Sea Sprite 28

Purchase

Looking back, I guess I was very lucky to find this particular Sea Sprite. The ad for the boat was in a local newspaper, which I found online as a pdf file that was many results pages into a Google search. Asking price was $8,500. I contacted the seller, and surprisingly, the boat was still available (pdf files tend to linger on the Web, so I expected this file to be out of date). I made arrangements to view the boat. (By the way, most of the "before" photos on the Before and After page were taken during this visit.)

I was interested in another Sea Sprite at the time, one that was represented by SS-icon himself, C.E. Ryder, and it happened to be nicely fitted out and in great shape. The asking price reflected this. I calculated what it would cost to outfit the rundown SS similar to C.E.'s, and made an offer based on that calculation. I didn't factor in the time I would need to spend working on the boat, but I didn't see the need to. I like working on projects and found the idea of spending lots of time working on this boat very appealing.

We agreed on a price, I mailed a deposit, and I made arrangements with Peter Hunt for a survey. The survey went well -- I spent three enjoyable hours with Peter as he went over the boat, and he didn't find anything that was a surprise to me. And a few days later I received a detailed survey. (If any of you in the New England area are in need of a surveyor, I highly recommend Peter.)

What happened on June 21, 2006, was a whirlwind of activity: 1) I traveled to the center of Connecticut (the owner and I decided to meet halfway between Framingham, MA, and Poughkeepsie, NY); 2) We finalized the transaction over coffee; 3) We located a notary public and had her notarize the Coast Guard bill of sale (I wanted to get the boat documented, and is was a required form); 4) I rushed to Westerly, RI, to meet the crane man; 5) We unstepped the mast and I secured it to the boat (using a homemade support, since the mast couldn't rest on the broken bow pulpit); 6) I met the driver of the hauling service; and 6) I led the way back to Framingham. And to make the day even more eventful, the engine of my old Saab seized just as I pulled into my driveway.

Restoration

My plan was simple: Restore the Sea Sprite with a $5,000 budget. At the request of my wife, Jo, I opened a "boat" account at the bank and made the deposit of $5,000. This was a great solution. Over the next three years she saw me buying boat things like crazy, and it would have caused her lots of anxiety if she knew the money was coming out of our joint account. This way, the money was in a sense controlled, and I could buy at will without any discussion (though, after every purchase, she invariably asked, "That came out of the boat account, right?").

This solution was great for me, too. I knew I had only the $5K to spend, so I was very careful about what I bought and how much I paid. It was actually a lot of fun shopping by mail order, eBay, and Craigslist, always looking for the best deal.

I didn't realize, going into the restoration, how much problem solving I would need to do. Sure, I had lots of books and magazines to refer to, and I read and reread the ones I owned, but so much of what needed to be done was specific to my boat, there was no way that I could find all the answers to my questions. These I had to solve on my own. I can't remember now where I read it, but the author of one of my books stated the importance of a "thinking chair." I completely agree. I kept mine in my garage/workshop, pointed right at the boat. I spent many hours in that chair, thinking through the problems (while admiring the lines of the Sea Sprite). (For more about the work I did on the boat, check out the Project Photo Essays.)

In the end I spent closer to $7,000 than to $5,000, so in a way I failed. One reason was that I paid to have the cushions reupholstered. I was planning to do this myself and had bought an old, heavy-duty sewing machine and all of the material, thread, and beading needed, but Jo suggested that I hire a professional to do the work and suggested that payment could come out of our joint account. (She didn't have faith in my sewing abilities; I can't say that I did, either!) The cost for this work was $1,200.

The boat came out great -- when you're on it, it really feels like a new boat. Everything that looked old or was damaged was replaced, and everything works as it should. (See the List of New Items and the 2006-2009 To-Do List.) The topsides still need work -- that'll be the next big project (though if I can find the money, I'll pay a yard to awlgrip it) -- and it could use a new working jib and genny. And at some point I'll need to replace the engine, which is original, but it seems to be going strong now.

And if you're wondering if I spent less on the boat than I would have if I had bought the nicely fitted out boat Clark Ryder represented, the answer is, "Yes!"

Relaunch

In the sprine of 2009, the boat was ready for relaunching -- or, at least, close enough to being ready. It was hauled from my driveway to Hingham, MA, and a week later my friend Don and I sailed it to Yarmouth, ME. And that's where it spent the summer. It's spending the 2009-2010 winter in Yarmouth, too, but next fall I plan to bring her back to Framingham to continue my work.

R. Groleau, Nov. 15, 2009

NEXT: Before and After photos...