Bumping my very old thread because I need your help. I sold my Ariel over a decade ago, but it seems she has fallen on hard times since I had her. I recently found her on craigslist as a free boat in disrepair. The add mentions scrapping her. I would really hate for this to happen, I lived aboard for a summer and at the time my dream was to sail the world in her. It really kills me to think of my d boat being cut up. I am not in a place to save her, but maybe someone here can? I have attached a link to the Craigslist add and I will reach out to her current owner saying I have posted this. She was a good boat and does not deserve this fate. Thank you guys and happy sailing. https://nh.craigslist.org/boa/d/alton-free-1966-pearson-saiboat-26ft/7457631123.html



Tried charging them several times with a charger that has a built in desufate thingy majiggy, and well, no luck. I read that you can empty the acid out, fill them with distilled water and charge them at a low current for some insane amount of time, then drain out the distilled and put in new acid, but that sounds like way to much work.... Anyhow here are some pics for you all. The first is the finished product of my fiberglass work I did to cover the old prop shaft hole.
I ended up sanding a much larger section than what is shown in this picture, but after that I started putting glass on it, and didn't want to get it all over my camera, so more pics will have to wait. The plan is to put 9 layers of fibreglass cloth over the hole, stopping every 3 to let it dry and sand out the wrinkles and any small air pockets. After that I am going to fair the whole thing with a couple of layers of fibreglass bondo, and then sand and repaint the whole thing. If I go to re-power her later, Ill just sand off the glass and pull the cork. I ended up just getting a brass cap to put over the old engine water intake, I was going to use a bronze ball valve like what was on there, and put a cap over that, but I could not find a 3/8" valve. I highly doubt that the cap is going to corrode through any time soon, but I have a spare just in case. Ill probably glass over the hole next year anyhow.