New DS1 owner

[GreenEggHead]

My wife and I bought a used Spindrift Day Sailer 1 Memorial Day weekend, and shortly thereafter I found this website. What a gem!



Thank you for providing such a great resource, it has been essential in helping us rig the boat and take it out for our first sail last weekend.

It was not without some issues however (specifically traveller rigging and main sail), which will be sorted out in time, but I'm looking forward to many years of wind-blown sails!

Now that I've found the hull number, I guess I'll have to add it to my nifty signature on here eh?

[jpclowes]

Erik
Welcome! I see you are in Ohio. If you are ever in the Columbus area, there is a fleet here, we'd love to have you come and join us. Also, if you want several examples of how to set up your boat you can come and look at how ours are set up.
I hope you enjoy your DS as much as I have enjoyed mine over the years.

[GreenEggHead]

JP,

I have some trailor issues to attend to before I take her too far from home. After the first launch I noticed that the lead roller is practically disintegrating and the 2x4 bunk on one side has rotted and come undone on the front side.

I'm curious how heavy this boat is and if I dare roll it off in the grass in the yard for a weekend, while I repair the trailer? I'd rather do that than hoist it in the barn.

[swiftsail]

It should weigh in a about 575.

[GreenEggHead]

Thanks swiftsail. I would think with a repaired roller and new bunks that I should be able to push/lift/winch boat back on trailer. Anyone else do this, or am I crazy?

Additionally, I was reading somewhere on this forum about hull numbers, and it said the last bit was the year of manufacture? Would that make mine an '82, not a 1986 as the title says?

[seandwyer]

Greenegg,

There are several posts on here explaining how to remove a boat from a trailer and get it back on, as well as how to turn it over to work on he bottom if need be. One way to turn it over was to use the mast in place as leverage. Look for the posts - I know for a fact that Roger has written several times about this as well as others.

I'd love to get mine off the trailer just to inspect the bottom, but I don't have anywhere to do it!

Goodluck!

[swiftsail]

I do it all the time, a second person helps, but it can be done single handed. If you don't have rollers a slick bottom helps.

Looks like 82 to me, I'm no expert on those numbers.

[GreenEggHead]

Great. I can't wait to take a wire brush to the rusted up trailer and give it a coat of rustoleum. Now all I need is another weekend with no baseball games, Scouts or honeydo lists.

[Phill]

WELCOME !!!

Like "Swifty" (my name for a very very good friend) sez, Lawn Launching is easy and useful for trailer and hull work. He always tows his boat from California to Eugene Oregon to launch his on our lawn. (miss ya SS)

GreenEggHead, (could very well be another name for swiftsail) The happiest sailing to you and your crews.

phill

[mkwmson]

GreenEggHead,

I had similar questions when I purchased a 1981 Spindrift DS1 in April of this year. I read everything I could about DS1 builders, years, etc., but my hull number was giving our state DNR register agents fits. It turns out that my hull number (similar to yours) is listed as Rebel Industries, not Spindrift. The last two numbers of the hulll # (the very last is a letter) is the year of manufacture. My hull number is RRR11469M81L.

Mike

[Bob Hunkins]

Spindrift was the name Rebel took after it reorganized. Hope you guys enjoy your boats. Let me know if you have any Spindrift specific questions.