DaySailer.org Forum

I bought what was billed as a 1968 Day Sailer off of Craigslist yesterday and the more research I do the more I think it might have been misidentified, a clone, or perhaps that it's been modified or heavily rebuilt. There is nothing on her that gives me any clue about the manufacturer including the pre-1971 hull number. It looks, to my inexpert eye, like a Day Sailer, but there are some differences like a lack of thwarts, no lever for the centerboard, the mast not going through the deck to the bottom of the hull, etc. I would deeply appreciate it if someone could help steer me in the right direction.

Pictures: https://imgur.com/a/BfSMpC8

Hopefully an imgur album link is acceptable because I cannot figure out how to embed images that aren't massive.

You should look through older posts here, also in the Misc. section. I think you may indeed have a clone.

Depends on what you like to do. If it's racing w/ other DS in a sanctioned class event, then it's a no-no. If it's sailing to have fun - your new boat will be very similar. And other than not being able to sell her on to a racer, I don't see why you would care.

If it's getting advice on rigging etc.: much of which will apply, as you can see from the earlier discussion, but we'll appreciate if you ask questions in the Misc. section.

I'm waiting for someone to confirm that this is indeed a clone, and then I'll move the post.

I'm basing the impression on the curve where the cuddy joins the side deck and the pronounced angle of the rear of the CB trunk. Plus, the inside of the cuddy.

Here's a thread where someone did have a DS: https://forum.daysailer.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=6140

However, if you dig a bit, you should find an older thread that shows a boat more like yours.

Thanks for the reply. After digging through a bit I think it has turned out to be an Annapolis Discoverer 18 as in this post:

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=5407

Glad you found the answer.

Are you OK with this? Or had you hoped to race your boat?

Anyway, as I mentioned, much of the info on how to sail and rig a DaySailer can be applied to all of the various "clones" with only minor adaptation to account for model differences. Just like most of that info works across the DS model range.

I'll move your thread out of the DS1 section soon, so don't panic if it''s "gone", it will resurface in "Miscellaneous".

Well... I'm probably going to keep her. I wasn't specifically looking to race, but rather go on little cruises with my family of four (kids are 2 and 4).

I'm a little uneasy as I specifically wanted a Day Sailer for the many qualities I've read about (and my previous experience is mostly with Sunfish as a kid and briefly with Mercurys at a sailing club) and all the available resources, but I haven't heard anything negative about the Discoverer yet...

You'll be fine! The hull shape is the same, so she'll have pretty much the same sailing qualities. The added support for the cuddy roof is nice to have (I retrofitted it into my DS1). The "false floor" is a DS2 feature, apparently provides added flotation. Heavier too, but you're not racing. Altogether, looks like a fine family boat. Upgrade your stays if they are less than 1/8" thick.

To echo Tom: "you'll be fine" for that purpose. The boat was intended as a direct clone, so ticks the same boxes. As I said, you'll find most discussions here broadly applicable. For a refresher, check out the "Basic Concepts" thread in "Seamanship and Boat Handling". The reason you may not find a lot on the Discoverer is that it probably didn't sell in the same numbers as the original, but they are around, we've seen a few owners pop up here.

I like how open the area under the cuddy is, much more than my DS1

Thanks everybody. We rigged it in the driveway (primarily to scare the neighbors) and everything looks to be functional. We're hoping to take it out for a shakedown cruise hopefully in the next few weeks. First project is refinishing the coamings for the emotional satisfaction

Always good when you can clearly articulate what makes a project a success. Form, function, satisfaction.