deck for a re-varnish, removing floorboards and aft thwart, stiffening up the floor (and oh does Little Aussie need some stiffening??)... She will be ready for the new season and will be in Adelaide for the nationals early in 2021... 

IMG_1329.jpg


Stay safe, and look forward to seeing more stories and photos


Kate and Justin 

10280 - Little Miss Magic 


Justin Carey

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Apr 16, 2020, 11:30:24 PM4/16/20
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Renovations continue in the Camp Carey garage... now expanded to sister ships (9646 and 9671), both built in 1979 and both getting the same winter renovation treatment... strip and re-varnish deck, rip out rear thwart and floorboards, stiffen floor with foam and glass over... should bring these two old MK1 Herons right up to speed for the coming season.. 

Peter V is busy building some new boats, and Mark Smith has pulled the deck off Bluey and is busy with renovations as well... Haven't heard much from anyone else but would be good to see on the forum what people are up to with their spare time... 

IMG_1377.jpg

 
Hope to see some more Forum posts to keep us inspired over the "long winter"..

Stay safe 

Peter & Helen Carey

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Apr 17, 2020, 5:49:18 PM4/17/20
to Justin Carey, Heron Sailors
What was the history of 9646? Do you know?
   PaPa................Dad ..................Peter.

Sent from Peter & Helen Carey

On 17 Apr 2020, at 1:30 PM, Justin Carey <kated...@gmail.com> wrote:

Renovations continue in the Camp Carey garage... now expanded to sister ships (9646 and 9671), both built in 1979 and both getting the same winter renovation treatment... strip and re-varnish deck, rip out rear thwart and floorboards, stiffen floor with foam and glass over... should bring these two old MK1 Herons right up to speed for the coming season.. 

Peter V is busy building some new boats, and Mark Smith has pulled the deck off Bluey and is busy with renovations as well... Haven't heard much from anyone else but would be good to see on the forum what people are up to with their spare time... 

<IMG_1377.jpg>

 
Hope to see some more Forum posts to keep us inspired over the "long winter"..

Stay safe 
Kate and Justin 
10280 - Little Miss Magic

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Nick B

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Apr 17, 2020, 11:19:23 PM4/17/20
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No pictures yet but the list includes:
New rudder blade
Realign rudder pintles
Paint the floor
Paint the bottom
Setup halyards without cleats
Reroute vang and downhaul to back of seat
Maybe build a hiking/torture bench

Yikes, that's a long list.

Cameron

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Apr 19, 2020, 3:10:49 AM4/19/20
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Hi from down south in Vic, Kiera and I have started freshening up her new/old boat "The Outcast" 9282 a timber framed Heron with fiberglass sidetanks and a pretty good history I believe. Cosmetic update really, Timber work needs refinishing but the hull is in great condition and only needs the usual touch up on the keel and skeg. We thought we may look to replace the deck in a couple of years as it is starting showing its age and wear. This is project number 1 and next is onto Bongo a Stitch and Glue boat to remove the floorboards, strengthen hull and complete makeover of paint and varnish


Cam Lloyd (Bongo 10267) & Kiera Lloyd (The Outcast 9282)


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IMG_20200418_172208253.jpg 

Firsty

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Apr 23, 2020, 1:08:29 AM4/23/20
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Platform 2.JPG

Platform 3.JPG

Platform 1.JPG

Mine is not a Heron reno story, but I thought I'd share what I have been doing anyway.  I am restoring a Scow Moth.  Storing the Moth and the Heron in my garage is problematic.  Usually, Moths are slung from the ceiling and lowered down when required (they are lightly built - mine weighs around 30 kg).  However, my ceiling is taken up with a mezzanine for sails, spars, bits of steel and wood...you know the sort of stuff....and another layer hanging below that for sheets of ply.  There is also an attic ladder  opening in the way.  So, I decided to raise the Heron on a platform.  With two detachable ramps, the Heron can be run up and down.  I originally set up a 4:1 pulley system to pull the boat up the ramps, which was fine, but have now put in an electric winch.  The Moth sits underneath the platform on a trolley and can be easily wheeled in and out.  It will go on the 6x4 trailer in the carport (the car fits in there as well) for transport.  I'm pleased to say that every bit of wood in the platform and ramps came from stuff I had on hand.  I was lucky enough to find the right hand ramp timber on a footpath just 2 weeks ago!

Richard 10187 Firsty

Andrew Nelson

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Apr 23, 2020, 3:06:42 AM4/23/20
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A Neat solution. I thought on first looking at the pictures you were setting up some wine storage too!
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Justin Carey

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Apr 26, 2020, 10:40:56 PM4/26/20
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Floor panels ready to be glued in... should stiffen the old Mk1 Heron up nicely...

IMG_1386.jpg

Peter & Helen Carey

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Apr 27, 2020, 5:44:17 PM4/27/20
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Hi Kate and Justy.
Any idea of the ultimate weight?
Peter.

Sent from Peter & Helen Carey

On 27 Apr 2020, at 12:40 PM, Justin Carey <kated...@gmail.com> wrote:

Floor panels ready to be glued in... should stiffen the old Mk1 Heron up nicely...

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Justin Carey

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May 2, 2020, 2:35:51 AM5/2/20
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It is a bit sad this weekend - this is the first time since about 1967 that the Herons have not gathered at Lake Cootharaba for our annual regatta. We will have to make next year double HUGE to make up.. 

But, not all is lost - i hear of several great renovation (or new build) projects happening - Peter V is putting in a strong bid for "best presented" Heron at the next nationals with his new deck inlay "Two Flamingos Dancing"... Cant wait to see it finished and on the water in the new season...   Something tells me Kylie will be hard to beat in her new boat.

Stay safe
Kate and Justin 
10280 - Little Miss Magic

Resized_20200502_123109_1121.jpeg


Leanne Brown

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May 17, 2020, 12:49:32 AM5/17/20
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On Saturday, April 18, 2020 at 5:49:18 AM UTC+8, Peter & Helen Carey wrote:
What was the history of 9646? Do you know?
   PaPa................Dad ..................Peter.

Sent from Peter & Helen Carey

On 17 Apr 2020, at 1:30 PM, Justin Carey <kated...@gmail.com> wrote:

Renovations continue in the Camp Carey garage... now expanded to sister ships (9646 and 9671), both built in 1979 and both getting the same winter renovation treatment... strip and re-varnish deck, rip out rear thwart and floorboards, stiffen floor with foam and glass over... should bring these two old MK1 Herons right up to speed for the coming season.. 

Peter V is busy building some new boats, and Mark Smith has pulled the deck off Bluey and is busy with renovations as well... Haven't heard much from anyone else but would be good to see on the forum what people are up to with their spare time... 

<IMG_1377.jpg>

 
Hope to see some more Forum posts to keep us inspired over the "long winter"..

Stay safe 
Kate and Justin 
10280 - Little Miss Magic

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Peter Robinson

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May 17, 2020, 3:18:07 AM5/17/20
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Dooney’s Fiddle was Doug Straker’s boat.

Peter Robinson

 

 

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Justin Carey

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Jun 16, 2020, 2:19:24 AM6/16/20
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In addition to all the boat restorations happening around the nation  -  the QLD association has also done some work on our big rolling "Heron Club-House" - the moving billboard / heron trailer will be making the long trip south for the Nationals in January!! 

Keep the renovation stories coming - love to hear what the other states are doing!!

Looking forward to getting back on the water!

Justin and Kate
IMG_7141.jpg

Nick B

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Jun 16, 2020, 4:07:22 AM6/16/20
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That is awesome!

Jonny Harrison

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Jun 25, 2020, 2:48:04 AM6/25/20
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9483 - Cadmus ...

Winter projects:
- stripped and revarnished decks
- floor boards removed, and foam sandwich floor conversion done
- new rudder stock
- realigned rudder blade (closer to skeg)
- new toe straps
- few new fittings etc
- hull faired cut and polished

All ready for the new season

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Firsty

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Jun 25, 2020, 8:03:16 PM6/25/20
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I bet the bottom looks like a Mirror....no, wait!!  Great job.


Richard 10187

Justin Carey

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Jun 29, 2020, 10:40:10 PM6/29/20
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Latest update from renovation central - Little Aussie looking good with new floor ready to go... All i need now is to varnish the deck and we are ready to sail... The foam has been glued, faired, and glass over... then painted the trim, transom and the sides up under the deck and she is looking pretty good. (Don't look too closely though.... you will see my lack of skill pretty quickly...) - for Little Aussie we have trialled no coating over the glass, just a pigment in the resin and peel ply finish as non skid. Will wait and see how that goes in the new season, but it looks pretty good. 

90BF2684-EDF6-4F34-8833-EDD4B6CEC135.jpeg






Justin Carey

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Nov 24, 2020, 4:38:57 AM11/24/20
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At last..  the final instalment in my Little Aussie renovation...  winter renovation was finally finished last week... Rear thwart and floorboards removed... foam and glass floor added, and deck restored (as best as i could?).. The result is a Little Aussie that is stiffer, lighter, and probably faster than she has ever been... And the good news, for the first time in her life Little Aussie now weighs in at 66 and a bit kg... (down from 69kg) 

Fittingly Chris Carey, (Little Aussie's first skipper), was on hand for the post renovation sail - and, just for the record, there were 12 Herons at SBSC on Saturday and Chris won by so much we are still not sure which way he went!! 

Great to see the old MK1 Herons making a comeback. There are heaps of them out there on the second hand market so perhaps this opens up opportunities for people looking to enter the class. 

Have fun on the water everyone - hopefully all states are back sailing so stay safe and have fun!!

Regards
Justin 
10280 - Little Miss Magic


IMG_1978.jpg


Peter & Helen Carey

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Nov 24, 2020, 4:02:31 PM11/24/20
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It's great to see Little Aussie is back and thriving..great news.
Peter and Helen.


Sent from Peter & Helen Carey
<IMG_1978.jpg>


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Nick B

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Apr 15, 2022, 11:42:06 PM4/15/22
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With all this renovation work, what are people using to paint the bottom?

The single pack roll and tip job I did has blistered under the cradle pads.

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