A New Beginning

At the suggestion of my friend Vic, I'm beginning to document my journey to restore a Herreshoff America catboat. Since 1972, this HA-18 hull # 85 has passed through at least five owners. I'm just the next in what I hope is a long line of custodians.

In her prime - Rum Tum Tugger on Lake Michigan

In June of 2016, while browsing Boat Trader Online and looking at trailerable sailboats, I came across an HA-18 for sale in the Florida panhandle. The price was attractive and the shoal draft, gaff-rig, and trailer-ability of the boat intrigued me. It was also made of hand laid fiberglass with aluminum spars and just enough teak and oak bright-work to keep it salty looking. I was currently busy enough with our powerboat, but the image of the little Herreshoff stayed with me. Two weeks later I saw that the boat was still listed and wondered, why? After talking about the boat with my wife Tammy, I decided to call and investigate further. The owner Michael related an unusual story of rescuing the boat from salvage and working to stabilize it from further deterioration. Then after deciding that completing and sailing the boat themselves was not a personal goal, decided to find the boat a good home and pass the next phase of restoration on to someone else. Surprisingly, several prior attempts to sell the boat had fallen through for what seemed to me to be almost providential reasons. The original short-shaft 6 hp outboard in the motor well had ceased and was unserviceable- I had an almost new 6 hp Nissan 4-stroke hanging on the back of my Gheenoe.  I simply said, "Yes, I'll buy her," and I forwarded on a check for a boat I wouldn't actually see until two months later, when time allowed us to travel the 16 hour round trip drive to pick her up. An unexpected surprise was meeting the owners, Michael and Alicia - two kindred spirits that immediately felt like the best of old friends. Life experiences like these come along too infrequently for me - but when they do, I have the innate sense that the world around us exists on so many more levels than we are normally conscious of and appreciate.

Photos From the For-Sale Posting