I have been lurking for a couple of months now. while I worked out the deal to get ariel 74. I have her home now and have just started to dive into the restoration of this tired old girl. I will post some pics and commentary later today. This site has been a huge help in understanding this boat and its issues. I feel that because of the work you guys have done documenting your work. my boat will be exponentially better when done.
Welcome, Josh. It will be a pleasure to see the work you do on #74. does she have a name yet? What are you planning? Anything on the 'must fix first' list? Heck, just start taking pics and roll with it!
By the way, I see you're letting one go to make room for another...I'm still not that intellegent yet...It's like an illness.
The boat I believe is almost completely original, blocks, chainplates, wire rigging, woodwork. except the sails. they are in quite good condition. I believe the boat was in sacramento. how long. I don't know. PO bought it for a project but a spiral fracture of his femur changed his plan. MY plans are to recore the deck all the way around. improve the base plate. restore the gelcoat,a bow spirit ,all new hardware and fittings, move the chainplates to the hull with hull reinforcment, and a complete interior redesign. and that should just about do it. oh, maybe a small hard dodger.and a *****in toe rail.
I'm also a new owner of hull #74, but this is a Commander. Aren't hull numbers unique independent of whether the boat ends up as an Ariel or Commander? Or could there be both an A-74 and a C-74?
Commander 74 was purchased in Ohio this spring, then moved to Maine, where it was sailed out of Bucks Harbor on Penobscot Bay. It has an A-4 inboard and is rigged for spinnakers.
Attached is a picture at season's end - boom off and ready to be hauled the next day - at home amongst the lobster boats and classic wooden yawls.
Upgrades for next season are hoped to include roller furling, new mainsail and removal of pushpit/lifelines. Any spare hanked on headsails (the boat came with 7 or 8 sails) will be offered to this group first.
When I first started thinking about moving into a Commander from my beloved Ensign a couple of years ago I saw #74 on yacht world. I himed and hawed and checked to see if it was still on Yacht World every couple of months, I loved the fact it had an inboard engine.
Last fall I had an open day so I flew out to Heron to look it over. Before I left I shot them a low ball offer I knew they wouldn't take and went home feeling good about avoiding a big project. The bug stayed with me though, and by mid winter I called back with a more reasonable offer, sent out a deposit check and began looking for cheep transport. after a month or so a friend called to say he was coming back from Maine with an empty hydraulic trailer and could swing by Ohio and pick her up. I called out to coordinate the pick up with the marina, but was told they had a huge snow storm and there was no way they could get to the boat. I knew where the boat was in their yard and it could have been easily plowed out. My free transport was nearing Ohio and he needed to know if we were on. After several calls trying to get some cooperation, the marina admitted that someone else had come along with a higher offer and that the boat was sold to him. I said "but you took my deposit check" he said "yeah, but I never cashed it".
So... that's what you get when you dawdle.
When I saw #227 come up on Craig's list in Milwaulkee, I flew out the next day with cash in my pocket and went out the next week to pick it up.
And that my "the one that got away" story.
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