Mike and Linda (and puppy Riley) have owned FairWind for seven years. Mike and Linda met in college. He had just graduated and she was a cute sophomore. Together they built a successful heating and air conditioning business. Along the way two children, a son and a daughter, came along. Good thing, the kids now run the business while Mike and Linda play. And these two know how to play; if they're not sailing FairWind then they're flying their Bonanza. Mike is an FAA certified flight instructor (CFII). Until recently they were strictly Lake Erie sailors. That all changed in October 2014 when they cruised FairWind south to her new home in Punta Gorda, Florida. Their humorous blog,
svfairwind.tumblr.com, documents all the highs and lows of the trip.
Before leaving Ohio they completed a two year refit on FairWind. Mike said the teak deck was beyond saving so it was removed and nonskid put down. Not all the wood deck is gone though. New teak was put in all the cabin-top pads. New chainplates and standing rigging was installed too. When removing the hawse cleats Mike said he broke many of the bronze sex bolts. He was unable to find a source and so a machine shop made them for $10 each. The bulwark scuppers were rebuilt as the fiberglass inside the scupper wasn't well connected to either the hull or the deck--a common problem on Lord Nelson boats. While repairing the scuppers Mike found that his bulwark is filled with sand impregnated polyester resin. Almost everything on FairWind's deck was re-bedded. Happily this eliminated all the deck leaks. During construction Hai-O laminated stainless backing plates into the cabin top beneath the traveler. The plates were drilled and tapped for the traveler's machine screw fasteners. Mike said he found several instances of this construction technique. Last, but not least, the entire hull and topsides were painted.
By Dave Howell
Nellie D. 37VT63
