Dolphin24.org - A Website For Dolphin Owners and Others Interested in this Classic Design

July 7, 2007. Phoebe had just purchased Spectra and sent in some great pictures. This boat is 40+ years old and looks like she just came out of the box!

Look carefully at the combing. It is a glass combing with a teak cap. We'll talk about this later.

Among Phoebe's various challenges with Spectra is consideration of a name change - a daunting affair. And while Spectra certainly is a pretty boat and hides her few problems well, she came with a few surprises that need attention. Phoebe had a post on the Forum and an email exchange with the webmaster. Spectra's "list" on needs are excerpted here.

"Yes, Hull #78 is called Spectra, although I really hate that name and am planning a proper (pleas to Poseidan and all) renaming ceremony in the next several months.

... I was planning to do a major haul-out/overhaul, but began to get cold feet when I saw that just the priority to do items would add up to around $5,000 - if I had a marine yard do most of the work.

So, I am going to try my luck and do all that I can as a true, knuckle-headed novice - this is what she needs -- any advice out there?

1) The rudder stuffing box is leaking and the bolt is stuck -- here's a dumb question - is it possible to replace the rudder stuffing packing when the boat is in the water, or am I asking for a big mess (in the form of a flood!)?

2) The chainplates are looking pretty sketchy and need to be re-glued, at least. Any experience on this or advice?

3) The centerboard is being eaten alive by rust - probably will have to be done by a yard -- has anyone else had problems with voracious rust eating entire (like the movie Jaws) chunks out of the centerboard?

4) The (OB) engine mounting block is apparently straining and weakening the transom -- think I'll try to tackle this one on my own -- again, any advice?

5) Oh yeah - the teak wood on my forward cabin hatch just split entirely in two - any tips for fixing it? I hate the thought of removing it (must o' been cuz I weigh a bit more than I used to???)

6) One final question (I know, I know -you can see that I am a real newbie) - I want to rig the boat for single-handed sailing - has anyone done this with their Dolphin?

Ok, what the heck, since I've asked you all for advice (and I'm sure there will be more cries for help coming your way), here's some pics of her -- just so you can see that she's awfully pretty and in pretty good shape overall -- and worth the TLC and effort ..."

Phoebe

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Good Luck Phoebe. She may have a few problems but she sure is pretty! Notice the bronze winches, and a better view of the combing.

The following pictures came from the on line photo album of previous owner Brent Adams. They give a good look at an early Yankee interior.

There's that little Weems and Plath "Atlantic" oil lamp again. Standard Dolphin equipment

If one looks at the Roster - the hull numbers for Yankee boats that we have starting with #71 - Yankee had all wood combings and did not introduce its fiberglass combing until hull # 117, Velero. Erik Evans' Robin Lee, # 118, was Yankee's cover photo boat on their 1969 brochure. So, what's with this this boat?

Theory: Take a look at Don Barnett's Casandra Rose, O'Day # 56. Unlike the first Yankee built boats which were all wood on an O'Day supplied bare hull, Phoebe was probably the 3rd or 4th boat built by Yankee - in 1965/66, probably on an O'Day supplied hull, and probably with an O'Day supplied glass deck and cockpit? The last O'Day boats had fiberglass combings with wood caps that look exactly like this.