Hello from Angola!

[Pat]

Greetings to you all!

I'm working in Luanda for a couple of years. Currently negotiating to buy a Swift (149?) that has been down here for a long time. I think it will be a bit of a project...

- It is moored, and dry internaly, I haven't seen the hull in dry conditions
- The Keel is stuck down, the present owner says by marine growth, but I'm not so sure. ( My Portuguese is a bit limited)
- The mast may not be original and has a couple of corrosion holes just above the whisker pole fitting
- Original coloured mainsail, but replacement jib
- Rudder is very loose in the cheek plates
- 50% of the extenal stowage hatch hinges have sheared
- Think it had an echosounder once, there appears to be a big lump of epoxy blocking a hull access below the sink
-The bulkhead mounted compass is full of very green fluid, I told the owner it resembled a depth gauge but he didn't see the joke.

I expect to buy it, just keep me sane.

So this post is really to introduce myself, and to warn you that some strange queries and requests may be on the way.

First question, "When I finally get the keel mechanism to work, does the drive rod come up into the cabin as the keel is raised, or does the fitting on the wishbone ride up the drive rod?"

Good Luck to you all

Pat Chilton

[gailnchris]

Hi Pat ..... You don’t paint a very rosy picture do you !! It does sound like you'll have rather a lot to do …….. hope you have help. That mast sounds a bit of a worry, the rest appears fixable though. I'm sure there will be plenty of suggestions on how to sort things out !!

Your first question is easy to answer, the keel mechanism does not wind 'up' into the cabin it just remains as you currently see it. Have you found the pictures ? To sort it out you will of course need to lift the boat out of the water and remove the keel which is 'heavy', do you have this facility available to you ?

Anyway, good luck ……. Let us know when you’re the proud owner of a Swift. Are there any more down there ?

Chris

(gailnchris)

[gailnchris]

Pat Can you post a few pictures before you start work ?

Chris

[lippizaneratlangstone]

Sounds like a reasonsable project to me providing the price is right. See " restoring a swift" in the members stories section of ww.eastneycruisingassociation.com
Good luck Nick

[Pat]

Many Thanks to Nick and Chris, I have some photos and will just include one that shows the sail number.

This site is fantastic!, I've downloaded the index from past newsletters - that was a monstrous amount of work for someone.

I'll have a look at the restoration website, I'm sure that it will thoroughly depress me.

There is assistance down here, but not from chandlers or boatyards. Everything will come from contacts and resources in the oil industry service firms and guys coming down frequently on their rotations from the UK. Maybe get a good line in stainless fittings and 1500 metre rated fenders.

Not sure about the cost plus airfrieght is for a new mast though!