Happy New Year! To start the year off right, here’s a great picture of Jarrod Spangler’s beautiful 1967 O’Day Mariner MISS STEAK sitting at her mooring in Kittery, Maine. Jarrod launched her this past May, and she is in excellent condition for a 56-year old boat. The custom red lettering on the transom matches the bootstripe which, in turn, contrasts with her dark blue bottom paint and sail cover. The snubbing winches and lack of a roller-furler indicate MISS STEAK uses a hanked-on genoa jib, no doubt stored in the cuddy cabin alongside her rudder which is unshipped while on the mooring. Her outboard motor is tilted far out of the water; there’s no chance of it catching on her mooring pennant. A close inspection of the picture reveals small running lights on top of the transom and on the starboard side of the cabin denoting the presence of a battery. All in all, she is an outstanding boat in a perfect location for Mariner exploration.

Terry Moulton has been involved with Mariners for many years and has served on the Mariner Class Association’s Executive Board in various capacities, including Vice-President (1995-1996), President (1997-1998), and Newsletter Editor (2020-2021). More recently, he has been involved with refurbishing old Mariners at his house in Deptford, New Jersey and reselling them. Here he is pictured sailing #3504 BAY LADY sometime around 2005. Terry writes, “The person with me was Willis Gray who is a long time member of Surf City Yacht Club. We were in a race. Maybe a National at Surf City. We decided to go off on a port tack. I remember saying to Willis, when he asked why we were doing this, “We are going off on our own to surround them!” It accurately worked out and we won that race!” Picture credit: Chris Cox.

How’s this for an action shot? Skipper Paul Coward and his crew hike out on the cockpit coaming of O’Day Mariner #584 during the 2019 Mariner Nationals at Brant Beach Yacht Club, Long Beach Island, New Jersey. Tom and Michelle Green are keeping pace in the backround with another old style Mariner, #738. Whitecaps are all over the place as they blast through the water with winds topping 20 knots; winds were so stiff on Sunday, in fact, the race was canceled for the day and final scoring was based on Saturday’s racing only. Out of 22 participating boats, Paul placed eighth, a respectable finish in a highly competitive field. Don’t let the dirty rubrail fool you into thinking #584 isn’t in good shape - she is a veteran racer and has helped Paul win the National Championship first place trophy four times: 1989, 1999, 2004, and 2007. Picture credit: Becky Seidlemann.

Steve Hock’s #1866 WINDY sits at her berth at Essex Island Marina during the 2022 Mariner Rendezvous last August. Steve had previously owned a later-style Mariner, #3627 WHITECAP, but he sold her a number of years ago. This past spring, he happened upon this mid-style O’Day Mariner - the same style as ORION - with an enclosed cabin and forward hatch with the classic “bump-top” cabin top. He had been searching for a mid-style model for a while, and when this boat came on the market, he jumped at the opportunity to buy her. The awning provides great shade in the hot sun, and the opening forward hatch certainly makes staying in the cabin much more comfortable in the summer weather. Right now, WINDY is sitting under a tarp waiting for warmer conditions, but Steve is already putting together a list of spring projects to get her in tip-top shape. Photo credit: Steve Hock.

Skipper Sebastian Casellas, a member of Riverton Yacht Club in New Jersey, looks back to keep an eye on his nearest competition during one of the Mariner National Championship races this past August at Riverton. He’s sailing an early-style Mariner and is keeping just ahead of another early-style Mariner (#664) skippered by Harry Mayer. Sebastian’s father Miguel, sailing as crew, can be seen just below the boom and lives in Puerto Rico. A Mariner owner himself, he is an active racer in the Puerto Rico Mariner Fleet and made the trip to Riverton Yacht Club to sail with his son for the Nationals, earning the award for “Farthest Traveled.” He and Sebastian came in fifth overall out of a fleet of fifteen boats, and Sebastian also won the award for “Best Rookie Skipper.” There are many racers in the Mariner community who sail with their families, passing down the love of sailing and competition to the next generation. Photo: Becky Seidlemann.

Onondaga Yacht Club, in Liverpool, New York, is home to three O’Day Mariners, and this mid-style Mariner is one of them. Here is MANDOLIN WIND competing in last September’s Devore-Mahoney race on Onondaga Lake, and she is in great condition for a 50-year-old boat, especially the wood coaming tops and cabintop handrails. Although the jib tack is unusually high off the forestay chainplate, especially for racing, it offers an excellent view underneath the jib to keep an eye on nearby competitors. The Yacht Club was founded in 1883 and chartered February 3, 1886, making it one of the oldest boating organizations in New York State. This race was actually won by another O’Day Mariner, #3627 KATIE, the Picture of the Week for May 30-June 5, 2022. Photo credit: Onondaga Yacht Club.

Good Lord. Dave Satter’s work on his early-style O’Day Mariner #735W WILDFLOWER continues, and the results are absolutely stunning. He writes, “I had some great old mahogany boards so I cut and finished them for ceiling strips to be applied to the V-berth hull in the cabin. Along with having new cushions made. Should make the V-berth feel a little more comfortable than just the fiberglass hull. I went with three-inch thick cushions. Wanted it to be comfortable but not lose too much head room.” Look at those beautiful shelves, cabin sole, cabin light - what a fantastic job Dave has done. Who wouldn’t want to go cruising in this Mariner with a cabin like that to relax in at the end of a long beat to windward?

Look at the incredible reflection in this picture! One of the advantages to taking a photograph in perfectly calm conditions is that you get two images at once. It’s not quite six o’clock in the morning in early June, 2019 in Michigan, and while cars and trucks are going back and forth across the bridge in the background, David Raithel’s #2344 SHADOWFAX at rest at her mooring in Michigan with not even a breath of wind to disturb the water’s surface. Regretfully, David is selling SHADOWFAX after coming to the decision he and his family don’t use her enough to justify keeping her although, as David writes, “She is an absolutely beautiful boat and we love the time we get to spend on her.”

#3200 NORA ROSE rides at anchor in the Niantic River as the last rays of the sun shine on her before dipping below the horizon. It’s the evening of August 5th, 2021, and skipper Bruce Robbins with brother-in-law Mural Rao had trailered NORA ROSE up from New Jersey during that day to participate in the Mariner Rendezvous to Mystic Seaport with thirteen other Mariners. Her sails have yet to be bent on, but otherwise, she is ready to go, complete with a small yacht ensign on the transom which will no doubt be removed soon as protocol dictates all flags flown should be stowed at sunset. Bruce and Mural have sailed in a number of Rendezvous over the years, and word on the street is that they’ll be returning with NORA ROSE for this year’s event.

In 2015, the Mariner Class Association’s National Rendezvous took place on the Chesapeake; nevertheless, at the end of June, a group of Mariners sailed from Niantic to Mystic Seaport to visit the WoodenBoat Show. As all the Seaport’s docks were filled with exhibiting watercraft, we all brought dinghies and anchored in the anchorage just above the Seaport. In this picture, Tim and Erin Reiche have anchored their ever-photogenic Mariner, #2170 MAGGIE, just south of the historic Elm Grove Cemetery, their nine-foot Dyer Dhow KITTY tied alongside. It just so happened that Alan Hlavenka, a photographer and Mariner sailor from Narrasketuck Yacht Club in Long Island, was in the area and spied a bunch of Mariners coming up the Mystic River. Grabbing his camera, he dashed to the Seaport and snapped a bunch of photos as the fleet approached the anchorage, and he later sent me his fantastic images; this is one of them.

While the vast majority of O’Day Mariners may be found on the eastern seaboard, they can be found all over the United States - and beyond. This is #2511 resting at her dock on a lake in central Kentucky. Her jib isn’t bent onto the CDI roller furler yet, nor is her rudder attached, but her mainsail is on and a small trolling motor is ready to give a little extra propulsion. There’s no rush to get her going with almost no wind on the lake, although the ripples on the surface of the water in the background look promising. What a luxury to walk across a short ramp to a small floating dock where your Mariner is waiting for you. That’s one of the nice things about sailing on a lake: there are no tides, so a trolling motor suffices and the dock layout is relatively minimal. Who wants to stroll down this dock and simply step aboard #2511 to go for a sail? I do.

Back in the middle of November, seven Mariners participated in the "Discover the Caribbean" regatta held at Ponce Yacht and Fishing Club in Puerto Rico. Two races were held on Saturday and three on Sunday with Mariner racing in their own one-design class. Miguel Casellas (O'Day Mariner #3122), who traveled from Puerto Rico up to Riverton Yacht Club this past August to race in the Nationals, reports: "The first four boats had a great and close battle for the top spots the whole series. Newcomer Jose Fullana was the winner."

Another picture taken just a few days ago from the beautiful sailing grounds of Puerto Rico. Here is Bill Watters with crew Tim Gallagher, members of the Brant Beach Yacht Club Mariner Fleet in New Jersey, who traveled down to join the Puerto Rico Mariner Fleet at Villa Somar in Salinas and enjoy the marvelous racing conditions there, something they hope to do frequently. According to host Miguel Casellas, “Villa Somar has a private yacht club owned by the Ramos Martin family. Robbie Ramos Martin is the owner of the fast [O’Day Mariner] BLACK DIAMOND, a local rocket and winner of many Mariner regattas in Puerto Rico. [The yacht club] is right in the mangroves overlooking the world famous anchorage Salinas Bay.” Miguel also writes that “Bill is donating sails and the templates to our fleet. A true gentleman. In reciprocity, we are donating to him lots of Puerto Rican sunshine, turquoise waters and plenty of beer. We are having a super time.”

The sun has set, and skipper Chris Albert (#2714 FLOTSAM) works to set up his cockpit tarp before taking in his burgees and settling down for the night. It is the end of June of last year, and Chris, Dan Meaney (#2024 CLEW-SEA-NUF), Alan Schaeffer (#1692), and I had sailed our boats across Long Island Sound, stayed one night in Coecles Harbor, Shelter Island, and had found refuge the second night up a very shallow creek in the northwest corner of Hallock Bay in Orient, New York. It is hard to tell, but there is only about a foot of water underneath Chris’s keel; in fact, we all woke the next morning to our boats aground in the soft creek mud. No matter - we enjoyed a beautiful sunrise and breakfast before the incoming tide lifted our boats just enough to allow us to carefully power our way out of the creek and into Orient Bay. It was a wonderful trip, and pleasant evenings like the one in this picture stay with us through the winter months as we plan and dream about adventures during the next sailing season.

Skipper Mike Hansen motors his Mariner, #4040 BREN MARIE in the Niantic River at the start of the 2020 Rendezvous to Crocker’s Boat Yard, New London. Although the Coronavirus pandemic had slackened a bit by August of that year, it was still raging around the country; nevertheless, the Rendezvous proceeded as planned with sailors keeping their distance from one another. Mike and his wife trailered their boat all the way from Michigan to take part in the Connecticut event, and it was the first time many of us - myself included - had seen a rare Spindrift Mariner, produced for only a few years by Spindrift One Designs once they acquired the molds from the O’Day Corporation in 1980. While Spindrift Mariners are lighter than O’Day Mariners, the main aesthetic difference is immediately recognizable by the addition of a second portlight on each side of the cabin. Although very few Spindrift Mariners were actually built, two have now participated in the Annual Rendezvous, and one - #4052 - recently won the Nationals in 2015 and again in 2017. Photo credit: Steve Hock.

Back in January of 2021, the Facebook page of Good Old Boat posted this great black-and-white picture taken by photographer Chris Cooper of O’Day Mariner #3075 sailing in shallow water. The Facebook posting reads, “Transport yourself to a simpler time, with easy choices, joyful living and a clear-eyed outlook - then grab that mood and bring it into your present. This O'Day Mariner could have been snapped decades ago, but it's just a few summers back.” Good Old Boat magazine, while primarily focusing on the rehabilitation and restoration of larger cruising boats from the “classic plastic” era, occasionally features the Mariner; they even published an article of mine about ORION’s restoration in their July/August 2014 edition. O’Day Mariners are indeed good old boats!

There’s nothing quite like having your Mariner readily available for a sail, patiently waiting at the end of your own dock. This is Scott Dronen’s #2231 in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, sails up and waiting for the breeze to fill in so he can cast off and enjoy the beautiful fall day. #2231 was one of the last mid-style Mariners built before the front of the cabin was streamlined and the “step” with the forward hatch removed. This mid-style was only produced from 1969-1971, but they are very popular within the Mariner community as they have an enclosed cabin yet retain the forward hatch for excellent ventilation. Of course, I suppose I’m a little biased; my own ORION is a mid-style Mariner.

Brandon Fetterman, of Flower Mound, Texas, stands in excited amazement in front of his new acquisition: O’Day Mariner #11, made within the first two weeks of Mariner production by the O’Day Sailboats Corporation in Fall River, Massachusetts in 1963. Already the owner of another early-style Mariner named THUNDER ROAD and a popular YouTuber showing his Mariner projects and sailing adventures, Brandon was enticed by the prospect of owning one of the earliest Mariners ever made. While #16 CHANCE is still sailing in Vermont and #20 LORELEI is in Pennsylvania, Mariner #6 briefly surfaced in 2011 in a garage in Libertyville, Illinois before disappearing again. (See the Picture of the Week for Feb. 28-Mar. 6, 2011.) That makes Mariner #11 currently the oldest active Mariner. Brandon drove through three states and over twelve hours each way to get her; he writes, “Now the work really begins!”

You read that correctly - the “Ooops Award” is indeed a real thing, and it was awarded to Alice Hawrilenko, skipper of #4082 LAPWING pictured here. Alice, a member of the Pelican Cove Sailing Club in Florida who recently received this award, writes the following about the December incident: “I was cruising home downwind. I had pulled up my centerboard as I was headed into shallow waters. My routine is to furl my jib and then lower the main. Uh oh. My jib furler wound up on the bow! I didn't notice that when I deployed the jib. I was single-handing. Oh well. I turned her into the wind and crawled up on the bow. I retrieved the furler line and was hanging onto the shroud with one foot in the cockpit when over she went. Lesson learned. But guess what? I lost only the cabin sliding hatch. My engine works, my sails are in perfect condition and even my radio which spent 24 hours in the water floating works beautifully. Anyone have a used hatch?”

This Wednesday, online registration for the 2023 National Mariner Rendezvous will open at the Mariner Class Association’s website. Sailors will once again be sailing from Niantic to Mystic Seaport, and this week’s picture is from the very first Rendezvous to Mystic back in 2011; it’s hard to believe it was twelve years ago! Erin Reiche sits on the cabin top of #2170 MAGGIE while her husband Tim is at the helm, and skipper Ed Wise is not far behind in #2862 CHRISTINA T. Both boats were part of a five-boat fleet that year; last year’s Rendezvous had three times that number, and the same is expected for this year.

Hunter Stump’s #173 THE FREE has been featured in this column several times, but it deserves to be featured yet again. Here Hunter is at the helm, sailing with a bunch of his friends near Southampton on Long Island, New York, although he is getting a bit of help from his Lehr propane outboard to keep him moving smartly along. As mentioned before, Hunter spotted the bow of this early-style Mariner sticking out between some bushes by the side of the road spray-painted with the words “FREE” on either side. He took the boat home, restored her, and launched her with her new name.

Skipper Brad W. with his wife Caroline sail their late-style Mariner, #3582 SWEET SADIE, in Long Island Sound on their way to Niantic. It’s the final day of the 2021 Mariner National Rendezvous, and SWEET SADIE is one of many heading back from spending the weekend at Mystic Seaport. The pristine hull paint is set off by the black rubrail separating the white deck and cabin top, and the custom decal on the starboard quarter looks just right. This August, Rendezvous participants will be heading back to the Seaport once again. Even though we have been there six times over the past ten years, sailors don’t seem to tire of sailing there; all sixteen slips were accounted for withing ten days of registration opening up on the Mariner Class Association’s website.

Riverton Yacht Club, on the Delaware River in New Jersey, hosts the Mariner National Championships every four years or so, and whenever they are held, Riverton photographer Byron Campbell has been on hand to take some great snapshots of the action. This picture was taken ten years ago at the 2013 Nationals, and Byron writes that the boats are “going for the Jersey side mark. #2604 [skippered by Newt Wattis] is in the lead.” Newt would go on to win the Nationals that year, the fifth time he would hold the winner’s trophy. An avid boater and Vietnam army veteran, Byron was fiercely proud of his Scottish heritage and maintained a family history website along with a website for his many boating boating pictures; it was from this extensive collection that he would periodically sent me snapshots for this “Picture of the Week” column. I was deeply saddened to learn he passed away a little over a week ago. Farewell, friend - thank you for sharing your talent on this webpage for so many years.

The shallow draft of the Mariner allows you to sneak into many secluded areas, as demonstrated by Stefan Avey and his #1464 DAWN TREADER amongst water lilies in Florida. Previously owned by another Florida resident (see the Picture of the Week for September 14-20, 2020), Stefan bought #1464 and hoped to make the Florida 120, a cruise-in-company event for small boats. Although it didn’t work out, Stefan writes that instead, he “did cruise my local waters for two days and two nights). Great thing about sailing locally was I got to bring my kids (5 and 6) aboard for one night at anchor and we had fun. The Mariner really is a great family boat.”

Those are awfully happy smiles from skipper Brandon Fetterman and his crew in front of his early-style O’Day Mariner THUNDER ROAD. They have every reason to smile; they just finished the grueling Texas 200 endurance event, even with a bent mast. Brandon writes, “Made it to the finish line! With a bent mast and all! Wind gust slammed me into a deck overhang about five minutes after launching in Port Isabel, thought for sure we were pulling out of this one before even starting. THUNDER ROAD is a tank of a boat, I knew she wouldn't let us down. We got less than two nautical miles from Camp Five until we ran aground, and then the outboard prop was turning mud, so we aborted and turned around and headed to the finish line at Maggie Beach. What an awesome adventure!” Congratulations to Brandon and all the participants!

Who wouldn’t want to jump in this Mariner, raise the mainsail, unfurl the jib, and simply sail away? This is Brad Hallock’s #3720 KAREN ANN based in Indiana. Built in 1979, the O’Day Sailboats Corporation would cease Mariner production after building just 59 more Mariners, focusing instead on building larger models. KAREN ANN sports some special features, including roller furling, mid-boom sheeting, and an adjustable backstay. A closer look reveals a navigation light forward of the portlight, indicating an onboard battery; a small snubbing winch on the edge of the cabin top, perhaps to aid in raising the mainsail; blocks mounted on the after edges of the cockpit coaming through which the jib sheets are led; a vintage Johnson motor; a transom-mounted ladder; bow pulpit; and more. She’s actually for sale, and the next owner will be receiving a beautiful boat in fantastic condition.

Here’s a great action shot of a Spindrift Mariner racing on Lake Lewisville near Dallas, Texas. One crewmember is adjusting the jib sheet while another crewmember is setting the whisker pole for a downwind run. Notice there’s no outboard motor in order to cut down on weight on the transom. Spindrift One Designs, under the parent company Rebel, bought the Mariner molds from O’Day in 1980. They added a second portlight on each side of the cabin and made a few other slight changes, but Spindrift abandoned the Mariner after only a couple of years, preferring instead to build the Spindrift 22, a development of the Spectrum 22 build in Florida. Stuart Marine would come to the Mariner’s rescue shortly thereafter and has continued producing the Mariner since then. Spindrift Mariners, like the one pictured above, can still be found all over the United States despite the relatively limited production run.

Who says you have to have a spick-and-span Mariner to enjoy it fully? This is CJ Reynard’s mid-style Mariner #2149 he just bought three weeks ago, and although the sails looks like they are original to the boat (over 50 years old!), everybody looks like they’re having a great time. CJ writes, “I got to take her out three times so far to Buckeye Lake (Ohio), and every time has been a blast; fast, nimble, comfortable, easy to control and all around amazing. As a first full-sized sailboat I am really pleased and cannot wait to finish all the projects I have lined up for her.” O’Day Mariners are fantastic boats for the novice and the experienced sailor alike.

If there is anyone who deserves an award for best restoration of an O’Day Mariner, it’s Dave Satter of Branchville, New Jersey. His old-style boat, originally #735 PROXIMUS (see this photo from the Picture of the Week back in February 22-28, 2021) has received soup-to-nuts refurbishment like I have never seen before. Instead of restoring #735 WILDFLOWER to its original configuration, he made the decision to completely transform his boat. He created a new tiller, fabricated wooden hatch doors, added a second portlight on each side, installed an anchor roller; the list goes on. When he sent a picture of the cabin of his boat that I used for this year’s February 13-19 Picture of the Week, my jaw dropped, and I new his completed boat was going to be something special. He certainly did not disappoint. Congratulations, Dave - what a spectacular Mariner!

Roger Knight with his crew surges upwind in #2564 during the Mariner National Championships this past Saturday at Narrasketuck Yacht Club on the south shore of Long Island, New York. Twelve boats competed on Saturday, and although racing was unfortunately canceled on Sunday due to lack of wind, all the racers had a fantastic time. Roger was actually the Mariner Fleet Captain and Event Organizer for the last Nationals at Narrasketuck in 2018; this past Saturday, he finished the day in fifth place. Congratulations to all the competitors and most especially to Marie Cohen, the current Mariner Fleet Captain and Event Organizer, who did an absolutely outstanding job. Photo credit: the extremely talented Alan Hlavenka, himself a Mariner owner and member of the Narrasketuck Yacht Club.

Three Mariners head eastward in past the coast of Waterford, Connecticut at the start of the 2021 National Mariner Rendezvous to Mystic Seaport. From left to right: skipper Bruce Robbins (#3200 NORA ROSE), skipper Bill Eggers (#2280 JULIE B), and skipper Gifford Eldredge (#4079 RIPPLE). All three of these boats will be returning to Connecticut this coming weekend for the 2023 Mariner Rendezvous, once again heading to Mystic Seaport with sixteen other boats participating, the highest attendance for any Rendezvous. The abandoned Seaside Sanitorium can be seen on the extreme left of the picture, a historical landmark first built in the 1930s. While the fleet struggled with light winds that day, the forecast for this coming Friday is predicting winds of 10-15 knots. Let’s hope the weather works out in our favor!

Skipper Fred Wright motors his beautiful, maroon-hulled Mariner, #4133 SWEET P, up the Mystic River on the way to Mystic Seaport during this past weekend’s Mariner National Rendezvous in Connecticut. This was Fred’s first Rendezvous, and he drove up all the way from North Carolina to participate. SWEET P is a Stuart Mariner made by Stuart Marine and is nearly identical to the late-style O’Day Mariners. Check out that electric outboard on the transom - it’s an EPropulsion motor with the removable, rechargable battery pack on top of the unit itself, so it doesn’t require another battery stored somewhere onboard the boat. It is fairly new technology, and while it is by no means inexpensive, it is a great solution for small boats like the Mariner; this particular model produces 3.5 horsepower. An ex-Coast Guardsman, Fred returned to familiar waters as he sailed past the mouth of the Thames River, just south of the Coast Guard Academy.

Skipper Bob Corney with crew Craig Zoll sail O’Day Mariner #1095 YIN YANG eastward to Mystic during the 2023 Mariner National Rendezvous at the beginning of the month. Out of nineteen participating boats, YIN YANG was the only early-style Mariner, but she was one of the fastest; Bob races her frequently, most recently during the 2023 Mariner National Championships at Riverton Yacht Club, New Jersey near the end of July where he came in sixth out of twelve boats. Bob also serves on the Executive Board of the Mariner Class Association as the Class Measurer. This was his very first Rendezvous, and he and Craig drove all the way up from Maryland to take part in the event. As such, Bob and four other first-time Rendezvous skippers received a $50 gift card to West Marine as well as a Mariner tote bag. Photo credit: Steve Hock.

Steve Hock enjoys a mug of coffee with his wife Rita aboard their O’Day Mariner #1866 Windy. It is 7:00 am on Saturday, August 5th during the Mariner National Rendezvous at the beginning of the month, and they had trailered Windy all the way up from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to participate in the event. Steve originally owned a later-style Mariner but sold it a number of years ago; he maintained his Mariner Class Association membership and bought this midstyle model last year in order to take advantage of its forward hatch and slightly more spacious interior unencumbered by a mast support pole. He served on the Association’s Executive Board as VP Communications from 2010-2012 and came back on the Board in 2021 to serve as its webmaster. He gave Windy a lot of attention this spring, and both he and Rita certainly appreciate the results.

Greg Tkal’s Mariner #4134 MON AMIE rests at her dock at Galway Lake, New York after a great sunset sail just las week. Greg has been a longtime member of the Mariner Class Association, and MON AMIE has been featured several times in this column, the first time back in November 24-30 of 2008. This shot of her as the sun sets is pretty spectacular. MON AMIE is a Stuart Mariner, built by Stuart Marine of Rockland, Maine. When Stuart Scharaga and Dave Whittier acquired the old O’Day molds from Spindrift One Designs in the early 1980s, they were worn out and practically unusable. They hired famed naval architect Jim Taylor to take the lines off an O’Day Mariner in excellent condition and make new molds from scratch, incorporating a few modifications without altering the overall design. The resulting Stuart Mariners are almost indistinguishable from the older O’Day Mariners, allowing the two models to be raced together as a one-design class.

The weekend of July 22nd, a total of eight Mariners participated in the Second Annual Agustín Tejero Regatta in Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico, and this great shot shows two Mariners battling each other during the downwind leg. Participant Miguel Casellas writes, “Andrés Socarrás sailing with Geraldine and Chupi Bermúdez dominated arriving in a comfortable First Place. Local food, Don Q Rum and Medalla Beer were abundant and camaraderie was second to none. Santa Isabel is located just 4.5 miles west of Salinas, Puerto Rico and is probably the best place for racing in Puerto Rico with well-protected waters and 13-15 knots consistent winds. Racing in Santa Isabel is spectacular and our teamwork was superb that weekend. Andrés Socarrás says, ‘Our boat is very well-equipped and our sails are flawless. We are now sailing Mariner #3122 that I just bought from Miguel Casellas and our fleet keeps on growing. It was good to see eight Mariners out there racing the waters of Santa Isabel. What a venue!’” What a venue indeed!

Terry Moulton has been deeply involved with Mariners for decades. Past Mariner Class Association Vice President, President, and Newsletter Editor, he has owned, raced, and restored countless Mariners over the years. His latest endeavor is a partnership with fellow sailor Bruce Robbins (#3200 NORA ROSE) to restore and resell Mariners in need of help. Terry writes, “I am lucky to live in New Jersey which seems to be the heart of Marinerland. I am also lucky to live on 47 acers of land with several garages and barns. Bruce Robbins asked if we could work together on a Mariner a friend had given him. Together, we took one of my garages, installed a two-ton hoist and our adventure began. Several Mariners later we are happily sanding, power spraying and fiberglassing our way through our ninth Mariner.“ A great way to breathe new life into these 60-year-old boats and keep them sailing!

Robert Stelpstra takes the helm of Alan Schaeffer’s #1692 SPRAYSONG during the 2023 Mariner National Rendezvous to Mystic Seaport at the beginning of August. Robert, along with a friend, made a ten-hour drive all the way from Quebec, Canada to attend the event, and Alan was kind enough to take him along as crew while his friend met him at the Seaport with their car. This was Robert’s second Rendezvous as he made the same trek by himself last year, and we were so pleased he was able to join us again. SPRAYSONG, a mid-style Mariner, is Alan’s second boat; he originally owned #2470 SIALIA but wanted a cabin unobstructed by a mast support pole, so sold SIALIA a couple of years ago and purchased SPRAYSONG. Notice the bridle he has for the mainsheet which helps to center the boom when close-hauled. This modification was recently approved for class racing, but some cruisers find it just as helpful for their own daysailing and cruising. Although the winds were not as strong as they were forecasted to be, SPRAYSONG’s curling bow wave indicates she was easily making plenty of knots. Photo: Steve Hock.

One of the largest Mariner racing fleets can be found at the Riverton Yacht Club in New Jersey on the Delaware River. However, located only a hop, skip and a jump away in Edgewater Park is the Red Dragon Canoe Club, a historic organization dedicated to boating activities on the River. They are home to a number of O’Day Mariners, and although the sailing season is beginning to wind down, Red Dragon still offers boating activities through the end of October. A couple of Saturdays ago, skipper Tom Gilman and his crew participated in a three-boat race in his #1545 PILGRIM SHADOW, a mid-style boat he uses primarily for racing and daysailing. Notice the sizeable outboard on the transom! Winds on the Delaware are notoriously unpredictable, and the stiff local current has been known to sweep boats far from their destination, so big motor is most appropriate for these waters. Photo credit: Jeff Rife.

Although the Puerto Rico Mariner Fleet is one of the newest fleets in the Mariner Class Association, Mariners have been sailing in Puerto Rico since they were first manufactured. Here is a clipping from a newspaper from 1965 showing Eddie Ramos Casellas racing with his two sons in San Juan. According to Miguel Casellas, who sent me this clipping, “In 1964, the Puerto Rico Sailing Federation was formally established and a series of regattas were held in our waters to prepare for the upcoming 1966 Central American and Caribbean Games. Former and late Federal Judge Juan Torruella had the privilege of representing Puerto Rico during the 1964 Tokyo Olympics in the Finn Class bringing all the knowledge of how to run a big event. Finns, Sailfish, Snipes, Sunfish and Daysailers were invited and sailors from the East Coast participated in our Midwinters. Eddie Ramos Casellas is the founder of formal sailing in the south of Puerto Rico and the father of twins Ronnie and Robbie, owners of Villa Somar in Salinas. (Villa Somar is a private yacht club where we keep our Mariners.) Robbie is our leader and one of our top racers and currently sails [O’Day Mariner #3122] BLACK DIAMOND.” What a great history and legacy!

Skipper Chris O’Brien in #3599 DOUBLE O’MITZVAH stays ahead of Harry Mayer in #664 MARE during a mid-summer race at Riverton Yacht Club on the Delaware River. Both Chris and Harry have been very active with the Club over the years, and both have served stints as Club Commodore. Chris, in particular, has raced in local and national Mariner regattas and has also trailered his boat up to Connecticut a few times to participate in the National Rendezvous. This Sunday, Riverton will be hosting the David Reily Memorial and Mariner Fall Wind Up Regatta with five races scheduled. David Reily, a beloved Board member of the Club and active racer with Mariner #1249 SILK PURSE, died in 2014, and since then an annual regatta has been organized in his memory.

Brandon Fetterman keeps churning out fantastic pictures as he sails his early-style O’Day Mariner, THUNDER ROAD. Here’s a great picture he just took a couple of days ago while sailing on Grapevine Lake in Texas. It was gusting to 25 knots, enough wind to drop the jib and continue under a reefed main. Notice how the mainsail is roller-reefed around the boom, and the mainsheet is attached to a “reefing claw” that permits the boom to rotate inside of it. While this particular piece of hardware is brand new, the mechanism is not; this was O’Day’s standard way of reefing the mainsail as far back as the early 1960s when Mariners were first produced. While perhaps not as efficient for sailing as other reefing techniques as the bagginess of the sail affects performance and there’s no way to use a vang, it is certainly is an interesting concept and a clever way to reduce sail area. Most modern boom-reefing systems still struggle with maintaining proper sail shape when reefed. THUNDER ROAD seems to do just fine with her boom-reefed main - look at her go!

Skipper Ulrich von Hollen keeps an eye on the wave off his starboard quarter as he sails east on the first day of the 2023 National Mariner Rendezvous this past August. He and his two sons, Caspar and Konrad, are nearing the entrance to New London, and the swift currents from Long Island Sound combining with the currents from the Thames River typically create a chop that takes about ten minutes to sail through. It can be dreadful on a windless day when the sails slat back and forth shaking the wind out of them, but on this day, there was enough wind to keep #2234 OB-LA-DI and the other eighteen participating Mariners plowing right through the choppy patch. Ulrich and his sons have participated in several Rendezvous beginning in 2014, making the trip up to Niantic, Connecticut from Lebanon, New Jersey. He keeps his mid-style Mariner in fantastic shape, and his inventory of parts for sale from other Mariners he has collected over the years is impressive! Photo credit: Steve Hock.

Mariners plow through the water in high winds during the 2019 Mariner National Championships held at Brant Beach Yacht Club, New Jersey. National Championships usually consist of two days of racing; four races on Saturday and just two on Sunday, giving sailors a chance to pack up their boats after a weekend of intense yet fun competition. However, the winds were so strong on Sunday that racing was canceled and the scoreboard only counted the four races that had been completed the day before. Paul Coward, racing in #584 and four-time National Champion, ended up placing eighth while Tom Green in #738 finished the regatta in tenth place. Next year’s National Championships will once again take place at Brant Beach Yacht Club, and they are excited to host - they have already completed the NOR (Notice of Race) even though it’s more than nine months away! Photo credit: Becky Seidlemann.

Ramerez Jeol slowly lowers his early-style Mariner named SERENITY in the waters of Chicago back in the beginning of September. When using a rope bridle, the backstay must be unattached so it doesn’t get in the way. The rope bridle then must be attached to the chainplates as well as the aft cleats, and those aft cleats must have some sort of backing plates to prevent them from ripping through the deck. Ramerez writes, “It's definitely scary when it's in the air. I'm the only Mariner in my club so no one really had anything positive to say about my choice of lifting points. People were definitely putting doubt in my head at the club. Before splashing I reenforced the rear cleat backing plates, and am using 3/8” eye spliced dyneema on a 10,000-pound D-ring girth hitched. I'm using 1/4” shackles (750 lb. rating) at the chain plates and attached a clip rated at 850 lbs. Everything went well.” While many clubs launch their Mariners with a crane, it can certainly be a little nerve-wracking, especially when you’re doing it for the first time as shown in this picture! Congratulations to Ramerez for making it happen.

This picture looks like it could have been taken in the spring, but it was in fact taken just a few days ago! Don Fitzpatrick is taking his mid-style Mariner for an early-November sail in Newport, Rhode Island, one of the most renowned and historic areas for yachting on the eastern seaboard. Don writes, “I bought hull #1532 in February and after a few minor repairs had her out by late July. I drysail her out of SailNewport in Fort Adams State Park in Newport. I have many projects slated this winter - number one is remove and re-bed every deck fitting and port lights. The boat has numerous leaks and a persistently wet bilge - fortunately all from above the waterline! I cannot thank the Mariner community enough for all of the resources you all provide! I have had numerous boats but the Mariner Association tops them all!” Although there doesn’t seem to be much wind, any time on the water - especially so late in the sailing season here in the northeast - is time well spent.

Eric Flower’s #1871 SEAFLOWER was the hit of the 2019 Mariner Rendezvous when he sailed her with friends and family to Mystic Seaport. Sporting new hull, deck, cabin, and bottom paint; freshly-varnished coaming tops, hatchslides, hatchboards, and cabintop handrails; lifelines, a roller-furling genoa, and more, she was picture perfect. But that was just the start - her refitted interior looked as if someone could live aboard for a month. Custom curtains, cushions, bedding, pillows, Bluetooth speaker system, and lighting all contributed to a jaw-dropping display of how a Mariner can be transformed into a comfortable pocket cruiser. Regretfully, Eric had to sell #1871 the next year due to his job relocating him inland, but she is still here in Connecticut and hopefully will grace the waters of Long Island Sound again before too long.

Night has fallen, but the flash from the camera reveals eighteen Mariners tied up at the Mystic Seaport docks during the 2023 Mariner National Rendezvous at the beginning of August. A nineteenth boat actually took part in the event yet had to leave early due to prior commitments, making this year’s gathering the highest-attended Rendezvous yet. Although we had light winds both coming from and going back to Niantic, they were steady enough to allow us to sail both ways, something that does not always happen on Long Island Sound in early August. Since today is my birthday, I wanted to feature a picture from a particularly meaningful sailing trip, and this is it. It takes months to plan a Rendezvous, and when it all comes together, it’s great to share the experience with other sailors. Many of this year’s attendees have taken part in numerous Rendezvous, and it is always a pleasure to see them again. I am already looking forward to next year’s event.

David Gard charges along in his early-style Mariner with spray flying in Force 6 winds (22-27 knots) off the coast of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. A British sailor living in Canada, he writes, “OK.. does the Mariner have a planing hull? I couldn't believe how fast she was going, so I turned on my mobile sat nav (being very economic with battery)… 9.6 knots... and, I'm sure she was going faster than this, too. Broad reach... surfable waves... When it turned into Force 7, I dropped main and ran under jib to Lunenburg, constantly over 6 knots.” Although the jib and mainsail luffs could use a little tightening, David clearly didn’t need anymore help getting up to hull speed (and beyond) and having a fantastic sail.

This photo is actually the front of a postcard from the mid-1960s and shows a family enjoying an early-style O’Day Mariner. The description of the picture, found on the back of the postcard, reads: “Boating on the Bay with the Causeway Bridge in the background, Long Beach Island, New Jersey”. The photo was taken by Don Ceppi, and the postcard itself was published by the Long Beach Candy Company from Ship Bottom on Long Beach Island. The rudder on the Mariner has not been attached yet as the person on the helm motors by other nearby boats, but the sails are bent on and ready to hoist once they get out into the popular sailing waters of Manahawkin Bay. Others may be able to identify the other unfamiliar types of boats in the foreground and background, but the beautiful lines of the Mariner are unmistakable and instantly recognizable.

I couldn’t help but laugh out loud when I received this picture from my friend Miguel Casellas Sastre in Puerto Rico earlier in the month. Look at all those Mariners sailing in the snow! See? The Mariner is so shallow-draft, they can be sailed practically anywhere there is moisture beneath them! This took some skills with Photoshop to create, and credit goes to one of the members of the Puerto Rico Mariner Fleet. Incidentally, that fleet is the fastest growing fleet in the Mariner Class Association with an active racing schedule, and they have established a relationship with the Brant Beach Mariner Fleet (Long Beach Island, New Jersey) where some members travel to Puerto Rico on a fairly regular basis to participate in some of the races there. They are passionate about growing their fleet and are always inviting other sailors to make the trip. Word from other Mariner sailors is that their hospitality is second to none!

Traditionally, the very last picture of the year in this column has been one of my own ORION, and this is one of my favorite pictures taken this past June when my son and I sailed to Mystic Seaport for the 2023 WoodenBoat Show. After a couple of weeks of near drought conditions, it finally rained - almost the entire weekend of the Show. I was worried Harry would have a lousy time during our two-day excursion, constantly damp despite the cockpit awning at anchor and our head-to-toe foul weather gear. Instead, it turned out to be one of the most enjoyable and memorable trips we have taken together. The icing on the cake was when, just before we left the event to sail home, he asked, “Dad, can we go to next year’s WoodenBoat Show?”

On this Christmas Day, I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and a great sailing season in 2024.