Scroll down for some pictures of my latest madness.
"Those who travel the fastest see the least, but he that would see, feel, and hear the most of life, nature, and God, let him go down to the sea in a small sailing vessel."
-- L. Francis Herreshoff (1925-1971).
The pictures of the boats below are all recent. I have sold a few and bought a few. So far, it looks like the Guppy, the Little Dinghy and possibly the Sparrow are the keepers.
I was playing with fishing and fishing boats then bought my first sailboat on 6/3/2006. Now I have 5 as of 7/30/2006.
1974 Guppy 13' pocket sailer. Hull # 4 of about 300 built by Melen Marine in 1974 & 75. This one had extensive keel damage and is being repaired now. I hope to have her on the water this summer.
You can follow the progress HERE
1974 O'day Widgeon. My first sailboat and easy and fun to sail. This one will be sold on eBay. I am looking for a 16 or 17 foot daysailer and will use my little dinghy for solo sailing.
Sold 8/20/06 eBay # 150022078175
And here's the little dinghy. 8' long with a Sabot sail rig. It will move in the slightest breeze and handles heavier winds and gusts easily. Not a lot of room but a relaxing sail and fits in a pick-up bed. I will be redoing the wood, adding foam flotation and devising a kick-up rudder for this one. Definately a keeper.
Bought 6/27/2006
This is a 1995 American Aqua Finn, a 14 foot daysailer similar to a Sunfish. It had never been in the water until I got it. I sailed boats like this in Vietnam 35 years ago. This little boat is really fast.
Sold eBay # 150022069406 8/20/2006
As found. 1970 (or so) Sparrow 12' shoal keel sloop rigged sailboat. This boat is supposedly what the Guppy was copied from. The history is a little murky. The story is that Melen Marine ordered Hull # 3 and used it to make a mold for their Guppy. The court didn't agree and ruled in favor of Melen. This boat is Hull # 4 of about 50 built. She's a little threadbare. Lots of work to do.
You can follow the progress HERE
As she looks now. Cleaner, new carpet on trailer bunks, new bearings and bigger wheels on trailer. Maiden voyage 8/5/2006. She did OK. Not fast by any means and I used the sails she came with. The next time, I will try the Guppy sails and will have new lines and blocks. The wind on the little canyon lake is gusty and changes direction rapidly so it might not have been a true test. I was able to sail to windward pretty close and not having much experience is a big help as I am satisfied with any progress.
Bought 7/30/2006
And here's another. Too good of a deal to pass up. She is a 1964 W D Schock 15' 4" Snipe one design class racer. Schock produced 165 of these between 1963 and 1970. Much of the wood is in rough shape but the hardware seems to be OK. The mast is good, it has a wood step, is about 25' tall and is tapered at the top. The trailer is solid but needs a little work (Don't they all?). I will probably dismantle the boat and keep the trailer.
Bought 8/14/2006
And here's another. She is a 1979 Siren 17. I just had to have this. A little bit larger pocket cruiser, beachable and not too common in the states. Built in Canada they are popular there and there is a good number sailing .
Bought 9/28/2006