Sept 2010 Rudder Repair Exchange

Rudder Repair Exchange: September, 2010

(See Roy Mac Keen's diagram of the rudder in list of documents.)

I lost control of my steering on a wonderfully blustery day recently and had the boat hauled; I've now received the unwelcome news today that the webbing on my rudder is gone. I'm headed for the local boatyard next week to look at the situation up close and personal and get their estimate advice on the repair. I have plenty of experience with ambitious epoxy repairs, and have studied the helpful materials posted on this site, but remain reluctant to tackle the project on my own. I would welcome any advice o n how to proceed...

Chuck Goodrich
good5buck@gmail.com


Sept 26, 2010
I am not sure where you are, but there is a company in Florida that will make you a NEW rudder for around $2,000. (Newrudders.com) When the one went out on Blue Magic I had a stainless steel one made. The outer skin was sheet stainless steel and once primed and painted it looked exactly like the old fiberglass one, except I had a notch put in so I could pull the shaft out without pulling off the rudder again.

Good luck. I know how much time it takes and how much epoxy it will also take, your better off with a new one.

Banff
The former owner of Hull #33 Blue Magic


Sept. 26, 2010
The rudder consists of mirror image fiberglass shells taped together around the rudder post. Welded to the rudder post is a plate to take the torque of the rudder. There are no ‘webs’ in the rudder.The ‘shells’ act as a fairing only.

Step One: Split the shells along the longitudinal centerline of the rudder. This can be done with the rudder in place. The shells MAY be stuck to the rudder post or plate with foam, milled fibre, resin and you may have trouble removing the shells in one piece. One side should come off fairly easily. There is ballast ( steel plate punching) in the bottom of the rudder.

Step Two: Please send me a photograph of the stripped rudder and I will comment immediately.

Step Three: I suspect that the weld fastening the ‘plate’ to the rudder stock has broken and/or deteriorated causing the rudder stock to rotate without the benefit of the torque plate to swing the rudder. ( One now knows not to mix metals without some kind of cathodic protection).

Step Four: That being the case, have the plate rewelded to the stock. I don’t have to tell you to be careful of alignment. The plate will be welded to one side of the rudder shell, not on the centerline of the stock, to permit laminating to the shell.

I look forward to your photos

Roy Mac Keen


Sept 27, 2010

Good Morning, Though I might offer something here…..

We don’t build the rudders and rudder support the way they were originally built, we now make the internal support web out of 316 stainless steel and try our best to fill the entire rudder so it is as solid as possible.

It is possible to get replacement rudders from us as it will fit the original hulls, but you mad have to change the rudder post seals. This might actually be less expensive.

(A while later, Brian - who has mistaken Roy for a boat owner - writes:)

What we have been doing for the heel bearing is to fabricate a stainless steel fitting from pipe. The inside diameter of the pipe is around 3” so we mill up a bearing from UHMW to fit inside the pipe and the rudder stock fits inside that.

If you have the measurement of the hole in the heel bearing you have, we can make the rudder bottom shaft that size.


Brian (Smythe, of Yachtsmith International)

Sept 26, 2010
I didn't get Roy's message for some reason -- many thanks, Ken. His reply is most helpful and the information from Banff is also interesting. I found a Florida company called Foss that makes rudders, but they are NOT stainless.

I did hear from Willaim (or William?) Parrott, who went through the same thing but sounds like he made a successful repair. His note to me is pasted in below:

Chuck
---------------
On Sun, Sep 26, 2010 at 1:07 PM, Willaim Parrott wrote:


I had a similar problem about ten years ago. I removed the rudder and ran a circular saw around the edge and separated it like two pie plates. The rudder post was stainless but it had mild steel webbing welded to the post. That is where it failed. I had all new internals welded up much stronger than the new one. Reattached the fiberglass shell and filled it with closed cell foam and its better than new.
Had the boat surveyed a couple of years ago and he commented on the dry rudder.
The yard estimated the job between $3k and$4k. I did it less than $500 material costs.
I can get very detailed if you would like. Let me know and I can walk you through it.

Bill

Hello Chuck,

My father Tony, use to own SHoGUN ~ a Cabot 36.. He has 2 sketches of the Cabot rudder, from Nassau Shipyard Ltd... We could fax them to you, as they cover a whole page each...
Please provide us your fax # and we'll send them off asap.

Lisa (Waldegrave)

ANOTHER RUDDER GONE BAD

I lost control of my steering on a wonderfully blustery day recently and had the boat hauled; I've now received the unwelcome news today that the webbing on my rudder is gone. I'm headed for the local boatyard next week to look at the situation up close and personal and get their estimate advice on the repair. I have plenty of experience with ambitious epoxy repairs, and have studied the helpful materials posted on this site, but remain reluctant to tackle the project on my own. I would welcome any advice on how to proceed...

Chuck Goodrich
good5buck@gmail.com

PS -- My new holding tank is working out great; thanks to those who provided advice on that project last winter....

Overhead Lighting Wiring

Have any Cabot owners had to replace any of the overhead wiring to the cabin lights? As the wires run between the coachroof and the inner lining it is difficult if not impossible to access. How have you overcome this problem and run new wires?

Seasons Greetings and a cockpit safety harness question

Hi folks. Happy New Year from Old Sam (hull 42)! We know lots of you are lucky enough to be sailing somewhere warm and interesting as we write. We, in Nova Scotia, however are sitting by a fire, watching the snow fall, looking lovingly at pictures of our boat and counting the months (FIVE!) until we're back on the water.

Many thanks to those who helped us out with our cockpit drain and (?) race handicap questions. The drain is now installed and we have peace of mind!

Our new question is about rings for safety harnesses in the cockpit. We do have jacklines running from the front of the cockpit forward but nowhere to secure a lifeline inside the cockpit. Keegunoo has a ring on the aft end of the each cockpit locker (in the T) They like it Ok but it seems like it might be a leg catcher. Also, we wonder if there is a place closer to the companionway that doesn't get in the way of day to day activities-the only place we can think of is right underneath the companionway opening. Our email is scroan@staff.ednet.ns.ca Thanks lots for your help.

Susan and Don

Holding Tank Installation Questions

I'm finally facing up to the inadequacies of my late-1980s holding tank installation; would appreciate advice out there from those who may have been brave enough to go down this road before.

My leading scenario is to put a tank with ~80 gallons capacity (48" long) under the port berth in the dining area, having someone manufacture a custom tank to fit the contours of the space. I would then create a large access port in the side of the locker, replacing the current fiberglass with marine teak.

Among my questions:

Is this the best location?
How have others arranged for access to the space (alternatively, I could cut into the horizontal surface beneath the bunk, but this appears to be potentially more of a structural issue)
Is it worth the added complexity and expense of a custom tank to accommodate the angles created by the hull shape, or should I just go with something that is rectangular?
I would appreciate any advice that may be out there....

Questions from Old Sam

Hull #42, formerly Old Sam Peabody was officially renamed Old Sam on June 5, 09 with all the appropriate (we hope) invocations, lots of champagne and celebration. We're pretty sure the boat wanted to keep its name- we came up with lots of other ideas for a year and a half but none of them "worked". David and Susan Chase, the previous owners kept Old Sam Peabody for their new trawler but they agreed the boat would be happiest with part of it's old name. And for those of you familiar with Maritime liquor, you will certainly recognize this name as a pretty good rum! We've had 2 amazing summers learning just how great this boat is-making some small changes to things so they work better for us but basically loving the sail plan, living space and performance under every kind of condition we encountered. Thanks SO much to Archelon and Keegunoo for all their advice, help and support!

We have 2 questions that we think have to be answered by you Cabot owners: If you could email us directly at scroan@staff.ednet.ns.ca it would be better-we are pretty new at the blog thing!

1) For winter storage (the boat was always stored inside until it arrived in NS), does everyone have bilge drains? We had big problems last winter with water (freezing) in the bilge but because the bottom of the bilge is so deep, we worry about how we would reach the drain if it failed while in the water. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated since it IS getting colder every day!

2) This is so ridiculous we're embarassed to ask but .....we all know Cabots are built for comfort, not speed but we do participate in a neighborhood race every Labour Day. The organizers have no idea how to handicap us so if anybody has any idea of what our class handicap would be,we'd love to know since (like every racer on the planet) we think we are very unfairly handicapped right now! And if any of you are near the waters of Mahone Bay next year, you'd be most welcome to join the fun.

Greetings from Hull #50 D.W. Crow

I'd finally like to say hello to the blog from hull # 50 D.W. Crow, ex. Micola. I've been refitting the boat for the past five years and my wife Martha and I, and Barnacle the cat, have finally begun cruising. I've sent some materials to the blog earlier, such as a materials list and the original specs. for hull # 50. A lot of the work I did on the boat was with advice from the Ontario Boater's Cooperative in Oakville.

I apologize for not being a bit more active on the blog but I've had some technical issues that I just go sorted out. I've attached a photo of the boat shortly after launch because it's the best one I have that shows the hard dodger I had installed. It seems to generate a lot of interest as we travel, and I've attached one with the canvas enclosure attached that shows how we look now that we're on the move.

As an aside, the Cabot gets tons of compliments everywhere we go. People appreciate the lines and seem to identify her immediately as a serious cruising boat.

All the best from here.

Bob Ciupa

Connect with the Voyages of C.W. Crow (#50)

Just got this connection from Bob and Martha Ciupa, now navigating the world in their Cabot. A great website to keep in touch. Check it out.

FOR SALE - SHoGUN - Hull # 51

CABOT 36 – Cruiser - “SHoGUN”

· Excellent condition, 2nd owner - had for 30 years
· Cutter rigged, designed by Brewer and Wallstrom – 1978
· 6 berth, with oven, stove, fridge, freezer and shower
· 50 hp Perkins engine with 70 gallons of diesel
· 140 gallons of water
· Dinghy and 1.2 hp engine
· Extensive inventory: including 6 man covered self-inflating
life raft, GPS, EPIRB, Loran, VHF

To view more pictures of the interior and hull, click on the picasa web link below: http://picasaweb.google.com/thelymelight

Good performer under all conditions.
She's ready to sail anywhere!

Asking $ 79,500

For complete details contact Tony at: 905-845-8455 or
Email: lwaldegrave@cogeco.ca

Cabot for Sale

Here's Kalara II, now offered for sale in New Brunswick

Arluk III

New Picture of Arluk III, berthed in Vancouver. This boat was one of the first off. Hull numbers started with 10, skipped 13, and ended with #59. The current owner, Wayne Peters, bought the boat from Fred Karp, who was one of two principle investors in Cabotcraft Industries. Thanks to Wayne for the pics. Looks in great shape.

Christmas Greetings 08 from Cheshire Cat

HI AND HELLO TO YOU ALL;
Just a brief note to say that Mike and I hope you all have a Very Merry Christmas this year and we trust that only good things come your way in 2009.

Cheshire Cat is in Bundaberg, Australia - after a relatively uneventful season in the islands of Fiji, Vanuatu and New Caledonia. The main event was an ongoing problem with our new engine exhaust. Very annoying! However all is well now - thanks to cruiser friends who helped Mike solve the problem. We had a good time in the islands seeing and experiencing the very different culture and enjoying the company of old and new friends.

Next year should see us moving north up the coast to Darwin where we plan to join the Sail Indonesia Rally - then off on another adventure on our way through Indonesia and Malaysia.

We always like to get your news, so please keep the emails coming! I WILL try to get better at replying (especially as I have a new computer this year!)

Love and Best Wishes from

Deirdre and Mike

Hull 18 (Mimi) Undergoes Major Re-Fit

Ken:

I have purchased hull number 18 (MIMI ) from Steve Batchelor in Melbourne Florida. .Scott Schloessor, also a Cabot owner, sailed up with me from Melbourne to Green Cove Springs Fl. It was a good sail up the outside and we experienced a full spectrum of weather. I was impressed with the boat’s performance. So much so that I decided to make this hull number into the ultimate cruiser. I am completely redoing the boat. It has a new Yanmar 30 hp motor, new fuel tank, new wire rigging, a mast head radio antenna, tri/color, anchor, strobe masthead light, windex, all new sheets and halyards, new main sail, and good head sail and stay sail. The plumbing work is now in progress re connecting both water tanks and installing sediment and charcoal filters and new water pump. Planned is a new stove, refrigeration by Mermaid, new batteries, battery chargers and the installation of an older model HydroVane wind vane along with the original auto helm wheel belt auto- pilot. I live aboard and travel on a Formosa 51 but am really enjoying redoing a real cruising sailing boat. This boat will be for sale when finished so I'll keep in touch with some progress reports..

Sincerely Frank Holland.

Pegasus III

Here's our first picture of this boat, hull #23, now owned by Warren Pattison

Mystery Cabots

About 25% of the original boats are ghosting along out there as "Mysteries" to the owners association - or those of us who come to this blog now and then.

Since I began researching the Cabot, I've been fascinated by the stories that come in about boats and cruising adventures. The first one to spark my interest was, of course, George Kephart's. (His is posted on the website.

I'm hoping Cabot owners will keep their eyes out for these mystery boats, and have an owner's list (see website) to double check in case the boat you find is one we haven't! Here's a list of hull numbers that either remain entirely off the radar, or from whom we have not heard reports in ages (likely since the original owner.):

10, 11, 17, 21, 23, 35, 49, 56, 57, 58

These two digits would follow the initial ZBD360 that start all the boat hull numbers, stamped on the outside of the transom.

Here's the kind of story that makes me want to track these down. Arthur Morris writes in 2006, about Hull #37:

"I was looking through some old papers the other day and found some hull numbers that my teen age son had copied down back in the 1980’s. One of the hull numbers was ZMD 360 37177 and the boat’s name was “HIGHLAND HEART”. After I saw the name I remembered the boat. It had been owned by a member of the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra (not the original owner), who had sold it to an Air Force Officer and was based at the Shearwater Yacht Club. The last time I heard of the boat it had sailed to Florida, but I do not know the present owner or location. The boat was the only CABOT 36 that I know of that had a wooden pilot house built over the companionway and part of the cockpit. I was on the boat a number of times and the rest of the boat was the same as the normal CABOT 36."

In the summer of 07, Roy Mc Keen adds to this:

"James Mac Donald of Baddeck N.S. first bought the hull and lead keel from Cabotcraft and planned to finish the boat with wood deck to his design. James is an accomplished shipwright, having served his time with Walter Pinauds yard but we did not know how the displacement, trim,sailing characteristics etc would be altered by the conversion so we removed the Cabot logo from the bow. James completed the boat by adding our interior liner, deck and liner and then converting the aft deck to a pilot house configuration. His plan was to head north to Newfoundland andLabrador so the addition was useful for cruising that area. She is the only boat with a pilot bouse and when commissioned had tanbark sails."

But where is this boat now? Wouldn't it be great to have a picture of her to see how she turned out?

Here's a challenge for you. Check the owner's list and see if there are enough details on a particular "mystery" boat to launch you on an Internet search to find the owner.

Standard Rudder Port

HERE'S A GREAT REPLY FROM ROY MAC KEEN TO MIKE AND DEIRDRE OF CHESHIRE CAT. ROY'S SKETCH IS LINKED IN THE MESSAGE BELOW. MANY THANKS.


It does not seem possible that I am sitting in Boca Raton, Florida, doing a rough sketch for Cheshire Cat in Fiji while I am watching NASCAR from the Pocono's!

Cabot was fitted with standard Buck Algonquin Rudder Ports ( not to be confused with 'stuffing boxes' ) which have a long spigot containing a standard cutless bearing surmounted by a packing gland.

Out of sight, out of mind, the packing in the gland dries out during docking periods and also wears only on the 60 to 70 degree arc.of rudder stock movement. Worn packing and eccentric wear on the cutless produces a trickle of water and a worn cutless bearing.

Let us hope that the harder rudder stock has not worn through the rubber of the bearing and the bronze side wall of the spigot as this will necessitate the replacement of the rudder port.

!. The simple and temporary solution would be to center the rudder stock and repack the packing gland. This is not a recommendation for a trans Pacific crossing but if no other solution is available and the know problem can be attended during the crossing, it could work.

2.Unfortunately one of the things that we could not make 'maintenance easy' was the repacking of the rudder gland. If I remember correctly, there is not sufficient clearance between the gland nut and the bottom of the quadrant to remove the nut and repack the gland. .

3. It is not difficult to remove the quadrant, assuming you are a midget and can lay on your back inclined toward the stern. Relases the tension on the turnbuckles, drop the wire and slack of the nuts on the quadrant. This is a good time to look at the pulleys and condition of the steering wire..

4, The bottom of the rudder port should emerge from the outside of the hull sufficiently to see a hex retaining screw which holds the rubber cutless bearing in the holder.. ( It may be covered with fairing material; dig around)

5. You will have to remove the bolts in the bronze shoe to drop the rudder. Remove the bearing with a two leg or sleeve puller ( The countersunk screw is a "safety" only. The bearing should be snug in the holder. If I remember correctly the rudder shaft is 2" in diameter and therefore the OD of the bearing shell would be 2-5/8" or 3" in diameter. I would guess the former.

6. Obviously, check for wear within the bearing shoe and the bearing area of the rudder stock.which you have it apart.

Good luck, Let me know how you get along

Rudder Issue: Cheshire Cat

Hi Ken,
We were trying to leave Fiji for Vanuatu last week when I noticed that the rudder position indicator on our new "Coursemaster" autopilot was off so I emptied the locker to look at it and found that I had water coming in through the seal on the rudder stock and there was a slight movement at the top of the stock. We returned to Fiji to check it out. Do you or anyone else have any ideas on how the seal is made and can it be replaced in the water with taking off the quadrant. In fact I assume that the whole rudder is only supported by the skeg and there is no other means off attachment above the water line. The rudder itself seems solid with very little movement in it.
Thanks

Response from Blue Magic (#33)

On Hull 33 it’s a simple stuffing box type with shaft packing. You should be able to pull it apart in the water no problem. The only problem may be how much clearance you have on the top of the shaft to the deck, but you could always cut a hole and replace with a high quality hatch/deck plate. Good Luck

Banff Luther

Luther Marine Maintenance

Blue Magic #33

...and from David Ladell

Here are some digital camera shots of the drawing done by Ted Brewer. Not great but you may be able to make them out. It appears to be the same as what was done on Hull #27.

David Ladell

...and from George Kephart (original owner of Sarah Fraser)

I had this problem on Sarah Frazer. We solved it be having and extension welded on to the rudder shaft up to a bearing ring in the sole of the cockpit. The bearing ring was at the very aft end of the cockpit under the .seat andn ever caused any problems thereafter.
George Kephart

Cheshire Cat Leaving New Zealand

Just a few more days to go before we leave New Zealand - we are working hard to get everything ready and, as they say, shipshape.

Of course there will be a number of things still to do as we seem only to work under the pressure of a deadline. But many of those tasks will have to wait until we hit the balmy weather of the next tropical island! Sounds good doesn't it? Yes - we think so as well - it's getting far too cold here in the beautiful 'land of the long white cloud'.

It seems we have missed the current exodus - Cheshire Cat is one of the very few remaining foreign boats - everyone else having taken full advantage of a week of glorious 'weather window'. But - with the added advantages of new autohelm, engine and canvas over the cockpit we will be in good shape.

We have made all sorts of upgrades such as radar (it actually works!) AIS (so that we can identify the big ships near us) lots of paint, new upholstery, sinks, cooker, head, dinghy - an extensive (and expensive) list of goodies. New Zealand chandleries will be sorry to see us leave! But our bank balance will be relieved.

So it will be with a certain amount of regret that we leave our friends here - landlubbers that they are now (mostly) and sally out again into the great unknown - to new adventures and new places. Hopefully we will hear from all of you - we'd like to know what's what wherever you are. Maybe even catch up with some of you as we explore Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Australia next season.

Meanwhile - travel safely - enjoy - and please do write!

Refitting Hope Light

I am refitting Hope Light for the umpteenth time so we can get back to the Bahamas as soon as this fall or following year latest.
We have added and changed equipment and gear regularly in the 28 years we have owned her, but have needed to do very little in the way of infrastructure change, just maintenance. I suppose this speaks well of the integrity of the Cabots in general.
Among the myriad of things we are doing are, adding solar and wind power generation and we need to somehow design and have built a bimini to supplement the dodger for the cockpit that can be used to help keep off the sun even when under way (not an easy task given the long boom and aft traveller. I do have an uninstalled rigid boom vang/boom support that could eliminate the aft topping lift). In the past we have had a sunawning that gets set up when at anchorage that covered much of the cabin and all of the cockpit. Also we need to design a flange or something to prevent water from entering the anchor locker so easily. Better late than never. I am a leakproofing binge so any suggestions there would be appreciated. I am already covered in polysulfide.
In the past we have had Surrette battery banks and have been very happy. As I replace them I am tempted to go with AGM batteries instead of flooded ones but don't think I will be attentive enough to keep them happy, such as regular full heavy duty charges. On the other hand when back in the Bahamas I predict dribs and drabs of charging from solar and wind.
Any suggestions will be most appreciated.
Thanks
David

Cutlass Bearing Replacement - Sizing

Hi,

I am repowering Meltemi this winter, replacing the Perkins 4-108 with a Beta Marine 28hp 3 cylinder Kubota based engine.

While I am doing this I am taking the opportunity to replace the cutlass bearing. My measurements indicate that the inside diameter of the shaft log is 1 9/16 inches. However, there does not seem to be any available cutlass bearings with this OD, 1 5/8 being the closest.

Is my measurement off? Are the shaft log and cutlass bearing metric? Did there used to be a 1 9/16 OD cutlass bearing size in the the late 1970s? Has anyone replaced their cutlass bearing recently and if so did you have this problem?

Thanks for your help.

Hello from the proud new owners......

...of hull # 42 (formerly Old Sam Peabody-haven't settled on a new name yet) and we are so excited about being lucky enough to get one of these beautiful boats. We bought it from the David and Susan Chase in Dec. 07 -many thanks to them for their generosity, help. and the excellent care they took of her. This spring we plan to have her shipped from Michigan to Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia (yeah, she's getting pretty close to home!- and will be in the same boatyard as #43 Keegunoo) We will be sailing around the Maritimes for the next 2 summers and then plan to head SOUTH in 2010. This purchase changes our long, intense love affair w/wooden boats-we're currently sailing a 1936 Alden Malabar Jr. but we recognized we needed to make a change for our long distance sailing plans (she's a beauty though- and for sale, so if you know anyone interested, pass the info along.) The Cabot was the ONLY fiberglass boat that came close to being well built and beautiful enough! We'd love to hear from any other owners, especially if they get to (or plan to get to) our part of the world. Our email is scroan@staff.ednet.ns.ca

SOLD SOLD SOLD

Old Sam Peabody (hull 42) has been sold and returns now to Nova Scotia. More news when we are in touch with new owners. David Chase, the former owner, says he thinks the blog helped in the sale. If so, good. Do send any notice of sale you might have. It also helps us keep track of boats.

Ken

Sea Eagle (Hul 55)

Hi Ken. I have some information for you. First off hull numbers. Off the transom # ZBD3605578. Also on the transom are the raised letters "HONCHILLA". From years of buffing around the plastic letters the raised areas are left immortalized on the stern.

I have the original registration in Canada by Dr. Hooper. It's to an apartment address in Ontario, Canada. All other paperwork is addressed to Washington DC, USA. Canadian registration has Dr.Hooper as Agriculture minister to Ontario. He may have been a Ph.D. and not a medical doctor. Maybe?

The boat was sold to a US Navy commander by the name of Frank T. Gieseman in 1995 or 1996. He was a commander of a US vessel in the first US gulf war . The radio call sign of his ship was, "SEA EAGLE". A sea eagle is a fishing eagle in the North Sea. I thought it was a cool name, so I kept it. The T in Frank’s name is short for Ty. Ty retired, bought the boat, and traveled some; then married a retired navy captain named Susanne. This year they published a book called Your Boat Too about women being confident on a sailboat. Check it out.

I bought the boat in April 1998. It's documented in US. My address is 2974 Riverside, Somerset, MA, 02726, Phone 508 965 3378, or email wm_parrott@ yahoo.com.

The boat lived in the same marina in the Chesapeake until I purchased her. Actually at the same slip until 1998. She was yard maintained until 1998. Yard maintained to many people means the best of care. I know it to mean the minimum of care at a high price. The boat was in fantastic condition but had few upgrades.

The boat has the original gelcoat. Still buffs up nice. I have rebuilt the Perkins 4-108, the velvet drive transmission, new shaft, and three blade prop. Rebuilt rudder with all new stainless internals. Electric windless horizontal and all chain with capstan. New sails, new dodger, bimini, wind generator, and radar, Cozy cabin heater, barrier coat, and much more.

I have pictures of the boat under sail from a helicopter, and some at anchor that I will send later. It's great to have an owners group that is active.

BillParrott

Cabot 36 Weather Helm ???

Hi Guys,

It's me again, with a question.

I've heard some rumors from the guys at YachtSmiths, that the Cabot 36 has a bit of a weather helm. And, I've been told that at least one owner has moved the forestay out onto a small bowsprit which either corrected this situation, or at least improved it. I'd love to know how far the forestay was moved up, and whether this balanced the helm, or simply reduced the weather helm.

One of the decisions I'm faced with, in the addition of the pilothouse, is do I trim a bit off the bottom of the main sail. The pilothouse is two feet taller than the cabin top. Based on the original drawings, I would still have clearance below to boom, as it was originally drawn, though not a whole lot. If the boat does, in fact have a weather helm, trimming say a foot off the bottom of the main, may not be a bad thing.

Any thoughts or comments ???

Thanks,
Mike

Cabot 38 Pilothouse

Hi Guys,



I figured it's about time to introduce myself !!! My name is Mike Filimon, and I have been working with YachtSmiths to develope the Cabot 38 Pilothouse. The one under construction is mine, and will hopefully become a successful design for YachtSmiths. I will be putting layout #1 into my boat.

The interior drawings you see on the CabotYachts web site are the result a continuing process of revising my revisions, until I think I have it right !!! And since they were posted I have made some small revisions to layout #1, based on observations I made at the Newport boat show this Sept.

I had originally drawn the fore and aft dimension of the galley the same as it is on a Cabot 36, including that portion of the counter which extends aft, under the bridge deck. But, I will not be able to extend this counter the same way, under the pilothouse, so I extended the foreward counter a bit. The galley on the Cabot 36 is large, and looking at boats in the same size range at Newport, we found smaller galleys that were adequate. Because making room on this boat for the pilothouse does require some compromises, I have reduced that galley by 4 inches, to a fore and aft length of 5 feet 4 inches. This is still pretty generous compared to modern boats in the same size range, especially because many of them now have an L shaped galley, with access to a quarter cabin through the galley. I still like the traditional U shaped galley, (though in this layout, I had to compromise and make it more of a J shape)

Forward of the galley, opposite that table, will be a small settee, unfortunately not long enough to serve as a berth, but comfortable seating. (On my own Cabot 38 PH, a portion of this space, just foreward of the galley, will be used for a cabin heater)

I have also switched the hanging locker and bureau. The hanging locker is now on the port side, in the 15 inch space, and the bureau is on the starboard in the 20 inch space. I found that hanging lockers of this size were adaquate, and this seemed a better way to use these two spaces.

I'm pretty sure I have it very close to the way it will be built, but we'll see what happens after my trip to the Annapolis Sailboat Show this weekend, and my trip to Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, in three weeks, when I'm spending a week with YachtSmiths, to mock up the interior and see how it all fits !!!

In the mean time, I would love to hear from you guys with any comments, or suggestions you might have. I'm sure those of you who have experience aboard a Cabot 36, and even building them can be a valuable resource in this process. Just, please don't call be any nasty names for messing with what we all know is a GREAT boat !!!

Thanks,
Mike

SOLD: Old Sam Peabody (42)

David and Susan Chase are offering Old Sam Peabody for sale. You can find the details on the website. The blog title is linked, or you might go to the "Cabot Documents" link in the sidebar at the left.

SHoGUN (hull 51) is for sale

Tony Waldegrave has decided to sell SHoGUN, which he has owned for the last 28 years, having bought it shortly after it was commissioned for its first owner in Nova Scotia in 1978. For years, Tony established and ran the Cabot owners' association.

Please visit the Cabot Documents site to see full information on the boat.

Interior Modifications

I have made a few modifications to the interior of Meltemi that others might wish to see. Varnishing the interior is a pain but the effect is to make the interior much brighter. I put some cheap pine paneling along the aft end of the cabin (the fibreglass liner had a rough finish and was stained from something) and increased storage space in the galley by removing the partition behind the stovetop. This also removed more dark wood and made things brighter.


I have begun to remove that awful dark brown fake wood formica from various countertops and moved the electrical panel from the engine compartment (I know, it is now under a deck!).

I find the table in the main cabin pretty useless. Is this the standard Cabot table arrangement? If you have found something that is more solid and useable (must be able to convert to a berth) I would really like to see it. I believe that at least one Cabot has a telescoping pedestal that supports the table and permits it being raised and lowered between table and berth making heights.

Thanks.

Mike

Sail Blue Magic (Hull 33)

Don't know how we missed posting this beautiful picture of Hull 33 in its present glory. Skipper Banff Luther will update the owners list for us soon. For now, enjoy the photo. But there's more! Banff has an incredible selection of photos on flicker, some of which are about repairs and maintenance.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sailbluemagic/

That Osmosis Problem

Thomas Groeneveld (JULY 27/07)

This is Tom Groeneveld on Morning Light II , hull 29, in Curacao. Just put the boat on the hard and discovered a few blisters, maybe a dozen. Had many more 2 years ago and even more 4 years ago.
Ground them out, let them dry and filled with epoxy and silica. Am amazed that the hull is in such good shape. Put a few holes in the rudder but hardly any fluid coming out.

All is well and I will keep on sailing the Cabot.

Scott Schloesser here, hull 32 ( Cimba C36-32 )

I haven't dealt with it yet but Cimba has about 100 blisters in the range from 1" about 80 to 2" about 20 probably from the time it spent down in the islands , plus the rudder core is wet , trying to schedule for a fall haul out.

SSCHLOESSER@earthlink.net

Bob Ciupa (Hull #50) July 28/07

I did my bottom for osmosis, voids, and barrier coat the hard way during the winter and spring of 05-06. Fell free to have Jan get hold of me, I have loads of info I'd be happy to share.

P.S. If I ever get my hard dodger finished, I'll send you some pics of the boat and info regarding a name change.

Roy Mac Keen (July 29/07)

I would be surprised if 'osmosis' was not a problem with the Cabot, but up until the closing of the factory, we had no indication of the problem. As you are aware osmosis is the penetration through differential pressure of moisture through the gel coat. In the days of the Cabot, gel coat was resin thickened with calcium carbonate ( highly porous) with the addition of colour.

There really is only one way to defeat it: Peel, dry, and barrier coat .

Banff Luther, Sailbluemagic (Hull 33) email July 31/07

If you’re talking about blisters, well I’ve done that job as well. Strip the bottom of the gel coat, let it dry and put on barrier coat. I used a grinder to take off about a 1/16 of an inch off the bottom. At the same time I replaced ALL thru hull fittings. If you don’t replace them, you need to at least pull them out and re-seal them.

I highly recommend that you hire a professional to either sand blast off the gel coat or use a machine to do the work. Its back breaking work and took over two weeks.

If you have your fuel tank and water tank both in the floor, (fiberglass) then you have a bilge in the bottom of the keel that you can’t get to. I used a vacuum with a small tube to pull out over 5 gallons of water from the keel. This caused blisters from the inside to go to the outside. Once I got it dry, I sealed up the access with marine epoxy. Now the two bilges are separate and not connected as were before.

Roy Mac Keen on Boat Hull Numbers

One of the first requirements for Cabotcraft Industries was to purchase the ‘reverse image dymo labler’ necessary to affix a permanent ‘carving mark’ in the hulls of the Cabot. As the majority of our market was export, it was absolutely mandatory to have this mark. BOLD VENTURE #14 has one so it would be illogical for #15 not to have one. It may be that some owners illegally filled in the number for cosmetic reasons.

The oval brass plaques were not introduced until mid production and were affixed to the aft cockpit just below the main sheet traveller where it could best be seen at a Boat Show. No other competition had them at the time. This little plaque would not have qualified as an identification marker as a carving mark for boats of all nations must be permanent.

More to come on this shortly. Roy and I are working on a piece that brings together information from various emails and attempts to increase the accuracy and scope of this information for all owners. (KD)

Hull #14 Bold Venture

July 2007. Just received this picture of Bold Venture, now owned and being sailed in Antigua by Jan Johansson. This was also first owned by Roy Mac Keen, who led the team at Cabotcraft Industries back in the late 70s. Glad to have Jan in contact - and Bold Venture. I think there is another pic of BV posted on the blog, but the two Jan has sent are current and in better light.

Here's Jan's quick summary of travels so far. It started in Antigua on June 1, 1999. I left for Sweden, stopped at the Azores and England before going through the Kiel Canal into the Baltic Sea and KALMAR, where I stayed 2 years working on the boat and raising money.

I left Sweden Holy 2001 together with a Swedish girlfriend and sailed to the Mediterranean through the Kiel Canal, Bay of Biscay and the Straits of Gibraltar. We stayed one winter in the Mediterranean and then continued to the Canary Islands where I worked for two years.

I left Las Palmas (Canary Islands) single handed in January 2004 for Cape Verde Islands, across the South Atlantic to the Brazilian Archipelago of Fernando de Noronha, Salvador, Rio de Janeiro and then on to Buenos Aires, Argentina and many other places.

I left Brazil again in November last year (2006) for the West Indies where I am now working on St. Barth."

Problems with the Rudder

The following 3 exchanges seem well worth a post. The first comes from Richard Ward (Hull 46). First response from Arthur Morris, a long-time Cabot owner and Engineer (I believe). Finally, Roy Mc Keen, who lead Cabot Craft Industries for the better part of its existence in the 1970’s responds. I must say Cabot owners (and former builders and former owners) are a loyal breed, and very responsive to inquiries.

Well here we are into a midlife refit or at least that is what it has become. Found a leak in the rudder on the trailing edge. Been weeping a little all winter but now it has surfaced as water inside the rudder. So looks like I will need to carry out some reconstructive surgery on it. My question is what is the construction of the rudders? Foam core, steel frame (if so I hope it's stainless), balsa core(I hope not), or what?

Let me know what you have found.

Richard Ward
SV Ar Sgrail
Hull #46
Sydney, Nova Scotia

Hi Richard, 18 June 2007

I owned “Cabot’s Mathew” and had to repair my rudder when I found severe corrosion on the rudder shaft, due to reversed polarity on a marine electrical supply in Florida. It was a very severe electrolytic corrosion and the shaft was pitted to a depth of 1/8 inch around the rudder post just below the exit from the hull. The top half of the rudder shaft was renewed and we had to expose the core to get back to good metal and avoid a fire on the urethane foam core. By the way there was no corrosion on the stainless steel framework and the foam core had not deteriorated. The boat was 12 was 13 years old when I had to repair the rudder.

The core of the rudder is urethane foam on a stainless steel frame work. I checked with various Cabot 36 owners over the years and with many other boat owners as well and most seemed to have water leakage at the base of the rudder over the winter. I honestly think that most rudders leak in water around the shaft and by osmosis through the fiberglass over time. My Cabot 36 had always been in salt water and I owned it for 18 years and cruised for 13 years and sailed over 50,000 miles. After the rudder repair whenever I hauled the boat for repair or winter storage I drilled 3 holes in the bottom of the rudder and water came out for some time and before returning the boat the water I filled in the holes with MARTINTEX epoxy.

I would check the rudder and make sure that there is no movement of the shell on the shaft or any looseness on the frame and just drain it every time you haul, because I am sure it will just leak again after any re-building. We never had any other problems with the rudder.

Good luck,

Arthur Morris

WOW! I leave Florida for a long weekend and we have three “Rudder” questions!

I will make some quick sketches to show the construction and e-mail to you tomorrow for general dissemination.

To answer any emergency queries, the rudder was constructed in two shells and taped all around . The rudder is ballasted with iron ‘punchings’, has steel plate stiffening and is filled with foam.( which will have shrunk) I can imagine, in time, the fiberglass to metal ‘joint’ around the upper post and the lower pintle will deteriorate to the extent of admitting water or the hairline fracture permitting the water to leave the rudder also permits it to enter when submerged.

More tomorrow

Roy Mac Keen

Traveller Replacement Problem

I'm planning to replace my original Ronstan traveller with a Harken windward sheeting arrangement; Harken needs information regarding the bend of the traveller track, both horizontally and vertically. Apparently they need to know the "chord height" and length in order to manufacture the track properly.

I'm hoping someone can save me some time and trouble on this by providing the necessary info if they've been through a similar exercise themselves. If not ... well, I'll do my best and be available to advise anyone else who decides to go through this process.

Chuck Goodrich
Home: (978) 468-6239
2 Farrington Lane
South Hamilton, MA 01982
Fax: (978) 626-0043
Cell: (508) 380-7264
good5buck@comcast.net

Office: (978) 739-1301 (fax 1399)
72 Cherry Hill Drive
Beverly, MA 01915
cgoodrich@cnc.com

THE ANCHOR WINDLASS EXCHANGE

Hi, this is Mike Wybo of Meltemi, Hull 48. I am considering the installation of an anchor windlass and would like the advice and experience of those who have already done this. I am leaning toward an electric windlass and would appreciate any photos of how you have installed yours.

Hi Mike,
Try to get hold of Thomas Groenveld, the fellow who bought Morning Light from us. We installed a heavy duty Horizon horizontal windlass. We had a double bow roller and divided the locker with marine ply, fiberglass, and epoxy so that the 150 feet (?) of chain could run into the bildge (to keep weight below waterline and a bit further aft), and so that the second chain and rode set would be readily accessible and not get tangled. For the year we lived aboard after installing the thing, we wondered why we hadn't done it sooner. It was a big project but well worth the time. I would be inerested to hear from Thomas as to how he thinks it works and if the installation is still intact. He might be able to take some pics as well. If no pics, I might be able to draw from memory. The windlass sat on deck just aft and a bit starboard of center behind the chain locker. It fed the chain through a hole in the deck that intruded into the ceiling of the V-berth by 6-10 inches and was fiberglassed off to create a tunnel back into the chain locker... eventually feeding into the bildge below the chain locker (and the theoretical extra water tank below the V-berth. Let me know if this helps. It was a great addition to the boat.
Mark Hunter

Hi

From Cheshire Cat 24, originally from Bronte in Ontario, now in Tonga.

We have a lofrans windlass, horizontal mount as a vertical wouldn't fit. we have 200 ft chain with 150 ft rode and 50 ft chain with 100 ft rode. It all fits in the locker, but we have to hand feed it into place when we pull the anchor up

Hey Mike,
I installed a Lofrans Kobra this yearelectric 1500watts. Believe me it has changed my life. I have 175 feet of 3/8 BBB chain on the main and 25 feet with 200 feet of rope as secondary. There is a divider down the middle that allows this. I do have to hand feed the chain in as its tight to fit that much in there so placement by hand is required.(basically laying the chain as it comes in. Someone years back modifyed the locker and cut the opening door in half-installing a manual windlass on the aft half of the locker door. Underneath they installed a 1/4 inch stainless steel L bracket bolted to the forward bulkhead (v berth forward wall.) When I painted the decks I made the half door,(didnt open) part of the boat by laying down fiberglass cloth and filler to make it look like part of the deck. Now there is just a small door that pops out of position to access the locker. I had to cut through this steel bracket with a metal cutting disc to allow for the motor which goes into the deck. Installed was 2/0 ga tinned wire run from the battery bank (under setee) to the control box which i mounted in the forward cabinets above the v berth. Look at the first album in this link. You will probably enjoy the rest as well.

Banff Luther
Blue Magic #33
Charleston, SC

Hey Mike,
James Blinn, Archelon, Hull 44. I installed a manual horizontal Sea Tiger. I had to remove the anchor hatch cover, fashion a sturdy welded aluminum structure that was bolted in a number of ways to the the deck and anchor locker. Basically I can open 1/2 of the locker and the other half has the windlass on it and is fixed in place. I works really well and have had some nasty pulls on it without any problems at all. I have a single picture that may give you some help. This is taken standing on port looking toward stbd bow. I can take more if you are interested. I use 120' of
5/16 BBB with 300' of 1/2 Samson gold. No problems. I thought the 5/16 would be a bit light, but it fits in the locker well and has answered well in every case. Hope this helps.

Cheers,
James

Michael,

On Hope Light, our Cabot Hull #27, we installed a 3" diameter SS tube anchor/bow sprit. It is thru bolted to the hull a few inches below the toe rail and supported at its fore end, from below by a ss bracket that is bolted thru the stem. The sprit extends forward maybe 24 or 30 " from the stem at deck height and goes aft along the hull about 36" on each side. I'll take some pics and send them to you. On the bow sprit there are two large stainless steel rollers facing forward. (it would be better if these were each angled slightly outboard to facilitate more space for pulling up large anchors.)

I had it made and installed it before we spent a year in the Bahamas in the 80s. Then we had a 44 lb. Bruce, a 35 lb and 25 lb. CQR, A piece of 5/8 twist nylon with 30 ft of chain on it. We also had and still have a 600' piece of 5/8 nylon twist stowed down below in case we needed it. We never have.

Since then I have installed an electric Simpson and Lawrence Anchorman vertical windlass with chain gypsy and drum for rope. It has done a great job in all respects.

It, and an electrical foot switch are mounted on a large rectangular, running fore and aft, 2" thick teak pad. It is placed on the deck starboard side aft of the chain locker. I now have 250' of 5/16" high tensile chain which is always attached to the 44 Bruce. The chain runs unobstructed from the chain gypsy to the ss bow roller an d to the hawse pipe which is mounted thru the centre of the chain locker lid. I usually only store chain in there with maybe some shorter nylon rodes so there is room for the weight of the chain to fall in and pull it down as the chain stripper takes it off the gypsy. I keep my eye on it and give it a help when needed but it works on its own surprisingly well. As well it feeds out of the hawse pipe quite well but I make sure there is no strain put on the rather flimsy anchor locker lid. Gravity still takes my anchors to the bottom so I only power up, not down. I can still raise and lower the anchor locker lid as its easy to get some slack in the chain and get it out of the way, although I seldom find I need to access it

On the bow now in addition to the 44 Bruce is a SL 33lb fixed Delta anchor instead of the CQR. I still keep the 25 lb CQR below in case I need it. I like the fixed aspect of these anchors as opposed to hinged like CQR ploughs as they dig in much faster. Especially important in the Bahamas.

The rather large electric motor of the winch is attached below the windlass and is easily installed as it is aft the anchor locker so its thru the stbrd side of the fore berth, foreward of the open lockers that are already there. I cut a large hole in that stbrd bulkhead and put a teak door on it so it closes it in and it looks great. I put a large dedicated Surrette deep cycle battery in the bottom of the foreberth hanging locker and attached it to the windlass and alternator charging area aft with an extremely thick copper cable that I bought at a welding supply place along with fittings etc.

Ill take some pictures when I can and get them to you. Dont even think about anything but electric. I for one am not getting younger. I went thru a long analysis and the pros and cons of vertical vs horizontal. I know I did the best thing as it works so well. I have a pump which I havent installed to wash down the chain and deck but as I refit Hope Light in the next while I will install it.

Cheers,

David

HEY EVERYONE. EXCHANGES LIKE THIS CAN OCCUR REAL EASY ON THE BLOG. FIRST OFF, IF YOU WANT TO BECOME PART OF A TEAM CREATING POSTS ON THE BLOG JUST LET ME KNOW AND I'LL WORK ON CREATING THAT. BUT THE OTHER WAY IS FOR ME TO POST THE FIRST INQUIRY ON THE BLOG AND THEN EVERYONE MOVES THERE TO WRITE RESPONSES, RATHER THAN WRITING TO ME.

KEN

Ar Sgrail (Hull 46)

Ar Sgrail has spent her whole life in fresh water on the Saint John River. We acquired a vessel with most of the original rigging and yes, to our knowledge, the main and stay are both original. We are in process of funding a new Yankee and main but not this year.

Have you ever heard of anyone wanting to cut down the mainsail boom by 3 or 4 feet and rerigging the mainsheet on a traveler bridge in front of the dodger? The effect will be a movement of center of pressure of the main foreword and thus take off some weather helm in the process. The other reason we want to do it is to install a full bimini with good headroom for me (I'm 6'3") and get me out of the sun as much as possible.

Archelon (Hull 44)

We are Shelley Bruce and James Blinn. We purchased our Cabot 36
(christened 'White Knuckles II') in 2002 from 2nd owners Paul and Nancy Hill. Her name had been changed to 'Archelon' before we purchased her. She is located in Stephens Cove near Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia. We have made many upgrades and have just returned from Bermuda (our first ocean passage). We have a year off on 2007 and plan to sail for the entire year...our route is in the planning stages right now. She loves to take us sailing!

Any questions...we'd be glad to help.

Hull 42: Old Sam Peabody

David Chase writes in June of 2006: “We trucked the boat home to Minnesota in '92 [They purchased her in 1991] and did quite a lot of work. We painted the hull (needs it again), put on a epoxy barrier bottom, all new holding tank, toilet, hoses etc., new electronics including radar, since upgraded again, varnished the interior, replaced the ports with bronze and the dorades with brass, installed a windlass with all chain and a Bruce anchor. Got all new canvas and all new sails, sheets and halyards. The engine, a Perkins 4-108, is about the only original thing on the boat. She is quite a handsome boat and we get a lot of compliments.

This is a great sailing boat and the nastier the day, the better care she takes of her crew. I like to race her single-handed because I know that if the wind gets wild enough to make everyone else quit, I'll get a trophy.

She is also a very comfortable live-aboard for a couple. I especially like our king size v-berth.
The only bad thing I can report is that I'm getting old so she may be for sale sooner than I would like.”

This picture was taken on the North Channel, Lake Huron.

Imagine (Hull 28)

Here's a shot of Imagine, sighted at Treasure Cay, Abacos, in March of 2006. Her current owners are Mike and Jan Beacock.

Drummoral (Hull 38)

Drummoral, a cutter rig, and hull #38 in the original fleet, has been owned by Mike Hawkins (18262 Fieldbury Lane, Huntington Beach, Calif. 92648) since 1984. Home port is Alamitos Bay, Long Beach, California.

Cruising History: Coastal between Santa Barbara and San Diego including most of the Channel Islands. Six Mexico cruises some as far south as Zihautanejo. Sailed to Hilo, Hawaii in 1994 and singlehanded back from the island of Kauai (26 days).

Contact Mike at:
phone 714-847-1538, or
email hawkinsmhawk@socal.rr.com

SEND PHOTOS

We would love to post a picture of your boat on the website. Please send that (and a little history for the text block) to Ken Draayer. You might indicate if you want your own email address used as a link in the post so people can get in touch with you.

The New Cabot

First edition of the new line of Cabots was introduced at the February 2005 Halifax Boat Show by Yachtsmiths International. It was a rush to the finish but they kept faith with government backers and were the talk of the show.

This one was built to original specs from original moulds. Yachtsmiths has added a transom scoop and is at work on a second vessel that has a pilot house.

Check out the link to Yachtsmiths in the sidebar here to see more photos.

Cabot's Matthew

Roy Mac Keen indicates this was 13, built by Devco as a training vessel for Cabotcraft staff (email from Roy: May 05). John Dodge says Tom Kent, CEO of Devco, gave the boat this name. Was chartered out of Bedeck. Rod Desborough sailed her up to Pictou for a re-fit with John Dodge in 1980and then back to Dundee, where she was eventually sold to Arthur Morris for 65,000 without an engine. Desborough says he recalls J. Dodge saying “the cabinets were a mock-up of what they were supposed to be,” which sort of connects with Cancil’s recollection that the boat in the Annapolis show of ‘74 had things roughed out in a similar way.

Morris says this boat was hull #14, so we have a conflict to resolve. We’ll take Morris info and hope to confirm. He also reports the gelcoat was 3/16 inch thick. Also that he added a bowsprit to his, extending the forestay about 2 feet and that took a lot of weather helm off. Morris is a marine engineer and sailed the boat for 13 years full time. Also says he had the hull/deck join glassed over in ‘84, obliterating the original hull number.

Sold in 2001/02 for $90,000 to Mike McGrath. In the summer of 2004 it was in the yard at Port Pier Marina, St. Catharines, Ontario, being worked on. Launched in the late summer of that year and sailed out to the Maritimes. Hauled out in St. Johns Nfd. Arthur Morris says the boat was a government “Party Boat” when owned by Devco and chartered out of Bedeck.

Cheshire Cat (Hull 25)

Sept 7, 2005

SV Cheshire Cat is Hull # 25, originally owned by Stan Darrah. As our info is in storage back in Canada, I can only partially fill in the blanks.

I think Stan sold Gambit Too to a couple from Tennessee and they renamed her Ridge Runner. They replaced the original Volvo with a Universal M30 engine of 24 HP (30HP or more would be more suitable to drive the Cabot in waves and current).

She was then sold to someone from Long Island New York, and that’s where we bought her in 1998 and brought her back to Oakville for a refit that winter. We took her up to Midland Bay the next year and renamed her Cheshire Cat. We sailed her back to Oakville in 2002 and then left for Halifax, Bermuda and on to the Caribbean. We are currently in Ecuador, where Adelie (hull 26), had been in 2002. Next month we return to Panama and then in February 2006 we plan to set out for the Galapagos, and then onto the South Pacific. Hull number 52, Marilda, was taken to Trinidad after being hauled onto a barge. She was on the hard when we first saw her at Peakes Marina and then we saw her in the water ready to be towed somewhere. Never did see anyone on board. By the way, this Cabot apparently had a deck stepped mast.

We have seen a few Cabots. One we saw in PEI was apparently the first Cabot, at least that’s what we were told. We saw Cimba in 2001 in Florida where it was up for Sale. Saw Morning light (hull 29) in the Caribbean with Tom. I believe we saw Windrose in 2002 in Halifax, and Kara I (hull number 41), Thalia (hull 47) in Quebec City, and Shogun in Oakville. There was another that we met in Georgian Bay still with the original owners, painted yellow, and no teak on the outside. It was apparently ordered with an Atomic 4 gasoline engine.

Glad to see that the Cabot's are back in production again and , judging only by the website, glad to see that they have downsized the Cabin windows which I deem too large for long passages. The boat is well found as we discovered on passage from Halifax to Bermuda where we encountered a gale and a storm.

After living on the boat for over 3 years we have some definite ideas on how it could be improved for long distance voyaging. The Cabot has long been known as having a fair bit of weather helm which does not help with the self- steering gear. One owner I talked to installed a bow sprit and put the forestay on it and he said that it really helped to put the centre of effort forward. We actually had to get a new mainsail done before we left so decided to cut 2 feet off the length of the boom and raise it 8 inches so that it cleared the Steering station. We think that a built up partition in front of the Nav station to house all instruments would keep them away from possible leaks under the starboard deck.

In three years of cruising we have not yet met a "dry boat" of any make. Our quarter berth, like so many other small boats, is used for storage and would probably benefit by having a deep locker there instead where you could store spare sails etc. We ended up finding a huge unused storage area behind the dinette on the starboard side so cut out a panel and now use that area.
The original water tankage showed 160 gallons as per our information, never checked at the time, so when we bought our Pur 40 water maker we ended up cutting the tank under the V berth and used it for storage. When you are in the islands and anchored off we had to fill our main water tank by Jerry Jug and found that 35 gallons filled it! The fuel tank of 30 gallons is way too small for long distance cruising so we, and many others, have to carry several cans on deck. Unfortunately the wind does not always blow.

The emergency tiller that came with the boat was a deck sweeper only extending about 6 inches above the cockpit sole, we have had that extended so now it is in a comfortable position. Discovered this as the cable broke on passage from Venezuela to Antigua! All in all she is a great little boat, I say little because 44 foot seems to be the norm out here, and I am sure that she will take us anywhere. Cheshire Cat has its own blog and would be happy to have you visit. We would be interested in any Cabot owners wanting to contact us. mailto:A_Cheshire_Cat@hotmail.com

Sarah Frazer (Hull 54)

This boat was originally purchase by George Kephart who has completed an extensive log of his many years sailing her over many seas. The New Zealand charter owner bought her from George and sailed her on her own bottom to her current location. We're hoping to post a few stories from George about his adventures (my favorite is the trip through the European canals down to the Mediterranean).

Meltemi (Hull 48)

Mike Wybo has created his own blog for Meltemi. A great idea if you would like to devote some space to your boat and start various conversations. It would be a good idea for us to link back and forth between such sites as they are created.

Mystery Boat #2

I've got a number of pictures of Cabots in production, or under sail with original owners. But. We don't have postive ID for a number of them. The pics come in the main from John Perring and Roy Mac Keen.

I'll post a few now and then in the hopes that someone can provide some factual basis for ID.

Bold Venture (Hull 12)

Sure hope this is Bold Venture. I believe Roy Mac Keen identified it for us some time ago.
It was one of the first off the line and created as a training vessel for Cabot staff, and chartered out of Bedeck Marina.

Eventually sailed from Baddeck to the Caribbean. This email from Roy Mac Keen "Bold Venture" was hull # 12, ie the second boat built by Cabot craftand named by me for the bold venture of borrowing $25,000 and startingthe Bras d'Or charter Association."

Roy was, of course, the man at the helm of CCI in the latter half of its production in the 1970's.

Windrose (Hull 36)

We think this is Windrose being commissioned in its sale to Dr. Basil Coady, but we don't have postive ID. Any chance anyone recognizes the boat?

Cottonwood II (Hull 22)

We don't have a lot of information on this boat, but from CCI original employees, we have some pictures. The one at left is of her being commissioned by CCI staff as "Pinpoint II", sold to a Mr. Art Pingree.

We think her current owners may be Hans and Melodie Ebers in Ontario. They are still the registered owners. But we haven't been able to establish contact.

If you can help, please email kdraayer@cogeco.ca