Another sailor story ( and another boat)

Theinbaugh

New Member
I was in my mid teens when my father, come to find out an avid sailor, asked mother if they could afford a sailboat. Being a central Illinois conference minister they barely made ends meet with 7 child's still home. Mom agreed to got to look at it and agreed to work it in the budget. They piled all of us in the Kingswood and headed to Paradise lake to see it.
When we arrived Mom inquired where the boat was as there was no boat around just a trailer. Dad smiled as we piled out of the car and said it around front. Rounding the corner of the house and expecting to see a boat Mom asked again and Dad responded, there pointing at the lake, which was across the yard. All that was to be seen was, what I learned was the last, a wood pole sticking out of the water. All Mom could say was Really?
Dad got the old mahogany plank wood hull boat home and that was the start of a fascination for a few of us.
My oldest brother Steve became very close friends with Chet Turner who built Y Flyers with his Dad Charlie. I was fortunate enough to have sailed with them early on.
1 Lightning, 1 Star, 2 Sunfish, and a Laser later, all someone else's. After the age of 80 Dad's last sailboat was sold and some 20 years later I now have a 1966 Alcort. Looked at it Friday, bought it Saturday, sailed it Sunday!
 
Preparing to go to the lake and 1st time out.
 

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Neat cradle. It looks like you have the halyard rigged with the boom awfully high. You might want to lower that. I recently acquired a Sunfish after not having one since late 70s/early 80s. We moved up to larger and larger sailboats until we eventually had nothing but power boats.

Really enjoying re-capturing some lost youth.
 
My brother Steve was getting Y Flyer Old Red ready for the Rivera Regatta on Mattoon lake one year, sanding and polishing the bottom. I asked about racing but knew he and Chet were a team and he suggested going to the clubhouse. Some time you can catch a ride with a crewless Captain, which I didn't really understand.
As luck would have it I found someone looking for a crew, don't recall much, name or even the color of the boat. When we got to the mark at the end of a run I couldn't get the centerboard down (unhappy Captain) pulling hard as I could on the stop pins. Captain decides to help me a suddenly luffs the main, Bam, 2 middle fingers between the pins and centerboard housing too plates. (blood everywhere)
So that wasn't the most memorable part lol. We got back on shore (me whining) and hand wrapped up and a shirt when Charlie Turner asked to see. "That not bad, I can fix it for you, turn your head that way." Charlie jerked the 2 loose nails off. (fix it my a**, lol)
You'll probably see me make a ton of mistakes trying to shake off 20 years of being stuck at work or on dry land! Don't laugh too hard and keep the suggestions coming!
 
Beautiful boat and sail combo and a wonderful family story. The boom height/angle looks good to us, easy to duck under and fun for light to medium winds. Alcort has them rigged that way in most of their advertisements. We call it "The Geezer Rig" and it's our favorite.

Alcort Sunfish Geezer Rig and Vang 1967.jpeg


PHOENIX geezer rig copy.jpg


WINNIE Audrey.jpeg
 
One day, before the move from Mattoon to Decatur IL., Dad asked if I would like to go to sail at Mattoon lake. A school friend was there and asked at go along and we headed to the lake. We were on a reach, heading towards the bridge when Dad calls, ready about and pushes the rudder hard left. In that instance we noticed the top stay pin fell out of the bottom of the stay and it was Oh Crap! Committed the the tack, when the boat came about, too late to pull the main halyard loose from the cleat, the old wood mast gave to the wind with a long bend pulling the lower stay thru the swage, crack! Demasted! My friend Matt was mortified. The old Lighting got patch on the mast until Dad found and aluminum mast to replace it with.
Signal, thanks for the info on the screw, spot on, and the bottom hasn't been plugged yet but most certainly will be in the near future.
Time to make the doughnuts, top of the day to ya! Tim
 
Looking thru old photos and I had to laugh. Red and white sail on Dad's old boat too. Dad and grandson Zack who grew up to be a Y Flyer Nationals crew for Chet Turner.
Silhouette of Lighting mast on the pier.
 

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