Frisco Flyer Sailboat Restoration Project: Bluenose comes to Portsmouth

Between 1957 and 1970 Cheoy Lee produced approximatley 133 folkboats originaly sold as the the Offshore 25, better known as the Frisco Flyer.

There were three versions of this small blue-water boat. 91 in all wood and 42 in Fiberglass with wood. There were 55 Type I's and II's and 78 of the Type III's. The Type I (aka the Pacific Clipper) was an all wood boat, had a mast that was stepped through the deck, a traditional folkboat fractional rig and a smaller cabin. The Type II's had a larger teak trunk cabin and a masthead rig. The Type III's had a larger teak dog-house cabin, some "standing" headroom and a masthead rig stepped on deck. The earlier Type III's were solid teak built onto a fiberglass hull and the later Type III’s (1966-1970) were made entirely out of fiberglass with teak paneling.

This boat, Yard # 1507 is one of approximatley only 30 Type III's left. It was out of the water for the previous 16 years when I got it and then about another 5 more while I rebuilt it. It was an empty, cracked hull when given to me and needed a complete restoration/refit. It took about five years of long nights and weekends of working outside under a tarp, in the garage or in the boat during cold winter nights, wet rainy afternoons and everything in between. The occasionally eager assistant on the project was my four (now ten) year old daughter who can have this boat as soon as I convince her mother to get another one. This blog is the record of all the work that "we" have done to the boat as well as some other somewhat related events with friends and family. Eventually, this will be put together in a book which will stay with the boat.

She still has plenty more to go but for now, Jackaroe has been in the water for a couple years now and thats all that matters...

To see past projects, use the links below.

Questions and comments to Matthewearlgarthwait@gmail.com

Sunday, February 25, 2007

Bluenose comes to Portsmouth

This is me and the kid last summer on the Bluenose II.

It's pretty exciting for a kid (and her dad) when they can play pirate on a "big boat" like this. She had a great time and she loved the fact that they had dories on the deck, like the dory we have at home in the boatshed (garage). This same summer we went on the Coast Gaurd's Eagle when it came to town. While it was twice the size of the Bluenose, the kid wasnt rather impressed. It could have been the fact that we had to wait two hours in line just to be raced through the boat in 8 minutes. Could be the fact that they didnt give her an eye patch. What ever the case, the Eagle received two thumbs down from us.