How it all Began...

Last year (2010) while working on a project for a health insurer in Rhode Island I started looking at classifieds for used wooden boats.  My mind was fairly idle owing to the very slow pace of the work I was doing at the client so I had plenty of time to think about how fantastic it would be to restore a wooden sailboat to its former glory.  Further, I have two small girls who I really want to learn how to sail.  More importantly, I want to teach them to love sailing.

I found a Penguin class sailboat for next to nothing in Attleboro, MA.  I went once to look at it and decided it was the project for me.  The class has a few features which are attractive including the fact that the rigging options are fairly open - just like my favorite boat; the International 505.  With the help of the former owner I put this boat, Penguin 3244 "DONSUBARB" on top of my Passat and drove it home to New Hampshire.  Here are a few pictures of the boat after I brought it home.

The former owner told me as much as he knew about the history of the boat.  His grandfather had purchased it as a kit and had had a local boat builder assemble it for him.  Apparently, this was fairly common.  The boat was built in 1953 and, according to Sean, the former owner, was season champion more than once on the lake in Foxborough, MA where it sailed.  His grandfather put it away in the 1970s after becoming unable to sail any longer and there it sat until his father, who I believe lived in the same house as Sean's grandfather, passed away, just recently.  The boat was named "DONSUBARB"  after Sean's father, Don, and Sean's two aunts Susan and Barbara.  The boat will be re-christened "BUMBLES" which is a nickname I gave my wife years ago.  My last 505 was named "MERI" after my first daughter and my Laser is "LIZZIE" after my younger daughter. 


The plan is to begin removing the layers of old paint within the next few weeks.  I am going to focus on the exterior of the hull and the spars for the moment.  Once all of the old paint and varnish is removed I plan to fair the hull and then refinish everything using ecopoxy, epifanes varnish and awlgrip.  The hope is to have her sailing by the week of July 4th.  After this Summer the interior of the boat will get refinished and, assuming I don't run her aground this Summer or cause some other catastrophe, I will be able to enjoy a few years of sailing with my daughters before they get sick of me.