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I installed a strut from the lazarette wall to the front of the motor. The strut bolted to the motor handle with a wing nut so it could be quickly detached [in close quarters, especially going in reverse, we 'steered, by turning the motor]. The other end of the strut was simply clamped to a flange to allow for adjustments.
PS.The wing bolt on the back of the motor is there to adjust friction not clamp the motor in place.

Hi Gil and other members.
Hull #44 is sold. Went to a man here in Brooklyn.

[FONT="]1963 Pearson Ariel. Hull # 44 for sale.[/FONT]
  [FONT="]Our much loved Louise Michel, hull #44, is looking for someone new to enjoy and take care of her. [/FONT]
  [FONT="]She is set up for cruising …solar charging system, two reefs in the main, tiller pilot and a proper galley.  She has taken us on exciting but safe adventures from Cape Cod to the Bahamas.[/FONT]
  [FONT="]No frills but all the basics and everything in sound working order. 3 season use on new main and new 6hp Tohatsu.[/FONT]
  [FONT="] In the water, ready to sail, in Brooklyn, New York.  [/FONT]
  [FONT="]Photos and full list of equipment on request.  Asking $6000.[/FONT]
  [maikelstonesoup AT hotmail DOT com]

Have the same motor in Louise Michel. Took out an old Gray Marine inboard that came with boat. What a nasty job that was. Haven't regretted it once. Have about a thousand hours on the engine, including an eight month trip to Bahamas -Norfolk to Miami, down the ICW, eight hours a day, day after day, that little motor ran like a top.
I have the charging system but haven't used it. Instead we use a 80W solar panel mounted on a raised stern pulpit, with a 15A contoller and two  90AH deep cycle batteries. Powers cabin lights [ some incandescent, some led], running lights when needed, VHF [not always on], GPS. Run laptop, battery chargers [AA, cordless drill etc] and FM radio via a small inverter. Anchor light is a rechargeable lantern hung on boom.
Doubt you'd be able to power all the items you list, about what I have, from engine charger without running it just to recharge batteries but you have to do the math...add up all the items times hours  of use, figure in  the formulas for inefficiencies, rate of discharge etc.

Tried wrapping sweetie in plastic. She looked sexy but didn't shrink. In fact I'm shrinking, apparently happens with age. At current rate I'll be able to stand up in a cadillac before i die......No worries about sounding patronizing. I haven't done this before, I'm glad it's merely hard not harebrained.

Thanks to all of you for your advice and input. We considered getting a bigger boat in part so Madeline could stand upright. My first boat, a converted US navy whaleboat, had sitting headroom only. It was ok, you walked around bent at the waist till you found somewhere to sit. Somehow that was easier to deal with than not being able to stand straight...and one inch would make all the difference. The Ariel is a keeper-and so is my sweetie.
The floor is definitely gooped in, some of it added by me to fill the gap around the edge of the floor. I was thinking to cut out the size floor I want to end up with-vertical cut using sabre saw-and beveling the underside to fit, then chiseling and grinding away the goop, tabbing and rest of the wood. Wasn't familiar with the oscillating multi-tool. Looks like it would make the job a bit easier and I appreciate the heads up. Will let you know how it goes and send pics. Maikel

Has anyone done this...only need to get an extra inch and my sweetie could stand tall. Don't see any mechanical fastening or fibreglass tabbing so i presume it's held in place with goopuckie of some sort. cheers, maikel, hull#44

Had plug out when i tried to start it.  Didn't put in enough oil for it to squirt out plug hole. Motor turns, but not freely/fast enough to start. MM oil is good idea.

This is embarassing. Thought I was doing everything right.
Laid boat up on hard a year ago after the trip to the Bahamas. Flushed and drained motor, ran it dry. Left it in place but wrapped lower unit. Took out plug squirted in oil and put back plug. Now I'm getting ready to relaunch.
Here's problem; motor turns, but with difficulty. Is it just that the oil i put in is turgid [I think that's the right word.]? Should I drain oil, put in some diesel or kerosene, turn it over by hand to flush thickened oil see if that loosens things up.
The motor is only three seasons old so I don't need to take it apart...unless what's making it hard to turn is rust, in which case I assume there's some risk of scoring moving parts and causing unecessary wear. Anyone been there? Have advice. Thanks  Maikel

BOOKS FOR SALE
 

 General cruising
 

 Mark Smaalders:Tropical Cruising Handbook.    PB 2005  Excellent condition  $
 Alan Lucas: Cruising in Tropical Waters and Coral   HB, 1997  $5
 

 

 Cruising Guides
 William Schellenberger: Cruising in the Chesapeake.   HB 3rd edition  $10
 Waterway Guide Chesapeake Bay and ICW.  2004     $5
 Bruce Van Sant: Passages South.  9th Edition. Good condition, some underlining.  $10
 Skipper Bob: Bahamas Bound.  2010 edition   $5
 Doziers Waterway Guide: Bahamas Guide   2010. A bit battered but quite useable $5
 Stephen Pavlidis: Central and Southern Bahamas.   1997  $10
 Stephen Pavlidis: The Exuma Guide.  1997. Excellent condition.   $10
 

  Chartkits:  $10 each or $35 for whole set
 

 Maptech Chesapeake and Delaware Bays. 8th edition
 Maptech Norfolk to Florida. 7th edition
 Maptech Jacksonville to Miami 6th edition
 

 Maptech Central Bahamas.  2006 edition.with harbor charts
 Explorer chartbook Near Bahamas.  2nd edition

[Mike and Madi's Big Banks Bash]

Mike and Madi's Big Banks Bash
 

 If we'd had the energy it might have been smart to keep going when we reached Bimini but we hadn't slept much crossing  the Florida Straits and needed to rest. And even though we'd slept through the reggae music at the dock there was still Alice Town to explore. No homecoming parades. And the choir in the Anglican church was a bit old and dry so we ducked out before the sermon and went  for a succulent, secular conch and fries at Bob's.  
 In the afternoon we tried to sail down to Gun & Cat Cays to have a better angle on the forecast southeast winds, but with wind and tide against us, we soon realized we weren't going to make it. Still, it was a lovely sail, in beautiful blue green water and a stiff but warm breeze.
 Passageweather.com, which is our main source for weather, predicted an easing of the 15 to 20 knot winds by the next afternoon. This meant that if we left late morning we could get part way across the banks before dark, anchor for the night and continue the next day at a leisurely pace, arriving at Bullocks harbor well before the front.
 The main question was, would we have wind-- and waves-- on the nose once we rounded North Rock and headed east for seventy miles. With another, stronger cold front coming in a couple of days we knew we had to go for it even if we did get “beat up.”
 As it turned out we got a good slant and it was another glorious, if wet ride. The Ariel loves a good thrash to weather and even reefed down we were doing 5 knots without burying the rail, with our trusty bungee at the helm. As forecast, the wind eased then died altogether and we had to resort to the motor and tiller pilot.  
 When the sun went down we dropped the hook. It felt strange: there was no land in sight in any direction but everyone we had talked to said “no problem, just anchor anywhere out of the traffic lane.” Within an hour we were underway again. Stopped, the motion was sickening; by the time I had supper made we were both feeling too queasy to eat.
 No moon this time, no long-lasting city glow, just pitch black night with a few stars thru the clouds. Not a boat or a buoy or sight of land anywhere, steering by GPS. Sensory deprivation made the stars dance and nonexistent dolphins chatter. Madeline sang to drown out the dolphins and stayed tethered to the cockpit as spray washed over the cabin top and along the side decks.
 Fortunately it was dark because when it got light and we could see how big the waves were we felt very glad to be back in sight of land. We had covered 50 miles in ten hours!
 So here we are in Bullocks Harbor in the Berry islands. We are at a marina along with several other cruisers  sitting out a stalled cold front or whatever this weird weather is. We have found that we can handle 15-20 but 25-30 is no-go for us.
 The weekly mail boat came in the day after we arrived, so we've got fresh veggies, some interesting canned goods and Maikel's favorite British digestive biscuits. A thin slice of banana bread at the local bar costs $7, so we were inspired to break out the solar oven to try making our own treats. If it works we'll move on to homemade yeasted bread-- a plus, since the best available in the small groceries is “roman meal” balloon bread.

We are in the Bahamas... finally.  
 Madeline arrived over a week ago. We were looking at a good weather window a couple of days ago, when our two kayaks-- our only way to get to shore— were stolen. Even worse, Madeline's was brand new; she's only paddled it once. This was a serious setback, not just financially but also in terms of time.  
 We decided our best bet was to buy an inflatable dinghy and a small electric motor and battery. We found an inexpensive model on sale at a West Marine south of Miami. Had to take a bus, then a train, then another bus. Then carry back the giant box on a tiny hand cart, plus the battery hidden in a plain brown bag in case Miami public transport considered it dangerous.(Back in Mattituck I disguised my propane tank as a bag of laundry on the local bus, so I'm no stranger to illicit transport of hazardous materials.)
 From the bus stop in Key Biscayne it's a mile walk to the harbor and by then we were exhausted. A young couple in a van kindly gave us a ride from the park gate.  
 The motor-- a small electric trolling motor-- came via UPS and one of the park rangers delivered it to the dock.  
 We spent a day testing our new ride, listening to the weather forecast and studying passageweather.com. It looked like there would be another, short, weather window, but it would entail an overnight passage. Crossing at night has some advantages-- you leave and arrive in daylight, there's usually less wind, the waves are smaller, and there's no hurry. There was a blustery wind leaving Cape Florida but we could fetch our course. The wind slowly eased and we soon had to motorsail. We had to steer a little into the current which cut our speed over the ground to three knots. With a small, slower boat like ours, leaving from further south-- for example, Key Largo-- would have been better.
 We could still see the glow of the lights of Miami when we saw the lights of Bimini, neither of which would have been visible in the daylight; we found this reassuring. There was some shipping but less than in the Straits of Juan de Fuca.
 Neither of us had slept much on the crossing and the dock we tied up at in north Bimini was hot, noisy and had lots of wake from passing boats. To our consternation, we then discovered there was going to be a band playing at right next door. We had forgotten it was Saturday. Both of us like to dance and it was a reggae band, but we were so beat that we slept right thru it.
 We had planned to cross the banks today but the wind was on the nose and blowing strong. The marina we are in tonight on south Bimini is a total contrast-- an artificial harbor surrounded by condominiums-- a gated resort for well-to-do white people.  
 There's another, stronger cold front coming in a couple of days, so tomorrow we have to hustle across to the Berry Islands. It's 80 miles so we will anchor overnight somewhere on the banks, in ten feet of clear turquoise water out of sight of any land.

I am looking for someone to join me on a sailing trip aboard my Pearson Ariel to the western Caribbean and wonder if you would be interested or, if not, know of anyone else who might be.
   The best time for the voyage is late April, early may.
  There are two ways to go:  one via the Bahamas and through the Windward passage to Jamaica, then across the Caribbean sea to the Gulf of Honduras [Islas de la Bahia].
The other around the west end of Cuba, across to the Cayman islands and on to Honduras.
 It will be cruising in the Bahamas with my partner Madeline in march and early April so one option would be to join the boat in the Bahamas [Georgetown or Nassau]. From  Acklins or Great Inagua] we would sail down through the Windward Passage to Jamaica [300 miles]. From Jamaica we could sail directly to the gulf of Honduras [450 miles] or go via the Cayman islands [100 mile further but in three hops.
  The other possibility is to leave from Key West to Cuba [100 miles], west along the north coast, around cape San Antonio to Isla de la Juventud and the archipelago de Canarreos, and then across to the Cayman islands [150 miles].
   Either way it's about 1200 miles. Both routes involve open water passages of  one to five days. On passages  I envisage sailing nonstop, sails reefed at night, 3-4 hour watches.
 The Bahamas route entails more blue water sailing and, depending on the weather, would take about a month. The Cuba route means more coastal cruising but would take longer-4-6 weeks, more if we wanted to go at a leisurely pace and explore. I prefer the latter but either is good. I plan to leave the boat down there over the summer and make the return journey next year.
 

 The Boat:  Loiuse Michel a 1963 Pearson Ariel
 

  It's a small boat that I have deliberately kept simple: if it can't be fixed, there's a back up unit. Since I bought it in spring 2009 I have set it up for extended cruising and have all the essential gear. Although old it is a solid, seaworthy little boat.
  I replaced the main and bought a new outboard [Tohatsu 6HP with pull start] in 2009. There is a roller furling jib in good condition. The boat has a 80 watt solar panel and new batteries; tiller pilot; GPS [2] and VHF radio [2]; paper charts and a laptop with nav program.  
 Ground tackle is more than adequate, consisting of a Manson supreme, a fortress and two deltas with  heavy chain and rode line.
 Can carry 30 gallons of water and fuel for 250 miles motoring.
 

     The Skipper: Maikel Carder
 

  I have been sailing my own boats, either alone or with crew, for over twenty years. Most of this was extended coastal cruising in the pacific northwest,  including a six week circumnavigation of Vancouver island. Four years ago I crossed the Atlantic as crew on a 40' catamaran.  
 In this boat I have cruised for two summers in southern New England and last fall came down the coast – mostly on the ICW, but with several offshore hops.
 I am 69, in good health, don't smoke, and don't drink while underway. I grew up in England, have been a knife maker for thirty years, semi retired, and am in a committed LTR. I am a good cook. Don't have a facebook profile but if you google my name and/or stone soup knives you will find more details.
PS I don't know where all the size four came from, I'm a ten. Or how to fix it. Sorry if it makes it hard to read.

Boot Key Harbor, jan 17
 

       I hadn't planned to come to Marathon, or anywhere in the  Florida Keys for that matter. I thought that by now I'd be in Marsh Harbor.  Not sure if I lost my nerve, but after four back to back cold fronts, and talking to other SBLD cruisers,  I began to have second thoughts about trying to cross to the Abacos in December. It didn't help that the little Tohatsu, which has worked perfectly for two years and which ran day after day, sometimes for ten hours non stop, down the ICW, began to cut out....and of course at the most inopportune moments. I think the motor is fine and the problem is the installation - the poor thing is suffocating on its own exhaust. And the design – if it didn't have such a skinny ass it wouldn't squat so much. But then Alberg didn't design the Ariel as a cruising boat  Problem is where else do you put all that stuff?  
 

 Everyone says  Pearson Ariels are great sea going boats and I'm sure they are. Not sure anyone has actually sailed around the world in one, maybe someone out there knows. All I know is I was not relishing the prospect of fourteen hours of hand steering and being drenched by waves over the bow or over the side which is what seemed likely unless conditions for crossing the Gulf Stream were perfect. And, assuming I/we got across safely, the weather would be much the same, but with fewer all weather anchorages and still  being pinned down by cold fronts for half the week.  Maybe it's that I am older, or maybe global warming really has altered the climate, but I don't remember cruising in the PNW, even going around Vancouver Island, being this hard.
 

  I thought of going to Cuba instead, getting round to the south west coast, and hopefully  more sheltered cruising, but Daniel didn't want to do that. The prospect of going solo, in this boat, was just too daunting. So, Daniel went back to North Carolina and I came on down to the Keys. I spent Christmas and New Year in No Name Harbor... thinking at times  that I was in Cuba...then moved on to Key Largo and now Boot Key Harbor.
   
 I miss Daniel. He and I discovered boating together when he was just a kid.  I remember us being  towed back to port when an early season gale ripped our makeshift blue tarp sail to shreds, sleeping on the beach wrapped in a sail because the wind was too strong to get home. Then, as we became more proficient, and our boats got bigger – 26' instead of 16',  and with motors - we began to spend summers cruising together in the San Juan Islands and up and down  Georgia Strait.
 

 I'm also enjoying having the boat to myself. For one person as a liveaboard it's plenty big enough.  I'm also enjoying being 'at loose ends'. Even though we took our time the trip down the ICW was a slog.  I'm quite content to just be here, on a mooring, taking care of chores, visiting with other liveaboards and watching the sun rise and set. My FM radio quit and to get internet means a long paddle to the marina. Not having these easy distractions means more time for introspection.... some of which is good and leads to valuable insights, lessons in humility and acceptance and so on. But mostly it's the same old nonsense that's been rattling around in my head for years. I probably need professional help but psychiatrists are even more expensive than boats....
 

 My partner Madeline will be joining me in a few weeks for two months. By then hopefully the worst of the winter storms should be over.  Current plan is to cross to Bimini and then on to the Exumas. Beyond that I'm  not making any plans. I still want to go to the western caribbean in april/may [Jamaica, Honduras, Belize] but that depends on finding someone to go with me.

Marshes, Mansions and Mega-yachts: A Low Country Lament.

 I added up how far we have come in two months. It averages out to less than 20 miles a day! While others hurry south: we are taking our time in keeping with the KISS principle --and a kiss should be slow, n'est-ce pas. Simple, slow and sacred.
There have been lots of places we could easily have stayed longer --the eastern shore of the Chesapeake, Oriental NC, Charleston SC,--to mention just a few. Nor did we go to the Outer Banks. And every creek we pass invites exploration, every marsh beckons. The Atlantic ocean is often only just the other side of a dune.
Unfortunately our side trips seem to end up taking longer than anticipated. At one place we tied up to a wildlife refuge dock just off the ICW for lunch and walked over to the ocean. Had I paid more attention to the chart and less to the scenery I might have noticed that the dock was in the "blue zone". We were sitting having tea after our walk when I realized we were stuck...and likely for several hours. Indeed it was after dark before we were back afloat. Another time we turned off the ICW, at a place called Parrot Creek [Louise Michel's colors are blue, yellow and green], anchored in a side creek deep in the marshes and set off in the kayaks through the marsh to a nearby island. The island turned out to have monkeys living on it. Really. Dozens of them.
On the way back we got lost. I had climbed a tree ashore and could see our mast but in the kayaks all we could see was marsh grass. No compass, only the setting sun to guide us. Passed an anxious hour, visions of spending the night in the marsh, no food or drink, in shorts and shirtsleeves, till we finally stumbled upon a channel that led back to where the boat was anchored.
We finally managed to get weather and tides right for an outside hop. We considered going out at Beaufort but the forecast winds and waves were outside our comfort zone. We went out at Cape Fear with a good ebb tide but turned back after an hour of crashing and bashing into a headwind. At the other Beaufort we went out Port Royal inlet and had a fast run almost 50 miles down the coast and an easy re-entry
As some of you know I have traveled far and wide throughout north america but never to the southeast and never down the coast. This section through the Carolinas and Georgia is really beautiful. The ICW winds its way up and down rivers through cypress swamps further north and now miles of golden marshes and islands covered with dense stands of oak, loblolly and palm trees. It is green and lush.
The newly built up sections on the other hand are depressing. One section in particular in south Carolina, where there was one gated community with a golf course after another, had me ranting away to Daniel about the lack of taste or sense of aesthetic of the modern bourgoisie. If you've got it flaunt it seems to be the motto. Then we saw one house under construction and I realized they were just stick houses: what I had thought were stone and adobe walls were just a façade.
On the water the KISS principle is also little in evidence. Indeed I have yet to see another boat under 30ft headed south Most are 35ft and up and loaded with all the latest gear recommended in Practical Sailor and Nigel Calder. I wonder if they have the Pardeys on their bookshelf: bet they don't have Moitessier or Allcard [two of my favorites along with Maurice Griffith and Annie Hall]. On the other hand they are probably more comfortable than we are. Louise Michel has no dodger or cabin heater. Getting out of a warm sleeping bag when it's 40 degrees out -and that's in the cabin-is hard. Explains why we aren't underway at dawn. They wave as they pass, one after another, in shirtsleeves inside their fully enclosed cockpits while we are bundled up in coats and mufflers and wool hats. When there's a chop it's worse. We get soaked and it's a bit too chilly for solar showers in the cockpit at the end of the day.
But we are having a truly wonderful time. Let them all hurry south.
                                           
                                                                  Regards to all, Maikel

PS Check out Daniel's blog...http://www.stonesouptravels.blogspot.com.
He has pictures.