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Conference unifix::sailing

Title:SAILING
Notice:Please read Note 2.* before participating in this conference
Moderator:UNIFIX::BERENS
Created:Wed Jul 01 1992
Last Modified:Mon Jun 02 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:2299
Total number of notes:20724

568.0. "RHODES 19" by CURIE::DONOHUE () Tue Jun 09 1987 11:35

    Does anybody have any information on Rhodes 19's?  How do they sail?
    Who are the better manufacturers?  Used boats?  Any information
    would be helpful.
    
         Thanks,
         John
    

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568.1O'Day Mariner is Rhodes hullCSSE::COUTURETue Jun 09 1987 12:5818
    I used to own an O'Day Mariner which was a cuddy cabin built upon
    a Rhodes 19 hull.  The last production year for the Mariner was
    1979.  I believe Starcraft or some such company then bought the
    molds from O'Day and manufactured them into the early 80's.  I lost
    track after that.
    
    From a sailing point of view, the Mariner was more "fun" to sail
    than the 30-footer I have now.  Extremely fast, pretty stable and
    able to point very high.  Neither of my subsequent boats pointed
    as high, even with expensive modifications like moving the genoa
    tracks inboard.
    
    O'Day tried to cram too much into the cabin of the Mariner (four
    berths, a head, and even a sink.  Would have preferred two berths,
    a bucket and the extra stowage.
    
    Encore

568.2Excellent BoatCAMLOT::BLAISDELLTue Jun 09 1987 15:3513
I believe the original and only manufacturer of the Rhodes 19 for many years 
was O'Day. O'Day stopped manufacturing the boat some years ago and Stuart 
Marine (a Maine company) is now manufacturing the boat. I haven't seen any 
of the new boats. (re .1 - Stuart also manufactures Mariners.)

The Rhodes was (is?) made in two models - keel and centerboard. It is an
excellent sailing boat and the class association is very active. It is a
superior day sailer for coastal waters and a large number can be found in
Marblehead harbor, on Buzzard's Bay, and on San Francisco Bay. The boat is
dry, stable, and has good performance. 

- Bob

568.3Fond Memories of Past Summers on a R19PATOIS::CHRISTENSENProofreader for Sky WritersFri Jun 12 1987 17:5625
    My parents sailed a Rhodes 19 on Lake Michigan for many years. I
    learned crewing techniques with them by trial and error.  The boat was
    very forgiving of a novice, standing on the foredeck, balancing with
    back to the wind, and attempting to raise the spinnaker by the Braille
    method!  
    
    The winds can be very unpredictable on Michigan.  I remember that "Wild
    Goose" had very good self-righting properties (it was the keel
    type...not a centerboard) and took many an unanticipated knockdown with
    never a rigging failure or dismasting.  
    
    It was also easy to bail.  A hand pump worked well and cleared the
    bilge of the annoying last sloshing 2 cups of water, due in part
    to the hull design.
    
    We raced in a yacht club fleet that was lots of fun.  Husbands and
    wives were often crew and teenaged kids made up the required third
    hand.  This points to the kind of racing that was involved as well
    as the kind of laid-back fleet we were in.            
    
    In summary, I liked the Rhodes 19; however, I'd recommend it for family
    use and not necessarily for its blinding speed.
    
    Chris