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Grp Ent. How slow?
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jonh View Drop Down
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Posts: 6 		Post Options Post Options   Quote jonh Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Grp Ent. How slow?
    Posted: 02 Apr 15 at 12:16pm
I am currently fighting a losing,and seemingly endless,battle against rot in my 30 year old Enterprise .I would love a newer FRP boat, but can't afford one.I use the boat for pleasure sailing and club handicap racing but I am definitely middle of the fleet.I know that wooden Ents are reckoned to be faster than the older GRP boats but by how much?If I fit the decent sails,mast and foils from my current boat will I be totally uncompetitive in a GRP version?What do people think?
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JimC View Drop Down
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Posts: 6662 		Post Options Post Options   Quote JimC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Apr 15 at 12:45pm
The worst thing about the old grp boats is that they tended to leak like sieves. In particular the tanks never seem to keep water out. Capsize and find you're in a semi submerged plastic hulk.

So you may well find the rot is less work than trying to keep an old glass boat vaguely seaworthy, and you're just fighting another losing battle, but with much less congenial materials.

Edited by JimC - 02 Apr 15 at 12:52pm
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JohnJack View Drop Down
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Posts: 246 		Post Options Post Options   Quote JohnJack Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Apr 15 at 1:03pm
In short Yes. I don't think GRP boats were ever that competitive.
The older GRP boats tended to adsorb allot of water, so tended to gain weight..... allot of weight. They also went soft quite quickly.
Something you don't want in what was meant to be a lightweight racing boat (for its time) which runs high rig tensions.
There are plenty of old GRP hulls around that may be in better condition, usually a few on ebay, might be worth switching.
A boat with a decent finish on it can last outside quite well, as long as it is stored bow up so water doesn't pool in it
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gordon1277 View Drop Down
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Posts: 665 		Post Options Post Options   Quote gordon1277 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Apr 15 at 3:08pm
Hi
We have a hull sitting in our club you can have just take it away.
Not paid its berth fee and despite various phone messages, letter etc no response.
Gordon
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sawman View Drop Down
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Posts: 205 		Post Options Post Options   Quote sawman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Apr 15 at 7:02pm
I started sailing in the 1980's in enterprises, at that point the GRP boats were pretty poor - even brand new they were not considered very appealing. We had a new one at the club probably about 21000 number and it was dog slow out of the bag.

FRP appeared in the late 80s and these boats were initially pretty quick, but I dont think they help up very well. I think these boats were moulded from a known fast boat, which was a better shape than the original grp holt boats

I'd probably stick with wood
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The Moo View Drop Down
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Posts: 809 		Post Options Post Options   Quote The Moo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Apr 15 at 10:13pm
We have a Rondar FRP sail no 22542 circa 20 years old with wooden decks and buoyancy bags based on Tony Prior hull shape. When new it was minimum weight. We have put some decent sails on it and at Club level it is very competitive.Purchased boat last year. Not silly money to buy.

If you can find one in half decent nick buy it.

Edited by The Moo - 02 Apr 15 at 10:30pm
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jaydub View Drop Down
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Posts: 267 		Post Options Post Options   Quote jaydub Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Apr 15 at 10:36pm
Rondar FRPs were based on a Prior Hull, Holt / Speed on a Ovi Hull.  Some concern over water take up I seem to recall, so might be worth weighing.

Don't buy an old GRP one,  They were slow when new and got even slower as they got older.  Stick with wood if you have to buy a boat of that vintage.
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fab100 View Drop Down
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Posts: 1005 		Post Options Post Options   Quote fab100 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Apr 15 at 12:33am
Time to move on. An MGB or Triumph Herald Vitesse may have been the best on offer in  1973 too, but were, like the Ent, soon eclipsed. The quality of those early grp Ents was akin to a  red-Robo Morris Marina Friday afternoon special.

At least GPs now have double-bottoms to go with kite, but also go try a Rooster Graduate, a Nat 12, a rs200 and 400,  a Lark, a scorpion,  even a firefly if balletic roll-tacks are your thang, before committing to Ent-brand-loyalty-above-rationality.

Personally, having sailed them all, I'd choose any of those before a good Ent, never mind a clunker Ent.
Great book for Club Sailors here
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alstorer View Drop Down
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Posts: 2899 		Post Options Post Options   Quote alstorer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Apr 15 at 6:44am
oh great, another thread where people use GRP and FRP to mean different things... when one is a subset of the other
-_
Al
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davidyacht View Drop Down
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Posts: 1345 		Post Options Post Options   Quote davidyacht Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Apr 15 at 9:02am
Originally posted by alstorer

oh great, another thread where people use GRP and FRP to mean different things... when one is a subset of the other

FRP = Fancy reinforced plastic, leaves scope for sandwich, carbon, Kevlar, boron, graphene etc.  

I think that many realise that the generic GRP largely refers to Bucket and Brush technology mainly using polyester resins, chopped strand mat and woven rovings (if you were lucky).  Boats like this are very strong but not very stiff.

Impossible to put an absolute time frame on the advent of FRP as we know it, since Bungy Taylor was building Finns in epoxy pre-preg in the 70's (going on to build Sauber f1 cars in a similar manner) and Ovi 14's in the early eighties.  And no doubt Jim will tell us that Skiffs were built with Nomex in the nineteenth century.

The Ent question is asked a lot on the Solo board, generally it is accepted that the Winder FRP boats were the step change in performance.
Happily living in the past
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