SeaHawk - Cabin Options
Page updated 6 April 2009
Introduction
During its life, the SeaHawk was available with a number of different, optional, internal mouldings forward of the bulkheads. Foremost amongst these is the V-berth moulding for the four-berth boat and galley in the two-berth configuration.
V-Berth Moulding
Four-berth boats have a single moulding forward of the bulkheads. (That fitted to Penny, a 1985 boat, is seen above.) This is set higher than the quarter berths in order to maximise the available length for the additional berths. However, there is still insufficient length in the moulding itself to provide the base for two six foot berths, so eighteen inches of the quarter-berth space is used to extend the forward V-berth. This requires that the bulkheads be removed and a completely different mast bracing arrangement be fitted.
To retain full length quarter-berths these berths must also be extended by eighteen inches. The room needed is created by fitting smaller cockpit lockers and setting them further aft than on a two-berth boat.
The detail of the hatches in this example varies slightly from the undated technical drawing (532kb). It is known from this that the space under the central rectangular hatch is intended for a toilet. The circular hatch, seen in Penny, gains access to a recess some four to five inches deep. Some owners keep a washing up bowl in this space. However, the recess is set too low to drain overboard. There is no optional cooker mentioned in the 1986 or 1991 price lists, which suggests that none was expected to be fitted, and that the remaining hatches are for general stowage.
The price list for 1986, indicates that this was the only internal moulding available at that date. The 1991 price list offers only similar options. As no boat made by Moore has yet come to light in two-berth form, it is assumed that the galley moulding ceased to be available in 1979, when production moved to Moore's and that all Moore boats are the four-berth variety.
The cushions, seen here on "Pelican", required to take advantage of the four-berth moulding were themselves optional extras, so many boats never had them fitted. These appear to be the same type as those aboard Idun. However, it is worth noting that the brochure show the middle cushion in three pieces, so that the central section, where the toilet was designed to be fitted, could be lifted independently.
Galley
Undoubtedly the most common option in the original two-berth variant of the SeaHawk was the galley unit always fitted to the port side. (This example comes from the boat Clocharde.)
The moulding consists of a platform is designed to take a two burner cooker, with a locker underneath. Reedcraft used to recommend fitting an Origo spirit cooker, as keeping a boat "gas free" would keep insurance premiums lower, but a gas cooker was an option.
Forward of the cooker shelf is a circular bowl with drain. This part of the moulding is set necessarily high so that the base of the bowl remains above the waterline. The drain itself discharges beneath the water line.
The hand pump supplying water to the bowl is not an original fitting. As there is no provision for a water tank it was expected that owners would simply have filled the bowl from a portable container.
Toilets
A further option for a two-berth boat was to fit one of two types of toilet. This would be fitted to starboard forward of the bulkhead. Clocharde (below left), is an example fitted with a sea toilet. The alternative was an Elsan chemical toilet. If one of these was ordered a platform on which to stow the toilet was fitted. "Stow", because it was rather high to be used in this position. Such a platform can be seen in Jemima, the boat on the right.
Flock
The rare blue finish to the cabin of the boat on the right was a condensation-resistant option offered by Reedcraft in, at least, 1973. Another boat is known to have a similar brown flock finish. Applying the flocking involved charged Nylon fibres being sprayed on the specially coated hull. Electrostatically charging the fibres, as they were applied, meant that they stuck to the surface on-end, so forming a velvet-like finish to the hull.