@voltair
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Rather late to join the debate, perhaps, but cockpit drains were always an insoluble problem aboard Voltair… that is, until we decided to do away with them. The 5 cm of freeboard between cockpit floor and sealevel was always a worry, and was one of the reasons we never took Voltair across an ocean. One only needed a couple of cubic metres of water into the bilge, such as one might get if a big sea carried away the windscreen, the waterline lowers a couple of inches, and the drains become fountains, if you sail with them “on”. The pitifully small pipe diameters certainly were not going to clear a cockpit full of water!
If one had an engine-room fire, the plastic pipes were quite possibly going to melt, and then “down she goes” if you aren’t quick to turn them off.
We even discussed the idea of cutting port and starboard “letter-box” openings into the hull a few inches above the floor level, and letting cockpit water out that way, but it seemed a bit of a drastic experiment!
So we turned them off at the end of our first season, and “off” they remained for the next 16 years!
On Voltair, we had a slightly odd-shaped cockpit table which fitted into the space in your photo. One had to remove the port side door down to the cabin in order to install it, but it was just the job for supporting the glasses and canapes as we all got warmed up before dinner. The rod could be to lock a somewhat different table into place, perhaps.
Ours was a fairly late hull, so if yours is an early one, perhaps there was some development going on for this table during the period of production.
Hello Marilyn – the strainer on Voltair was about an inch in diameter and was bigger than the pipe connecting it to the outside world. When we got the whole lot clogged up with jelly-fish in southern norway, and the engine overheated, we were able to poke our wooden fuel-tank measuring stick down the middle of the whole lot to push out the debris. That stick was about ring-finger diameter, which gives a clue as to the size of the through-hull.
Having spent some time with Kevin at Thamesway who repaired two gearboxes for us over the years, he said they could get quite hot with all those planetary cogs whizzing around and that cooling the oil down definitely made a difference to the animal. Perhaps this was considered more necessary in the warmer waters above 25C than it was in temperate climates – both our breakdowns were in the mediterranean! The other thing we noticed when we bought the yacht was that the usual doubling of the jubilee clips on flexible pipes which go to through-hulls stopped as soon as you got to the strainer, which was just as deep in the water as the through-hull. In fact, the whole gearbox and raw water pump was below the waterline, so we used up quite a lot of jubilee clips doing belt and braces exercises. The pump still dripped though, so we also drilled a wine-bottle cork sized hole in the sump to drain it to the bilge (another thread, I think), and ran with nappies under the engine to catch the inevitable 4-108 oil leaks.
One of our many learning experiences aboard Voltair concerned the roller furling of the Genny, using the Harken Mark 1 furling system. First of all, our tendency was to pull the jib halyard up too tight (some of our crew used to sail GP14 dinghies which use the sail luff as a forestay) and then we found we couldn’t furl or unfurl it.
Having overcome that problem by slackening the halyard just enough, we got over the first 5 years of ownership without looking too closely at the swivelling mechanism at the top. However, one day, Robin and crew, who were at about 69degrees North, well up into the Arctic Circle, wanted to loose out a bit more sail and immediately had a hailstorm of plastic balls from “upstairs”, most of which ended up in the sea. … and of course the sail fell down and had to be taken off!
To cut a long story short, we replaced those damn balls three times while we were in Scandinavia, but gradually we got more cunning, and re-worked the awful Mark 1 swivel into a unique Voltair design that did not have the same reliance on 0.030″ of engagement of circlips into grooves as the designer somehow thought would be adequate. The last time we had a shower of balls was in 2008, when we were heading south to Gothenburg, and were just north of the island of Marstrand. I was skippering, and got on the phone to Robin in England to find out where the Swedish agent for Harken hung out……… by the time he found the answer, we were berthed up for the evening in the town. Where was the sole source of Harken parts in Sweden? “on a small island called Marstrand”, said Robin – neither of us could quite believe our luck! Within an hour Erich Hagen, the MD of the Swedish subsidiary, and his wife were aboard, bringing with them 70 more of the little (but expensive) torlon plastic bearings, and consuming a large GnT. We discussed the problems with the unit, and finalised our ultimate modification to avoid further disasters.
Ten years (and no more hail) later, Voltair still has what I think must be the only serviceable Mark 1 Harken swivel in existance (my card-index says it was a “1-1841”) whatever that is, and Joe, the new owner, has some spare plastic balls in a poly bag…
It was always too heavy a pull to furl or unfurl the jib in any breeze by just pulling on the rope as it came off the turning block, but this was right by the primary port sheet winch, so we used that to haul it in/control it paying out, and installed a rope clutch just in front of the turning block to stop it. (One of our pals had, on a charter yacht in the Aegean, lost a large chunk of index finger into a turning block that was only “protected” by a jam cleat after the turning block, so we installed the clutch before the block to make sure this couldn’t happen on Voltair)
John Kingsley – October 2018
Of course, it is a matter of experience and expertise with GRP, but I would have said it would be REALLY DIFFICULT to make a new hard top, unless you had another one to copy from or from which to make a mould. The joint line between hard top and windscreen top is complex and the seal here is critical to stopping the waves getting in. Also, establishing the cut-outs for the sail viewing panels and mounting the latter in a waterproof manner will also be quite tricky, as well as positioning and creating the sockets for the tubular rear supports.
Certainly NOT a job I would like to undertake!
Poppy and Voltair were both for sale over the winter in Suffolk Yacht Harbour. Although I meant to, I never got around to looking over Poppy to see how she compared to Voltair, but I do know she won’t have any problems with elderly teak decks – because she hasn’t got any!
Have a look at this link from Clarke and Carter http://clarkeandcarter.co.uk/boats-for-sale/all-Sail/?AdvancedKeywordSearch=nic%2038
There is a picture and link for full info.
Regards, John Kingsley
Ex-part-owner of Voltair
Voltair was sold last month to Joe Reece from Lancashire. Joe has already joined the group, so I guess I should find out from Marilyn if Robin and I can still make posts here, or if Joe is to take our slot, as it were.
We wish Joe many happy years of sailing Voltair in UK waters, many of which she hasn’t visited for quite some time.
The breather on the main tank will put diesel into the bilge if you fill it fuller than 38 imp galls. I don’t think this breather is higher than the top of the wing tank, so if you just leave the wing tank valve open, I think you will fill the bilge! For sure, once you remove the dipstick plug in the main tank, you will get an eye-full!
Hello Ed & Gil – we have exactly the right boat for you – albeit on the wrong side of the atlantic. If you would like to do some creative northern cruising – in Norway, for example, Voltair has all the experience and charts etc you need!
And we are selling very cheaply because we are too old and decrepit to continue.
Or of course, you could use the first season to get her across the pond and up to Nova Scotia….. maybe we should offer to help with the delivery.
For stainless steel sheet metal work made to order, try Ray Andrews on 07866-560770, MD/owner of Midtherm Ltd (ray-at-midtherm.com) who is a lifelong sailor of big and small boats, and all-round good sort. I don’t think you will find him expensive.
John Kingsley (Voltair)
OK – it’s gone past the end of February and we didn’t put the price up, only in our minds!
We have now refitted the refurbed starter motor to the 4-108, and it works perfectly, along with the engine which we tested on 23-Mar-18.
We also repaired some frost-induced leaks in the hot water circuit to the heads/shower from the gas water heater.
We also checked the function of the Eberspacher 3Kw blown hot air system, which is also working perfectly.
Now we need a buyer or partnership to take over the boat before the season starts. NO OFFERS REJECTED OUT OF HAND SO PLEASE GET IN TOUCH via 07836-596771 or jksenex-at-gmail.com
As an update to the post about rebuilding the Brookes & Gatehouse anemometer, I’m pleased to report that we refitted the unit to Voltair last Thursday, and it works a treat.
Anyone with a similar problem, contact John on 07836-596771
A further update on Voltair – currently on the hardstanding at Suffolk Yacht Harbour, with a For Sale sign on her.
Have now refurbed the starter motor and solenoid and am looking forward to putting it back together come the spring.
And I’m also fixing the B&G anemometer which has been rather reluctant to spin in lighter winds recently.
Other than that, if you want a real bargain, make us an offer before the end of February, as once the season begins, the price will go UP by £10,000.
Hello Ollie, and good luck with the re-decking! When Voltair was in Ireland in 2003 we met a guy at Kinsale called Curt with a Nic 38 in which he had done some ocean sailing. He had raised the cockpit floor before setting off, and I think he was glad of it, having had one or two big waves aboard during the crossing. His e-mail address at that time was <happytrails@eircom.net>
One of the reasons why, having got to Gibraltar, we went into the Med rather than across the Pond, was concerns about the drainage of the centre cockpit. The guidelines from (I think) the DOT on cockpit size and drain capacity make interesting reading.
From memory, he had raised the floor about 10cm, which was about as much as he wished to do without raising the deckhouse roof as well.On Voltair, we bought her with a shaft brake fitted already. But this was pretty weedy, and a real fiddle to engage and disengage, so we took it off. It also got in the way for accessing the sump.
Then we found that if you engaged gear (forward or reverse) BEFORE turning the engine off, it locked the shaft. In the book it says not to do this, because the engine restart can be hampered or prevented by the locking of the shaft. We never found a problem in practice, but if you got a rope around the prop and everything was tight, things might be very different.
More an update than a reply: Voltair is now at Suffolk Yacht Harbour a few miles upstream from Felixtowe on the northern/eastern bank of the River Orwell, and just a few miles from Ipswitch. Robin skippered the last cruise she made a few weeks ago, reaching Tower Bridge and St Katherine’s Dock before turning downstream again. She has now been hauled out and Clarke and Carter are agents for selling her. Robin reported everything working well upon his return, and the wheelhouse hood has been re-windowed and fettled. Now she just needs a buyer, and as we have her on sale at a very low price, we hope to find one soon. The ad is at http://www.yachtworld.co.uk/boats/1972/Nicholson-38-3107379/United-Kingdom#.WXikL1GQzIV
Hello Duncan, and welcome to the forum. Judging by the topic listings on the side-bar you have a few to choose from at present.
Voltair’s name isn’t among them on this site yet, but we do have a For Sale ad posted with loads of pictures on YBW at http://www.ybw.com/buy-and-sell/boat/yacht/cruising/w/uk/worcestershire/worcester/voltair-1972-epoxy-sheathed-glassfibre-ketch-cw-courtesy-flags-of-17-countries-477501.html#backlink-url:/buy-and-sell/boat/w/query-voltair/#search-url:/buy-and-sell/search/advanced/?region=w-marine&view_type=standard&sort_method=score&sort_direction=desc&category=236&type=1&page=1&per_page=24&price__unit=4831&length_overall__unit=4828&beam_measure__unit=4828&draft_measure__unit=4828&max_speed__unit=4953&cruising_speed__unit=4953&query=voltair
OMG – what a mouthful that lot is! Hopefully it will work if you cut and paste, or maybe it will publish as a hyperlink. Or search the YBW ads for Voltair (there’s just one).
Would I take Voltair transatlantic tomorrow? No, I wouldn’t. But in 2018 with some mods, maybe. If you would like to contact me direct, I’ll explain why.
John Kingsley 01299-404153, 07836-596771, or via our website at http://www.voltair.org.ukEven with the very low freeboard of the 38 at the gates, we have not found a good ladder that I recommend to our crew/guests. My co-owner risks life and limb using a hook-over dinghy ladder hooked over the toe rail at the gate, but I only ever use this on the back of our dinghy and then climb up on to the yacht from there. We also have a horrible dark-blue coloured concertina ladder made of plastic with hull-holdoffs located by detents in the rungs. My co-owner won’t let me throw it away, but I won’t let anyone use it when I am skippering.
Hi Jeff – yes, an air strut would help to keep the hatch up when needed, but I would really prefer to get the part off the frame and machine it properly in the workshop so it works like the original – you push it up, set it and do up the knobs. The other problem with using a gas strut would be it would be difficult to lay the hatch wide open and not on the struts – necessary for fire exit from cabin and saloon in case of cockpit fire, and also impossible to fit wind scoop. Trouble is – boat in Greece – owners in UK! Maybe next time we lay up (which may be the last, as we have a “for sale” sign up now) I should remove the complete hatch and bring it home or at least take a coupla days extra and take it to a workshop where I could fix it.
Hi Darren – have you already spent some time aboard a Nic 38?
If not, and you want to get the feel of it before committing yourself to purchase, why not come and join us on Voltair on one or more of our legs in the Adriatic next season.
At the moment, we (Robin and I) jointly own and share 50-50, but are looking to expand to 3 or even 4 shares, or (as we have already done a 15 year stint) an eventual sale.
Voltair has been to a high proportion of the interesting ports in Western Europe during our ownership and is currently exploring the western and central Med. She is in Preveza, Greece, right now, on the concrete ready to re-start in April, we think.
Website is at http://www.voltair.org.uk/voltair/
though once I’ve fixed it, it will change to http://www.voltair.org.ukRegards, John Kingsley
Hi Don – where are you located and how much time can you spend away from home?
Robin and I are looking for a boatshare candidate for Voltair for 2016 with possible sale thereafter. Voltair is peripatetic but is currently in Preveza, Greece, awaiting an Adriatic adventure next season.
Interested? Contact me at jksenex[at]gmail.com
Not yet, but our foredeck hatch is badly crazed and one of the hold-up legs is U/S. If you find out how to get a new one, I’d be interested too!
I don’t remember a hatch in the saloon though…… Where is that on Conche?I spoke to Derek yesterday and he told me he had sold all his Neco bits. So, Hello to anyone with a Neco to dispose of, we would still like to get a spare control unit so we can keep our almost-perfectly-working main unit in repair next year.
Thanks for that suggestion, James. I think we thought we would have a hard time motoring up the Rhone against the current, which I understand can be 4-5kn. If you have a book title, I will research this idea.
If we are neighbours in Preveza, (are you in Aktio also?), with experience of the area to the north in Croatia, we ought to have a chat…. that’s where we are thinking of going next season.
My direct e-mail is jk@aegis-ceramics.co.uk (as you can see, I don’t visit this forum very often)On Voltair (4-108) we have always used Gates “Extra Service” belts type 6568 EXL (AVX13 x 1088La) costing about £15 each. However, although the length is just right (easy to change without removing anything) we do chew through about 1-2 per season and cover the engine compartment in black dust, so I am not convinced these are optimal.
One problem is that different makers measure the belt length differently (it’s not always the length around the outside of the belt which is mentioned). We noticed this in Ireland (where else?) when we couldn’t get our usual type.
John Kingsley
