Plastic Classic Forum

Not sure how I stumbled across this forum, but I'm glad I did. There's apparently wealth of knowledge and experience to be found here, and I'll be trying to soak a lot of it up as I proceed in renovating my Islander 32.

She's a McGlasson/Wayfarer design with pretty much the original configuration and outfitting. The only obvious changes are the addition of both an electric and a catalytic propane heater down below. The spars are wood, the auxilliary is an Atomic 4, it's got a propane stove/oven, all apparently original.

I've owned her for a couple years now, and done some minor work to bring her up to daysailing condition. It's been hard for me to focus on a given task, because if the wind's blowing, I start thinking maybe I should look for a project that I can stop after a few hours and then take her out. But now I'm ready to start some real work.

The first and most important project is repairing the base of the compression post. Water had been allowed to fill the bilge and cover the plywood sole. So the sole rotted, the bottom of the post rotted, and the base under the sole is soft. The cabin top has compressed in far enough to prevent the door to the head from opening.

My goal is I mainly want a comfortable, safe, and pleasant boat to sail, and maybe start cruising. I dream about making her a beauty queen, but I would rather sail her than work on her. It's currently a 2 hour drive from home which means I usually only get weekends to work on her.

I'll have more specific info and questions as I proceed. For now I just wanted to introduce myself and say hi.

John, welcome to the forum. Islander 32, nice boat. Before anyone else says it, I will: "We want pictures" :-)

Welcome aboard John. :)

We want pictures!

No, wait, I mean: "Welcome to the Forum" :)

Rachel

I've uploaded a few pics here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/thugdrummer/Islander32#

Last Saturday was not a good day for boat work. I arrived at the boat late, and was tired from the drive, and obviously not thinking clearly. I was using a roto-zip tool to cut out the sole. Unfortunately, I got too close to the sole/hull joint, and suddenly a thin stream of water started squirting up out of the cut. SH#T!

I quickly ripped the wood out of the way, and jammed a large splinter into the hole to slow it down. After hunting for about 15 minutes I finally found the epoxy putty stick. (I highly recommend the stuff. Tear off a chunk, knead it in your palm until it's a uniform color and jam it into the hole. It's the consistency of play-dough). It stopped the leak. I was too frustrated to do anything else with the boat for the weekend, so I packed up my tools, unloaded the boat and closed her up.

So now I need to find a marina to haul the boat out so I can fix the hole properly. And now I know why pirates always say "ARGHHHH!!"

Welcome... Gorgeous boat!

There's one of those in the back of a yard I wander through from time to time... always wondered what she was. Thanks!

Zach

Isn't she a Rhodes design? I like her.

Sorry to hear about your screw up. It probably won't be your last. Once when touching up a small ding on my cabin top, I spilled a quart of Z-Spar 99. Before I could gather up the stuff to clean it up, it ran down my varnished mahogany cabin sides, across the deck, out the scupper, and down to the water. I went thru a gallon of mineral spirits and a roll of paper towels cleaning it up. I had to clean white paint off my bootstripe. If you know where to look you can still see evidence of my screw up. Another reason why you should never paint directly out of the can.

the only way I was ever able to get any real work done on my boat was to remove the mainsail off the boom and remove the boom as well. Really, I had to disable the boat to work on her. I don't think I went so far as to cut a hole in the hull as you have but I don't have one of the fancy zip tools. Now if I had a boat barn with two working bays.........oops I am in California and only Larry Ellison has that much dough. great boat, love the little port side dinette.

r

Edited to say "Now where did keelbolts' post go?

keelbolts wrote:Isn't she a Rhodes design? I like her.

As I understand it, the Islander 32 was designed by Joseph McGlasson. He designed and built some earlyish glass boats (the 24 was originally wood). Some of them were later picked up by Columbia (at least the 24 was).

Here is a bit of timeline from an Islander 28 (Perry design) owner:

1955 • Joseph McGlasson builds a wooden 24’ sailboat line
1961 • McGlasson uses his 24’ wooden boat to create molds for a fiberglass Islander 24
1962 • Columbia Sailboats Company is formed using molds “borrowed” from the Islander 24 hull and deck
1962 • McGlasson begins production of the Islander 32
1963 • McGlasson Boat Company becomes Wayfarer Yacht Corporation
1965 • Islander Yachts Corporation evolves from older boat building companies
1965 • An Airstream Trailers artist designs the “Swoosh” logo
1968 • Islander Yachts is sold to Cosmodyne Inc. who forms Islander Yachts Inc. as a subsidiary
1971 • Cosmodyne sells Islander Yachts Inc. to Radlon Inc.
1974 • Bob Perry draws the design for Islander 28 sailboats
1975 • Production begins on Islander 28 sailboats...

http://www.islander28.com/history.html

Unfortunately, I got too close to the sole/hull joint, and suddenly a thin stream of water started squirting up out of the cut.

At some point we all make mistakes. Welcome to the forum and good luck with the rest of your project.

As I understand it, the Islander 32 was designed by Joseph McGlasson. He designed and built some earlyish glass boats (the 24 was originally wood). Some of them were later picked up by Columbia (at least the 24 was).

Here is a bit of timeline from an Islander 28 (Perry design) owner:

1955 • Joseph McGlasson builds a wooden 24’ sailboat line
1961 • McGlasson uses his 24’ wooden boat to create molds for a fiberglass Islander 24
1962 • Columbia Sailboats Company is formed using molds “borrowed” from the Islander 24 hull and deck
1962 • McGlasson begins production of the Islander 32
1963 • McGlasson Boat Company becomes Wayfarer Yacht Corporation
1965 • Islander Yachts Corporation evolves from older boat building companies
1965 • An Airstream Trailers artist designs the “Swoosh” logo
1968 • Islander Yachts is sold to Cosmodyne Inc. who forms Islander Yachts Inc. as a subsidiary
1971 • Cosmodyne sells Islander Yachts Inc. to Radlon Inc.
1974 • Bob Perry draws the design for Islander 28 sailboats
1975 • Production begins on Islander 28 sailboats...

The way I heard it:
McGlasson was a boat builder that approached Glass Laminates, (a company that made FG shower stalls and such) to make a mold for his CATALINA ISLANDER (possibly an Alden design). Glass Laminates made a mold for him, and then (surreptitiously ??) made a mold for themselves. This ultimately resulted in the formation of Columbia Yachts and became the Islander 24. (later the Columbia 24). McGlasson then formed Wayfarer that built the ISLANDER 32.
(rumor has it that it was from a Lapworth design) but the plug was probably made from a boat that McGlasson had first built of wood and the design is generally credited to McGlasson.

Just an aside from someone who has an interest in this stuff to degree that others have suggested psychiatric help is called for.