Greetings

[Chief White Cloud]

Just found this site a bit late as I've been refitting my Yankee 30 the last 1.5 years for cruising in Mx, the S. Pacific and beyond. Perusing the forum I find it to be fantastic. A great place for all boats classic and plastic. Anyway, here is mine, sailing in Puget Sound.

[Chris Campbell]

Welcome! Beautiful boat! Some day mine will look so nice, hopefully. How nice to have another Yankee 30 around. Are you also on the Yankee 30 Yahoo Group?

I've just started restoring a much older Yankee 30 (mine's hull #70) and have been documenting it in the site in my signature. What have you been doing to yours to prep for your voyage?

Again, welcome!

Cheers,

Chris

[Chief White Cloud]

Thanks Chris. I've been reading your blog and I'm impressed with the work on your Yankee. Ours are only a couple hull #s apart. Eventually I'll recore the decks and add a aluminum toe rail, which I had hoped to do before leaving, but I doubt I'll get to it before leaving. Probably do it on the hard in Mexico.

[Chris Campbell]

When do you leave? I'm jealous of that, for sure. It'll be quite awhile before I do...

Aluminum toe rails since you're tired of maintaining teak and want a place to attach things? Good, sensible idea. I'm planning on putting teak on, since I'm a sucker for wood (and work?) and apparently care nothing for practicality.

I look forward to hearing more about - and seeing more of, hint hint - your boat!

Cheers,

Chris

[Chief White Cloud]

Sorry Chris, hit the post button a little early there.
I've done a fair bit of work on her. She was in great shape when I got her.
Did a fairly large drill and fill on the decks, I've rebedded about 75% of deck hardware so far, fixed blisters, et cetera. I'm in the process of installing mast steps, installing the Monitor windvane, (probably)replacing rigging, installing solar, new manual windlass, on and on and on.
She was in great sailing shape when I got her. Wanted something that I could get used to and evaluate while I refitted.
One day I'll have to list all the things I've done, so many things I can only remember a handful at a time.
If you have any questions or need reference pictures for your refit, let me know I'd be happy to help out. Looks like you are well on your way, but again, if I can help let me know.

[Chief White Cloud]

Leaving Aug. 1st this year. I CAN NOT wait!
I also considered Trex for the toe rail, but if I'm going to do it, might as well do it the way I want it. The practicality of the aluminum toe rail is not to be underrated I think. Simply being able to lash the fenders to it rather than the fairly weak stanchions is enough to convince me. True, she'll not have quite the look, but I'll never touch it again!

[One Way David]

Sounds exciting. Interesting name. I live about 6 miles from White Cloud, Ks, named after Chief White Cloud who my grandfather knew (I've heard there were several Chief White Clouds over the years in the tribe as well as others in other parts of the country). Iowa/Sac/Fox reservation just next door. Don't know which tribe he was. Have some old photos of him in splendid garb.

[Rachel]

Welcome to the forum, Chief White Cloud.

I hope you'll post some photos of your boat and what you're working on.

Re: the aluminum toe rail: They can be marvelously handy for various attachments, but just in case the convenience of fender tying is swaying your decision heavily (and assuming they are a big-ticket item and you have a cruising kitty to keep topped up), I'll mention that unless you plan to stay in marinas (which you could do on some of the west coast of the US and Mexico), the areas you're cruising to probably won't give you much chance to use fenders.

When I went, we were more anchoring types, but that said, there weren't that many marinas even if we had wanted them. We brought fenders along, but very rarely used them.

Exciting times, getting ready to go! :)

Rachel

[Chief White Cloud]

David- Chief White Cloud would be the one the boat's named after, in a way...

Rachel- Fender placement is really just one thing which would benefit from an aluminum toe rail. That is certainly not the reason for it, but the little things count for a lot on a boat. The primary reason is maintenance. The utility is secondary. My current toe rail is original as far as I can tell and there are some weak spots, so it really needs to be done anyway. I imagine that I won't be using fenders often, even if I wanted to stay in marinas my budget really doesn't allow for it but once in a while.

Anyone else headed down to MX from the West Coast this summer?

[Rachel]

Understood about the fenders only being one benefit, and about the maintenance on varnished wood. I looked into the aluminum toerails at one point in time and found them quite expensive, but that was a long time ago and may not apply now (or you may have a source for used ones, etc.).

For cruising, I've always liked the idea that I saw on the Roth's (and others') boat, wherein they used wooden planks (not varnished) that were raised an inch or so above the decks, and served as a mini bulwark (and you could attach things to it). In their case, it also allowed them to glass over a constantly leaky hull/deck joint and eliminate the many penetrations of the toerail fasteners. If I remember correctly, they attached it to the boat via brackets welded onto the stanchion bases.

If I were going cruising with a wooden toerail, I'd probably either leave it bare (teak) or paint it. (In reality, I went with a varnished one and then "stripped" it via the Tropical Solar Method™ to get back to bare teak :) I really liked having bulwarks.

I wish I were heading south on the Pacific coast. That's some fine sailing (especially south of San Diego).

Rachel

[Richincident]

Hey Rachel,

I am with you on the value of wood toerails. For me I LOVE the fact that when I drop things (which I do all the time) they are going to be kept on the boat rather than rolling or bouncing immediately through the gaps in the toerail. OTOH it is easier for me as the teak rails on THE INCIDENT were in fairly good shape and are now cetoled for the immediate future.

I would imagine that teak vs. aluminum these days would be a pretty close call anyway. I picked up a tiny piece of teak to use for a reinforcement under a stanchion and was stunned by the price.

More pictures coming soon BTW, as we finally have a day that is SUNNY. Uh Oh. Its mothers day and I have a significant honeydew list....

[bcooke]

If I were going cruising with a wooden toerail, I'd probably either leave it bare (teak) or paint it.

Wusses. Everyone.

[Oscar]

Greetings...... Relatively new myself here and in a minority with three hulls and questionable classic status, although the amount of work needed would suggest otherwise..... They haven't kicked me out yet......