Moth Nationals

It's been over two years since I posted about the Fran Abbott Moth that I got from a trash dump.  I've sailed the boat in a number of regattas since the restoration and have had modest success.  We hold our national championship in Elizabeth City NC. every September.  I've made most of them for the last 14 years.  The Vintage class has always had it's own championship series combined with the national champ for the faster boats.   This year the class association decided that the National Champion will be awarded to the winner of the Vintage class.   So I've decided to upgrade the Abbott to make her a national contender.  With that said, I'm in the process of fairing the bottom.  When I restored the boat I didn't do this mainly because it wasn't necessary.  Now it does. 
Fairing the bottom means eliminating all bumps and anomies in the bottom.  Then a good coat of paint followed by a complete wet sanding of the bottom.  I'm at the initial sanding stage now.

Brigantine

My first classic Moth event this year was at Brigantine NJ.   Brigantine is the next town above Atlantic City on the NJ coast.  You have to go through AC to get there.  This Abbott moth probably spent it's life about 20 miles south of Brigantine in Ocean City NJ.  My goal in restoring the boat was to sail in the vintage class and make it around the buoys a few times.  I did that and wound up winning the Vintage class..  I get my name on a very exclusive trophy and I got a very nice serving trey.  (pix courtesy of Ingred Albaugh)

First sail

Shane and I took the boats out this past weekend.  We went to one of the many ponds here in Delaware.  Shane sailed the Ventnor and I did the first sail in the Abbott.  Don't have any pix of that because we had no ground crew.   The boat sailed really well, right up to the part where the rudder fell off.  I forgot to put the rudder stop on.

I remedied that today.

Race boat

We have one.  I put one of my sails on the boat.  With a few minor adjustments she fits nice.  I got the mast sorted out and it now sits at a 90 degree to the boat.  The Vang works and I'm working on a Cunningham and an in haul.

Toy car

I have a 93LE Miata.   The 93LE is a special Miata.  The LE means limited edition.  Mazda only made 1500 of this particular model.  This car featured every available option Mazda had plus a Bilinstine race suspension with BBS wheels.  The interior is red leather.  I consider it my toy car.  It sits all winter waiting for the nice weather.  Last month I started to get the car ready for spring.  That usually consists of checking the fluids, washing and general clean up.   Well, when I opened the hood there was a large birds nest in the motor with 5 blue eggs in it.  I just couldn't take that out.  I'll be getting the car back soon.

Mast

George A graciously lent me a mast for the boat.  This is the first trial fit.  Not bad. Some tweaking and we'll have a race boat.

Housekeeping

I made the mast peg leg some time ago.  Just now getting around to putting the mast pin in it.  It's a 3/8 inch SS lag bolt 4 inches long.  I screwed it in so about 1 inch was showing then I cut the head off.  Not an easy job with a manual hack saw.   I also put in the hiking strap.  I put it in the traditional way athwart ship.  That's the way it was done back in the day.   We'll see if that works.  If not I'll put it in fore/aft as are all the other boats now days.
I also added the traveler and finished up rigging the boom.  Boom just needs some varnish.