My Ariel "Althea"...

[Richard]

I just spent my Memorial Day holiday weekend cleaning out the former owner's mess on my Ariel (soon to be named "Althea") that I purchased early in February. Since the boat is in Maryland and I am in Buffalo, this was the first time I've visited since the original purchase.

I mainly did a lot of cleaning, tried to identify potential problems, and started the obligatory "to do" list. I took lots of photos, some of which I will post after I get them loaded onto my computer.

HULL NUMBER STILL UNKNOWN:
Unfortunately, there is no sign of a hull number anywhere on the boat...not on the aft cockpit bulkhead...not on the outboard motor access cover...not on the mainsail (the sail is relatively new)...not on the transom...nor anywhere else I thought to look. So, I am working to find previous owners of the boat in my quest to unearth this information. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources will be researching their records for me...and I found a couple of names onboard the boat that I will try to contact. Once I get more of a history compiled, I will share it with you on the off chance that any of you may be able to help.

She's a great old boat and I can't wait to get back to her.

-Richard

[mrgnstrn]

if the previous owner had any of the following, it may contain some sort of hull ID
-insurance
-MD Dept.Nat.Res registration
-Your new title
mine was shown on the MD DNR registration and the MD title.

but like you, there was no actual marking on the boat. no inscription,molding, plate. nothing.

[Richard]

The previous registration & title had an old Florida state registration number as the Hull ID #. Somewhere along the line a mistake was made.

[Bill]

Ouch, sounds like a former owner in Florida may be the culprit -- took the Pearson builder's plate for a souvenir. That is the only place on the boat were you would find the hull number. Hopefully, a former owner who knows the number can be identified. Or, maybe checking with Florida, since you have that registration number?

[Gary Yaniga]

Hint that might work for you. I am replacing the counter tops on 182 and when I took off the counter top above the ice box,hanging locker and drawer unit my hull NO. was written on all three surfices. You might try takeing one of them off and see if your hull NO. is marked there:)

[Richard]

Thanks, Gary for that info. I'll certainly check that out the next time I'm visiting the boat.

I spoke to Christy at the Department of Natural Resources office in Annapolis - she has been very helpful so far and has been able to research the owners back to 1977 (which is when the Florida reg.# may have been transposed as the hull #). She is going to mail me a copy of the vessel's owner history so I can continue the research.

I'll keep you all posted.

[Theis]

This is probably too obvious, but have you checked the mainsail to see if it has a number? The boat number was placed on the original mainsail I believe (As big as the A for Ariel) Good luck.

[Richard]

Yeah, I checked the mainsail. Fortunately, its a relatively new sail. Unfortunately, no number.

By the way, here she is...

[Theis]

Hey, it was a try. It must be one of the older ones (whatever that means) since it has the mahogany winch mounts. Bill might know what year they cut over.

[Mike Goodwin]

Does it have the cutouts in the stern toerail for runoff? That will help to date it too, #45 does not.

[S.Airing]

Sirocco is a 1964 #205 and is all mahogany wood topside ,with cut out toerails.

[Richard]

OK - two of the previous owners of this boat were:

Colin Olliver (4802 Washington Blvd., Arlington, VA) purchased the boat on 10/22/1977 from John F. Lukas (Box 623, Marathon, FL). Apparently, Colin Olliver moved the boat from Florida to Virginia/Maryland. The Florida Title issued to John Lukas on 2/28/1977 lists the boats serial number and registration number as the same: "FL 6880 AY." Prior to 1977 the boat is still a mystery.

Anyone ever heard of either of these two owners?

I am going to make another trip down this coming week - I'll definitely check under the counter surfaces while I'm there.
By the way - the boat was built in 1966.

[Richard]

I sent off a request (and a check) to the state of Florida for the complete history of the boat prior to 1977. Hopefully they have the information archived somewhere...

[Bill]

Good Luck! I hope they have the answers . . . :)

[Dave]

One more place to look: I'm replacing bilge pumps and have been crawling under the cockpit through the seat lockers (go feet first). The hull number was written on a piece of tape that was glassed over on the forward, port seat support.

[Richard]

sounds good...I think I'll have to get the engine out first!

[Tony G]

Richard
I'll chime in just because no one else has said this one yet, look on the mast head if it's down. One day I just happened to notice the numbers 113 scribed on mine. I've thought more than once that this was not the original mast for this boat and maybe someone just scribed it to keep it straight when transferring components. Yet I'll shoot a hole in my own argument because that seems like stupid way to keep track of parts. What shop would use hull numbers instead of make or name? I dunno. While you're in there tearing out the engine take lots of pictures. I, for one, am a photo junkie. Tony G

[Richard]

I've put a bunch of photos in my Yahoo Briefcase.
These photos were taken during my two "survey trips" to clean out the former owners stuff and to drop off a bunch of my stuff. A lot of the photos are not very interesting - I just took them so I would have a point of reference...the "before" pictures, if you will.
Most were taken during Memorial Day weekend which was rainy and overcast much of the time. Some of them still need some editing...brightness, contrast, etc...but you'll get the idea. A few were taken on my second trip, June 10 + 11. I'll be joining the boat full time beginning August 4th to get her ready to go back into the water. I'll be working and sailing on her at the same time.

photos of Althea (http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/rdebadts/lst?&.dir=/Althea+-+1966+Pearson+Ariel&.src=ph&.begin=9999&.view=t&.order=&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/bc/rdebadts/lst%3f%26.dir=/Althea%2b-%2b1966%2bPearson%2bAriel%26.src=ph%26.view=t)

Enjoy!
Richard

[Tony G]

Richard
Hey thanks for the pics! Wouldn't be a holiday without 'em. I've become so used to crawling into 113 and seeing virtually nothing that it's a real pleasure to look in another Ariel and see how they look. I miss that new akwardness and 'getting to know you' romance of a recently bought boat. We specially liked photo SF~P5240049!!!! Wow! If you are looking for some 3/8" plates for your mast step beam we have a set we hopefully won't need. Maybe we could swap for the engine.:D

[Richard]

Thanks Tony-
Are you sure you wouldn't rather trade your new laminated strongback? Seriously though, if you had the plates made to the specs in the manual I may be interested in them, as I'm going to have to address my strongback problem sooner than later.

[Tony G]

Richard
I don't know if it's/they are per manual specs. Just got off work and I'm too @!#! lazy to pull out the manual and compare, sorry. But I did find some pics!!!:D Just search the technical file for 'paranoia subsides' and there are candid photos of it insitu and lying free on one of the quarter births. If you're really interested I'd get exact measurements for you to work with. or else...

[ebb]

Yer mast compression post is a thing of beauty!

But, seriously,
my coach roof flares outward - how did you get yours so right angle rectangle? Ver' interesting.

Got my glass out to count yer lams! Stopped counting at 17. If it's only 1/2" thick you could hang the ballast on it. Pretty impressive... whot you use: Pine and yellow glue?

Ever y thing is on a need-to-kow basis. Boat inside looks mighty fine!!!

[ebb]

As must be the case with some, but certainly with me, I just accessed page one of this thread, and it is a different subject all together.

I just waited ( my pooter is ancient and very slow) until Capt. Airing's photo of his Ariel's beautiful cockpit area filled the screen. Obvious to me, you, sir, have an inboard, because you have no openimg into the lazerette thru the cockpit. Superior detective work here.

What's interesting is that you don't have a traveler - but have the boom rigged in an 'A-form' off the molded pads at the back end of the cockpit.

On 338 there is no access to the underside of these nice risers, which obviously must have originally been planned for a standup blocks with backing plates.

Also notice that you have cowls mounted right next to the risers. On 338 this would be impossible. But I'm going to have to look. 338 had the vents (clamshells) mounted on the lid.

Well, obviously you have a bulkhead in there different than 338. That was the basis of a question. But let me ask this: Your pushpit is rigged for sunbrella cloths. Is this rigged for camping? I like those floppy solar panels. Again, those come out when you're anchored, or in a marina?

You don't sail with the bimini and solar panels up? Thing is, I'm going to want to do just that - with the floppy ones - I think. Thanks, Ebb

[Richard]

Ooooooohhhhhhh, aaahhhhhhhhhh....that's a sweet-looking new beam you've installed. How long did the layup take? How about thae installation, thus far?

[Richard]

Hey! I'm no longer a "newbie" :D

[Tony G]

Richard-congrads! It all happens so fast these days.
The beam is fourteen 1/4" lams. the top lamination is pretty much sacrificial being it is ground to closely profile the...eh-hem...woobies(pardon technical verbage) in the cabin top. It is made from white oak and glued with outdoor titebond. After shaping and cutting I sealed it with epoxy. I glued it in three sessions 5, 5, and 4 lams, about 30minutes work and twentysome hours waiting.

Ebb
There is some angle to the coach roof. There is also a gap between the cabin liner and the structural top in the local of that bend where it comes from under the side decks and supposedly follows the rise of the cabin sides(35 dicumbobulated words). that may ease some of the angle. And the compression post sits on a bottle jack so I could hold the beam up, mark contact points then grind...hold the beam up, mark...grind...hold...you get the picture. Oh yeah, we just type stuff and then Bill fixes it
:D