The Plastic Classic Forum, your free and in-depth resource for information on re/building classic sailboats. ... Be sure to visit / join our sister site at sailFar.net! ... And don't forget to check out Atom's Virtual Home Port! ...
Courtesy of a tip from a fellow forum member I took a ride out to Marion Ma to take a look at an interesting boat yesterday - Seamaser Kestrel 22. Same (or very close) hull as to the Sailmasters with a different cabinhouse and slightly different deck arrangement. Nice boat - current owner has done a nice job repainting the hull (though white...) and redoing the decks (hardware rebedded, new non-skid surface, brightwork stripped and refinished though it needs attention again, recored soem sections, added a bomar type hatch to foredeck where it had gone soft around the dorade ). Trim is all present though some of it has been repaired wih moderate skill at points in the past. I like the look of the Kestrel cabinhouse better -it has 3 traditional lights (unfortunately all fixed) down each side rather than the more modern look of the Sailmaster's single thing. Cabin space is slightly different than the Sailmasters - the sink area is located beneath the companionway, there are no galley counters in the design- the settees butt up to the v berth, the head goes into a more traditional space at the v berth. Cabin needs some attention such as paint etc but is relatively clean. Most cushions are present though at minimum they need recovering and probably replacement. Centerboard pin is in process of being replaced. Not sure if it's true with all Kestrels but this one has an aluminum rig. There is a keyhole cutout in the transom which allows the OB to be tilted up when not in use - does anyone know if this is original (barely visible in one pic) Boat is on an older trailer - not pretty but appears sound. Has an older 9 HP Merc. 2 elderly mains but no jib. Forestay needs to be finished to length. One unfortunate problem that occurred when he was doing the non-skid is a very apparent variation in the color in sections of the foredeck - could be cured with paint but probably simpler said than done - the surface is very aggressive (which would be GREAT afte years of sliding around on canvas decks - they're wonderful underfoot for a few seasons and then......) There has been some water intrusion into the knees though they still appear serviceable for a few years - and not too difficult to ge at for replacment/repair. Another unfortunate thing is that at some point in the boat's past a prio owner increased the size of the cut out in the cockpit well for access to the OB controls - the new cutout is not squared or centered - in the greater scheme, not a big deal - the aesthetic issue could easily be addressed by adding some trim.
Something about this boat made me feel it was buit here in the US - did not have the same ovebuilt feeling of the first Sailmaster I looked at. All in all I liked the boat abdeeven though it did not strike me the same way as the first of the Sailmasters I looked at - seems as if they were finished to a higher level on the interior and the wooden spars gave them a much stronger character - it warrants consideration.
The ports are a better look. On the other hand, it looks like it should have had an eyebrow. That's one feature of the Dutch boats I really like (along with the spars).
I can't quite get a look at the coamings, but the DeVries Lentsch, LeComte, and Utrecht built boats I know of have distinctive rounded coaming lines at the front (where they turn from fore-and-aft to butt up against the cabin sides). They were made by splitting laminations as they came to the curve and fitting wedge-shaped pieces in. Did it have those?
I don't see any of the distinctive characteristics of the Dutch-built boats, but then I don't see enough to totally rule them out, either, although I doubt that it is. They had moved production over to the US in 1965 or so (if it is a Seafarer....) Do you have any interior shots? That might help to prove it one way or the other - there are details that I've never seen on the US boats.
my interior shots are isolateded to specific spots I felt might be issues - for some foolish reason I manage to not take overall pics of the interiors when I look at a boat.
the leading end of the coamings are solid plank with the roll you mention applied as a second piece on the outside. when I looked at this boat I realized there was a difference in how the ends finished =though I wasn't sure how the Sailmaster ones were done. I my mind the only thing I could figure out was that the coamings were cut out of a 4 or so inch thick plank - which made no sense. The idea of splitting the coaming and inserting a spacer never dawned on me.
This is a nice boat - at a good price - for someone though not for me. There is something about the first Sailmaster I looked at tht really appealed to me. As of 2 weeks back it was still on the market - I've made an inquiry to see if it's still aound....
My mind is pretty well made up - if the first Sailmaster is still available and I can reach a reasonable agreement with the owner.....
You may recall that he intended to raise the price monthly as the season approached. I guess I neded to look at several others iin order to be sure.
The Kestrel may end up in your neighborhood, the fellow from NE Sailboat Rescue is supposed to look at her today.
Tom Javor wrote:You may recall that he intended to raise the price monthly as the season approached.
Considering the boat and the times, that would cause me a hump of annoyance to get over. On the other hand, if you like/love the boat, and it's right for your situation, then down the road perhaps you can forget that you may have "overpaid," and the seller's "Buy it by midnight tonight! Not available in stores!" type of selling philosophy, and it won't really matter in the grand scheme of things. You'll have your sweet boat, and you'll be smiling as the spars gleam golden in the afternoon light.
Of course, I may not be the person to take advice from on driving hard boat bargains; I find one I like, and I'm a powerless wimp in the haggling department.
Rachel
Last edited by Rachel on Sun Apr 19, 2009 1:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Nice looking boat. I think the Sailmaster you looked at before is now down the street from me...I noticed it the other day and thought it looked familiar, with the black hull, gold cove and wooden spars. Looks like the owner moved it from whatever boatyard it was at to his house. If you come by to look at it again let me know, you'd be a mile from my Marlin if you wanted to stop by for a peek...I'm not selling :-) but I know I'd jump on most chances to ogle another pretty boat (I'm uncovering next weekend).
Heard back from the Sailmaster owner- boat as been sold and is now on Jamestown here in RI. Certainly hope the new owner appreciates the boat. It's my own fault, should have moved much sooner on it but wasn't sure it was the right boat. There wil be others.....
Ah...that must be why it moved. Well, I'll keep an eye on it for you! The house where it is now had an old Catalina 27 in the driveway for years which disappeared last year, now replaced by the new boat.
Only have a minute, (at lunch).
The boat pictured above is a Seafarer Kestrel, and looks like a U.S. built. I don't have time to look at the plans now but I do remember a version with the head at the V-berth, and the slot in the stern for the tilt up motor. Aluminum center boards were used about this time. Toe rails don't look right... maybe replaced.
Inside photos will still reveal more info regardless of what they are of.
OK, Home now and after looking at the photos some more, I've made the following observations.
Fiberglass winch mounts = later (US) production.
Toe rails either replaced, or a production change. Even the late boats I've seen still had the bow chocks recessed and moulded into the toe rail. (Their position varied with respect to how how far back from the bow they were placed.) The toerails also look thinner than I've seen before, and they don't have that Sparkman & Stephens sweep or taper.
Other hardware is different than what I'm used to seeing. Different in that it's not the custom cast, but off the shelf variety. Could be a cost / availability issue. ( $$$).
Cockpit foot well has rear drains which the original dutch boats had, but later U.S. boats switched to forward drains. (Rear drains need less plumbing to get the water overboard, and the plumbing is way in the back of the cabin and not in the way). Maybe they went back to that idea.
Chain plates are side by side, not side by side and one inboard of the other. No big deal either way I guess... just different than Dutch built and to the original plans.
I don't care for the motor tilt up cut in the stern... just my eye.
I do like the three ports look to the cabin side and want to do the same to mine, but MAN are bronze opening ports high $$$.$$. Even small ones.
One final reflection... She is still a sweet looking design.
dee
I would still like to see other photos of the inside.
dee
]
