Does anybody want to go sailing?

[Derek Hillen]

Hi. I am a new owner of a 1981 Cape Dory 33 and am still a little unfamiliar with the boat (Galileo). She is moored in Stamford, CT and will be getting a new mainsail this Friday. Weather permitting, I would very much like to take her out Saturday or Sunday and am looking for anyone with some experience to go for a day sail.

Any takers?

Thanks.



derek.hillen@sgw.com

[John Keyes]

Derek,

Congratulations on your new CD33! I bought one a year ago, and love it. I'm learning more about her every time I go out. SPREE is hull #12, 1980 -- what's your hull #? Is Galileo sloop or cutter rigged?

I just got SPREE into the water two weeks ago for the season, and am really looking forward to another summer of sailing -- New England summers are just too short -- but Mother Nature pays us back with the best cruising grounds (no offense to our fine Cal. hosts of this mesage board)!

Click on the picture of my dog on my home page to see SPREE (or at least part of her -- I need to post more pictures).

Good luck with the new mailsail.

John
Cape Dory 33 SPREE
Robinhood, Maine



keyes@openmarket.com

[Derek Hillen]

John,

Thanks for the encouragement. Galileo is hull #46, sloop rigged. Have you rigged Spree for singlehanded sailing? I am installing a wheel brake this weekend as part of the long process to convert her to a more singlehander-friendly rig. I sailed her up from Annapolis with a couple of friends in April - she handled the cold and heavy weather much better than her crew.

Cheers.

Derek

[John Keyes]

Derek,

Wow...did they really build them that quickly (hull #12 in 1980, hull #46 in 1981)? I wonder how many CD33's there are in total.

SPREE is not currently well rigged for single-handed use, although that's something I'd like to work on. Actually the best improvement I made this Spring was buying a hand-held VHF, so that I don't have to leave the wheel to use the radio -- single-handed or not, it's quite "handy."

I'd also like to install an Autopilot when I get in the mood to spend the $.

Do you have any deck leaks? I've got one that shows up as a damp spot on the cabin sole, just aft of the starboard cockpit lockers, where the sole meets vertical base of the starboard seat. For some reason I have not been able to track down the precise source...

Anyway, happy sailing...

John
Cape Dory 33 SPREE
Robinhood, Maine



keyes@openmarket.com

[Derek Hillen]

John,

Yup, they sure did.

I have a tiny leak in the cockpit around the port drain, other than that I haven't detected anything else yet. I just bought a handheld VHF - ICOM M15, I believe. It's the smaller one made by ICOM that Practical Sailor ranked number one. Seems to work well - and it should for $289.

The autopilot that came with Galileo is a Navico 4000. It worked well on the trip up until we had following seas which made the steering sloppy. I need to experiment further before I come to any conclusions. The former owner had the boat over 10 years and was reluctant to sell - a good sign. He did a lot of singlehanding by using the autopilot to control the helm while he went forward. I admit I don't have the confidence yet to try this. We'll see.

I haven't installed roller furling for the jib yet and am undecided on that issue. My next job on the boat after the wheel brake installation is to figure out why I have water in my tanks but it doesn't make it to the sink, ie, pump problem? Then I need to fix the pressurized alcohol stove....

Have you had any problems with the CD 33 that may be inherent to the design, or any pet peeves you could give me a heads up on? And why did you decide on a Cape Dory 33?

Thanks.

Derek

[John Keyes]

I haven't installed roller furling for the jib yet and am undecided on that issue.

I've been reasonably happy with the Hood roller furling that came on my boat. Nothing fancy about it, but it works fine.

My next job on the boat after the wheel brake installation is to figure out why I have water in my tanks but it doesn't make it to the sink, ie, pump problem?

I don't have this problem...there's normally just a small pool of water at the bottom of the tanks when the water gets to the point of "sputtering" out.

Have you had any problems with the CD 33 that may be inherent to the design, or any pet peeves you could give me a heads up on? And why did you decide on a Cape Dory 33?

I've really had no problems to speak of...just "projects" to work on as I gradually make improvements. For a 17-year-old boat, SPREE seems to be in quite good shape. (Of course it helps that the previous owner put in a nice new Yanmar diesel!)

I chose a Cape Dory because:
- I liked the classic good looks
- They tend to be solidly and well built
- I preferred a full keel
- Lots of Cape Dory expertise in Robinhood, Maine.

I chose a CD33 after looking at 30's and 31's and deciding that I couldn't live without the nav station area and other extra space (although I do like to cockpit design of the CD31).

John
Cape Dory 33 SPREE
Robinhood, Maine



keyes@openmarket.com