Ariel Cranberry

[Cavelo Bay]

Hello all. Firstly can I state how relieved I am to have discovered this Forum, and to be provided the opportunity to participate and benefit! Our Ariel here in Bermuda is at present "unknown". Haven't as yet been able to obtain any data on her past ownership. I believe she's one of two Ariels here. Compared to many of the "before" photos posted by members on this forum, "Cranberry" is in really good shape.
My son and I will commence repairs to the delamination on deck - imminently. Awaiting the importation of the foam we'll use in place of the compromised balsa......
I have acquired 2 plates of 3/16" bronze - both plates approx. 2'x3'. I found them partially buried amongst assorted nautical/naval items and chandlery in a ruined building of our historic Royal Navy Dockyard.
I want to have a set of chainplates fabricated to replace the existing (small and seemingly inadequate) internal chainplates - I personally like the the look of the external hull mounts in bronze.
So I'm new here. The learning curve will be steep. I welcome any advice and guidance you guys are willing to impart.
I'm gonna post pictures. I reckon to spend most of 2018 on the refit and modifications.
"fruits of my Labor" is inspiring.
I also want to convert her salon layout more like "Braveheart".
So please be patient with me fellas.

[Cavelo Bay]

We removed the tank with minimal fuss, discovered a strange (very hard) indigo blue filler type material. Never seen anything like it.

[ebb]

'removed with very little fuss.'
You must have one of those very rare Ariel's made of rubber,
getting that out!

Others on the Board have found that blue polyester in their boats.
But it seems not to be all over, just in strange spots.
Ran into some on liotlgull. Maybe it was used as filler/leveler,
and colored for contrast ? ? Isn't gelcoat.

There is this story about our A/Cs: The Azores were having crop
failures. It seems the cousins Pearson provided work for the
farmers to build our craft. I found many strange anomalies in 338.

The hull is laid up in a single mold and has some deep narrow
areas that were difficult to laminate with the roving and matt.
The polyester resin itself is first class.

Alberg's lines drawing shows a nice sheer, but Pearson built them
with a dead straight sheer. Even so on 338 they had problems
connecting the top deck/cabin lamination with the stern of the hull.
Happy discoveries...

Have fun!

[ebb]

Assuming you guys have the original socket mount for your shroud spreaders.

would you do me a favor to measure one of your spreaders

from the mast to wire,

and post it right here/

Thanks!!

[Cavelo Bay]

Sure can do. At home all day today but I'll be on the boat tomorrow (Sunday). Stay tuned.

[Cavelo Bay]

Hello ebb.

Measured the length of one spreader. I make it 33 7/8" between the inward - face - at mast and the considerably worn alloy fitting/housing for the stay wire.

[ebb]

This post doubled, now erased

[ebb]

Thanks, SO much!.

Took the Manual's lines drawings to Patt's Copy World years
ago, and we spent a little time enlarging them exactly to a
9.25" waterline --which is pretty easy to get accurate. 18.50"
would have been too easy, and too large.
It's certainly the cheapest way to get decent scale drawings
of our A/C lines. Also asked her to do the same to a 'doll's
house' ruler found on the internet (1" lined 12 spaces. Two
rulers 6' and 20'). A 5'5" female and a 6' guy in 1/2" scale are
2.75" and 3" tall.

I've used these copies extensively. And generally seem to have
been fairly accurate when applied to the boat itself. However,
the only lines in the Manual signed by Alberg is on page 144.

The sail plan, pg 146, is signed off by one J.L.Lee -- and shows
some liberties taken -- like the size of the cabin windows.
There are a couple lines representing the mast, and one
spreader that measures exactly 38", with our d.house ruler.
It is a small drawing enlarged, so we'd expect inaccuracies.

My actual tube spreaders were also pretty challenged, didn't
like the illfitting sockets, they were pasted on with a mess of
black epoxy... And the lower shrouds thru bolt hole was
noticably egg shaped.
Buzz Ballenger (Ballenger Spars) made up a set of aluminum
airfoils that are slipped over a precisely up-bent-in-the-middle
oval flat bar that pierces thru the mast. His spreaders, before
I get to the drum sander to carve the ends to fit the curve of
the mast, they're 36". He has complete sailplan data on A/C.

Have to make a decision. Those little spars up there cause a
lot of trouble with the sails... Keeping them short is the best
way to go.

As far as I know, this is the first time the length of the Ariel
spreader has been recorded in the Forum here, or anywhere.
Now it is official!
Can it be verified?
Do we allow for 50 years of 'shrinkage?'


Thanks again for the help ! !