new!

[Art Haberland]

Hi all, just using this opportunity to make my first post as both an introduction to myself, my Sea Sprite 23 "Flirt" and as thanks to Joshua Colvin who finally got my account approved (since before new years)

Sailing out of Atlantic City, I am a Stage Hand at the Casinos here, trying to get as much sheet time as I can between calls. This past spring I discarded my badly rotted GP 14 and purchased a poorly maintained Sea Sprite 23 from off Lake Champlain.

I was part way through a complete refit of "Flirt" when winter set in hard. As of now she is sitting on her trailer stripped of all paint awaiting for the day when the sun will shine, the snow will melt, and paint will dry.

I know she barely fits into what most people consider a "small craft" but I intend on making up for that with a Chesapeake Light Craft Expedition Wherry later this year once I splash Flirt. I used to row 8s in HS and College and have spent the last 20 years trying to get back to it.

Flirt on the way home:

[Peter E]

Welcome Art, Small is a relative term. So you fit in. I have been frozen and snowed in. Part of being in the Midwest. Even the Great Lakes are 60% frozen. So I under stand the waiting for liquid water and being able to work on boats.

pete

[lustyslogger]

What a beautiful little boat. You are a lucky guy. Please keep us posted on your progress.

[Art Haberland]

Thankyou, she is pretty sweet once I got 50 years worth of house paint off (she was build in 63). The gelcoat beneath is crazed, so I will have to use some high build primer before she gets a really nice coat of shiney dark green paint and a gold cove stripe.

The interior needs to be done too, but that can be finished once she is back in the water, but I needed to at least wire her before that. A previous owner did this:



The rest of her cabin is not in much better shape.. but for $2000 with the trailer and semi-new sails on a boat that had never seen salt water.

Her Hull number is 110.. but Sail Star skipped number 11 through 100, so it makes her one of the oldest Sea Sprite 23s still around

[lustyslogger]

Looks like some of my "handy work" ! No, I am not quite that bad. Actually, to me working on the boat is almost as much fun as sailing the boat. Showing up with a boat that looks like it lost the Battle of Trafalgar and then bringing it back and winning the Concurs d' Elegance is always fun!

You have a wonderful palette to work with and I am sure it will be a stunning boat when you get finished.