I am a
new member. So What! you say? Well I have been
boating since 1947. Ugh! I am that old. I am a retired
charter operator since 1999 but have grown tired of sitting around and doing nothing. Lived in the
Bahamas for over 20 years and in
Costa Rica. I was born in
Ohio, however.
Well, I went out and purchased a Chung Hwa 36
ketch which is identical to an
Island Trader 37. The
boat is all original--which is not good. Rotted wooden masts and leaky
teak decks but HEY! it looks like a Hippie Boat(Is that term still in use?). I was a Hippie when real Hippies existed!
Anyway, even though I know a thing or two about sailboats on the open sea I do not know how to find anyone who knows of a wooden
mast builder. I will take
aluminum but these
mast and
rigging outfits(some of them anyway)act like is is rocket science and want to charge accordingly. Can anyone show me the way to a supplier who sells
aluminum masts--or BETTER--does anyone know what hapened to all those wrecked sailboats from the last couple of hurricaines. I called a couple of
Marinas on the
Gulf coast and they could not help.
AND I saw an article somewhere on the net where a
boat owner did his
teak decks step by step. For the last two days I have been looking. Any help on the most revered forum?
Russell Wakefield