Colvin Pinkie Schooner

[johngsandusky]

Anyone ever sail one? Impressions or numbers? I am considering one. I know all the standard: "schooners and gaff rigs not so good to windward". I'm considering buying one. I'm content with the windward performance of my gaff yawl, looking for a larger boat.

[holzbt]

Hi John,

If this is the one in the city I used to watch it sail past the pier at work quite often the past few years. I think it's a nice looking boat and my impression is that she sails pretty well for a schooner. You're not going to be out pointing any J boats but she looks great and the owner obviously knows how to sail her and seemed to hold his own with most of the other boats sailing in the area.

Roger

[Tylerdurden]

I was planning on building one. It was my first choice and I wanted the cargo hold. Everyone I wrote who has one liked the craft.
There is one on the hard up here for sale. She needs bottom plating but I was told it going from a motivated seller.

[johngsandusky]

Thank you both.
Roger, it is Rosemary Ruth, a green gaff pinky schooner that sails out of 79th St. I'm going to look at her tomorrow.

[Ian McColgin]

I've sailed a couple of different Colvins, though not the pinky. Since all my boats (one Garden ketch, an Alden 43' schooner, LFH's Marco Polo, and Marmalade the cat) tack through 100 degrees, all that going to weather nonsense has little to do with real cruising.

If your destination is hopelessly to weather and the chop is killing you, bear off or change your destination or sit tight till the wind changes.

There are, by the way, tricks to happily tacking a schooner. Some books say to back the jib to get her around. Rot. The only times for backing a jib are heaving-to or sailing backwards.

Better to release the head by casting off the jib just as you start turning the wheel. Head free and she'll tack right smartly and you don't loose as much weigh. If you're well crewed you can also haul the main to weather keeping it full through the eye of the wind, really powering her through the tack. (Ketches and yawls can do with with the mizzen.)

It's hard to beat the Colvin.

G'luck

[johngsandusky]

Thanks Ian. 100 degree tacks are ok with me, but any wider is really not. I'm passionate about sailing, very reluctant to motor. I am willing to wait on conditions. Here on the LI Sound, the wind mostly varies from sw to nw, and the Sound runs east-west, so I do require a boat that will make miles to weather. On my friendship I've had to wait to sail through inlets against wind and tide, sometimes been stopped by light air and adverse tide, or waited out a calm. My boat has no engine, which makes cruising to a schedule impractical. I've enjoyed all that, but I'm looking for a bigger boat. The pinkie is 12 tons, and has an engine, which will make entering strange harbors less thrilling. I'll let you all know when I make a purchase. I've looked at a couple of good boats this spring, I'm also considering a ketch and a couple of yawls, all wooden. The Colvin is steel.

[Michael s/v Sannyasin]

Hi John,

I've had the pleasure of sailing aboard the Rosmary Ruth and she is indeed a fine boat. Here is a video I made of a mid-winter sail with Richard, the owner a year or two ago:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reBF7SaBbpM

I didn't notice any difficulty at all sailing to weather.

[johngsandusky]

Thank you Michael. Great video.

[Hollingsworth]

That's a fine video, Michael. Really enjoyed it. (I have a similar schooner, designed by J Murray Watts, who preceeded Colvin. Actually, a young Colvin worked for Watts early in his career.)

Hudson recently purchased a larger schooner in Spain and is currently preparing for the voyage across the pond.

Mr. Sandusky, are you going to buy Rosemary Ruth? If so, please send me a PM.

[johngsandusky]

I looked at RR and decided not to take any action right now. If bidding had stayed really cheap, I would have bid. I still have other boats to see. I have contact info, if I decide I want this one. Like all boats, she is a compromise.

[Tylerdurden]

John there is one here on the hard that needs some bottom sheeting replaced. I will inquire and post if you are interested.

[johngsandusky]

Mark, no thanks. I'm trying to avoid taking on projects. My Friendship yawl has taken much more of everything than I hoped. I'm trying to find a boat ready to sail and cruise. Meanwhile my dory is keeping me sane. I'm planning to look at two more boats in RI this weekend. Thank you all for your help.

[Tylerdurden]

I understand, Good luck on your hunt

[Lance F. Gunderson]

There was a Colvin pinkie schooner, junk rigged, steel hull, around Kittery Point for many years. "Aurora" was her name. Her skipper was an old salt who lived aboard and eventually died aboard too. He loved that boat, and took her down to the Chesapeake most winters. She went on the rocks off Fort McLeary during one of the '90's hurricanes and was rolling back and forth as the swells crashed into and over her and she looked like a gonner for sure, but after the storm quieted down she got towed off and didn't even leak! A few dents, but no breaches to the hull. I was amazed and began to appreciate steel hulls. When I was sailing up the Caloosahatchee in Florida I passed by Colvin's shop and saw his personal schooner, which I liked a lot. Didn't get to meet him though.

[George Ray]

The pinky in NY 'Rosemary Ruth' is what colvin refers to as a 'Clipper Pinky' and and Mr. Colvin refers to them as one of the best sailing boats of all his designs. For LOD:36' the beam is only => Beam:10.3'.

The boat in Maine, I am rather sure is one of his regular pinky's and has a beam of about 13'. Much different boat. The "regular pinky" can be examined in Colvin's book on steel boat building. It is used as a primary example in the discussion of the various stages of design/construction.

[MColfer]

I owned a 34' Colvin aluminum schooner for ten years. Not a pinky. Don't let anyone tell you they will not go to windward, for they will. It took me a number of years to learn to actually sail the boat, but toward the end I could sail against wind and tide where macaroni sloops were under power. Tom kept telling me she would do it, but I had to grow into her.

[leaotis]

There was a Colvin pinkie schooner, junk rigged, steel hull, around Kittery Point for many years. "Aurora".

I met Jake , Aurora's owner in Beaufort NC. Jake spent a few winters there. Once while I was bartending, I witnessed Jake and some guy talk about fasteners all night long. Most of us were in awl of Jake's knowledge. If Jake chose a Colvin Pinkie, there must be several good reasons.

I ofter wondered what happened to Jake and Aurora.

[Lance F. Gunderson]

Sadly Jake died aboard, when Aurora was hauled out on land somewhere far up the Piscataqua River. After the hurricane incident she never sailed again, but he continued to live aboard her on land. I don't know what became of Aurora, but I did meet a fellow in Cambridge, MA. who said he had serious intentions of buying her. He also said he intended to convert her to a schooner rig. Anyone know more?

[rchase55]

I now own the former Aurora. It's been renamed the Tusitala and she is now traditionally schooner rigged. Haven't had as much time lately to sail her as I went through a horrendous divorce. The Court gave me back the vessel but not before the ex made off with the linens and everything that made it a comfortable live-aboard
It's in a Maine yard right now, but I will probably be taking it down to Newport or New Bedford area in the spring. Once I get some time, I will probably move back aboard her, as she is quite comfortable for 2 and now even more so for one.'
I have been able to sail her myself--the rig is that forgiving--though I have to tie off the helm and move quick. But that;s not bad for a 49' vessel and proves the efficiency of the schooner rig.....

[TR]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2612/3785809680_c90f248479_b.jpg

The picture above is one of two identical Colvin designed pinkies built by my Father-in-law, Theodore "Jim" McAlister in BC. The boat is slightly larger than the Aurora design and appears in Colvin's plan list as the "McAlister Pinky, 54'". The boat in the picture is Temujin, home port Nanaimo BC, her younger sister is called Far Reach, home port Prince Rupert.

Timujin was originally rigged with a three masted Chinese Lug (with jib on bowsprit) schooner. Colvin's website included a picture of Temujin under sail and improperly labled as Aurora. Far Reach has a two masted schooner rig with bowsprit.

Timujin was launched in 1975 and converted to a fishing vessel in the early 1980's. At that time the midship's mast was removed and the bowsprit and tail "feathers" docked to conform with fishing license requirements (length limit). I spent a month offshore aboard Temujin in the 1980's, trolling for tuna in the North Pacific. She was close to the most comfortable offshore vessel I've ever spent time aboard. At the time we just had the big ballanced lug sail on the foremast and a full battened mizzen, she was very short of sail area. More of a motor-sailor at the time.

[TR]

Temujin sans pilothouse and with her original rig.

http://shipyardraid.ca/images/TEMUJIN.jpg

[PeterSibley]

A great boat TR ,she looks good in either guise .