View of USA14958, all wood, new 2007 (built by Pat Crump), cockpit area, rig tension on foredeck (orange line), mast ram (black), spinnaker stowed in bag, jib and jib sheet system, trapeze system, shroud adjuster system (obscured). Photo by Pat Crump.
tioned earlier, the Fireball is available at a moderate cost. A boat manufactured by a professional builder in England, Switzerland or Australia is going to cost $16,000 without sails, but a really good used one, with sails, might be found in the $8,000 to $10,000 range in the United States or Canada, and it is possible to purchase one—wood or fiberglass—in different stages of construction. Furthermore, a person could build a bare hull for $2,500 plus their time, and rig and fit it out as they wish.
REVIEW YOUR BOAT SOUTHWINDS is looking for sailors who like to write to review their sailboat — whether it is new or old, large or small. It can include the following: Year, model, make, designer, boat name Specifications: LOA, LWL, beam, draft, sail plan (square footage), displacement Sailing performance Comfort above and below deck Cruiser and/or Racer Is it a good liveaboard? Modifications you have made or would like General boat impression Quality of construction Photos Essential (contact us for photo specs) We have found that our readers love reviews by those who own the boats — comments are more personal and real All articles must be sent via email or on disc For more information and if interested, contact editor@southwindsmagazine.com or call (941) 795-8704
(If you hate your boat, we aren’t interested — you must at least like it)
44
August 2011
SOUTHWINDS
View of USA14957, new 2008, composite construction (foam core fiberglass hull, wood guts, wood deck), nearing completion of rigging, sitting in Pat Crump’s garage with Ned Goss. Photo by Pat Crump.
A prime example of a man building his own is Dave White who is generally recognized as the guru of the class. He has written articles about wooden-boat building for Wooden Boat magazine and says that Milne wanted a onedesign boat that an amateur woodworker could construct. White is hardly an amateur and he has even had his students at Jefferson-Morgan High School in western Pennsylvania build them under his direction. “Now if you are going to be a world championships competitor, you should have a manufactured boat,” he said. “But you don’t have to have a manufactured boat to compete in the United States.” Furthermore, you can car top one because two or three people can pick it up or load it on a dolly. And the boats are easy to launch either on a ramp or a beach—or almost anywhere. Fireballs are very durable and you can even sail them in the ocean in big waves. White says they perform best in 10 to 15 knots, and just go faster after that. “First you have the trapeze, and then you can adjust the rig to depower the boat better than some classes,” he said. “Therefore, we can stay out on the water longer.” White actually grew up sailing with his father on a Lightning. And he has raced Thistles and 505s, but he built his first Fireball when he was about 15 or 16 and has loved them ever since. White also likes to cruise, but he has a Chrysler-made sailboat for that. He adds that Fireballs are popular because they’re fun, and they’re fun because they are fast, even in light air. “It’s a lively boat and exciting,” he said. www.southwindsmagazine.com