All Blog Posts (162)

I have been on the computer getting together photos for the broker.  Sadly after 20 years - 5 in rebuild and 15 sailing and constantly upgrading I am serious about selling Western Way.  She is in excellent shape and has been a fantastic cruising platform for my wife and I but we are getting to the age where I need to downsize.   I do plan to launch this May for the last season unless she sells.  We are going over to the dark side and I plan to get a trawler type yacht probably about 30 feet…

  am posting two photos from the 1970's. At the time there were two Newporters in Chicago.

The one under full sail on a broad reach is a glossy black and white 3 x 5 in.print which I must have taken ( but I don't remember.)  It is the only picture I've ever seen of a Newporter flying a "mule"/"fisherman" sail, and mizzen spinnaker plus mizzen, main, jib, and genoa. We all need it for inspiration.

 

 If anyone knows the dimensions of the mule and mizzen spinnaker, and how to…

Soooo last night was the first rain here in Northern California and I found a leak in one of my portholes the 7 x 18 on the forward port side. Not much water came in but it followed the channel above my bunk and dripped down on me at an inappropriate time of the night.  Any recommendations on replacement seals.  All six are shot and I suppose that I could call Parker Seal for a giant o-ring but thought the rest of you would have some advice.  Thanks in advance.

What were the interior floors originally made of?  I have oak parquet which I cannot imagine was the intent of the maker.  Surprisingly they have not blackened which is the property of oak with water.  I guess that is a tribute to the finisher. Save they are glued down with mastic and popping loose in areas. The hatches have a frame that appears to be a different wood with longer grain structure.  Suggestions?

In response to Bob’s blog on the masts:

Now we are looking into an interesting bit of history in Newporter construction.  The ones we built, and Bob’s present boat is one of them, and those after a few of the first boats were built, were all built to patterns and on jigs and in accord with measurements in a book or two.  Each area in our shops had their own areas of the total construction as their “area” of work to put the boats together.  This resulted in some overlaps, or…

Hello, all--

We're long overdue for an update here.  We hauled Viajador in October, 2014 to deal with some extensive cracking of the fibreglass on the decks and cabin top, as well as some rusty fasteners that were bleeding through the hull.  Thirteen months later, we splashed back into Howe Sound (BC, CA) with a very sound hull, a brand new cabin top and not much else done!  We're currently hunkering under an inelegant but reasonably effective tarp tent, which the 70 kph winds last…

I will bring along a cutoff grinder in case the hex wrenches fail. Given the condition of the damper plate I will probably end up needing to replace that also. Bob tells me that they are only about a boat buck. It looks like the fly wheel could use a little sand blasting also.…

I'm not sure which pics may accompany this post but I hope to show a derrick frame that supports the overhead and a hoist attached to a strong back that straddles the hatch. It took me about two hours and $25 worth of HD studs to prep the lift. The chain lift I got at Harbor Freight for $40.

 I calculated the weight of the engine and trans to be a bit over 700 lbs and factored in lots of safety margin for every component. Detaching hoses, elec and breaking all the mounting bolts,…

Here are a few more pics. I don't know how to get the tags attached to the pics. If someone could advise me I would appreciate it.

I have enjoyed reading the comments here for quite a while.  I started when I first bought "Against the Wind" in San Rafael, CA in 2009. I figured it was about time that I contributed something.

My current project is pulling the engine, a Perkins 4-108, that seized about eight months ago. I will post the first pics of that if I can figure out how this site works. I got quotes on rebuilds, new engines, installed up to $12k and decided I would do everything myself on the boat at…

Hi, everyone!

I know I've been away and keep saying I'll be on with updates but so much has been happening and so much if it has only peripherally been related to So Nice.

I started a business last year that's been evolving. It was keeping me extremely busy but was going in directions I wasn't enjoying so I took a break and slowed down and am pointing in in a different direction that *does* suit me better - at least partially because it'll be a lot more focused on being on…

I just saw on Yachtworld that hull 47 Jim Sherk's old "Proof" is for sale in San Diego for $34,800 with a new name "Braveheart" http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1957/Newporter-Ketch-2794785/San-Diego/CA/United-States#.VIX2tb4-Ay4 In case anyone is looking for a Newporter I know Bo was looking for his 3rd Newporter. 

Just a quick check-in to let everybody know I'm still alive and kicking! Its been a busy year - not a lot of boat work or terribly much sailing, unfortunately.

I'll write more soon to update on what we *have* been doing, with So Nice and otherwise, soon. I'm in the throes of a terrible chest cold right now though, so more detailed info will have to wait.

I am missing all the engine gauges, does anyone know what Tachometer will work for the original Ford Lehman? The engine is also needing a new heat exchanger and possibly a new starter. When I purchased the boat the engine was running well now I can't get it to start up, it doesn't seem to have enough power in the starter to get it going, it turns over but not very fast. My first thought was that I needed a better battery as the one that came with the boat was just a car battery. I have since…

After a few years of (hopefully) helping Newporter owners make changes to their boat I have had to scrap my thinking that the Newporter was a well built vessel.  Let me make that more clear.  When I was helping to build these boats the building technique used by Ack in the design and building of these vessels was considered high tech.  We had a naval architect come to our yard (in Leesburg, NJ) to look over our operation and interview the men on the job in his hunt for a boatbuilder to build…

Thank you for allowing me aboard!  My name is Captain Jack Moore.  While I am currently the Captain of a Contessa 39 known as Saltshaker, I was raised on a Newporter 40k junk known as Wu Wei from infancy.  I know as well as the rest of you that a N40Ks more than just a boat, but a island upon itself, a sailing work of art, and personally for me, a manifestation of childhood dreams and a place of meditation through work and maintenance.  I look forward to providing my…