Messages

Just a question. I have the number plate for 271 but I do not know where it is officially to be affixed. Can someone help me on that?
thanks

I was admiring the work that you did in reconstructing your strongback (view below) and that gave me ideas for mine. I would like to open up the inside much as you have done, but being very new to this and rather ignorant besides, I was wondering if you left that space open or if you reinforced and closed the bulkhead back to its original format? Would it be possible to leave it open like that? Could you include pictures of your finished product? I know I would enjoy seeing that.

I contacted one of the previous owners of #271 and he sent me this picture of when he owned her. Thought you might all enjoy this.

Alright, I've done it. I drilled a hole in the bottom of my Ariel. I'll have to admit that while I was preparing to do this I was wondering if this was yet another snipe hunt, or cow-tipping experience. You know, some rite of passage for the new kid on the block. But with encouragement from Frank and having read about this in the manual I decided that it would be better to repair a small hole in the bottom of the keel than to wait to see what freezing and thawing might do with any residual water in the keel.
 
Sooo, lacking the proper set-up, I carefully backed the trailer onto the curb to give me more clearance to drill from directly underneath.
 
Then I took a 12" long 5/16" bit since I had read both 1/4" and 3/8" and also because this was the only bit I had that was 12" long and I had drilled with a normal bit (3" or so) and had drawn nothing but dry glass.
 
I then measured forward 2" from the rudder shoe, gulped deeply and drilled away in search of a void full of water.
 
I found the void about 8 1/2" through solid fiberglass. I inserted the bit entirely into the void to be certain that I had found the void. I believe that I have. On the other hand I found no water. To be fair, the boat has been out of the water for about 2 months now and today was the first day that I noticed that there was not a drip hanging from the rudder shoe.So the water that was there, may have finally escaped. While under the boat I did notice a rather serious rot in the bottom of the rudder to which I will need to attend.
 
I would truly appreciate everyone's thoughts on what I am doing here.

Thanks Frank:
 
I read your mail and the manual and went out this morning and drilled a 1/4" hole in the bottom of the keel two inches forward of the rudder shoe. I drew nothing but dry fiberglass. I moved up about three inches from the bottom of the keel and drilled another hole and again drew nothing but dry glass.  Am I looking in the wrong place? I was anticipating a gush of water but nothing.  Upon closer inspection I also noticed that there are two screws that I am assuming hold the bottom of the rudder shoe in place that have backed out about 1/2 " and have been bent over to a 90 degree angle. Water seems to be dripping from those two screws. Would it be wise to remove those two screws and allow the water to flow from there? I will have to eventually replace those screws anyway as they are damaged. What advice might you have from here?

Howdy from Sheridan, Wyoming. Our family has been enjoying playing around on local lakes in our O'day Widgeon (12 ft) and our Hobie 16. If you have sailed lakes in Wyoming you will know that you are either enjoying the sunshine while waiting for wind, or hanging on for dear life as you try to talk the others into taking another run before the sails are entirely shredded. (slight exaggeration but only slight)
 
I had been looking for a cruiser and came close enough to purchasing another Alberg (Seasprite) last winter that I drove to Annapolis, MD. to visit it. I apparently have a soft spot for the lines of these Alberg designs. In any case, while in Europe for the summer I had the time to do some serious searching on line and came across this Ariel in Ventura (just down the road from Simi Valley, CA where I grew up) and negotiated the purchase of the boat, the acquisition and refurbishing of a trailer that would be roadworthy, and finally hauling the boat out during the Long Beach boat show rush hour all from long distance. I paid to have the boat brought half way to Wyoming. I drove to southern Utah and picked it up. We turned around and drove back up here the following day.
 
Our plans are to take the next three to four years slowly refurbishing it. We would like to make it truly comfortable for two to cruise in and eventually take it to the Mar de Cortez (Gulf of California) to cruise.
 
That said, I will be full of questions and not much help myself for the first few years I am sure. Here are a couple of photos of the boat at its new home in Sheridan, Wyoming.
 
By the way, it has three names still visible on the hull, they are Miranda, Micbeth and the current name is Michalla. We plan to change the name when we have finished, but the name will not begin with M this time. If anyone has any information on this hull please let me know. I would like to know all I can.
 
So for my first question. I know that there is some water in the keel as it maintains a wet spot on the ground where it is dripping just in front of the rudder. I am worried about what might happen if that water were to freeze (-30F is common enough here for the next six months or so). Any suggestions?
 
Well, looking forward to getting everyone's thoughts.