Life is hard. We endure stress at all levels and of all types. We all experience the weight of daily pressures which unabated crush the spirit and will. In today's world, we need to escape and find peace and rejuvenation. Beautiful moments help; a lovely sunrise, a soaring falcon, the smell of rain. Nature restores our hope, our will. That is the beauty of sailing. For those of us lucky enough to have been at the helm, with full sail and heeling, harnessing the wind with majesty, the connection to nature is visceral. No stress of the world can exist in the presence of awe.
The mountains offer much the same peace, but somehow, to me, they are lacking. To climb a peak and stand upon the summit can somehow leave you wanting. With a long trip down, countless peaks around you are unfazed by your accomplishment. The return to the car, to home, to civilization can be a shocking realization that your stress never left, that it was here waiting for you.
The end of a sail to me is different. No matter the voyage, bringing the boat in the channel, the marina, maneuvering into the slip, tying up, always gives the same satisfaction. You walk away when all is properly stowed and secured, look back at your vessel with confidence, and resume your "other" life. Sailors have an alter ego. Aboard and underway, nothing else matters. Nothing but a safe return to port.
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Friday, December 12, 2014
Catalina 27
There is a Catalina 27 available to me if I want a project. It has a good engine that is at present out of the boat on a bench having been gone over. An Atomic 4. The boat also has brand new sails never sailed. But it's been sitting outside 10 years so it's rough. It is solid tho, the deck sounded out solid. The sails are worth a minimum of $500. The engine another $500. $1000 would get the engine installed (maybe less). Then the clean up and repair of the interior and exterior begins. Pressure wash, compound and wax the hull. I think the topside has been painted, not sure. If painted you wouldn't compound it, just cleaner wax. It could be repainted. Maybe another $500 for wood repair in the cabin including new companionway boards. Figure another $500 for wiring and batteries. And on top of it all it need to be moved. It is across the street from a marina with a travel lift, but she's sitting under a tree where the lift can't get to it. If a cradel was built under it, the cradle could be dragged out far enough to get the boat with the marina's lift. That would entail buying 4x4's for the cradle and $300 or so for the lift. You could get a flatbed trailer and haul the boat yourself on a flatbed home.
In essence it would be a minimum of three thousand to put together. The Catalina 27 is a nice solid vessel tho for daysailing and weekends. I hate to see decent boats waste away in yards and at marinas. For years I dreamt of a sailboat and daily am thankful for the chance to play with boats. So if anyone wants a project or a delivered boat let me know. I would at least advise you on what needed to be done.
But lets talk...I'll keep asking...
In essence it would be a minimum of three thousand to put together. The Catalina 27 is a nice solid vessel tho for daysailing and weekends. I hate to see decent boats waste away in yards and at marinas. For years I dreamt of a sailboat and daily am thankful for the chance to play with boats. So if anyone wants a project or a delivered boat let me know. I would at least advise you on what needed to be done.
But lets talk...I'll keep asking...
Bradenton Florida Sunshine.
Hi Sailors,
Last winter was just about the last straw for me and cold. Though Pilgrim is still in Maryland I made it to Florida. While convalescing I'm researching the market for good blue water boats. Once you have a feel for what makes a good ocean boat you can really gauge the (your own) value of production boats.
A friend wants a cruiser to retire on. A boat that can go anywhere, handle great and be comfortable. This friend also wants a solid boat that will be as trouble free as possible.
In any search with intent to purchase there is a budget, and of course the higher the budget the wider the scope of the search. And boat size is a huge factor in todays market. With a thorough search you'll see prices all over the place for boats up to 30'-34'. It seems they are a dime a dozen. If a 32' will suite you you'll have leverage in your negotiations. There are ample boats for sale. In this size you may find a fantastic boat for under $10,000 (either sail-away condition or after your upgrades). An example of the kind of buys you can find would be the Camper & Nicholson's Nicholson 33 found at a local marina. After several conversations about the CN which had been in arrears for storage payments for years the Marina owner said he'd take $2000 for her (and she was easily worth $10.000, the engine was like new.) But as I owned 4 boats then, a fifth wasn't feasible. Not successful finding a buyer for her, she was chopped up for her lead. That was a boat with a very interesting pedigree. American production boats pale in comparison to a high end world cruiser. The Camper was 33' long. In the dime a dozen neighborhood. She slipped through the cracks.
In a search for a larger boat, 37' or larger the market stiffens. Great buys are there, just not so frequent. So I'm looking for a boat for a friend. A woman who want's to retire and not have renovations or upgrades to worry about. She want's a boat that will hold it's value, be comfy and sail great and mostly be safe.
Pearson, Catalina, Hunter, O'Day, these are all nice lake Erie boats, Chesapeake Bay boats. Not what this buyer needs. Hallberg-Rassy, Nautor Swan, Shannon, Morris, Camper & Nicholson, Oyster Pacific Seacraft, Baltic...quality sells and holds it's value. With the first group, a boat that's worth $25 thousand can be had for under or around $10 thousand. In the second, a boat worth $200 thousand and up will drop to $130 thousand or so. Still beyond the average weekend sailor.
For a world cruiser safety is of paramount importance. On the ocean there is no rescue you can count on. And the ocean is full of flotsam and jetsam. Everything is encountered from huge containers that have fallen off of freighters to islands of plastic. If a fiberglass boat hits a container in the middle of the night the hull could break and the boat sink. If a steel boat hit a container in the middle of the night you be thrown to the deck, everything would be thrown around, you'd have dents to pound out...and sail on you way. That is why I believe steel.
So the search was on for steel boats. Oscar Estevez, a marine mechanic and shipwright friend, said many steel boats are made privately as one offs. The finest come from the Dutch. I've found a few interesting ones. One is a Denis Ganley design, the Stratos 46. Pilot house, sleek lines, beautiful interior. Cutter rig (which I prefer). Here's one I found that is interesting;
http://www.sailboatlistings.com/view/27821
Another interesting designer is Tom Colvin, and his designs the Gazelle and the Pipistrel. There are several around, some Gaff and some junk rig. Here's a Junk in Guatemala that's beautiful:
http://guatemalariodulce.com/boat%20for%20sale/colvin%2060/colvin-60-for-sale.html
There are several one offs out there. One is the Harderwijk 40, built in Gouwzee, The Netherlands. This is a Pieter Beeldsmijder design. His designs are quite impressive, tho most of what I've found online is in Dutch. He she is, and I've also posted additional pics of it on my Google+
http://www.sailboatlistings.com/view/44347
I've found several other what look to be really sound steel vessels of interesting design if anyone is interested.
As I always request, I'd love some dialog here. Share your knowledge, questions or observations. Sailing stories. Boat horror stories, repair travails...or music stuff...
but jump in!
Last winter was just about the last straw for me and cold. Though Pilgrim is still in Maryland I made it to Florida. While convalescing I'm researching the market for good blue water boats. Once you have a feel for what makes a good ocean boat you can really gauge the (your own) value of production boats.
A friend wants a cruiser to retire on. A boat that can go anywhere, handle great and be comfortable. This friend also wants a solid boat that will be as trouble free as possible.
In any search with intent to purchase there is a budget, and of course the higher the budget the wider the scope of the search. And boat size is a huge factor in todays market. With a thorough search you'll see prices all over the place for boats up to 30'-34'. It seems they are a dime a dozen. If a 32' will suite you you'll have leverage in your negotiations. There are ample boats for sale. In this size you may find a fantastic boat for under $10,000 (either sail-away condition or after your upgrades). An example of the kind of buys you can find would be the Camper & Nicholson's Nicholson 33 found at a local marina. After several conversations about the CN which had been in arrears for storage payments for years the Marina owner said he'd take $2000 for her (and she was easily worth $10.000, the engine was like new.) But as I owned 4 boats then, a fifth wasn't feasible. Not successful finding a buyer for her, she was chopped up for her lead. That was a boat with a very interesting pedigree. American production boats pale in comparison to a high end world cruiser. The Camper was 33' long. In the dime a dozen neighborhood. She slipped through the cracks.
In a search for a larger boat, 37' or larger the market stiffens. Great buys are there, just not so frequent. So I'm looking for a boat for a friend. A woman who want's to retire and not have renovations or upgrades to worry about. She want's a boat that will hold it's value, be comfy and sail great and mostly be safe.
Pearson, Catalina, Hunter, O'Day, these are all nice lake Erie boats, Chesapeake Bay boats. Not what this buyer needs. Hallberg-Rassy, Nautor Swan, Shannon, Morris, Camper & Nicholson, Oyster Pacific Seacraft, Baltic...quality sells and holds it's value. With the first group, a boat that's worth $25 thousand can be had for under or around $10 thousand. In the second, a boat worth $200 thousand and up will drop to $130 thousand or so. Still beyond the average weekend sailor.
For a world cruiser safety is of paramount importance. On the ocean there is no rescue you can count on. And the ocean is full of flotsam and jetsam. Everything is encountered from huge containers that have fallen off of freighters to islands of plastic. If a fiberglass boat hits a container in the middle of the night the hull could break and the boat sink. If a steel boat hit a container in the middle of the night you be thrown to the deck, everything would be thrown around, you'd have dents to pound out...and sail on you way. That is why I believe steel.
So the search was on for steel boats. Oscar Estevez, a marine mechanic and shipwright friend, said many steel boats are made privately as one offs. The finest come from the Dutch. I've found a few interesting ones. One is a Denis Ganley design, the Stratos 46. Pilot house, sleek lines, beautiful interior. Cutter rig (which I prefer). Here's one I found that is interesting;
http://www.sailboatlistings.com/view/27821
Another interesting designer is Tom Colvin, and his designs the Gazelle and the Pipistrel. There are several around, some Gaff and some junk rig. Here's a Junk in Guatemala that's beautiful:
http://guatemalariodulce.com/boat%20for%20sale/colvin%2060/colvin-60-for-sale.html
There are several one offs out there. One is the Harderwijk 40, built in Gouwzee, The Netherlands. This is a Pieter Beeldsmijder design. His designs are quite impressive, tho most of what I've found online is in Dutch. He she is, and I've also posted additional pics of it on my Google+
http://www.sailboatlistings.com/view/44347
I've found several other what look to be really sound steel vessels of interesting design if anyone is interested.
As I always request, I'd love some dialog here. Share your knowledge, questions or observations. Sailing stories. Boat horror stories, repair travails...or music stuff...
but jump in!
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Tilghman Island Day
Hi Readers, Again I apologize for being absent. Here on Tilghman cell service is sketchy so I've been out of touch. I'm on a wifi connection in the hotel so I'll take this opportunity to check in. I hope to be connected frequently from now on. Pilgrim is here, still inching toward completion. I also have a Catalina 27 waiting to be restored after sitting for years. That is on the back burner awaiting fro now.
So if you have any questions lets address them. Live-aboard questions, cruising questions, dog issues onboard, sailboat repair or purchase questions. Sailing stories.
Tilghman Island Day is October 18th. Oyster season starts today. The first oyster buffet here at Harrison's Chesapeake House is this friday. The early autumn weather as been beautiful. This is the time to visit! One of the cool events will the workboat docking contest. These skippers are amazing here. Get a ride on a 100 year old working skipjack. Eat the freshest oysters you've ever seen every way possible.
You can bring a camper or a tent, Harrison's has 50 nice rooms, or you can sail in and dock here. Come on for the authentic Chesapeake Bay festival!
So if you have any questions lets address them. Live-aboard questions, cruising questions, dog issues onboard, sailboat repair or purchase questions. Sailing stories.
Tilghman Island Day is October 18th. Oyster season starts today. The first oyster buffet here at Harrison's Chesapeake House is this friday. The early autumn weather as been beautiful. This is the time to visit! One of the cool events will the workboat docking contest. These skippers are amazing here. Get a ride on a 100 year old working skipjack. Eat the freshest oysters you've ever seen every way possible.
You can bring a camper or a tent, Harrison's has 50 nice rooms, or you can sail in and dock here. Come on for the authentic Chesapeake Bay festival!
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Pilgrim's Log
With Pilgrim's launch imminent, it is a good time to review, project and begin to chronicle our (Pilgrim's, Gabe's and mine) adventures. You are invited to follow along and participate with comments.
It has been two years since purchasing Pilgrim. With a long list of obvious needs and hidden other needed repairs before Pilgrim would be cruise ready finances would only allow what seemed incremental progress. But now, at long last, those myriad unrelated loose ends are neatly tied and bundled into a whole; a beautiful Tartan 37.
One question I've pondered since taking ownership of Pilgrim was the bottom. As ablative paint (according to some) needs 10 mph to actually ablate, on sailboats it isn't as effective as powerboats. I prefer hard paint you can scrub and clean without being in a cloud of toxic haze. But Pilgrim had ablative paint on her hull, and hard cannot be painted over ablative. So I scraped and sanded all the existing bottom paint off. In doing so I discovered the tiny blisters that caused my two year mind freeze. Some said they were insignificant, that blisters are not life threatening. But bottom problems are the first thing a buyer asks about. If I'd ever want to sell she'd have to be sound, so as a matter of protecting my investment I searched for the best answer for Pilgrims bottom.
The Tartan 37.com web site has been a great place to learn about the boat. Owners are active and post their repairs, questions and experiences working on their boats. On the site it is noted that if a T37 has a bolt in the bottom of the rudder it indicates the rudder is saturated and the owner had attempted to drain the rudder while on the hard. Pilgrim had the rudder bolt, so there was an obvious problem. Another problem to dwell and research for the best answer. In the spring I attacked the rudder, dropping it and cutting it open (as others on the T37 site had done and chronicled). This was a great decision, the inside foam was saturated. So I gutted the rudder and cleaned it up, and went back to dwelling to best repair. The poor gutted rudder has sat forlornly beside Pilgrim since spring, and people were wondering if I'd ever fix it.
Jeff Hickman of Bayside Boatworks has done several bottoms here at Gateway Marina as an outside contractor and his girlfriend works here so I've gotten to know both. Jeff is as hard a worker and as diligent as anyone I've met, a rare quality today. He's also extremely busy and in demand. With his expertise obvious I sought his opinion on Pilgrim's bottom. Jeff had been around for a month, we'd talked a good deal. When I asked for his serious recommendation Jeff was apologetic in his explanation in that he hated to tell me what I needed. A complete bottom job is really expensive. A 38' sailboat bottom job he did here this summer had cost $14,000. Jeff knew I couldn't afford that. In the conversation we walked over to the rudder which was hollow and cut open. For him, that was nothing, easy, but a pain. He usually wouldn't rebuild rudders because they are time consuming and not profitable. But seeing my trepidation in proceeding with the rudder repair he offered to do mine free, to bail me out.
The common solution for blisters is to "barrier coat" the bottom with epoxy paint. All paint must be removed to do so. But under the paint were the blisters which could release and flake off the expensive epoxy defeating the purpose of the project. So were I to proceed, I'd be wasting my time. Jeff said at minimum I should peel all the gelcoat (the white coating over the raw fiberglass). That would thin my bottom but eliminate the blisters. He said it wouldn't be ideal but better than I was. I agreed and he offered to peel the bottom on a Sunday and do it for as little as he could. So I went ahead with that step.
As he peeled Jeff became convinced I should mat the bottom with fabric, the expensive proposition mentioned above. As his conscience dictates his actions he offered to do my bottom at a price I could afford. I bought the materials and saved. Did what I could to save. He worked it in around other jobs so I saved. End result; Jeff is my hero and Pilgrim has a better than new bottom.
That problem had been daunting, and with it's resolution everything else is falling into place. With help from other friends who are working free or cheap Pilgrim will launch this week. As Gateway doesn't have a diesel mechanic and outside contractors must be approved and pay to work there Pilgrim will launch and be towed to Knapps Narrows Marina where my friend Oscar works. There we'll get the engine all squared away and finish the other projects on the list.
The tow from here at Gateway to Knapps is covered because I spent the extra $30 for unlimited gold BOATUS towing. With it you get free marina to marina towing for 25 miles. Wednesday or thursday (if we decide to let the bottom dry another day) Pilgrim will head out of Gateway finally.
So after the work is completed at Knapps, I have to decide where to go. My friend Allen has said he wants to sail her to Florida and/or the Islands (maybe from Beaufort to the islands offshore). That may happen. Hank Hinckley has invited me to Maine to learn the boatbuilding business. That may happen. I love the Chesapeake area and with the Espar furnace we are installing in Pilgrim wintering aboard would be feasible. So that could happen. As of now I don't know. I'm open to anything...a feather in the breeze...or more aptly a leaf on the water....
So follow along, add comments, ask questions, see where Pilgrim ends up!
It has been two years since purchasing Pilgrim. With a long list of obvious needs and hidden other needed repairs before Pilgrim would be cruise ready finances would only allow what seemed incremental progress. But now, at long last, those myriad unrelated loose ends are neatly tied and bundled into a whole; a beautiful Tartan 37.
One question I've pondered since taking ownership of Pilgrim was the bottom. As ablative paint (according to some) needs 10 mph to actually ablate, on sailboats it isn't as effective as powerboats. I prefer hard paint you can scrub and clean without being in a cloud of toxic haze. But Pilgrim had ablative paint on her hull, and hard cannot be painted over ablative. So I scraped and sanded all the existing bottom paint off. In doing so I discovered the tiny blisters that caused my two year mind freeze. Some said they were insignificant, that blisters are not life threatening. But bottom problems are the first thing a buyer asks about. If I'd ever want to sell she'd have to be sound, so as a matter of protecting my investment I searched for the best answer for Pilgrims bottom.
The Tartan 37.com web site has been a great place to learn about the boat. Owners are active and post their repairs, questions and experiences working on their boats. On the site it is noted that if a T37 has a bolt in the bottom of the rudder it indicates the rudder is saturated and the owner had attempted to drain the rudder while on the hard. Pilgrim had the rudder bolt, so there was an obvious problem. Another problem to dwell and research for the best answer. In the spring I attacked the rudder, dropping it and cutting it open (as others on the T37 site had done and chronicled). This was a great decision, the inside foam was saturated. So I gutted the rudder and cleaned it up, and went back to dwelling to best repair. The poor gutted rudder has sat forlornly beside Pilgrim since spring, and people were wondering if I'd ever fix it.
Jeff Hickman of Bayside Boatworks has done several bottoms here at Gateway Marina as an outside contractor and his girlfriend works here so I've gotten to know both. Jeff is as hard a worker and as diligent as anyone I've met, a rare quality today. He's also extremely busy and in demand. With his expertise obvious I sought his opinion on Pilgrim's bottom. Jeff had been around for a month, we'd talked a good deal. When I asked for his serious recommendation Jeff was apologetic in his explanation in that he hated to tell me what I needed. A complete bottom job is really expensive. A 38' sailboat bottom job he did here this summer had cost $14,000. Jeff knew I couldn't afford that. In the conversation we walked over to the rudder which was hollow and cut open. For him, that was nothing, easy, but a pain. He usually wouldn't rebuild rudders because they are time consuming and not profitable. But seeing my trepidation in proceeding with the rudder repair he offered to do mine free, to bail me out.
The common solution for blisters is to "barrier coat" the bottom with epoxy paint. All paint must be removed to do so. But under the paint were the blisters which could release and flake off the expensive epoxy defeating the purpose of the project. So were I to proceed, I'd be wasting my time. Jeff said at minimum I should peel all the gelcoat (the white coating over the raw fiberglass). That would thin my bottom but eliminate the blisters. He said it wouldn't be ideal but better than I was. I agreed and he offered to peel the bottom on a Sunday and do it for as little as he could. So I went ahead with that step.
As he peeled Jeff became convinced I should mat the bottom with fabric, the expensive proposition mentioned above. As his conscience dictates his actions he offered to do my bottom at a price I could afford. I bought the materials and saved. Did what I could to save. He worked it in around other jobs so I saved. End result; Jeff is my hero and Pilgrim has a better than new bottom.
That problem had been daunting, and with it's resolution everything else is falling into place. With help from other friends who are working free or cheap Pilgrim will launch this week. As Gateway doesn't have a diesel mechanic and outside contractors must be approved and pay to work there Pilgrim will launch and be towed to Knapps Narrows Marina where my friend Oscar works. There we'll get the engine all squared away and finish the other projects on the list.
The tow from here at Gateway to Knapps is covered because I spent the extra $30 for unlimited gold BOATUS towing. With it you get free marina to marina towing for 25 miles. Wednesday or thursday (if we decide to let the bottom dry another day) Pilgrim will head out of Gateway finally.
So after the work is completed at Knapps, I have to decide where to go. My friend Allen has said he wants to sail her to Florida and/or the Islands (maybe from Beaufort to the islands offshore). That may happen. Hank Hinckley has invited me to Maine to learn the boatbuilding business. That may happen. I love the Chesapeake area and with the Espar furnace we are installing in Pilgrim wintering aboard would be feasible. So that could happen. As of now I don't know. I'm open to anything...a feather in the breeze...or more aptly a leaf on the water....
So follow along, add comments, ask questions, see where Pilgrim ends up!
Friday, October 25, 2013
Busy Fall
After a summer of deliberation and chance I've focused on the Tartan 37, my beautiful "Pilgrim"and she is nearly ready to launch. I decided to have the bottom shaved and reglassed which was the cause for delay. Very expensive and extensive job. Now Pilgrim has two layers of fresh 1808 DBM laid on with vinylester, and a 6 coats of Mil Spec industrial epoxy. I had bought Inter-protect 2000/2001, but the bottom expert recommended the Mil Spec so I returned the Interlux product. I have at the moment 4 coats on, 5th today, and last tomorrow followed by bottom paint.
Concurrent with the bottom we've been finishing the other projects. All "stuff" works now. All through hull hoses replaced. Bilge pump and shower sump working. fuel tank pulled, scrubbed and re-installed. New pintle made and rudder re-made. Chainplate area wetness cut out, repaired and re-caulked, cushions being re-done with recycled leather...
Still a long list, including installing the Espar diesel furnace. All the rest can be done in the water though, and I'm planning on launching Tuesday or Wednesday.
After launching, I really have no idea what I'll do...
This bottom procedure was performed by
Bayside Boatworks (baysideboatworks@yahoo.com). 410-271-2057
The owner and proprietor of Bayside, Jeff Hickman, invented the shaving machine he uses and is the best around. If you have any blister concerns he's the man to call.
here are pics of the projects;
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Boat/ Yacht Hauling
Hey Sailors! Sorry I've been so quiet, I've been busy working on the Hinckley (which I sold to Hank Hinckley!) and the Tartan 37 which I've decided to keep. We shaved the bottom (see pic) of the Tartan and are going to apply double layers of fabric this weekend.
But to the point of this post, my friend Doug Morrison hauls boats/ yachts overland. Up to 50 foot long and 20,000 pounds. If anyone needs a boat hauled let me know. At the moment Doug is in the San Francisco Bay area and is looking for a load to go north from the California to Washington....
So how was your sailing summer? Tell us your sailing stories!
The best Chesapeake sailing is upon us, the next
month is spectacular...get on the water!
But to the point of this post, my friend Doug Morrison hauls boats/ yachts overland. Up to 50 foot long and 20,000 pounds. If anyone needs a boat hauled let me know. At the moment Doug is in the San Francisco Bay area and is looking for a load to go north from the California to Washington....
So how was your sailing summer? Tell us your sailing stories!
The best Chesapeake sailing is upon us, the next
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