Sailing - Around the World We Go! Group Comments (2)

Schooners

Seen this one for sale. Next door to my home really.

Email from the owner

She is a traditionally gaff-rigged schooner built in Newfoundland in 1983 by Larry Windsor, small enough to be sailed by one, and easily sailed by two; big enough to experience the charm and thrill of the schooner age. Very sturdily built with pine plank, and hackmatack steamed timbers and other strength members (keel, stem and stern posts, bowsprit, etc.); 3 bulkheads are fiberglassed in place. Various woods (oak, rosewood, cedar) adorn the inside layout which is basic but functional and sturdy. After over 20 years of sailing, the boat, in 2004, was totally refurbished; the hull and deck were professionally fiberglassed (6 mat and 2 woven roven) and gelcoated (16 layers about the keel, stem and runout); all rails and dorade boxes were scraped and varnished; all standing and running rigging were replaced to compliment the wooden blocks and wooden dead-eyes; new sails were cut in 2006 by Michelle Stevens Sailworks of Nova Scotia; most auxiliary equipment was replaced (including engine) or reconditioned.

We purchased the boat in 2004 and did a complete overhaul on it as it was well used to that point. We opted to fiberglass the boat as the weather in this area of Quebec does not do good things to a wooden boat. The fiber-glassing was done by professional glassers; we did the unrigging and refitting which was quite an extensive task. As stated, the boat was built in Seal Cove NL. by a wonderful builder, Larry Windsor who was a genius in working with wood, metal and fiber-glass, so the boat is well constructed. We know the boat very well and after ten years of use since the refit, I see no deterioration due to the glassing.

She was fitted in 2006 with a Yanmar 40 hp diesel, 3JH4E diesel, which has about 275 hours running time – a real gem of a motor. The boat is rigged for a topsail on the main; however, we have never used the sail as lack of wind isn’t one of the challenges we have to contend with here in this location.

For the present owners, this boat has been a labor of love and pleasure, and fear not the presence of fiberglass for it is not a distraction from the wooden beauty that this boat is but a feature that will allow this boat to continue to bring sailing pleasure for many years to come, without much of the arduous work of a fully wooden boat. The present owners are reluctantly selling the boat due to the substantial effort required to launch and haul the boat in the area where it is presently located. Additionally we are both in our mid-60s. We believe this boat to be a rare find considering the present day cost of building a new and similar one.

Key size details: LOA – 39 feet; LOD – 32 feet; LOWL – 24.5 feet; Beam – 10.5 feet; Draft – 5.5 feet; cabin headroom 6.5+ feet throughout.

Cabin layout from peak to stern: The very forepeak is a rope/chain locker partitioned for two rodes and accessible from the deck. Next back is a cabin with four bunks, presently the two lowers have mattresses and two uppers are used for storage. Moving further astern is the main cabin which contains: two over-sized and mattressed lower bunks, two upper bunks used for storage, a propane wall furnace, a center drop leaf table, an enclosed head to starboard, with manual toilet, basin and cabinet and, the galley to port with a propane three-burner stove and oven, ice box and cabinets. The port side after-end of the main cabin contains the navigation and communication equipment which is accessible and viewable via a window opening from the outside cockpit. The starboard after-end contains the battery locker. Under the wooden stairs-access to the cockpit, is the engine locker. Two storage areas border each side of the engine locker, the starboard being accessible from the main cabin with the rest being accessible from outside. A 15 gallons fiberglass water tank is located under each of the lower port and starboard bunks in main cabin; ...