Ariel & Commander Owners

The verdict is in...I am now the proud owner of Hull #387!!!!  Can't wait to take her over.  Thanks for all your help during the process guys, you answered a lot of questions with a lot of paitience.  I'm sure now that I own her, I'll have about 10 times as many!

Chris

Congratulations on your new boat. I was the runner-up. I'm still in the market for an Ariel I can afford.
I think you got a great deal. I talked to Richard in St.Thomas and I'm convinced he knew what he was doing as he rebuilt her.

Fair Winds CJ,

You Broke and old man's heart !!!!!!

Carleton

Congrats, Chris! w00t! She looks like she's a fine wee vessel, and well found! You'll love how she sails. :D

Carleton - Bummer! *BUT* - you are obviously a man of refined tastes who has an eye for elegance in watercraft! Keep looking, don't give up - Ariels get sold all the time, and, based on your good taste, it'd be nice to have you as a fellow Ariel owner, too! :)

Congratulations!!!
 
What a great deal. I can not believe what a great deal you got!You got alot for your money, especally in terms of avoiding suffering!
 
Great boat! Welcome aboard.
 

Vehicle Description

 
 
"Althea" is a 26 ft. Pearson Ariel (hull # 387). She makes a great daysailer or comfortable pocket cruiser. She is a stable, secure vessel of moderate displacement, excellent for a single or a couple to sail and cruise. She is sturdy and well-constructed. My wife learned to sail on this boat; it is an easy boat to handle and builds confidence. For the experienced sailor, she's a dream to single hand as she sails herself with the tiller tied off. Despite her size, she's a relatively fast boat, with good sail area. We've sailed her on the Chesapeake, down the ICW, and in the ocean off Cape Canaveral. Her shallow draft (3' 9") allows gunkholing, and her modified full keel offers stability and security in open water. Built in 1966, and designed by Carl Alberg, you can be confident in this sailboat. The Pearson Ariel has an excellent and active owners association located online at http://pearsonariel.org.
 
I have modified the interior to make living aboard more comfortable, along with upgrading her rigging and improving her overall condition for offshore sailing. Having owned and lived aboard Althea for the better part of 2½ years, I have spent a lot of time and effort upgrading and improving; the boat has been well maintained and is in good condition, however, some of the projects were not completed in time for sale. This is a great boat on which to learn boat maintenance and project upgrades, i.e., the boat and its components are not terribly expensive. If you want a fun boat that you don't mind finishing up, you'll enjoy owning Althea.
 
I know the boat inside and out and will be available to answer questions you may have about finishing her or upgrading her. The pending projects can be completed in 2 to 4 weeks, depending on your time.
 
The boat is currently located in the water in a well-protected "hurricane-safe" marina in Merritt Island, Florida. The new owner could keep the slip if desired. The monthly rate is very reasonable and the protection is excellent.
 
This vessel is sold "as-is, where-is." The purchaser is responsible for moving the boat to a new location or for making arrangements with the marina owner for monthly storage.
 
The following upgrades/improvements have been completed:

• Re-cored the foredeck, installed new anchor roller and anchor chain pipe
  
• Removed old non-skid and paint on topsides; new paint on topsides and non-skid applied on the deck
  
• Purchased new halyards for jib and main
  
• Old mahogany cockpit coaming and winchpads were removed, rebuilt and replaced with new mahogany.
  
• Replaced cabin-top handrails.
  
• Replaced and upgraded all wire standing rigging and chain plates; new rigging has not been installed.
  
• Interior cabin has been rebuilt to create larger galley space along the port side. New laminate countertops.
  
• New built-in top-loading icebox (along port side) with at least four inches of insulation all around
  
• Sanded and repainted interior.
  
• Reinforced strongback under mast.
  
• Glassed in floor with bilge access under cockpit and companionway steps for more useable storage.
  
• Built in trash receptacle under top companionway step.
  
• Replaced interior cushions, including v-berth, with high grade 4-inch foam
  
• Replaced nylon anchor rode with 100 feet of 5/16" high-test chain
  
• Installed Windline anchor roller and chain stopper on bow
  

Equipment and gear included in the sale:

• Owner's Manual published by the Ariel Owner's Association
  
• Suzuki 6hp 4-stroke longshaft outboard engine
  
• Over-the-boom cockpit sun-shade
  
• 8' zodiac roll-up inflatable dinghy with oars, airpump, and carrying bag
  
• 1951 British Seagull outboard motor
  
• Raymarine Auto (Tiller) Pilot (Brand new, never used)
  
• Sails: Main, Genoa, Working Jib, Storm Jib, (all in excellent condition) plus some other sails that I didn't use very often
  
• Spinnaker pole
  
• Whisker pole
  
• 2-burner propane camp stove
  
• Shore power cord
  
• Wind Scoop
  
• 25# CQR plow anchor (mounted on bow roller) and two Danforth anchors
  
• 100 feet of 5/16" high-test anchor chain and lots of nylon anchor rode.
  
• Window A/C unit
  
• Tons of new and used spare parts
  

The following projects need to be completed:

• Re-rig the boat and step the mast: install the chain plates including reinforcement pads, set the mast step into the base of the mast and reset the wooden step pad onto the cabin top, run new wiring inside the mast for the VHF antenna and any masthead lighting (if desired), install the main & jib halyards (there are new lines for the halyards aboard). The boat is in the water at a safe marina, and the marina owner will assist in restepping the mast with his crane for $75.
  
• Winches need to be cleaned, greased, and installed on the winch pads.
  
• Install the jib/genoa sheet tracks on the side decks
  
• Rebuild sliding companionway hatch - currently covered w/ plywood temporary hatch
  
• Purchase and install new lifelines
  
• Purchase or sew cushion covers
  
• Paint ice box top and install handle
  
• Reinstall electric panel
  
• Rebuild head
  

 
This vessel is sold in "as is, where is" condition. Seller makes no waranties, expressed or implied. Buyer is responsible for pick up, shipping, or arranging for storage with the marina owner.
 
Payment accepted: cash, cashier's check, money order, Pay Pal.
 

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[/size]Wow!

Welcome aboard, Chris.  You'll love the boat.

Well, it's official, I took over command of hull #387 yesterday!!  After taking care of the usual title, registration, and marina issues I started picking her over with a fine toothed comb.  She's in great shape overall, though it appears her previous skipper was in the midst of several projects.  Her mast needs to be restepped, there's still some cancer in the interior woodwork that will have to be cut out and reworked, the winches need rebuilding and the laz needs quite a bit of work...but I'm totally excited, she looks great!!!
 :D

Here she is "Althea" mast won't go back up for a while, quite a few projects to handle...guess those project management skills do come in handy outside of work...haha  I spent last night creating her refit in Microsoft Project!   :p

Lookin good

Is your sliding companionway hatch broken or gone missing?

I have an extra one from an old Commander, but it needs a bit of work

Pete,
     Yes, she's unfortunately missing her hatch.  If you have one in any condition, I'd love to buy it from you....let me know the details, you can shoot me an e-mail at the address below.

cjackson (at) aqualine-resources (dot) com

Companionway hatch fabrication is one of my 80 some line items, in the project schedule I developed this week!!  Looks like I'm going to be at this for a while....so patience everyone, if I ask lots of stupid questions...

[he will, of course, "search" first before asking . . .  :) ]

Chris

The refit project for Althea finally began this weekend...didn't get much done, the weather held me up some but, here's a look at where I've begun...more to follow:  

This shot is the start of removing the rotten old knee in the lazarette...

This is after an hour and a half with a sawsall and a grinder...

After chiseling out the last bits, some final griding and a little prep with some 60 grit paper and acetone, I faired out everything with some thickened epoxy...the new backing is waiting to be glassed in, hopefully next weekend for the new "stern mounted", extra heavy, backstay chainplate...  I'll some good detail photos once that is done.

Here's the latest work for the weekend of 2/19/06:

Glassed in new blocking in the lazarette to accept the outboard backstay chain-plate...got a couple more layers of glass to go and then it will be time to look at bulkhead installation in there, possibly with some type of mounting system for my outboard to lay athwartships in a cradle...??


Had a couple of questions about this so, I thought I would specify that this is a temporary set up, to get the chain plates mounted and the rig up.  Unfortunately in my marina generating the amount of airborne contaminates required to tear down the surface in there to raw glass would be frowned upon.  This should serve adequately to get things aligned and initially installed until I can get the boat hauled in a couple of months and tear things in there down to brass tacks.

While I was waiting for epoxy to set up I finally got to work on the spar paint job.  I ended up using PPG DX series prep products, as well as a PPG two part catalyzed primer, specifically designed for aluminum.  
These are some of the best paint products I've ever used...the DX series prep, involves a phosphoric acid etching solution, then a chromate based surface treatment, which acts as a corrosion inhibitor.  I then used PPG's Omni AU two-part primer, over that which you can see in the photos.  The great thing about all these products is that there is "NO" surface prep required at all!!  Just strip the old pain off the mast and sand it well, then apply the DX-533 acid with a green scrubby pad, let it sit for 30 minutes, wipe with a wet rag, then apply the DX-503 surfacer, let that set for 30 minutes and go straight to the Primer coat, no wet sanding no nothing.  I applied the prime coat with a short nap foam roller and cut in with a brush, looks great.  According to the PPG data the primer needs no prep prior to application of the top coat either!!!  I'll be using a PPG ALK-200 alkalyd catalyzed enamel for the top coat (white).  This stuff is great as well and only cost me $22 for a "GALLON"!!!! The catalyst was another $15.  The grand total for enough gear to prep, prime and paint about 3 masts and booms, costs me right around $100!!!!   :D

Here's a second shot...

How in the world did I miss this thread?   :eek:

Mr. C, how about an update on the project.  Whenever possible, include lots of pictures.  

A belated congrats to you.

Lots more work to report....Since last I updated The mast refit has been going along smashingly.  The white two part epoxy topcoat has been applied, and fitting replacement and rebuild has begun.  In the phot0s below you can see the newly designed mast head fitting with the OGM Photo-sensor LED Tricolor light, and new windex mounted on top.  This light rocks, at only .08 amp max draw!!!  Also note the new Dweyer shroud tangs...the only tang I've ended up reusing is the Jib Halyard tang, due to its' special curvature, and it seems in decent shape...

Here's the new Oilite bronze bushing installed in my Main Sheave.  A good friend of mine in the local marina pressed and machined this in exchange for a 12 pack!!  Good trade, eh?!?!

The sheave runs like new now, seems to be fine to accept 5/16" line for a new Halyard, I'm not going back to wire... :rolleyes:

The prior owner had started on a new aluminum mast step, however did not quite finish it up, or deal with the issue of mounting it to a level surface on the deck.  I didn't want to reuse wood under the mast step, so I decided on creating a solid epoxy base to level out the camber of the deck, where the mast step will reside.

This was accomplished by prepping the surface and building a plastic dam to contain the "peanut butter", then I coated the underside of the aluminum step and inside the dam with PVA and used the step to press the epoxy into the mold.  The finished product came out beautifully...and also sealed the old screw and wire run holes in the process...finished product picture to come, here's one of the mold while the epoxy was curing.

of how I modified the mast head to accept parrallel forestays,jus' put full length 1/2 inch thick spacers between the original mast head and the two pieces you added-----and where there was one forestay ya' can now put two----one on each side.works very well an' thass how'll do it all dee time mon!!!!

cj, thanks for the updates and sharing your projects with us!
Got a couple ideas from you on your masthead, thanks.

Where to you find sintered oilimpregnated bronze PLATE sitting around?
Seems like the purrfect stuff for a sheeve up there.  Very cool! :D

How do you isolate your stainless from the aluminum?

Ebb,
    I found the Oilite Bronze in 1" round stock at a local machine shop who allowed me to purchase a 1 foot piece from him for $20.  If you call around, a machine shop or hot rod shop that does custom bearings may have some scrap pieces around that you can buy.

Here's how to do it the easy way...

1.  Provide lots of beer...

2.  Offer it only to really BIG guys....with tools and time....

3.  Don't give them the beer 'til the mast is up!!!