Plastic Classic Forum

Not sure if my boat is classic enough - she's a 1970 Mariner Ketch built in Japan - except for the hand layed fiberglass hull, everything else is wood and brass even the blocks are wood...

See if I can manage to put up a picture...



Poof! that seemd to work - this shot was taken in Castine, ME during the (for me) maiden voyage from Sorrento, ME to her new home port - Raritan Bay, NJ.

It was a cold trip...



But we got some good sailing in... even got to fly the mizzen staysail.



But enough... By means of intro, this is my fourth boat: started with a 19ft home built glass over plywood Friendship Sloop (the Weekender) - changed to a Catalina 22 from that, then to a Seaward 23 and bought the featured Guillemot - a 31ft mariner Ketch, around this time, last year.

I was referred here after asking some questions about wooden rudders and layers and layers of bottom paint, by a good friend of mine and fellow sailor...

Looking forward to challenging this group with some stupid, obvious questions and perhaps even contribute a bit myself...

Definitely classic enough, and good looking.

Welcome Paulus. I don't recognize the name, but did you participate in the messing-about forum before? Lots of Weekender builders do.

Pretty boat, in spite of the fact that none of us particularly agree on just what makes a boat a classic I think most if not all will welcome pictures of yours. ;>)

A+ so far!

Hirilondë wrote:Welcome Paulus. I don't recognize the name, but did you participate in the messing-about forum before? Lots of Weekender builders do.

Pretty boat, in spite of the fact that none of us particularly agree on just what makes a boat a classic I think most if not all will welcome pictures of yours. ;>)

Nah - never was active on any forums until I bought the Catalina - I participated on "the list" which was more of an email exchange... The Seaward had (has) quite an active forum on Trailersailer.com

Balance wrote: A+ so far!

Thanks Nan!

She's a honey! I have a Fuji 32 which is a sister ship to yours. I think we bumped into each other on the Mariner Forum last year attempting to get some Fuji and Mariners together for some sort of rendezvous. Post some more pics!

And, uh, how's the rudder?

Tim Mertinooke wrote:She's a honey! I have a Fuji 32 which is a sister ship to yours. I think we bumped into each other on the Mariner Forum last year attempting to get some Fuji and Mariners together for some sort of rendezvous. Post some more pics!

I do recall - on my way from Maine to NJ we were going to see who would be willing and able to "gather" I believe in the Mistic area?

Some more pictures...

Preparing for the big trip


Another shot of her in Castine - at the fuel dock.


Free floating dock (pre season) in Booth Bay, ME


In the town of Buzzard's Bay - the only boat with 'sticks", hehe..


On our way to Newport, RI


Autopilot working flawlessly


Another shot of the mizzen staysail flying


Cockpit shot


The dink - refinished...


My son's boat - I believe she also qualifies as a "classis Plastic"

BALANCE wrote:And, uh, how's the rudder?

Bare and waiting for some more TLC - will take pics next time I am at the boat.

You on the dry too?

I am not sure if I saw it correctly, but it looked like your mizzen staysail was attached to the after end of the mizzen boom in a fixed way. You do want it attached there but it should have a sheet so you can change the angle of the sail relative to the mizzen sail. It looked like it was back winding the mizzen. A block shackled fairly to the mizzen sheet connection would let you control the sail with more finesse than just moving the boom. Great looking boat and having four sails set fore and aft sure makes a pretty picture. my old rig:






robert

Robert The Gray wrote:I am not sure if I saw it correctly, but it looked like your mizzen staysail was attached to the after end of the mizzen boom in a fixed way. You do want it attached there but it should have a sheet so you can change the angle of the sail relative to the mizzen sail. It looked like it was back winding the mizzen. A block shackled fairly to the mizzen sheet connection would let you control the sail with more finesse than just moving the boom. Great looking boat and having four sails set fore and aft sure makes a pretty picture.
robert

The staysail has a single sheet that runs through a designated wood block at the end (bottom) of the mizzen - seen unoccupied in this pic below:



The steel tackline on Guillemot attaches to the base of the mast... - in your pictures it seems the tack of the staysail is much further to windward?

As regards "all sail" - on Guillemot this adds up to 5, Believe it or not - she's a cutter rigged ketch, though usually I have the inner forestay stored off to the side.

In this pic you can see the forestay and pelican connector tied to the fender bar just behind the starboard cowl.



I have flown all canvass once - on a slow, drifty day in August - but since I singlehand I felt quite vulnerable and short-handed, so once it was all up, the pressure mounted fairly quick to get it all back down.... too bad no-one was around to take a picture - it must have been a sweet sight.

Somehow the links to the pictures failed... I have edited the posts above with fresh links...

Bonus pic of the worm gear steering and autopilot disc...



Interior



New York as seen from behind Governor's Island...

Welcome and HECK YEAH that's classic!!!!!

Nice Blog, Ric...

Hi Paulus, great boat! And nice shots too of your trip down the coast. I thought the same as Robert on your mizzen staysail. They're a little tricky to rig(mine was at first) and trim. It looks to me like you have the clew and tack switched. But it doesn't make sense that the sheet would be wire either.

Anyway, here's how mine fits with the tack tied to one of two pad eyes on each side of the mast (it goes on the windward eye) and then a long sheet reeves through the end bale on the mizzen boom, and back to a cleat.

Very pretty boat, I'm sorry you took her out of Maine.