Does the year of manufacture make much difference?

[Raya]

Welcome Kelpie. Yes, 1976 sounds about right. You live in a great area to sail an Investigator.
I haven't come across number #16 before, so one more to add to the list. #002 is pictured in one of the articles on this forum.

[Sevenducks]

I just wanted to tag this onto the discussion about sail numbers. I am looking to purchase a 563 and looked at one in the back of a very dark and dingy shed yesterday. The current owner sailed her once and backed her into storage. She is well set up with electrics and autohelm. Unrolled the main to find a sail numbS sail No 150. Does anyone on the forum have any knowledge of this un-named boat? Does not show on boat registers on the forum.

Cheers

[Ozzie]

Raya should get back to you soon Sevenducks. What generaL area are you in? Sometimes tracking a boat is complicated by name changes. At least at 150 you are at the end of the production run and all the mods that the builders considered an improvement have been made. Do you have a pic?

Anyway welcome to the forum.

[Bill]

Hi everyone, just joined the forum as I have a boat that I'm reluctantly getting ready to sell at Port Stephens. When both of my knees are working, my back gives in on me, so she only leaves the garage for rego checks - which is just a waste.

But first - I see that Geoff has Missy #111 in his collection. My sail number is the same, either that or the Roman numeral III

Is there a way for me to check? I was going to post a photo but I can't work out how!

Thanks,

Bill (Wild Goats ummmm #111???)

[Geoff]

Hey Bill,

Pretty sure Missy is #111, but let's try to sort out the mystery.

First, to post a photo, reply to post as per normal, and in the section under the Submit button you will see a tab called Attachments. Click on that one and go from there. If you need more detailed help keep asking until we make it happen. First question, does your front hatch have one or two hinges on the top?

[Bill]

Thanks for getting back so quickly Geoff,

I think I've got it....

My hatch has two hinges. The sail has a maker label "LEE Sails". Not the old 7.30 host....

[Geoff]

Took me a minute....

Twin hinge means it's definitely not #3.

The thick plottens.

I will get Missy's sail out later today and check it out.

Apart from sail numbers we have little to go on, as few of the boats had hull numbers, I think only some of the earlier ones.

One possibility may be that one of our earlier owners upgraded their sails and onsold the old ones to the other. But which way?

[Bill]

We may never know! If it jogs anyone's memory, an old name still visible as a shadow on the hull was "Firefly".

Unfortunately, it might end up being a mystery for someone else to ponder - as I've been putting off parting with the old girl for too long now.

Fancy a matching set of #111s?

[Geoff]

Hi Bill,

Twins!

Funny you should say that. I will be putting Missy up for sale very soon. Simply not getting used.

As far as which is the real #111, I will do some searches through old forum posts. Missy has been sold twice that I know of as #111, BUT...

I took pics of my sails, numbered 111 same as yours. But I would think mine are older, as the Melbourne sailmakers phone number is pre-STD.

One train of logic would be that if you had new sails made, and were selling any, you would most likely sell the old ones. Which would mean your hull is #111. Not an absolute, but seems logical. But now we have the name Firefly to search for too.

[Geoff]

Hi again Bill,

I just had a yarn to a previous owner of Missy. He is convinced that Missy is #111. He bought her from Frankston Vic back in the 2000's which ties with the sailmaker on these sails. But that doesn't help with the mystery of yours. He was as surprised as we are that another boat has the same sail number.

Also I can't find any references to Firefly on the forum

So no closer.