| 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.
"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.
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.
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. 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.
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.
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.
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.
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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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.
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
 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
Jay
Sorry for the long rambling response. I'm obviously a big Dolphin fan."
Jay
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