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Thread: New Boat 4 Sled

  1. #4251
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    Capitola,CA
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    The Port Captain of Capitola Boat Club likely needs no introduction. If you sail out of Santa Cruz Harbor, or the SF Bay area, you have probably sailed on one of his designs, had your boat built by, repaired by, or crewed by Howard Spruit, a master of all trades. Among other firsts, Howard built the first Moore-24, before Ronnie and John Moore took over.

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    Howard has been experimenting since a kid. In the 3rd grade he built himself a crystal set. In 4th grade he put together a one tube radio on which he listened to KGO, KFRC, KNBR, and 50,000 watt country western KEEN.

    Howard has always been in or around water. In high school he was a swimming star and red hot water polo player who played for the San Jose St. frosh while he was still in high school. The coach had only one rule for his team, "no biting."

    By the time he was 15 and living in Santa Clara, Howard had discovered Santa Cruz and surfing. At 15.5, his parents gave him a Lambretta scooter to ride, not realizing he'd built a 12' 2x4 trailer with soap box derby wheels that he tied behind the 5 horse power scooter with a rope and towed his surfboard over Highway 17 to get to the waves.

    The Italian scooter eventually failed when the drive shaft broke and Howard upgraded to an American made, Cushman Eagle scooter, with a flathead, 4 stroke, 2 speed, 7 hp engine. This was a better deal, because the Cushman had a side car onto which Howard could lash his surfboard.

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    When the surf was low, but the wind was up, Howard noticed people sailing, which looked like fun. So he bought a well used, 10 foot dinghy for $75, which he launched through the surf to get to the wind, and taught himself to sail.

    One day, surfing guru Jack O'Neill showed up with the first catamaran in Santa Cruz, an 18' "P" Cat, and asked for Howard's help carrying it across the beach. The rest is history, and Howard took up multi-hull sailing and racing, as well as surfing.

    Howard is the best of Port Captains as his anticipation, boat building and repair skills, and never-say-no generosity keeps our local fleet afloat and in use. Thanks, Howard!

    And here's the Port Captain arriving this morning at the breakwater for coffee club and dredging critique.

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    Tomorrow, join in the fun when Howard launches another of his new boats with a traditional Shinsuishiki ceremony literally, "enter water ceremony"). The age old purpose of Shinsuishiki is to ritually purify a new boat, as well as its builders and owners. " We don't do no stinkin' champagne launches," said Port Captain Howard Spruit.
    Last edited by sleddog; 04-01-2021 at 07:25 AM.

  2. #4252
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Saratoga
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    336

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    Who is the guy in back?

  3. #4253
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Santa Cruz CA
    Posts
    110

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    Who is the guy in back?

    That would be Carrie, SHE regularly participates in the morning, coffee and bird feeding ritual, at the harbors East jetty.

  4. #4254
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Santa Cruz CA
    Posts
    110

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    When taking that grain of salt, Bear in mind it is April First

  5. #4255
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    Sep 2007
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    Capitola,CA
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    This is not an April Fool's joke. Just had a call from Craig Smith at Elkhorn Composites. Among other things, Craig restores Moore-24's and Express 27's

    So Craig is trying to get some #10 Barient winches off the deck of a Moore 24. But can't figure out how to get the aluminum winch barrel upwards off the shaft. There is no circlip spring to pop off.

    Many readers have Barient #10's which probably need cleaning. If there is no circlip, how do you get your winch apart? I know the answer, but do you? Have you not cleaned your halyard winches since the boat was new?

    This is a two part question. You can answer either part. Bonus treat for answering both correctly.

    Part 2. Original winch handles made by Barient were either bronze, chrome plated bronze, or stainless steel, all exceedingly heavy. But at least they didn't bend like the Merriman handles. So a couple of Santa Cruz boat builders came up with a better winch handle. They looked, fitted, and worked just like a Barient winch handle. But they were aluminum and had wood hand grips. What did these lightweight, aluminum, faux Barient winch handles say on the underside?

    Does anyone other than Howard Spruit still have one of these conversation pieces from 50 years ago?
    Last edited by sleddog; 04-01-2021 at 04:36 PM.

  6. #4256
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
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    Quote Originally Posted by sleddog View Post
    Many readers have Barient #10's which probably need cleaning. If there is no circlip, how do you get your winch apart? I know the answer, but do you? Have you not cleaned your halyard winches since the boat was new?
    Does anyone other than Howard Spruit still have one of these conversation pieces from 50 years ago?
    Okay, fine. I withdraw my answer, too, even though it's the truth. Those private messages are bizarre.
    Last edited by Philpott; 04-01-2021 at 10:34 PM.

  7. #4257
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    Sep 2007
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    Let's just go with Brad's answer below and I'll delete mine
    Last edited by BobJ; 04-01-2021 at 07:53 PM.

  8. #4258
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    Sep 2008
    Location
    Saratoga
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    I think the answer to #2 is either "Made (or Cast) by Hippies from Olema"
    The Sea is my Church; the Boat is my Pew.

  9. #4259
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    Sep 2007
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    Capitola,CA
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    3,338

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    Quote Originally Posted by Intermission View Post
    I think the answer to #2 is either "Made (or Cast) by Hippies from Olema"
    "Close enough" for this edition of Antique Boatshow. What these lightweight aluminum winch handles, made by John Marples, Tom Freeman and friends, actually said was "Made in Alviso by Hippies." At the time, Alviso was as far south in San Francisco Bay as one could navigate at high tide, an abandoned cannery town subject to flooding, and a favorite haven of shoal draft boats and inexpensively built trimarans under construction and tied up in the tules. Every boat had a dog, and every dog had a boat in Alviso. Some are still there.

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    Last edited by sleddog; 04-01-2021 at 10:03 PM.

  10. #4260
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
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    Bodfish, CA
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    436

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    NJ trip includes visit to Dad (at 103).
    For Howard's benefit, Endel built crystal radio as kid. Then, he designed a tube radio for VW bug in 1949 using whatever postwar parts that were available. When it was time to fit prototype, VW had added windshield wipers, so radio was modified into 2 separate pieces. Finally completed evolution of radio with transistor and printed circuits. Quite a one person perspective.

    When I asked what the doctors were saying about his medical shape, he got animated. Those damn doctors ask me how I feel. They are the professionals and should be telling me how I am doing - not the other way around.

    The assisted living place has residents at 101, 102, and 103. The staff member said her son couldn't wait until he could volunteer and talk with these folks. Good kid!

    On the road again.

    Ants

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