Hi Bud,

There are two Ariels available in the Bay Area at present. They are listed the Classy Classified section of July 2006 edition of Latitude 38 magazine this month. So pick up a free copy of Latitude 38 at West Marine or elsewhere, or see the on-line edition.

My opinion is that you should forget the transom-mounted OB. The transom isn't designed for that. You would have to make some modifications. My boat was adapted for a transom mount before I became the owner. I still have the teak transom motor mount, but I patched the holes and applied new gelcoat to the transom. The previous owner told me some horror stories about aeration of the prop in short chop in the south Bay. So don’t do it.

However with the open well, and a motor in place, you do get a fair amount of sea in your lazarette, and the shaft is down when sailing unless you want to heft the motor out of the well at sea and carry it below or store it in a cockit seat locker. Is this a big problem? It comes with the territory. An Ariel with an IB diesel would be nice, but I am very happy with my 1965 OB model.

Do buy an Ariel and do use the well. Join the Ariel Association and get the Ariel manual. The article in the manual by Gene Roberts on Myron Spaulding's installation of a modified Garhauer lifting davit for the OB motor is swelligant.

I followed the recommendations in that article, and am very pleased with my lifting davit. My six-to-one ratio lifting davit is a real back saver. I can lift my motor from a cart on the dock to the well and back. The motor will store well on its side in the lazarette when the boat is parked. The davit handles this maneuver also. The davit can also be used to hoist the motor for post-sail flushing with fresh water. I originally had a Hoinda 7.5, but I now use a Nissan 6 hp four stroke OB motor.

Why are you swapping your International Folk Boat for an Ariel? I am just curious. I edit a Marieholm 26/ IF Boat web site, but I am an Ariel owner, and I also edit an Ariel website.

Good luck in your hunt.