In this world of new, over priced and over accessorized sailboats, there is a growing contingent of sailors realizing the advantage to simplicity in cruising. While many boats of the past, and specifically of the fiberglass revolution, don't have the same accoutrements, they certainly have a flavor and design that has been missing in vessels for a long time.
The story of Mischief begins in the small fishing town of Sebastian, FL. The vessel, a 1964 32' Islander designed by Joseph McGlasson, had been abandoned and left on her side in the shallows. In fact, she had been there for enough time to have cleared a hole for herself so that at high tide she would sit upright. My father, who had raised me sailing on smaller racing boats (Hobie Cats, Fireball's, etc.), decided that he liked the classic lines of the boat and that it was time for he and I to start cruising. Little did either of us know that this would be the beginning of an 11 year restoration process and total refit.
As the young and able bodied member of our two man crew, it was my job to board the derelict boat to find any documents or marks that might shed light on who the neglecting owner may be. What little we found was enough to begin a title search which revealed the owner as having died after using the boat as collateral for a loan (nothing like a little cloak and dagger). We, through the City Manager, received permission to salvage the vessel and had her towed to Ft. Pierce to be hauled out at Cracker Boy Boat Works (P.S all you cruisers, they have yards in Ft Pierce and Riviera Beach, FL and are excellent people). This is when the fun really began.....
Anyone who has experienced anything maritime, whether finding a waterproof watch or purchasing a gallon of antifouling paint, knows that there isn't much that comes cheaply. This became evident as the invoices and bills began rolling in from the yard and the service people hired to work on the boat. What became even more clear was the lack of knowledge the initial contractor had to complete the job (his firm was primarily powerboat mechanics that lacked any carpentry skill and while I have nothing against power boaters, I find their vessels to mainly be stinky, noisy, ugly and far too expensive to operate). Fortunately, my father visited the boat when a sub-contractor by the name of David Haliday of Boatsmith was installing the door to the head. After some conversation, and the realization that this old man and his son might not be receiving a square deal, it was decided that the boat would travel to Mr. Haliday's carpentry shop where a real restoration would begin. This, ultimately, would allow the time for so many of the improvements and upgrades that would be made.
