Ebb
Yes, I lost a big tree in our garden it took down our brick wall and we had flooding, replaced floors and things, could have been much worse. Seems like some of my nighbors have caught the sailing bug like I got from Micheal Goodwin when I saw his Ariel. Its a new thing for me, I find that new things keep me going. I have just finished with the staunchens and safety lines so Pat won't fall overboard. Trying to figure out the Jib track and hardware now. The new tiller was broken in half by the 32 Ft sailboat that was on top of my boat...it suffered much worse damage. The original tiller had been repaired two times and has come apart again. West Marine no longer has them, looks like I will be making my own. I plan on adding a small wheel to the cabin for the outboard motor plus simple controls and someway to raise the motor out of the water, I'm too old to lift it in and out all of the time and there is a storage problem. Have recent photographs If I can remember were I put the disc. Next rerigging the mast, replacing broken parts, lighting and wireing. thank goodness the sails are in great condition. New Sphinx acre but need pole.
Last edited by Robert Lemasters; 11-02-2004 at 02:14 PM.
Reason: damned spelling
Tony
I hated to replace the original portlights but they were badly damaged, corroded, couldn't see through them and leaked plus they did not open. I had two old bronze Wilcox & Crittenden 5 inch portholes and found three more on Ebay for $150, one needed new glass cost $85 to replace one inch thick safety glass. They make a world of differance, fresh air, you can see through them, they don't leak and won't corrode. The hard wood rings that they are bolted to were a real problem to cut out(used epay wood that is like teak)had many rejects, even tried to have them made without success. The cabin was already damaged, I had no choice but to make changes, it was real work but worth it, I now hate sanding and fiberglassing. They do make the boat look somewhat differant but its more important that they do the job and are as seaworthy as these old boats seem to be. The hull was painted black because my wife works for Sherwin Williams Seaguard Marine and thats the color she got for me, they make and sell marine coatings, good thing that she did't have hot pink or mustard yellow.
Last edited by Robert Lemasters; 11-02-2004 at 05:34 PM.
What tree, what tree?? Wrong kind huh? Conefir? Yew would be good.
By the way, Tim Lackey wrassels with tiller making in his online book, trying also to get some knee room. Steam bending and epoxy.
If you are going to steam bend (or soaking in boiling water) choose a live American hardwood like white oak, pecan, hickory, elm, etc. The problem with store bought lignum is that it's already cooked in the kiln. So it's kind of tired already. Fresh wood is by far the best.
Making an 'S' curve approachs impossibility even with very thin laminations. Tim does tell us the best trick of all: which is to glue three pieces together first to get the shape. Then keep adding singles so that you don't squeeze the epoxy out, and aren't fighting the shape, and the slipping and sliding. 338 came with a single bowed mahogany delam. In a shop environment you could glue up with resorcinol and literally use carjacks and hammers to clamp it. Still, you'ld have to use veneer-thin wood. After you squared and tapered it you'ld still have to dress a top and bottom on to cover the outs. Lot of work.
A tiller what has straight grain running beginning to end thruout its curves is strong and can be skinnied down like a baseball bat handle. But unlike modern lathed turned bats that seem to break alot on TV there'ld be no short grain in that lithe and limber homegrown timber tiller.
EBB
I was told that the tree was some kind of ornimental, it was soft wood, good for nothing and green. Yew would be great, they used to make bows from yew wood, what does a yew look like, were are they found? I'm looking at ash but have a pretty good piece of mahogany, 4 " thick by about 6' long. I like the tiller instead of a wheel, it's not a racing yacht. Know where there is a 20-24 ft catboat thats needs some work, boy they are impressive , would be perfect for the bay, seems like a very rugged boat, but it's wooden.
Last edited by Robert Lemasters; 11-02-2004 at 06:20 PM.
Robert - the round protals look fantastic! Very salty looking little boat. You fixed my least favorite part of the Commanders, the little portals! She kind of looks like a Cape Dory Typhoon Senior - very nice! Now you've got me thinking I may start looking at Commanders as well as the Ariels...
Mike
mbd
There is a resturant here in Portsmouth, near the yard where Mike Goodwin keeps his good boat, that has at least 25 old bronze portholes on thier walls as decorations. There must be thousands of bronze portholes in good condition in all sizes that can be had cheaper then replacements for the orginal stock portals. They clean up real good and even if the glass is broken can be replaced for little money. The trick is making the hard wood rings that fit on the outside of the cabin. Placement is no problem, use part of the existing opening for the old portals and carefully fiberglass and fill the entire old portal opening. Carfully re-cutout the exact size of the replacement portholes using as much of the old solid material as possible for strength. I used a thin core material, fiberglass cloth, west system with thier best filler. That was a little tricky but I did a lot of reading and planning before I began.
Last edited by Robert Lemasters; 11-03-2004 at 11:29 AM.
Some more photographs encluding upgraded main sheet traveler system and damaged mast spreader. Note the bronze bit, I have an arthritic condition in my hands and this helps me tie up faster without too much pain.
Last edited by Robert Lemasters; 11-03-2004 at 10:42 AM.
Pictures speak for themselves.These were taken after I rowed out and towed my boat back to what was left of the dock. My boat, my watch. Hope/will put out a good strong mooring before the next storm or take the boat to a better situation and ride it out myself.
Last edited by Robert Lemasters; 11-03-2004 at 12:36 PM.
More photographs. One is of a more or less vertical ouboard motor lift that in all probabiliy would not fit in the lazeratte. I may have to design something and have it manufactured by one of the ship repair yards my wife supplies with paint. Another shows my boat and the one that piled on top of mine. The owner had not secured it before Isabel.This one shows the boy accross the street and I sailing, taken by Mike Goodwin. And another shows a neglected boat at the yard that my wife wants...let her do the work...I just want to sail and have fun.
Last edited by Robert Lemasters; 11-04-2004 at 04:18 PM.
Good to see your craft looking really fine again after that awful bashing she took last year. I moved my ariel from Pensacola to Houston two years ago, spent one year on the rehab. Ironic that if she was to have been left in Pensacola, she'd now be on the bottom of Chico Bayo with a few workboats piled on top of her. My mother lives in the hardest hit part of Pensacola along to coast, just to the Southwest of the old downtown, and man, everything was destroyed. Luckily her home is a one story nestled behind some really big homes right on the bay. They lost their roofs, but protected her home--- almost no damage. My dad bought our boat when I was a kid, and it looks like we narrowly dodged a bullet with Hurricane Ivan. Its fate.
Kent
Glad that your family and good boat were safe. Life and living are more important than material things.That being said, I feel it important to preserve good quality works such as these boats and other things that were made in America in a time when quality and American workmanship ment something. Your boat is part of your family history and I'm sure that you and others enjoy that very much. I look forward to sailing this spring, I have lived in many Chespeake Bay communitys over the years and look forward to visiting them in my own boat. Good safe sailing.
Last edited by Robert Lemasters; 11-05-2004 at 08:27 AM.
Here's another gruesome photo that was posted in the past.
From the photos it looks like you had one spreader gone and a lower shroud chainplate just about pulled out of the deck. Backstay chainplate bent like a pretzel. I'm amazed the mast didn't come down. Tough old girl.
Very nice work on the rebuild.
I would of shot that neighbor of yours, accidentally.
Commander Pete
Yeh, he was a real screwball. I'm spashing the boat next weekend minus the stick. Someone has just "borrowed two" of the old turnbuckles; however, the boat came with 3 new unused ones that seem a size smaller but that shouldn't matter too much. Wife asked me to make a wish list for Christmass... push pit, two Harken wenches, pullpit...zodiac tender... Boy that would be a wish list. The back stay is being manufactured a little larger then the old one...I was able to bend the old one back but I didn't trust it...seems like a real important piece of hardware. All of the standing rigging will be replaced size larger then the old. Enjoy good safe sailing, I have enjoyed reading about and seeing photographs of your boat and all of the members, you all have inspired me to keep on. Oh, should anyone need to, and I hope no one ever needs to replace/rebuild thier toerail, I found that pvc pipe is very handy and more than strong enough to use for the center of the toerail. Easy to bend and fiberglass in with West System products. Good as new.
Last edited by Robert Lemasters; 11-05-2004 at 12:48 PM.
Look at that! Those round-eyed port lights are so damned salty I can't even blink. Yesssir! Now I smell styrene and have begun to itch a little. Even the Nearly Perfect Wife agrees. About that tiller--might I suggest a most noble and tough and rot-resistant wood: bois d' arc, aka osage orange. Members of my family have fence posts of the stuff more than 120 years old. Just won't rot. Beautiful stuff, too, when sanded to a glassy surface and varnished. In the sun it will eventually turn a purple-black. Bright yellow to start.
Good job, sir.
Houdini. Ariel #407
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