Surprise

Good Afternoon:
This is Richard, I haven't been on for proabably a year. I rescue and restore old small sailboats for the pure pleasure of working on them and of seeing them back on the water where they belong bringing new pleasure to their owners and to me. I sell them, sail them, give them away as it suits me. I admit to going overboard a bit having A sunfish on a small private lake, another Sunfish, a Puffer( 12 ' boat) and my old and best pal my Aquacat 14' in the driveway. All finished.

Now, however I may have over reached myself. I just picked up 14' boat described to me as a SURPRISE. The Sail has an exclamation point on it ( no idea if it is original)..THe ID is
NPT C752S M 80K. Could the NPT be Newport? Mast is 20' and Boom 9'. Appears to carry about 95 sq. ft of sail.

Hull has extensive damage on the bottom abaft the port beam from being grounded in a storm. Trim lines , I want to put this gracious girl back on the water, preferably with me in her.

Sound familiar to anybody? As I recall this list has some of the most knowledgeble and helpful sailors I've run across. Any help appreciated.

BTW, will be 74 on Monday stll pushing canvas every chance I get..

Richard in Richmond, Va.
 
Richard -

The Coast Guard boat manufacturer directory has this info --

NPT -- LOCKLEY NEWPORT BOATS, GLOUCESTER VA
C752S -- factory serial number
M 80 -- 1980
K -- made in June

That's all I can tell you.
 
Dan:
Many thanks for the info. The owner told me that he thought that it had been made down in Gloucester but had no more information. Glouscester is at the mouth of the James not too far from Richmond. I'll Google it and see what i come up with. more curiousity than anything else. She has nice lines. A completely fabricated rudder so I will try to trace an original. Who knows, I might find an old timer down in Glouscester to talk to. Any way, Thanks again. I'll dry her out for the next little while then move her into the shop.

Richard
 
Aquacat 14 help. I have just purchased a used 1982 aquacat 14 and need help on how everything goes together on this sailboat . How to raise the mast ?
 
Kevin;
American Sail is still making Aquacats. I have talked with them and have ordered parts and manuals in the past. They are extremely helpful. The address is:

7350 Pepperdam Ave.
Pepperdam Industrial Park
Charleston, So. Car.29418
Phone (803) 552 8548

Great fun! My 100 pound Shepherd sails with me. We both love the boat. Good luck.

Richard and GiGi
 
Hi Richard. I came across this site because I was looking for a picture of a boat similar to mine, as I am going to sell it. I have pictures of the boat in the water, but I want one on the land. But, I'd like to help you out if I can.

It is a Lockley-Newport Surprise. The company is now out of business.

Specifications of your boat (and mine) are as follows:
Length 14' 7"
Beam 5'3"
Hull Draft 4"
Sail Area 110 Sq. Ft.
Mast Lenght 19'7"
Ballast 50#
Hull Weight 260#
Rigged Weight 360#

It has lots of room - seating up to 5 people. It is lightweight, easy to tow, launch, set up, and sail. It is fast. Ideal for learning to sail.

I am selling it because we have 2 Snarks for the kids to sail, and I'd like to get a motorboat.

I have no idea how much to sell it for. Any suggestions? It is in good shape. The hull has very little wrong with it, except for minor damage which I patched from stones when beached, and it's a bit faded. It's yellow. Sails are in fairly good shape for their age. Yes, there's an exclamation point on the mainsail.

I had found a website at one point with rigging instructions. I have a copy if you would like it, I could scan and e-mail to you.

Hope this all helps, feel free to e-mail me @ [email protected]. Please put something about sailboat in the subject line.

Barb
 
Richard, I too have a Surprise that i'm working on. my question to you is do you have the orignal tiller/rudder the one I have looks like a make shift one. A picture would do. I have been working on mine for a few months.
 
Hello Everyone,

My name is Barry and reside in Columbus Oh.
I stumbled onto this site while researching 5o5's.

I also have a Surprise !.
It's a 1978 which we purchased in 1980.
It was sailed quite often between 1980 and 1982 but was retired due to time restraints as the family grew.
The hull as well as the mast,rigging,centerboard,rudder,tiller,boom,sheets,mainsail and jib are original and in excellent condition. She's been stored in the garage for 24 years.
The boat is a blast to sail and provided the wife and I many fun evenings on the water.
Now that the kids are grown we have considered revisiting the sport.
I do have the orginal "Newport Surprise Rigging and Handling Instructions" along with the orginal brochure. I will scan to PDF if anyone is interrested.
 
Barry,

Contact Wayne C. (moderator) on the Yahoo Sunfish Sailor about the documentation and any pictures you may have or can take. He has set up a page for "Clone" fish and anything you have will help others out there setting up, rigging and obtaining or replicating parts. Thanks
 
Thanks for the posting Barry! I was given an 81 Surprise as an early Christmas present (how appropriate). It was part of an estate auction and needs a little bit of work (mostly cosmetic). I would be interested in a copy of that PDF as well. I emailed you with the email address where you can send it. Thanks in Advance
 
Hi, My name is Dennis Nagle and I just bought a Surprise for my sisters triplets....they will be 10 in two weeks.....SURPRISE!!! I would like a copy of the handbook as well. I don't have any paperwork for the boat so, for the most part, am shooting in the dark. My email is [email protected]. Thanks so much....this will truely help.
 
I have a line on a Surprise that I may be checking out in a couple of days. The beam width will just b-a-r-e-l-y fit into my storage area, and I was curious if a trailer with a max width of LESS than the beam width will support the boat in a road-worthy fashion?

Anybody have ideas on where to look for used trailers in the Prince William/Fairfax/Stafford areas of Virginia? What kind of cost might I be getting into with a trailer for a boat like this.

Many thanks!
 
Thanks, I just acquired two Aquacats and had no idea where to get help in getting parts or any manuals for the boats. I will contact the company on Monday.
Thanks again,
Tim
 
Hello Everyone,

My name is Barry and reside in Columbus Oh.
I stumbled onto this site while researching 5o5's.

I also have a Surprise !.
It's a 1978 which we purchased in 1980.
It was sailed quite often between 1980 and 1982 but was retired due to time restraints as the family grew.
The hull as well as the mast,rigging,centerboard,rudder,tiller,boom,sheets,mainsail and jib are original and in excellent condition. She's been stored in the garage for 24 years.
The boat is a blast to sail and provided the wife and I many fun evenings on the water.
Now that the kids are grown we have considered revisiting the sport.
I do have the orginal "Newport Surprise Rigging and Handling Instructions" along with the orginal brochure. I will scan to PDF if anyone is interrested.
Hi,
I have a 1980 Newport Surprise. Could you send me a copy of the manual and brochure if it isn't too much trouble? My e-mail is [email protected].

Thank-you!
Frank
 
Richard,
I have a 76 Surprise which needs new lines. Do you have your surprise back together? I live in Stafford and make frequent trips to Richmond and would like to see how your surprise is rigged. Does anyone else have a surprise in northern or central Virginia? Did anyone get the rigging PDF?
Frank
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Re: Surprise!

Guys,

We have a Newport Suprise we purchased on Long Beach Island in about 1978, named the "Aargh!" We have sailed her on Barnegate Bay, New Jersey, Lake Norman, in North Carolina, Smith Mountain Lake, in Virginia, and on various ponds and lakes in Connecticut. She is currently at a friend's house on the ICW in Wilmington, NC. I originally had to make a new rudder assembly, because the dealer who sold her to us did mostly power boats and apparently threw in a bunch of parts which didn't work.

She measures just under 16' long (doesn't have to be registered, unless you use a motor), and draws about 1' board-up. The solid steel centerboard drops to about 3'. We are currently using the original sails, main jib and spinnaker. The spinnaker was original equipment, but I had to rig the pole.

It takes two people to rig her, although one can do it with practice. Two is a comfortable crew. I have single-handed her extensively, and we occasionally sail with three. The normal crew is my wife Carole and me, and after 30 years we are pretty good at it.

She is the best training boat I've ever seen; a marconi-rigged sloop with spinnaker, and I have sailed her quite a bit with novices. We have only capsized three times; once when we first bought her and didn't realize the centerboard was in the mud bottom, once when I was single-handing at night and was taken aback, and once when the bottom drain failed and she took on water.

She is easily righted by standing on the centerboard.

Improvements:

We added the spinnaker, with a ring on the mast, additional block on the mast for the lift for the pole, two new cleats and two new fairleads.

I added an outboard motor pad; we havent used an outboard on her in 20 years, but a 2-horse Johnson fit well and moved her right along. She does so well in light air that we found the motor to be more in the way than useful.

I added a tiller extension for singlehanding.

I installed lights and a battery for night sailing.

Gear Failures: Once, over the winter, the cockpit drain cracked, and the first time out in the spring we took water into the hull, became unstable and capsized (more like, "fell over") before we realized what was going on. Embarrassing.

After 20 years, the double blocks operating the centerboard wore out and separated, so the centerboard control line jammed in the block; I replaced them.

I have replaced the halyards once.

We are now undergoing our first "major re-fit," and have ordered a new sheave for the main halyard at the top of the mast (the original jammed and is worn flat; it still works, though). The rinky-dink turnbuckle on the forestay bent (after 30 years) and we have ordered a new turnbuckle and Norseman fitting for the forestay.

We have waxed the superstructure twice, and she still has the original bottom paint. She is on her original trailer.

We are using the original sails, although they are a bit limp and misshapen. We, too, after 30 years, are a bit limp and misshapen. The sails have retained at least as much of their original function than we have.

We were experienced "large boat" sailors before we bought her, but I love the handiness of a small boat. I can back her into a slip if the wind is right (a useful trick for your first time out in a new neighborhood).

I will answer questions to the best of my ability, though taking measurements might take a while since the boat is now 4 hours away. Feel free to contact me at [email protected].

We've bought a 39' cruising sloop on the Chesapeake bay, so we plan to sell her. I plan to list her on e-bay as soon as the "refit" is completed. We'll be sorry to see her go, but feel even worse about letting her sit unused.

Wayne Roberts
 
Hello,

I am new to the forum.

I have a 1980 Lockley/Newport Surprise.

I lost my keel in the Barnegat bay when I capsized her last week.

I am looking for a Surprise owner who would be willing to let me trace a template and take measurements off the keel of their Surprise. I am planning on having a new keel fabricated from stainless, but need accurate measurements to give to my fabricator before he can proceed.

I am located near Allentown, PA in the Lehigh Valley. I am willing to travel to wherever the boat is located to retrieve the measurements.

I really miss Surprise and am anxious to get her back in the water.

Thanks in advance!

[email protected]
 
I have the manual for the 77 Surprise and will scan and post soon.

I lost my Centerboard today in the muck of the Potomac. Can anybody with one of these boats provide specs? The paperwork doesn't indicate them.
 
Okay ... at long last, the Rigging and Handling instructions for a Lockley Newport Surprise. I scanned this at 300 dpi and cleaned this up a bit too so it should print quite nicely. Even tagged it so search engines can index it a bit better (since ultimately the pages are big images).

Now ... back to my centerboard (or lack thereof). I'm finding very little info on the Web about the specs for these. With Lockley Newport out of business, I'm not even sure where to turn.
 

Attachments

  • NewportSurprise77.pdf
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I found somebody only about 20miles away with his Surprise out of the water and keel out of the slot. He's going to try to help.

Incidentally, to the forum moderator, I can't edit the above post, so I'm attaching a fresh copy of the attachment. OCR has been added so it can be searchable. Please feel free to delete the post above in place with this one.
 

Attachments

  • NewportSurprise77.pdf
    2.3 MB · Views: 185
PDF for Lockley Newport Boats Surprise attached.

I bought a Surprise in January and will share photos soon
 

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  • NewportSurprise77 (5).pdf
    2.3 MB · Views: 79

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