Wooden Mercury

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  • davebrown
    jealous witchdoctor
    • Dec 2001
    • 3777

    Wooden Mercury

    What do people think about a WOODEN 1950s Mercury, looks similar to Star design, keelboat, looks dirt cheap but probably has some issues either with keelbolts or tired sails/rigging? I have a basement full of sails, so I wouldn't much care about that--and it would not be for racing. It would be for SF recreational sailing and FOlsom Lake, which is near my house, with at least one launch capable of handling a keelboat with a just under 3 ft. draft...In front of The Fish, in Sausalito, a display exists of the same hull, glass, along the wharf. It is a damn good looking boat. I think the rigging would be annoying, but that is because I use mostly a lug or a race trainer with a simple cat rig. I also would not care a bit about altering the rig for ease in and out.

    Last edited by davebrown; 06-08-2018, 11:47 AM.
    Re-naming straits as necessary.
  • rbgarr
    43.50.918 N, 69.38.583 W
    • Apr 1999
    • 25479

    #2
    Re: Wooden Mercury

    Home of the Mercury Class Yacht Racing Association (MCYRA), One Design Sailboat Racing in California
    For the most part experience is making the same mistakes over and over again, only with greater confidence.

    Comment

    • davebrown
      jealous witchdoctor
      • Dec 2001
      • 3777

      #3
      Re: Wooden Mercury

      Here is a little more info.
      Re-naming straits as necessary.

      Comment

      • Canoeyawl
        .
        • Jun 2003
        • 37705

        #4
        Re: Wooden Mercury

        Last time I was at Still Water Cove (Pebble Beach) there was still a bunch of Mercury's there....
        Good boats for SF Bay, and other local water.


        Pebble Beach, Stillwater Yacht Club

        Comment

        • johnw
          Senior Member
          • Nov 2001
          • 28596

          #5
          Re: Wooden Mercury

          Nice boats, not a lot of room in the cockpit, surprisingly little initial stability. It won't plane, and, if memory serves, it has 600 lb. of ballast, so it will need flotation in case of a knockdown.
          On the trailing edge of technology.

          https://www.amazon.com/Outlaw-John-L.../dp/B07LC6Y934

          http://www.scribd.com/johnmwatkins/documents

          http://booksellersvsbestsellers.blogspot.com/

          Comment

          • wizbang 13
            Senior Member
            • Oct 2009
            • 24811

            #6
            Re: Wooden Mercury

            Comment

            • davebrown
              jealous witchdoctor
              • Dec 2001
              • 3777

              #7
              Re: Wooden Mercury

              My boy agrees with Bruce's version. He is after a mini speedboat.
              Re-naming straits as necessary.

              Comment

              • paxtonm
                Port Townsend, WA
                • Dec 2011
                • 278

                #8
                Re: Wooden Mercury

                I owned No. 450 for a spell. Lovely boats and you're unlikely to outgrow one. The rigging is almost infinitely tunable. As has been pointed out, the old girls are sinkers. They really offer a big boat feel in a small package. They are actively raced in SF Bay, Monterey Bay and some make it up to Huntington Lake in Fresno County each year for the High Sierra Regatta.

                Comment

                • Alan H
                  Senior Member
                  • Jul 2009
                  • 2421

                  #9
                  Re: Wooden Mercury

                  Originally posted by davebrown
                  What do people think about a WOODEN 1950s Mercury, looks similar to Star design, keelboat, looks dirt cheap but probably has some issues either with keelbolts or tired sails/rigging? I have a basement full of sails, so I wouldn't much care about that--and it would not be for racing. It would be for SF recreational sailing and FOlsom Lake, which is near my house, with at least one launch capable of handling a keelboat with a just under 3 ft. draft...In front of The Fish, in Sausalito, a display exists of the same hull, glass, along the wharf. It is a damn good looking boat. I think the rigging would be annoying, but that is because I use mostly a lug or a race trainer with a simple cat rig. I also would not care a bit about altering the rig for ease in and out.

                  Please don't change the rig!

                  Wonderful little keelboats. This was my first significant sailing boat. I crewed on a family friends woodie out of Stillwater Cove in 8th-10th grade.

                  I stared at that advertisement as well, but bought something else.

                  Comment

                  • davebrown
                    jealous witchdoctor
                    • Dec 2001
                    • 3777

                    #10
                    Re: Wooden Mercury

                    Yes, me too Alan. I bought a plastic Wayfarer, I know, shame, but I also have a wooden Wayfarer that I am supposed to pick up Monday. I can't sleep and can't eat. It's just awful.
                    Re-naming straits as necessary.

                    Comment

                    • davebrown
                      jealous witchdoctor
                      • Dec 2001
                      • 3777

                      #11
                      Re: Wooden Mercury

                      I meant to ask, what did you buy and who ended up with that? It looked like a stunning buy from the photo. The one photo. That photo. HAHAHAH.
                      Re-naming straits as necessary.

                      Comment

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