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Randy’s Thistle
Resources
I
have been a sailor for a number of years, on a variety of boats, including Thistles (in the in Austin, Texas
fleet). I learned to sail in college, sailing J24s, and after college became a
sailing instructor for the Navy in Newport
RI on Rhodes 19s, and crewed on a large offshore racer. After leaving Newport,
I sailed throughout my Navy time in various boats. After leaving the Navy, I
learned to crew a Thistle in Austin, thanks to Rich Hlista, the Fleet Captain.
I also wound up sailing Lasers and 5o5s. Since most sailors move from dinghies up
to larger boats, you could say my sailing career has been in reverse!
Recently,
my fiancee, Jenn, told me that of all my interests, sailing was the one she was
most interested in being a part of. During our conversations we decided that
our use for the boat was a combination of club racing and pleasure sailing, so
the Thistle came back to mind as the
obvious choice.
Although
the design dates to 1945, it remains a high-performance boat with a rig similar
to the fastest of the new boat designs, and has enough seating capacity to take
some friends out for a comfortable day of sailing. Rich was right all the time
- it is the perfect all-around boat.
We
began the search for an inexpensive boat to introduce Jenn to the sport.
Through the Thistle Class Association
and it’s bulletin boards (the Used Boat Clearinghouse), I made contact with an
owner of an older Thistle in Massachusetts. After some brief negotiations over
the phone, we drove up and purchased his boat in September 0f 2001.
When
we got there, the boat was in poor condition. I knew from previous work I had
done what could be repaired, but Jenn was a bit put off at the sight. We
carefully went over the boat and I explained what had to be done. The wood
rails were delaminated, and several rigging parts were missing. The hull and
the trailer were serviceable, though, and the hardware on the boat was usable,
so I gave him the money and drove it home.
There
are some “before” photos listed on my restoration page.
I have documented the project with photos and text - the steps, the lessons,
and the photos from the restoration so far.
I
will keep this page updated as we proceed, and will include a list of items
required and the associated costs. I hope this turns out to be a helpful page
for all of you out there who want to enter the sport on a budget.
Keep
checking back as I add resources to this site.
Thanks for coming, be sure to email me.
What's New!... Home The Boat The Class
Thistle Links Restoring 1987 Restoring Thistles Rigging Thistles Racing Thistles
Randy's Info Thistle
Class Association
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