Basic Specifications
1975 Custom Finished Hull # 552
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Fuel Tanks (2)Capacity:
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40 gals. each |
CAPER is a work in progress. We bought her nearly 10 years ago, intending to take her offshore, and undertook a long program of rejuvenation and repair. She'd been to Hawaii five years earlier, and her bluewater equipment list was worthy: running backstays, a new cruising gennaker, Forespar spinnaker pole, Monitor windvane (now in need of repair), 400' of ¾" braid anchor rode; man-overboard gear, etc. But she'd been neglected since.
We divided the list of tasks into three categories: safety items, functional items, cosmetic items, and got underway, checking things off as time and finances permitted and sailing her around the San Juan Islands and Canadian Gulf Islands as we continued. First we replaced the nylon-cordlifelines with some proper ones, furnished by Bud Taplin. Then we installed a new manual bilge pump. Finally the big ticket item: we replaced the old Volvo MD2D with a slick new Perkins M-35, also from Bud. During this project, we rigged the cockpit sole so it can be removed from above, instead of crawling back into the engine compartment in the dark. This has made subsequent engine maintenance a true joy. Just pull the sole and sit there in the sunshine changing oil. We installed a new shaft log and a Campbell Sailer propeller, an ingenious Canadian design that reduces drag by a remarkable degree, and just to be comfortable, stuck in an oversized Hurth transmission. Next, with the upgrade kitty recovering from the repower expense, we tackled the brightwork, which was badly weathered, gray, and checked. Four coats of Cetol later (and renewed annually), Caper looks again like somebody loves her. (Happily, her decks are NOT teak.) In prepping for the brightwork project, we discovered the old laminated bowsprit was badly rotted under the anchor winch. So we scratched the upgrade kitty bare again and had Bud Taplin send us a new stainless steel bowsprit.
Caper's interior is the offshore configuration. Descending from the cockpit, the galley is to port, and the nav station to starboard, without a quarter berth. The space is used instead for the second fuel tank in the engine room. Instead of the dinette layout, Caper has two settees facing each other-far more convenient at sea-with a pilot berth above the one to starboard. A fold-down table drops between the two settees. A butterfly hatch over the settees brightens the interior of the boat. Opposite the head on the port side is a hanging locker and set of drawers, and in the forward stateroom is a double berth and lockers everywhere.
Caper's cabin was finished in the usual fashion, with
teak trim and mahogany paneling, which we thought made a dark and somber interior. The paneling was fairly ratty, too, so we remodeled her "Herreshoff fashion," painting the paneling a soft luster white and refinishing the teak trim bright.
Here are some pictures of the boat's interior.
The upgrade kitty built up again nicely while we refinished the interior, so we added a 35 lb. Delta anchor, overhauled the anchor winch, and stuck the old fake-CQR in the lazarette as a spare. Back again to cosmetic work, we painted the sheer stripe dark green, but found it clashed with the old raggedy maroon sail covers. The kitty was willing again, so we had some new sail covers custom made to match the sheer stripe, and found the new look pleasing.
Then we sailed for a couple of years.
Finally, a year ago, we looked at the teak boomkin and realized the integrity of the entire rig rested on those two pieces of wood. Again relying on Bud Taplin's service and products, we replaced it with a stainless steel boomkin, fitted with a hoop for the mainsail sheet, the short lifelines, and a boarding ladder. Then we replaced the worn out autopilot
with a new Simrad Tillerpilot.
What next? The years have slipped away and with them the inclination for ocean sailing. We've bought a 20-year-old Lord Nelson Victory Tug instead, and will explore the Northwest coast under power, from Seattle to Alaska. (Photo #8)
And what about Caper's restoration? No, she's not finished. Her mast needs to be repainted. Before she sails offshore, she should have new standing rigging, and probably an electronic upgrade. She has no radar; her VHF is functional but dated, as is her GPS. We did add a new Raytheon fishfinder/depth sounder/knot log 2 years ago. The boat's wiring is serviceable, and everything works, but a rewire job would add peace of mind. Her sails are serviceable, too, but (except for the gennaker) are as old as the boat.
We need to pass the baton. Caper is nearly ready to fulfill your dream ofdistant shores-and, vicariously, our dream too.
Price: $59,250
Located on Lopez Island of the San Juan Islands, Washington state
Contact: Dick and Ann Behan
Tel. (360) 468-3150
Email: rwbehan@rockisland.com
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