I'm the new caretaker of Ariel-109

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Originally Posted by Ariel 109

First sail of the season!

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I'm jealous , I can't wait to get back in the water I've been been up on stands in the yard now over a month and there's been some really great 10-25 knot wind days while I've been working , but I'm addressing all the necessary issues that even had me worried and found out alot of other interesting things but anyway, I was wondering if you had any luck trying to remake your hull ID plate from the cast you made from mine? looking at it after being in the kiln when you sent it back it looks more like copper than bronze you might try one with copper.

Here's the new main sheet and traveler I got from Chance, now installed on Ariel-109. Used it for the first time sailing last night, very nice. More control lines to fiddle with while sailing and keep the mind occupied. Ariel-109's main sail shape is much improved. Chance did a wonderful job on the teak board the traveler rail mounts on, fit the deck curve perfect.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...r/d19c8ff8.jpg

Some shots from the sail last night.

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For Paul, a shot of my solar / wind powered IKEA hanging outdoor "anchor" light. Seems to be holding up quite well.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...r/26b1b53f.jpg


Ben

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Started using this technique with my new traveler on the Ariel. Really works great when I get overpowered by a gust and the boat starts rounding up.

"Permanently reduce the force aloft by letting out further on the mainsail and tightening up on the traveler. The trick here is to bring the mainsail bottom back in again using the traveler. Yes, bring the traveler to windward up past the center point. Most sailors are reluctant to do this because they’ve been taught that it detaches the wind on the leeward side. But not when you’ve let out the mainsheet. In effect, by letting out on the mainsheet, you’ve allowed the boom to rise up and the leech of the sail to slacken. This creates the desired twist at the top and allows the top of the sail to fly according to its apparent direction. At the same time, the bottom of the sail can fly according to its apparent direction."

http://www.nauticedsailingschool.com...ng-rounding-up

Great tip and great pic Ben! Thanks for posting it. Kind of counter intuitive.

Remember that old saying about sailing being 10% boredom, 80% pleasure and 10% sheer terror? Well this past June I had a moment of terror bordering on stupidity. Sailing Ariel-109 back from a pleasant single hand afternoon sail I was spun by a swirling strong wind shift into a nearby moored sailboat. It happened in an instant, twist, turn and bang. Nose in hard with the Ariel, then bounced off, back on tack like it never happen. I felt awful. What's more my Ariel was totally undamaged. After mooring Noesis I went to find out the owner's contacts at the boat club the sailboat belonged to. Was informed by the owner of the club I was in luck. I had hit the boat of a nice person by the name of Max.

Here's some before and after pictures of Max's boat. I still need to work on the painting. But I have the teak toe rail repaired and fiber-glass epoxy work finished.

Ben


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Interesting boat you unfortunately became too well acquainted with - what is it? (And more pics please!) And BTW - Max is lucky that he was bumped by such a conscientious and competent Captain! (Careful though, he may ask you to replace his whole toe rail!) :)

Hi Mike,

The boat is a 1967 Columbia 29 Mark II designed by Sparkman and Stephens. She's sports a modified full keel with an attached rudder, more free-board and less overhang than our Alberg designed boats. Nice well made boat. I'll take more pics!

Ben

Hey Ben, What Mike sez, right on.
How's the rail attached so close to the edge as it is? Lags straight down?

Thanks Ebb,

The toerail is formed like a corner bead and held down by verticle carriage bolts spaced every 18". It hides the hull to deck seam underneath. The toerail was easy to make, just cuts on the table saw. Getting the rail to follow the deck's curve required me to install a gusset across the forward joint. I didn't think the scarf was strong enough to hold.

Ben

Ben,
you know me aye like to beelabour things.....
So o o, the intriguing gusset...
Did you dap in a metal plate
or double uo on the wood?

Strong forces at work on the new piece.
But if you long spliced the rail
there should have been opportunity to drive in metal pins
- spiked the joint - from the top. And maybe hide them with plugs?

Whatz the secret?
Probably have a similar 'chance encounter' one day myself !:D

Ebb,

The teak toe-rail is like a corner-bead on Max's boat with each extension of the profile about 3/4" thick. After making a scarf joint between the new and old rail there really wasn't much surface to bond together. I didn't even think that installing some screws would help much, there's a lot of stress on the wood at this point as the toe-rail curves up to the bow. I wanted the rail to have a nice continuous curve throughout the transition of the joint. So I chiseled a 3/8 " deep rebate on both side of the scarf joint on the outer side of the toe rail and bonded in a piece of teak. It worked great, both pieces run smoothly together. I will take some pictures, promise.

Now I'm off to muddling my way through the painting process.

Ben

Old Ariel 109 Noesis survived Sandy, riding it out on her somewhat protected mooring on the leeward side of City Island. I had a nice sail on Saturday, before the storm arrived, afterward removed the sails for safekeeping. Glad she's still around, looking forward to some nice late fall sailing.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...A36A140F92.jpg

Great news Ben - glad you weathered the storm OK too!

Finally was able to fly 109's vintage Ratsey spinnaker, first time this season. A nice long run across Eastchester Bay back to the mooring on this mild fall day.


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A few little projects on Noesis.

This weekend I attached a track on the boom to allow me to set up a slab reefing system, more to do. Then I went for a short winter sail, global warming has some positives. Just me and a few big barges out on the Sound.

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Mounted the Sea Swing stove in the cabin. A difficult choice on the location, above the sink, but there's really no where else. The nice thing about this stove is it opens up the Ariel's galley counter top. You can also quickly remove the stove and store it somewhere else.

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My companions while working this weekend. At times it felt like I was in a Hitchcock movie.

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Hey Ben

That looks like the exact setup on the boom I have planned for Destiny. I plan to have two large reef locations on her main and will put two cheek blocks like you are using on the same track.

These little boats do force us to put things where they are not the most convenient some times. But now you can have a cup of hot cocoa on those cold winter days. :-)

Jerry Seinfeld drives Ricky Gervais in an old British sports car up to have coffee on City Island.

You can skip ahead to 6:20 and see a nice shot of the venerable Ariel 109 on her mooring.


http://comediansincarsgettingcoffee....death-machine/

That is so cool Ben! How did you even find out Noesis was in the video? When they sent you a royalty check for featuring your beautiful Ariel?

In like Flynn!

Don't you wish these entertainers were into sailing collectable boats?:o

No..... then we would not be able to afford them ;-)

I've been able to get Ariel 109 out sailing on Eastchester Bay nearly every weekend since the New Year. My friend Dan and I went sailing yesterday on his birthday. It was his first time sailing and he did great. We had a nice run with the spinnaker!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q81SR...NWnu1g&index=1

Being a fan of the the classic plastic laminates Pearson used on the Ariel I was quite pleased to run into these impregnated linen plastic trays at a trendy housewares store in my Brooklyn neighborhood. Linen patterns in plastics are back, ha! Come out sailing with me one day and I'll serve you cheese and crackers on these.

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Found this spirit bottle, used to pour alcohol to pre-heat kerosene stoves at Trader Johns, my favorite store on City Island. This little item is pretty ingenious with a false bottom that measures out the right amount of alcohol needed to warm up a burner on a kerosene Primus type stove. Here's a link to how it works.

http://www.spiritburner.com/fusion/s...p?post/253973/

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Hi Ben, Hope you've been well . Sorry to see the mishap collision but you did a nice repair , maybe word will get out and you can make some extra pocket change around there. Was it hard to match the paint? And thank god your bow was'nt down lower you couldve sunk that boat ,got lucky you did. I was anchored fishing and a megayacht 100+ footer snuck up behind me last summer and scared the hell outta me I looked behind me and there hung a huge anchor 40 feet high off the bow 40 feet from me he never sounded a horn or anything but he could've run me over and not even noticed.

Hi Paul,

Funny that you brought up the collision I had with Max's boat. Drove with Max this morning up to City Island. We haven't painted Max's boat yet, the damaged area is still in primer. The boat wintered in the water and the ideal is to pull in late June and finish the paint and a myriad of other projects, I'll post pictures! Max broke his foot recently, so he's moving kinda slow and spending a summer ashore working on his boat seems like good medicine.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...pse79d9027.jpg

Was given a new old mainsail for Ariel 109, this one even has insignia, strong and well shaped, thanks Bobby! What happened to that weather helm? I now realize how blown out my old main was. Also had a new UV cover sewn onto the genoa, badly needed. These twenty(?) year old Herb Hild sails were built on City Island, back in the day when local sail lofts could still economically build sails in house.

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Ben, I sent you a PM Carl / Ben your PM box is full. If you won't be able to follow through this Monday, Please ship items to me COD, FedEx is my preferred carrier. Thanks Carl

Pair of bronze small ports from an early production Pearson Triton, I believe. Slightly smaller than the more sculpted aluminum ports currently on 109. Another winter project, replacing the corroded aluminum small ports on Ariel 109 with these robust bronzes. I got them at my friend Trader John on City Island, a bargain. He's got at least another pair for anyone interested.

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Found a picture of an early Triton with these smaller portlights. They don't look too bad, a little bead-blasting and some new plexiglass.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps030d420a.jpg

Ben, for the record.
I have two of those aluminum opening ports that look pretty good powder coated.
But recently getting them ready to put in, discovered that the gasket ring that creates a
channel for the gasket using #4 3/16" FHMS could not be screwed in because most of
the blind taps in the frame are corroded - no threads left.

That led me to call Historical Arts who evidently still have Rostand pattern bronze
opening ports for sale. $585 a copy! Considering there are four castings per copy, plus
the machining, tumbling, fitting and number of other parts, I'm pretty sure Historical
Arts isn't making much profit. I'm pretty sure there aren't many takers either
- who can afford them? From the pictures they emailed, they do look gorgeous.
Whether they are an exact 'dropin' fit to the hole already in the Areil needs confirmation.

First Sunday every month I meet with the SFBayArea Alberg Fleet at the Oakland Grill
in the produce district. Most of the guys and gals have Tritons. They have six of
these antique Rostand ports, or aluminum ones, with broken parts and corrosion.
Chief 'Officer' of the breakfast is Rob Heggen, who is embarked upon casting new
ports of his own. Locally cast with his own patterns based on the original Rostand.

So far as I know these little opening ports are the same on Tritons and Ariels - and
no doubt on other early Pearson/Albergs. Rob makes his living working on small
boats in this area. He is an innovator & problem solver and I can imagine that when
available his rendition will be completely competant. How much? I don't know.

In the meantime, at Rob's suggestion. I'm drilling new holes in the aluminum gasket
ring, and will attempt to bottom tap tiny new holes in the frame! Patch with LabMetal.

So, I patched most of the corrosion in the little ports and took them to the powdercoaters.
After sitting in a box for years - and me thinking how smart it was - find not only the
machined screw holes have poultice in them and are threadless.....but then discovered
the pretty powder coating on the finishing ring that clamps and screws the port
together in the cabin side..... no longer slips over the spigot.:eek:
The coating on the ring and the spigot together add enough thickness so the ring
don't slip over the spigot no mo.
No, it can't be sanded....because if you do it'll break thru to the encaspulated aluminum
.....and then: BAM worst case corrosion. Because aluminum should not be capsulated.
Also have a couple places where the polyester coating wrapping corners has chipped off!

So this is a caution.....I think repairing aluminum ports is only a temporary fix.
If nothing else it's a lot of labor and futzing. Given the tiny screws,and the crankiness of
aluminum it's a lousey material for the job.

The Ariel mast sheave and original blocks are Tufnol*, a resiliant high pressure cotton fabric
phenolic laminate impervious to saltwater, weather, corrosion, UV. After 50 years.... still
ageless. Today, the high pressure phenolic laminate is available in small quantities
and not too horrorbly expensive for a lightweight and nearly indestructable thermoset.
Original blocks that came with A338 still look and work great.
Recommended lubricant for the sheaves is sea water! No roller bearings.
A338's 6" mast sheave with wire groove could almost have been new when it was removed
....while the aluminum around it was literally disintergrating on all sides.
The stuff is easily milled with carbide into innumerable shapes and doesn't look too bad either:
the phenolics are a nice dark tan/brown. (*McMasterCarr Garolite LE and CE)

Mean to say: Do you think you can translate this material into a Rostand inspired opening port?

Before making patterns to give to the foundry for casting in bronze, why not first create
a working model with Garolite? It wouldn't be an exact copy of the metal versions, but close.
Have a mental image of the opening port in phenoiic! (Sorry for the length of this....!)

Acquired this asymmetrical spinnaker from Trader John on City Island. I believe it comes off a Columbia T26, which has a very similar forward head-sail plan to the Ariel. It's in very nice condition, fits and moves the boat nicely as you can see in the picture from yesterday's sail. I see a small bowsprit in my future.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps466a4634.jpg

Bargains are out there. Found these bronze small ports on EBay, minimal corrosion, no cracks and nice glass. I've got a nice set of screens already on 109.

Hope to clean up the two early Triton bronze ports I was going to install and sell them to someone here on the forum at a good price.

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W O W
Some people sure are LUCKY!

Have a great New Year 2014!

Happy New Year Ebb and everyone! Wanting also to wish Ariel 109 Noesis a happy 50th birthday! Thanks for providing hours of adventure, excitement and beauty to all who have sailed her through the years!

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A cold rainy Saturday at City Island. Installed the small bronze ports in 109's "forward stateroom". Who wants a Cape Dory 25d after you've got an Ariel with bronze framed portholes and deadlights!

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Revisited the first project I did for Ariel 109. Shorted, carved and installed a height adjustment screw on the purple heart tiller I made four years ago. All this is to allow me to use a Simrod TP-10 auto-tiller on 109.

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Nature's redesign of the Ariel's topsides.

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Sleek! She looks like she's doin 6 knots just sitting there.

Here's the "re-sculpted" tiller back in the Ariel. The bolt I added on the end to use as an adjustable stop against the rudder stock works nice. Still need to drill a hole in the starboard bench for the auto-tiller mount and epoxy in it's bronze bushing, some warmer day.

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Ariel 109 made it into the New Yorker's online edition! The pictures are from a trip from City Island down to New York Harbor made about two weeks ago. The photographer Ben Zucker did a beautiful job! It was my first time through Hells Gate and into New York Harbor. Nice to be out sailing again.

http://www.newyorker.com/sandbox/por...new-york-city/

Niiiiice! And some great pics! Another money shot of Noesis sailing towards the Staue of Liberty. Did he take the the bird's eye view from a neighbor's mast?

Yes, the photographer Ben Zucker climbed my friend Hans' Coronado 41's mast to take that shot.

BEAUTIFUL! And Inspiring, too... Makes me even more impatient to feel the press of sail heel Katie over on her ends and take off down the Bay... :)

Sailing with the Simrad TP-10 auto-tiller, second hand, taken from the wooden Rhodes 24, payment for looking after her, ha! Nice to be able to leave the tiller and adjust leach lines and jib-track cars while sailing by myself. A bit of a toy, with limitations, but worth having I believe.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...psuuegaxmo.jpg

Ben, do you have to program your course with that or does it have a wind transducer?

The TP-10 is a very simple auto-tiller, the most basic of Simrad's line. There's no wind transducer. You just steer your course, press a button and the the auto-tiller will try and keep a heading in the current direction. Shifty winds, wakes and waves can play havoc with the auto-tiller's function. The TP-10 works best in moderate weather condition where the chance of getting the rudder over-powered is minimal. Sailing in the right conditions it's pretty nice to have aboard, frustrating in very light and heavy winds.

I regret to inform the forum that I have sold Ariel 109. I will be sending the new owner's information to Bill soon. Hopefully he will continue Ariel 109's thread on this forum. I will truly miss reading and writing posts here. I learned so much about sailing from the good information and advice posted here, thanks to all!

Ben

:( Ben hope everything is well with you . hate to see your skills leave this forum and can't believe you sold Noesis. Are you getting a new boat? Thanks for helping me though, I think about your help every time I look at that plate I'm truly greatful. Would you be willing to make me one of those purple heart tillers. And if so how much?

So Sorry, Ben!
Hope things are OK. Take care.
It's been grand.
Wonderful to follow along with you and 109:(

Look forward to hearing back from the new owner, Fairwinds friend!

Thanks, you guys. Everything's OK, I just have too much on my plate with the S-Boat project, racing on sailboats and paying bills to keep giving the Ariel the attention it deserves. I'm sure I'll regret selling it in the future, it is the prefect sailboat!

Oh man, this stinks. You'll be missed!

Hi everyone! Thought I'd share this blog posting by an artist named Marie Lorenz in which the subject is Ariel 109 Noesis, her new skipper Rich and his girlfriend Pali. Hopefully Rich will start posting on this thread soon!

http://www.tideandcurrenttaxi.org/?cat=32

Ben