The Search and Delivery

I imagine most people have a list of things they wish to accomplish in during their life time. These all fall on a spectrum from simple to arduous. For me one of these goals was to build a boat. Nothing elaborate, just a vessel crafted by hand in my own shop. After having recently bought a lake house the search for a sailboat began. I didn't want this to be a big expense and actually have zero sailing experience. I scoured Craigslist for a sunfish, hopefully in somewhat usable condition that wouldn't break the bank, in need of some work.

I had nearly given up when my father mentioned looking for a Turnabout instead. These were plywood trainers popular in the 50's 60's and 70's. Naturally I jumped on the internet that night and discovered http://n10association.com/. Turns out there is a long story about the design being converted to fiberglass construction and renamed the N10 class.

Planets aligned and a gentlemen, across the bay from me was trying to give one away! The listing was several months old but the boat was in pieces. He grew up sailing these 10 foot craft and wanted to restore one for the youth in his life today. A fellow in Vermont gave him this project, which was intact but severely rotted. As he began removing the wood cancer the boat slowly devolved into a pile of plywood and bronze hardware. Sizing up the new project he decided it was beyond his skill level.

After posting the boat for free he had many many people interested in parting it out but he couldn't bring himself to separate an original woody Turnabout. He was extremely delighted to hear my plans were to bring this old girl back to a seaworthy condition. I would call myself an engineer, and amateur woodworker, but a shipwright I am not. Luckily my father rigged many of these for the Annisquam Yacht Club back in the day, and my god father has quite a bit of wooden boat building experience. They may not know it yet but I'm sure I'll be leaning on them for advice in the coming months.

Five days later my "boat" was delivered! He refused any payment and only requested I contact him when I'm ready to launch. Again I could not thank this man enough and hope to deliver on my promise. It was a rather intimidating to stare at a pile of wood, from a boat, built almost a half century ago, of which I had no plans, and wished to use on top of the water not under....

Here the components that would be the most difficult to recreate and luckily they were all in decent shape.



The hull however was a different story. I actually didn't even know what these boats looked like assembled.

Hey honey we're boat owners!

The following night I started putting together the full size jig saw puzzle.



So I know boats usually have a pointy end and sides. Some rearranging and viola! Maybe I am a ship wright.

It seemed simple enough. Use these as templates on new marine plywood, stitch and glue those together and I'll be sailing next spring.

Then I found this:
 

HAROLD TURNER
BOAT BUILDERS
NEWBURY - MASS

This was in fact an original Turner Woody. The sail number is 752 and she was called "Blowin in the Wind". I'll have to see what other history I can dig up on it. Knowing Turner would roll in his grave if I stitched and glued one of his plywood on frame boats I decided I would try to recreate this as original as possible.