My First Sailboat - a brand new 1980 CD 25

[Zeida]

Here she is, the very first time I ever saw her, delivered to the marina in Mamaroneck, NY. Boy, was I young then...!!!



Me, in my wonderful little sailboat, sailing on the Long Island Sound, NY.



Getting ready to take her out into the Sound... Life was so simple, then...I adored that boat.

[Doug Hill]

My first boat too, although not brand new. My sons learned about sailing on Celebration. Great pictures, thanks for sharing. You are right about life being simpler then.
By the way, was that a Detroit Tigers hat you were wearing?

[Zeida]

For sure it was a Detroit Tigers visor

[GinoDelG]

Doesn't look like you've aged much at all.

[Zeida]

Thanks, you are very kind ... I wish!

[Skeep]

Zeida that is too cool. Where is that Dory today, do you know? I was marveling at the Pinto station wagon in the background, wow, seems like another planet!

[NateHanson]

Wow, I just realized that the plywood cradle that my CD22 rest on right now must be a factory-made original! It's built exactly like the one in your first photo. I figured it was some crackpot owner thing, all bolted to a boat trailer. As a trailer bunk it's kinda crazy, since it has enough wood to nearly make the trailer float when launching.

Realizing that plywood is 30 years old makes me all the more eager to replace that cradle with some simpler (less buoyant) stands.

[RIKanaka]

A floating trailer's not necessarily a bad thing, particularly when you see all those youtube videos of boat ramp launching mishaps.

[seasailor55]

Floating trailers are wonderful! We just relaunched CD22 # 161 after a 2 year restoration for a youth sailing program. I had sounded the ramp at our local yacht club previously to make sure it would accomodate the 4'6" depth needed to float the boat off the trailer. When I finally got the boat down to the club and backed the trailer into the water, the boat floated off and was riding like a duck. Getting the trailer out was another matter. The club had dredged the launch and all the slips to 6' deep and the tandem axles on the trailer rolled off the end of the ramp. Broke the weld on the trailer hitch trying to pull it out with a 3/4 ton four wheel drive diesel pickup. Never again! From now on, there will be large inflatable boat fenders secured to the rear frame of the trailer.

Here are a few before and after photos of "ADVENTURER". The bottom photo is of the boat on the day we picked it up, the next photo is the boat after undergoing a 2 year restoration, and the top photo shows the boat complete and sailing.