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





Monday, August 4, 2008

Eggemoggin Reach Race....




Just returned from a great weekend up in Maine. I went up to spend a long weekend with some friends and to race in the Reach Race. We raced on Cicada, a friend's Nevins 40 with a long racing pedigree. Maybe a hundred of the best looking sailboats I've ever seen in one place. (Although there were no old Cheoy Lee's to look at) . I could have skipped the Mystic wooden boat show if I knew how good this was going to be. It was hard to just let your eyes settle on just one boat because there was so much to look at.


There was little wind and a lot of fog but we did well, (really well) in the race. The trophies were handed out and we didn't get one on awards night, we may get one yet because there were some mistakes made. We were placed in the wrong class and may not have been given the correct start/finish time.

Aside from the race, (which was the best) we simply had a great time. Delicious food constantly pouring out of the companion way, a cold Heiniken in the sun and hot buttered rum for the lighting/rain squall, music, dancing and some really nice people.


My daughter wasn't with me unfortunately, she was having her own great time at a girls weekend in the Cape with her Mom and some friends. We did have the two boys who will be inheriting Cicada eventually, so there was three generations of the same family on the boat all who have or will eventually own her. Probably not something that happens much these days.

I'm looking for more pictures of the race. There's some more here:
http://ellsworthamerican.smugmug.com/gallery/5643227_oBcZQ

More here on the ERR website:
http://www.erregatta.com/photos.html

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