John Griffiths, a retired marine surveyor, is restoring hull #1 in MD. Hull #1 was sunk on land. Abandoned. John bought her and took her to his farm in Earleville.
The engine is a 12 hp yanmar that John restored also.
John Griffiths, a retired marine surveyor, is restoring hull #1 in MD. Hull #1 was sunk on land. Abandoned. John bought her and took her to his farm in Earleville.
The engine is a 12 hp yanmar that John restored also.
John Griffiths, a retired marine surveyor, is restoring hull #1 in MD. Hull #1 was sunk on land. Abandoned. John bought her and took her to his farm in Earleville.
The engine is a 12 hp yanmar that John restored also.
Wow! What did he use for that gorgeous new strongback?
Two more shots.
Restoring?
So he is going to take all those cabin modifications out and put ugly 60's plastic laminate back in ?
hull # 1
Great to see #1...even better to see her in capable hands..looks SUPER !!!!! Keep the pics coming as the project progress's
When I asked John "Where do you start?" when you have a derilict boat like Kestrel was when he found her in an Oxford boatyard, he responded:
"Start with the nastiest job. Do it when you're still in love. Don't begin by refinishing the brightwork."
Kestrel had a long list of really nasty jobs vying for the honor of being the nastiest. A lot of 'glass work on the decks and coachroof'; the keel had vater in the voids. He drained and reglassed that. He removed the old engine and replaced it with a Yanmar 2GM diesel. New driveshaft and rudderpost and the tube that holds the post had to be reglassed. New fuel tank and water lift muffler. The pictures will some of the story better than I can.
These have been taken over a period of two years. l hope to take some new ones this weekend.
Last edited by Bill; 06-08-2005 at 02:26 PM.
I like it. The combination of her being hull number one and the 'feel' of the interior cabinetry really sets off a genuine lust here. While we all are focusing on Kestrel, did anyone else notice the shop? I bet a guy could live there when he's into the job. And I noticed a fire extinguisher in one of the pictures. That's something we don't see that often in the gallery pages.
I talked to the gentleman that owns the number one Hinckley pilot and asked him how or where one starts a restore job like that. He replied, "It's like eating an elephant, just one bite at a time." After seeing Kestrel it's plain and simple, a guy can't own just one of these beauties.
Renovate--Yes, Restore--No
A restoration would be putting an Atomic 4 back in with a generator instead of alternator , putting the icebox back in .
You guys are awfully loose with the lingo. I can accept , rebuild , refurbish, renovate, repair , upgrade and modernize , but restore is pretty specific in it's meaning .
You can restore it to 1962 condition , even 1972 condition , but adding an engine that was never offered can't be a restoration .
Unless a restoration is done right , it can lower the value of an object. Any maritime museum would laugh their butts off at this " restoration" .
IMHO #1 has been stripped of her historical value , as if you took the 1st Corvette and replaced the Blue Flame 6 with a 350 V8 .
More pictures
I suppose one could argue semantics regarding restoration vs. repair. As far as being stripped of her histoical value is concerned what are any of us doing when repairing these boats? What did Geoff do when he added a hard dodger? This boat was derelict. It's historical value had been stripped long ago and her next voyage was to the dump.
Call Kestrel a re-built boat ... but she's been restored to life.
Some more pictures
There's the 'letter of the law.' Mike is correct about the word 'restore.' It has come to mean 'bring back to its original condition.' And equipment. A museum quality Ariel would have to have every piece authentic original including, we presume, the oil filter on the Atomic 4. A museum quality Ariel would have to been stored unused and covered in a barn since 1962.
It does look like #1 has had some enhancements that are not true to her type. What's in a number? In some ways it is a disappointment, but it IS more important that the boat will go on sailing into the future. Even if 'restoration' is not wholly correct. 'Refit' is a nice neutral word for the effort Capt John is making.
Went thru some heavy mental games myself when I began working on 338. Choose to make my peace with Alberg - not Pearson. To restore an Ariel to what Pearson put in the marketplace would be ludicrous. There is no way to do anything to the inside of the vessel that you couldn't do better. The furniture in an Ariel is some of the ugliest carpentry ever conceived. The bulkheading not far behind. Restoring that would be rather sick and impossible.
Looking at it from both sides now, tough love sez you can't restore any Ariel. Made me feel a little better when I too decided to appeal to Alberg rather than Pearson for the violations I have did to 338. It's my personal opinion that Carl never climbed down the ladder into any of his boats under 35', anyway!
In pure terms of a Great Project Boat an Ariel is MADE for that function. Improvements, modifications, rebuilding, customizing, alterations, reworking, remodeling, modernizing - not a problem. When you get it done, you'll still have an exceptional boat that will get you there
and back again.
Last edited by ebb; 06-09-2005 at 08:21 AM.
restore..renovate..refit..customize..rejuvenate..
modify..rebuild..improve..bla bla bla bla bla.Details details details.Can't sail a boat in a museum.Save it from the bone yard..make her how ya like it..sail it !!! The beauty of these boats will be appreciated for MANY more years because of all our efforts...what ever ya want to call them. That they are still out there sailing and will be for a long time yet is what really matters.
Last edited by frank durant; 06-09-2005 at 09:03 AM.
Congrats to John on the good work.
The mold inside my boat will now be called "historic patina"
Notice the position of the winch pads. Way aft.
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