New Member

Hello everyone. My name is Maikel. I'm the new owner, with my friend Madeline, of a 1963 Pearson Ariel [hull #44] and a firm believer in the KISS approach to cruising and life in general. For the last thirty years I've lived in a variety of homemade motor homes, old trailers or boats, either on the road or out west. Madeline is part of the Freegan network.
I have enjoyed reading all your posts. Lots of good ideas, tips on gear and ways to do things. Wish I had found you years ago when I first got into to boating while living in Port Townsend, WA.
   I had three boats before the Ariel. The first was a scavenged 14' runabout, which we called Ping after one of my son's favorite stories. Inspired by Phil Bolger's books, and not knowing any better, I converted it to a sailboat - leeboards, blue tarp spritsail, oars. Needless to say it didn't sail very well but I learned the basics of sailing and tides and even crossed Admiralty inlet and went around Marrowstone island. Lots of the thirty five footers in the marina never got that far.
   The next boat was a converted US Navy Whaleboat, built in 1947, with a cabin [sitting headroom only] and an old palmer 4 gas engine, which sometimes worked and sometimes didn't. When I bought her she was sloop rigged with a gaff main. Of course I had to add a topsail and a jib set flying on a reeving bowsprit. She was a sweet boat, would sail for hours on a close reach with just a bungee cord on the tiller.
   'Anarres' got me out of Port Townsend bay and across the Straits of Juan de Fuca to the san juan islands. The second year I spent three months exploring Georgia Strait. I sailed this boat for five years, two of them engineless - learned so much that way - then passed her on. By now I was completely smitten and went sailing every chance I got, winter or summer...I had a shop in the boatyard where I made knives and grew a garden.
   My third boat was another old wooden boat - I did look at fiberglass boats but this was Port Townsend after all. 'Molly' had been around for a while, had even been to South East Alaska, and was perfect for my needs. She was modeled on a Skipjack, but with higher freeboard and a tall, boxy cabin. This meant standing headroom, big enough to live aboard, yet only 26' and shoal draft. The rig was traditional skipjack - 8' bowsprit and a boom as long as the mast. Docking was exciting, gybeing a nightmare, so after two seasons I converted to a yawl rig. Not exactly a KISS move, but she handled better - and looked really cool! Gave the crew something to do too.
   I spent summers wandering around the Georgia Strait with my son, sharpening knives and selling them from port to port. Winters I spent in the mountains in an old Dodge van with a woodstove, camping at ski areas and visiting with hippie back-to-the-landers.
Three years ago Madeline and I circumnavigated Vancouver Island. We took our time and had a wonderful six weeks. I had been to Barkley Sound on my own, but never all the way round.
   When I came to Brooklyn to live with Madeline I knew I had to have a boat. New York isn't the best place to find a used boat. After three wooden boats I was ready for fiberglass, especially since I want to go south. After looking at several larger Pearsons and just missing a Grampian 26, I found the Ariel at a funky marina tucked behind a shopping mall, a bike ride from the apartment. She needed TLC but seemed basically sound. Best of all, no squishy decks! I had bought my other boats for $2,000 so $4,000 seemed a lot, but this was 'classic plastic' and, finally, a 'real' sailboat, designed by a master.


Chapter two. Mischief.
  We spent the spring working on our new boat and, naturally, sailing every chance we got: no extensive restoration for us. I did remodel the main cabin - galley and counter/chart table to port, settee berth to starboard, using lumber and other materials scavenged from the sidewalk. We bought one of those camp stoves with oven that others here have liked but sent it back and got a cast iron two burner instead. The gas lines on the camp stove didn't seem rugged enough and I wondered about the burners. I also replaced the old grey marine with an outboard [6 HP Tohatsu]. Getting old grey out was a bugger as the English would say.
   Jamaica Bay is sheltered water but the wind picks up in the afternoon and we soon discovered how 'exciting' it is to sail an Alberg design. And what a change from previous boats in going to weather- once that is we got used to being heeled over 20 degrees or more all the time! I had never dared push my center-boarder with internal ballast that far.
   Our 'shakedown' cruise began with a 30 mile run around Coney Island and through the Verrazano Narrows under sail, then up the East River and through the notorious heck Gate under power and on, under sail again, to Manhasset Bay in Long Island sound. After that we took our time, went where the wind blew us and only used the motor when we absolutely had to. We meandered down the Sound as far as Block Island. On the way back I was alone on the boat. Went up the Connecticut River, a gorgeous side trip marred only by the noise and wakes of all the power boats. One of those don't get me started subjects
Coming back through the city I sailed the whole way till the
rising wind and contrary tide forced me to seek shelter in Coney island creek, just off the outer harbor. The creek is full of derelict barges, which made anchoring rather sketchy, and was lined with sweet old black guys fishing for bunkers, and the occasional hobo camp and abandoned warehouse.

Chapter three. Cruising Plans.
   The evil 'slumlord' who owns the funky marina where we have been keeping our boat wants us gone. It's ok because the boat is mostly ready to go.... even if I'm not. Is one ever I wonder? The planning of a voyage is exciting: getting the boat ready involves work and expense, but can still be enjoyable approached with the right attitude. But actually untying the lines and leaving the dock that, to me, has always been the hard part
Anyway, my current plan is to head north again in late June, go up to Buzzards Bay and maybe Cape Cod, joined some of the time by Madeline, then head south in the early Fall and join the procession down the ICW. Madeline says she will join me for the trip through the Bahamas. After that I'd like to head west, cruise the south coast of Cuba, then cross to Belize ending up in the rio Dulce for hurricane season. Meanwhile just have to cast off the ties that bind. Will post some pics so you can look for us. Maikel.

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