What better way to begin this column for the new year than with a Mariner featured for the first time! This is Kerry O’Sullivan at the helm of his #910 CLARELLANN racing back in 2018 at the Mariner National Championships held at Narrasketuck Yacht Club, Long Island, New York. Kerry has just rounded the windward mark, and his crew has already poled out the jib to run downwind wing-and-wing. The crisp, new sails are just about to be trimmed, and no doubt the centerboard - probably partly raised already due to the shallow racing area of Great South Bay - will be raised some more to reduce drag and eke out just a little more speed. After the first day of racing, the entire fleet of racers are divided up into two divisions with the top racers competing in the Championship Fleet and the bottom racers competing in the President’s Fleet. Kerry ended up coming in first in the President’s Fleet Division - a fantastic result!

Chuck Durgin keeps his Stuart Mariner in Mill Creek off of the Chesapeake Bay, and instead of hauling her out at the end of the sailing season, this year he elected instead to keep her in the water. He writes, “So far it's been mild weather, water temperature is 45 degrees, bottom paint seems intact, and the small family marina uses a system to prevent ice build up when conditions warrant.” Unfortunately, just a few days after writing this, Mill Creek was hit with nearly nine inches of heavy, wet snow, and Chuck had to shovel out his boat, unbending the sails and removing the outboard. He still plans to keep her in the water, though, ready to take advantage of those milder winter days to sail around the area when most other Mariners are packed away until spring.

Now here’s a Mariner ready for some serious cruising. This is Mike Dee’s mid-style O’Day Mariner at anchor, and just look at that fabulous cockpit cover! Although it does not cover the entire cockpit, its height practically transforms the companionway area into its own comfortable room. Notice the boom has been raised up to accommodate the cover, and the end of the boom has been lashed to the backstay to keep it in place. Many cockpit covers are draped over the boom, but this cover - complete with tubing, like a bimini - is independent of the boom entirely. Its screens provide plenty of ventilation, and the forward hatch is open to facilitate air flow inside cabin itself. Even though the jib is not attached at the moment to its roller furler, you can tell it’s a genoa jib by its accompanying hardware, the stand-up block on a track on the side deck near the after part of the cover. While there is absolutely no wind and the ensign on the backstay hangs limp, Mike has tied off the halyards with bungee cords to prevent them from slapping against the mast during what promises to be a most enjoyable night.

Skipper Tom White stands proudly next to his Stuart Mariner, hull number 4166 LETTIE at his home in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. He writes, “My first sailboat was an O'Day Mariner, 1960's vintage. We kept it at our home on Lake Murray, SC, when we lived there. With relocations and a growing family, I wasn't able to sail it, so I sold it. I have missed the Mariner and decided last year that the time was right, so I bought a 1997 Stuart Mariner. Our new Mariner, LETTIE, is the 2+2 design, with quarter berths extending under the cockpit, in addition to the v-berth. To accommodate that, the cockpit floor is raised from the old designs. It also has two small cockpit drains (which clog easily, sadly). I recall one time in South Carolina coming home from work after a few rainy days, and finding our [early-style] Mariner sunk in shallow water. After that challenge, I thought cockpit drains would be good to have, and I appreciate having them now. I'm looking forward to getting LETTIE back on the water in the spring.” And I’m looking forward to seeing more pictures, Tom - she looks fantastic.

The detached deck of a Stuart Mariner is suspended above its hull as BMR Services in Florida carefully reassembles the two halves after an interior restoration. It’s not often that one gets to view the complete separation of deck and hull, and it certainly gives one a unique perspective. Notice the three stiffeners underneath the bow of the deck; when working up forward with a mooring line or anchor, it is good to have a firm surface under your feet with no flexing. Just before reassembly, a thick bead of 3M 5200 caulking will be squirted all the way around the lip of the hull to prevent leaks, and once the deck is lowered and put into place, the inner rubrail liner will be put on with either screws or rivets. The vinyl outer rubrail will be snapped and hammered on over the inner rubrail liner, and the results will no doubt look spectacular.

O’Day Mariner #436 SWIPPERT was built in 1965, and she still sports a lot of her original features from nearly 60 years ago. Most noticeable is the blue stripe which wraps around her coamings and cabin, the classic look of the early-style Mariner. Her mahogany coaming tops most certainly have been refinished and are in excellent shape, and her original jib sheet leads and fixed cam cleats are on the cabin top. The owner of #436 cleverly made a custom hatch for otherwise-open cuddy cabin, and he also elected to mount his four-horsepower Johnson outboard motor on an adjustable bracket attached to the transom instead of directly onto the opening in the aft “deck” visible just above the rudder. This allows the outboard to drop further into the water, a real advantage especially if one only has a short-shaft motor. SWIPPERT was for sale in Maryland back in 2010; her current whereabouts are unknown.

Harald Hefel (#1998 NETTICKS) stands astride his boat and #3200 NORA ROSE as skipper Bruce Robbins and crew Mural Rao prepare their boat at the start of the 2021 Rendezvous last August. They spent the previous night aboard their Mariners at anchor in the Niantic River, and with the sun up and more Mariners arriving at the launch ramp, Bruce is beginning to unpack the mainsail while brother-in-law Mural is hanking on the jib. Bruce and Mural have attended several Rendezvous over the past few years, and although this was Harald’s first, he is by no means an inexperienced sailor; he has owned NETTICKS for a few years now and has even trailered her all the way to Florida. A native of Bregenz, Austria, he currently resides in Pawcatuck, Connecticut and is as strong as an ox - he is a professional mason and frequently works with his son who is a mason as well.

Charlie Gallina, of Merrick, New York, blasts along in Middle Bay on the south shore of Long Island last September. Charlie writes, “My ‘new to me’ 1977 Mariner #3428 came with a genoa and a jib. I have yet to sail single handed. The boat has two sets of blocks and winches mounted on the rails that I use with the the genoa and a set of cockpit pulleys that I use with the jib. My crew is holding the genoa sheet in the photo but he can use a cam just forward of the winch to tie it off. Middle bay is small, skinny water so we never stay on one tack very long.” Charlie’s Torqeedo electric motor, while expensive, is light-weight, saving a lot of stress on the transom.

How’s this for a patriotic paint job! This is Sandra Shipp’s #735 NAUTI, an early-style O’Day Mariner now based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Check out the red stripe that wraps around the bottom of the cabin near the deck and continues on the coamings. Her registration numbers are red as well as her mainsheet! A new member of the Mariner Class Association, Sandra writes, “I have owned, with partners, an O’Day Mariner for quite a while now, called NAUTI. She is fully in my possession now, and I have began a restoration of her.” Although another boat listed in the Association has been long identified, based on her sail numbers, as Mariner hull #735, Sandra provided a picture of her O’Day factory-stamped hull plate confirming her boat as being the actual 735th Mariner built. While it is doubtful the true identity of the other boat will ever be determined, the other owner has graciously agreed to modify the identity of his boat to #735W, the “W” for WILDFLOWER - the boat’s new name.

This beautiful shot is Adam Wales’s O’Day Mariner resting off a Maine Island near Acadia. Adam lives on Mount Desert Island in Maine, and he writes, “My teenager and I sailed the Maine Island Trail a few years ago from Portland to Southwest Harbor… all sail and oar, no motor. A great 9 day adventure!” His trip was even published in the 2018 summer newsletter of the Maine Island Trail Association. He bought his Mariner in 2016 and spent a lot of time fixing it up with his son, Eli, and when they embarked on their journey, according to the article, “overall, the trip was the dream they imagined it would be.”

The rising sun glints off the starboard portlight of Glenn Fitch’s mid-style O’Day Mariner, #2225 KATE, as she rests calmly on her mooring in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. The pristine green gelcoat is original, and it is in remarkable condition consider KATE is 52 years old this year. Glenn writes, “This is my 1970 after a fresh buffing this year after 20 years of neglect. Incidentally I was told that the gold spars were a 1971 feature but this boat was purchased late in 1970 and the salesman made a point of mentioning he was sweetening the deal with this new color rig.” The spars were gold anodized by the O’Day factory as a way of recognizing George O’Day’s gold medal won as a sailor in the 1960 summer Olympics.

Sailing is one of those sports or hobbies that can be enjoyed by different generations within one family. Such is the case with skipper Newt Wattis (#2604 MY LIGHTNING) who now regularly races with his granddaughter at Surf City Yacht Club on Long Beach Island, New Jersey. Newt, a long-time racer at Surf City and five-time Nationals champion, is a fixture within the Mariner community, frequently matching prospective owners with Mariners for sale; he introduced me to #1922 just over fifteen years ago. He cherishes the opportunity to sail with family, and he was the driving force to have the Mariner Class Rules amended last year to allow two or more family members to co-skipper in one boat. This was to encourage Mariner owner family members to share the skippering experience in a regatta or even in the middle of a race instead of requiring the same skipper for the entire regatta, and the amendment passed almost unanimously. This picture was taken during the 2021 Nationals, and Newt and his granddaughter came in eighth out of seventeen boats.

While most Mariners are located on the eastern seaboard of the United States, Mariners can be found all over the world; this particular Mariner is located approximately 10,000 miles away in Australia! According to owner Bill Lipson, “We live and sail out of Shute Harbour in the Whitsunday Islands in Australia. A protected waterway behind the Great Barrier Reef with 74 coral fringed islands, it is a sailing paradise.” In the late 1960s, the O'Day Sailboats Corporation sold the rights to build the Mariner in Australia, and they were manufactured by the company Quest Marine and produced as the "Quest 19" right into the 1980s. You can see the design is of the early-style Mariner, and although the rudder profile is different, it might not be original. And just look at the scenery - it certainly does look like, as Bill writes, a sailing paradise.

Stuart Mariner #4082 LAPWING begins to bury her rail as skipper Alice Hawrilenko races her on Little Sarasota Bay, Florida. She writes, “We have a little club called the Pelican Cove Sailing Club. It is not private. Anyone can join if they sail a boat under 28 feet with keel/centerboard/dagger board. An eclectic group of boats engage in chase races for two weeks each month October through April. We have a wonderful time. Handicaps are reset after each two week series and close finishes are the norm!” Alice was the Newsletter Editor for the Mariner Class Association from 2010-2014, and she has remained an active Association member.

There’s nothing quite like the excitement of purchasing your first Mariner, and Caroline Megan is all smiles standing in front of O’Day Mariner #2009 recently purchased together with her husband, Peter. The boat was for sale at Stuart Marine up in Rockland, Maine where newer Stuart Mariners have been in production since the mid-1980s, and this picture was taken inside Stuart Marine’s shop. Peter writes, “I surely have some cosmetic work to do but happy to report boat #2009 appears sound. Dave [Whittier] at Stuart Marine was terrific for us. So happy to have purchased this fine old dame from him!” She’s the same mid-style vintage as ORION and still sports her original green gelcoat which seems to be in great condition for a 52-year-old boat. Best wishes to you both with your “new” Mariner!

A number of years ago, Steve Hock, of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, purchased #3627 WHITECAP and sailed her for a few years. He eventually sold her to “move up” to a Catalina 22, but once the Mariner bug has bitten, it’s hard to shake, and he recently began a search for a Mariner once again, this time for a mid-style O’Day model. He found one and quickly bought her. Steve writes, “After a week and a half of sorting out and repairing and rehabbing this and that on my recently acquired 1970 (#1866) model, I finally got on the water for a float / leak test and a solid hour of running on the little Tohatsu 3.5 with no issues. All went well… no surprises. Beautiful day on Lake Nockamixon, PA for a two hour cruise with lunch aboard.” Wife Rita and friend (and past Mariner Class Association President) Russ Schuss holding the docklines, Steve took this picture. A professional photgrapher, many pictures in this ‘Picture of the Week’ column were taken by Steve.

Bruce Robbins’s #3200 NORA ROSE rests at a floating dock at Mystic Seaport, Connecticut during last year’s Mariner National Rendezvous. It is early in the morning, and the wind is just beginning to stir in patches on the Mystic River. If the picture was zoomed out a bit more, one could see the beautiful catboat BRECK MARSHALL on the left and the historic fishing schooner L. A. DUNTON on the right, both owned by the Seaport; pretty nice company, I should say! Bruce and his brother-in-law, Mural Rao, have participated in a few Rendezvous with NORA ROSE, and they plan on coming to this year’s event scheduled for August.

Brad and Caroline’s #3582 SWEET SADIE heads west in a moderate breeze during the last day of the August, 2021 Mariner Rendezvous. It was a cloudy day which certainly made for comfortable sailing, and the northerly winds - unusual for August - kept all of us going at a pretty good clip as we returned to Niantic from Mystic Seaport. There are several features that make SWEET SADIE stand out, including a fantastic, light-yellow paint job on the hull; white bottom paint beneath a thin, dark blue bootstripe; a black rubrail; an aftermarket bow pulpit; running lights on the bow; and double reef points in the mainsail. Brad’s interest and expertise in motors was put on display that weekend as he helped to diagnose or fix three balky outboards, earning him the title “Rendezvous Mechanic.”

Skipper Tom Green and wife Michelle sit on the windward rail as they beat to windward in high winds during Saturday’s racing of the 2019 Mariner National Championships at Brant Beach Yacht Club, New Jersey. Barnegat Bay is covered in whitecaps as #738 GUMBY thrashes upwind; high winds would persist throughout the day and even increase through the next day, cancelling racing on Sunday and limiting racing scores to the four raced that day. #738, while an early-style Mariner, exhibits a cabin-top cut-out allowed by the Racing Rules to mirror the companionway of a mid- and late-style Mariner. Tom and Michelle are veteran Mariner racers, and they eventually placed 10th out of 22 boats.

This Wednesday, registration will open for the 2022 Mariner National Rendezvous from Niantic to Essex, Connecticut, so I thought it appropriate to feature a picture from 2017, the last time Essex was the Rendezvous destination. Here we have Bill Eggers’s #2280 JULIE B getting underway to sail back to Niantic at the close of the event. There’s a good breeze as Bill, wife Teresa, and daughter Jillian head south down the Connecticut River, and JULIE B relishes having a genoa jib to pull her along smartly. The docks of Brewer Dauntless Marina are in the background, and the white steeple of the First Congregational Church of Essex, actually located a half a mile away at the top of Main Street, pokes up above the trees at the extreme right of the photo.

Skipper Jeff Freedman, his wife, Tess and another crewmember sail #1418 REALITYWAVE during a race last June on Lake Onondaga, New York. Although the winds are light, Jeff knows how to get the most out of his Mariner and she is moving right along. He writes, “We still race REALITYWAVE in our Sunday Handicap series at Onondaga Yacht Club here in Liverpool, New York adjacent to Syracuse and win more than our share of races. We have owned REALITYWAVE since 1976, fully 46 years now and still wax her every spring. I once asked someone how long she might last. The answer came back... ‘longer than you will!’” Jeff continues, “We actually gave away our Mariner cabin cushions to one of our new Mariner sailors since at our age we prefer a bit more space and amenities when cruising overnight.” The Onondaga Yacht Club has four Mariners now, and with a fifth sailor interested in the boat, there’s talk of starting a new Mariner fleet. Who would have thought that a boat designed nearly 60 years ago would still be generating enough interest to start a new fleet?

Last week I featured an O’Day Mariner sailing on Lake Onondaga, New York, and here is another O’Day Mariner which is also a member of the Onondaga Yacht Club. This is #3627 beating to windward during the last race of the 2020 season at the beginning of October that year. She sports a bow pulpit and a simple trolling motor for getting her to and from her slip at the Club, and keen-eyed observers may even notice “3627” in decals at the very top of her mast. It’s a little hard to tell, but the aft half of her coaming tops are covered in wood; at one point, a previous owner had constructed an elaborate yet rather unsightly wooden pirate ship-like rail in a horseshoe shape around the transom. The next owner prudently removed this rail yet kept the flat wooden pieces on the coaming tops. This owner was none other than photographer and close friend (and the Association’s current webmaster) Steve Hock who named her WHITECAP and later sold her. It’s nice to know #3627 is still active and cared for.

There are some people who fix up their boats just enough to look decent, and there are others who go far above and beyond to make their boats even better than how they came out of the O’Day factory. This is David Satter’s early-style O’Day Mariner, and the improvements he has made are truly remarkable. Notice the custom curved tiller, the mirror-shine hull paint, the white and tan deck paint, the absolutely gorgeous paneled cabin doors, the clear forward hatch, the short bowsprit with the claw anchor and deck pipe for the chain, the two portlights on one side, the brown-painted rubrail to look like wood - and this is only what you can see on the outside! The inside is just as remarkable and will be featured in this column at a later date. While unrecognizable from her earlier incarnation as #735 PROXIMUS (see October 17-Nov. 6, 2016), her hull number has since been determined not to be #735; her true identity remains somewhat of a mystery.

INVICTUS, a 2013 Stuart Mariner, rides on her mooring near commercial fishing boats as a small chop kicks up in the harbor. Factory reconditioned in 2019, INVICTUS is one of the most upgraded and tricked-out Mariners out there. Besides standard features such as a roller-furling jib and a custom paint job, she also sports a full compliment of electronics and is for sale through Stuart Marine at the rather heart-stopping price of $49,950. When Stuart Marine bought the old O’Day Mariner molds from Rebel Industries in the early 1980s, they were quickly deemed to be too worn out to be usable. Naval architect Jim Taylor was hired to take the lines off of an existing Mariner so new molds could be made. Stuart Mariners are nearly identical to O’Day Mariners, and they are able to be raced together as a one-design class.

Brandon and Brian Fetterman celebrate after completing the Texas 200 event this past weekend in Brandon’s early-style O’Day Mariner THUNDER ROAD. According to their website, the Texas 200 is a “Raid”-type event; that is, it involves a scheduled gathering of small boats traveling more or less in company from Point A to Point B over a period of several days, camping along the way. The Texas 200 goes through the Laguna Madre and the bays of South Texas for five to six days and about 200 miles. Held annually since 2008, the event is an endurance test of both boats and sailors, and this year there were 90 registered boats, four of them O’Day Mariners. Congratulations to all participants, most especially to the Fettermans and the other Mariner sailors!

Even when winds are somewhat light, O’Day Mariners are able to make good headway as is shown here by skipper Ron Pryer and his #3189. His sails are not overly trimmed; he and his crew are sitting on the leeward side, allowing the boat to heel just a bit and keep the sails full; and #3189 is comfortably making knots, putting smiles on the sailors’ faces. Ron sold his boat last month, and the new buyer benefited from many of Ron’s improvements made in 2021, including new sail covers, new Stuart Marine custom cockpit cushions, cabin wiring and a new battery, new bottom paint as well as inside the cabin, new running rigging - the list goes on. A great boat!

Alan Schaeffer motors his newly-acquired mid-style Mariner, #1692, across the shallow waters of Hallock Bay on Long Island, New York as the sun sets. Alan sailed in company with me, Chris Albert (#2714 FLOTSAM), and Dan Meaney (#2024 CLEW-SEA-NUF) during a trip to Greenport this past week; click here for more details about the trip. In this picture, we were searching for a place to anchor, and we entered Hallock Bay in the northeast corner of Orient Bay. Our centerboards and rudders were raised, and when we anchored in a small creek, we awoke the next morning to find our boats aground! Alan has owned #2470 SIALIA for many years, although as of late he had been looking for a mid-style Mariner with more comfortable cruising accommodations. He found #1692 for sale in New York and bought her, and this was his first real trial sail. #1692 passed with flying colors, and we all had a great time on the trip.

Mark Verret’s late-style O’Day Mariner SPARKY is beached at one of the stops during the Texas 200 event this past June 13-18. A couple of weeks ago, I featured in this column another couple of Texas 200 participants, Brandon and Brian Fetterman, who also successfully completed the event; in fact, four Mariners took part in the 88-boat fleet. Mark writes, “We were close hauled and slicing through three-foot waves in 20 knot winds for about eight hours. SPARKY came alive and performed flawlessly. This was only my third time sailing her and it was the moment I experienced for myself what a grand boat a Mariner is.” Be sure to read more about Mark’s experience in the upcoming Notice to Mariners newsletter which will be published soon by the Mariner Class Association.

Lately, a number of sailors have been searching specifically for the mid-style O’Day Mariner built between 1969-1971. Mark Walters, of Rochester, New York, certainly didn’t have to look very far to get his. He writes, “My parents bought Mariner #1572, a 1969 2+2 centerboard model, in the fall of 1987 here in Rochester, NY. I was a bit over one year old at the time, so I don't recall a time the Mariner wasn't around. I took over the responsibility for the boat in 2020 and plan to keep her sailing on Lake Ontario for the next generation. Prior to my parents purchasing #1572, it had at least two different owners. I found out that the (presumed) original owner took her to compete in the 1971 Mariner National Championships at Narrasketuck Yacht Club where she finished every race, pretty cool! Rumor has it that the boat has also been sailed across Lake Ontario at least once.” How neat to see Mariners kept for multiple generations!

Every once in a blue moon, a Mariner pops up as the subject of artwork. Tim Harincar made a superb Adobe Photoshop illustration (see the Picture of the Week for May 25-31, 2009); Brian Gilbert made a drawing for Small Craft Advisor magazine (see January 9-15, 2012); Ken Stetz painted a few watercolors (see July 7-13, 2014); and Alice Kettelhack made a pen an ink print (see Jun 8-14, 2015); just to name a few. This beautiful oil painting was recently discovered by fellow Mariner sailor Alan Schaeffer who saw it displayed by the Old Lyme Art Association here in Connecticut. The artist, Steve Linde, is an incredibly accomplished painter who recently retired from the Newington Connecticut School System where he taught Art for 43 years. This great painting, entitled “Dry Docked”, shows a late-style Mariner covered by a tarp while it rests on its trailer in an overgrown field with its mast stepped. The oil painting is for sale for $1,200, and while it might be a little out of my price range, it would certainly be a worthy addition to anyone’s home.

A group of four Mariners with their crews rest at Club Náutico de San Juan after racing at San Juan Bay, Puerto Rico last weekend. Participant Miguel Casellas Sastre writes that they always race with a crew of three because the winds are always around 14-16 knots, and they like the extra ballast! The eventual winners of the event, Robbie Ramos, Robbie Ramose Jr., and Ricky Barreto, sailing BLACK DIAMOND, had to fix their starboard spreader in the middle of one of the races. Miguel writes that it “almost broke while racing when a gust of wind approximately 22 knots hit them. In order to keep their hopes alive, they managed to replace their badly bent spreader with an aluminum hiking stick with the same diameter.” It was a fantastic regatta attended by the San Juan Mayor, Miguel Romero. Congratulations to the Puerto Rico Mariner Fleet!

This past weekend, 15 Mariners and over 40 sailors participated in this year’s Mariner National Rendezvous. This picture shows a whole bunch of Mariners tied up to the docks at Safe Harbor Essex Island, Connecticut, early Saturday morning. We had a great sail on Friday to the marina from the launch ramp on the Niantic River, and on Saturday, we spent time in our boats touring Selden Creek upriver and sailing back to the marina in high winds before exploring the town in the afternoon. That evening, we had our “Open Boat” time on the docks where we shared goodies and snacks, and we sailed back to Niantic yesterday morning. A full write-up of the event will be published soon as well as a shared Google photo album, so check back occasionally for updates.

While this column is generally reserved for boats other than my own, today is my son’s tenth birthday, so I’m hijacking the column this week to feature him at the helm of ORION. This was actually taken back in July of 2019, about a month before he was to turn seven years old. We had just slept aboard the boat in the Niantic River after sailing to West Harbor, Fisher’s Island the day before, and we were headed upriver the next morning to do some exploring. There was absolutely no wind that early, so we fired up the outboard and towed my Dyer Dhow dinghy TRUE LOVE behind us. We anchored off of Turkey Point and rowed into shore to hike some of the Oswegatchie Hills Preserve trails, then we went swimming at the small beach there before making our way back home under sail. It was a great couple of days, and I hope we can go sailing again soon. Happy birthday, Harry - I love you!

Even though I’m a day late updating this column, I wanted to be sure and post this picture sent to me by Miguel Casellas. A resident of Puerto Rico and a member of the Puerto Rico Mariner Fleet, he traveled up to Riverton Yacht Club, New Jersey last weekend to participate in the National Championships in a borrowed boat, #3122 (seen in this picture out in front of everyone else)! According to another competitor, the winds were frustratingly all over the place, but that didn’t stop anyone from having a great time. Miguel writes, “You guys are a class act. Thanks for your hospitality and all the details. We really enjoyed your club and the people. Camaraderie was second to none. Racing was challenging and great. No protests and a gentleman atmosphere in the water. We are definitely visiting you back.” More details and pictures about the Nationals will be forthcoming.

Although Rebel Industries only produced a handful of Mariners under their Spindrift One-Design label in the early 1980s, many are still sailing today, especially in the Michigan area where they were first built before Rebel moved to Florida. This Spindrift Mariner, #4046 GREBE, hails from Goshen, Indiana and sailed with fourteen other boats during the Mariner Rendezvous at the beginning of August here in Connecticut. Skipper Richard Worsham is at the helm with daughters Loretta and Eleanor, and friend Jesse Stotzfus is on the foredeck. While GREBE has a new paint job with a dark blue hull and a buff cabin top and deck, she still has her original, blue-striped sails, the same color scheme displayed on the very first Spindrift Mariner in their 1981 advertisement featuring #4000. Richard and crew traveled quite a way to participate in the Rendezvous, and they were all smiles the entire weekend.

For the past number of years, the typical Mariner Rendezvous itinerary has been to sail to a destination on Friday, hang out at the destination on Saturday, and sail home on Sunday. This past Rendezvous, however, we took a Saturday morning excursion from our home base of Essex up the Connecticut River and motored through the narrow, Everglades-like Selden Creek which separates Selden Island from the Lyme mainland. The Island, known as Selden Neck State Park and home to several trails and campsites, is a popular place for kayakers, boy scout groups, and other boaters with shallow-draft boats which are able to nose up to any one of four small beaches. This picture was taken at the northernmost beach and campsite where five Mariners beached together so everybody could enjoy a great swim before returning to Essex. Having the ability to beach the Mariner is one of its many assets!

Notice anything unusual about this picture? Keen-eyed observers will recognize the portlights on this Mariner have been installed backwards! (The tapering edge of the portlights should be facing forward, not aft.) One wonders if this was a mistake at the factory or an owner modification. Nevertheless, the positioning of the portlights had no bearing on #938’s sailing ability last month during the Mariner National Championships at Riverton Yacht Club; sailed by brothers Bobby and Billy Martin, they won the entire regatta and brought home the winner’s trophy. Terry Fennell, regatta coordinator writes that Bobby and Billy “came home to sail the river they grew up on in the family Mariner #938 and showed what a lifetime of sailing, a little river knowledge, and new sails can do.” Racing conditions were challenging with winds bouncing around the river in all directions and strengths, but every participant had a great time. Congratulations to the Martin brothers! Photo: Becky Seidelmann.

The Tacony-Palmyra Bridge and the skyscrapers of Philadelphia loom in the background as skipper Bob Corney sails #1095 YIN YANG during the 2022 Mariner Nationals last month at the Riverton Yacht Club in New Jersey. According to Bob, the wind was incredibly frustrating as it blew from all directions in strengths varying from nothing to fifteen knots. Racing is particularly challenging on the Delaware River as the current is fierce; racers have known to drop anchor in light winds during a regatta to prevent themselves being swept off the race course. Bob was the Mariner Class Association’s Secretary and Treasurer for a term in the late 1990s and then served two terms as President from 1999-2003. He just recently rejoined the Executive Board by taking on the role of Chief Measurer.

Skipper Tim Reiche peers ahead as he motorsails #2170 MAGGIE up the Connecticut River with his wife Erin and son Owen during the Mariner Rendezvous this past August. They have just passed underneath the Interstate 95 highway bridge, and the railroad bridge - “Old Lyme Draw” - can be seen in the background. The Reiches hail from Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, and they have only missed one of the annual Rendezvous here in Connecticut since they first started attending in 2012. Tim has outfitted MAGGIE to be a comfortable cruiser by adding removable foam blocks in the cockpit to support a platform which converts the cockpit into a double bed at night. He has also rigged a portable air conditioning unit to his gear along with a full cockpit enclosure, and he and his family sleep just fine during hot and humid conditions.

As I have said before, I’m a sucker for sunset shots, and this great one is courtesy of Hunter Stump who took this picture back in 2016. A native of Southampton, Long Island, he spotted Mariner #173 in between some bushes near his home with “free” spray-painted on both sides of the bow. At just sixteen years old, he took the boat and completely restored her and even named her “The Free.” Up here in the northeast, many boats are being put to bed for the winter, and the opportunity to take more sunset shots like this will have to wait until next season. ORION is still in the water, but it won’t be long until she returns to her shed here at home.

O’Day Mariner #3468 PHOENIX sits idly at her mooring as a morning breeze just begins ruffle the surface of the water. Her owner, Brian Fudge, actually lives here in Connecticut but has family property in Michigan where PHOENIX is kept during the summer. Notice the 2:1 jib sheets and the mainsheet all the way aft instead of the typical mid-boom or Crosby setup. Notice also the small rainbow pictured above the boom. Brian writes, “I love this boat - I searched long and hard to select a model and then this actual boat. It's perfect for our spot in Michigan where we need to pull up into shallow water to dock.” Looks like a great boat to me!

David Satter’s early-style O’Day Mariner WILDFLOWER was featured in this column back in June, and she deserves to be featured here again. She has undergone a remarkable transformation under Dave’s ownership with new paint, added portlights, a bow anchor roller, custom woodwork and much more. Dave writes, “After two years of working on her I'm just happy everything is working well. Just little things have to be addressed, mast gate, getting my centerboard winch to work smoother. Maybe a topping lift. The lithium battery I bought for my electric motor has been great. No gas motors on the lake here [in New Jersey]. I'll get my old Johnson 4 hp tuned up this winter so I can sail other places. For now, I'm going to bring her back home and tinker with things. I should be able to get her in the water early next year.” What a beautiful boat.

Yet another beautiful sunset shot with a Mariner! This is Curt Bosket’s Stuart Mariner, #4195 ALIKAT whose homeport is Waukesha, Wisconsin. A breeze is still up as the sun is going down, but ALIKAT is safely anchored for the evening in this snug harbor. She sports a number of conveniences that Stuart Marine added when she was built, including a roller furling jib, bow pulpit, stern swim ladder, topping lift, and lazy jacks for the mainsail. Two snubbing winches and jib sheet tracks on the cockpit coamings indicate the jib is a genoa. The boom is situated unusually high; this allows for a great field of view under sail and the ability to use an effective vang. However, there is the risk of the aft end of the boom hanging up on the backstay during a jibe, but so far, ALIKAT has behaved herself just fine for her owner.

During the 2022 Mariner Rendezvous back in August, Mariner sailors motored their boats up the Connecticut River from Essex through the narrow Selden Creek. There are a number of incredible houses on both sides of the river, and we passed this one situated on the Lyme riverbank as we neared the entrance to the creek. That’s Alan Schaeffer in his O’Day Mariner #1692, and while it looks like he could run aground at anytime, the picture is deceiving; there is about ten feet of water almost right to the edge of the rocks. Alan owned late-style Mariner #2470 SIALIA for a number of years but wanted a mid-style Mariner (like ORION) as they have some cruising advantages, such as a forward hatch for ventilation and no mast support pole which inhibits movement in the cabin. He found #1692, and while he still needs to name her, he has already had several successful cruises in her and finds her to be just what he was looking for. Photo: Dave Oatley.

Jurgen Braunohler proudly stands next to his mid-style O’Day Mariner, #2240 SEA VENTURE. The year is 2010, and he has just purchased her and brought her to his home in Elliot Lake, Ontario so he could work on restoring her. A highly-experienced sailor, Jurgen kept in touch with me over the years, sending e-mails about the work he was doing and recalling past sailing adventures, and he would always make a point to wish me a happy birthday. Ill health in recent years forced him to slow down his restoration work, and when Covid hit, he wrote, “When this blows over, I'll get back to [the restoration]. I do want to cruise a bit in the North Channel, one of the reasons I moved here… I'm very attached to this boat.” Not having heard from him in some time, I was devastated to learn just recently that he passed away last November from pneumonia after undergoing several serious surgeries. Fair winds, Jurgen - you are missed.

With a gathering of this many Mariners, it can only mean one thing: either a Rendezvous or a regatta! In this case, it’s the latter, and this picture shows Mariners resting at the docks of Ponce Yacht and Fishing Club in Puerto Rico after this past Saturday’s race. Racer Miguel Casellas writes, “There were seven Mariners and three Rhodes 19. We sailed a total five races: two Saturday, three Sunday. Saturday: 10-16 knots; Sunday: 6-8 knots. Joanne McCarthy and Steve Creighton brought to Puerto Rico their Mariner [from New Jersey!] to sail with us. Newcomer José Fullana was the winner sailing with Efraín Lugo - Quantum Sails. The first four boats had a great and close battle for the top spots the whole series. Saturday there was a great party and Mariner sailors celebrated with fellow competitors from other classes.” It sounds like a fantastic event - congratulations to all the Mariner sailors!

Dan Meaney (#2024 CLEW-SEA-NUF) sails just behind Chris Albert (#2714 FLOTSAM) as they pass by some rocks in the Connecticut River during the Mariner Rendezvous to Essex this past August. Both boats have adjustable outboard motor brackets which help keep their motors well clear of the water to prevent drag. Dan and Chris both live here in Connecticut and were the earliest members of the Southeast Connecticut Mariner Fleet organized in 2009. They also are the only skippers, besides myself, who have attended every single Mariner Rendezvous - fourteen consecutive years. Photo credit: Steve Hock.

Here's a great drawing done by Gary Patton in 1975 which was printed in that year's spring edition of the Mariner Class Association’s Notice to Mariners newsletter to advertise the upcoming Nationals. In 1975 the Championships were held in Mobile Bay, Alabama, the only time the Nationals went below the Mason-Dixon Line. The invitation to sailors in the newsletter read, “The Mobile Mariners cordially invite you to visit our fair city. Let us entertain you - and let’s see just how hot some of you Yankee sailors really are! We don’t wish to resurrect any of the ‘late unpleasantness between the States’ - but we might just even up the score a bit! Y’all come!” Nineteen boats made it to the start line - an excellent turnout.

Susan VanHolstyn’s mid-style O’Day Mariner rests on her cradle at Lake Leelanau in Leland, Michigan. The sun is going down after a great day on the water; Susan writes, “New mainsail, Mariner logo, awesome sailing, anchoring and swimming. Made a new harness to lift mast up to prevent swaying. It worked well.” The jib has been secured in its bag and the mainsail is waiting to be covered, and the raised cradle keeps her far enough out of the water so anti-fouling bottom paint isn’t needed. While sailing on a lake can be tricky with unpredictable wind shifts, there is no tide to worry about, and it allows for lifts and cradles to secure boats without fear of them being damaged by currents.

A worker at Stuart Marine in Rockland, Maine applies a fresh coat of bottom paint on a 1987 Stuart Mariner as part of an extensive refurbishment project. The sturdy wooden cradle supports the Mariner at a nice height; it is tall enough to work comfortably underneath the boat, and with two fluorescent lights attached to the bottom of the cradle, there’s no chance of missing a spot! Stuart Marine is the current manufacturer of the Mariner, first started by a gentleman named Stuart Scharaga in 1982 and shortly afterward bought by employee Dave Whittier once Stuart decided he wanted to return to the real estate business. The Mariner has been produced by Stuart Marine for 40 years - more than twice as long as when the Mariner was built by O’Day Sailboats, its original manufacturer.

This is a bit of an odd sight - three Mariners sailing in nearly windless conditions with their mainsails reefed. However, there’s a good reason for this. It was the last day of the 2022 Mariner Rendezvous back in August, and the forecast predicted winds upward of twenty knots as we made preparations to return home from Essex, Connecticut to the Niantic River Launch Ramp. Almost every boat tied a reef in their mainsail before leaving the dock, and even though it made for slow going as we sailed through the lee of Hayden’s Point in the Connecticut River, once we came around the corner by the Interstate 95 highway bridge, the wind hit us full force, and we were all grateful we had prepared ahead of time. Brad W. and Caroline DiDomenico’s #3582 SWEET SADIE is in the lead, Chris Albert’s #2714 FLOTSAM is in the background, and Richard Worsham’s Spindrift Mariner, #4046 GREBE with the multi-colored mainsail is bringing up the rear. Photo: Bruce Robbins.

It has been a tradition to have my own ORION featured in this column the last week of the year, so I humbly offer this photo taken by Steve Hock. It’s the final day of the 2019 Mariner Rendezvous, and I’m standing on ORION’s cabin top as the motor idles, waiting for the Mystic River highway bridge to open with my nine-foot Dyer Dhow TRUE LOVE in tow. The large white house in the left background with the stone retaining wall is actually the site of several shipyards that once built and launched many schooners and full-rigged ships back in the mid-1800s. Now a private residence, the area is filled with historic houses once owned by shipwrights and ship captains. Mystic Seaport was our Rendezvous destination back in 2019, and it will be again this coming year.

I wish everyone a happy New Year and a wonderful sailing season in 2023!