I am a new member

[Russell Wakefield]

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