Captain Paul

[paulb]

Hello Airstream Forum!

I am a long time sailor and restorer of old Sailboats and have just aquired a long admired 1967 Airstream Sovereign 30 Land Yacht. The couple made me a deal I couldn't refuse! I am presently restoring a 1979 Halman pocket cruiser classic which sails like a dream and has been occupying my time whenever I could pull myself away from the house maintenence, which I neglected having been away sailing all summer in the Pacific Northwest and B.C.!

I hooked onto and pulled the trailer home a couple of days ago and found myself afflicted with S.A.D.S. (Senior Attention Deficit Syndrone) between the Halman and the AS. I finally gave in to the call of the AS as it sat with one tire having gone flat and forlornly (is that a word?) next to my Halman. I went over the electrical system 12 volt and 110 and with a few minor repairs have both up and working.

I then contemplated changing the tires and decided I would seek advice on this through the internet, and found this fantastic forum!

I am a member of several sailing and boat restoration forums, for both my Catalina 250 and the Halman, and have not found any that could even compare to this forum! The information available, the obvious expertise, and the scope of knowledge available is staggering! I have only "surfed" the site a few hours and am amazed.

I already have learned enough to realize that, as with a boat restoration there is no reason to "reinvent the light bulb", or to yield to the adage: "history unlearned is destined to repeat itself". Sorry for the adages and if I am misquoting them, but It would appear to be rather foolish to do any of the work I am going to attempt withough using the experience and knowledge so many of you have on these trailers.

Nice to meet all of you and I hope we will be communicating soon.

Captain Paul, '96 Catalina 250, 79 Halman 20, "67 Airstream 30

[Fyrzowt]

Welcome to the forums! I am a relative newcomer as well, but due to the amount of information available, and the amount of time I have been able to spend here, I have learned so much in the past few months. As you have stated, there is a great wealth of info here and experience as well. Good luck with all of your projects, hope you're good at prioritizing!!

[CaddyGrn]

Welcome Cap'n!

This is a great forum ~ has been wonderful to us and helped us through many hours of restoration. Continues to do so on our 2nd Airstream. Just ask away, you won't be disappointed!

Welcome!

Mrs. NorCal Bambi (traveling in S Tardis)

[juel]

Welcome. This is a great place for restoration information and meeting good people. Better watch out, you may just get hooked on this aluminum "land" thing. These trailers are fun, even in bad weather.

[Jim Clark]

Hi, captain you are among friends. I am currently restoring my restored Hooks Marine Custom which is a 34’ sailboat. Really the term should be repairing as Katrina totaled her and the insurance company gave her back to me, free boat. I have also done an ODay 25 which was just a great little fun boat.

You will find a lot of common systems shared with the Airstream and your boat. I doubt you will find the Airstreams as much of a challenge as your sailboat. Part of the reason the challenge will be less is due to all the great information and knowledge shared on these forum pages. Unlike cruising on your boat you will find more freedom to chart your own course, and many more ports of call to berth your Land Yacht at. You will find it very easy to keep your crew happy, and many inlets to duck into if the weather deteriorates. The really big advantage is you can summons a breeze to gale force winds with the turn of a key.

I have never met a sailor who did not have a story to share, and whom I did not learn something from, looking forward to your future posts.

Jim

[GlenCoombe]

Captain Paul, welcome. I'm certain you'll be a great contributor to the forums in very short order. Your knowledge of systems, 12 volt and otherwise, will come in handy for lots of us who have less experience.
Sounds like you've got too many toys to have a full time job....IMHO.

[Silverhobby]

Captain Paul Welcome to the FORUMS. Glad you "saved" another '67. The people here have a wealth of knowledge. Use the search feature on the blue tabs at the top of the page and just ask away when you want to get an answer.

[moosetags]

Welcome, Captain Paul. An Airstream is very much a boat with wheels. Many of the systems are similar. At least the toilet paper is the same. Good Luck.

[klattu]

Lets see your sailboat...wanna race?

[Jim Clark]

Back in the water now but will be some time before I am ready to race. I will take you on in a destruction derby.
Capt. Paul I can find you a project boat cheap.

Jim

[paulb]

Thanks for the quick replies!
FYRZOWT, no, I am not good at prioritizing, fortunately I have a very organized and understanding wife who through gentle urging keeps me going in generally the right direction.

CaddyGrn, Thank You, I suspect I will be using the forum often.

Juel, Thank You, and I am already hooked. I will never give up sailing, but these trailers are a great way to relax & travel even in bad weather (no rough seas)!

Jim, Thanks for the info! Great to see a fellow sailor here. Yes, I have lots of stories to share and some of them are mostly true! (as Buffet sings).

Hi Glen, I don't know how much expertise I have on anything, mostly I have learned from trial and error, mostly error. I am more than willing to share my many mistakes and some successes though.

No, I don't work anymore, gave that up as it kept interfering with things and adventures I really wanted to do and have!! I spent 30 years as a Park Ranger and now even though my wife still has to work for a few more years, she spends as much time as possible with me and my crew (our 10 year old daughter) on our adventures.

Thanks Kevin & Baity, You two will have to meet my daughter's Border Collie, Pepper, a true "Sea Dawg"

Hi SuEllyn, Thank you for your kind words. Hopefully a few more things than the TP are similar, I already noticed that the Toilet is a nautical type. Of course you don't have to worry about wet bilges or through-hull failures....or do you??

Klattu, I will show you my boat if you will show yours! I don't race boats or trailors, only a cruiser in both. thanks

Jim, What a mess! I don't do destruction derbies or hurricanes for that matter if at all possible, only the occasional earthquake. Hope everything turned out all right for you in that terrible destruction. thanks for your offer, of the project boat, but I don't think I am ready for a "hurricane wreck" project right now.

[85MH325]

Ahoy Cap'n Paul! So where, exactly, do you sail in the Twain Harte/Long Barn area? I've tramped over more than my fair share of real estate up there (in the '70s), thrown back a few draughts at the old Twain Harte Lodge (is it still there?) and don't recall seeing any puddles large enough to get a boat out onto! We lived in Lake Co. for many years and sailed on Clearlake... had a Newport Yachts Neptune 24 with tall rigging for about five years, and a NACRA 5.2m cat for a while.

Welcome to the world of Airstreams! You'll find many similarities, both in the boats and Airstreams and in the camraderie of their owners.

Roger

[Minnie's Mate]

Originally Posted by paulb

Yes, I have lots of stories to share and some of them are mostly true! (as Buffet sings).

Glad to see another Parotthead amongst us. Welcome aboard.

[paulb]

Hi Roger, Great to hear from you! No, sorry to say the old Twain Harte Lodge burned down some years ago. There is talk of rebuilding, but nothing yet. I too used to have a Neptune 24, I really liked that boat and have regretted getting rid of it ever since.

Hello Minnie's Mate, Yes, I am a Parrot Head, unfortunately I am more a "Captain Ron" sort of sailor. What a great bunch of folks welcoming us "Newbies" to this forum!

[doorgunner]

Hi Paul, I'm just down the road here in the Lodi area,feel free to PM me should you need any input. Tim

[85MH325]

Duh... Paul... I just re-read my post... as I'm sure YOU know (and equally certain that no one else cares), it was a Capital Yachts Neptune 24, the Newport was the 27'... that's what I get for letting my fingers type while my brain is vacationing in the Bahamas...

Too bad about the Lodge... it was a cool place to hang out!

Roger

[Minnie's Mate]

Originally Posted by paulb

Hello Minnie's Mate, Yes, I am a Parrot Head, unfortunately I am more a "Captain Ron" sort of sailor. What a great bunch of folks welcoming us "Newbies" to this forum!

I have long dreampt of being a weekend sailor, but Metro-Atlanta is too far from the ocean. Lake Lanier is too crowded to be a learning place because of its proximity to Atlanta. Twenty years ago when I moved to Atlanta it was estimated that there were approximately 10,000 boats on Lake Lanier and nearly all of them would be on the water between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

As you can tell by my signature line, we are big Jimmy Buffett fans and named our Airstream after one of our favorite Buffett songs...the one that represents what our Airstream means to us. My wife has combined our two biggest loves, Disney and tropical soul, in the decoration of our AS!

BTW, "Captain Ron" is one of my favorite movies!

[paulb]

Originally Posted by doorgunner

Hi Paul, I'm just down the road here in the Lodi area,feel free to PM me should you need any input. Tim

Thanks, If you need a place to park while visiting Yosemite or the Stanislaus NF, give me an e-mail or call. I have 18 acres and lots of room.

[paulb]

Originally Posted by 85MH325

Duh... Paul... I just re-read my post... as I'm sure YOU know (and equally certain that no one else cares), it was a Capital Yachts Neptune 24, the Newport was the 27'... that's what I get for letting my fingers type while my brain is vacationing in the Bahamas...

Too bad about the Lodge... it was a cool place to hang out!

Roger

I do that same thing often. If you want to go for a sail or to visit Yosemite or the Stanislaus NF just give me a call or e-mail for a place to park.

[paulb]

Originally Posted by Minnie's Mate

I have long dreampt of being a weekend sailor, but Metro-Atlanta is too far from the ocean. Lake Lanier is too crowded to be a learning place because of its proximity to Atlanta. Twenty years ago when I moved to Atlanta it was estimated that there were approximately 10,000 boats on Lake Lanier and nearly all of them would be on the water between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

As you can tell by my signature line, we are big Jimmy Buffett fans and named our Airstream after one of our favorite Buffett songs...the one that represents what our Airstream means to us. My wife has combined our two biggest loves, Disney and tropical soul, in the decoration of our AS!

BTW, "Captain Ron" is one of my favorite movies!

I was at Lake Lanier a couple of years ago on a marina inspection training tour. At the time it seemed like a quiet and peaceful place. That was during the week though. It is one HUGE lake!

Remember, "If it is going to happen, it is going to happen out there"