What I really wanted to do was build a little 18 footer so I could sail under the bridge to my neighbor’s house. But when Chuck died and left his derelict Sailmaster unfinished I took a friend, David Loughton, and went out to check it out. Chuck was a real master when it came to refinishing and he had all the spars beautifully re-done. That’s as far as he got when cancer got him and he went off to join his ancestors.

The hull was still in very rough shape. The deck was totally separated along with the hull below the water line have 30% exposed fiberglass.

The hull was still in very rough shape. The deck was totally separated along with the hull below the water line have 30% exposed fiberglass. Above the waterline huge gouges due to total neglect where she was allowed to bounce between pilings unprotected. I asked David what he thought, he being an old boatman, world traveler with numerous restorations under his belt. Dave said it was restorable and I asked “How much?”, he responded with a confidant “twelve grand”. I then told David, if I bought this boat I would want to change the looks a bit, give her more Friendship characteristics and Chat, my other friend suggesting we drop a diesel Yanmar 9 horse in it, rather than the outboard motor well. David adjusted his first quote by saying, “That would be a little more”.

I went home thinking about the commitment and asked my wife what she thought, she came out with the usual “it’s up to you darling”. Sometimes I hate when she says that, but she also knows I need a project from time to time. The next morning I got a hold of Chuck’s Daughter Mary and bought the boat and trailer for $900, still not sure if it was what I really wanted to do. It was like someone or something else was making this decision for me and I was just an observer.

When I first saw the boat I had this vision of what I wanted it to be, I saw the transom being extended being made more delicate

When I first saw the boat I had this vision of what I wanted it to be, I saw the transom being extended being made more delicate, the old coach roof torn off and rounded, cockpit extended and rounded, 3 inch bulwarks, bow sprit and change the rig to a cutter. Without hesitation I brought the boat home, parked it next to the garage and started tearing it apart, all the while still not knowing for sure this is what I wanted to do but being guided by some other force outside of my control.

In two hours I had all the hardware and old teak off the deck, the old cabin cut out and laying on the ground. With my skill saw, I cut all the way around the outside of the deck through the first layer of fiberglass and just lifted it up and threw it on the ground also. The old balsa wood core was just saturated with water so I scraped it out leaving the bottom layer of glass to start rebuilding from. Well, if I was ever confused, it was now too late, I was committed.

Well, if I was ever confused, it was now too late, I was committed.

My usual medium for boat building is wood, I love working with wood because I can cover up my mistakes or change it or just paint over it. When I told my friend Chat I was a bit intimidated working with fiberglass and epoxy he assured me it was just like wood only with plastic. That made sense to me but I must confess through this whole project I was never comfortable, never positive that I was doing it right or what the final outcome would be. I realized I was over my head and needed help. My first savoir was David Loughton.

First project in the restoration was to extend the transom, David showed me how to do that by making a mold out of old paneling, tying it into the old transom and shaping the new. Then the engine, after waiting for what seemed forever, David showed me how to make a mockup and build the motor mounts to that before installing the new. We had to cut away the deadwood and mold it in for the new shaft and prop. I remember thinking once we got the engine installed, WOW! We are almost there; little did I know it would take a whole year before we actually got wet.

First project in the restoration was to extend the transom.

I did O.K. building the new cabin, bulwarks and cockpit combing, I was in my element. It was re-storing the hull and tying everything in with fiberglass and epoxy that made me nervous. That’s when Chat showed up, he walked me through it all, got me pointed in the right direction and then stayed drunk for most of the time. The cost started to soar out of control, gallons and gallons of epoxy, four or five different types of fillers which I constantly ran out of and had to get more of. Epoxy primers and paint by the gallons, the sticker prices that still have me in shock. And then the tools, 8” grinders, straight line sanders, orbital sanders, air compressors, air tools, all stuff I had to buy. Not to mention the reams and reams of sanding discs, slabs and belts, 50 different grits.

Where I hit the wall was the sanding, hour after hour of sanding. The straight line sander gave me tendonitis; I just couldn’t use my right arm. The pain in my elbow was excruciating. Finally after about six months of hard work, I just didn’t want to do it anymore; I hit the wall and hit it hard. I was already way over budget and couldn’t see the end it was just too painful to work. The boat sat for a full three months with no work being done as I tried to figure out a way to get rid of it. I would walk past it and not look at it, totally ignored it, and even hated it with an everlasting hatred.

Where I hit the wall was the sanding, hour after hour of sanding.

Then one day, right out of the blue without even thinking about it, I went into the garage, loaded the orbital sander with some 220, climbed on the boat and started buffing out the primer. Then I couldn’t stop, I had to get this boat finished. I even quit work and donated all my time to finishing this boat like I had been taken over by some demon. I was out working at 7am and quit at dark. I stopped adding up all my receipts, didn’t even look at them, just went and bought what I had to, to finish the job. People even began to come on board; Chat wanted to see what it was going to look like so he showed up as much as he could until we had it painted. The rigger got excited and did the rigging for cost. The sail maker put other jobs on hold so he could get my sails made.

My wife was even getting excited and came down to look at it once we got it in the water. As we were looking at it together I had to confess to her that I had no idea it would take so long and cost so much money. With eyes of pride, she turned to me and said “Well, you are going to sell it………..aren’t you?

My wife was even getting excited and came down to look at it once we got it in the water.

More Articles by or about Bob Means:

• The Dinghy Project
• Sailing on the Seas of Time
• Just sailed in from Ft Lauderdale
• Why I build wooden boats
• The History of the Dong Nai
• Swift
• Model Schooner
• Mosquito Coast Adventure
• More on So Fong
• New Rudder
• Refitting a Derelict