ORION Update

ORION weathered the effects from Tropical Storm Jose on her mooring just fine, but it did get a little dicey the second night in as the wind topped out at nearly forty miles per hour and remained windy for four days. She stayed put, though, and I'll be visiting her soon just to see if the mooring moved at all and how the pennant looks. Her sailing days for the season are already numbered, however, and I've already started to look at days that would be best for taking her out of the water. This has been an extremely short season, but I hope to sneak in a few more afternoons before finally putting her to bed for the winter.

Here's a picture taken of ORION dancing around on her mooring line:

Preparing for Jose

Yesterday, I spent some time preparing ORION for Tropical Storm Jose, although today, Jose's threat has greatly - and thankfully - diminished. Obviously, in the event of a significant hurricane or tropical storm, I would have hauled her out of the water, but it looked like we were going to get a glancing blow at best. So, I did the next best thing, which was to make her as secure as possible on her mooring. These are the things I did:

  • Wrap the mainsail tightly with line (I could have taken the main off, but elected not to)
  • Secure the furling line to a cleat so wind can't whip the line out of its cam cleat
  • Ship the rudder and store in the cabin to reduce windage
  • Secure the boom using a line attached to both quarter cleats so it won't sway back and forth
  • Tie down the forward hatch inside the cabin so the wind can't rip it off
  • Attach an extra line from the bow eye to the mooring chain as a backup should the pennant chafe through
  • Make sure seacocks were open and unclogged of debris
  • Tie off halyards to the shrouds so they won't smack on the mast
  • Make sure cabin portlights were closed securely
  • Double-check that the motor's air vent is fully closed and fuel intake is off
  • Make sure everything is out of the cockpit and nothing can blow off

That's about it! The whole procedure took less than an hour, and I feel confident ORION will be safe on her mooring - providing the mooring is secure, of course, which I believe (and hope) it is!

2018 Rendezvous In Connecticut

I put my bid in to organize the 2018 Mariner Class Association Rendezvous once again, and I recently received word from President Eric Lesniak that I've been granted permission to do so! While I have some ideas already cooking about 2018, nothing will be set in stone for a while. So, the questions is: do we head west again? Or go east? If you have thoughts, write a comment below!

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National Championships Notice of Race

The Mariner Class Association's official Notice of Race for this year's National Championships has been posted on the Association's website.  It will take place at Riverton Yacht Club (New Jersey) on September 16th and 17th. The entry fee is $160 per boat, but since the Association wants to encourage the participation of first time entrants, the first five entries received from skippers attending the Mariner Nationals for the first time will receive a $60 reduction in the fee, which will be returned to you at the Regatta. How about that!

On a side note, I raced ORION with my father at the 2009 Nationals at Riverton, and we came in a respectable 10th out of 22 boats. We even came home with the "Longest Traveled" award! Here's a picture from it, when we were in the very lead (for once, and only once):

Another Cruise to Greenport

Back near the beginning of June, a small group of sailors - both past and current Mariner owners - made a trip from Niantic across Long Island Sound to Shelter Island and Greenport. Inspired by several cruises I've made with Chris Albert and others, they followed a similar route; while I regretted not being able to attend, I was happy to act as an unofficial "guide" prior to the event. Dan Meaney (#2024 CLAW SEE NUF) attended, and this picture is of his boat.

Photobook Now Available

As I mentioned before, for some time, I have been working on creating a Shutterfly photo book of photographs presented in my "Picture of the Week" column of my website (www.mariner1922.com). Since 2008, I have posted over 400 unique images, and this 69-page, 8" X 11", glossy-page, hardcover features 103 of what I believe are the best. I was inspired by the wonderful photo books of wooden boats by Benjamin Mendlowitz. The title of the book is, "Celebrating the O'Day Mariner."

I ordered a test copy for myself, and I have to say, I was blown away by the quality. It's a substantial book, and the glossy pages really make the photos pop. It's a perfect coffee-table book, and I thank all the photographers who gave me permission to publish them.

Here's the deal: because it's through Shutterfly, it ain't cheap. The best thing to do is wait until Shuttefly offers a 50% discount on photobooks AND a discount for free shipping. As it turns out, that's happening right now until Tuesday, February 7th. If you order the book, apply the discount "CUPID" to get 50% off and "SHIP39" for free shipping. Even with those discounts, it still clocks in at $70.

I'm sure the price will be somewhat prohibitive, but I'm really proud of it, and I hope you'll check it out here: https://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AYtHLlq1YsXDro&cid=SM-PBAPP - take note that the printed photos are high-resolution (this preview link makes them look like they are not good quality, but they are in fact excellent). It's the perfect book for Mariner enthusiasts!

Anyway, that's the story. If you miss the February 7th deadline for the two discounts, don't worry - they come around again periodically, so you can keep checking back.

I hope you check it out and enjoy it!

 


 

Stuart Marine at Boston Boat Show

I just got word that Dave Whittier and Stuart Marine - manufacturer of the Mariner since 1982 - is going to be at the New England Boat Show at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center from February 11-19th. I'm a little disappointed that they'll be bringing a Rhodes 19 to show off instead of a Mariner, but they will be advertising the Mariner there. After taking a few years off from the Show, it's nice to see them returning.

Update of Mariner #148

Amy Ellison owned #148 CEOL NA MARA for over ten years, and she sent this great picture along with an update:

"I sold CEOL NA MARA to [a gentleman named] Frank about a year ago. He completely ground up restored her, tackling every project I had wanted to do but had no time to do. Frank is considering putting her up for sale again... I would love to keep the chain of communication with now 2-3 previous owners going, as our combined love of Mariners and this particular boat meant we were extremely selective about who we each sent her on to, and it was more love and knowledge that the next owner would love and care for her than it ever was about money.

"[This picture] stops my heart, it is so beautiful. Frank sent this one of their first overnight on an island after he restored her. I was so grateful that I sold her to him - this is what I had hoped for, for my gallant little backyard boat."

Mariner Transformation

Remember Dan Voorhees' boat I posted about just a few days ago? Check out the incredible transformation his boat has already received with some help from Easy Off oven cleaner. Dan writes, "It didn't hurt the gelcoat at all."

Mariner Photobook Almost Complete

For some time, I've been working on a Shutterfly Photo Book project highlighting over 100 of the nearly 400 pictures I've featured in my "Picture of the Week" column since 2008. My hope is to make these photo books available for purchase through the Mariner Class Association, although the price would only be to break even (not for profit). I have been inspired by the wonderful photo books of wooden boats by Benjamin Mendlowitz, and I wanted to create something for our own fantastic boats. There are 105 pictures in the 69-page book I've entitled "Celebrating the O'Day Mariner."

Hopefully, they will be available to purchase soon, and I'll post details as soon as I can. In the meantime, here are some sneak peaks:

Another Rescued Mariner

I received a nice e-mail from Dan Voorhees who writes that he discovered my site and has "gone over all of it. I have just acquired a 1969 Mariner 2+2 and it looks like the exact same hull as your ORION. I plan to restore it in and out; I found it locally in the driveway of a home destroyed by hurricane Sandy. The home is wrecked, but the boat survived unscathed. It is totally original and complete but filthy in and out. It came with a good trailer, five hp motor and two sets of sails - one set is from North Sails and one from Moorhouse. All for $200.00[!] I just got it home on Wednesday and started to clean it up. I have found many good ideas from your site and I plan to paint the hull either light yellow or navy blue and the top sides off white. I really like the way you have led all the lines to the cockpit and plan to do a similar arrangement. First, I'm doing all the wood and I need to make new hatch boards. Anyway, thanks for the great site, I have joined the Mariner Class Association as well. There are a few more of these boats sitting around locally - maybe they will get rescued as well."

2017 Rendezvous: Westward to Essex!

It is official: The 2017 Mariner Rendezvous is scheduled for July 25-27 in Connecticut. Mariners will gather at the Niantic River Launch Ramp and head westward to Essex. Take note this is a mid-week event, from Tuesday-Thursday. There are many benefits to a midweek event:

  • Less highway traffic both coming and going
  • Less boat traffic both coming and going
  • Less crowded venues
  • Cheaper marina prices, therefore lower registration fee

The plan is to sail up the Connecticut River and head for Brewer Essex Island Marina. They specialize in hosting rendezvous, and we'll all be together on floating docks. There will be lots to do there, such as tour the Connecticut River Museum, shop at the stores up and down the historic Main Street, dine at the historic 1776 Griswold Inn (the oldest continuously run tavern in the United States), enjoy a Wednesday night catered dinner, and even take a ride on the nearby Essex Steam Train and Riverboat! Those are in addition to what the Marina already has to offer, such as outdoor games, a swimming pool, a beach, and a dog/nature walk. (Yes, dogs are allowed on this Rendezvous!) We'll have 24-hour access to laundry facilities and heads and showers, and WiFi is complimentary.

There will be more to come, but I wanted to at least get this information out there so calendars can be marked and time can be taken off well in advance. I'm really excited to sail to Brewer's Essex Island Marina next year, and I sure hope those of you with Mariners will join me!

ORION Ends 2016 Sailing Season

It's always a sad day when ORION is hauled out for the season, and this past Sunday was no different. It's been a long time since I've actually had a chance to go sailing, and it showed - her deck was covered in bits of crab, shells, and bird droppings. Not a good sight! Furthermore, her bottom was pretty after so many weeks of neglect. After clearing her deck as much as I could, I brought ORION into shore where I unstepped the mast and unloaded some of her equipment. After that, I brought her to the Waterford launch ramp where my father was waiting with my car and trailer, and we hauled her out. A power washer made easy work of the growth on the bottom and it helped to clean the deck; soon she'll be trailered closer to home where she'll spend the winter in a garage. I like to think of this not as the end of the 2016 sailing season, but the start of the 2017 sailing season!

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