I spoke with Pat Crabtree, the original owner of the "Foot Loose" yesterday afternoon to tell her about all these Acapulco 40's I've recently learned about on these
forums. Her and I are the only two owners alive today of the original
hull built by John Leeper and overseen by Ted Carpentier. She told me a story of when she was aboard with Ted in 1968 asking about cutting a hole in the
galley bulkhead under the vertical hand post. He said "no, that is structural!" She also mentioned that he said he built this
boat to reach. Hence the heavy
helm. Ted was involved in the first rudder/keel modification to Foot Loose. I just finished re-glassing the two piece mahogany
rudder that they put on her in 1968 after she was launched and sea-trialed.
I have all of a sudden within the last two days realized how much of a legacy this
boat has left in her wake, and I feel privelaged to be still closely connected to her origins through Pat. She just had her 84th birthday and Bob passed away a few years ago. Foot Loose is up on the ways on Quadra Island today and I have just finished restoring the
hull. This summer I repainted her
cabin, and I plan to resurface the non-skid
deck in summer 2012. She still maintains her original beauty today.
Derek Jean 31
Quadra Island, BC
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