Saturday, April 23, 2011

J/29 Boat History

J/29, masthead/outboard rig, with trailer, hull #230.

Purchased: August 2009 from George Johns of Minnesota. Boat was located in Apostle Islands, Wisconsin, Lake Superior. Boat was once located in Davidson, North Carolina in the 1990s. It may have been launched in Chesapeake Bay region. I believe I am the fourth owner, but I am not sure . . . I could be the third.

Repairs: March through early June, 2011. I replaced wet and rotten deck balsa core in five locations: starboard, aft-most stanchion; port and starboard chainplates ; starboard forepeak deck around toe rail; cockpit sole. I strengthened cockpit sole (fiberglass delaminated underneath) with new fiberglass and bracing. I believe there are other places with wet but unrotted core. I will work on them next winter.

Purchases: Summer/Fall 2010 & Winter 2011: Yamaha F6 6 hp, four stroke, single cyclinder; motor bracket from Catalina Direct; one new stanchion (five others straightened); new lifelines; various blocks and hardware; two Plastimo compasses.

The boat is beat up but apparently strong for its age: like me. Scars show character/history. I haven't fallen in love with it yet, as I did with Death Whoosh, but I expect to. (April 23, 2011)

The boat did what I consider very well for its first (almost) full season. It was launched too late for Spring BCYC Wednesday series and the first SBYRC double-handed race). On Saturdays, White Rabbit took two firsts (Black Hole, Harry A), a second (Stealth), a third (Tawas), and a fourth (Foredeck Challenge).

The biggest incident of the year was Claire falling overboard, September 14, in the last race of the fall series. It was an emotional event for me.

The boat has a spirit. It is feisty and unpredictable (drew blood out of me on two separate occasions; helped to cause a man overboard, my first and I hope last, although I think that was more due to a problem with a Harken block and the jib sheet set-up).

I would have to say that I have gained a great deal of respect for White Rabbit after this season, and she is now "under my skin", as it were. She rewarded me plenty with her performances on Saturdays.

The boat came out of the water October 22 and went into the heated barn, which is going to cost me plenty.

I borrowed Brad's (Bay Harbor Marina) water meter to check for moisture on the deck and in the hull. I found several spots, some of which I knew about from last year, and started opening them up by drilling holes . . . starting late November. They seem to dry out fast with simple lamps, which means I am confident that the boat is going to be very dry and solid next year and beyond . . . and also that I got a pretty solid boat when I bought it, which makes me very happy. I don't think there will be any major repairs to do like last winter, although there is one more small area of rotten wood to do at the middle port side stanchion.

I bought a new #3 from Doyle. I would like to get a carbon fiber spinnaker pole. I would like to re-wire the boat. I would like a boomkicker. I want to make her pretty; patch up scars, shine up the gel coat on deck, paint down below, refinish wood, etc. I would like some new running rigging; repair cam-cleats.

I am developing a sassy racing machine called White Rabbit. (December 10, 2011)

1. Dry out the boat; fix more balsa core (forepeak, port stanchion; aft of starboard chainplate; glass in large areas of drilled holes.
2. Make new backstay system.
3. Re-build all camcleats.
4. Repair damaged gelcoat along gunwhale.
5. Check and repair core on transom/rudder area.
6. Get new mainsheet line.
7. Get new uphaul line.
8. Clean 3 winches.
9. Take care of lifeline abrasions.
10. Get carbon fiber spinnaker pole.
11. Re-wire boat.
12. Get manual bilge pump.
13. Get boomkicker.
14. Make forepeak sail trampoline out of old J/29 sail.

(December 18, 2011)

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