Robin has begun her new life with Erik but will always carry her remarkable past with her. She started as the boat on the cover of Yankee's 1969 sales brochure shown at the left. Previous owner Dylan Pfiefer tells us a remarkable story about what happened in 2005. Don't miss it - It is included below. Webmaster Note: This brochure photo was involved in a small mystery involving a Pacific Dolphin brochure years later. See below..

On Sept 6, 2008 Erik sent in the following email (edited) and pictures.

Sept 6, 2008

Hi, Ron!

Here's the latest pictures of "Robin".  A couple right before haul-out, and a few as she was in the slings ready to splash again after her bottom work. We had her power washed, and then we sanded and did two coats of blue ablative bottom paint, three at the waterline. Sealed an annoying leak at the sink-drain through-hull. Painted the boot stripe, removed the old name from the transom, and then buffed and waxed the hull from waterline to sheer.  Damn if she doesn't look almost new, if you don't look too close. :) Not bad for a 40 year old boat that spent some time at the bottom of the briny marina.

Now I'm on to the top of the to-do list.  A few rigging chores, including a new boom topping lift, setting up the slab reefing, and re-rigging the main outhaul.  Other tasks include straightening, repairing or replacing the bent bow and stern pulpits, replacing the ventilator ports at the engine compartment, replacing the valves for the above WL through-hulls.  Next, I am going to need to re-imagine the battery compartment, since currently the battery is simply sitting loose in there.  I also want to trace through all the wiring to tidy it up and make sure I understand what's going on.  The list is long...

Down the road, we'll be adding a stove, recovering the interior cushions, and perhaps we'll try to find a spot for a holding tank for the head.

Lots of sailing in our immediate future, though, as none of this list prevents an afternoon sail after the work is done.  I bought a nice used headsail for a great price, about 110% and perfect as a working headsail. It's a nice complement to the 155% genoa (quite tired) that came with the boat.  This sail inventory should tide us over until we spring for a new suit.

Thanks again Ron for your fine website and your outstanding mentorship to our community!  Hope you'll look me up if you get to SoCal.

Best-
EKE

sanded and painted

The before look was, well, unattractive and slow, and prompted Erik to post a plea on the Forum. Now he needs a wetsuit, goggles, fins, a scrub brush and willpower to keep it looking and feeling good - or a regular diver and $$$ will work too.

It really does look a lot better...

back where she belongs...

Doesn't look like a lot to do here? Here's an idea! Somebody's Dolphin here on the site has a local chart laminated on to the table top. How about engineering a neat looking removable chart system under a clear table top? Maybe limited chart storage under the table top. Means buying more expensive single charts, cutting them up, but that's only money...

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August 11, 2008 - Tireless Dolphin field investigator Erik Evens finally has found his Dolphin! Erik sent in the following email:

August 11, 2008

Hi Ron-
I thought that you should know that I finally bought a Dolphin!

I'm the new owner of Yankee #118, Sunchaser.  I bought her from Mike Olson,
who bought her from Dylan (Pfiefer).  I'll be renaming the boat ROBIN.

She's a bit of a project but has really good bones.  Mike did a lot of fine work on her while she was his, including refurbishing most of the wood on the boat and removing and resealing the original portlights.  First job though will be to haul her out and do the bottom.  Then I'll start a list of stuff to do. :)

I'll send a batch of photos along when I can.  I just discovered that my boat is the boat pictured on the cover of the 1969 Yankee brochure.  So she's a celebrity of sorts!  I couldn't be more pleased.

Thanks for the fine job on the site Ron!

Best-
EKE

Webmaster Note: In Erik's search for his Dolphin over the past year he provided this website with a lot of field intelligence about where Dolphin's were hiding - including getting us our first picture of Sunchaser! While ROBIN will be going forward under a new name she has a very interesting history, some of which is below. Good Luck Erik and ROBIN!

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Those of us who have saved Dolphins will love Dylan Pfiefer's story below. It was picked up from the Sailnet list serve posted in August 2006. We are waiting to hear from Dylan directly. In the meantime our LA field investigator Erik Evens sent our first picture of Sunchaser. Her neighbor is Doug Pease's Aspara, Yankee #153. Click here to see her

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Dylan's Story

                                                                                       August 26, 2006

Hello Dolphin owners,

I am the very proud owner of Yankee Dolphin hull # 118. The story of how I got my boat is a great one. I am a sailboat rigger in Marina del Rey Ca. I had a small racing boat on a dock there which I would sail often. Every time I would walk down the dock I would stop and gaze at a dolphin sitting there being left to rot. A true crime!

 
In 2005 California saw record rain, and in one of my frequent trips down my dock I saw a terrible sight. I saw three feet of the dolphins mast sticking out of the water. Apparently the heavy rain had overtaken the neglected vessel and sunk her.  I happen to know the people at the dock masters office and I immediately started to inquire as to what would happen to the doomed vessel. A few days later I was in touch with the owner who in turn hired me to float the boat. By this time the boat had spent nine days under water.

 
I got a few pool pumps and an old inflatable dingy and took action. After a long battle, which is another story, I had her floating, all the while wondering what the neglectful owner would do with my dream boat. After the owner came to see the boat my prayers were answered. The good man traded, my bill for floating the boat, for the title, and I, Dylan Pfeifer, was then the proud owner of a Yankee Dolphin 24. Consumed by joy a ran around the parking lot of my shop jumping and yelling, YES!!! YES!!!

 
I then jumped head first into flushing the boat with fresh water and assessing the damage. True to form the Yankee held up to the marinading and emerged with little structural damage. All electrical and interior gear was lost, but all that I need is the shell. The refit of rigging and wiring was easy since I am in the business. First she was re-rigged, making halyards internal and all the bells and whistles that a professional rigger would put, and then re-wired.

 
Six weeks later, with all the foolhardiness of a young salt, I dropped the lines from the dock for the first time in twelve years headed toward Catalina Island. How better to test a recently sunken boat than a 30 mile jaunt to emerald bay. Scared? No, I was on a dolphin.

The trip was a success and only confirmed the fact that I may be the luckiest man alive. Now, I spend a lot of time at the boat which still needs a lot of work. Proving my luck is not a fluke I happened to be docked next door to the finest dolphin I have ever seen, and it is a great example of what mine should look like.

 
I love my little boat.

Dylan Pfeifer

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Sunchaser was owned, from 1981-1984, by Mark Spector who is the current owner of Yankee, Yankee hull # 138, also in Marina del Rey. Click here to see her . Mark sent in the following picture he recently took of his old boat.

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September 21, 2008 A mystery solved!

Your webmaster was talking with John Shumaker the founder of Yankee Yachts about the brochure at the top of this page showing #118. He told me that this boat was built for one of his employees at that time, Adrian Robinson.The man in the red checkered shirt is believed to be Adrian and he is at the center of a Dolphin mystery. To find out more about this mystery click here