Everyone has a hobby of some kind that they love to do in their off time, one of mine happens to be sailing. A couple weeks ago, my sister-in-law and I bought a small 19ft Lightning Class Sailboat (referred to as “Lightning”), specifically a 1969 Lippincott. “What is a Lightning Class sailboat?” you might ask, the Lightning was designed in 1938 by Sparkman & Stephens. Lightning’s are considered a one-design boat, because since 1938 the shape and rigging of the boat has not changed. These sailboats were built for speed, used to race in the olympics and regattas around the world. However, they have become noncompetitive because of modern advancements. The International Lightning Class Association still organizes races and has Lightning fleets all over the globe. For more information head to www.lightningclass.org

I’ve been fascinated with sailing for years, looking all over the place to score a decent sailboat that fit my budget. Sailing combines human engineering with the force of nature to make magic happen. When the wind catches the sails, it brings a feeling of freedom and excitement. The absence of a motor brings out the sound of waves and create a calming feeling, connecting us to the open water. Sailing requires special attention to the weather, environment, and some navigation skill, making reaching a destination even more rewarding. Whether it's a relaxing daysail on a inland lake or an overnight trip down the coast, sailing offers both thrill and peace, attracting adventurers and fans alike.

How I Found my lightning

While working one day, I went into a customer’s garage and saw a beautiful boat stored, it looked like it hadn’t seen water in a few years, but was in excellent shape. Out of interest I asked the customer if he was interested in selling it. Turns out it was his son’s boat which he was more than helpful to send my interest along to his son. A couple hours later, I received a phone call from the boat owner and we made a deal! I was thrilled, this is the first boat I’ve ever purchased. Now comes the hard work, since the boat had been sitting a while it had quite a layer of dust and dirt on it, the fiberglass hull has gotten chalky as well. The rudder and the teak floor boards are weathered and almost all of the varnish is worn off. The trailer was custom made locally out of a 1950’s Pontiac, the tires were dry and cracked, the wheel bearing was completely worn out, and tongue jack was severely outdated.

Fortunately, my brother-in-law helped us out and got the trailer fixed up so it was safe to haul, new tires, rims, hubs, and a new tongue jack. The wiring on the trailer still needs replaced, half of the wires are either not connected at all or the insulation is so dry it cracked off. So hopefully, I’ll get the chance to do that in the next week or two. Last weekend, I power washed the hull hoping to get all the dust and grime off. I got most of it off, but the hull needs to be scrubbed down by hand in a few spots. While washing, I released the main sheet (rope) so I could move the boom out of the boat. I noticed that part of the line (rope) had dried up and deteriorated. Luckily, there was enough line there to pull it all the way through and reattach. After getting most of the dirt off, I could see that the gel coat was chipped in a few spots along the rub rail, so that will be touched up at some point this year. We’re somewhat anxious to get on the water soon so we are making important repairs before we take it out and will worry about cosmetics after.

Stay tuned…

I’ll try to keep you guys updated on the restoration of Lil’ Lucy and upload pictures to my Instagram.