Python 27 TSDY is it a classic or just an old boat ?

[TopDonkey]

I've bought myself a Python 27 (8.1) with twin perkins 4107's, i havent been able to find any information on the python boats or toughs of teddington boatyard who built the boat in 1976.

But what i wanted to know, is have i bought a classic cruiser ?, or have i just bought an old boat !, i'm not worried either way, as i am going to restore it and use it and plan to moor it in poole harbour eventually, but it would be nice to know if there are any other python owners around or any more information about the boat of the make ?

 

[Tranona]

Just an old boat. You can call it a "Classic" if you want to as there is no clear definition (in relation to boats) as to what it means!

Get it working and enjoy it.

 

[TopDonkey]

Thanks, i thought as much, i just wondered whether to post questions in the classics section, or the normal sections, i guess i know where to post at least now even if i still know nothing about the history of the boats !

 

[DownWest]

If it is made of wood, then questions are more likely to get results here than on the mobo section.

 

[miket]

Python 27

Built by Toughs of Teddington at the same time as their Cobra 33.
From memory it was a deep V hull really designed for larger engines and higher speeds than your Perkins 4107's will provide.
Good tough (sic!!) hull. Some were bought as hull/ super' for completion elsewhere.
For use at sea around Poole I would want some convincing that the engine/ hull configuration worked.
Enjoy.

 

[TopDonkey]

Wooden boats are a bit beyond my ability for restoring and maintaining, i am ripping the whole of the front cabin out and starting again as all the wood is well beyond its best before date, and there is no bathroom on this boat either which i found very strange, so i am putting one in when i redo it, just a simple shower and loo will do me

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Wooden boats are a bit beyond my ability for restoring and maintaining, i am ripping the whole of the front cabin out and starting again as all the wood is well beyond its best before date, and there is no bathroom on this boat either which i found very strange, so i am putting one in when i redo it, just a simple shower and loo will do me

I know nothing about motor boats, but be very careful - some of that wood you're ripping out may be structural - especially any bulk-heads or longitudinal elements.

 

[TopDonkey]

It doesnt look like a deep V to me, more of a cross between a semi displacement and a V hull, have a look at these 2 pictures to see what you think, there are 2 of them in use on the isle of wight, so i am assuming that they are good at sea as they dont have many rivers over there to use them on !, nearly all of the ones i have seen have twin perkins 4107's although there is 1 that has twin 150hp petrol engines in it

Dont worry, i'm not taking out any bulkheads !, i am replacing one as it is rotted through, but i am using it as a template and will replace it exactly the same in 18mm marine ply sheathed in fiberglass and glassed into the hull, the rest of the woodwork is just cupboards, the kitchen area and the seating on the other side that are comming out, none is structural

 

[Sequoiah1]

I've bought myself a Python 27 (8.1) with twin perkins 4107's, i havent been able to find any information on the python boats or toughs of teddington boatyard who built the boat in 1976.

But what i wanted to know, is have i bought a classic cruiser ?, or have i just bought an old boat !, i'm not worried either way, as i am going to restore it and use it and plan to moor it in poole harbour eventually, but it would be nice to know if there are any other python owners around or any more information about the boat of the make ?

I think they are quite stylish and very much a design of that era. Sounds like the engines are a little small but that would be just about right for a river/estuary boat. I always liked the look
and their sturdy appearance. I think yes an old motorboat and though not of the same pedigree as some I would bet the hulll design is based on the work by Ray Hunt. Nice boats and am sure it will provide you with a great sense of enjoyment. I notice the hull looks very similar to the Dell Quay Ranger but never having looked at either up close it would be hard to say there was a connection...................

 

[dunmor]

the guys you brought this boat off, they didnt by any chance drive a yellow three wheeler and were called the trotter brothers ?????

 

[penfold]

By any normal definition that is a deep vee hullform; it will need plenty of power to plane, but will probably be a good seaboat.

 

[TopDonkey]

the guys you brought this boat off, they didnt by any chance drive a yellow three wheeler and were called the trotter brothers ?????

At £2200 i thought it was a bargain, it was sold with a full explanation of what condition it was in, so i'm happy with it

 

[TopDonkey]

By any normal definition that is a deep vee hullform; it will need plenty of power to plane, but will probably be a good seaboat.

I'm hoping it will be a good sea boat as thats where i plan to use it !, i'm not too worried about whether i can plane or not really, even if it could, i am in no rush and would plod along at displacement speeds anyway

 

[TopDonkey]

I think they are quite stylish and very much a design of that era. Sounds like the engines are a little small but that would be just about right for a river/estuary boat. I always liked the look
and their sturdy appearance. I think yes an old motorboat and though not of the same pedigree as some I would bet the hulll design is based on the work by Ray Hunt. Nice boats and am sure it will provide you with a great sense of enjoyment. I notice the hull looks very similar to the Dell Quay Ranger but never having looked at either up close it would be hard to say there was a connection...................

It was the looks and the aft cabin that drew me to it (as well as the price!!!), for extended stays onboard you cant beat an aft cabin on a smaller boat !

I have had a look at the ranger hull, and it does have its similarities in design, but the ranger is blunter and more modern in design

 

[penfold]

It was the looks and the aft cabin that drew me to it (as well as the price!!!), for extended stays onboard you cant beat an aft cabin on a smaller boat !

I have had a look at the ranger hull, and it does have its similarities in design, but the ranger is blunter and more modern in design

Not terribly modern, unless the 1960s are modern to you? The flare that your boat has at the bow will mean you get less spray over the bow when travelling at speed(Rangers and their kin the Christina and Fairey Huntress are deep vees, but can be quite wet as the upper bow lacks flare to keep down the spray).

 

[TopDonkey]

Not terribly modern, unless the 1960s are modern to you? The flare that your boat has at the bow will mean you get less spray over the bow when travelling at speed(Rangers and their kin the Christina and Fairey Huntress are deep vees, but can be quite wet as the upper bow lacks flare to keep down the spray).

lol !, no, i was born in 72, so i never knew the 60's !, in fact, the boat is about the same age as i am

Good to hear that i will get a dry ride in her at sea, its at least a few months away from going near the sea at the moment anyway, but i'm looking forward to the trip from reading down through london and round the south coast to poole already

 

[miket]

Spray no worry.

I would guess that full chat will be around 8 knots, possibly 10. After that you will just be pushing water with too little power to plane. So no worries of spray!!

 

[apollo]

Hi

"Who Dares" was based on the Upper Thames as I have passed it many times. Thats probably why it has tiny engines in it as it only ever poodled around.

My father had a Cobra 33 which was the bigger version from the same company.

I remember being told that they used the same hull moulding for both boats with a "fill-in" used for the 27 foot boats hence they are the same width as the 33footers.

My father's had 145hp X 2 and was easily capable of planing.

Things to be aware of...

1. The Hull is made of a Balsa Sandwich ie the thickness of the hull is because it is GRP with Balsa wood layer in the middle. If one of the skin fittings moves or leaks and water gets into the balsa wood bit, you gotta problem. My father had to scrape out the rotten wood and fill with GRP resin.
2. As others have said they were available as DIY Hull and Superstructure and hence some of the fit-outs are terrible. My fathers was actually fitted out by Toughs themselves.

The Tough family are still resident in Teddington, they just dont have the yard any more and I think Bob Touch who ran the company recently died.

I believe the hull moulds were sold to somewhere like Turkey (or at least Mediterranean)and were made as Police or Customs boats due to their speed.

You got a bargain for that price, i have seen them for sale in the mid teens.

Enjoy it!

Mike

 

[TopDonkey]

Wow !, thanks Mike, thats a lot of extra information for me to go on !

My hull isnt a balsa sandwich though, i have completely ripped out the kitchen area yesterday so have bare hull in the middle bit of the boat (living room area!!?) and i removed 2 of the skin fittings and its just fiberglass and nothing else, its only about 9-10mm thick.

The previous owner passed away sadly, and his widow sold the boat on to reading marine services where it appears to have split the port exhaust hose and sunk, they craned it out, pumped it out and flushed the engines with diesel and thats when i bought it.

Its not too bad really, but i am updating pretty much all of the boat, including moving the bathroom and shower to the mid cabin instead of the aft cabin, and swapping the sitting and kitchen areas over as i dont want the shower directly under the helm.

I'm also thinking of putting new more powerful engines and outdrives in to make it a bit better at sea, but i will get it running on its current running gear and run it to see how it performs, my previous princess 32 only had a single volvo md22 in it and could push 10-11 knots, so a smaller lighter more powerful boat such as mine should be at least a little bit faster i would have thought ?

 

[apollo]

My hull isnt a balsa sandwich though, i have completely ripped out the kitchen area yesterday so have bare hull in the middle bit of the boat (living room area!!?) and i removed 2 of the skin fittings and its just fiberglass and nothing else, its only about 9-10mm thick.

Trust me it is, not the "whole" hull but in many sections. In my dad's case it was around the rudder stocks and certainly up the hull sides - he had a side vent in the loo and that was couple inches thick there.

The previous owner passed away sadly, and his widow sold the boat on to reading marine services where it appears to have split the port exhaust hose and sunk, they craned it out, pumped it out and flushed the engines with diesel and thats when i bought it.

Thats where I have seen it, yes rings a bell.

I'm also thinking of putting new more powerful engines and outdrives in to make it a bit better at sea, but i will get it running on its current running gear and run it to see how it performs, my previous princess 32 only had a single volvo md22 in it and could push 10-11 knots, so a smaller lighter more powerful boat such as mine should be at least a little bit faster i would have thought ?

Those are Enfield Outdrives and you will have to change them too if you want to put more powerful engines on it as you are alomost at the limit of the power they can take (approx 60hp diesels I think.) You might be better off looking for some second hand Volvo outdrives on http://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk
It looks like the engines are quite close together as well, so that will define what engines you can fit.

Enjoy the boat.

Mike