SailK38.Com

“What in the world do you want with three, wooden sailboats?” is the usual question.  It’s a long story, I will be happy to tell you if you think you really need to know.  Otherwise, just chalk it up to insanity, passion, congenital optimism, or situational problem solving to save boats in peril and at the abyss of abandonment without a new patron due to the poor planning on the part of the previous patron(s). It could have been simple ignorance on my part as to what was involved in renovating what looked to my inexperienced eyes like an easy situation to take on. In my defence, two other K-38s which have come my way have been sacrificed as “parts donors”; so I am not totally without reason in my thinking.

 Here’s the current situation:  I have too many boats to be able to do justice to any one of them to a level of "BRISTOL".    I am and have been sailing DYAD II while renovating her; CHELSEA is going to be sailing in spring of 2011, and BANANAS is still on the hard awaiting the replacement of all planks below the waterline.  The “rest of the story” is that whichever one of these 4 boats does not sell, I am going to keep. 

 Using freelance boatwrights with superlative skills I have invested many thousands of dollars in each of these boats in order to renovate them into a condition of use-ability and beauty.  The asking prices represent approximately 20% of what I have spent on each one.  The new asking prices represent much loss, please do not inform my wife.  The stories and photos you find at the click of your mouse on the icons above will give you a lot of details as to what has been accomplished.  Much more has been done to each of them, but I haven’t done a good job of keeping up with this work by photo; so give me a call to learn the latest.

 Let's be creative:  There are probably many ways that we can reach an agreement regarding your acquisition of any one of these boats.  The most simple would be your outright purchase.  Another could be my carrying paper with a lot of conditions about the care and further renovation of the boat.  We can also arrange to have you purchase the boat while the boatwrights who have been doing the work finish what we have started.  It is possible to provide a realistic “gursstimate” of the costs of remaining renovations work needed on each.  We can also make arrangements to have the boat donated so that you can acquire it as a result of a charitable deduction to a legitimate non profit.

 It's a myth:  If you are one of those people who have come upon this site, read this and looked into the work that has been done, and then say to yourself “ah ha, proof positive that wooden boats are more expensive to maintain than fiberglass, please think again.  The work I have invested into these boats is due to the NEGLECT (for what ever reasons they may have had such as illness, death in the family, financial distress etc.) of the previous owners.  WoodenBoat magazine did a serious, longitudinal study a few years ago that showed wooden boats only cost about 10 to 15 % more per annum to maintain than fiberglass boats.  The costs represented in the asking price and previous work are reflective of the ignorance and prejudice of the US boating public toward wooden boats.  If these boats were in Europe, I would be asking 20% or more than what I have invested in them, and I would get it.  In the case of BANANAS & CHELSEA this would be six figures.

 One other thought: I have sailed DYAD and two other K-38s to Catalina/Two Harbors/Avalon many times over the past 6 years.  Not a visit to those harbors goes by without there being a multitude of waves, thumbs up, people stopping by the boat to admire, compliment, and offer their praise and gratitude for the experience and presence of the boat in their midst.  I have yet to see this happen to a plastic boat.

Kettenburgs: K-38.  Hull #s 18, 27, 32. Serious renovations

accomplished and underway on each. Details, photos, and prices available
at 916-847-9064.

Steve Barber
> Email: steve@paradigmpilgrim.com
> Phone: 916-847-9064

As the economy has slowed so has my capacity to renovate these beautiful boats.  Thank goodness for Sunbrella boat covers and monthly bottom cleanings that slow any further deterioration!!

 With the exception of the new hull planking going on BANANAS the renovation of these boats has slowed.  I need to put my energy and discretionary income into only one of these boats.  As mentioned in my introduction on the home page whichever one of these boats does not sell will be the one I keep and finish renovating to BRISTOL condition.  In the meantime I must do what so many of us wooden boat lovers in America must do and that is write off a huge amount of money that we invest in our passion.  If we were in Europe, these sailboats would sell for exponentially more that is invested in them.  In the US it is the other way around.

So, reality trumps reason even further.  I have adjusted the asking price on each of these creatures to those now seen on the home page.  These prices represent a tiny fraction of what has been invested in their renovation.

Click the pictures for more info

DYAD II, #18

CHELSEA, #27

BANANAS, #32

For more information on Kettenburg sailboats