Messages

Thanks Kurt.  I appreciate it.

Richard

I have listed #387 on Ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ru=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.ebay.com%3A80%2Fsearch%2Fsearch.dll%3FMfcISAPICommand%3DGetResult%26ht%3D1%26shortcut%3D0%26from%3DR41%26query%3D4601789858%26category0%3D%26Submit%3DSearch%26fvi%3D1&item=4601789858

Item number 4601789858

She is located in Merritt Island, FL.  I am located in St. Thomas.

-Richard

Has anyone here had his/her Ariel documented?  If so, what is the Gross Tonnage listed?  I know I can figure it out, but I was hoping someone else had already done so.
Thanks.

Richard
"Althea" #387

Just wondering if you can confirm whether another person has registered hull #387 with the Association???

I installed a Suzuki 6hp 4-stroke long-shaft in my Ariel.  It just barely fits and I had to temporarily removed the engine's tiller handle and reinstall it through the foreward access panel.  Now the wooden cover cannot be replaced because the tiller/throttle will not swing completely up or sideways back into the engine well.  At first this bothered me a bit, but as I've been cruising with my Ariel it has become one of the least of my worries.  The 6hp 4-stroke definitely provides adequate power for my fully loaded Ariel.
Hope this helps.

~Richard

Hi Janice,
My wife & I did make it down the ICW on our way toward the Islands but have stopped off in Cocoa, FL for a while.  I also did a fordeck recore on my Ariel a few months ago and I agree with you...it sure is nice to step on a firm surface and know that the cleats and anchor tackle are set in a solid surface.  Our plan is still to make it to St. Thomas and beyond, but we will probably hang out here for a while.  We'd still like to meet when we finally do make it to the area.

Glad to hear all is well with you and you're enjoying those flying lessons!

~Richard

TP -
I did not stop in Jacksonville- that's a side trip up the St. Johns River.  I just kept on going south into the Amelia River and right on down the ICW.
As far as the galley is concerned, I basically sacrificed the port sleeping settee in favor of more counter space and deep storage.  I installed two short bulkheads to bring the counter around.  I have left a single seat at the forward end of the previous settee.  I plan to install a two-burner stove-recessed into the counter top with a wooden cover.  When the cooktop is in use, the cover will be removed and placed on cleats over the single seat, thus no counterspace will be lost during meal preparation.  I've also boxed in a area in the aft port corner of the counter (on the portside of the sink) for a well insulated ice box.  The current "ice box" will be removed and become a Nav area.  The new ice box is not yet insulated and is currently used for dry food storage.  Some other changes that I'll share with you all in photos are somewhat temporary - they allowed us to pack the boat and leave the cold weather.  We still have plans to complete these areas or modify further.
As some may remember, I removed the old diesel engine in favor for an outboard engine (a new Suzuki 6hp, 4-stroke, long shaft which I am very happy with).  I rebuilt the companionway steps, making them slightly wider and easier to ascend without stepping on the sink.  I moved the sink over to port a few inches.  My batteries (2 Trojan T-105's) are secured to a new battery shelf under the sink.  I've glassed in some floorboards over the deep part of the bilge as far aft as the rudder tube  (the forward floor board has a removable hatch that makes bilge access quite easy).  I now have complete & accessable storage all the way under the cockpit sole just by removing the two step units.  I also built in a trash receptacle in the upper step unit.
It's all been quite a process and, as indicated, is still not complete.  My wife & I have been living onboard since the beginning of August and it's rarely easy but its much more manageable than before.


Jim-
Yeah, I felt confident that the number was well within range.  I don't have my Ariel registry with me so I'm not able to go through and see if anyone else has hull# 387 registered.

Thanks to both for your replies.
~Richard

Well I'm back after being away from this board for 5 or 6 months.  As some of you may remember, I left Buffalo and joined my Ariel in Edgewater, MD.  I spent August, September, and October getting "Althea" ready to take south (I was also working on other boats at the time to make some cash).  In early November my wife and I left Maryland and spent just over a month getting to our current location, Cocoa, Florida.  Now that I have over a thousand miles of sailing and motoring Althea, I have a very different perspective than I had before leaving.

Also...I believe I have finally discovered the long-forgotten Hull ID Number that I was looking for.  When I was installing the strongback reinforcement plates that I bought from Tony G (thanks again!), I removed the laminate over the doorway into the V-berth.  Under the laminate was written two times the number "387."  I took several photos of the number; my wife thought I was nuts!  Since my Ariel is a 1966 model, I think this number would be accurate.  So... Bill, please check the registry for Hull# 387 - that may be my place.

I have tons of pictures of all the modifications I am in the process of finishing.  I basically have rebuilt everything from the companionway steps around to the port side galley, creating more usable galley space and storage space under the steps and cockpit sole.  It is still definitely a work in progress...we had to get out of Maryland - as the weather was starting to get cold.  I also have a lot of information to share about what I've learned so far ... but that will have to wait until I have more time on a computer (rather than using one of these library computers for such a limited time).

I hope the holidays find you all well and in good spirits.

Richard (no longer living in Buffalo...)

I spent part of yesterday and part of today tearing out the galley sink and counter to make room to get the engine out.  I found a buyer for my 10hp diesel and we are starting the removal at 6am tomorrow morning.  I've taken some photos of my progress so far and will be taking more and posting them later.  Once I get the engine and prop shaft out, I will glass over the shaft tube and [finally] get into the water.

We've only lived aboard for a week so far and it hasn't been that bad.  Of course we are still on the hard and using shoreside bathroom and shower facilities.  It's taking us some time to get really organized...the frustrating part is having to shuffle everything around while living and working on the same boat!

I am still searching for any sign of a hull number in all the little nooks and crannies as I get to know my boat a lot more intimately!

Well...We're still working on that.  It's a bit tight but we're doing what we can to get organized.  I'll let you know how its going after some time has passed.  

Hi gang-
Just returned from two weeks in Italy - land of great food and cheap wine!  I have now relocated from a big house in Buffalo to my small Ariel in Edgewater, Maryland (just outside of Annapolis).  The good news is that my fiance and I are living on the boat full time!  No longer to I have to plan "visits" to see my Ariel.  Hopefully she'll be in the water within a week.  I still have a big to-do list but I want to sail as much as possible.  I am checking the internet from the library right now so my access is a bit more limited than it was in the past.  I just now got to see the photos of the outboard well plugs that I asked for a few weeks back.  Thanks a lot to you all.

Talk to you later.
Richard

Back on 6-19-03, after Bill's response, I went back and searched the previous posts for information on the plug for the outboard well.  I could have sworn there were some photos posted but I cannot find them again.  Does anyone have photos of their outboard well plug available to post?  I'd love to see views of the plug installed and by itself.
Thanks in advance.

Hey!  I'm no longer a "newbie"  

Ooooooohhhhhhh, aaahhhhhhhhhh....that's a sweet-looking new beam you've installed.  How long did the layup take?  How about thae installation, thus far?

Thanks Tony-
Are you sure you wouldn't rather trade your new laminated strongback?  Seriously though, if you had the plates made to the specs in the manual I may be interested in them, as I'm going to have to address my strongback problem sooner than later.