Red Pepper

[mbowman]

My uncle purchased the Red Pepper around 12 years ago from a Navy, Blue Angel pilot from Pensacola Florida. The pilot outfitted her as a racer. Double head sail track and multiple sails just began the refit. The Red Pepper has a sail inventory of over 10 sails.
These include:
4 storm jibs
100 percent, 110, 135, 165, 170,
a very thin "drift" sail
2 spinakers, one thin, and a heavy
all of the jibs, and genoa's are outfitted with the racing track leading edge.
this is a very fun boat to sail.  But one of the problems is in the racing double track. The last time my old partners, (before i was in the picture) did a refit, they bent the racing track. sooooo needless to say it either has to be replaced or change the sails to hank on's. . The last few times out the tracks were getting worse and worse. i'm thinking about changing just a few sails to hanks. even at $5.00 per hank it would be worth it. I like hanks more that that agravating track!
the cabin has been totally redone, but not very classy. more on that later.

like i said the Pepper is (was) a fun boat to sail.... once we ran the heavy spinaker in a 15 knot wind for over 20 miles. we were on a broad reach the whole way. 900 lbs of human balast on the leward rail and the windward rail was burried almost the entire 2 hours.... wow what a rush... yeah i love these Ariels....
more later
mike

[mbowman]

well my purchase was a little strange.... The partnership i was in also included a 1966 Columbia 38'. we purchased it for 15,000 3 yrs ago and sailed it from New Orleans to Gulf Shores, Alabama. after that we gutted it... inside... 2 yrs., 4 hurricaines, a rebuilt engine, recoring part of the deck, rewiring, replumming, and lots more "crap" i got out of "that" partnership.
I handed over my part of the Columbia for all of the Pearson.  
I feel blessed. Even with the work that has to be done! I feel blessed
so how much did I pay..... who knows!

[eric (deceased)]

these 4 did me in in west palm florida.I was living on an islander 29 for 6 years---those storms screwed up everything.my boat survived  jeanne,but the marina was destroyed.I since moved it to dania florida---but that scene ended abruptly when my employment was "downsized".I am now in las vegas near lake mead.I dont know if you are familiar with my ariel/triton history---do a search on "sailing an ariel to hawaii and back".thats me---now I will most likely look for an ariel again---somewhere----anywhere on the near west coast or in the lake----as these boats seem to be trailor friendly.I can transport it here from----well california---somewhere thereabouts.I will be in the market within the next year---just to have it as----well---something to do.I do not need to go "sailing" just to go "sailing".I will go sailing to go---"beyond tomorrow".I am not looking foward to that first 600 miles north-{EVERY 5 SECONDS 24 HOURS A DAY FOR 5 DAYS---THE BOAT WOULD SURGE UP THE FACE OF THESE TRADEWIND SEAS ---THEN COME CRASHING DOWN THE BACKSIDE---}--jusda' thought of it---makes me wanna' puke

[ebb]

Got the name wrong,
It's Knytex X-Mat. Two unidirectional fabric layers at 45 degrees with a layer of chopped strand on the bottom loosely sewn together.  Two weights I've used are a 19.3 oz sq yd and 25.3 oz sq yd.  Also a 4" wide X-Mat, great for tabbing.  There are probably other sizes but that is what my local plastics store has.  //www.tapplastics.com

Other suppliers must have something like this stuff.  It's the 45 degree angle orientation that makes this stuff so 'conformable'.  You still have to make darts and shape cuts when turning corners.  When it's wet out it can be pushed into right angle corners.  However, it needs help on outside corners.
You can run a plastic spatula all over the surface to press the juice into every fiber and it won't bubble up or pull up or distort like cloth.  Does use a lot of epoxy.
But you'd use this material to build structures like hatches, decks, patch holes, etc.

Have not comparison shopped.  I just assume it's expensive.  TAP isn't a vivacious marketer, rather dudly. Somebody else has to have it.  Maybe under another name.  Make sure it's good for epoxy, some glass fabric materials can only be used with polyester.  TAP is a kind of a Plastics hobby shop that does exorbitantly priced acrylic display boxes as a main part of its business.  There must be a roll and sheet supplier  near you.  Of course, there's the surf shops!

[mbd]

Thanks Ebb. Great web site! Very well organized and informative. Goggling "Knynex X-mat" didn't come up with anything.  

[Mike Goodwin]

There is more to it in switching to hanks , the luff . Right now you have a rope luff , in all but the lightest drifter and genoa that needs to be changed to a wire luff . You can get away with the rope for a while , but the sail will last longer with the wire .

[ebb]

G'mornin all you Mikes!

So found on
//www.fiberglasssupply.com
under knitted fabrics, we have
19.3 oz and 25.3 oz knitted double bias (the 45 degree stuff) with 3/4 oz mat.  Has to be a generic description of the Brand name above.  Cut yd $13.

Also listed is a knitted triaxial bias which must be 3 cloth layers and probably stiffer.  There is a range of lighter oz double knits without the mat.

The heavier stuff I've gotten to like so much with the mat must have been developed for layup of hulls in female molds.  Obviously it's fabricated without starch binders to be used with all resins.  Have no experience with any of these other fabrics - maybe you'll get around to it, Mike.  These are all underlayer fabrics in a traditional laminate.  But for general repairs and tabbing it scrapes and shapes and grinds down just fine.  I use it for everything.

TAP has gone thru some ownership changes since its early days.  It doesn't carry the range of products one would expect.  I think they have seriously missed the boat.  I would converse with Fiberglass Supply, because of their selection.  Maybe they have a friendly sales desk.  One that will help you cut thru the snobbery that comes with knowing something you don't.  It's a rampant problem, and it's probably due to the fact that the person you need info from doesn't know all that much about it either.  Or considers himself a 'professional' rather than a true lover of the art (amatuer.)  It just so happens that TAP in San Raphael, Calif has a group of guys who have worked with the materials they sell or like Andy there have worked building boats in the past.  
Mike Goodwin has mentioned goodguy suppliers on threads here, and knows his resins.
And don't buy high priced adulterated name brand resins. (We just had an interbux barrier coat system PRIMER go off with a blush, in the yard - UNbelievable!!)

[ebb]

more pictures!!!

[mbowman]

Well here is my "Red Pepper" 18 months later after the work was done. There is still much work to be done, but at least I'm sailing it offen.
more pix to come.
mike

[mbowman]

As Previously mentioned, over 12 sails came with this boat. All of the headsails were outfitted with a rope in the luff to be used in a quick change racing track. (that was damaged prior to me owning the boat) Now I am changing over to hanks and since I don't race I have no use for all those sails. I am, of course going to keep one Spinaker, 165 genoa, 100 jib, and one storm jib. If anyone needs sails for your Arial, let me know. I'll try and measure and photograph the sails for inventory.
Mike

[Tim Mertinooke]

She looks great and appears to be sitting on her lines well.  What a feeling it is to attack a hull with a grinder, reglass and have it float a short time later.  More pictures of that beauty please!  Tim

[ebb]

Good on ya, Mike!

Sailing the boat is Everything.

[mbowman]

Well there she is! This is a shot my son, Scott took for his magazine class. I think they are using this one as one of the posters to advertise the magazine! I think he's a pretty good photographer. I love the reflection!

[mbowman]

Here's another he took just for class. He was playing with depth of field. These are the hanks I put on after cutting away the luff because of the racing track. I know its probably not proper but we just wanted to get this boat in the water. After i get some more funds (maybe after some of you buy some of my sails:rolleyes: ) I'm going to send 3 sails to a sailmaker to get them recut and to get them to reset new hanks properly! Until then....... I'm going to go sailing!

[mbowman]

This is Scott! He's a senior in high school. He loves sailing, photography, music, and Jesus! I'm so proud of him. He's going to Jacksonville State University to study music! He plays trumpet, drums, and guitar. I guess he's following in his dad's footsteps. It's great to have a son that you can relate too and enjoy time together! This day was just a dad and son day! My wife and daughter chose to stay home on this day! there's always next week!