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Commander 74 is sold ... staying in Maine, but moving further Downeast to the Canadian border.

Lots of enjoyment and upgrades over the past 7 years.    Many thanks to all of you that provide such great detailed project info about these boats.

I'm now the proud owner of Pearson Ensign #1608, which I will be preparing to race locally in Maine next season!

Signing off and wishing all fair winds ...

Commander #74 was freshwater boat until 2008 when I moved her to Maine.   With an Atomic-4 inboard and steady upgrades, she is ready for a new owner to enjoy as either a daysailer or weekender.   New sails and roller fuller in 2008, but only lightly used.   (Illness kept boat in storage for 2011 and 2012.)  Stored inside during winter.   Full set of sails includes 2 spinnakers and a staysail.   Wired for both 110V and 12V.   VHF and FM/stereo radios.   Topsides painted in 2014.   Stern pulpit and lifelines included, but not currently installed.    Cushions for all 4 berths. Engine valve job and carb rebuild in 2010 ... starts easily and runs smoothly.  Three-blade bronze prop.    Full boom tent.   Reason for sale is so that I can buy a Pearson Ensign for racing at my club and a larger boat for cruising.   Boat is in the water in Bucks Harbor, Brooksville, Maine and priced for quick sale at $4500.   978-289-8135

The dilemma around bow pulpits and stern rails is ongoing for me.  I have a bow pulpit on Cup O' Tea IV and it's staying there.  But the stern....hmmm.  

Sometimes when I'm hanging out over the lazarette fussing with the enginge or rigging or something else and the boat is bucking like a bronco on these Long Island Sound waves - it sure does seem desirable.

At 6'3", guidelines are, for me, something to grab pretty late in the game.  Probably on the way overboard and too late to do much good.  Practically have to bend in half to reach them.  That said, for kid sailors they sure do seem desirable.

So I went online in search of a pushpit.  Found one fairly quickly from those boys up in Maine.  But...I just can't pull the trigger.  There's something about that clean, open Commander stern that just screams Alberg without the extra hardware putting a period on an otherwise never ending sentence.

Ariels, on the other hand, seem more "established" and welcome the extra chromeware.

Just my 2 cents...

Scott

I'm a little late to weigh in on this topic, but ...

I'm into my season #3 with C74, which has an A4 inboard engine.   One of the things I did in season #2 was to take off lifelines and pushpit .... absolutely no regrets.   Looks much better to my eye and I never really trusted the lifelines anyway.   At 6'1", I can go from a hand on the companionway hatch railing to a hand on a shroud to a hand on the forward hatch, etc.   I also took off the cabin top handrails, with no regrets.  If I ever really felt I needed the lifelines, I'd be much more comfortable rigging jacklines and a harness.

In general, staying out of Maine waters is a desirable thing.

PJM

I have the handrails off C74 for refinishing and am contemplating going with longer handrails for extra security when moving forward.  (Lifelines and stern pushpit are coming off, for now.)  I believe the current handrails are original and they are getting a little thin/flexy for me to feel confident that they will keep my 200 pounds on board if all my weight is on them in an emergency.  

Does anyone know if the Commander cabin top is straight enough to easily take longer handrails (like C229) or would there be much bending / shaping involved to get a clean fit?

Thanks.

Peter

And I thought the owner saying that he had someone else willing to buy #74 was just posturing!

Well, all is well that ends well and I hope you enjoy #227 as much as we have/will enjoy #74.

Peter

I can't help out on the staysail halyard tang (which sounds like it needs some kind of repair in any case), but I can tell you that C-74 runs it's staysail off the spinnaker halyard, with no apparent issue.  Not sure if the staysail halyard tang and spinnaker halyard hit the mast in the same approximate location.

Peter

I'm also a new owner of hull #74, but this is a Commander.  Aren't hull numbers unique independent of whether the boat ends up as an Ariel or Commander?  Or could there be both an A-74 and a C-74?

Commander 74 was purchased in Ohio this spring, then moved to Maine, where it was sailed out of Bucks Harbor on Penobscot Bay.  It has an A-4 inboard and is rigged for spinnakers.  

Attached is a picture at season's end - boom off and ready to be hauled the next day - at home amongst the lobster boats and classic wooden yawls.

Upgrades for next season are hoped to include roller furling, new mainsail and removal of pushpit/lifelines.  Any spare hanked on headsails (the boat came with 7 or 8 sails) will be offered to this group first.

Peter