Ariel #417 (IRIS)

[ariel417]

I just Bought my first sailboat, a 1966 Pearson Ariel #417. She is in relatively good shape for the age and price. She came with a new full batten main, spinnaker, new sail covers, new vhf, tiller tamer, marine stereo and a nice new stainless folding ladder. The decks are solid, zero soft spots and all attachment points to the deck are solid. The boat is currently not named so that will have to be taken care of.

She is in sail away condition as soon as I get my motor, I just bought a Tohatsu 6hp outboard online. Other than the motor she is ready to go except for tlc. and minor (to me) maintenance.

The port lights leak a little, I will have to re-bed them and or replace. I will be installing new running rigging and replacing the old lifelines. The motor well/lazarette needs paint really bad, but that is a personal preference and not entirely necessary. I'm in dire need of some new dock lines as well. It would please me to refinish the deck with new paint but the marina where it is at requires full tenting so reluctantly that will have to be put off until I can figure out something later. After moving aboard I will be getting rid of that goofy alcohol stove and going with a decent propane stove setup where the tank is stored on one side of the engine well lazarette. Will a 20# tank fit in the lazarette?

I plan on cruising the Chesapeake until next winter and then head for a warmer climate. I have been wanting to buy a sailboat since 2007 and now after lots of saving, reading and planning I finally did it. I will be living aboard and I love the simplicity and all the nice storage drawers and locker on the Ariel. I kind of dislike that it does not have some sort of dedicated dinette or fold down table like some other similar boats. I plan on putting $5000-$7000 to get her to bristol shape and cruising condition. There is still the original icebox, which to me is an entire waste of precious space.

When buying and looking I took many things into consideration. The criteria was, a seaworthy and proven design, not too big or small, keel hung rudder or skeg hung, a tiller arrangement and in good sound condition for a good price. I don't think I can have done any better from some of the other neglected vessels I have seen. Other candidates to fit the bill were CD-25, CD-25D, CD-27, Alberg 30, 28' Pearson Triton. I really wanted a Triton, those certainly do look yar. Well, especially for my first "real" sailboat I think I made the right choice. I have previously owned a small Hobie catamaran and borrowed my neighbors 14' pram from time to time and that's about the extent of my sailing experience. This is certainly bigger and I am impressed with the huge amount of storage where the inboard is supposed to be. I will be filling it with provisions. As a bonus I still have space left over for my scuba gear and (2) 80CF tanks.

I plan on setting her up for cruising, adding a bow roller and a good bit of chain and a new gen anchor. I was thinking about a bollard/bit setup like on faith, I have a dilemma the deck it seems like there isn't much room for a bow roller unless I reconfigure the setup on the bow. Pics to follow. Questions and comments are welcome.

One more question. The scupper/sink drains have NO SEACOCKS! That, to me is terrifying. How would I go about resolving this issue? Since it appears to be hoses clamped to a tube of glass. Even right now as I type this, there is possibility of catastrophic failure even though everything appears to be in good shape with good clamps.

-TD

[ariel417]

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[ariel417]

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[ariel417]

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[ariel417]

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[ariel417]

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[ariel417]

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[ariel417]

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[mbd]

Welcome, congrats and a very impressive 1st post! We love the pics around here. Looks like you found a nicely cared for vessel. The newer sails are key too, which I'm sure you know. You mention wanting a fold down or dinette table - in post #5 it looks as the the PO made some sort of arrangement that attaches to the locker and drawer faces? Any more pics of that?

[ariel417]

Welcome, congrats and a very impressive 1st post! We love the pics around here. Looks like you found a nicely cared for vessel. The newer sails are key too, which I'm sure you know. You mention wanting a fold down or dinette table - in post #5 it looks as the the PO made some sort of arrangement that attaches to the locker and drawer faces? Any more pics of that?

Well I set it up, it was a custom table the PO made. there are rails you can see in the photos, the table also has a rail and can be fitted anywhere along the track. It works but it would be a pain because it blocks access to the vee berth. It will do for the time being, I would resort to crawling under the thing instead of removing it every time. A small fold down table would make sense, maybe 1.5'W x 2.5' L, folding down from the hanging locker. That seems to be the biggest issue with the Ariel, no dedicated table where you can sit and do things. I like the quote, was it Patton? "Make do, do with or do without." Seems fitting to my life...
Great forum by the way.

[mbd]

I know what you mean - I picked up a table from a CD 25 and am going to set it up the same way it is in the CDs.

[Bill]

One more question. The scupper/sink drains have NO SEACOCKS! That, to me is terrifying. How would I go about resolving this issue? Since it appears to be hoses clamped to a tube of glass. Even right now as I type this, there is possibility of catastrophic failure even though everything appears to be in good shape with good clamps.-TD

There is much discussion on this question. Please use the search function. Not great, but it will answer most of your questions -- before you need to post.

[Tony G]

I agree with Mike. Welcome aboard, what a great find, what a great first post and we definitely like pictures here. She looks to be clean and well cared for and it sounds like she has found the right hands to fall into. Your future plans sound like the right way to spend the summer and I am most curious as to where you are headed to avoid the cold.

Ditto on what Bill says too. There are volumes here on just about any topic regarding these boats. It has almost gotten to the point that it takes a fair amount of time to wade through to find the answer you need. But it's a great way to spend a winter's night.

[ariel417]

I agree with Mike. Welcome aboard, what a great find, what a great first post and we definitely like pictures here. She looks to be clean and well cared for and it sounds like she has found the right hands to fall into. Your future plans sound like the right way to spend the summer and I am most curious as to where you are headed to avoid the cold.

Ditto on what Bill says too. There are volumes here on just about any topic regarding these boats. It has almost gotten to the point that it takes a fair amount of time to wade through to find the answer you need. But it's a great way to spend a winter's night.

Well, I'm planning on spending the summer around the Chesapeake where I don't know. I am still looking for a place to relocate my boat where the rates are reasonable for my lifestyle. I would expect to pay 7.50-8.50 per foot and will require a liveaboard marina. I am open to suggestions for where in the Chesapeake I can get the best rates,amenities, and freedom to tinker with fixing things on the boat.

I plan on heading down the coast, looking for good work along the way. I hope to stop into Jacksonville for a while and then off to wherever. I used to live in the Florida keys so, there are places there I am familiar with and people I know.

I am happy, I ordered a 35# Manson Supreme for $330 with their Thursday 15% off sale. I got it $52 cheaper than anywhere else on the web. I have been waiting for a good gps to come along probably a garmin 441-541, I don't pay full price for many things so it will have to wait.

I have also been pricing out getting new paint on the topsides and hull. I want to get this boat cruise ready for around $10,000. I have priced it all out and I can get it done.

Ariel-$5000
anchor-$330
Tackle/jacklines msc.- $800
Outboard tohatsu sailmaster 20"-$1450
GPS-$400
hull paint-$2600

TOTAL $10,580

I would like to get a nice dodger setup, but I will have to wait for something to come along. What does a setup cost? Where can it be done reasonably?

Instead of hull paint I may do new deck paint. I wonder how much that will cost if I remove all of the hardware for them, I'm still thinking around $100 per foot.

[bill@ariel231]

congratulations! A-417 looks like a great project.

if you want to paint the decks, you might try a product like interdeck. i used it on A-231. you will want to budget for 2 quarts for the whole deck and coach roof. Prep for the deck should include rebedding all the hardware if it hasn't been done for a decade or two. if you suffer no leaks today, just mask off the hardware and roll on the new deck finish. it is an easy two day job. two quarts plus sundries should be under $120 for the works.

if you want to tackle topside paint, it does pay to spend a lot of time on preparation. i have done A-231 twice since 1995 with both two part and single part polyurethanes using roll and tip method. roll and tip is fast and pretty good, especially when buffed out, but there is nothing like the finish you will get from a professional spray job applied indoors with good temp and humidity control. that said, you can get close as an amateur with a week of prep time and three to four quarts of paint if the weather cooperates.

cheers,
Bill@ariel231

[carl291]

Welcome, You sound like a do it yourself kind of sailor, I would hold off on the paint until you find a place that welcomes you to do the work yourself. I think KIWI-Grip is the easiest way to go for nonskid. When you rebed on the topside I would check to see if the deck hardware holes have been redrilled oversize and backfilled with Epoxy to seal the core from water penetration, there is a thread on this site for this work as well.

[ariel417]

Welcome, You sound like a do it yourself kind of sailor, I would hold off on the paint until you find a place that welcomes you to do the work yourself. I think KIWI-Grip is the easiest way to go for nonskid. When you rebed on the topside I would check to see if the deck hardware holes have been redrilled oversize and backfilled with Epoxy to seal the core from water penetration, there is a thread on this site for this work as well.

Thank you, the consensus is kiwigrip from what I can tell. Take a good look at the cockpit lockers, how would be the best way to refurbish all of that? Those deep curves would require a sonic tool or a sanding drum on a drill. I may have to reinforce the fiberglass because there appears to be cracking, it could just be gelcoat cracks either way it is easily repairable. That will bother me to no end until its sanded nice and painted.

Links would be very helpful. I recently purchased a cordless Dewalt Li-on 20 volt drill. It will be living on the boat with me. What other tool would be worth living with on this little boat? I have a 1/4 HP Dewalt angle grinder her at home, should I bring it or leave it and get something else? I use the search dozens of times a day here but what I find is often vague and not pertaining to exactly what I need to know?

One more noob question, Will barnacles clog up or slow down the cockpit/sink drains? I imagine they would, so how do you keep it clean and them out? The drains on the Ariel I can already tell they are woefully inadequate and is easily plugged with small debris. That may have to be remedied complete with through hulls and seacocks.

Also, about this. (old head seacocks)

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The PPO glassed over the seacock on the OUTSIDE. Why would he do that? Why not remove it and glass the hole properly? I would have done the latter. I was scratching my head on that one, what is the advantage of doing what he did?

[bill@ariel231]

yikes! the glassed over seacock is one thing, that wood plug to the outside world is a bigger problem. A previous owner did the same to the shaft log on my boat

luckily, an angle grinder and 18 grit paper will make short work of both in preparation for new fiberglass.

by the way, the boat i race with has both KiwiDeck amidships and InterDeck in the cockpit and forward. it is a toss up among the crew as to the preferred surface. The foredeck crew and i like interdeck. the folks on the after guard like kiwideck. the best recommendation i can make is find an example of both in your marina on a wet day and see what you think.

[carl291]

"The PPO glassed over the seacock on the OUTSIDE. Why would he do that? Why not remove it and glass the hole properly?" Who knows??? it's easy, cheap, and you don't have to crawl around inside making dust everywhere?? I guess!
I have 8 Pearson project boats from salt and fresh water and the drains have only been clogged by debris blown into the cockpit and washed into the drains, generally if something is being used it has less chance of clogging. The engine water intake is more often clogged by paint than growth but it would be wise to plumb some type of back flush into the intake hose, I know seacocks are the "only" way to go on thruhulls, but I have tried to beat a couple of the fiberglass nipples off a Pearson hull and have yet been able to accomplish this. The rubber hose will decay in about 30 or 40 years and will need replacing but seacocks need servicing as well and they still have the rubber hose. I think an inline sink drain valve is worthwhile.
I would also carry everything needed to make a repair to fiberglass, along with engine tools and spares. Also parts for rigging repairs. The rudder is something you need to pay special attention when the boat is hauled, wood and shaft. Have you gotten the Assoc. handbook yet?? Good Luck

[Tony G]

TD,
Who really know why former owners do half the $#!+ they do? However sound their reasoning was prior to our taking ownership, it crumbles readily to endear them with the moniker of Dreaded Former Owner (DFO)...

I would bet they either didn't have access to a through hull wrench (I forget the proper name) or they were forced to try using it without someone holding the seacock from spinning or some way of "pinning" it stationary while they turned the through hull. The fittings may have been seized and they just gave up due to lack of abilities, time, equipment, etc.. Glassing over the outside is a "quick fix" and, as you infer, not really suitable. But if your question was rhetorical, rerence the first line of this post:D

In regards to other tools living onboard with you I can't answer that due to lack of onboard experience. I can admit that, for some reason, I was very late in the game of realizing how handy the ocillating multi-tools (OMT) can be. While they are not the tool for every job, they are indespensible for some applications. Fiberglass removal/cutting without generating clouds of dust is one advantage appreciated by most. There are a couple of "bits" that would work with your DeWalt could find their way onboard. I have used a number of grinding dies to remove cracking, flakey gel coat and to shape epoxy. The photo of your cockpit locker scuppers would be a likely candidate.

Ten years ago it was a lot easier to search topic and get right to the meat of it. Now we are either too impatient, too hurried, or too overwelmed by all of the info out there in the cloud. I share your fondness of direct links...

[ebb]

The cabin liner inside overhead is gelcoated.
A338 was stripped of most of its interior furniture and the paint (not gelcoat) was grinded
down to mostly green frp. One of the worst jobs on the planet.

The ONLY way imco is to beg-buy-or steal a Festool vac system and sander.
The dust is drawn thru the tool, thru the hose to the vac with a HEPA filter.
Long hose will allow air to exit to vac outside on deck or in cockpit. Nearly dustless

Could abrade old paint by reaching into lockers with an oscillating tool.
Fein type (usually very noisy) oscillators don't really sand all that well imco.*
Altho you may find a stubby one that can be better used in close quarters. Tool design & cord placement make it difficult.

They do not raise dust like an angle grinder or even like an oscillating sander using circular hook&loop disks with holes in the pad sucking dust directly to your regular shop vac.

If you can remove decades of accumulated grime and gunge by scrubbing and light sanding
imco you can coat bonded old paint with any new paint of your choice.

Tested the old paint in A338 with a hardware store test-for-lead kit - negative.

Extensive paint removal in A338 was done with barrel-held 4.5" Makita angle grinders.
We tried and used many different grinding/sanding pads. Ended up with the more expensive Makita brand slanted solid packed zirconium "multi-disks".
They kept their shape, didn't load as moch, and lasted longer than the rest. Unknown grit size.
Norton makes Rapid Strip, a 4.5" grit coated plastic hard as a rock wool wheel. Meant to strip paint.
Wouldn't work these pads or the grinder in lockers where I couldn't see what I was doing.
However, this is the messiest way to prep the hull as not only paint dust but fiberglass will fill the air in the boat.

A good scrubbing as prep may be all you want in those closed areas.
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________
* With hefty HSS 'dog leg' blades made by Imperial, this is the one tool that will plunge cut straight into materials like metal and frp.
They have a unversal arbor that will fit many Fein-type clones now on the market.
Don't know, but that blade might help dislodge antique bronze....

[carbonsoup]

Like you I am beginning a refit on the venerable Pearson Ariel... anyway, i found this on craigslist looking for various parts. i would bet that BaconMarine might take less than asking. unfortunately for me the dodger is pretty low on the list for me

http://annapolis.craigslist.org/boa/3414384681.html

also, i have a bimini, AC unit and a microwave if you are interested.

[ariel417]

Like you I am beginning a refit on the venerable Pearson Ariel... anyway, i found this on craigslist looking for various parts. i would bet that BaconMarine might take less than asking. unfortunately for me the dodger is pretty low on the list for me

http://annapolis.craigslist.org/boa/3414384681.html

also, i have a bimini, AC unit and a microwave if you are interested.

I don't know why but for the last couple of days this website has been in html, annoying. Anyways, that bimini wouldn't happen to be navy blue? Also does all of the hardware come with it? That dodger. I called on it and made them an offer, it even matches all of my sail covers also from bacon sails. Apparently its on consignment. Who would get rid of a dodger and what happened to the hardwear? I can only assume he wants a different color?

[epiphany]

Ahoy, Iris, from 5 hulls away... Nice looking vessel you got there!

Regarding interior hull paint removal, try this method linked below - very easy, cheap, quick, no dust, gets you to a point where you could repaint, or, if doing glass work, very little more prep is needed...

http://www.pearsonariel.org/discussion/showthread.php?978-The-album-of-Ariel-422&p=18963#post18963

[ariel417]

Thanks to carbonsoup, I bought a like new navy blue dodger! I wish I knew the story about it and what boat it came off off. There is a small white scuff that is barely noticeable that looks like something hit it. Overall it is like new and I only gave $350. I have other new stuff as well, She got a new 6hp sailmaster Tohatsu! Now I need a shop to set up the dodger frame. Is there anyplace reasonable that can build me one?

So far, I have $6850 invested. The goal is to get her in bristol shape for around $10,000. At this point I think it can be done.

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[carbonsoup]

Nice going on the dodger! im jealous. btw, i posted the over evolving refit spreadsheet on A97. You and I are not 'building' the same boat, but there may be some overlap where the spreadsheet may become useful to you in determining costs...

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AnTWR9qnmfX6dFRxWVFTVFRHdDhWZGtfUGJGRFVqS Gc#gid=0