gordon wrote:Hello,

Just thought it might be worth posting a thread with regards to my Interglass Birchward Thunderball that is now up for sale. You could count the amount of use on one finger in 15 years (terrible I know). It is garaged and is in good knick for a little classic. The boat will come complete with 2 X Crescent 25Hp engines and trailer. If anyone is interested in giving it a new home please by all means contact me on gordon_iddon@hotmail.com and / or reply to this thread as I am looking to get rid sharpish to create garage space.

Hope this boat will appeal to you ladies and gents,


Regards,


Gordon

Intereseted in your thunderball,
Please pm me or call 07831-655-722
Best Regards
Grant

You are back then Grant!

Yes
Back now Geoff,back on line after dropping my mobile in the med trying to launch that little white dingy with the 10hp merc in the sea on the ruffist day I thing we saw out there anyway,missed you chaps and the days out you've all had,
Look forward to seeing you all soon,
P.s I think the cmba and all its members should uplift there roots and live in the baleric island of ibiza where the boating weather is just perfect everyday,lets have rally out there!!!
Grant

Hi Grant

Are you suggesting we get all the CMBA boats that want to go to the Balerics (wherever that is, I thought it was a rash) tie 'em together and head South in a Euro version of the itchen and Scrathin' run.

Sounds good but it aint gona work is it. Let's face it we have enough trouble keeping afloat with the engines running 100 yards from the shore and some boats only carry enough fuel for 15 miles maximum . My boat's no longer sinking you'll be pleased to hear but it's drinking enough 4**** to make up for it.

It was a nice thought anyway, and it's good to hear from you Will we be seeing you at Cardiff

Al

Hi Al,Im pleased to hear the Centry is sorted,are you taking it to cardiff?
Just trying to talk the wife into cardiff,she wants s to do a U turn back to Ibiza with a more suitable boat in toe,but Im sure we will be at cardiff Al ,
Not sure if we're going down the stay in a tent road or not yet,
1/ We havent got one and
2/ Lara's frightened of spiders!!! and peeping toms!!!
:perfect

Apologies for ressurecting a long dead thread but i am not sure if this has been discussed before , anyway i was re-reading an old CMBA magazine , yes i know i lead a sad life , issue No 19 Winter 2002 on page 12 is an intersting article on the story of Healey marine by Bic Healey . He writes about the introduction of the Sprite model :-

" DMH (Donald Healey) had , in the meantime , paid another of his regular visits to the United States and brought back a very pretty ski boat .From which we took a mould and commenced production after we had carried out exhaustive tests on the original hull. This became the Sprite which became very succesful. "

This very pretty boat Healey procured from the states must have been the Glaspar G3 ? Dont think there can be any other candidate, so there we have it .

Also in the article is a reference to the " waterproof black and white checked trim, produced by a trimmer in Birmingham " of the original healey sprite upholstery , this is interesting as this exact same trim appears on the Interglass Thunderball on moonman's very original example .

Yes, was the G-3, think the patent application that Tritt submitted was granted in '59, so a good bit of foresight from Healey who produced them from 60-62 I think. A few other european manufacturers produced the G-3 under licence, or modified the styling in some way. The Healey Sprites differ from the centerdeck Thunderball and the later Thunderski, particularly the folded deck where it meets the transom. This is good in that the genuine article is recognisable and would cost a lot to fake.

http://archives.fiberglassics.com/g3/glassparg3.html

Rapier wrote:This is good in that the genuine article is recognisable and would cost a lot to fake.

Is there any point in trying to replicate the healey ? The detail differences are very small . This is my next point , its a good odds on bet that the Interglass/Birchwood utilised the same moulds as the healey .
Dont believe the sprite justifies any greater cachet or indeed increase in value ?

They used the same moulds bar the treatment to the deck described above, internally stringers differ too. The market for the Healey Sprite boats will always be greater and trade better than that of the Thunderball/ski as there were few made and anyone with a Healey car of that period would desire one just for the combination - I know of one that got shipped to the states recently (!) - not sure where my count got to of the genuine ones...around 10 I guess. There are 4 in the club with the ex-Banton salvaged boat somewhere out there...I know of 7 Thunderballs/skis of which 5 are in the club. The market hasn't been set yet and it'd be a lot lower now, but the toe in the water was the repaired one Chris was paid out for and that was on the market for £7K I think...At that price it is possible to take a genuine boat and re-mould it. All the trim is available including the odd screen it had, so even a bare hull can be built up.

G-3 copies, with separate sponsons are available here too, I bought one a few years ago, that I had to leave it behind due to a rather nasty trailer, but have spotted another 3 on ebay since then.

From my point of view the copies handle just as well and if 4 seaters (back to back rather than front and rear configuration) are much more usable. Regardless, they are exceptional rough water boats once sorted and can take on a lot where less capable and larger boats are heading for safe harbour. Oh, and the G-3 was hull rated to 52mph, not bad for a sub 14ft boat...

Agreed on the possible construction differences below the floor , between the models . Although i have not personally seen below the floor of any healey sprites .
As to the value , i think the insurance payout of the boat you discuss was very very optimistic , and can in no way be a correct market place indication ( in my opinion) .
7k for a piece of 60s glass with a badge on the side ?