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Atlantic Clippers that we have knowledge of.

We hope to include photos of them as they come forward!

We also understand there was a 30ft version??  anyone got any more info???

Yes says Peter of 'Viking Lady' again, The designer of the B 30 was John Sharp.

As it happens a set of moulds and a completed hull are for sale in Plymouth at the moment  (July 2008) £12,500, seems good value?  

They were built by Barbican Yachts, Plymouth and later by Armada Plastics Cornwall. The moulds were based on the Halmatic 30  hull but not the coachroof, that shape is different in window shape at least.

The hull was used previously for that 'Black Pig' copy by Phillips of Dartmouth.  See further down the page for the Atlantic clippers.  This hull  design and mould  is still around somewhere, anyone else seen it for sale recently.

Maurice did not approve of what Phillips did to his centreplate , they dropped the 'L' shaped 'safe' design.  As a result you will not find the Barbican mentioned by MG in his writings anywhere, he did approve of the bilge keel version and would have approved of what builders did subsequently.    So many had reported problems with the plate,  that in later years the sensible decision was made by the builder  to do away with it!  Many owners have copied this, the sensible ones!  Sad to say recently one owner has gone to great lengths to replace his plate and wrote it up for PBO.  He ignored the advice of the PBO experts and of other owners and replaced it with a galvanised plate with stainless fittings, a real recipe for corrosion.  Who is this man?  The man who claims to run the old eoa!  Sad he would not ask for advice, it's free.

John

You are spot on with your description of the centre board. Because of this concern about the plate dropping if the cable snapped, ours is designed in an L shape with a welded piece fastened onto the top of the plate.
The plate casing comes right up into the saloon and up to the top of the saloon table. It has a cover which is easily hinged up to reveal the haul up cable attachment. The L attachment prevents the plate dropping too far (about 45 degrees max) and it can be easily reattached from inside the saloon.
It is the centre board pivot bolt which is causing problems as it is under water and is inside  a pair of fibreglass tubes running from the centre board casing to the outside of the hull. I think it must have a crack as it started letting in water and came very close to sinking the boat just after Easter. Scary! It was sealed up with goo and is awaiting a major inspection next winter. There might be a similar arrangement on other MG boats? I would be interested to compare notes.

Justin

 

We are indebted to Bob in Holland for the scans of the Barbican leaflet here.  Bob is the  proud new owner of the Barbican   'Zeegenoot' below.

'Viking Lady'  A Barbican 33.  The new owners, registered with us,  Ray and Peter sailed her back to the River Exe, her new home, from Northumberland.  Is there a log for the Newsletter there!?

These pics are of her when she was for sale  in Northumberland.  She is one of the bilge keel versions of the Barbican, there could not have been many made. Maurice preferred this design, as the 'L' shaped centreboard he designed was not fitted to the other version.  The boat builders found it restricted their accommodation.

The Barbican 33 is based on the earlier Maurice Griffiths designed "Atlantic Clipper" hull, but with a much more traditional and attractive coachroof. They were first built in 1979, and were semi-custom built by Barbican Yachts of Plymouth to a high standard.  (Maurice did not design the upper-works on the Atlantic clipper, just the hull.)

The hull and deck are GRP. The full length ballast keel has a keel hung rudder and twin steel bilge plates, which allows drying out. Whilst Barbicans are certainly not racing machines, they are not slow. They have a good record of long-distance cruising, and for quality construction. The interior fit-out is, as might be expected, with solid deck fittings, designed for safety and comfort at sea, as well as when moored.    

The last pic to the left was sent in by Karen who was bird watching in  September 07 and caught Viking Lady making good headway in a full gale!  Powerful craft you have there!

We will leave her on the pages so all know in future. Peter says she is actually moored a few miles away from his home, in Watchet Harbour!

November 2011. Update.

I saw the photo of Ellen Grace and the accompanying script from which I gather that more information about her is needed!

I bought Ellen Grace in the Spring of 2009.  She was indeed berthed at Watchet at the time.  In July that year I sailed her to my home port of Waldringfield on the river Deben in Suffolk.  For the past two Winters I have been working on her very hard, to bring her to my requirements.  I still have much to do, but she is "getting there"!

As to her provenance, she is, as you say, designed by  "Holman and Pye".  However, I think she is a very typical "Kim Holman" design.  The hull was originally designed in the very early `70s by Kim Holman, with a ketch rig.  This was a composite boat, with wooden coach roof on fibreglass hull and decks.  This design was called the "Super Sovereign 35" and was built by Upham`s Yard in Brixham, (at the time, Kim Holman`s brother was running the yard I believe).  Kim lived and worked from Maldon, but was originally from the West Country.
Then Kim Holman  designed a new taller rig for the boat as a sloop, on the same hull, and this is the Barbican 35.  Unlike the composite Super Sovereign 35, the whole boat is made of fibreglass.
She is an excellent very powerful sea boat, and lives up to the typical East Coast description of Kim Holman: "He never designed an ugly boat, nor yet one that did`nt  goo!"

Ellen Grace is:
35ft O.A.
26ft L.W.L.
5ft draft - long "full length" keel,
10ft beam
7,4 tons Displacement.


John Castell

John we are greatly indebted to you for supplying this information, a fine boat indeed!

John

'Red Dawn IV'   33ft  Owned by Rodney and Elizabeth Leaper. Still involved with the other lot, shame really.  A Barbican centre boarder.    Snapped sailing in company with the EOG on it's way to the Southend Air Show May 2005.

     These pics courtesy of the previous owner.  what a smart looking vessel!  A credit to you sir!

June 2011. Peter has just contacted us to inform us he has part exchanged her for a Beneteau in the Med and that she is now up for sale there.   We hope the new owner comes forward soon. good sailing Peter.

I have been told also that the 'long keel' simply relates to the centreboard version without the board.  Good option I should think, but I also wondered if this version was any 'deeper' in the keel?  Anyone know? Yes we have heard from an owner.  The long keel has exactly the same length and depth keel as the others, but no centre board, nor bilge keels.

Keith Worsell is the owner, January 2011.

She is the long keel version, the builder not fitting that troublesome centre plate that caused MG concern.

This at present un named Barbican, ex 'Diane II', shown here in Haslar Marina whilst enroute from Cornwall to Essex April 2011, in the hands of new owners Nigel and Heidi.  we are going to see more of this boat.  She has the centreboard and the owners are well aware of the possible problems, so will be interesting to hear how she performs with and without it.

A plea for help!  Can any one help, please mail Gary.

I need to know if the centreboard, on the Barbican 33, is slotted to fit over the pin or does the pin pass through a hole in the board?  On most centre boarders, the board has a slot to slide over the pin, so as to make for easy removal. 

I need to remove the board, on my Barbican 33, when she comes out of the water.

Barbican 33 'Rose Emma' 

Gary Griffin sologg at btinternet.com

As far as I am aware the pin passed through a hole and the pin has to be removed before the plate can be removed too. Avoid dissimilar metals if renewing or are you removing plate and filling in the gap, many have.  One I saw, 'Avalon',  also fitted a small bow thruster to assist in tight corners, said it worked a treat and they were pleased to do away with the troublesome board!

John

October 2011

Atlantic Clippers

Advert from  1974, look at the price!

The owner of 'Siffleur' reckons there were 54  Clippers made and another  3 sold as bare hulls, including 'Siffleur', not a bad total.

There is a lot of TLC needed, but it could look a character boat if someone cared...

November 2007, update..  Olly has just been in touch, she was purchased by his late father and now he is trying to sell her, could be on our pages in the near future.  If you have a lot of energy and pennies to spare she could make a good solid cruising boat, with a difference!   I would love to see her painted with fake gun ports and a parrot on the stern!

Feb 08 update, Olly has sold her via our pages...

We now have a name for her, 'IT'  Sounds a little odd, but I hope Tony will tell us more.  We believe she sails the west coast of Scotland.  Another boat for a Skye Meet?

'IT'  sports a slightly different wheelhouse now, looks good too.

Hi John,
The last clipper on the site is 'Louan' from a couple of years ago when she was for sale by the previous owner,
I attach an up to date photo,  (left!) but will provide a better one when we get her sailing again in a couple of weeks.
Regards,
David
 

Hello, I have an Atlantic Clipper which I keep at Hythe near Southampton.

I would love to get in contact with other owners with a view to fitting an effective wind vane.

Can you help? 

Mark

Owner Mark is reluctantly selling her.  See the Boats for Sale page of the site.

Tip from Mark.... 

Yep, the board will stick if pulled all the way up into the box but if allowed to poke out of the box a little they do not jam. I used to keep the old girl at Kemps Quay, a mud berth and once I learned this trick it never jammed again.