Recent content by Bob in Va

Very neat... Are you sure it wasn't a "whooping crane"?

Don't confuse me with facts, my mind is made up... The first Chevrolet Corvettes were '53/'54 models and the body of a well-kept one looks today about the same as it did 40 years ago. Perhaps as you walk past that guy on the way to your boat you should just say, each time, "Well I'll be, she's...

mast raising and boat towing The trick on the "bridle" or boom guys is to have the lengths of the "legs" correct. And that depends on where you attach the bridle to the boom and where the boom is attached to the mast. We've raised/lowered mine at least 10 times and always sort of guessed at...

plug and hole Sounds to me like an added drain - not factory, but put in so the bilge could be emptied when the boat is pulled out.

Chacun a' son gout... The big ones sure are nice for anything past a day-sail, but I wouldn't trade my E23 for anything larger right now because it is close to a perfect combination of the qualities I need for the lake sailing I do. It takes us less than 10 minutes from arrival at the marina...

Question What's "hot water?"

wet feet and fanny Frank is right on the money - ease the Admiral into the whole experience, and the payoff will be a sailing companion who enjoys it as much as you do. Flip the boat over first time out (that's another story for another time...) and it takes years to undo the damage. The...

Curtain I can make a full size pattern from my old one - Shirley stitched me up a new one last year to match the fresh upholstery fabric. Hang on - I'll mail it to you.

Great boat! Hi Ivan - That wouldn't happen to be hull # 409 would it? Good to have you aboard - if you will contact me at oleboe(at)aol(dot)com I'll send you some info on the E23 Owners' Association. We have located a few other 23s in Texas, so you are not alone. Regards, Bob...

Agreed When I first dropped the mast on my 23 right after buying it, some feathers and other assorted goodies came out the bottom. It took me the better part of an hour to poke, scrape, and shake out enough feathers to fill a good sized pillow, plus assorted other goodies (small bones, etc.)...

Old Timers Most of those original boards lasted 25 to 30 years, and when you think of the stresses they took that's a pretty decent service life. If you build one (or have one built) to match the factory model, be prepared to give it lots of time and money. I've done several, and can say that...

Penny wise, pound foolish... My experiences with WM over the years have ranged from dealing with a saleskid just out of high school who essentially knew nothing about any of the products to very knowledgeable guys who gave me great advice (sometimes even talking me OUT of buying something) and...

Door # 2 I'm betting 50 bucks that Steve's choice # 2 is it. Though the lifting tang is high quality 316 ss, the spine of the board is mild steel and once water gets in there (and it always does, sooner or later), rust soon follows, swelling follows that, and cracking of the filler material is...

Hidden problems I don't know if it is applicable in this case, but there was mention some time ago of an Ericson that lost the rig because of fatigue/crevice corrosion in the forestay tang. In the smaller Ericsons this tang is separate from the stem fitting that is bolted to the deck just aft...

Low class In the past, our B Fleet has had some fantastic racing. Boat handicaps have ranged from about 180 to 270. Some boats are hurting on light air days, but go strong when the wind is up, and vice versa. Overall, fleet results have been unpredictable and therefore exciting. Two years...