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This project has been a long time coming. Though we have owed the Far Reach for quite a while, my responsibilities as a US Marine precluded any work on the boat until the spring of 2009. Nonetheless, we are happy to have finally started.
As a lifelong sailor I have developed my own philosophy about what my cruising boat needs to be. Seaworthy and sea-kindly of course. The Cape Dory 36 fits these requirements easily. We needed to be able to afford it . . . thus, our search narrowed to a used boat that was a bit down in the heels. I knew from the start I would not likely find a boat laid out the way we wanted--good permanent sea berths for each of our two children, maximum storage for a family of four, a boat that would be simple to operate and maintain, and, of course, it had to be a good sailing boat. The discussion, sometimes heated, about what makes a capable off-shore sailboat is endless. However, the Cape Dory 36 has a great sailing heritage. She was designed by Carl Alberg, who also designed the legendary globe trotting Pearson Triton and Alberg 30.
The requirements listed above sound pretty obvious but are actually quite hard to find in a boat that the person of average means can afford. Most boats built in the last 30 years are designed more for coastal cruising which we believe won't meet the requirements of our future sailing plans. A whole other class of boats called fast cruisers seem to be dominating current sailing literature. Their light cored construction, deep fin keels, spade rudders, complex systems, big engines, and hull liners seem to be on the extreme end of sailing to us. And even the boats advertised as off-shore cruising boats sacrifice precious storage space for spacious interiors and complex equipment like water-makers, refrigeration, air conditioning, radar, auto pilots, generators and miles of wiring and plumbing to support them. These are things we think add unnecessary complexity thus interfering with the simply joys sailing brings to us.
I am not denigrating these boats or their equipment. Many of these boat are out on the world's oceans safely carrying their crews to the far reaches of the Earth and are loved and cherished by their owners. But, every sailor has to decide what is right for him. We believe a strong simple boat that sails well is the best choice for us. It is less expensive and less time consuming to maintain and more in keeping with our abilities to repair. The more we can get back to the basics of sailing, the more rewarding we feel it will be.
Though I have some experience with woodworking, I am not a shipwright or a professional carpenter. I will need to develop new skills for this project. I hope that my feeble attempts to capture my work, thoughts, ideas, and mistakes on these pages will prove useful to others contemplating similar projects.
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