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SEAWIND II WORDS

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Volume 92, No. 2 August 1992

Editorial Contact: Dick Manuel (050K)

P.O. Box 422
Phone: (516) Shelter I. Hts.
749-8964 NY 11965

WHAT'S IN A NAME? DON STEFFANS OFFERS AN IDEA FOR OUR MASTHEAD

In his recent correspondence, Don Steffans (124s) stated: "On another matter, I have this thought regarding the newsletter. How about calling it, 'Seawords - - The News-letter of Seawind II Owners'?"

I like the ring of that; but how about you other owners? Take a minute and send me a note on the subject. (And include a bit of news, too!)

And how about a Seawind II Class Emblem, suitable for the newsletter masthead and perhaps as a sail emblem?

MERMAID's mainsail carries the emblem W/A and my boat number, 50. Can you top that? Should be easy. Write!!

SUCCESSFUL SPRING "GAMS" IN CONNECTICUT (NE FLEET) AND FLORIDA (SE FLEET) REFLECT GROWING INTEREST IN PERSONAL GATHERINGS OF SEAWIND II OWNERS.

EFFORTS CONTINUE TO CONVENE OWNERS IN CHESAPEAKE (MA FLEET) AND GREAT LAKES (GL FLEET), BUT LOGISTICS REMAIN FORMIDABLE FOR WC FLEET OWNERS' GET-TOGETHER.

SOUTHEAST FLEET GAM REPORT

Brenda Bundy (129K) kindly sent us a copy of Alan Landsman's (088K) Minutes of the SE Fleet Gam, held at New Port Richey, FL, on 25 April. Don Bundy organized the affair and ran a great program to the delight of all.

Those present were Ken & Bev Snow (106K), Roger Bell (092C), Jo Brooks (079_), Alan & Fayenola Landsman (088K) and Don & Brenda Bundy (129K), The Minutes are attached as ANNEX B, but a summary of owners' best improvements as recorded at the Gam deserves mention here:

Snow -- Rewiring engine compartment to provide more room to service engine

26 April marked the first meeting of the NE Fleet, held at the Greenwich Harbor Inn. The affair was organized by the joint efforts of Stan Burdick, Charlie Jacobs and Dick Schaeffer, with Dick handling the MC duties. John & Ginny Geils made the luncheon arrangements that were, in a word, superior 1

Nine SW II owners were present, as listed below. Regrets were phoned in from several others, all of which testified to the attractiveness of the "gam" concept within the fleets.

128S Bob Jacoby

122K DAYBREAK Nelson & Sherry Loucks

095K Bill & Georgia Fike

085K PSYCHE Steve Busch

080K PIANISSIMO John & Ginny Geils

066K HAFA DAI Charlie & Claire Jacobs

061K TRIBURD Stan Burdick

058K SHANGRI LA Dick & Marlene Schaefer

050K MERMAID Dick & Marge Manuel

Detailed notes* on the meeting are attached as ANNEX A. Future gams will be developed based on the response to a cruising itinerary questionnaire to be distributed to NE Fleet members early this summer.

THE CULPEPPERS (002K) SUMMERING IN THE CAROLINAS

Martin & Georgea recently reported the following:

"(Our) planned trip down the Inland Waterway was aborted early last October when the Westerbeke began to act up. The large rubber hose serving as the water jacket around the exhaust began to leak. Exhaust smoke increased greatly, and the oil leak got bigger.

"I rejected the advice offered by several learned mechanics (jackleg types) who recommended pulling the engine for an overhaul. I found a good mechanic who runs the Hampton Roads Marine Engine Service (804) 727-0114. He replaced the water jacket (curing the water leak), adjusted the injection pump timing (curing the smoke problem), and replaced a defective seal (curing the oil leak).

"The engine has 1600 hours, and the compression test results were good. I think the engine will last quite a while longer.

"I plan to resume my trip in mid-June and spend a leisurely summer exploring the coastal waters of North and South Carolina. My wife Georgea still feels like holding down a steady job, but she'll join me from time to time."

THE COLWELLS (084K) ARE BACK AND ARE IN THE CHESAPEAKE FOR THE SUMMER

After a year or more of cruising east and south, the Colwells are back in Crisfield, MD. They are in touch with Judy Fransen (105K) of the MA Fleet. They brought our attention to the Somers Cove Marina in Crisfield, a potential summer gam location.

CHARLES McFADDEN (045K) OFFERS A COLLECTION OF PRACTICAL INNOVATIONS

There's something for everyone in Charlie's commentary on such items as Lectra/san, refrigeration, Halder boom brake, on-deck dinghy stowage, etc.

In the same letter, he asks for advice on mainsail reefing points, winter moisture condensation problems, etc.

The whole story is given in ANNEX E, which deserves your review. Please contact Charlie directly on any of these matters. A copy to your note to your friendly editor will provide reading for the rest of the Seawind II owners in the next edition. Please!

THE SEAWIND II's COLORED DECK SURFACE; WHAT IS IT? REPAIRABLE? PAINTABLE?

Don Bundy (129K) asks about repair and/or recoating of the raised-pattern, colored, deck areas. Does anyone know how the effect was originally achieved by Allied (and by other boat makers such as Pearson, etc., for that matter)?

Does anyone know how to re-coat and/ or re-patch the dings in the surface of these colored traction areas?

Please contact Don directly (see the roster for address/phone). A copy of your message to Don will get plenty of attention in the next edition of "Seawind II Words! (I know that I have some spots that need attention.)

AL PIERSON (097C) SUMMERING ON THE CHESAPEAKE. HE WINTERED AT DEALE

ROLLIN HOME was hauled at Deale, MD, for the winter of 91-92, and was prepared for the summer of '92 on the Bay. Al reported that future plans were indefinite, though he was giving thought to a Bermuda voyage...if not in '92, well there's always '93!

Hope that you Mid Atlantic Fleet people are able to make contact with Al, and include him in your summer gam/sail-in plans.

NORTHWEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS: THE KNOWLES (010K) ARE UNDERWAY

In the last issue of SEAWIND II WORDS (ANNEX XII), we wrote about Peter & Christy Knowles' work (and I mean WORK!) in rehabilitating SW II 010K in Seattle. All that while living in Bend, OR, and commuting to the boatyard. Here's what they say:

"Things are good with Christy and me, as our life now is turning towards the day we can move to the salt water and live aboard GENTLE PROMISE. The second week of March we sailed the old girl up the Puget Sound to her new home at Port Ludlow.

"All of the hull work is done; the engine, transmission, propeller shaft, steering, rewiring for 12v., plumbing, chainplate leaks (many), and many more labor hours of love too numerous to mention are now all behind us.

"Memories and photographs remind us of the huge task we chose to tackle. The neat part about all of this is that we did almost every stitch of it ourselves: Do we ever know this boat - - from bow to stern!

"We have not one complaint regarding our decision to buy her and fix her up. So far she is everything and more than we expected. If you put a sailboat in proper condition, and if she's a seaworthy vessel to begin with, you'll have a lifetime of stories just from sailing her in waters near or far.

"We travel 351 miles from our home in Bend, OR to Port Ludlow, WA to sail GENTLE PROMISE, and we've done this quite often already. Usually, 3 or 4 days at a time is all we can get away for sailing at this point. Working for a living sure seems to dictate one's lifestyle...or is it the other way around?

"For 3 years we have had a small but interesting little business, specializing in sales of quality marine equipment. Just recently, however, we have devoted much more time to it, and behold. ...a thriving business! If you or any other salts need quality marine equipment, ship us a note of what you need, and I'll get right back with a price.- We sell all types of marine equipment, from fire extinguishers to PFDs to Sat Navs to sail lugs to cleats to ... .etc.

'"We even have our own custom sail loft now, and is this guy ever good. He repairs and constructs custom or standard sails to any specifications. He also makes covers for tillers, wheels, instruments, companionways, and truly functional awnings for the main boom and mizzen boom. We had him make us a mizzen boom awning for our boat and is it ever great! No rain, no sun, and lots of smiles with the miles!

If any of the members need information or ideas on the refurbishing of GENTLE PROMISE that were described in this or the prior edition of SW II WORDS, just send a note directly to Peter. He'd be more than happy to help out. Address/phone on the roster.

NEWCOMER SHERRY LANGTON (091K) REPORTS IN FROM HOUSTON, TEXAS

Gerry's introductory letter, to which I replied by phone, deserves a full quote, here. In addition to information in this edition of SW II WORDS and in previous issues (to be sent to Sherry), other response from owners with the answers to her many questions & concerns should be rent directly to her. Address/phone number are in the attached Roster.

'I was delighted to find that the owners association still existed. I recently purchased a Seawind II, (built in) 1979. 1 found on board an old newsletter from 1979, but sin( this was the only one, I assumed that The association no longer existed.

I am relatively new to sailing and this is my first boat. So I have many questions, concerns, and just plain puzzlements about this wonderful boat.

"I purchased her in March from a person who only had her for 6 months. He bought her from her original owner. She apparently had been sitting uncared for quite a while because there is lots of cosmetic work to do. The person from whom I bought it said that he had replaced some rotting supports under the cabin sole, glassed in the water tanks, glassed in the shower drain in the head. I now notice that I have a small leak somewhere around the water tanks or from the head.

"I have a Bukh engine, 20 HP. They claim that this is the original engine, but I wonder if anyone else has a Bukh? It looks newer than 12 years old.

"The deck-to-hull joint is leaking on the port side over the galley. I am in the process of recaulking, but in the old newsletter I read that an owner said his leaked even after recaulking. Any suggestions? (Ed.

40 Note: See ANNEX D in this newsletter for Herwart Gebhardt's definitive solution to the deck-hull joint leak.)

"I am also missing a mainsail. So far I have sailed fine in Galveston Bay with just the mizzen and jib. But I am interested if anyone knows where good used mainsails for the Seawind II can be found. (Readers; what do you have - - what do you know of this?)

"I am thrilled to be the owner/slave (who owns who) of such a beautiful sailboat. I want to care for her as best I can."

Ed. Note: Now you readers know why I promptly phoned Sherry. Many of you have the knowledge, experience, the Bukh engines, the used mainsails, and other information that would be helpful to this newcomer. Take a specialty. We're sending her the back issues as soon as additional reprints become available.

Sherry is now on the roster, but for your convenience:

3659 Villa Glen Dr., Houston, TX 77088 (713) 447-7351

A CRUISING SHANGRI-LA IN THE NORTH-EAST: LAKE CHAMPLAIN, NY/VT

Don & Gael Steffens (124S) call Lake Champlain, "home waters". They are both contributing editors of COASTAL CRUISING, a bi-monthly magazine of Nautilus Publishing, Inc., of Beau-fort, NC 28516. Don wrote to us, in part saying:

"In previous issues we have written about our own coastal cruises on board AURORA (5W2 124S), and most recently I completed a major article for the magazine providing a cruising guide to Lake Champlain. I've enclosed a copy of that issue for your interest. You may reproduce the article for SEAWIND II WORDS if you choose, but we would ask for proper credit for the magazine as the source of the material. It seems more and more people are getting interested in Lake Champlain as a destination, so we'd like to help with this little introductory guide."

Your editor (of SEAWIND II WORDS) contacted Ted Jones, the very cordial editor of COASTAL CRUISING, and received his permission, also, to reproduce Don & Gael's article herein as ANNEX F.

20 Read it and dream - - or set sail and see for yourself!

In a later letter, Don described a further northern cruising prospect; sort of a Lake Champlain post-graduate course, you might say. Read his description of eastern Canadian waters:

"We have not made the route further north out of Lake Champlain to the Richelieu River into Canada. However it does require that the mast again be lowered onto the deck. This can be handled at various marinas in the northern part of the lake. Restepping is done in Canada after the last lock north.

"But there are wonderful sights along the river and ample marina facilities. Highlights of cruising these waters include visits to Montreal and Quebec City, with their rich historical and cultural backgrounds.

"Don't forget to bring your ship's papers, proof of U.S. citizenship, and a French-English phrase book. The Canadian Province of Quebec is predominantly French-speaking. Most of the people are bilingual, but they appreciate any attempt to speak their first language - which is French.

The Steffens deserve our gratitude for bringing their lovely cruising area to our attention.

Darryl Forrester (004K) writes from Weekapaug, RI, that he plans to replace the large, fixed ports/windows in his main cabin. His boat, named SEAWIND II by the previous owner, may not be the first - - but at least it is probably among the first to have this job done.

Indeed, Darryl wonders if there is anyone out there who has done the job, and would they please contact him with advice, etc. For his part, Darryl will document the project for future publishing in SEAWIND II WORDS.

KEN SNOW (106K) CONTINUES HIS UPGRADE PROGRAM ON OSTINATO

"I have now installed all new wire and a 100 amp alternator with an APC 3-step regulator. I mean, I completely re-wired the whole boat, from the main electrical panel, aft. It took 4 major wiring harnesses; about 200 feet of Anchor Marine wire - - mostly 14 AWG. It works great!

"I'm now re-working the fuel system and the propane system. I'm taking out all the old copper lines and replacing them with rubber hose and a new electric fuel pump." (Ed: WOW!)

WHAT�S IN A NAME: PART II.

KEN SNOW SUGGESTS A ROSTER OF BOAT NAMES TO AID IN VESSEL RECOGNITION

now (106K), owner of OSTINATO, recently suggested that we add a roster of boat names to supplement the sail number and alphabetical rosters in SEAWIND II WORDS. That seems very logical, and probably should have been done a year ago.

So our Roster assembly, included in this issue, will give the boat names currently on record. Those owners whosee boat names are not shown are asked to send the information to he editor, at the address shown in the masthead, page 1, top.

THE MARKET PLACE (See Roster for

-Allied Seawind Ketch and Cutter, 32', offered by Martin Bird & Associates in Annapolis, MD at
(301)268-1086

WESTERBEKE ENGINE SEMINARS SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER AND LATE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

They are 1-day sessions, the morning being classroom work while the afternoon is spent in the Hansen warehouse, hands-on with engines. Class size runs about 25-35, and is by reservation.

Our contact at Hansen is Ms. Felicity Grant, reachable at (800)343-0480 from phones outside of Massachusetts, (800)678-8658 in New Jersey, and (617)631-3282 in Massachusetts.

The Seawind II Northeast Fleet will probably try to make a collective reservation for a session - - and may get an exclusive booking if the number of participants is significant.

Other fleets might try direct contact to see if a field seminar might be arranged in their area - - for 5W II owners and owners of other boats with Westerbeke engines. Try it

Annex A

April 26, 1992 marked the first meeting of the SEAWIND IT Association, Northeast Fleet. It was held at the Greenwich Harbor Inn through the co-efforts of Stanley Burdick (061K) of Madison, CT, Dick Schaefer (058K) of Glastonbury, CT, and Charles Jacobs (066K) of Weston, CT. There nine Seawind II owners present.

The informal meeting was preceded by introductions of all present (See listing in lead article on page 1 of SW II WORDS.) Regrets were phoned in to the organizers from several other owners, reinforcing the feeling that the "fleet" concept with occasional "gams" is attractive to most owners. The NE Fleet contacts for information on future events remain the organizers identified in the 1st paragraph, above. Addresses and phone numbers are given in the Roster.

Following the introductions and the delicious luncheon, the latter having been arranged by John and Ginny Geils, those present proceeded to critique common problems, concerns, and innovative upgrades to their respective vessels. Among the subjects addressed were the following:

Though no specific commitment for the next meeting was established, Dick Schaefer advised that a cruising itinerary questionnaire for this season would be sent to NE Fleet owners, shortly. Knowing approximate dates, duration, and destinations of owners' anticipated summer and autumn cruises will facilitate development of plans for a Fleet Gam with boats later this year.

Dick, Stan, and Charlie: We look forward to hearing more about the Westerbeke seminar and the next NE Fleet Gam.

Apr 23, 1992

Performance Cruising Price List for a ALLIED SEAWIND II KETCH

I = 38.750 J = 13.7500 P = 33.830 E = 12.0000 PY = 18.5000 EY = 9.0800

Mainsail 203 sq.ft. 6.5 oz. 34 ft. 12 ft. 1,190

Reef points per row 110

Full Batten Main 203 sq.ft. 6.5 oz. ft. ft. 1,488

Storm trysail 57 sq.ft. 6.5 oz. 14 ft. 6.7 ft. 345

ROLlER HEADSAILS

150% 10-40 Reg. 400 sq.ft. 5/7 40 ft. 21 ft. 1,944

153% Kappa roller 408 sq.ft. Bainbridge variable poly. laminate 2,346

HEADSAILS

150% cross cut 400 sq. ft. 5.0 oz. 40 ft. 21 ft. 1,620

135% " 360 sq. ft. 6.0 oz. 40 ft. 19 ft. 1,526

125% " 333 sq. ft. 6.0 oz. 40 ft. 17 ft. 1,412

110% " 293 sq. ft. 7.0 oz. 37 ft. 15 ft. 1,330

Working Jib 253 sq. ft. 7.0 oz. 37 ft. 14 ft. 1,212

Storm Jib 60 sq. ft. 6.5 oz. 6.7 ft. 22 ft. 363

Drifter 180% 480 sq. ft. 1.5 oz. 40 ft. 25 ft. 1,310

SPINNAKERS

Tri-Radial 959 sq. ft. .75 oz. ft. ft. 1,860

Cruising Spinn. 815 sq. ft .75 oz 39 ft 23 ft 1,377

Atn Sleeve 291

CANVAS

Dodger size A 795 Awning w/flaps 245

Sailcover 228

Price of Sail includes; Insignia sail #�s, battens, bag, leechline.

II. FUTURE DIRECTION/PRIORITIES:

III. CONCLUSION:

Allan Landsman

Recording Secretary

SW II SE FLEET

* Major items covered are listed in the SW II WORDS article on pages 1 & 2.

Annex C

SEAWIND 30 RENDEZVOUS

April 11 & 12, 1992

Key Largo, Florida

The sky promised fine weather for our gathering at the Upper Keys Sailing Club in Buttonwood Sound. Saturday morning temperatures in the 70's escalated later into the mid 80�s. With winds fresh at 15 to 18 knots out of the east, those of us coming from the north enjoyed a port tack all the way.

KOHINOOR, while emerging from Jewfish Creek on Friday raised sails and headed southwest for the anchorage in Tarpon Basin. I glanced to the east and saw a Seawind anchored in Sexton Cove, a part of Black Water Sound. Jeanine & I changed course and headed their direction. As we neared, the transom revealed the name SEA WITCH (#113). This was owner Dave Rogers with his crew member T.C. Davis. They had traveled all the way from Melbourne, Florida combining a leisure cruise with plans to attend the Rendezvous.

Since I had not heard from them prior to this time, I knew another boat would be joining us.

SEA WITCH & KOHINOOR arrived at the Upper Keys Sailing Club the same time, 11:30 am April 11th, and dropped anchor 100 yards from shore.

At this moment a hearty greeting and hand wave came from Stuart Fox, #53 FOXTROT, standing on shore at the end of the dock. FOXTROT held a place of prominence in the last slip of the Sailing Club's dock. It was easy to reach and a ladder was handy to climb out of the dinghy.

Standing on the dock with Stuart were two couples who came in by land. Dean and Susan Mansfield, #45 SIRIUS, drove from Naples, while Bruce and Jo Ann Cronin, STRIDER, left their busy fishing charter business to attend from Key West.

By noon we had three boats and ten people setting the tempo. By two o'clock three more Seawind 30's sailed in and anchored, bringing the total to six. This last group included John Damstra, VIE DE PAIX (blue hull sloop), Dr. Marco Villegas in #54 DANIEL (new owner) and David & Memmit Crane #89 SEAWIND (black hull).

Ashore several more had arrived by car. Walter & Marie Smith, #134 FAR FETCHER. Walter "Bubba" Busk, #110 FAREWELL. By 3 o'clock it was obvious our Rendezvous would be a success!

At o'clock when it appeared all boats were anchored in place, another ketch came into view heading our direction from the north. A short while later a light green hull rounded up and dropped anchor. Don & Olga Casey, #122 RICHARD CORY, from Dinner Key Marina in Miami brought the final number of Seawind 30's to seven.

In order for everyone to see as many boats as possible, Stuart Fox, David Crane, John Damstra and your secretary ferried the "shore" folks to as many boats as we could. But time has a way of slipping by when you are caught up in mutual dialogue and studying the innovations created by other owners. As I glanced during various moments of the day I saw John Damstra's cockpit swelling with people and conversation. He attributed this to his efficient refrigeration system which made his beer the coldest!

John Damstra's VIE DE PAIX has a Grunard Marine Air refrigeration system which requires him to run his engine twice a day one half hour each time while cruising. The unit is water cooled while the engine is running, but can be hooked up to shore power at which time it is air cooled. The compressor is located forward in his starboard sail locker. Inside the cabin the refrigeration box is mounted next to the hanging locker on the starboard side. There is still room for two people to sit on the seats between there and the galley area.

The cold plate is mounted on the right inside of the unit and down below the first shelf is enough room to store 80# of ice, just in case he didn't want to use the electrical system. The insulation factor is the important point here because John told me that much ice would hold him 3 weeks in the Bahamas!

VIE DE PAIX had many interesting features, but I was taken by the ratlines installed on the port shrouds. For Bahama cruising John uses this method of climbing to the spreaders for eyeballing shoal waters which can often be determined more easily with higher elevation. Wire clamps are installed on each of the of the two outside shrouds. These lend support to a teak step. This teak step has a slot cut into each end which allows the shroud to slip into that slot. Two quarter-inch bolts are secured in place through the teak step so they "lock" in the shroud, preventing the teak step from slipping out. This is done at each end of every teak step and also protects them from splitting apart. These steps are arranged at comfortable distances up the shrouds to the spreaders.

Many of the other boats had clever ideas and time and space will restrict my mentioning all of them. However, David Rogers, #113 SEA WITCH, provided several items I want to include here. SEA WITCH has done a lot of Bahama cruising over the years and Dave in order to develop the least amount of inconvenience produced a number of great ideas. First of all his sails are all roller furling.

Yes, that includes main and mizzen! It's easy to bring all of these sails in from the cockpit without having to go forward. In addition, with the mizzen being loose footed a custom awning is rigged up over his wheel station and can be left there while still under sail. A neat arrangement! Dave also has a Bimini awning rigged up under the main boom. This also is in place while under sail. For the violent heat incurred in the southern latitudes this set up is most comfortable! Speaking of "most comfortable", there are two portable deck chairs (with short legs or low to the ground style) placed on each side of his wheel box. I didn't think there was enough room or width at this point but Dave had a folding chair on each side where he can recline in comfort while sailing on either tack. Delightful!! K Mart specials $5.99 each.

SEA WITCH came up short on water when a leak in the built in water tank appeared. To gain room for more water, Dave removed his hot water tank and replaced it with another water storage tank. It wasn't long after that he found out the leak in the main storage tank was a bad hose connection at the entrance to the tank - a difficult place to reach into. Also, an outlet for fresh water is plumbed into the cockpit bulkhead, low on the starboard side. You can screw a hose connection into this and shower in the cockpit after a swim in salt water.

SEA WITCH has propane mounted on the stern deck with a flat wooden cover over for protecting it. This is a handy seat while the crew member fires up the propane grill secured to the stern pulpit. A shut-off valve from the main propane tank feeds this grill while a "T" leads the other line to the stove in the cabin.

In unique fashion, vertical hammocks were hung from the hand rails below. In these were stored potatoes and onions in one and fruit, apples and bananas, etc. in the other.

Everyone remarked about the beautiful new bow sprit on Stuart Fox's #53 FOXTROT. This was made by Stuart (who is a clever craftsman) out of white oak alternating with teak. It is a magnificent achievement and at the moment has not been varnished or treated. He also had the courage to cut two holes into his cabin top and installed two 10" x 10" Lewmar sun hatch covers for light and air. One opens aft the other opens forward.

Stuart's talents extended even further when he completely disassembled the Monitor wind vane which-was on the boat when he purchased it. He commented the further into the disassembling process the more problems he uncovered. The manufacturers could benefit from some of his ideas to improve the performance of this important piece of offshore sailing equipment.

In addition to assisting with the location of the Rendezvous, Stuart brought up another good thought for the Seawind Owners Association to consider. Our organization has grown to over 90 owners. This seems large enough to form a buying group for marine parts! Stuart feels we could save 25 to 40% on each item. He has made contact with a canvas shop in Key Largo, where I have had some excellent work done, including a dodger, winch covers, cover for a wheel seat. This extended buying power might very well be submitted to a major wholesale marine supplier. We as owners could benefit. If you have some ideas along this line drop me a note. It seems worthy of research.

The gathering shifted to Snooks Restaurant by about 5:30 for refreshments at the bar and moved upstairs to a grand meeting room with a beautiful view of Buttonwood Sound.

A long table originally set for 20 people was expanded by one for our special guest, Marge Jeslema who is the grandmother of Dan Jelsema, #123 STELLA POLARIS. An extra table for four brought our group to 25 ardent Seawind 30 sailors.

Special compliments are in order for the personnel at Snooks Restaurant. Everyone there was courteous, cooperative and congenial. Never was there a ruffled feather while hiking to the upper floor while bringing drinks and food to our hearty group. Also, the French gourmet food proved delicious. Unless I missed something, I heard no negative comments.

Prior to dinner each owner introduced himself and his crew member or mate.

Marco Villegas, #54 DANIELLE, asked about soft spots on the deck, a condition where the balsa core has collapsed. Some one asked "does your foot go through it? If not don't worry about it! Stuart Fox offered a more helpful suggestion. Drill several 1/4" holes into the affected area. Take a nail and grind off the point (or saw off so it is blunt). Bend the nail at a 45 degree angle and insert into the various holes, turning it back and forth so the nail is pulverizing the loose material (the loose material is probably bulsa core). After you have done this, take a vacuum hose and suck up through the holes all the loose material. This will provide a cavity in which you can inject a hardening compound (West Epoxy System was mentioned or "Get Rot").

Dean Mansfield brought many pictures of #45 SIRIUS. The former owner extended the cabin length by sacrificing space in the cockpit, thus creating a much larger cabin. The interior was completely reworked with the galley occupying the starboard side. I hope Dean will forward some pictures to show the layout..

Sunday morning brought 'more boat hopping but the pace had decreased from Saturday.

While Jeanine and I attended church in Key Largo (six miles by taxi) a very nasty squall came up, ripped through the anchorage and set three Seawinds dragging anchors. Fortunately, owners of those boats were aboard and proper resetting and second anchors were employed.

Even though we were absent during this storm, KOHINOOR held fast and required no attention. Several skippers attributed this to the fact we were in CHURCH! My response was "I seldom attend church and when the Lord was belayed by my presence in His House, he opened up the heavens with this mighty storm!!?!

Ground tackle on KOHINOOR has always been a 35# Danforth attached to 30 feet of 5/16" chain with 1/2" nylon line. We have laid to some wild storms over the years and never dragged. So I am a devotee of the Danforth - plus the heavy chain. The depth of water at Key largo was 7 to 8 feet and my general rule of thumb is "50 feet on the water" or the 7 times the depth formula, which seemed satisfactory this day.

A few more boat visits in the afternoon concluded the Rendezvous. One by one each of us weighed anchors and hoisted sails literally sailing off into the sunset of Buttonwood Sound.

Fair Winds to all,

Daniel E. Smith, Corresponding Sec 'y.

Annex D

FROM HERWART WILLI GEBHARDT (107C)

"We are happy to hear about our sister boats around the country. We have owned our SW2 cutter, "Windspiel", for almost 12 years, and are still enjoying the boat and making improvements as we go along.

"One problem with the boat, brought up again and again, is the hull-to-deck joint. I thought my own experience might be of some help. Shortly after we bought our boat - - it was only 6 months old - -we experienced the same leaks many other owners seem to experience. According to Allied, the joint was to be through-bolted, then fiber-glassed, and the void between the aluminum rubrail and the joint filled with 3M 5200. Well, that may have been the plan for my boat at least; but the joint was not glassed, nor was the void filled with 5200. Initially, in order to fix the problem I removed some of the screws holding the rubrail and forced GE silicone into the void. It stopped the leak.....

"However, about two or three years later my rubrail started to show serious signs of corrosion. What had happened was that the salt and dirt which had accumulated between the joint and the rail had prevented good adhesion of the silicone to the aluminum, and the salt ate through the metal. I was unable to locate new rails, so I had the old rails welded-up and reanodized. Lesson learned: Don't do a half-way job!

"Now how we fixed our leaks: First thing needed is an impact driver with the proper Phillips adapter. The impact driver is a handheld tool which is hit with a hammer, thereby imparting a turning moment to the screws. It makes an easy job of the almost impossible task of removing the many screws holding the rubrail in place.

"After removing the rubrails, look at their condition. Any serious corrosion? Is the anodizing gone? Then perhaps it is time to find a plating shop and polish & anodize the aluminum to like-new condition. (Incidentally, it appears that new rails may be available through Taco Supply in Miami, at 1-800-223-3449.)

"While the rub, rail work is being done, you can contemplate what to do about the hull-to-deck joint itself. If you have lots of energy, you can glass-over the joint. I tried, and did not like the result. The best way is just to clean the fiberglass and make sure that the 1/4" bolts are tight - - and perhaps even add a few for good measure. If you are satisfied with the condition of the rubrail, clean the inside wall to ensure good adhesion and add a protective coating. I used a bituminous black paint. I also replaced most of the stainless steel screws.

"The local paint store supplied me with Sika Flex 1-A. The 1-A was cheaper than the marine Siko Flex 231 or the 3M 5200 sealant.

"The rubrails were then remounted, initially using perhaps every third screw. Then with a good supply of sealant (start with 30-40 tubes of the stuff), and with a handheld gun, force the sealant into the void. When the sealant comes out of the next empty screw hole, put in the screw where you applied the sealant. This way you can be sure that there are no voids, and that your leaks will be a thing of the past. Believe me, you can be assured that you have a very substantial joint!

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...............continued from overleaf

"A few tips regarding the rubrail job: (1) Try to have plenty of the appropriate thinner at hand, as things can get very messy; (2) 1 also tried to tape off the upper and lower edges to prevent too much of the sealant from running all over; (3) If I were to do a similar job I would rent a power gun. Squeezing that hand-gun trigger for about 40 tubes really tests the strength of your hands; (4) After filling the void, the best way to end-up with a smooth transition between rub-rail and gel coat is by wetting your fingers to smooth the sealant. (A good supply of surgical gloves really helps to do a good job.)

"Our boat was done about 5 years ago, and since then we have had a dry boat. I had to get this off my chest since I know only too well how miserable those leaks can be. And again, there are no east ways!

"Now about our boat: We bought "Windspiel" (107C) in 1980. The boat had never been sailed. Our first sail was a real eye-opener. San Francisco Bay showed its summer best at about 35 knots with a short, nasty sea running against the tide. Well as you all know, this is the stuff that suits the SW2: No oil canning, no bouncing; just smooth sailing, flying the Yankee, the staysail, and the main.

"Over the years we have made some changes to make the boat as livable as possible. Topside we have added a full dodger and full curtains around the cockpit. Forward of the mast sits the 5 gallon propane tank, housed in a molded fiberglass enclosure.

"We replaced the Yankee with a 110% or a 140% headsail, furled on a cruising-design reefer. We have found the headsail furler to be very simple and reliable, although a pain to change headsails. We are not using the staysail, but are keeping the boom for possible heavy weather work. In our generally heavy winds we find ourselves quite often under headsail only. The boat performs well on all points of sail under these conditions, and it sure cuts down on the workload.

"Our ground tackle consists of a 35 lb CQR on a heavy-duty roller to starboard, halfway down the bowsprit. Combined with 175 ft. of HT 5/16 chain, this gear has never let us down; and in the worst of blows has let us sleep through the night. We handle the chain on a Seahorse (manual) windlass. And while we're topside, our latest addition has been a folding transom platform ladder, which makes getting back on board a snap: Why should powerboaters have all the fun?

"Below decks we have installed a propane stove on remote control solenoid, as well as a German-made Trumatic propane forced air heater on its own solenoid control. We have also installed several fluorescent lights.

"Our engine is a Pilot 20 - - a Bukh diesel sold by Westerbeke. Although it is a very good engine, Westerbeke does not support the engine. We therefore get our parts from Germany - - not always the best way to get things done. On long trips we usually run the engine at 85% power which, according to the manufacturer, is absolutely acceptable.

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...............continued from overleaf

"As our two Surrette batteries gave up the ghost, we replaced them with two sets of golf cart batteries. These are 6 volt batteries and are built for heavy discharge duty. They give us about 400 ampere-hours, and to say that we are happy with this arrangement is an understatement.

"We replaced the small, French-built alternator with an alternator built-up for us by our local alternator shop. That sure saved us a lot of money I We use a Marintec charger which helps at anchorage to cut down on charge time.

"These are just a few things we have done to our "Windspiel", a truly honest boat. We usually sail the boat on San Francisco Bay and sometimes out on the ocean. We usually spend several weeks up on the Sacramento Delta.

"Unfortunately, we don't have the type of cruising area such as the San Juans, the Maine coast, or Chesapeake Bay. So therefore, we do not pay too much attention to our navigation equipment. Our hand-held Loran suffices for the occasional trips out of the Bay on the Pacific - - which at times can be rather nasty and very unforgiving. We do expect to ship the boat to the San Juans as soon as time permits (heard that before, haven't you?!).

"I hope that my experience with the rubrail will help others tackle the job, if & when it becomes necessary."

Yours sincerely,

Herwart Willi Gebhardt

(address & phone no.

on the roster)

(Editor's Note: Here is another major chapter for inclusion in our future LOG OF SEAWIND II CHANGES & INNOVATIONS. We're still looking for an editor(s)/publisher to create that volume from the vast collection of data contained in SEAWIND II WORDS and as-yet-unpublished notes of our many owners.)

* The write-up on the hull-to-deck joint repair.

Annex E

"The March 1992 newsletter was a gem. I got a lot of useful insights from the experiences of other owners. My own experience with the Seawind II is not as extensive as many others have reported, but maybe it will increase our data base a little.

"I bought ODORILLA (045K) in 1987, and have been living aboard by myself since December 1987 in a little creek of the Potomac just south of Washington, DC. There is not much sailing here, but I try to get over to the Bay in the summer. I really love this boat.

"I installed a Lectra/San mascerator-chlorinator rather than a holding tank sanitary system. The treatment unit is located under the starboard V-berth. It is a very tight fit. The system works well but it does use electricity (I estimate about 1.75 amp-hrs/cycle). I have had two problems with it, both out of warrantee: The pneumatic timer failed and the electrode pack opened up electrically. Raritan replaced the timer gratis and charged half price for replacement electrodes.

"I also built a shelf outboard and higher than the existing battery shelf to accommodate a third battery for starting. The house load is carried by the other two series-connected 6-volt batteries which provide 220 a-h. The battery charging system is typical but unsatisfactory (refer to George Rowcliffe's article in the 3/92 newsletter).

"As a live-aboard, refrigeration quickly rose in priority. I installed an Adler Barbour Cold Machine that has served very well, at least at the pier. It is an electrical hog, but a large portion of the blame can be attributed to the poor insulation of the access hatch and the upper 3 inches of the cold box. Improvements are on my "do list".

"Condensation is a constant problem in winter, a problem which is made worse by the drainage system - - or rather, lack of one. I see no evidence that any thought was given to the subject. Would appreciate any comments, suggestions, or fixes that others have found.

"I have installed an Autohelm 3000 autopilot. It works very well, especially under power. When I get some additional cable and connectors, I plan to install a windvane for the autopilot on the mizzen masthead.

"When purchased, the boat had a bimini and an awning (stretching from main to mizzen). I haven't found much use for the bimini, and none for the awning. The dodger has proved a valuable addition, however.

"The day I took possession of the boat, a fresh southerly wind forced me to beat down the Bay. However, the Schaefer-type roller furling jib would not permit me to point high enough to clear the Chesapeake Bay Bridge piers without tacking under the spans. The SANTA MARIA would be called weatherly by comparison. I have since replaced the roller furler with a new hankedon 150% genoa which draws beautifully and restores the boat's ability to point.

"I also installed a Halder boom brake (similar or identical to the Dutchman). I chose a brake because it is both a vang and a preventer, and because there is hardly enough clearance between boom and deckhouse for a conventional vang. Haven't yet had enough experience with it to form an opinion.

"My mainsail has only one reef band. According to several newsletter contributors, most boats have two reef bands. Can someone tell me where the second reef band is located (i.e., how high off the boom) or what the area of the double-reefed main is?

"ODORILLA carries two bower anchors on the bowsprit; a 12H Danforth and a 35# CQR plow. I installed a fore-and-aft bulkhead in the forepeak to keep the rodes from fouling.

..............from Charles McFadden, continued

"I have a Bauer 8 hard chine dinght for which I am currently designing and building chocks. It appears that the 7� 9" dinghy will fit on the foredeck between the mooring cleats and the mainmast, canted about 2 inches. The dinghy can be hoisted and lowered by means of the drifter halyard, whisker pole, and a bridle which employs the dinghy's lower mast section as a span....."