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| Jay Picotte's Recovey   - a F.L. Tripp and Sons (Westport, MA) built Dolphin, Tripp # 2? SOLD!! Newport, Rhode Island (updated July 14, 2019) | 
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    July 14, 2019 - John Woods, the new owner has checked in, and we've set up a new page for Recovery. Click here to go there. 
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    July 9, 2019. In over the transom from Jay - Recovery on Flathead Lake, Montana 
      
    Still in a class by herself 
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    November 6, 2018. Jay advises Recovery has been sold and is on her way to Flathead Lake in Montana. Here is his email and 3 parting photos.     
          
      Ron, 
      Sad to report that Recovery has been sold and is currently en route to Flathead Lake in Montana - of all places!  
      Jay 
      FAIR WINDS AND CALM SEAS JAY! 
         
      
        
          
              
            Above - son Ben on the helm 
            Right - daughter on the boom 
            Click on these photos for a larger image 
              
            Fair Winds Jay 
            We stand by for the new owners to check in 
              
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    September 5, 2018. 
      We got the following email, ad and photos from Jay, updating his August 17 email and  equipment list.     
            
      Ron, 
      It is with a heavy heart that I write asking you to list Recovery for sale on your website. As you know, she has been well loved, cared for, and sailed extensively by me and my family every summer for 22 years in a row. Unfortunately, with busy lives (and too many boats) we seem to have less time for her, and the right thing to do is to find someone else to love and care for her as much as we have for the next chapter. 
       She’s been a great boat and is in good shape – although not perfect, she is ready to sail but could benefit from some cosmetics and maintenance. Attached are 2 great photos of us racing her in Camden ME (2017, 2018) that show how beautiful she is and how much we’ve loved her, there are many photos of her on your site and I can provide more to anyone. 
       Below is a list of equipment off the top of my head and my email address where any interested parties can reach me. 
      Jay 
       
          1966 Sparkman & Stephens designed Dolphin built by F.L. Tripp & Sons, Westport, MA $14,000        
      Awlgripped hull 
      Triad trailer with new hubs, bearings and disc brakes 2017 
      Rebuilt Yanmar 1gm diesel engine 2016 
      Solid bronze centerboard 
      Raymarine “Tillerpilot” autopilot 
      VHF radio, Stereo, Depth sounder 
      Knot meter, Voltmeter 
      Bulkhead mounted compass, Hand bearing compass 
      12 volt outlets in cabin and cockpit 
      Solar panel for charging batteries 
      Masthead tricolor/anchor light, LED spreader light 
      Large sail inventory including spinnaker/pole 
      Custom tan Sunbrella canvas – sail covers, dodger, cockpit cushions, as well as custom cabin cushions 
      CQR anchor 
      15 gal Flexible bladder water tank, Bronze galley water pump 
      2 burner Origo alcohol stove, Folding mahogany dining table 
      Large insulated icebox drained to bilge, Hanging locker 
      (2) Brass oil lamps, Brass clock and barometer 
      4 LED reading lights/Chart light (with red or white bulb), Engine compartment light 
      Swim ladder, Electric and manual bilge pumps 
      Boat hook, Fenders, docklines, etc., etc…. 
      CONTACT 
      Jay Picotte 
      401-218-3309 
      19 Brenton Road 
      Newport, Rhode Island  02840 
      jpicotte@cox.net 
      
       
    September 6, 2018 update - Below is a gallery of Recovery photos - click here to go to enlarged images of these photos 
      
    October 5, 2018. 
        The webmaster was on trip to Newport, Rhode Island, delivering daughter Nicole (she is  a Marionette crew -  click here for her story) to New York Yacht Club for their Global Teama Team Racing Regatta) and, always on the alert for a DFI report, he stopped 
        at Jay's house nearby the club to check out Recovery. There she was, looking good, all rigged on her trailer on Jay's driveway. A prospective buyer was coming in later to look at her and
        Jay was getting ready to give her a bath.....         
    
    Click on the above photos for a larger image     
      
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    Recovery was one of the first Dolphins to check in when we started this website more than 12 years ago. This is her story. 
    Here is Recovery ready to roll! This photo taken at the head of the small bay in Rockport, Maine at the launch area near Rockport Marine. Photo taken before Jay installed her new round portlights. Your webmaster has been in this same spot a few times looking at Marionette on a mooring.   
   
    
    This is what Jay has to say about his Dolphin. He sent this  in 2 parts so the webmaster did some minor editing. 
    
      
        
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          "I believe my boat is  hull # 2 of the 4 that were built by F.L. Tripp & Sons (click here to go there) in Westport MA.  She doesn't have a hull number corresponding to the hulls built by O'Day,  Yankee, Pacific, etc. as far as I know. (Webmaster Note: February 5, 2010. This picture at left of Recovery's nameplate 'surfaced' when posting the interior photos of February 10, 2010 below. It had been in our files for at least 2 years..unfortunately, it has no hull #)   | 
         
       
      She was built in 1966 and has a Yanmar diesel engine. I've owned her ten  years and I do have records of all (I believe) her previous owners - 4 I think.  Her original owner was in CT., Darien or New Canaan,  someplace on the western Sound. (Webmaster Note: See below) He raced her very seriously. She eventually  made her way to Lake Champlain in Vermont  where a subsequent owner heavily outfitted her for cruising (windlass, diesel  cabin heater, dodger etc..). He then sailed her North through the Richelieu River,  the St. Lawrence seaway to Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and then back to Vermont.  
         
        When I bought her in 1997, she was pretty run down. I've done a lot of  restoration including: reconfiguring the interior layout, re-coring the deck,  rewiring the whole boat, stripping the entire hull, barrier coating the bottom,  awlgripping the hull (1997 and again in 2006) painting the mast (1997  & 2006) and replacing all of the windows. 
      
          
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            The round portlights were put in by me, in 2005 I think. The  original portlights were oversized (about 5"x16"), and they were  Plexiglas with black rubber frames. The Plexiglas was so old and crazed I could  barely see through them. From the moment I bought the boat I knew I would do  this because they were so ugly and big. They drove me crazy. It was a big job  that required reglassing both sides of the cabin trunk as well as the front. I  decided on the round bronze portlights because I just thought they would look  best (still do). Click here for larger image.  | 
           
             
      These   following 2 pictures are a few years old, prior to the bronze portholes. 
      
        
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            In the cabin, you can   see the fold-up seat I installed (part of the v-berth) as originally designed by   S&S. It's folded up in the picture. To starboard of that I've created a   storage compartment that fits my folding bikes when cruising, and sails. That   compartment also folds down and there's a filler to make a complete double   v-berth. On the inboard face of the ice box there is a fold up mahogany table   and another  smaller one on the partial bulkhead aft of the two burner stove   that's very handy when cooking. 
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            Here is  another old photo of the cockpit. There has  been a lot of canvas work: new cushions- cabin  and cockpit, new dodger, new sailcovers and awning. I bought all new sails in 2005.  I also had custom built a galvanized Triad trailer with brakes and an extending  tongue that allows me to launch and retrieve the boat myself. The winch on the  trailer combined with a gin pole allows me to step the mast by myself. 
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      I   built a Herreshoff dinghy  that I carry  on deck when cruising. Webmaster note: Dolphin owners know how to take dinghy pictures!  
      
          
            
         
      The   dinghy is a Francis Herreshoff design I resigned and built as a nesting dinghy. It comes   apart athwartships, forward of amidships and the bow section nests inside the   after section. When it's on deck I can walk around it and the transom rests aft   of my mooring cleat so I can still access that. I'm also able to assemble and   launch it and retreive it solo. Nesting it only requires removing the center   thwart and the four 1/2" bronze bolts with wing nuts that hold the two sections   together.  
      
          
        Recovery - circa pre   round portlights 
         
      
        
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           I bought Recovery  in Vermont and have  cruised her down the Hudson River to New York,  all through the (LI) Sound, numerous trips to Block, Vineyard & Nantucket  and 2 trips to Maine.She's quite fast. I've done very little racing but have done very well  against all boats her size and many heavy larger boats. On the downwind leg,  (about 5 miles) of the around Conanicut  Island (Jamestown) race a couple of years ago I had a  bad start but managed to pass 4 J-24s before the windward mark. As you  know, she does very well downwind and in light air and with the masthead rig,  flies a very large spinnaker. Here is a photo approaching the Newport Bridge. Note her wooden boom and spinnaker pole. Click here for larger image.  | 
         
       
      One final story: About six years ago I was at the F.L.Tripp yard and  mentioned to one of the employees that I had a sailboat that was built there.  He said that I must be mistaken because they only build power boats. He then  summoned one of the Tripps who was working there. He wasn't aware of any  Dolphins built there either. He suggested I go upstairs and talk to "Uncle  Bill". Uncle Bill was pretty old and said "Yep, I built that  boat." He went on " Might have built more too if Sparkman  & Stephens didn't send someone up here to look over my shoulder. I don't  like being told how to do my job." After a pause he looked at me and  admitted "They were probably the best boats we ever built". 
     
    
      
       
        Webmaster Note: When Jay read the November 8, 1968 S&S internal memo to Rod Stephens on this site in the Technical section (click here to read it) he noticed that items 4. and 5. referred to improvements made by a Harold White Jr to his boat Imp. This was his boat - Recovery's old name.  Harold was a successful Dolphin racer in the mid 60's. Click here to go to Imp  
      Another Webmaster Note: Jay has the best of two boating worlds - and another  good looking boat built by Tripp - Waterlily. Click here to see her 
      
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      November 26, 2007. In response to an inquiry on the Forum regarding dodgers Jay sent in some pictures of Recovery wearing her dodger, and the following email (edited by your webmaster). One of the pictures has another shot of Recovery's Herrshoff nesting dinghy on deck.  
        
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       November 26, 2007 
          Hi Ron 
          I noticed that there was an  inquiry about dodgers on the forum.  
          
            
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              Attached are some shots of Recovery  from this past summer, most with the dodger up. I can't recommend one enough  for anybody who cruises (that's really the only time I use it). It provides protection  from spray when sailing but really comes in handy at anchor or on a mooring  when the boat is always pointing upwind. Then, it eliminates wind when sitting  in the cockpit and I can leave the companionway hatch open in all but the  hardest downpours. It also provides some standing headroom which is nice when  putting on pants or when you need to stretch out. In fact, I often stand in the  protected companionway under the dodger while underway, which is nice after  long spells sitting. Click here for a larger view  | 
             
           
            
          
            
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              The pictures with the dinghy  on deck are the day after returning from a week-long cruise to Martha's  Vineyard. (click here for a larger view) I've made the trip countless times but  set an all-time record for speed on August 18th, making it from Newport to  Vineyard Haven, covering about 42 miles, in 6 hours. We sailed on a day with  WNW winds of 25-30 and had the current in our favor through Vineyard Sound  where we were doing 8.5 - 8.7 over the ground at times. The whole trip we did a  lot of surfing and averaged about 7 kts which is almost unheard of for a  Dolphin. It was a crisp, clear, cool day and I can say it was probably the best  sail of my life. The trip back was another story. 
                I hope you had a good summer  and are doing well. It appears that Marionette is getting some TLC this year.  The interior looks great. Recovery could use the same treatment, if only I had  a barn.... 
                Jay 
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        Jay's day job is curator of the Newport Museum of Yachting. He has been involved in the Museum's recognition of Olin Stephens' 100th birthday in 2008 and his commerating his work at Sparkman and Stephens. Click here to see more on this.  
        
          
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        January 7, 2009. Jay sent in a few more pictures of Recovery and more comments on his restoration work. 
        
          
               
                 
           
        You will have to look close. Jay 'confesses' that this is a really faux paint job on his fiberglass combings as well as on the fiberglass transom and forward hatches! Fooled me.  He did not like the look of Imp's fiberglass combings, or her original hull color (white), or her oval portlights. No problem. Recovery is an example of what you can do when you really know what you are doing... The wood toe rails were the original  with bolts glassed over inside and had lots of cracks, splits and open scarf joints. After thinking about undertaking the big job of replacing the toe rail completely,  Jay decided that he buy some time and  fill the cracks, splits and scarf joints with 5200, and then paint them. That was 5 years ago. No leaks and practically maintenance free although some attention and 5200 will be needed this spring.  
        
          
              
                 
           
        Hard to believe that these combings and that transom hatch are faux painted fiberglass. I'll bet there are some other glass combing Dolphin owners out there that are going think hard when they see this picture. Speaking of good looking this looks like good, high potential crew. 
        
          
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            A helicopter shot of Recovery - Jay must be connected to get one of these  | 
            Another one!  | 
           
         
        
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        February 5, 2010. Jay sent in the following interior pictures. Note that Recovery's nameplate has surfaced in the website's files - see photo near top.  
        
          
                
                An updated version of one of the above pictures 
                   
                   
                  From the V-berth looking aft 
                  
                Starboard Communications and Audio Center - and the Dolphin lamp! 
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              May 11, 2010. Jay sent in a 'Winter Cover' Report which kicked off a new page in our Technical Section on this subject. Click here to go to it | 
             
           
           
        
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              July 19, 2010 - July 19, 2010 - Jay  sent in a photo of this beautiful model he had built by Seacraft Classics/Abordage (click to go to their website). They  worked off photos and detail instructions Jay provided. This photo shows the model in its display case in Jay's living room. 
                To see a larger scale photo click here. The detail you can see in the large scale photo is incredible. Note the anchor at the bow, wooden shroud rollers, bronze winches, coiled main sheet, flag, etc.  
                This model has been included  on our models page in the Technical Section . Click here to go to that page  | 
             
           
          
            
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              July 20, 2010. Jay also sent in a couple of pictures of the white oak rudder he had built for Recovery. Those pictures and a description are included in the Technical Section/Rudders. Click here to go there. | 
             
           
          
            
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              July 29, 2010. Your webmaster was in Newport July 16-18 on a 'working' cruise and filed a report. Click here to go to it. Jay was a gracious host and we got to go out on his (also) Tripp built Angler 22, Waterlilly. Elsewhere on this site we had a picture of this boat and just realized that we had no mention of her on this page. She is well worth a mention! Here she is at the dock at Fort Adams ready to take us to check out Recovery on her mooring. Click here to go to Waterlilly. | 
             
           
          
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        March 17, 2016. Responding to a follow up inquiry we got the following email from Jay 
  Hi Ron, 
  Sorry it's taken me so long to respond. I've been crazy busy. I left IYRS/Museum of Yachting a couple of years ago. Things are good. Recovery was re-powered over the winter with a pre-owned Yanmar 1GM replacing the Yanmar installed in 1982. I'm still sailing and cruising her every summer although not too far or often. Usually just one trip to Cuttyhunk and the Vineyard. 
   I do check in on the website occasionally and I'm always amazed at what you've done. I'm glad you're well. Let me know if you're headed toward Newport any time. 
-Jay 
 
Webmaster Note: Shucks! Lost the inside contact to getting the neatest slip  in Newport - out at the tip of Fort Adams! http://dolphin24.org/marionette_Newport_cruise.html 
  
Marionette at Fort Adams Basin 
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January 14, 2017 We got the following update from Jay (minor edit) 
 
  Hi Ron, 
   I haven't gotten her out sailing as much as I'd like the past few years, usually about 10 day sails/season. Been 3 or 4 years since I've cruised anywhere. Proud to say I've had her commissioned and sailing every season for 21 years. Keep me posted on your plans next summer. I hope you can make it back to Newport. (in the planning phase...) 
   
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    July 26, 2017 Jay has been quietly planning to race RECOVERY in the Camden Classic Cup/Dolphin 24 New England Championships July 27-29 up in Camden, Maine. The easy part is racing, the hard part is the planning and getting there. 
    About Noon today your webmaster happened to be driving south down Rt #1 approaching the center of Camden, and coming up north was this black hull Dolphin on her trailer being towed by a pickup. A quick turn down a side street next to the library (local knowledge) brought me to an intersection with the road leading to the Lyman Morse boatyard, and there they were approaching from the left - I followed, and  1/2 mile down the road, just next to the Lyman Morse access road, I passed them and waved 'follow me'! 
    
    By 3PM  RECOVERY had arrived at pod headquarters! Click the photos for a larger image 
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            August 8. 2017. Brian Connelly, a crew on a Center Harbor 31 racing at the CCC (and looking for a Dolphin of his own!) filled in the gaps and sent in these photos. 
             
            
          Click on the photos for a larger image 
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    August 10, 2017 Jay sent in some pictures taken at the  Camden Classic Cup/Dolphin 24 New England Championships and  we have added them to our photo gallery (click here to go there). His pictures, along with a couple we selected belong here on Recovery's page. We'll start with this one 
      
    Jay Picotte/Recovery accepting the Ed Glover Trophy for 2nd place. 
    Here's Marionette's and Recovery's crews rehashing race strategy at the Camden YC post race party. Click here for a larger image 
      
    left to right - Recovery crew Michael Burns, Jay Picotte, Michael Gooch-Breault, Ben Picotte, Ron Breault 
    And, these we just received from Jay 
      
    
       Sharp lookouts on Recovery - 34? seals - On Marionette we never saw one!!! Click here for a larger image 
        
      Measuring Recovery's big genoa on the Camden Library lawn - 158.84% - click here for a larger image 
      
        
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            Eerie Keepers.... 
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              September 2, 2017 This Facebook post by the Camden Classic Cup finally got thru Dolphin security. Its just a short video but the 1st act is Recovery, followed by some wild dancing on awards night at Camden YC to the Jason Spooner band. We'll stick with the Recovery part 
               Below is the Facebook video link 
                           
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      https://www.facebook.com/CamdenClassicsCup/videos/vb.159454560780146/1514311318627790/?type=2&theater 
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    September 12, 2017 - Jay sent in a short youtube video of Recovery in Camden (edited) 
    
      Hi Ron, 
         
        A 2 minute video my son Ben made of Recovery sailing in Maine is linked below. 
         
        Hope all is well. 
         
        -Jay 
           
           https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dpke71ENwc 
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            August 5, 2018. Some photos from the 2018 Camden Classic Cup regatta - July 26-28 Camden, Maine. 
            Right - Jay, posing after Recovery's launch 
           
         
          Click here for a large image 
          Recovery finished 3rd in the Dolphin 24 New England Championships 
          Click here to go to the regatta webpage  | 
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    Fog..... 
      
    Crew relaxing..... 
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    October 31, 2018 
      When Dave Hemenway checked in with his Seafarer 23, a Dolphin 24 'cousin'(
      http://dolphin24.org/blue_chip.html),  this brought back memories to Jay. Jay's boat was likely the Seafarer 23 Kestrel Daysailer model, built in Huntington, New York - see https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/seafarer-23-kestrel-daysailor - 2 side portlights, not 3 as in Dave's version. 
    
      Hi Ron, 
         
      I saw the entry on the site about the S&S Kestrels. I used to have one. I sailed her for a few years out of Oyster Bay, New York and then Burlington, Vermont. She was a pretty little boat but didn't sail as well as the Dolphin......She had an outboard in a well. 
       Here's a 1993 picture of her in Edgartown, Massachusetts. Look familiar? 
      Jay 
      Postscript: Her name was Recovery 
        
      She does look familiar........missing the round portlights......     
     
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