Fearless
This is Fearless--isn't she beautiful?
She's a 1979 Boston Whaler Harpoon 5.2, just over 17 feet long. This picture was taken when I
first got her--she doesn't look
quite as nice now after my learning fiberglass and gelcoat repair on her, but she's still
a beautiful boat. She's pretty ideal for my needs--stable enough to take non-sailing
friends and family out on, and with a roomy cockpit, small enough to be responsive and
keep things interesting, fast enough to race.
She was in much better shape than the other boats I looked at. I saw the ad in the paper
in November 2002 and called on my lunch hour,
and the seller was available so I drove down and looked at her right then, and took a
test sail the next day. The seller was a little ambivalent, and so was I, so the actual
transaction took about three weeks.
She is right about at the maximum towing capacity for
my Corolla. No problems so far. I keep her out at the club with the mast up, so most of my
trailering is just the quarter-mile or so from her dry slip to the ramp.
The pictures
below are from the first time I took her out, which was in late December 2002 (thanks, John!):
I've now had the boat long enough that the projects and
racing merit their own pages.
I sailed Fearless a lot during our first year together (60 times). Went from not being
comfortable going out without experienced crew to sailing by myself in winds forecast to be
15-20 mph and gusting well into the 20s. I took all members of my immediate family out at one time
or another, and several friends, both sailing and non-sailing. Never had more than four people
aboard at once, though I think I could have five or even six if I had more PFDs. Capsized once,
ran aground about three times and into two docks besides our own. Damaged the forestay and bent the
turnbuckle in one of the dock collisions and got assorted minor scrapes on the hull (more of them from
tying up to the old South Cove rigging dock, which is no more, huzzah! than from running into stuff),
lost a few things overboard in the capsize (including the spinnaker pole). Had a lot of fun.
Now that Fearless isn't an only boat anymore, having acquired a
little sister, I probably won't be sailing her quite so much,
but I'm still racing her on the Texas
Centerboard Circuit and plan to do some club racing and some daysails with friends
and family as well. Sometime, I'd like to take her out overnight, just to say I have.
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Last updated 9 July 2007.