Edna got me hooked

[mhorton44]

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I keep my Dufour at Holiday Point in Edgewater, MD, where I noticed a beautifully restored little boat sitting on a trailer a few months ago. Joe Gunn of Mast & Mallet told me that it was a Cape Dory Typhoon that had been brought back from the dead. Photos of Edna are somewhere on this Board and I can confirm that she looks stunning.

Since my wife is not an enthusiastic sailor and our daughter is no longer in the area, I main day sail the Chesapeake so the simplicity (and looks) of the Typhoon really appealed.

Some time later, I glanced over at a boat yard one block from my marina and saw this poor neglected soul. After agonizing over the implications of being a two boat owner, I got permission to do a fairly thorough amatuer survey and underneath the dirt and a cabin full of water was a surprisingly sound boat. The white patch on the starboard side is my test polish and one on the cabin top also got good results, deck was not soggy and moisture readings were only 10% above the hull values with consistent feed back from the hammer taps.

So, this 1979 Typhoon Weekender 1635 is now mine.

Power wash and a very unpleasant first pass at the cabin clean are done and everything looks good so far. Teak is neglected but very sound with some minor repairs needed. Two mains and three headsails came with the boat, several are quite old but I can get it on the water next season. The boat was not loaded on the trailer correctly and there are two nasty looking indentations on the hull. Have asked the marina to put the boat on jack stands soonest to relieve the load, but the indentations can be filled if they don't heal as there is no cracking. Thank you Carl.

Underneath the grime, I have discovered that this was once a very sophisticated Typhoon. Electrical wiring, nav lights, spinnaker halyard and blocks are all there. None working right now, and no spinnaker or outboard. I am aiming at simple but it is cheaper to get the nav lights to work with a small 12 volt starter pack than buying portables and evening sails on the Chesapeake can be beautiful.

New non skid is needed all round but the Alberg blue is not my favorite anyway and some minor cosmetic cracks in the cabin liner are on next years list.

This board has been so much help, and is one of the most agreeable forums I have followed. A lot of good and genuine advice without grandstanding and although not all agree, it is great to see both sides of any discussion. Indeed, the enthusiasm that your contributors have for this timeless design was a major part of my decision to rescue this wonderful little boat.

Wish me luck

[sloopjohnl]

your trailer is similar to my Load Rite trailer and once properly setup on the trailer or jack stands those indentations will work their way out. My trailer also has a movable cross beam with a wooden pad that supports the keel and takes much of the weight off the rollers. the boat is actually firmly on the rollers only when it is transported in the spring and fall to and from its wet slip. in the winter i jack the boat up a bit to take the weight off the rollers then they simply act to balance the boat in position rather than carry the full weight of the boat.

[Jim Walsh]

Great to see another worthy Cape Dory given a new lease on life. Great choice and good luck.

[mhorton44]

The trailer seems to be in good shape but will need a good overhaul and tires etc once I get the boat on jack stands for the winter. It also has hydraulic brakes but no surge actuator on the hitch. I don't expect to tow it much, so am wondering if I need to get the brakes working or not. Tow vehicle is a Range Rover so I have good weight up front. Maryland regulations seem to indicated that brakes are not needed under 3,000 lbs so it would be close.

[Frenchy]

I love your story. Good luck with the Typhoon. I think there are interesting adventures ahead for you. - Jean

[sloopjohnl]

no brakes on mine and never needed in 28 years. towed with a Ford F-150 eight cylinder automatic.

[Paul D.]

I did this exact project in the late nineties with the help of this board and my brother's awesome set of tools and encouragement. Our Typhoon was indeed stored improperly too and had a 1.5 inch indentation in the port aft quarter of the hull. While I was working on her I set a lamp about 15 inches away and slightly below to give some heat and set a basement jack on the inside giving some subtle but firm and constant pressure to the hull from the inside. The indentation came right in a few days while I was working on so many other items. Once a day I would give an extra twist to the screw jack.

This is a great project as the Typhoon is well respected, sails great and well, you just cannot argue with how she looks. At least on this board.

Fun fact: In my late teens I fell absolutely in love with sailing on a friend's dad's Typhoon that a group of us sailed all night in a rather sorry state. After everyone (four of us were onboard!) fell asleep below, I found myself at the tiller on a close reach in light but constant wind under a moonlit sky heading for the glow of a town some miles in the distance. You know, slight buzz, the immortality of youth, a good boat, moonlight. I was hooked.

Your work with be well worth it! Good luck.

[Carl Thunberg]

I can't count the number of sailboats I've had over the years, but every single one of them started out this way. You will learn new skills along the way, and the experience on the water will be more satisfying because of the effort you put in. You will find the contributors on this Board to be extremely helpful. Enjoy the restoration!

[mhorton44]

Many thanks for the suggestion on indentations. The heat gun idea seems encouraging and I was wondering how I could get some pressure from the inside. I did move the trailer supports last weekend and now there is only one indentation of about an inch.

The nice thing about this Typhoon is that it needs recovery and not restoration. Next summer is going to be interesting with two boats but I have a very strong feeling that the CD is going to get more hours on the water than the Dufour. General intent is to get it into sailing shape with all the "must haves" and then move to the "be nice to haves" next year. Be good also to test that 290 PHRF rating against other boats here in the Chesapeake and do a few Old Boat regattas.

Thanks for all the positive comments.

[Dick Villamil]

OMG - the same thing happened to me!!! After a thursday evening race on my C & C I saw the ad for an 18' Cape Dory (cheap) on our club bulletin board - I immediately took the entire ad down (so nobody else would see it) and called the next morning - 2 weeks later she was mine but it needed a LOT of work - taking 2 years. Every minute was worth it and 10 years later the C & C is now for sale!!! I may look for another CD - so I can have a pair! Really like the way she sails - especially with the rail down and sitting on the leeward side watching the water zip by (only half as fast as the C & C but just as exciting. I get many compliments on such a nice looking boat and everyone always asks - What Type of boat is that? I made bunks for the trailer and let the boat rest on the keel - only lateral pressure by the bunks. When I jacked it up to barrier coat the bottom it did get some indents - but they came out right after I set her back on the keel. Very easy boat to trailer and I launch/recover at any place with 3 feet of water. YOU ARE HOOKED (AS I AM) - sell the big boat and enjoy sailing where you can touch the water while sailing!

[mhorton44]

Love the Dufour but it is a lot of boat for day sailing solo and the Typhoon is coming together so nicely. Can’t wait to get it on the water after all the positive comments from this forum.

[Chrisa006]

Enjoy the process, CDs are great!!