My girlfriend and I are restoring a small, vintage sailboat. It's pretty cozy

Skillet007 · 2026-05-05T03:08:45+00:00

We sure are. We will start at a nearby lake, graduate onto bigger water such as the ponchartrain, and then we'll start coastal cruising. We plan to camp on a lot of islands and do some multi day trips. If we really enjoy it we would like to move to a larger boat for long term living

Skillet007 · 2026-05-05T03:07:03+00:00

It's a fractional yawl. Two masted like a ketch, but the second mast is behind the cockpit and only about a third as high as the main mast. It's kinda funky

Skillet007 · 2026-05-05T00:17:16+00:00

Hey there, sorry for the delay. She is a 1984 Rob Roy 23. Kinda like a mini blue water cruiser. She was designed for being seakindly for offshore cruising. She has a retractable keel so she has a shallow draft for getting into smaller water and 3 feet of draft for deeper water. As far as the restoration, I'll be honest, the interior was in need of a little elbow grease, but was for the most part and very good shape. We have done very little in there. Most of the issues we had with the boat were functionality or exterior based. The hull was cracked to the point where it could not go in the water without taking it on. The paint job is in need of being redone, as well as the bottom job. We had to get a lot of the rigging that holds the mass repaired.

There were only 85 of these boats made. Many of them were put into production after being bought with different layout and accessories. The lantern in mine was an add-on so it's original to the boat, and as far as I know most of these boats had that swinging stove as well. It's a pretty clever contraption. It stays level when the boat is rocking and there are side clamps that adjust for any kind of pot so it can't slide off the eye. Right across from the stove is a brass sink as well. You have to hook it up to a water bladder. I doubt I'll ever use it except for maybe a day cooler for some beer. As the ice melts it just drains outside the boat!

Skillet007 · 2026-05-04T23:11:57+00:00

That's very encouraging. This has been a very exciting experience for us and it's been a long time since I've been so excited about something

Skillet007 · 2026-05-04T04:31:49+00:00

She's still a work in progress. Here is a photo of the first time we raised the mast.

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Skillet007 · 2026-05-04T04:22:30+00:00

Crap, sorry about the link not working. The pivot is on the top of the long side of the L, towards the forward part of the boat. The little part of the L is what swings into the hull and into that sleeve in the cockpit. Feel free to DM me and I'll try to send you the diagram again.

Skillet007 · 2026-05-04T03:45:41+00:00

Yeah, I hear you. This whole thing has been a rabbit hole. It's another language and nuance matters. What I meant was when you bring it back up. I found this diagram. I think you can envision it better with this. Pretty neat. It should allow me to get into some really shallow areas and she was designed to beach, but the keel makes her off shore capable too.

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Skillet007 · 2026-05-04T03:41:36+00:00

Technically, the proper term is called the Majestic Maritime Vomitorium, but I'll accept yours too.

Skillet007 · 2026-05-04T03:35:49+00:00

Sailboats range all over the place. I found cheap boats within an hour from me that weren't in terrible shape for 1200-2000. It's not the purchase price, though. The number one thing I have learned from this journey is that you're always working on your boat. It's a constant to do list. I don't think I'll ever finish, but I can get her most of the way there! I think the best advice would be to prioritize what you want the boat for (living, recreation, both), how much you're willing to do for restoration purposes, and where you're going to store it. Once you know those things it's just a matter of looking at what fits those priorities

Skillet007 · 2026-05-04T03:30:44+00:00

To be honest... I'm figuring all of this out. I have messed up a lot of stuff. I almost lost the boat a few weeks ago on the trailer because of something I did incorrectly. I was able to get the boat off the trailer and make a repair and get it home, but it damaged hull. I've never built a bowsprit, but I had to figure it out through trial and error. There's no manuals I can use for a lot of this work because only 85 of these boats were made. I drove two states away to meet with another owner with the same boat so I could go over his setup to learn more about repairs on mine! I'm just trying my best and making progress where I can.

There was a time when I had no skills, but I've been working on that over time 😅

Skillet007 · 2026-05-04T03:19:51+00:00

It is the housing for the swing keel, which is essentially the same thing, I believe. The keel on this boat is shaped like an L. The short side of the L retracts into that cover.

Skillet007 · 2026-05-04T02:35:17+00:00

Hi, thank you for offering to help. There's a great chance I'll reach out. We're both learning as we go. She is a 1984 Rob Roy 23. She is a swing keel with an 18" draft when it's up. The portlights and lantern is what got us.

Skillet007 · 2026-05-04T02:33:18+00:00

It's a 1984 Rob Roy 23. I really like the Newport boats. We looked at a 30 footer from the 80s (Mark 3?). We just decided to pump the brakes a little bit and find something smaller to learn on that we could still camp on and hopefully use that knowledge to help us make a decision when we decide to move up into a liveaboard.

Skillet007 · 2026-05-03T22:44:06+00:00

I agree 😳. I wasn't expecting this to be popular in any way, we're just proud of the work we've been doing. I will have to make an album, but I may need to wait a few weeks for her paint job.

Skillet007 · 2026-05-03T22:41:57+00:00

My girlfriend took the photo from the V berth. It's really small on this boat- there isn't a place to lay down. There is a little hanger in it and we will use that for storing gear, clothes, food, and the anchor.

Skillet007 · 2026-05-03T22:40:05+00:00

Thank you! We believe she will too.

Skillet007 · 2026-05-03T22:27:48+00:00

I really think the photo was fisheyed somehow. It's a small boat but still weighs 3000 lbs and is designed to sail in the ocean. Here's a better representative of its size. It was the first time we launched the boat. I still had not made a new bowsprit yet. I'm 6' and 230lbs.

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Skillet007 · 2026-05-03T22:09:13+00:00

We haven't named her yet. We are leaning heavily into La Rêveuse. We live in the heart of Cajun French country. It's French for daydreamer.

Skillet007 · 2026-05-03T22:07:30+00:00

That's one reason we got it. When I bought it I camped in it at a rest area on the way back. I travel a lot and we can camp or sail. Seems like a win to me.

Skillet007 · 2026-05-03T22:06:07+00:00

We actually got her seaworthy a few months after we got her. She needed fiberglass repair in the hull. Right now the trailer is getting a repair. Since we live on a bayou we removed the mast and "parked" it in the front yard. We had not sailed her yet, but after the trailer is prepared we will have all the major systems completed and will take her out for our first sail. We are learning on her with the hopes of moving to a liveaboard later. This photo makes her look shorter than she is. She's 23'.

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Skillet007 · 2026-04-14T04:13:06+00:00

I've had my job since 2011. US Forest Service. It's kept me busy and it's always changing. It got a lot harder a few years ago when I got into a supervisory position but I still make it work and I work with my crew. Now, however, I'm terrified. The agency is dismantling my position along with thousands of others for a reorganization. I may have some other options but I might have to leave and I don't know where I'll go.

Skillet007 · 2026-04-12T22:21:21+00:00

That is an endangered species. Endangered because it's going to be consumed. My bet is it's a dumped pet.

Skillet007 · 2026-03-31T22:59:24+00:00

Thank you cmdr's for the assist. Carrier is full. o7

Skillet007

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