As spring draws near I find that my mind has a tendency to wander more frequently, often thinking about getting back onto the water and all the tasks that are associated with setting sail once again. Like a lot of you I had great plans to work on the boat over the winter but about all I managed to get done was to think about working on her. However, that's not the case for an industrious crew who have diligently toiled away rebuilding and refurbishing the prams that the SYC Sailing School received last fall.

You may recall that the SYCSS recently came into possession of ten used prams, small inexpensive lightweight boats with a squarish bow designed for young sailors, courtesy of the Miami Yacht Club. But the boats were in rough condition and lacked several parts - like sails, rudders, and dagger boards. Under the orchestration of Bill Brock, several SYC members tackled the job of building new components and refurbishing these little boats from the hull to the sails. 

Work in earnest began in December at Patt Riggins’ workshop where the hulls were stripped of existing advertisements and sanded down to bare fiberglass for repairs then refurbished the gelcoat resulting in a set of sparkling boats. Patt claims to have contributed little more than turning the heat and lights on and off but she is amazed at how much effort went into this project and the amount of work the guys accomplished.

George Buckingham and Larry Bender took the lead in hull repair and made steady progress during the cold months as they burned through sandpaper and sniffed a lot of resin odors. As for the sails, Bill ordered a kit and made a pattern from which the crew could cut and sew ten more sails. Steve Landwehr graciously volunteered his time and expertise to get the first one together then turned the project over to Bill to complete the remainder. Dick Hoffman refurbished and fabricated new rudders and dagger boards to outfit the fleet by making a template from one of the rudders and boards that were in the best condition. In all, he made six new rudders and four dagger boards from marine plywood. After staining and applying multiple coats of polymer finish, the boards look like they came directly from the factory.

As Patt said about her late husband Keith, she is sure that he would be very pleased that his shop was used to support the SYC Sailing School through the pram restoration project and their endeavors to promote sailing activities for youth and adults alike. As members of the SYC we too should be very proud of what this group has done for the school. Please let them know of your appreciation of their dedication and hard work for an outstanding job!