I'm nuts and I admit it

And no better than some of the serial car owners here. Where most people on GRM subscribe to the "you can't own enough cars" I seem to be developing a collection of boats.

Meet Spark, my newest. While not by any means new, Spark is an all wooden GP 14 built in 1964. The owner, who bought her in 1970, had stashed her in his barn in 1985 and now she is mine.

Yes, Spark needs a bit of TLC, Her varnish has not been touched in 32 years nor has her paint or rigging. She is all there though, All the hardware, all the rigging, and all the sails, just waiting for a chance to be cleaned up and put back to work

That looks pretty cool, should be fun to bring back to life and enjoy.

You haven’t totally lost your mind.  That boat doesn’t have a motor.  

Boats are one thing, wooden boats are another level of insanity. 

I fully endorse this choice.

Our first sailboat back in the 70s was very similar and of a similar vintage.  Lots of fond memories.

Nice. How's she rigged? I'm seeing what might be a spinnaker pole inbnoard of the port bench, so I'm guessing standard Bermuda rig. Fourteen feet, a spinnaker, sharp chines and foot straps - looks like she'll be a runner. Kind of a mini Thistle.

Is there a spot in the 'enclosed'  marina  for Spark?

Fractional Bermuda Rig (Jib does not reach to the top of the mast). I doubt I will be using the Spinnaker, it's not something you can use single handed and while a GP will get up and plane when using it, the ride is VERY wet.

For now, I am getting one of those enclosed car tents for Spark. My Father has more room than I do, so she is going to spend the winter there.

I have recently fallen down the rabbit hole of watching wooden boat building on Youtube.

"Acorn to arabella" starts with a guy cutting down the trees to build his large boat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNq2s--VNMs

"Restoring the Tally-ho" is a guy restoring a 1910 sailing vessel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FhTu3aGM60&list=PLUK8GR4xS78v_huHCmJQpcMPRDlzAEw5s

Talk about the ultimate build threads. They make our projects look trivial. Both are freaking nuts!

Not a wood boat, but exponentially more bonkers is this guy who set out to build a 75' steel Chinese junk rigged boat. He has morphed the effort into quite the social enterprise. 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj_XaV1ss-qdD-lPUtTEcXw

NOHOME said:

I have recently fallen down the rabbit hole of watching wooden boat building on Youtube.

XaV1ss-qdD-lPUtTEcXw

Nick Gates is the guy to watch for this. Sorta the Boat building equivalent to Wheeler Dealers without the selling on

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSIgTriW-ws&t=3s

To the original post - I have 5 boats, don't use them enough and still want more.  My problem is cheap boats.  Not $500 bayliner type money pits.  But a $50 Sunfish.  A $400 O'Day Daysailer II.  A $50 14' aluminum lowe fishing boat.  A few bucks and elbow grease turns them into very usable toys.

To the rest.  I don't need more youtube boat stuff to watch, but thanks - I'll check out Nick's page.  I'm already following the rest and several others.  

My current lust is an Ilur.  A sailing club member built a beautiful lug sloop version last year.  

Ilur sailboat

I'm torn.

The romantic idea of being able to sail around the world in retirement is really cool.

But I know that my head won't stand for it.  I'd be so very sick.

I'll watch you rebuild this with interest, and I also do some U-tube for wooden sail boat restorations.  But the realist in me tells me that I should stick with cruise ships.

Aside from not having a motor it looks good.  I wish I had time to enjoy another cheap boat.

Cool ole boat.  Have you found the sail number or hull number?  How early in the production was this one?  

On another note, I always get a lick out of the simplicity of these old trailers.  Many seem self built.  The one you have there is essentially a metal pole with an axle and some fittings welded on.  Cool.  

that trailer was built by Moody, who I think is still around. As for the sail number, I will find out thursday when I go up to Allentown to drag it back home. I know they are still building the GP14 in England in 'glass with over 14,000 built so far.

Production started in 1950 and mine is a 64. It's old and what they refer to as "Series 1"  but not old enough to be considered an "early one". There are still almost 20 boats about with sail numbers less than 100

Update: I have hull number 5942, puts her in the first third if all GPs built. Brought her home last night from near Quakertown pa. Driving in traffic was no fun, the TRAINER'S lights didn't work, so I picked up a pair of magnetic lights from harbor freight and strapped them to the stern.

As I had almost 8 feet of last hanging off the end, I bought a cheap reflective vest to work as a flag. One bump would have put it through the rear window.

Nothing like an English truck towing an English boat. I will post pics when I get home

Pictures I owe.

In reply to alfadriver :

The thought of range not being limited by fuel is my biggest draw towards sailing. 

I also follow a couple of YouTube boaters.  So far I have managed to avoid the temptation. Not easy since I live within walking distance of a marina and a short bike ride to another.  Maybe after I finish the pile of projects I already have.

Found another pic. How I used the cut up safety vest as a flag. Notice the obnoxious yellow reflector bits!

In reply to mad_machine :

Crazy but brilliant. It really shows how far out the back the mast went. 

yes, the mast on my SeaSprite 23 is 25 feet long. The mast on my GP-14 is 22.. on a boat 9 feet shorter and almost a ton and a half lighter. Only half the sail area though.

I am going to see about getting a rack for the disco when I tow, I will put the mast atop the truck where it will be safe. It's spruce, so it does not weigh much

The mast on a Hobie 16 is 26.5 feet.  The trailer allows for a lot of that length to be above the tow vehicle.

that would still put the past too close to the roof of my disco for comfort. Might work with the saab