I always wondered about those four islands were I sailed to Utah.
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I always wondered about those four islands were I sailed to Utah.
Thanks! -
I'm sure that the last time I saw those islands, I was driving well inland....
I've been taking advantage of the great summer we've been having. The strong summer winds are calming a bit in the San Francisco Bay... We'll be looking forward to their return, but there is plenty of sailing to be done until then. We are still looking forward to a beautiful weekend coming-up for the Fleet Week festivities...
Plans for next weekend (Oct 9 to 11) are here:
http://www.pearsonariel.org/discussi...ead.php?t=2068
Here are a few pictures of some summer 2009 sails so far:
Picture 1: A nice warm day out with a salty crew... We had a great sail in mild winds and warm temperatures. Lack of high-wind duties had the crew well into the grog by mid-day. We had planned a stop at the neighboring port's watering hole, but by the time we reached it, there was clearly no need...
Some of the crew fared better than others upon our return to the dock late in the afternoon due to the 'excesses', but it was still a lot of fun... (NOTE the off-the-shelf 'Mephisto Cat' gear...)
Picture 2: A typical gray but breezy summer day in SF at the Master Mariner's regatta in the Bay; an mazing old ship's race held since the 1800's. The best weather for sailing! (no need to worry about the sun!)
Picture 3: Camping at Angel island. We had a campsite for the 2 boatloads of landlubbing 'passengers' (only one load shown in pic.) while some of the crew planned to stay on the boat at the mooring.
We unloaded everyone's supplies, but did not manage to get too far before stopping for some refreshments. Had we known we had quite the hike to the camp site we would have spent less time 'at the dock' and would have also spent less time fighting in the dark with the raccoons for our dinner !
It is at times like this when you wonder where all the boats/people in the bay have gone to... (-no complaints though!).
Picture 4: Chased by a bigger-badder boat on a wednesday night beer-can race.
I decided to coat the forward hatch on the Mephisto Cat with colored gel-coat... - the renewed 'transluscent' (Clear epoxy) coated portion of the hatch was not doing so well in the sun, as you may imagine... It was good for a few months, but then it started looking as old as it did before the restoration...
I wonder how this transluscent portion did out of the factory back in the day... (You can see a 'Before' picture on Post #94)
Anyway, now has a nice thick coat of white Gel-coat on it! I'm pretty happy with it. It does not let quite as much light in, but it still lets some in. In any case, it is really not a problem as there is enough light coming in from the portlights. It certainly looks better from the outside.
News update:
Somehow I've ended-up the owner (rescuer) of another Commander...
As it turns out it is C-187 and it is in excellent shape.
More details here:
http://www.pearsonariel.org/discussi...ead.php?t=2072
And speaking of Gel-Coating, here is a bit about the much delayed documentation about the gel-coating work on the boat itself:
I've many pictures and trying to pick a few is hard, but here goes...
We started by taking EVERYTHING off. Everything.
C-155 was sitting naked whithout a stitch of hardware (Picture #3). My Friend Guillermo did the bulk of the fine work of the fairing necessary for the gel-coat finish to look smooth and he was also the master of the Gel-coat spraying.
I was fortunate to have his spraying skills available as evidenced by the mess I made when I tried it myself... :D From early-on, my spraying was limited only to spraying the Gel-coat curing film (Part-all).
After the repair and structural upgrades came the sanding. Lots of sanding. Some poking, reparing, and structural upgrades also happened at this stage, especifically at the hull / deck joint, at the stern chainplate, and at a few dings & scratches that had been collected the boat's lifetime. We also eliminated MANY screw holes of all kinds. A bunch at the companionway bulkhead and house as I deleted all bolt-thru connections. (Picture #1)
When that was all done, we sanded to a rough finish (good for a strong mechanical bond) and applied the first few coats of Gel-coat.
THESE few coats did not turn out so well, as billions of little fish-eyes stared at us from the hull... :mad:
- Utter Disaster.
These are tiny bubbles that formed within the original factory Gel-coat / resin and then show-up when the surface is abraded. They were really evident when a good coat was applied to the surface. (Super zoom Picture #2) This was not good... actually, it felt like defeat at the time.
Needless to say, we wanted no more of this, so we went deeper with the abrasives and then, using stiff plastic cards as a spatula, I went over the whole surface with a strong filler in order to avoid any more tiny surface irregularities... (While Guillermo smirked & drank beer, I might add...).
- Then we sanded ALL of THAT OFF, and that left only the tiny bits that were actually captured within the surface irregularities... Uggh! (Picture #4 shows the paste partially sanded off. (-That is about when the first sander died!) The pictures were taken at different stages - we eventually went below the waterline with the prep & the new gel-coat.
I will say that having someone - anyone - to provide a hand with a bit here & there, or even at least help drink a few beers while working makes the most daunting chore much easier. If they have some skill, then the advantage is exponential. Working by yourself is not nearly as much fun...
COLOR
I wanted a light color to avoid high temperatures in the california sun, but there were few stock colors available that seemed appealing to me.
I ended-up buying some dark gray and a bunch of white gel-coat and mixed my own colors. I ended-up with a light shade of gray for the hull and a much lighter shade of gray for the non-skid. The rest is a sort of creamy white - but not near anything like BEIGE...
More to follow shortly...
Here are a few more shots of the gel-coating process. There are no action shots because of the time constraints of the gel-coating. If the resin sets-up while still in the equipment it is just all bad news...
So we'd prep like crazy and then spray like mad as the days were short. Guillermo would spray while I did my best to keep hoses & ourselves away from any surface already coated.
We did several coats at each area applying a nice thick layer each time, in order to up with a nice thick shell.
After the resin was in place we raced to apply a curing compound that keeps oxigen away from the surface allowing it to harden properly and preserving a quality surface finish (we still polished afterwards!). Then came the clean-up.
We usually finished late in the day, and by the time I got around to taking pictures, it was already dark.
If I remember correctly (It is all a bit fuzzy now!) We applied several coats going roughly in this order (we did come back to do more coats on several areas):
- Port side topsides
- Sbd side topsides
- Non-skid
- White areas on deck
- Waterline stripes
- Hatch covers & other bits
- Cabin interior and any other nooks
We did several coats at each area especially at those areas that see the most wear. The waterline stripes received only two coats of the red gel coat.
Picture #1
Spraying the pretty rear end yet again... (This is the closest thing to an action shot!) We started with the transom as a test area, and tested Gel-coat a few times for color & consistency. With all the resin back there, I could get rear ended and most everything will be able to be buffed out! (Not that I'd like to try!)
Picture #2
I believe this is the second two-coat application of the white areas on the deck. The greenish tint is due to the curing compound. I got the green tint version so that we would see where we had a good coverage with the compound and did not leave any gaps. This all washes off easily with just water. It is like a thin coat of Jell-O. I love the stuff... If it is not used, the oxygen exposure prevents the exposed Gel-coat from curing properly resulting in a sticky surface that is quite hard to deal with.
Picture #3
A bit closer to the end... All colors in place. We also mixed that pretty red as the base red was a bit too 'lipstick'... (Note nicely painted outboard plug in place). The waterline stripe at the plug looks a bit weird in the picture, but it is fine in reality... an optical (Photo) illusion. (I checked after looking at this pic!).
Picture #4
Testing looks with the lazarette lid in place. Non-skid is done along with all other colors. No hardware at all is in place yet.
I took this picture when the lid was completed. At that time, I was also installing the new companionway teak and you can see the teak dust everywhere! Note also the ton of dust inside the lazarette due to a dusty Santa ana wind....
These shots really show off your pretty gray topsides. Thanks for posting them it has made me lean more toward doing the same color on Destiny.
Since I don't personally know anyone else that has done a re-gelcoat to their boat I have a few questions to better understand the process. I hope you don't mind.
1.) After the gelcoat has cured I assume you have to sand with progressively finer grit and then buff it out. Is that assumption correct?
2.) How exactly did you handle the non-skid? Do you have some kind of pattern in the new gel-coat on the non-skid?
3.) What kind of prep did you have to do to the smooth and non-skid areas prior to shooting the gelcoat?
4.) How long ago was it that you did the gelcoat and how well has it held up?
5.) Have you been waxing the boat on a regular basis to keep her looking good?
1.) After the gelcoat has cured I assume you have to sand with progressively finer grit and then buff it out. Is that assumption correct?
-The finish is quite smooth after the initial spraying and due to the use of the curing compound there is no sticky residue on the top layer. Having said that, the gel coat spray is quite thick and in order to end-up with a glassy smooth finish, you do have to sand (1200 grit+) & then polish. It works quite nicely.
2.) How exactly did you handle the non-skid? Do you have some kind of pattern in the new gel-coat on the non-skid?
-C-155's non skid (the original texture) was in amazingly good condition so we simply cleaned these areas up using a soft wire brush in order not to damage the basket-weave texture. This only got a couple of light coats as to not drown the texture. We did this as a trial initially, but saw that it worked pretty well, so we called it good... I did not sand, or polish these areas.
It is not comparable to the sandpaper-like finish on some other boats I sail on, but I'm pretty happy even with the wet performance on the original texture. I imagine that eventually, I'll have to go with a non-skid coating on those areas, but this will be quite a few years down the line. Since I've done this I've seen many coatings used, and some are much more appealing than others. I am very happy with the results.
3.) What kind of prep did you have to do to the smooth and non-skid areas prior to shooting the gelcoat?
-See #2 above for the non-skid areas on the deck.
The boat was in very good condition structurally - there were no areas that were weak or suffering from delamination, and no major dings or impact damage. We sanded down to clean and uncompromised material. It is amazing how well the materials have held-up!
After applying a few coats on the topsides and discovering the little bubbles in the original gel coat we sanded some more and then used a filler to make sure we had a completely smooth surface.
We then sanded the filler away (except where the little bubbles captured a bit of filler ensuring that we left a rough surface and removed all dust and residue before spraying the new gel-coat.
There was a bit of a scar from a ding on the stern rail and here we had to do a bit of skin surgery (glass work) to make sure that it was solidly repaired and smooth for paint. As they say - all the work is in the prep. It is very true.
Another area that we focused on was the hull-deck joint; Since I wanted to do away with the rubrail trim pieces... In this area there was quite a bit of focus to seal the joint stoutly and then fair the surfaces so that it would look nicely finished once the Gel-coat came on. The visual transition made with the trim was made instead by the change-in-color line at about the same line as the deck joint. You may have noticed that there is a bit of an angle change at the rail as you come up from the hull curve, we followed that line for the color change.
4.) How long ago was it that you did the gelcoat and how well has it held up?
-The Gel-Coat is two and a half years old now, and it is holding-up beautifully. I've heard some horror stories around the marina about gel coat jobs that cost a fortune and then fall apart in a year. I've personally never seen any like this, and would recommend the gel-coat work thouroughly. Of course; if you do not do the work yourself, the cost to simply disassemble the hardware on the boat is outrageous! You may be able to paint around stuff, but gel coating around stuff would be a disaster.
5.) Have you been waxing the boat on a regular basis to keep her looking good?
-I gave the boat an insanely good wax job prior to launch, but I have not done so since then - been too busy sailing! I am planning on doing this soon. I am a stickler for wax on my cars and feel guilty about not doing it on the boat more often. The boat does not look like it needs it, but I'm sure it will help to reduce the potential UV damage. BTW - I really like Collonite's fleet wax. It is a great product intended for marine and aviation applications.
6.) What products did you use & How much?
-I used Valspar Coatings' Gel coat. I bought a dark gray (1ea. 5 Gal. Pail) and their nice basic white (2 ea. 5 Gal pails - I bought the second pail only AFTER I decided to re-do the interior...) and 1 qt of bright Red for the waterline stripes. I mixed my own colors using the colors mentioned (with the addition of a few drops here & there of Gel coat coloring agent to tweak the red into my desired shade)
This was enough to do all the coats we ended up doing on C-155 (probably 3 times the minimum thickness needed!!), plus all of the interior in white (VERY thick), and a bunch of odds & ends (e.g: the lead pigs & a metal grating door -not on the boat!). I figure that the second pail went mostly on the inside. We only had about 1 gallon of White & 1/2 Gallon of the hull gray, and about 1/2 qt of red left over. We used all of the light gray mixed at that time, but I've since matched a bit I needed when installing the sail track.
147 - I'm glad that the pictures helped. If you still need more please let me know.
That was very helpful in understanding the process. From the pictures I've seen I agree with the guy that said you have the only new commander in existence. :)
Just beautiful work,
really is amazing!
I don't recall anybody on the net handling and spraying on gelcoat to the extent you guys have. Never seen it done at the yard.
It's so professional it's like you do it all the time!
If you came cold to this miracle and didn't reinvent the wheel so to speak....
REALLY IS AMAZING.
Restoration at its finest.
Thanks! -I'll be sure to pass along a fair share of the compliments.
I was fortunate to participate in the 2009 edition of the Baja ha-ha Rally from San Diego to Cabo (at the tip of the Baja Peninsula) at the end of October.
I am working on a bit of a write-up about the adventure... but while I finish here are a few of the pictures I took.
To keep this thread on topic I'll leave most of the details on the 'S/v Mystic - Seattle to Calais' thread in the Sailing & Events section which is focuses on this portion of the Voyage. (Link below) Please add comments there where I've posted a few more pictures and a short video taken as the conditions built showing some big swells:
http://www.pearsonariel.org/discussi...ead.php?t=2077
Here is the link to the little video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlqZpBYer2Y
Picture 1a: Arriving at Cabo. - The arch at the entrance to the cabo harbor. (This should be the last picture, but linked pictures show-up first... I'll plan better next time!)
Attached pictures:
Picture 1: Day 1; Great weather at the start this is a picture as we sailed past the Coronados (Northernmost Mexican Islands). We had our spinnaker up as the gun went off.
Picture 2: Great sunrise & nice weather after some 24hrs of 20-25 kt winds, gusts to 30kt with 15-20ft seas. This picture was taken on our approach to Bahia Santa Maria. We went far offshore chasing the wind as conditions lightened and approached our anchorage pretty much heading directly East.
One boat went to the bottom due to an impact with a whale while surfing down the face of one of these waves (all crew OK). Another got some sort of heavy line wrapped around the keel, and it dragged for some 4 hrs. Several goosenecks broke on gybes.
We were short-handed due to seasickess among the crew but fared well. We were quite tired, but had quite a bit of fun. (Not so bad with following wind & seas) We hit 11.7 knots several times while 'surfing' - in a 'Passport 40'. I imagine the Passports' hull-speed is around 6-7 Knots???
-See video on linked thread above.
Picture 3: Most of the time we had 'Perfect' sailing weather that allowed for fishing. We caught a Tuna (22") and two Dorados (Mahi-Mahi) (both at 44")
Most boats had very good luck with the fish. We made Sashimi & Ceviche, as snacks. Fish tacos, and nice fillets (Grilled /in garlic sauce/ Pan fried) for lunches and dinners.
We also caught 2 small Albacore tuna (twins at about 14"). We decided to let them go... I've seen them top 100lbs and I felt sorry for the little guys... plus we already had lots of fish at that point.
Picture 4: A relaxing sunset... The coming night was my first experience flying every stitch of sail at night. The radio often sounded with comments from people saying how this particular passage was the best sailing of their lives... Pretty darn perfect. This was taken during our last night before arriving in Cabo. During a slight calm (Warm!) we had to cool off overboard - 80 miles offshore! Shorts and T-shirts were our cold weather gear for the night.
http://www.pearsonariel.org/discussi...1&d=1262237025
Unlike the coambings, the Mephisto Cat's companionway teak was not in great shape... It did not look horribly bad for 40 year-old wood, but it had remained unprotected for quite a few years and was showing some threatening cracks.
The side companionway board rails, the hatch rails, and the piece at the bottom (that typically serves as a step) also showed significant wear. If one piece had to come off - It all had to come off...
Replacing the wood felt as the most daunting process even though there is not that much of it... I'm comfortable working with wood and would have liked to do the fine work myself, but I did not have access to the right woodworking tools, and I also thought that the teak would cost a bundle. Fortunately, I found a shop that had some nice leftover scrap pieces and I bought enough to complete a new companionway and traveler base. (just BARELY enough as it turned out!)
I asked a carpenter who had done some nice work for my parents to replicate each of the pieces -generously- as I planned to do the fine fitting as I installed the new wood in place... This is not the most efficient way of creating a new companionway (or anything) and the resulting fit was not factory perfect, but it turned out MUCH better that I thought it would. This method also made the installation take much longer than it should have...
Picture 1
Dry-run install & fine fitting of the teak companionway pieces before applying any varnish.
-I made sure to remove the beer bottles from view, but forgot about the bottle caps!-
You can see that the companioway BOARDS were in VERY nice shape. They are also made of teak, and although weathered a bit they seem unafected by age. Over time, they have developed a great texture. I made sure to NOT sand this away...
A few pieces are missing in this picture. The bottom plate (under the step piece) really adds lots for looks.
Picture 2
All the new pieces getting a little sun after a few coats of varnish -after they've all been trimmed, drilled, and fitted. The boat still on the hard at this point. It all seems so long ago...
It is right about then that I started thinking that tearing into the interior and putting in a nice coat of Gel-coat all over the interior would be a good idea... A project in its own right! Should have started with that!
Picture 3
Almost a full view of the finished product sortly after the initial 'mastless' splash, and the post-splash installation of the mast, coambings, deck hardware, traveler & base, etc. I'll have to take a picture of the full companionway... shiny wood certainly adds a ton of 'looks' to any boat...
This picture is before the first sail - note the missing winch base on the port side, nav lights, scupper plates, etc. There is also no boom yet.
... There are some more companionway pictures in the next post(s).
you have one of the best looking commanders out there. My goal is to make Destiny look as good as Mephisto Cat. I remember the first time I saw your companionway after it was redone. I thought to myself back then "I can't wait until mine looks that good" :)
So your companionway boards were teak huh? Mine look original and were all mahogany just like the combing boards. I wonder if Pearson made a change somewhere along the way but your boat is only 8 hulls away from mine. Now I have to wonder if maybe mine were replaced somewhere along the way??????
Thanks Jerry!
- Yes; The Mephisto Cat's (C-155) brightwork is ALL teak. I imagine teh Mahogany on C-147 must be original as the upgrade would have been VERY expensive... But who knows. It seems that Pearson offered different trim options for the interior layout, Interior fixtures, deck equipment, and I/b or O/b motors... Perhaps the choice of wood used was also an option?
C-187 had all Mahogany brightwork, which looked like it was the original brightwork... - and it will be getting all new Mahogany during refurbishment. It was hard to find THAT material as it was...
- I cannot imagine what a 1'-2" x 3/4" x 10'-6" teak board would cost - even if you could find it!!
Finally sailing after the 2010 very WET season!
The Official season opening race on the bay is in two weeks... Last year we had a very mild winter and it was not hard at all to sail right through. We even some 80 degree days in February and did quite a bit of sailing around the bay even before opening day.
This year, on the other hand, is has been VERY wet, and it was not until this past weekend that I managed to get a full weekend-sail in nice weather -after enough dry days to complete a few projects -in addition to 'spring cleaning'...
- As we all do; I do still have a long list of pending upgrades & little projects.
I had a sailor friend in town, and not only did we manage a sail down to Sausalito; but he also helped with a couple little boat projects. What a pleasure it is to have a bit of help now & then!! - At least to help dirink the beer!
We took off in light winds (about 10kt) on the ebb tide in bright sunshine, but it slowly picked-up as we got closer to the central Bay. We were entertained by some large ship trafffic while in San Pablo Bay. By the time we reached Richmond, we had 10-15kt winds with a few puffs and we could see a few other sailboats.
We reached Sausalito and had a few other friends meet us for a beer at the slip before we headed off to dinner at one of the cafes. We spent a great night on the boat, and after a good breakfast on-shore we went sailing again. We spent a bit of time in the central Bay and then headed back home riding a nice strong flood. We lost the wind for a while, but then a light westerly set-in and we swiched to the mighty 180% genoa and sailed wing - on - wing.
Picture 1: Great sailing in mild conditions... A bit of wind - plus the ebb tide pushing us along... The ebb tide pulls a lot of river sediment along making the water murky.
Picture 2: Another shot right after lunch and a beer...
Picture 3: Having a rest after stowing the boat away for the night.
Picture 4: These racers did not stand a chance against the lightning fast Mephisto Cat!!! (-relatively lightning fast!)... We flew past all of them before they took off towards Angel island. It was fun watching these little sailors cruise along in the little dinghies - and we did make sure to stay well clear.
- I wish I'd gotten into sailing that early! These sailing kids are doing drills, rounding markers and enjoying some excellent sailing in Raccoon straights; An area that is well respected by sailors in much larger boats!
Picture 5: On a Strarboard tack
A quick one to share a bit of news: The Mephisto Cat now has a slip at the Berkeley Marina!
I've managed to snag a slip in a great location...
A short video of the great sail I had on my way down is here:
http://www.pearsonariel.org/discussi...-Video-Gallery
The move is about 16 miles to the South West as the crow flies - or a 30 mile sail from the Vallejo Marina in San Pablo Bay (North San Francisco Bay) down to the Central Bay.
I am really looking forward to spending much more quality sailing time in the middle of San Francisco Bay... I found that although I really enjoyed the day-long sail down to the bay, it seemed that I spent most of my sailing on the trips back & forth and only spending typically 1/2 day cruising SF Bay... as it seems that my crew thought it to be a bit too much sailing at once -apparently... :confused:
In any case, I am eaker to explore some of the central bay's offerings. Plus I'll be sailing with a lot more company since everyone flocks to the central bay...
Just in time for the great weather... Actually, we are looking forward to 4 days of rain next week! :(
Just on my very dock, there are TWO Ariels and one Commander. One of the Ariels is right next door! (See Picture #1) Usually, I'm lucky to see one on a dock somewhere, or see one sailing off in the distance.
The Ariel next door ('Ya never know'; A-192 / CF 0583 KX) is in Excellent condition - Lots of upgrades, and very well maintained. I've had a few nice chats with the owner Jerry when scoping out slips. He continues to keep her up and sails often when he is in town. (UPDATE: Jerry has decided to take the boat down to Moss landing -deep in the Monterrey bay between Santa Cruz & the town of Monterrey.)
The Commander ('Galatea'; C-??? (hull number is higher than 223 as it has a bridge deck)/ CF 6957 SL) - It looks old, but it is in good shape and all the bits are there... This could be a great boat. I've been told that it serves as someone's self storage locker. :mad: That's all I know. It sits there very lonely... (UPDATE: This boat has been chained-up and will be likely sold by the marina. I never did meet the 'former' owner...)
The other Ariel ('Horizons'; A-35 / CF 1234 CA) - well... it is not pampered as much... :mad: It sits unrigged with a pulpit sitting upside down on deck... I've noticed someone spending nights occasionally. No contact yet...
A few pictures of the new digs:
Picture 1 'Ya never know' and the 'Mephisto Cat' share a double slip. We agreed to tie the boat's sterns together in order to keep the boat off the single fingers. It works beautifully. The Mephisto cat has its cover partly off as I was working on my latest project... (I am almost done!)
You can also see a few of the lovely trees that block the wind making this a very calm area in the marina. Gotta love it.
Picture 2 Looking Northwest towards the yacht club building and the harbor entry.
Picture 3 A view to the Northeast of the secondary fairway where my dock is located. I like this fairway becasue the main fairway can be quite busy. The Entrance to the harbor is directly east of the Golden Gate and the wind typically vigorously blows directly into the harbor. Most everyone likes to have all sails hoisted on entry and exit to ensure staying off the seawall!
Picture 4 View to the north. These boats are between the secondary fairway and the main fairway.
Good on ya! living vicariously through others is what I'm currently about!
Rico
Maybe if we can help you get C-187 sold you could buy the commander/storage locker and go at it again. You do such a nice job of the rehab on these boats. Your helping to keep these fine boats sailing and we all appreciate your efforts.
Hey Jerry -
Thanks, but working on your OWN boat CAN be entertaining - but I'd still rather be sailing... Working on a second boat is much harder work as it keeps you from working on your boat AND keeps you from sailing! C-187 is coming along nicely though!
The Mephisto Cat & Crew participated in the Hoppe Regatta (Pictures & general recap available in the Sailing & events section thread link below):
http://www.pearsonariel.org/discussi...-HOPPE-REGATTA
http://www.pearsonariel.org/discussi...1&d=1279311332
Picture 1: The Mephisto cat & crew finally cross the line in ligth winds. - There was not a lot of wind at the start / finish line, but this was not the case at the far and of the course of this year's Hoppe Regatta!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
We also joined in on the festivities for the 'Plastic Classic' regatta held by the Bay View boat club. "A drinking club with a boating problem"
http://plasticclassic.com/
This is the Mephisto Cat's second appearance in this VERY fun event.
I am happy to announce that the Mephisto Cat managed to do quite well...
3rd Place in the 'Single handler' category in the Concourse D' Elegance
1st Place in PHRF Non-Spinnaker (18 Boats)
1st Place OVERALL (64 Boats)
1st Place Fastest Pre-1970's Boats (?? # Boats)
1st Place In Class (?? # Boats)
- Woo Hoo!!
The last two categories in RED I found out about only when I received the loot! (medals & trophies in the mail)
I did not manage to get a slip close-by for the night following the race so it was a nice long day of Sailing activities as we sailed there and back... The only downside was that I could not hang around for the festivities and the awards cerrmony...
Shoved off from Berkeley at about 6:45am headed to the Bay View Boat Club's facilities just south of San Francisco's South Beach neighborhood. Half my crew was on board and we sailed nicely in about a 12kt breeze.
We arrived at about 9:30 am and hung around until the judges came around. Then we hung around for a while longer waiting fot the rest of the crew to show-up... They finally showed as we were dangerously close to missing our start! (We started 15 minutes late last year! but this was due to a tactical error!). We waited until the last minute because this was the part of the crew that was responsible for the food & drinks!
We shoved off in a hurry headed to the start line and got the boat ready to race just in the nick of time. I struggled with an urge to go with a larger headsail, but I decided to stick witht he 100% jib despite many boats carrying sails in the 130% to 150% range... I was hopeful that the wind might pick-up a bit more and considering the course, I thought that our ability to point would be key to a good showing...
We had a relatively good start in very light air and crossed the line within a couple of boat lengths of the first two boats. We were on port tack and had to tack clear just before the line... Grrr.
The breeze freshened to a steady 5-6 knots just a few hundred yards from the start, just enough to get us moving properly towards the first mark. My able crew was focused - on passing around snacks & drinks... Two of us were racing - the other 3 of us were socializing... (I have a VERY relaxed crew!)
We were racing in close quarters with the lead boats all of which had 130%+ headsails. We barely managed to stick with the group and then started to slowly reel them in as the breeze freshened and we were able to plot a better course to the mark... Very exciting stuff for those of us racing...
We positioned ourselves to windward right after the start, and by the time we reached the 1st mark we were in the lead and pulling ahead in the freshening breeze now in the 10-12 kt range.
We enjoyed a great run to the 3rd and southernmost mark. Admitedly, after a slight panic trying to figure out where the next mark was! After rounding this mark, we felt the effects of the flood tide/current which was reportedly in the 2 kt range and came almost perpendicular to our course. We (I) did not plot the best compensating course at first, and we lost a bit of ground there... An Alberg 35 and a couple of Tritons were now threatening... but we were still in good shape.
We were the second boat around the 4th mark and I think that our choice of course as we headed back to the 1st/5th mark in the prevailing wind/tidal conditions was the key to our good showing. We were being reeled in by a Triton just before the turn, but then we called a tack to veer off to the next mark (this time taking better account of the current) and next time we saw them, they were quite far behind...
The last couple of markers were a repeat run, so we dialed it in as we headed to the finish.
We crossed the finish-line in heavy traffic of boats finishing and boats that started later (and perhaps a few boats that were trapped in the area where the mark sported a motorboat populated by scantilly clad (or not clad...) women...) As it turns out, this is a bit of an obstacle course!
I dropped off my crew at the Club to enjoy the festivities, while I enjoyed a nice single-handed sail back to Berkeley. I made it into my slip at about 7:00pm - too late to try to make the awards presentation. This was necessary because I was leaving town the following day.
I knew we had done well, but I did not expect it to be quite THAT well. It was a great outcome to a great sailing day...
As I made my way back to Berkeley, I spotted C-151 coming up behind... I waited a bit and we enjoyed a nice chat while we sailed along until the crew had to peel off to head to their homeport.
I have no pictures OF the boat this time, so here are some pictures FROM the boat:
Picture 2: A Picture of C-151 just after they peeled off towards Treasure Island post race.
Picture 3: A Bit of Racing; 'Nemesis' beating a nice triton to the first set of marks.
Rico,
Thank you for spending so much time getting a Mid-Westerner out on San Francisco Bay.
I've read about sailing on the famous bay my whole life, what a hoot to finally get to sail on it.
The Mephisto Cat is a beautiful and capable boat.
We had a great time in your fair city. Highlights:
1. Searching for street art by graffiti artist Banksy.(Found 4 and the spots where 2 have been painted over) A great way to see all the cool neighborhoods in S.F.
2. Biking across the Golden Gate to Sausalido.
3. Independent film by local artist at The Castro Theater.
4. Watching the hang gliders at Fort Funston.
5. And of course, sailing with Rico.
Thanks again Antonio, send me a PM with your address, I got a little somthing I'd like to send you.
Mike
C-227
Rico,
In your third picture you were beating "Answer", one of the best Tritons in the Bay Area owned and sailed by Dave Wilson. Dave works at Svendsens and goes out all the time. If you are beating Answer, a larger boat with an experienced captain, that is saying something.
Thanks T-106,
The Picture is of C-151 'Nemesis' racing along with 'Answer' at the approach to a mark. The picture was taken by my crew after we had rounded that mark. At this point we were a couple of hundred yards ahead... :cool:
I think we were lucky with the breeze early on, and on the outcome of some tactical decisions. Despite a few things we could have done better, we managed to hold our lead...
I do remember 'Answer' clearly. In addition to being a beautifully kept boat (nice color too...), they managed to reel us in later in the course.
We could see them creeping up from quite a distance on a long port-tack reach. I remember deciding to climb-up above his course shortly before they overtook us as we were planning our tack into a close hauled (starboard tack) course towards the next mark. If I recall correctly, 'Answer' continued further on her course before tacking into the wind. We benefited from a very nice lift on that run, and I also believe our ability to point higher was crucial in the wind & current experienced that day.
I lost track of 'Answer' after that, but was surprised to see them down in the course when we finished as they'd been so close to us.
Dinghy Sailing
Recently, I've finally completed the construction of my little Cat rigged sailing dinghy. You may recall this dinghy as my intended 'tender' for the Mephisto Cat (see post #18 on this thread), but since then, I've decided to go with a tiny 6' zodiac inflatable dinghy. This size is not made anymore, but I managed to find a used one...
The inflatable is not so nice to row (I do not carry a motor for it), but it makes-up by being VERY small when deflated (or when inflated for that matter!) and it does quite nicely carrying two people... I am very happy with it.
Since the hard dinghy was already prettied-up (to match the Mephisto Cat - by the way); I decided to make it into a nice sailing dinghy. I installed a mast tube, and new gudgeons for a rudder and spruced-up the convenient hinged retractable keel.
I found and fitted an old 14' wood mast (two piece) and boom from an old dinghy and spruced that up by rebuilding the rub surfaces where the mast is joined by the connector tube, and where the base of the mast wears as it spins in the mast tube.
I also fixed-up and adapted a nice aluminum hinged rudder. (The hinged design proved its worth while sailing in close quarters in Tahoe!)
Add a few control lines, and a little block -or two, and we wre off sailing! The pictures are of my solo maiden voyage - very exciting! My little nephew joined in the fun later... My Girlfriend & I spent about 2 hrs tootling around in the dinghy later that weekend - it took more wind to move the both of us, but it was fun. You just have to pay attention as the winds are very shifty and gusty at Lake Tahoe... and can spill your beer! (and the water is cold!)
That is so kool!
That dingy looks great! Why the change of mind to buy an inflatable instead for your tender?
It is a TON of fun. It really gets going too!Quote:
Originally Posted by Ariel 109
C38 - I opted for the inflatable because of convenience. The little inflatable fits in a nice bag that is easily stored below when we need to take it on the boat. It is small & light (<35lbs) - It is just big enough for two people - and maybe a dog. I only have it with me when needed.
It does not row very well (no inflatable does...) but I only use it to get from a occasional mooring buoy to shore or a dock while overnighting somewhere. It does this job sufficiently well enough and I think it is the right choice for this purpose.
On one occasion, I forgot the pump - and after thinking it was a horrible, horrible, trip-ruining mistake as we were on a mooring, but I actually blew it up by mouth in less than 15 minutes - breaks included... - it was not that hard to do!
The hard dinghy, I'd have to tow behind the boat as it is too large (8' LOA). A sailing dinghy is definitely the best use for it. This must have been its design intent as it has a nifty retractable keel - which I quickly learned to REMEMBER to lower after going DDW since sailing without a keel is quite difficult! :D
The little hard dinghy can still be used as a dinghy without any effort; All I do is pull the mast out (It is held in the tube by gravity and secured with a small line in case of a capsize), pull the rudder (secured by a clip), retract the keel, and detach the mainsheet. And Viola, is is now a plain dinghy again...
2010 Sailing Highlights:
Picture 1
A bit of Sailing with the pooch... She is quite good on the boat shifting to the low side on her own. Still I believe she is a bit large for the boat - and the paws also tend to slip a bit much. She is fine in light weather, and just snoozes in the sun, but I don't imagine she'd enjoy a typical SF Bay sail in the Summer.
Picture 2
Ahhh - Spending the night on the Mephisto Cat... One of the great joys of having a little boat. Sausalito is one of our favourite destinations.
Picture 3
Some more spectacular sailing weather in SF Bay. We have some of the fastest fog around! (Obviously not apparent in the still picture!) We had planned a meeting up with some other boats on Angel Island. This boat turned out NOT to be my friend's blue boat. I did get lots of pictures of it though!
Picture 4
The Mephisto Cat at the entrance of Racoon staits on a calm day
Picture 5
Running south under the asymetrical on the 2010 Baja-ha-ha. (San Diego to Cabo Rally). Here we are some 500 Miles south of San Diego some 80 miles offshore. (Right... I did not do this on C-155!)
2010 Sailing Highlights (Continued...)
Picture 1
Assisting in an offshore distress call during the Baja ha-ha. We were relatively close (1 hrs sail) by and went to help out. This was sorted out, but the next morning we got another call from another boat in the group. A sailor from SF Bay who was actually heading north had missed his alarm and ended up on the beach... There are some tricky currents in that area and the beach is littered with hulls... Efforts by the locals to pull the boat back in were unsuccessful. At least there were some 50 people that volunteered to take as much equipment off as possible... This is just North of Isla de Cedros in Baja.
(Note: BTW - No, we did not do the Ha-ha in my Commander! It was a friend's nice big cruising sailboat) :)
Picture 2
A nice sunset at anchor...
Picture 3
Arriving in cabo at sunrise - 10 days after setting off from San Diego... This is the arch at the tip of the Baja Peninsula. The conclusion of the 2010 edition of the rally... The snd of a sailing adventure is alwas a bit sad.
Picture 4
Nice group during 'racing start' practice... This is how the pros do it!
I had the opportunity to do a bit of sailing with some top bay sailors (some big name world-class ones too!).
We also helped with some of the TV telemetry testing of the systems to be used for the America's Cup races in SF in 2013. Pretty nifty stuff... It is quite exciting to sail with some of sailing's most serious rockstars! - I was very focused and made sure I did NOT screw anything-up!! :o
Picture 5
A bit of a tour of Alcatraz Island.
I always sail around the island, but rarely get close enough to really have a close-up look... Pretty neat!
The "Mephisto Cat' has done two (Singlehanded) races this year; The Three Bridge Fiasco and the Singlehanded Sailing Society's 'Corinthian' Race. We've also done a bit of daysailing / touring around the bay despite the persistent cold / wet weather.
I am happy to report that Spring has officially arrived in the Bay.
Pictures and recap of the 2011 3Br Fiasco race are in the 'events section' - Post #8 here:
http://www.pearsonariel.org/discussi...-Fiasco-anyone
As usual, I decided to undertake a project at the most inopportune time... A week or so before the 3 Br Fiasco, I decided that I HAD to replace my main hartch sliding rails BEFORE the race. My rails worked fine, but I was not completely happy with the way they'd turned out originally. - I'd lived with them perfectly well for a few years, but suddenly they'd become a priority. :confused:
Since I was removing the rails, I took advantage of the opportunity and reinforced the area around the fasteners by drilling BIGGER holes and filling with thickened epoxy & a bit of chopped strand. I drilled new screw holes in the same locations. Although I may add an additional (3rd) fastener on each side later just for added 'snugness'.
I applied some epoxy to the rails and the interior trim pieces, and then added a handful of coats of Varnish (Epifanes clear - of course!).
The hardest part is fitting the rails in the right location so that the hatch rails ride securely in the hatch sliders. Obviously the rails need the be parallel; but if the rails are placed too close together, the hatch won't grab, and could come loose / fall off. If they are to far apart, the hatch will not fit or will be too tight to slide.
Since I made my rails a bit beefier that the originals, I ended-up in the too tight range. But a bit of fine tuning made things work out nicely.
Picture 1:
The rails and trim pieces all pretty & ready to be installed
Picture 2:
Fitting of the pieces. You can see a hint of my need to renew the varnish on the rest of the companionway. It is not as bad as the area where the board slide, but it is time for me to spend a bit of time on this... My coambings with 10+ coats are still looking beautiful, but I did only 3 or 4 coats on the companionway and I'm paying the price now... (will be taken care-of shortly!) When it comes to Varnish; getting lazy clearly leads to more work!
Other pictures:
Nice company during a day sail...
Thanks for the pictures Rico. I sanded, refasten, bedded and varnished my Ariel's companionway woodwork last month. It was all raw weathered wood when I started but ten coats of varnish later and it's almost beautiful.
I love the Herreshoff H-28, one of my favorite of Francis' designs. I sailed on a California built Francis Herreshoff designed Didikai double-ender out of Newport Beach back in 1994. Similar boat, just a different stern. My friend Hans later sailed that boat from Newport to Miami, pretty good for a boat that could have been in a B. Traven story.
The International One Design was the "boat" on Long Island Sound when introduced back in the thirties. They still race on the Sound with the other one design keel boats, although their numbers a dwindling at the moment. Beautiful boats!
Rico, I think I may have the same make of pooch, with a different paint job. Mine adopted us after being lost/abandonded? in the woods. Is yours a rat terrier?
Really beautiful pictures, by the way, but my recycled rat terrier has stolen my heart.
Hey Rico,
You mentioned somewhere having powdercoated your portlights. Curious why and what the benefits are of doing so. Looking at the pictures I could find of them, it looks like you must have powdercoated them to something close to their original color. Mine are in good shape, but not chromed. A friend owns a powdercoating firm and so I have ready access.
Thanks!
Agua:
Do rat terriers get to be 100 lbs?
I was told by the people at the humane society (where my pooch came from as a 3 mo puppy we were to foster - temporarily...) and also by my uncle (who is a vet) that the pooch is some sort of German Shepherd / Labrador mix. She is quite big! She loves water & is very playful & also does have some shepherd behaviours.
Kyle:
No powder coating for my frames... (I do recall someone on the board going that route...) I just primed & painted C-155's frames - and they are holding-up quite nicely. And yes, they are painted in an aluminum color...
If you can get it doe cheaply - I do not see why powdercoating would not work well. - unless the coating is not impervious to moisture... (??)
Rico,
I'm about to install a headsail track similar to yours and your work prompted two questions:
1. How has this worked out? The sailmaker who just made a 125% for me like this but identified a point about 12 inches further aft that he felt would be ideal for the new sail.
2. What kind/make of track is that?
Beautiful boat.
Rico,
Maybe I'm the guy?
I had all aluminum frames powdercoated in a 'bronze color' - including the little ones
Used 'lab metal' to fill most of the damage: rage holes drilled in crooked from outside, corrosion, broken screws, old fastening holes and so forth.
You'll remember these unique frames are all the same except the minature screws made the windows "handed" because the fastening, the clamping of each pair, was done from inside with tiny machine screws.
I drilled each dedicated pair of frames thru and chamfered the holes outside. However I decided against using the set because I didn't feel that this method of installing a floating lens was ultimately strong enough. Big loose lens, fragile aluminum frames. Not for ocean voyaging or the MORC.
Also, after the powder coating was done I realized I had not put in enough fastenings (9), nor positioned them very well around the frame. Did like the fact the holes were slightly oversized so that the powder coating became the insulation for the stainless machine bolts. And was unwilling to drill in any more holes. After deciding to go with slab-on carbonate lenses, these nice and professionally coated (Miller Powder Coating, Santa Rosa) frames are consigned to limbo.
The cute little aluminum opening ports came out really nice and are small enough imco to use on an offshore boat. Famous last words.
Thanks SkipperJer,
The track is a 1" Schaefer 'racing' track (the 'racing' model has more notches for sheet car adjustment) that the standard one. It has worked beautifully so far. I use the twin sheet cars on the track.
I suspect that your sailmaker is about right on the location... I have a 90-100% jib and then a BIG genoa. I do not have any sails in the 125% range. I would appreciate some pictures to see where your sheet cars ends-up with a properly trimmed 125%.
Feel free to shoot me an e-mail if you need further details...
My 100% works well sheeted to the tracks on the cabin top. It's an old style high-cut jib that looks just like the one on the cover of old Commander brochure. When I got the boat in 2002 it had the 100 and a 170% that worked well on the toe-rail track aft of the winches. The problem was that I often found myself in the situation where I had one sail too big and one too little. Worst case was when the wind blew up after I had launched the 170 when sailing single-handed. The boat became quite a handful rather quickly if I got caught out near the lee shore. Did I mention I'm a rookie who did that a few too many times before I learned not to ever fly the big sail by myself? There were a few times when that boat proved it was tougher than I was by getting us through that.
I finally got a used 150 that works OK but is sheeted too far back when fastened to the old track. I can never close the top of the sail. The old 170 was pretty beat so I had it cut down to 150 and I use it downwind as a second headsail. Keeps me from getting caught out with too much dacron flying too.
I think of this boat as an vintage car with crank windows, stick shift, and no AC. I've learned to not try and make too many "improvements". With that in mind I think the best solution for me may be to simply extend the toe-rail track forward 3-4 feet and sacrifice a little in-board angle in order to keep the decks clear. The Commander decks are skinnier than the Ariel's. Your track tucked in close to the cabin trunk addresses that well but I need something to go further aft. My 125 would need track mounted just forward of the winch base overlapping the ends of the coamings and would take up what is now a narrow but clear section of side deck. Rig-Rite has the same flat track and fittings as the original track. I think this is going to be a winter project. I'll keep you posted.
Thanks for the response.
Here are a few snaps taken during outings in 2011. It was a good year...
I did a few offshore races (on other boats) in addition to the races I do on the Mephisto Cat...
The 2012 edition of the 3 Bridge Fiasco just happened. It was another good one. They always are, although some can be very frustrating. -I won't spoil it here, but I'll have the race recap write-up shortly on that thread. I'll put a link here when it is done.
Picture 1.- The Commemorative plaque at Angel Island. We go there often as it is one of my favourite destinations in the Bay. There is a lot of history there...
'European ships had sailed up and down the California coast for more than 200 years without sighting the fog-shrouded entrance to San Francisco Bay. The first ship ever to enter the San Francisco Bay was the San Carlos, a Spanish packet-boat under the command of captain Juan de Ayala. The San Carlos reached the entrance to the San Francisco Bay on August 5th 1775, but the strong current pushed it back out to sea. Eventually, the boat slipped through the Golden Gate guided by the dim light of a half moon at 10:30 pm.
The San Carlos dropped anchor behind an island which was christened 'Isla Santa Maria de Los Angeles' (Spanish for 'Saint Mary of the of the Angels'); It is now known as 'Angel Island'. Over the next forty-four days, ship pilots set out in longboats to chart the various arms of the Bay.'
Picture 2.- One of the personalities inhabiting SF Bay; the USS Potomac (AG-25), formerly the USCGC Electra,[3] was Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s presidential yacht from 1936 until his death in 1945. It is one of only three still existing presidential yachts. On August 3, 1941, she played a decoy role while Roosevelt held a secret conference to develop the Atlantic Charter.
In January 1964 she was purchased by Elvis Presley for US$55,000. He gave it to St. Jude Children's Hospital which sold it that same year for US$ 75,000. By 1980, she was involved in drug smuggling and was seized by the United States Customs Service in San Francisco, then towed to Treasure Island, where she sank.
After being refloated by the U.S. Navy just two weeks later, the Potomac was sold to the Port of Oakland for $15,000 and underwent a major restoration. She is now preserved by the Potomac Association, and berthed at Jack London Square in Oakland
Picture 3.- A (fast) 'mini' waiting for a race start off Crissy field for the Half Moon Bay Race
Picture 4.- Racing out to the so called 'Lightbucket'; the former location of the old lightship that used to mark the approaches to the main ship channel leading into San Francisco Bay. The location was originally described as: "Off San Francisco, 8.6 miles and 244 degrees from the Point Bonita Light, and 3 1/4 miles outside the bar in 109 feet, with Alcatraz and Fort Point lighthouses in range." The station was replaced by the San Francisco lighted horn (LNB) buoy "SF".
Picture 5.- Other 'sailors' out on the bay do a 'fly-by'...
The Mephisto Cat not only managed to complete the course (FINALLY!), but Placed 3rd in Class on the 2012 edition of the Three Bridge Fiasco. Here are a few pictures taken on race Day.
For a detailed race recap (Including pictures, and a video of my finish -sailing backwards... :) ) you can go the the Three Bridge Fiasco thread here:
http://www.pearsonariel.org/discussi...anyone&p=24419
Picture 1.- A Pearson Triton ('Darwind') heading towards Red Rock. 'Darwind' is now in very PINK livery and has become quite active in Bay Racing. The skipper plans a circumnavigation next year to raise funds to benefit Breast Cancer Research.
Picture 2.- Following the Spinnaker... These guys covered much more ground that we did, but would re-join the Mephisto Cat at the Bay Bridge at the same time later in the day.
Picture 3.- The fleet rounding Red Rock. The great majority of those boats are faster than the Mephisto Cat. And they are coming after us! (fortunately they had lighter winds tha we did.)
Picture 4.- Spotting 'Jessica Rabbit' following her spinnaker.
Picture 5.- Heading home at the end of a very good day... This is not a bad place to call home. (This is the Sunset picture; - it refuses to obey & go to the very end of the picture series where it is intended to go!!!)
Sitting pretty!
See you at the races tomorrow!
More pictures coming soon...
Well good mates, I've really gone & done it...
The Mephisto Cat has a new owner!
Now, now - no need to fret. She has actually acquired a great group of stewards. She is going to a very nice family of sailors (including two very young boys who were -pound per pound- by FAR the most capable & eager crew I've seen in a looong time! She is in good hands and will be sailed & taken care of as she should. I could not have wished for a better outcome.
She will be going to a new home in Sausalito... or vicinity (New owner looking for slip there) So keep a sharp lookout for her and please shoot me any pictures you may be lucky enough to catch of her. She is quite fast for her age, and now especially with such an eager crew - so better be at the ready with the camera!
I hope to get back to the bay sometime and get to sail mighty C-155 again... I'll definitely miss her, but I am convinced that this was the right course to follow. As skippers we all make hard decisions all the time... and no decision is taken which involves too much room for doubt! :cool:
We spent a ton of time enjoying the salt spray, steep chop, fog, and chilly nights under sail, - as well as those picture-perfect days (& nights) when hard as you may try, there is not a single thing you can think that may possibly be wrong in the world! A pretty boat, flat water, painted skies, nice stiff breeze, and good crew for company... I had gathered a good pool of friendly crew and I will certainly miss this. (even when Singlehandling in sole ocompany of The Mephisto Cat). - Ahhhh. Good times.
I've been busy moving and finding out about east coast earthquakes & these things called 'hurricanes'... Also learning something about some stuff needing 'winterizing' over in these parts... (Does this stuff come in 'spray', or is it more of a 'paste' product? - in any case - It appears I'll need a tub / can or two...)
In any case; we are off to a very good start to a new adventure!
I do not know if the Mephisto Cat's new crew will like to adopt this thread... or perhaps I'll continue it with other sailing adventures and maybe a suggestion - or two regarding a good sailing book to read!
Whatever the verdict; I'll still be roaming around here... As you know; this is the best messageboard anywhere! I'll be requiring lots of sailing pictures, of course.
Now, I'll have more time to share other things besides boat projects... So stay tuned!
Although... I do have a buch of boat project pictures I still have not shared... Some good practical stuff there - if I say so myself! This, alone, will be enough to tide me over until 'sailing season' starts again... (Another funny thing; people actually stop sailing for part of the year around here... :)
More soon... (including sailing pictures!)
Cheers!
Ah, Rico - you'll be missed. Please do drop by and I hope Mephisto's new owners - energetic as you describe - will keep us updated. Cheers, cheers, cheers!
Congratulations Rico,
I'm happy for you and the Cat. Wonderful that she is not hidden away on the hard in the back corner of a boatyard aging and waiting as so many good old boats are.
Good luck on your new chapter, hopefully you will find away to explore some of the awesome sailing venues that will be so near by.
Mike
C227
I think there is water on the East Coast
And Commanders to be found!
Fervently hope we find you here again
with Mefisto Cat II.
Will miss you, your photos and your posts!
Until we meet again........
Hey Rico, I hear there is a boat for sale........... http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/boa/4438722305.html
Good Catch ED - Thank you...
Wow! - Clearly -A bargain at twice the price! :)
- What a beauty!
I'll have to check-in to see what the story is with the current owners...
I'm not one to buy into the 'It's a Sign' bit... - but if one were at all of that sort of persuation - one could well argue that good ol' Craig is encouraging the notion of a return to the BAY, eh?
Hey - that's even me and my crew in the picture!
I'd venture a guess that fetching $16k might be a world record A/C sale!
"16,000 U S Dollars of 2013 are worth 2,810.02 USD of 1965."
Asking price is a bargain.
Maybe not even enough!
Heck, care to venture a guess what it would cost to have on of these hulls laid up to original schedule with comparable quality materials at todays prices? A bare hull would set you back multiple tens of thousands, would be my guess.
It's not a cost, it's an investment. :)
Hey Kurt! Get some idea from the 'Largest Class of Full Keel Boats in North America'.
Pearson built 1775 of them between 1962 and 1983. In 2000 Zeke Durica in Florida
began building The Classic Ensign to Class rules. Boats were numbered beginning 2000.
Ensigns are 22'6" X 16'9" X 7' X 3'. Weigh in at around 2850 to 3000 lbs.
Chad Lewis now builds and refurbishes them in Marquette MI. On the
ENSIGN SPARS site he has a used new era Ensign #2016 for sale at $26,500.
He's got Ensign #146 for sale at $12,000.
Assume they're ready to race.
Remember seeing new Ensigns for sale at a much higher price, $35,000 ???
Some idea what a brand new Commander might cost (if the tooling existed) !
($50,000 - $65,000 - more?) :eek:
Rico here is one more for you. I think they are calling!!!!!!......ed
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/boa/4440849422.html
I cherish her every day I'm at the helm. Zero dispute on value. By a long stretch, I couldn't afford this beautiful yacht from a cheeky 2014 boat show.
Thank you so much for documenting the trailer dimensions. I am in the process of altering a trailer for our Pearson 26, "Zephyrus".
Hello everyone! - I've been having a peek around the site after quite a while...
Lots of developments and lots of 'new' boats. Some beautiful work out there! - It is really great to see. The boats are hard to beat. They are not the fastest, but if you have wind - they'll move!
Also some bad news... I was very sorry to hear about Bill's passing. He was a very enthusiastic steward of the site and of the community. We spoke Ariels & Commanders a few times over the phone during the time of my ownership. I also had a chance to meet him at several events.
I see little traffic on the site over the last few days. I wonder what everyone, and every Ariel / Commander are up to... I know I've been 'gone' for a while (Kids offer lots of distraction!) life also away from the Bay and from the country for a few years. I've been doing some exciting sailing from the East coast to Mexico and while living Australia. These oceans are beautiful wherever you go!
One of my highlights was two days sailing (with wite a bit of time at the helm) on a VOR boat (Volvo Ocean Race). Man - what a thrill! Even the toilet was carbon fiber on those beasts!
I have lost track of the Mephisto Cat after the family that bought it from me sold it on... I do wonder what she is up to these days... I had a great time sailing and working on C-155 during my tenure!
I had C-187 ('Assigned Risk') on the dry for a few years awaiting my return, but as I mention in C-187's thread, I've lost everything due to a fire at the place where everything was stored. The whole building went. Sadly, only the hull and the trailer remain.
Everything burned and everything that was metal, simply melted into a puddle. I hope to find a path forward for C-187 - but it would need to make sense... I have not decided on what path to pursue. It is, very sadly sitting on a trailer awaiting its future.
Reach out if anyone has good bits, but needs a (very solid) hull. C-187 is available. (See its thread for details.
I am currently in San Luis Obispo. We have a 17' trailer-able catboat. (A 17' Hermann Cat). It is a pretty little boat I am working on it to get it sailing. I need some gaff rig hardware to get it going peoperly.
I hope everyone is sailing-on and enjoying the water!
Wow! Great blast from the past! Nice to hear from you Rico. You and Commander Pete dipped - never to be heard from again!
You probably know, but this site got screwed up by hackers and Bill had to shut down new members. There is a facebook thread at "Pearson Commander Sailboat Owners"