Rachel's mystery...

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 9:01 pm

Wow, thanks for all the good wishes, everyone. That's so neat!

All along I figured that at least some of you were thinking "Buy a boat? Hah. She's one of these "permanent" shoppers who never finds one." Actually, it felt that way to me sometimes...

Figment wrote:So now the big question is: Who will pick up the torch?
Who will step up and keep us abreast of every plastic classic for sale east of the rockies? ;)

Ha ha. You know, even I'm not used to it. Someone posts a link to a boat for sale on E-bay, or mentions one in an ad, and I half-think "I know it will be a derelict, but I'd better not leave any stone unturned." Then I remember, "No, I FOUND a boat -- I can just look for fun! I can see the flaws and not have to wonder if I will be able to deal with them (I now own my own flaws, thank you ;-), or if I should compromise or hold out.

Of course I did *just* complete a round of shopping, so I'll have data for a while yet <grin>

--- Rachel

PS to John and David: Do we have near relatives? My boat is #221.

jpmathieu · Post by **jpmathieu** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 9:01 pm

Beautiful boat, Congrads on your find. Looks like your all set on the major projects. Make her yours and go sailing.

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 9:06 pm

#218 wrote: When's the launch date?!

Geez, I haven't even got all the road salt off yet, and some wise-guy's asking about the launch date... <laugh>

ASAP, let me tell you, as the yard is no picnic to live in. I'm going to try to limit myself to only the things that are absolutely necessary before launching (not that I'm very good at that, mind you).

So far my list includes the following (threads to follow):

1) Eliminate gas smell
2) Strip and repaint bottom
3) Inspect through-hulls and their hardware/connections
4) Commision engine
5) Proper zinc-age for saltwater
6) Step mast
7) Other things I can't think of now

I'd love to do things like take care of the core around/rebed the chainplates while the mast is down, but I could see myself being in the yard for ages....

--- Rachel

JetStream · Post by **JetStream** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 9:07 pm

Very Very nice Rachel!! It is really obvious how much the PO cared for her and that will continue to pay dividends in having lesser projects to deal with. That cradle looks like it might make a good start for a future trailer for her. It would be pretty easy to make a trailer with that start.
Best Regards

CharlieJ · Post by **CharlieJ** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 9:20 pm

whoopeee- now it's out *grin*

REALLY glad you made it ok, and I'm also very happy I could help you out along the way.

David VanDenburgh · Post by **David VanDenburgh** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 9:21 pm

Rachel wrote:PS to John and David: Do we have near relatives? My boat is #221.

Tradewinds is hull number 48 - a bit earlier than your girl.

David

JetStream · Post by **JetStream** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 9:43 pm

Rachel,
Just two potential things about your gasoline smell. First, I wondered if the shrink wrap had maybe been placed tight over the outside vent, and second, I've found that a pretty small crack in a gas tank vent hose can make the boat smell nasty quick. Fortunately, it can also be reversed pretty quick when you find the source.

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 9:47 pm

CharlieJ wrote:REALLY glad you made it ok, and I'm also very happy I could help you out along the way.

Thanks Charlie :-)

(He's the one who took my harried phone calls along the way, and talked me down a bit :-) I swore that if I ever move it again it will either be by water, or on my own trailer.

radicalcy · Post by **radicalcy** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 1:05 am

Rachel,
Congrats, looks like ya did good!!! One question: Why are you removing the VC-17? If you're staying in the Bay for a while, the Teflon paints do well for up to several seasons. Burnish and launch, is pretty much standard. I have hard teflon on my Columbia Sabre, and after 20 months, I have a wee bit of slime, no barnacles. The Columbia 8.7, on the other hand, has ablative, and after 15 months, is encased with barnacle and massive grass growth. Same waters, more or less.
By the way, I have one boat in Deltaville, and one in Urbanna. Am I correct in thinking you're in D'ville also? Let me know if I can pitch in with any thing. I'll be in D'ville for a short bit today (Sunday 28th) . Email me if you'll have a few minutes to say hi, and let me drool over the Alberg. Radicalcy(at)yahoo.com
Larry Wilson
Richmond,Va.

bhartley · Post by **bhartley** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 1:13 am

Rachel,

You sure found one fine looking boat! I was lusting after a A30 before buying the CD25D. I have loads of pictures from boats we looked at and none can hold a candle to your beauty.

Keep the pictures coming. You can never have enough.

Bly

Duncan · Post by **Duncan** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 8:55 am

Thank you for a really nice "photo-essay". It also prompted a question I posted in the "Q&A" section.
It's a pleasure to see when someone knows what they want, and sets out to accomplish it so well!

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 10:20 am

Thanks Bly, I was wondering if I'd gone a bit over the top, photo-wise :-)

Larry: I can leave the VC-17 on and it will do okay here? Wow, that would be convenient. I did a bit of research and thought it was more only a freshwater paint. Since I found out it had to be stripped off before anything else could be applied (because of the solvents within), I figured I should do it now, while it was clean, vs. later when it was barnacle covered.

When you say "burnish and launch," does that assume frequent haul-outs?

Hey, maybe I do have time to do the chainplates. Might as well....

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 10:22 am

Duncan wrote:It's a pleasure to see when someone knows what they want, and sets out to accomplish it so well!

Well you clearly can't see inside my head then <laugh>

Thanks though :-)

Post by **dasein668** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 10:41 am

Sweeeeet. Congats!

So, will you be cruising to Maine this summer, or what?

Rachel the neophyte wrote:I missed whole sections, too, like the mast unstepping, when I was busy working and couldn't get to my camera.

Obviously you need more practice!

Figment · Post by **Figment** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 11:26 am

radicalcy wrote:Rachel,
Congrats, looks like ya did good!!! One question: Why are you removing the VC-17? If you're staying in the Bay for a while, the Teflon paints do well for up to several seasons. Burnish and launch, is pretty much standard.

I was thinking the same thing. That is one fine-looking bottom job, I'd hesitate to mess with it. If you have pimples or other small localized adhesion problems, spot-fix those and go!

Hey Larry, any recent pics of the Sabre?

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 11:38 am

Boy, reading posts like that tempts me to leave the VC-17, let me tell you. I just started a thread with more specifics in "Questions & Answers."

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 11:47 am

dasein668 wrote: So, will you be cruising to Maine this summer, or what?

Alas, only if I get an invite to go on someone else's boat; I have to work the new job to support my boat in the style to which it's accustomed, after all. But I sure hope to do some future cruising, and Maine would be right up at the top of my list. At least the Chesapeake is right nearby, and not too shabby :-)

dasein668 wrote:

Obviously you ("Rachel the neophyte") need more practice!

Actually, I hope I don't get too much more practice unstepping masts in Detroit in January. But yeah, I have to remember the camera more often. I *could* have had it strapped to my forehead, and activated the shutter with my teeth while I was releasing the cap shrouds, I'm sure...

bhartley · Post by **bhartley** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 11:57 am

This is what Rachel will look like shortly. The A30 is every girl's dream...

radicalcy · Post by **radicalcy** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 12:37 pm

Rachel,
By burnish and launch, I mean just give it a good wet sanding to expose fresh surface paint, and you should be good to go. Annual or bi-annual haulouts should be more than sufficient to keep up with growth. Even if the barnacle population is high when next hauled, growth is easy to dispose of. Comparatively, the removal of bottom paint is an apocalyptic event.
I'll be refinishing the bottom of my 8.7 this year, and after the hard bottom paint goes on, I'm planning on applying a couple of coats of McLube's Sailkote to keep the barnacles from attaching. Super slippery, and cheap. Makes it very difficult for ANY growth to attach.
Sorry I won't make it down to D'ville today, family medical situation kept us up all nite. Hope to see you there in the very near future though.
Larry Wilson

radicalcy · Post by **radicalcy** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 12:47 pm

Figment wrote

Hey Larry, any recent pics of the Sabre?

Figment,
The only new photos of the Sabre are from the Turkey Shoot Regatta in October. The format is too small to really get any perspective. I'm trying to get better quality prints from the photographer. Thanks for reminding me.

A30_John · Post by **A30_John** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 8:37 pm

PS to John and David: Do we have near relatives? My boat is #221

Rachel, my A30 is #284, built in 1967. Based on what I'm seeing in your pictures our boats are very similar.

One of the first things I did to my boat prior to launch was sister the mast support beam with aluminum plates. That would be high on my list if I were to get another one. It's a relatively easy project, particularly if one does it before the original beam is compromised.

Feel free to contact me if you want to bounce ideas around. I'll be very interested to see and hear how you approach the conversion of a "stock" A30 to a liveaboard boat.

Again, congratulations! You're going to love your boat!

John

Summersdawn · Post by **Summersdawn** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 12:56 pm

Congratulations Rachel. I know you have spent a lot of time crawling around old boats, trying to find the one that is right for you. I'm glad you finally found her. It is a beautiful boat.

Figment · Post by **Figment** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 2:38 pm

y'know, "Mystery" isn't a bad name for a boat.

Let the chanting begin. :)

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 3:36 pm

Figment wrote:y'know, "Mystery" isn't a bad name for a boat.

Heh, then I guess it would be Rachel's "Mystery" as indicated in the thread title. I kind of like it :-)

CharlieJ · Post by **CharlieJ** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 4:01 pm

Actually, that WOULD be a great name- and it's easy to say over the radio too!!

What's her current name? And after all these years, SHOULD you change it?

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 4:24 pm

I know what you mean Charlie, as the boat has had the same name for all of its life so far. It's "Sea Hawk," which I don't hate, but which I don't really love either. The previous owner's daughter named it after the Errol Flynn movie. I like birds - in fact I've had several boats with bird names - but still it doesn't really resonate with me. So, on the one hand there is tradition; but on the other hand, the original owners got to choose a name they felt suited, so perhaps I can too...?

I had a few names on a list that I thought I might like, but I figured that I'd wait and see. I don't want to rush into anything, and maybe "Sea Hawk will grow on me. Also, I thought that perhaps an appropriate name would reveal itself. Maybe it has :-)

--- Rachel

Post by **Tim** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 4:42 pm

We discussed the appropriateness of name changing here a while back.

I think you, as the owner, have to like the name of your boat, and, more importantly, have it mean something to you--whether it's an existing name or a new one. Sometimes keeping an existing name is appropriate, but other times the right thing to do is change it.

Don't let longevity alone be the reason you keep a name. Certainly it can, and probably should, factor into the decision-making process, though.

bcooke · Post by **bcooke** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 9:57 pm

Also, I thought that perhaps an appropriate name would reveal itself. Maybe it has :-)

As with all my postings, a copyright has been applied for. PM me so we can discuss the details...

-Britton

Mark.Wilme · Post by **Mark.Wilme** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 12:03 am

Been 'away' for a couple of days - very nice Rachel, you must be really proud.

george · Post by **george** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 10:09 pm

sweet! same color as mine almost!

are you in deltaville? i go there for crabcakes. i will be headed up there in early march.

congratulations on getting a boat, i know you have been looking for a while and it certainly paid off.

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 11:32 pm

Hi George,

Oh that's right: A couple of weeks ago I searched "Alberg 30" here and your thread was one that popped up. I noticed the colors were very similar.

Let me know when you're going to get up this way (D-ville); your boat is near here too, isn't it? It'd be fun to see it and meet you. I had a laugh when I saw that "caulking and beer don't mix" photo in your thread again :-)

How goes it with your boat, anyhow?

--- Rachel

george · Post by **george** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 12:36 am

my boat is a mess, but i am hoping to see if it floats in may.

i will be up there in feb or march to grab the spreader bases for the mast, i am getting new aluminum spreaders made.

i have a list of other tasks, but nothing too major, another hard week should get things in order.

they pulled it by tug to the marina and it did not leak 2 years ago, so hopefully it still doesn't.

it is in Lively at yankee point marina, where ric keeps his Alberg 35.

hopefully we will meet!

-- george

Ric in Richmond · Post by **Ric in Richmond** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 10:14 am

George...I wondered where you have been!!!

Back in March! Good.

I check your yacht every time I go down. She is BURIED in the yard right now for the winter.

Rachel,

Congrats on the A30..she is a beaut!

You will have to sail up and visit us at Yankee point on the corrotoman river. The whole area is a wonderful place to sail....winds is a bit light in summer, but all in all pretty much heaven for me.

Maybe this will have to be the year of the Classic Plastic Chesapeake cruise!!!

Ready for warm weather!!!!

Ric

bcooke · Post by **bcooke** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 8:01 pm

I recall the warm and fuzzy feelings I had for the first couple of weeks when I would remember that I was now a 'big' boat owner (aluminum skiffs just aren't the same).

Fond memories.

The constant worry and bills does tend to knock down that feeling a bit over time but owning a real boat is still a pretty good feeling.

Enjoy.

-Britton

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 8:29 pm

That looks like a neat location, Ric. I'd love to mosey up and check out the forum fleet there :-)

I like the idea of a Chesapeake rendez-vous.

bcooke wrote:I recall the warm and fuzzy feelings I had for the first couple of weeks when I would remember that I was now a 'big' boat owner

You mean it's only going to last a couple more days!? Dang! Actually, my warm-and-fuzzy feelings have been about 30% interspersed with "Wow, there is a lot to this! Should I do[insert task/decision here] or [insert another task/decision here]... etc, etc." So I think I should get credit for those moments and extend the warm-and-fuzzy by an equal amount :-)

bcooke · Post by **bcooke** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 8:58 pm

I wouldn't say it goes away but maybe you just get used to it after awhile and you only remember now and then.

On an aside, is it okay to pet your boat if no one is looking?

-Britton

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 9:30 pm

I think so. I hugged mine before I left Detroit the first time :-)

R.

CharlieJ · Post by **CharlieJ** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 10:13 pm

Nope- it lasts- I still get that warm and fuzzy feeling every time I round that corner on the dock and there she sits. And every time I slide that companion slide open and look below.

Figment · Post by **Figment** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 11:13 pm

Does it count if you "pet" the boat with 80grit?

FloatingMoneyPit · Post by **FloatingMoneyPit** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 1:35 am

Sure. But please stay away from my dog.

Plastic Classic Forum

Rachel's mystery...

In Deltaville today....

Wow, wow, wow!!!

Re: In Deltaville today....

Insert Rachel's picture here...

Burnish and launch