Ariel #27

[MegandAdam]

My wife and I are the proud new owners of a 1962 Ariel...hull #27. We are novices and are looking for tips and advice on sailing, restoration, maintenance and care. Thank you.

[mbd]

Congrats and welcome! Great to have another Ariel owner in Maine! Where are you located?

PS. Feel free to post some more pics. Your boat has some interesting details...

[MegandAdam]

Thank you Mike, we are in New Sharon but our Ariel is in Belfast...and you? We have a plethora of pictures, might we ask what details were interesting? After all we are eager sponges awaiting stimuli. Megan

[Rico]

Welcome to the board. You've certainly come to the right place... (I believe!)

Now; tell us more, and post lots of pictures!

BTW - Your mast looks to be a bit short!    

[MegandAdam]

Thank you Rico. Well, we have always dreamed of sailing in early  retirement...however we are now only in our thirties and found our Ariel  prior to an education in the subject matter. So here we are along with  our borrowed copies of Chapman Piloting and Knight's Modern Seamanship  as these were told to us to be our first literary endeavors as boat  owners. Indeed our boom might not measure up:)...the mast is in storage  as is our Ariel while we restore the teak and fiberglass (once we figure  out how to properly do so that is). Any advice would be much  appreciated! Here are a few shots, let us know what other views might be  preferable.   Thank you, Megan.

[Rico]

"...Chapman Piloting and Knight's Modern Seamanship ...

^^^ Serious readin' stuff! (But very good for rules-of-the-road, and right-of-way issues!)



Nice! A-27 seems to be in relatively good shape. You have great starting point!



Advice??:

- Don't forget to read classic epic adventures with nice hand-drawn, very romantic illustrations such as these:






These will really motivate you to finish your projects and go sailing. When it comes to projects - perseverance is Key. You will be sailing soon...

- Learn as much as you can about the project oyu are going to undertake, and plan you projects in detail. Do it right the first time. You'll be glad you did. Most jobs are easier than you think - once oyu've done them! - There are two of you; This will make any project MUCH easier and fun-er; Read about the exciting adventures had by others here on these awesome boats. Think about how much fun you WILL have on A-27... This will help get you motivated too!

- An Ariel / Commander Owner's / Maintenance manual is rumoured to be available from the association... (I have one... - I'm sure Bill will chime-in and let you know if he has a dusty copy available somewhere!) Its drawings are not as pretty as the books above, but it is full of really good stuff in terms of maintenance & upgrade topics. Lot's of specs too...

- Every project you'll put on your to-do list someone here has already tackled it 3 different ways... So search-away (search function box is on the top right corner of the page!) to the last dusty corner of this site. Or just start browsing and enjoy!

- You'll note on the threads you read that If you keep the board updated on your upcoming plans & projects, people will surely chime in with recommendations and advice.  We are a fairly slow bunch as far as response time, (we are usually out sailing, I'd like to think...) - but you'll get the RIGHT answers for certain!

[Bill]

Ah yes, there is always a fine copy of the association's owners manual available.  Just print the order form on the home page and mail it with your check :cool:

[MegandAdam]

Thank you Rico and Bill. The manual actually came with the boat along  with meticulous documentation so this has been our source for Ariel  anatomy and terminology thus far. I appreciate and will search out your  recommendations, I have as of yet read "This, You Won't Believe!  ...Adventures of an Entrepreneur" by Maxx Robinson (a family friend). He  underwent similar circumstances as we in acquiring the boat and  restoration. Well, our plan is this;
restore the teak throughout,

remove the peeling paint and refinish the fiberglass,

and if possible replace the plywood/laminate wall, cabinet sections and  countertops with solid wood (weight specifications permitting).
And most importantly learning these techniques properly prior to project  commencement. Other than cosmetics and a name our Ariel is ready to  sail...but we are not. So we are using our time productively while  becoming educated.
Also, we are going to visit our Ariel tomorrow so I will try for some better shots (post-clean up that is).
Your time and knowledge are much appreciated Rico, thank you! Megan

[Lucky Dawg]

Hey Megan and Adam,
I recently restored the decks on Lucky Dawg (C65) and there are a bunch of photos with comments of my progress on that project here https://picasaweb.google.com/100988960116603858412/Deckjob#  I knew little to start, and therefore my notes with the pictures are pretty basic.  Maybe you'll find them helpful in that respect.  This is a very helpful board and few questions (if any) go unanswered.  
Welcome and congrats on your new Ariel!

[ebb]

Can tell from your photos
That your mast is a bit short and will have to be stretched.
And your non-skid paint job will have to be sanded a bit befor you buff it.

Good luck - and a speedy restoration!:D

[MegandAdam]

Thank you Lucky Dawg. I will check out your link and appreciate the direction as basic is exactly what we need to begin! I assume the interior might be restored in the same fashion?
Stretched indeed ebb, I have yet to see the mast as it is in storage but I am sure dwarfs the boom atop our Ariel. And I was hoping that one could sand the fiberglass, chipping away sans tools is quite tedious...thank you.
Megan

[bill@ariel231]

Megan and Adam,

Welcome aboard... the good news is she is all there. I can tell you folks are going to enjoy putting her back in business.

...as for the laminate interior, once we made new cushions for the interior and had all the paint and varnish work below finished, the early '60s interior kind of grew on Alyce and I.



cheers,
bill@ariel231

P.S. don't skimp on hearing protection and a good dust mask. it will be loud and dusty working the interior even with a vacuum cleaner connected to the sander.

[MegandAdam]

Thank you Bill, we are as of tomorrow morning cataloging and dismantling  all feasibly removable teak sections. My husbands shop is much warmer  than Belfast this time of year:). This will also allot us more elbow  room and comes equipped with respirators for the inevitable dust and  fumes. I hope the laminate grows on us also...it would be more cost  efficient.
A big thanks to Lucky Dawg...your link was most helpful. We now have a  battle plan and product names to get started on the teak first (as of  tomorrow morning) and then when the weather warms up tackling the  cockpit. Your direction is much appreciated.
Megan

[Ariel 109]

I want to also welcome you guys aboard!  Ariel #27 looks like a nice boat.  To be soon able to sail the Maine coast is certainly something to look forward to during all your hard work you're about to start.  

I'm with Bill on the Formica question, you'll see, it will likely grow on you in time.  I think Pearson thought they were being innovative, practical and stylish using all that laminate in the cabin back when our boats were built.  They could have use painted plywood like most boat interiors of the era, that would have been cheaper to do.

[carl291]

Welcome to you both, very nice first boat, It could take you around the world. Be sure to use the search feature on this site, (upper right corner). There is nothing your boat could need that isn't posted here. If you have a specific question don't hesitate to ask. You'll get at least 3 different answers, all lending to the same result. Your laminate looks very nice, complete and no broken edges. If you can't live with it, some have painted over and trimmed with brightwork and that also looks very nice.
 As a note, don't discount using a pressure washer to the interior and exterior to knock off the loose paint.... sure beats sanding!