The album of Ariel #422

[mbd]

Thanks Bill. Hmm, it would seem that Kurt's and my Ariels are perhaps from the last year, 1967? Assuming that roughly the same number were produced each year, as unlikely as that is...

[Dan Maliszewski]

Capt. Kurt,

My compliments on a bristol boat. I too carried my anchor on a shoe fixed to the pulpit for many years, until I flew my new 155 genoa. During an upwind tack, it caught on the anchor crossbar and ripped a foot long gash in the fabric. The anchor now sleeps in the chain locker till I call it up on deck. Bad Anchor. But I do allow the chain and shackle to hang out in the hawsepipe, just to keep them handy.

Carry on..

[CapnK]

Regarding boat age: #370, 52 hulls before Katie, was supposedly a '66 (that's what the title said). 440 boats divided into 5 years makes 88 boats per year. If (and it's a big IF, I know) Pearson made 88 Ariels per year, started at the beginning of 1962, then year 5 (1966-67) would be hulls numbered from 352-440. Sooo - Question answered! (Har! Not hardly!). Well, at least I could say Katie is a '66 model, not be too far off, and that'd make us the same age. Gee, I wonder what day they took her out of the mold? If it was 7/22 of 66, that would be an auspicious and spooky date!!!

Dan - good point about the hook being a genny shredder up there. I do plan to put an anchoring platform (think stubby bowsprit) on Katie, the pulpit mount is a temporary but neccessary solution to anchor stowage (I like having the hook ready to go at a moments notice - being able to do so has saved my bacon at least once ). Once I get a "proper" place to stow the anchor up front, I'll use that pulpit-mounting gadget for my secondary on the stern. Sorry to hear about your "Bad Anchor lesson" - I hadn't considered that possibility, but will keep it in mind. I'll be under sail in a couple of hours from now - Yippee!

Have a good weekend!

[mbd]

Kurt, you're assuming Pearson stopped production on 01/01/67.

Consider 62=1, 63=2, 64=3, 65=4, 66=5, and 67=6.

440 boats / 6 years = 73 per year, and 440 - 73 = 367.

Soooo, Hull #368 was the first hull of 1967... ??? Yes, very rough, but it would seem to point to our little boats being a 1967 vintage, don't ya think?

[Mike Goodwin]

I was told they started in late '62 , #45 was supposed to be a nov or dec boat .

[CapnK]

Here are some shots of the companionay hatch screens I made with some scrap Azek.

First shot looking out:



Second shot shows detail w/flash:



The top screen folds in half, so that the overhead hatch can close halfway in cases of inclement weather:



And the vertical pieces I made to the same dimensions as my hatchboards, so that I can use the solid top piece, allowing me to lock the boat up when I am away for the day, yet still provide lots more ventilation than otherwise (yes, locks keep honest people honest, and a slightly determined thief could get in if thy wanted, but it's a ventilation-vs-security tradeoff, and my marina is pretty safe, with 5 other liveaboards on my pier, someone is almost always around. )



External view of the screens:

[CapnK]

It's been blistering hot here lately (yesterday temps where up in the 120's in direct sunlight). In an effort to help keep the boat interior temps down, I rigged up a couple of tarps which nearly cover the entire deck with shade when the sun is overhead. The forward tarp is an 8x10, the after is a 10x12. It has helped a lot, even though it looks a bit odd. (Note the hanked on genny; I've been sailing 3-4 times a week, and hadn't pulled it off yet when I took the picture. I can go from liveaboard to heelable in 30 minutes, unlike all the other boats on my dock which rarely (if ever) leave.)

Whole setup:



CrewDogs diggin' the shade:



Looking forward from underneath:



And aft. I use my whisker pole to hold the corners out, providing much more shade that way: