I am working towards creation of a Downeaster Yachts book, for eventual physical sale.   There is no profit motive here, it is out of interest in our uniquely stylish sailboats.  There are a few hundred boats, no such intensive book project would ever return any profit.  This is a multi-year project for me, and anyone who wants to submit media.  

The internet is not what it seems.  Internet blogs or forums are very difficult to maintain due to AI spammers.  Entire blog companies have sold off and closed -- like the huge yahoo groups, all of the content was vaporized.  Great blogs were created by individuals in years past, then they disappear, even from the Internet Archive.  This forum disappeared for some time and now is back up.  Boats change hands and the new owners (including myself of course) need to scour various random sources to find relevant information.  Some forums are behind corrupt walled gardens (like Meta's Facebook).  

Of course I might be a bit biased towards DE32, since I have one, but, the Downeaster book will include all, DE32, DE38, DE45's.

Publishing a real book, yes, how retro.  Yet, can also be more permanent (print and PDF), and also a large physical format for great photo spreads.  

I am collecting sources from anyone who wants to contribute photos or articles.  Especially detailed refit photos.  I already have a thousand archived photos of various Downeasters, collected over the past decade+.

Hopefully this book project can be granted permission to quote postings from this forum.  Send me the link to your blogs, or others.   Send me a zip file or the database file of an entire web site, I will extract the media.  Old survey documents are a great source of info.  Old receipts from engine maintenance showing part replacement schedules.  etc, etc.  I will include my own certified marine surveys in the book.

I have the original Universal Diesel warrantee card as installed in S/V Oasis (built in 1979) from the launch in 1981, signed by the first owner.  That's pretty cool.  Hmm, is that warrantee card still valid?

One of my goals is to also include the design lines in the book.  Perhaps gaining rights to republish a spread of the original drawings.

First, I might work at republishing a new "original" Downeaster sales brochure, freshened up for 2027 (i.e. for next year), and send these out to current owners, for those interested.  All of the Downeasters were manufactured in Santa Ana, California.  Not too far from where I lived.  Yet all of that boatbuilding infrastructure is essentially gone now.  How long were the Downeasters supposed to last, 20 years?  It might turn out that the thick fiberglass will last for over 200 years.

The link to this project is my website 88proof.com/sail which also has my direct email info.  That link should be valid for the next several years at least. Or search the web for "jonathan oasis sailing".

Argyle38 said
Anyone know if Scott is still involved with this website? 

I emailed his listed address when the site was down, but the email bounced.  Now this site is up again, at least.  Forums these days are slammed with bots so it is easy to see why site maintenance is tough.  I am interested in a more long term solution though and I am going to start a new thread about publishing a Downeaster maintenance book which includes tons of information from various forums before those forums go down or disappear again.

Scott if you see this thread, post your opinion.

Anyway, if anyone knows anything or if Scott see's this, let me know if you would like any help with the Facebook page.

Eric

S/V Argyle

I'm not a boat builder but I highly doubt any boats are built in two halves. However, the molds are definitely built in two halves and the seam you see is just the joining of the two halves of the molds. The molds are put together and the hull is built from the outside in, starting with mold release, then the gelcote, then the resin and fiberglass. When that's done the two halves of the mold are separated, releasing the bare hull. The seam down the middle is common on fiberglass boats.

-Argyle

I'm looking at buying this boat and if there was an issue in those 2 areas it would be cause for some cocern 

Thankx again....

1.) Is there a separate"shoe" that supports the rudder pintle at the bottom that is attached to the keel area and then covered over. I am seeing some cracks in this area that suggest that is the case. They run parallel to the bottom for about 18" then make a 90 degree bend toward the bottom. Anyone had this area apart?

2.) When these hulls are built are they done so in one continuous layup or is the hull built in half sections then joined together somehow? I am seeing a very clear line down the center of the keel bottom that is midpoint and straight as an arrow but not flush to each other but somewhat offset. What is going on here.

Thanks for any insight you can offer on this.

Greg

SV Isla Bonita

Bill 

Any advice would be appreciated.  Please reply to my e-mail.   Rogerhughes18@gmail. 

It has the original wooden spreaders.

I am shopping, looking for, aluminum replacement spreaders.

I have a message into Island Nautical in Saint Petersburg.

Does anyone have the dimensions for DE 38 spreaders?

My boat is down in San Carlos Mexico on the hard right now and I am in Montana.

I climbed up the mast before I left the boat in Mexico and got measurements, but I misplaced them.

Also wondering if anyone has tried using rectangular aluminum square stock from local metal suppliers?

Does anyone know of any other recommended suppliers?

Thanks,

Philip Hoag

406-223-1699

philip dot hoag at gmail dot com