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How to Sell Your Boat

Cal 2-46: A Venerable Lapworth Design Brought Up to Date

Rhumb Lines: Show Highlights from Annapolis

Open Transom Pros and Cons

Leaping Into Lithium

The Importance of Sea State in Weather Planning

Do-it-yourself Electrical System Survey and Inspection

Install a Standalone Sounder Without Drilling

Rethinking MOB Prevention

Top-notch Wind Indicators

The Everlasting Multihull Trampoline

In Search of the Snag-free Clew

What’s Involved in Setting Up a Lithium Battery System?

Reducing Engine Room Noise

Breaking Point: What Can Go Wrong With Your Yanmar?

Mildew-resistant Caulks for Boats

Can We Trust Plastic Boat Parts?

Repairing Molded Plastics

Mailport: Marine plywood, fuel additives, through bolt options, winch handle holders

The Day Sailor’s First-Aid Kit

Choosing and Securing Seat Cushions

Cockpit Drains on Race Boats

Rhumb Lines: Livin’ the Wharf Rat Life

Safer Sailing: Add Leg Loops to Your Harness

Resurrecting Slippery Boat Shoes

Tricks and Tips to Forming Do-it-yourself Rigging Terminals

Marine Toilet Maintenance Tips

Learning to Live with Plastic Boat Bits

The Ultimate Guide to Caring for Clear Plastic

• Sailboat Reviews

Used Sailboats from the 1970s: Practical Sailor Puts Plastic Classics Under the Microscope

Pearson 30, tartan 30, and catalina 30 stand out in colorful field of groovy fiberglass boats..

The fiberglass revolution in boats really hit its stride in the 1970s. Builders experimented, learned, and improved construction processes during the 1960s, so by the early 1970s, there were a lot of big- time builders pumping out a lot of good boats. In the East was Pearson Yachts; in the Midwest was Tartan Marine; in the South, Hunter Marine and Irwin; in Canada, C&C Yachts flourished; and out West were Jensen Marine (Cal), Ericson, and Columbia Yachts, to name just a few of them.

Narrowing The Field

In selecting a handful of 30-footers for review, we figured why review a boat no one can find? So we browsed online listings for plentiful boats. We also consulted our own files for old brochures, lines drawings, and owner comments, as well as past reviews of each model.

While there were at least several dozen 30-footers built in the U.S. during the hippy-dippy days of Woodstock, The Smothers Brothers, and Watergate, the most enduring are those built by the major builders—all-around family boats sometimes called racer/cruisers or cruiser/racers. Whatever you call them, they are fun to sail and have sufficient accommodations for a family to live aboard for a week’s vacation.

The facing table shows the nine models we settled on for preliminary discussion: Tartan 30, Pearson 30, Catalina 30, Hunter 30, Irwin Competition 30, Newport 30, Cal 2-30, O’Day 30, and C&C 30. For various reasons, a number of interesting 30-foot designs are omitted—the S2 (1977), Sabre 30 (1979), and Dufour Arpege (1968) come to mind—primarily because they are on the cusp of a different time period where they seem a better fit.

Before we move onto the chosen three, here are brief notes on six models dropped in the final cut.

More than 800 C&C 30s were built between 1973 and 1984, making it one of North America’s most successful 30-footers of all time. Though C&C was a pioneer in the use of balsa core in sandwich hull construction, the early C&C 30s have solid-glass hulls. Like other C&Cs of this period, the keel and rudder are swept aft.

C. William Lapworth was the designer for nearly all of Jensen Marine’s (Costa Mesa, Calif.) many models. The 2-30 was in production from 1967-1973, followed by the 3-30, which lasted until 1976. Cals have stout solid fiberglass hulls, but fairly plain interiors.

The Hunter 30 was an early model from Hunter Marine, a spin-off of the Luhrs’ family’s powerboat company, Silverton. The boat was in production from 1974-1983, with more than 1,000 built. It came with a deep keel or keel/centerboard. The rudder was skeg-hung. The designer was John Cherubini, who worked for Hunter at the time. Marketed for value, workmanship was below average.

Irwin Competition 30

Based in Florida, Irwin Yachts built three different 30-footers in the 1970s: the Competition 30 (1972), Citation 30 (1978), and the plain ol’ 30 (1975). All designed by Ted Irwin, one-time kingpin of southeastern sailboats who fell from grace with a thud. Shoddy workmanship resulted in lawsuits he couldn’t overcome. Many of his designs, however, were quite good. The Competition 30 was configured to rate as a 3/4-tonner under the International Offshore Rule (IOR).

Newport 30 (PHASE ii)

Capital Yachts (Harbor City, Calif.) introduced the Gary-Mull-designed Newport 30 PHII in 1971. Like Hunter and Irwin, Capital Yachts’ boats were built to a price. Like the Irwin Competition 30, the Newport was designed to compete as a 3/4-tonner under the IOR. It’s noticeably lighter than many of these boats, and has a shorter waterline.

O’Day 30

More than 350 O’Day 30s were built between 1977 and 1984. Designed by C. Raymond Hunt Associates and built by Bangor Punta Marine, the boat came with a full keel or keel/centerboard (3’6″-7’2″). In 1984, the stern was stretched to make the O’Day 31. By some reports, the Ranger 30 and O’Day 30 share the same hull. (Bangor Punta bought the Ranger and Cal lines from Jensen Marine.)

Bottom Line

At this age, maintenance history is key. Any upgraded and well-preserved specimen from the above group may serve well as a family coastal cruiser, but we’d focus on the three finalists on the following pages: the Pearson 30, the Tartan 30, and the Catalina 30. All are fin keel, masthead sloops, but each has unique features that sets it apart and will appeal to certain buyers.

The Pearson 30 is the smallest of the three, but a good sailing boat that still competes in club races. It’s the lowest priced of the three. If you’re counting dollars, grab the best one you can find at your price.

The Tartan 30 has a stronger following than the Pearson, partly because of its S&S pedigree. It, too, sails very well. Engine placement poses some complications, but you can get used to it.

The Catalina 30 is the logical choice for the family battlewagon. It’s heavier, roomier, newer … and more expensive. With a displacement/length ratio of 291 and a sail area/displacement ratio of 15.1, however, don’t expect performance matching the Tartan 30 and Pearson 30.

Budget-friendly Pearson 30 reflects Bill Shaw’s growing influence.

The Pearson 30 was introduced in late 1971, and when the last boat went out the door in 1980, 1,185 units had been built. Most were sold in the early and mid 1970s. All were built in Portsmouth, R.I. The P30 was succeeded by the Pearson 303.

Bill Shaw joined Pearson Yachts in 1965, after Grumman bought the company from Everett and Clint Pearson, and during the following few years, he began to exert his influence on the design of the yachts. Fin keels and spade rudders replaced full keels with attached rudders, underbodies became shallower, and displacement less. In short, Shaw modernized the Pearson fleet, and the Pearson 30 is a good example of contemporary design at that time, in particular the swept-back keel and scimitar-shaped rudder. George Cuthbertson was drawing similar appendages at C&C, noting that test-tank data indicated super speed, but on the water, they proved not as efficient upwind as vertical keels and rudders with higher aspect ratios. Extra care must be taken in blocking the boat if not in a cradle.

Our July 15, 1984 review of the Pearson 30 added these comments: “The boat’s underwater shape is somewhat unusual. The hull is basically dinghy-shaped. The sections aft of the keel are deeply veed, however, so that deadrise in the forward and after sections of the boat is similar. Coupled with a fairly narrow beam by today’s standards, this provides a hull form that is easily balanced when the boat is heeled—an important consideration in this relatively tender 30-footer.”

Construction

The hull is a solid laminate with alternating plies of 1½-ounce mat and 18-ounce woven roving. The skin coat under the gelcoat is two layers of mat to prevent the pattern of woven roving from showing (print-through). The external flange of the hull-deck joint is secured with self-tapping screws and then fiberglassed. The deck is balsa-cored for stiffness.

Interestingly, the Pearson 30’s lead ballast is encapsulated in the fiberglass keel molding, which means there are no keel bolts to worry about. This is somewhat unusual for a fin-keel boat.

About the only problem particular to this boat is the rudderstock. Early boats had aluminum rudderstocks, some of which broke, prompting the company to replace the approximately 200 others with stainless steel. Even the stainless steel stocks were not without problems, turning as they do in Delrin bushings, which wear and cause slop in the steering system. They are owner replaceable, however, by removing the tiller fitting and dropping the rudder.

Molded fiberglass floor pans and headliners are bonded to the hull and deck. Through-hull valves may be gate valves (like garden faucets) or positive action seacocks; chainplates are properly through-bolted to structural bulkheads.

Pearson Yachts’ construction methods were above average.

Performance

Though not designed specifically as a racer, the Pearson 30 enjoyed many successes in IOR and Midget Offshore Racing Club (MORC) classes. In fact, it won the ¾-Ton North American championship in 1972. And it was a very popular club racer. It balances well and is quick through tacks. On the downside, it is tender. Our 1980 reviewer wrote, “In 15 knots apparent wind, we find that the boat is almost overpowered with the full main and 150 percent genoa. Gusts of 12-14 knots bury the rail, slowing the boat. The P30 does not, however, carry any substantial weather helm even when overpowered. Any tendency to round up or spin out can usually be controlled by a strong hand on the tiller and easing the mainsail.”

For family daysailing and cruising, smaller headsails are recommended.

Still actively raced in local fleets, a typical the Pearson 30 has a PHRF number of 174 seconds per mile.

Accommodations

The interior layout of the Pearson 30 is straightforward, with a V-berth forward, small enclosed head, settees in the main cabin, a quarter berth aft to port, and a compact galley in the starboard quarter area. The port settee converts to a double berth, so the plan totals six berths, which are more people than you’d want to spend much time with on a 30-footer.

The four portlights in the head and forward cabin are opening, which combined with the forward hatch provide decent ventilation. Unfortunately, the forward hatch isn’t big enough for emergency exit. There is no anchor well in the foredeck, a feature that became more common later in the ’70s.

There’s adequate stowage under, behind, and above the settees. The 1984 reviewer wrote: “Although the lockers are sealed to the bilge at the bottom, owners report that, with their boat heeled, bilge water finds its way into the lockers by running up the inside of the hull behind locker partitions, then down into storage spaces. Most dinghy-hulled boats lack real bilge space or a sump, and as little as a gallon of water in a boat of this type can be annoying.”

Other shortcomings are limited engine access (though not any worse than most boats of this size), and a galley sink and spigot that partially block the companionway. On the upside, the interior is light and airy. Headroom is 5’ 11″ in the main cabin.

As with any boat of this age, one should ask the surveyor to look closely for delamination of the core and deck skins, separation of the hull-deck joint, water in the rudder, corroded electrical wiring, corroded through-hulls, and hoses that need replacement.

On early Pearsons the cockpit scuppers were connected to the bottom of the hull by fiberglass tubes, rather than hoses and seacocks/through-hulls. Though probably safe and secure, this drain system does not satisfy American Boat & Yacht Council standards.

As noted earlier, there are just a few areas in which the Pearson 30 falls short of quality building standards, principally the rudder stock design in which bushings wear faster than usual.

Pearson Yachts once ran one of the best customer service departments in the business; alas, it’s been out of business for more than 20 years, and several of the more helpful owner association web sites seem to have disappeared.

The Pearson 30 is a fun boat to sail—quick and responsive. It has the lowest displacement/length ratio (238) and highest sail area/displacement ratio (17.3) of the three. If you like performance, the fact that it’s a little tender shouldn’t bother you much. Reef or just enjoy the ride. It’s not a big 30-footer, but nicely proportioned and of better- than-average construction. There are quite a few on the used boat market in the low and mid-teens, enabling bargain hunters to get into a full-size boat for not much money. Asking prices we saw online, for all years, average around $14,000, with lows around $8,000 and highs around $25,000.

Tartan 30 brings fine S&S cachet within reach of ordinary Joes.

Built by Tartan Marine in Grand River, Ohio, and at a plant in Hamlet, N.C., between 1971 and 1980, the Tartan 30 was one of the first designs introduced by Charlie Britton after buying out partner Ray McLeod. The company could complete a boat in less than 4 days. It filled in the gap between the Tartan 27 and Tartan 34. Production totaled 630 units.

The Tartan 30 (like the 27 and 34) was designed by Sparkman & Stephens, probably the world’s most prestigious yacht design firm at that time. The lines are clean and crisp. Like the Pearson 30, its LOA is 29’11,” so it could qualify for competition under the MORC, a rating rule under which it proved quite successful. The bow is raked, and the reverse transom gave it a very modern look for the early 1970s. It has a fin keel and skeg-mounted rudder; a Competition model offered a taller mast (by 3 feet), deeper keel (5’6″ vs. 4’11″ for the standard model), and 500 pounds more ballast. It’s beamier than the Pearson 30, and of about the same displacement, but with a slightly shorter waterline. The rig is fairly high-aspect ratio with large headsails.

A highly unusual feature is the location of the Atomic 4 auxiliary amidships, under the dinette table. This places the considerable weight of an engine exactly where you want it most, near the center of gravity, to minimize hobbyhorsing, which slows a boat and is uncomfortable. Access is better than the usual location aft behind the companionway. And that space is opened up in the T30. The disadvantage is it takes up space in the saloon, particularly seatspace and legroom at the table.

The lamination schedule is typical of this period: hand-laid mat and woven roving. Liners make for an easy-to-clean interior, but make customizing difficult; they also tend to sweat more than wood interiors, and are noisier.

Ballast is external lead hung on 1-inch stainless steel keel bolts. The rudder is partially supported by a bronze shoe secured to the skeg.

Interior and exterior wood is teak. The sole is covered with cork, a quality home flooring material of the 1950s and ’60s.

Of the rig, our Jan. 15, 1987 review noted: “The rig, like most of those specified by Sparkman & Stephens, was designed to be practically indestructible. Given its inherent strength, look primarily for the effects of corrosion at the spreaders and the butt. Many 30s have been fitted with babystays in lieu of forward lower shrouds. For typical cruising we think the babystay is a pain and probably unnecessary, so we’d make it detachable.” Some owners added babystays as a cure for mast pumping. The standard rig has just single lower shrouds.

Early T30s had bronze pipe (no flanges) for through-hulls as well as gate valves instead of seacocks. Diligent owners will have replaced both by now, but it’s worth checking.

Blistering of all boats was not as common as later in the ’70s and into the ’80s, but there were isolated cases for which one should be on guard.

Tartan’s quality of construction, in the early ’70s, was at least as good as Pearson’s, in some respects better, in others not. It was certainly better built than the Catalina.

The Tartan 30 is a wholesome design with few bad habits. Our 1987 review said, “The Tartan 30 sails well. In a breeze to windward—perhaps the best test of any boat—she is at her best: comfortable, stable, reasonably handy, and modestly dry. Off the wind, she is more steerable than a host of successors with free-standing spade rudders and dagger-thin keels. Only on a broad reach with biggish following seas can her weather helm be tough to handle. Under such conditions, good sail control hardware—vang, traveler, reefing, adjustable backstay, etc.—is important.”

The skeg helps provide good directional stability or tracking, and the narrow sheeting angles (due to inboard genoa tracks) contribute to narrow tacking angles. The largest T30 PHRF fleet in the U.S., on Lake Erie (20 boats), races with a handicap of 168, though most of the other fleets, including the 18-boat fleet on the Chesapeake Bay, rate higher, around 177. So it and the Pearson 30 are very similar in boat speed, though the Pearson has the edge in light air, where the Tartan’s shorter waterline is a disadvantage.

Two interior plans were offered, one with an aft galley, the other with a midship galley, the latter with two quarterberths, the former with a single quarterberth to port and a settee amidships to starboard, where the galley is in the midship model. With either, there are simply too many berths. The aft galley seems preferable mainly because of the two opposing settees in the saloon.

One reason why five berths in a 30-footer is at least one too many is that berth length is diminished; this is particularly evident in the V-berth. Another reason is that quarterberths subtract from available stowage space; instead of stowing sails in cockpit seat lockers, on this boat they end up in a quarterberth.

The midship galley is, of course, more spacious than the aft galley, but neither has a stove/oven combo. Owners note that when the boat is heeled, the sink can fill and slosh water onto the sole.

The cockpit is of average size and would be more comfortable if the wood coamings weren’t so low.

Beyond the usual issues afflicting old boats, like bedding failing on deck hardware, the Tartan 30 has few peculiarities of construction. A number of owners have installed tie rods between the lower portion of the mast in the cabin, and the underside of the deck, to prevent deflection when the rig is heavily tensioned. Check tabbing of the main bulkhead. Also check the starboard chainplate and its attachment to the bulkhead, which reportedly isn’t as stiff as the port side bulkhead; water migration down a chainplate and into a wood bulkhead is a serious problem. Other issues noted online include inadequate insulation of the ice box, and an engine exhaust system prone to back-siphoning.

Tartans enjoy very active owners groups, especially in the Chesapeake Bay area. T30 owners’ websites have much useful information on troubleshooting and upgrading.

The Tartan 30 is probably the classiest boat of the three finalists. Part of the reason is that Sparkman & Stephens is one of the world’s great yacht design firms, and the work they did for Tartan was very good, with handsome, classic lines. And Tartan construction was above average. Online asking prices start at just under $10,000 and run up to around $23,000, with an average of about $17,000.

The family-friendly Catalina 30 comes with the largest fan club.

More than 6,500 Catalina 30s have been built since the boat was introduced in 1974, which must be some kind of record. Its design was continually upgraded over the years, but the first model, the Mark I, was in production through the same period as the Pearson 30 and Tartan 30. The Mark II came along in 1986. Owner Frank Butler has built more than 70,000 boats since he founded the company in 1970, so he must be doing something right. In 2001, the Catalina 30 was inducted into the American Sailboat Hall of Fame.

Butler drew most of the early designs himself, though he has no formal training in naval architecture or yacht design. He was a machinist by trade, and smart. His first design was the Coronado 25, which he’d asked Sparkman & Stephens to design, but they told him it would take two years and they’d first have to check his finances. So he designed the boat himself, with a fiberglass pan interior, which he believes was an industry first (Henri Amel was doing something similar in France.)

The Catalina is three years newer than the Pearson 30 and Tartan 30, and was not intended as a racer, which explains its wider beam and heavier displacement. Like most Catalinas, the 30 is a family boat, best suited to coastal cruising.

Here’s what we said about the design in our Nov. 15, 1980 review: “The boat has a swept-back, fairly high-aspect-ratio keel of the type made popular by IOR racing boats in the early 1970s. The high aspect ratio spade rudder is faired into the underbody with a small skeg. The boat is conventionally modern in appearance. She is moderately high-sided, with a fairly straight sheer and short ends. The cabin trunk tapers slightly in profile, and is slightly sheered to complement the sheer of the hull. When coupled with the tapered cabin windows—a Catalina trademark—this yields a reasonably attractive appearance compared to many modern boats.”

Of course, what was modern in 1980 and what is modern today are two different things. For one, waterline lengths have increased in relation to length overall, which means shorter overhangs, which means bows that are more plumb.

The hull of the Catalina 30 is solid fiberglass; there is no balsa, no foam, which makes for a heavier boat, but also one that isn’t susceptible to potential delamination. The hull-deck joint is a shoebox, in which the wider deck, with downward-facing flanges, fits over the hull. It is then bonded and fastened with self-tapping screws. A wood sheerstrake glassed to the hull adds strength. The joint is then covered with a vinyl rubrail secured in an aluminum extrusion.

Shoal and deep keels were offered, both external lead through-bolted to the hull.

The masthead rig has upper and double-lower shrouds and is deck- stepped. A wood compression post transfers rigging loads to the keel. A tall rig, for light-air regions, was an option. Check wood spreaders for rot. Early boats had fixed portlights, but these can be upgraded to opening.

Stanchions, double lifelines and double stern and bow pulpits were standard. Stanchions are though-bolted, but backed only by washers, not backing plates of fiberglass or aluminum, which do a better job of transferring loads and preventing cracking of the gelcoat, and possibly the deck laminate, in way of the stanchion bases.

Like Tartan, early models had through-hulls made up of bronze pipe. Gate valves were standard and must be replaced with bronze positive-action seacocks.

The Catalina 30’s generous beam (for its day anyway) gives it good initial or form stability. And coupled with a conservative sail plan, the boat is stiff, much more so than the Pearson 30. The downside of such beamy hull forms is the tendency to develop weather helm when heeled; so it, like many other modern boats, is best when sailed relatively level.

The smallish sailplan also means that performance in light air is not particularly sparkling. Our 1980 review said, “To get good performance in light air the boat will either have to be ordered with the taller rig, or very large headsails must be carried. If headsails larger than a 150% genoa are carried with the normal rig, turning blocks will have to be added aft in order to get a proper lead to the headsail sheet winches.”

The biggest Catalina 30 PHRF fleets, both in California, rate 180 and 192 respectively; the Pearson 30 is 174 and the Tartan 30 177.

A gasoline Atomic 4 engine was standard; a small, underpowered diesel was optional. Look for a boat that’s been repowered with a newer engine like the Yanmar 3GM30F.

Interior “furniture,” such as berths and galley, are formed by an interior fiberglass pan or module dropped into the hull prior to the deck going on. A fiberglass headliner covers the underside of the deck. These make for an easily cleaned interior, and one that looka nicely finished (albeit like a refrigerator). Such liners do, however, restrict access to parts of the hull and deck, make customizing difficult, and are not as good thermal and acoustic insulators as wood. The bulkheads are teak-faced plywood.

Again, owing to its beam, the Catalina 30’s interior is more spacious than the Tartan 30’s or Pearson 30’s. The V-berth is comfortable, followed aft by the head and hanging lockers; a shower was optional. The engine is located very near the center of the boat, under the short leg of the L-shaped portside settee. Access is very good. There’s a U-shaped galley with alcohol stove/oven to port, and a quarterberth and chart table to starboard. But if you thought the Tartan 30 has too many berths, check this: The Catalina 30 supposedly sleeps seven! Two in the V-berth, two in the convertible portside dinette, one on the starboard settee, and two squished into the “double” quarter-berth.

The interior is spacious and wellplanned, but finish quality is only average.

The Catalina 30 is a pretty straightforward boat in terms of both design and construction. No big surprises.

Several potential issues mentioned recently on owner forums: corroded wiring harness between engine and control panel, poor rudder design (corrected with new design in December 1978), wear of rudderstock tube, chainplate attachment to bulkheads, gate valves on pipe through-hulls, and hollows in the lead keel.

A positive with any Catalina is that the company is still in business and able to offer customer support.

Catalina Yachts has been one of the country’s most successful builders because it offers a lot of boat for the money. If construction quality is only average, one must ask, “Do I need more?” Generally, what’s lacking is not structural integrity, but details, like more drawers with dovetail joints and hardwood sides. There’s lots of room in the Catalina 30, and there are hundreds on the used boat market, so you can find a deal. Because the Catalina is a somewhat newer boat than the Pearson 30 and Tartan 30, its prices run higher. Though fixer-uppers can be found, most run between $16,000 and $29,000, with an average of about $22,000.

An examination of 30-footers from the 1970s seems like a good place to begin our comparison of used boats, and the reasons are several: First, though boats 30-plus years old admittedly are getting a little long in the tooth, many are still around, and those well kept may represent great buys on the used-boat market—between $10,000 and $20,000. Second, the 30-foot size is where full cruising accommodations begin, with stand-up headroom, enclosed head, berths for four or five, inboard auxiliary engine, and a decent galley with ice box, sink, and stove-oven possible. Sure, you can find these features in some 27- and 28-footers, but the squeeze is telling.

• 30-Footers From The 1970s
• Pearson Web Resources
• Tartan Web Resources
• Catalina 30
• Catalina Web Resources

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I am looking at a Cooper Seabird 37 mast head sloop, can you point me to any credable reviews on this particular vessel. Any help would be appreciated thank you.

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Matador Original Series

How to Rehab an Old Sailboat

Photos courtesy of Misty Tosh

NONE OF THESE THINGS matter if you don’t understand the inner workings of your vessel and exactly what you plan on doing with it.

I’ve gone down that road three times now, going from 25’ to 30’ to 36′. If you’re thinking about making the same decision, learn from the lessons I’ve picked up while on my own personal quest for freedom.

‘On the hard’

Most likely, the boat you buy will be “on the hard”, which is sailing lingo for “perched in a dusty corner of a boatyard”. Your job is to bring it back to life.

The first thing you need to do is give it a good bottom paint job. This goes double if you’ll be sailing in saltwater: there are all manner of sea creatures waiting to cling to the bottom of your new toy and eat away at the fiberglass.

Check all your thru-hulls (various holes in the hull designed to bring in and flush out water) and seacocks (small handles that open and close said holes). Make sure that the fittings are secure: there’s nothing more horrific than a hose popping off and flooding the engine room.

After stepping the mast and giving the engine a tune-up, oil change, and systems flush, you’re pretty much ready to put your boat in a slip and form a plan of attack.

LESSON LEARNED: I stayed in the yard way too long because I was intimidated to put my boat in the big Pacific Ocean. But I also met and bonded with a cast of salty characters who have proven indispensable to my current foray into boating mechanics.

Take inventory of the madness on board

The first step in developing your soon to be encyclopedic knowledge about your boat is to rip it to shreds. And I mean really tear it to pieces.

Don’t just look in the lockers – get in there and pull out everything you see . Cupboards and hatches hold incredible amounts of tools, manuals, old parts, lines, cleaning supplies, and electronic equipment.

You have to research what you have, ditch what you don’t need, and come to know the rest of the gear you’ve been blessed to inherit.

After you’ve pulled out your boat’s innards, organize your items and create a master list with photos. That way, when you are freaking out and needing a zip tie, you’ll know exactly where the rascal is stowed.

LESSON LEARNED: I spent hundreds of dollars and uncountable hours at the store buying stuff already buried somewhere on my boat. If I’d inventoried it to start, I’d have been one step ahead.

Systems Management 101

Everything on your boat connects in some small way, and there is a correct way to assess and interpret this blueprint. It is most definitely not by killing a 6-pack and gazing at the stars from the cockpit.

Trace electric lines and figure out what your battery bank is connected to. Rap on tanks and see what corrosion they might have. Check all your hoses and clamps. Read your manuals. Simply put, fiddle with shit.

Once you become good pals with the wildness that lays just out of sight, things become clear. Suddenly, all that mechanic mumbo-jumbo ain’t so bewildering.

LESSON LEARNED: Getting a proper survey is crucial, not only for insurance purposes, but for learning about your boat.

I was tossed 32 pages of cryptic chaos and hundreds of photos after my master surveyor departed. This incredibly detailed document has been invaluable in learning about my craft as well as figuring out what I need to do to bring it around to its prime.

Be realistic about your future jaunts. Are you sailing around the world? Are you island-hopping in the Caribbean? Are you day sailing in the Great Lakes?

Each of these adventures requires a different schematic and breakdown. If you are tied to shore power in a nice slip in Chicago, you don’t necessarily need a bunch of solar panels, wind generators, and autopilots.

But if you are going on the escapade of a lifetime and hitting the high seas, you absolutely want all of the above, and then some.

You may think you want to take off into the unknown, but get a little practice on the home turf first. Do a night passage. Hell, spend a few nights on the boat – they definitely aren’t spacious, and sometimes not even comfortable.

Imagine downsizing your life in a severe way. Can you do without the giant flat screen and handy washing machine? Can you handle squalls that make you want to piss your pants? All these things have to be considered. Take it one step at a time so you don’t feel overwhelmed.

LESSON LEARNED: The very first thing I did the moment I bought my boat was purchase a watermaker. I’m currently hooked to shore power and have a nice hose that fills my tanks. When I sail around the world in a few years, my Power Survivor will probably be discontinued. I could have used that 3k for a myriad of other upgrades. Point being, prioritize.

Get to know your local ship store

The chaps at the ship store are a bunch of grizzly think-tanks. They have knowledge about boats that would blow your mind, the sorts of nuggets that only come from years of experience on the water.

They’ll rattle on about hose sizes and sail plans until you’re panicking. Sometimes you’ll leave thinking “will I ever know anything at all?”

Most times, though, you’ll leave thinking, “God, I love free information.” Pick brains, scour bookshelves, park yourself in unfamiliar aisles, and study the backs of random boxes.

This, my friends, is how you learn.

LESSON LEARNED: Don’t be afraid to ask advice. Just take it all with a grain of salt. Everyone claims they have the best diver, the best rigger, and the best mechanic. You just have to meet these people yourself.

Bookmark these useful sites:

– practicalsailor.com – landlpardey.com – cruisersforum.com – goodoldboat.com -navagear.com

Community Connection

If going it alone isn’t your style, take a look at How to Travel the World by Crewing on Yachts on the Traveler’s Notebook.

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12 Tips For Restoring an Old Boat: Costs, Time, And Expert Advice

Looking at restoring an old boat chris mccall shares his expert advice..

So, you’re thinking of buying an old boat and bringing her back to her former glory? Awesome! Get ready for hard work and frustration culminating in an ultra-rewarding experience.

Buying and refitting an old sailboat is totally worth it! You won’t build a ton of equity in the boat, but you will know every square inch of that vessel, and the skills you gain will be invaluable.

My wife and I just finished the three-year refit of our 1972 Nauticat 38, Drifter, and now live aboard in Portland Oregon. As soon as the weather cooperates, we plan to take him (Yep, Drifter’s a fella) south and begin cruising full-time.

Feel free to check out our progress along the way and the results of our labor; you can find us on YouTube at YouTube.com/SailingAdrift

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. We also earn from other affiliate programs. This means we may receive a small commission on products purchased through our links at no extra cost to you.

Here are my top tips to help with your refit. Most I followed; some I wish I would have.

During The Buying Process

Get one of the best knives for sailing

Before you buy your perfect renovation project boat, here are a few tips to follow so you don’t fall short at the first hurdle.

#1 Know what you’re getting into

Refitting a boat is not an easy undertaking, and the single biggest thing keeping you from success is your tenacity to see it through. There are so many boats for sale, half-finished, because the undertaking was a lot more than their owners predicted. So….

#2 Plan, Plan, Plan.

This post is a great place to start. Start taking notes and tour as many boats as you can to gather ideas.

Talk to people that know. Read books. Read articles. Watch YouTube refit videos. Join social media groups focusing on refits, interior design, electrical systems, electronics, and boat makes you’re interested in.

I know the excitement is high but take a beat and make sure you make a logic driven decision based on research. There will be time to fall in love later.

#3 Make a core list of what you want from restoring an old boat

List the makes, lengths, characteristics, and price range and stick to it.

Then make a list of “nice to haves” and look for boats that have as many as you can find. If you go in with a clear understanding of what you want, and the deal breakers associated, it’s much easier to make a smart decision.

#4 Let someone else take the depreciation if you can

If you’re going to be refitting, you’ll be taking on plenty of depreciation as soon as you start installing your new electronics, appliances, and equipment, so minimize it by finding a boat where the previous owner has installed as much of this stuff as possible.

New engine? Awesome! Just upgraded all the navigation equipment? Great. New refrigeration unit? That helps. Let the last guy take the hit for 50 cents on the dollar.

Wondering how much sailboats cost ? Get a rough idea here.

#5 Buy cheap and pay cash if you can

Boats are not like houses. There isn’t nearly as much competition for boats that need a fair bit of work, because you won’t build a bunch of equity refitting like you would flipping a home.

Don’t expect to save tons of money refitting the boat yourself. You may save yourself a little but the real value is in the knowledge of the vessel and the skills you’ll gain.

So be ready to offer significantly less than asking, and don’t be surprised if they take it.

#6 Include a survey contingency and evaluate your prospective project from top to bottom

Do you have to hire a surveyor? No. But if you don’t, get ready to learn all you can about the process, and go over every square inch.

Know someone super knowledgeable you can ask to help? DO IT! Do not be afraid to walk away. Getting attached leads to bad decisions.

Now That You’ve Got Your Boat Restoration Project

So you’ve found your dream boat (to be!) Here are the next steps in restoring an old boat.

#7 Create a conservative budget

Take your number and pad it by 30%. It is all too easy to let costs get out of hand. Do your homework. The more knowledge that goes into that budget, the less costs will surprise you. Front end work pays huge dividends.

#8 Come up with an educated guess at the timeline in total work hours

And then multiply it by 4 (If you know someone who does this work a lot, take their estimate and double it; they are faster than you)!

Then break it down into phases to make the overall project less daunting. Tracking your working time in hours keeps focus and doesn’t punish you for life getting in the way.

I made a game of it by tracking my active work-on-the-boat time in hours with an app called Toggl. If you’re at all competitive, this really pushes you to keep getting out there to beat your weekly and monthly bests. Celebrate the small victories; don’t punish the shortcomings.

#9 Build in expandability, especially in your electoral system (think battery space)

Make sure you have spare breakers on your panel and room in your conduits. Always install pull strings. No one in the 70s could have imagined the electrical needs of the modern boat, so don’t make the same mistake.

Future you will thank you.

If you’re reinstalling batteries then check out the best lithium marine batteries . Aim for a slightly bigger bank than you think you’ll need! ⚡ We highly recommend BattleBorn LiFePO4 batteries ⚡

#10 Experiment with clever ideas for maximizing your space

Keep what works. Tweak what needs adjusting. And scrap the flops. This is your opportunity to get creative. Test your original ideas.

Copy what others have done on their boats and modify what you find when researching tiny living and RV sources. Sometimes building a custom solution is the right way to go, but they often don’t work as expected.

If a production solution is available, it may cost slightly more but will save you more in time and headache.

As an example, we built our own propane alarm and on/off solenoid because the commercially available one seemed so expensive (and I thought it was ugly).

Finding all the components took hours and hours, and when I had collected them all, I’d only saved about 25%. Installing everything, and getting the sniffer, switches, and solenoid to all work together, was a huge headache. If I could do it all again, I’d just buy that ugly thing.

#11 Stick with it

The paradox of a major boat refit is that with little exception, every job sucks. Some suck a lot. You’ll have your head below your ass, sanding for hours, crammed in a tiny locker, but the satisfaction you’ll feel at the end of the day makes it all worthwhile.

Over the weeks and months of our old sailboat restoration, I experienced periods of high motivation where working on the boat was the only thing I wanted to do.

Things like eating, sleeping, and my day job just got in the way.

Other times, making myself get out there was like getting a 6-year-old to eat peas: damn near impossible. Motivational ebb and flow is a natural part of any long undertaking, but you have to push through it and keep going.

Don’t be another person selling a partially refitted boat. STICK WITH IT!

#12 Use perfection as the unachievable goal that it is

Instead, focus on safety and functionality. The goal is to get out there and enjoy your hard work, not worry away over every imperfection. You’re the only one that will notice anyway.

You’re never going to actually finish the boat refit; there will always be items on the to-do list. Once she’s fully functional and safe, go enjoy her. You can work on the never-ending list as you go.

Refitting Drifter was one of the single most rewarding undertakings I’ve ever done.

We live aboard, so every day I’m surrounded by the fruits of our labor. While there are flaws, the good far exceeds the bad. I know every system, and every nook and cranny. Get out there and find your opportunity. In the end, you’ll be so glad that you did!

Conclusion: Tips For Restoring an Old Boat

If you’re lucky enough to find an old boat that’s still in good shape, then you’re well on your way to having a great time out on the water. With just a little bit of elbow grease and know-how, you can have your boat sailing like new again.

Thanks for reading and we hope these tips helped!

Wondering what it’s like to live on a boat on land in a boatyard? Give this article a read to prepare you!

Chris and his wife Kelly bought their 1972 Nauticat 38 in April of 2017, and in May of 2019 went full steam ahead with an extensive refit in the driveway of their home in Portland OR.

They splashed and christened Drifter in the summer of 2022 and moved aboard full-time that September.

They are awaiting a weather window to tackle the wild west coast of the United States and begin cruising full-time starting with Mexico and Central America with the intent of continuing west.

Find their whole refit adventure documented along the way at YouTube.com/SailingAdrift. Feel free to contact them directly with any thoughts and questions through their website: www.SailingAdrift.com or by emailing [email protected]

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One comment.

Should be able to pay moorage before launching and make the rest of us look like vagrants with 3 kids

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Used Sails For Sale

44 listings found.

Pacific Seacraft 37 Yankee

Used Ullman Main for Pacific Seacraft 37

Precision 23

Sunfast 3300 Sailboat Sails, A2, Code 0, Code 55

J105 Spinnaker

J105 Mainsail

J105 Racing JIB

Windseeker / Dazy Staysail / Spinnaker Staysail

30 Foot Sabre 30 MK1

Catalina 380 Spinnaker

Asymm Sail 240 sqm

San Juan 24 Genoa

San Juan 24 Mainsail

Doyle Code 0 for Beneteau Oceanis 41

J-105 Ullman Mainsail

J105 Elvstrom Sobstad Mainsail

J-105 Quantum Mainsail

UK Sailmarkers Racing Sale

Hobie Mirage kayak Sail kit

Hood Cruising Spinnaker

Island Packet 350 sailes for sale

C&C 40 Genoa 130%

C&C 40 Mainsail

E Scow spinnaker

E Scow mainsail

Like-new North Sails jib

Never Used Hanked Storm Jib

Large Spinnaker sail with sock

Catalina 42 135% Genoa

Storm TriSail

2018 Doyle Sailmaker J24 Mainsail

J 130 Quantum Main

1976 Cape Dory 25, Hank-on jib, North Sails, brand new

Parasailor – like new – Florida

28ft JiB Sail by Odyssey

Genoa Jib for Freedom 21

Genoa – New

Mylar 170 headsail

Used sails for sale on sailtrader.

Finding and buying a high-quality and affordable used sail is hard. With SailTrader it doesn’t have to be. SailTrader allows you to find used sails from top brands, used racing and cruising sails, and allows you to find sails for your sailboat based on your sail dimensions. 

Used Sails From Top Brands

SailTrader is able to help you find used sails from top brands such as North Sails , Quantum Sails , UK Sailmakers , Doyle Sails , Evolution Sails, Precision Sails, Hood Sails and more. Thanks to our marketplace design, and the ability for anyone to sell their used sail, there is a lot of competition for used sails. This makes it easy for buyers to find a sail at a competitive price they can afford. 

Shop Racing or Cruising Sails

Sailing is a very specific and unique sport/hobby. This can make it difficult to find used racing and cruising sails at an affordable price. Most people who are selling their used sails have difficulty finding their target customer, and people who are shopping for sails have a difficult time finding someone selling exactly what they need. SailTrader is here to alleviate this problem. Our site is specifically designed to make buying and selling sales quicker and easier. Now, sellers can find their target client, and buyers can search for precisely what they need and find it!

Anyone in the sailing community can create an account, meaning our inventory of used racing and cruising sails is constantly changing. And thanks to the design of our marketplace your search is not limited to your immediate area, meaning you can find a used racing or cruising sail from anywhere! Whether you are looking for a used racing sail, or for a used cruising sail, you are sure to find exactly what you are looking for on SailTrader. 

Find Sails Based on Dimensions

There are so many different types of sails that searching for a new one can be an overwhelming process. Now, it doesn’t have to be. Simply measure your old sail, type in the sail dimensions, and find a list of used sails that match those dimensions. 

Sail dimensions are specific for every boat and each of them have maximum sail dimensions that cannot be exceeded. In order to properly measure your dimensions you will need to establish the P, E, J, and I of your boat. 

A few terms to help you measure the sails are the luff, the leach/leech, and the foot. The luff is the sail’s forward edge. It is the side attached to the mast. The leach/leech is the back edge of a sail, the one not attached to the mast. And the foot is the bottom edge of a sail.

In addition, it is also helpful to know the location of the head, the tack, and the clew. The head is the top left corner of the sail which attaches to the top of the mast. The tack is the bottom left corner of the sail. And finally the clew, is the bottom right corner of the sail.

If you are looking for a mainsail for sale , you will need to know the P and E dimensions. The “P” measurement (also known as the Luff) is the distance from highest point that the mainsail can be hoisted to the top surface of the boom. The “E” measurement (also known as the foot) is the distance along the boom from the mast to the point on the boom to which the mainsail can be pulled. Occasionally you may also want to measure the Leach/Leech of the mainsail. This is the point from the highest point that the mainsail can be hoisted on the mast, to the furthest point on the boom that the mainsail can be pulled to. Make sure you note the minimum and maximum measurements your boat will allow. 

If you are looking for a headsail you will need to know the I and the J measurements. The “I” is the distance down the front of the mast from the halyard to the level of the main deck (the luff), and “J” is the distance along the deck from the tack to the front of the mast. 

A jib is a triangular staysail set in front of the mast. With a jib headsail, the J measurement is typically 80-90% of the I measurement. This is because the foot usually overlaps the mainsail a bit. 

A genoa is a large jib that overlaps the mainsail. Genoas are categorized based on the amount they extend past the mainsail. For instance a 135% genoa has a foot 35% longer than ‘J’ and a 155% genoa has a foot 55% longer.

Finally, we have measurements for spinnakers . You will need to know the I and the J for these sails. “I” is the distance from the highest part of the spinnaker to the deck, and “J” is the length of the spinnaker pole.

Used Sails on SailTrader

Selling and purchasing sails online can be a hassle. You may purchase them and end up with a sail that doesn’t fit, or you can purchase one and end up getting a poor-quality sail. SailTrader takes the guesswork out of purchasing used sails. With our unique marketplace design, we can ensure you get a quality sail at an affordable price. Use SailTrader for all of your used sails purchasing and selling.

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What do you need to measure to order a new headsail? Are the sails that your boat currently has suitable only for a specific type

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Best Places to Donate Your Sails

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BREAKING: Supreme Court allows a contentious new Texas immigration law that gives police the power to arrest migrants

Sailor Cole Brauer makes history as the first American woman to race solo around the world

Aboard her 40-foot racing boat First Light ,  29-year-old Cole Brauer just became the first American woman to race nonstop around the world by herself.

The New York native pulled into A Coruña, Spain, on Thursday after a treacherous 30,000-mile journey that took 130 days.

She thanked a cheering crowd of family and fans who had been waiting for her on shore.

“This is really cool and so overwhelming in every sense of the word,” she exclaimed, before drinking Champagne from her trophy.

The 5-foot-2 powerhouse placed second out of 16 avid sailors who competed in the Global Solo Challenge, a circumnavigation race that started in A Coruña with participants from 10 countries. The first-of-its-kind event   allowed a wide range of boats to set off in successive departures based on performance characteristics. Brauer started on Oct. 29, sailing down the west coast of Africa, over to Australia, and around the tip of South America before returning to Spain.

Brauer is the only woman and the youngest competitor in the event — something she hopes young girls in and out of the sport can draw inspiration from.

“It would be amazing if there was just one girl that saw me and said, ‘Oh, I can do that too,’” Brauer said of her history-making sail.

It’s a grueling race, and more than half of the competitors have dropped out so far. One struck something that caused his boat to flood, and another sailor had to abandon his ship after a mast broke as a severe storm was moving in.

The four-month journey is fraught with danger, including navigating the three “Great Capes” of Africa, Australia and South America. Rounding South America’s Cape Horn, where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans meet, is often likened to climbing Mount Everest because of its perfect storm of hazards — a sharp rise in the ocean floor and whipping westerly winds push up massive waves. Combined with the frigid waters and stray icebergs, the area is known as a graveyard for ships, according to NASA. Brauer  said  she was “so unbelievably stoked” when she sailed past Cape Horn in January.

Marco Nannini, organizer of the Global Solo Challenge, said the comparison to scaling Mount Everest doesn’t capture the difficulty of the race. Sailing solo means not just being a skipper but a project manager — steering the boat, fixing equipment, understanding the weather and maintaining one’s physical health.

Nannini cited the relatively minuscule number of people who have sailed around the world solo — 186, according to the International Association of Cape Horners — as evidence of the challenges that competitors face. More than 6,000 people have climbed Mount Everest, according to  High Adventure Expeditions .

Brauer stared down 30-foot waves that had enough force to throw her across the boat. In a scare caught on camera, she badly injured her rib   near the halfway point of the event. At another point, her team in the U.S. directed Brauer to insert an IV into her own arm due to dehydration from vomiting and diarrhea.

She was able to stay in constant communication with members of her team, most of whom are based in New England,   and keep herself entertained with Netflix and video calls with family through Starlink satellites.   That’s also how Brauer was able to use Zoom to connect with NBC News for an interview, while she was sailing about 1,000 miles west of the Canary Islands.

While Brauer was technically alone on First Light, she had the company of 450,000 followers on Instagram, where she frequently got candid about life on an unforgiving sea while reflecting on her journey.

“It all makes it worth it when you come out here, you sit on the bow, and you see how beautiful it is,” she said in an Instagram video, before panning the camera to reveal the radiant sunrise.

Brauer grew up on Long Island but didn’t learn to sail until she went to college in Hawaii. She traded in her goal of becoming a doctor for life on the water. But she quickly learned making a career as a sailor is extremely difficult, with professional racers often hesitant to welcome a 100-pound young woman on their team.

Even when she was trying to find sponsors for the Global Solo Challenge, she said a lot of people “wouldn’t touch her with a 10-foot pole” because they saw her as a “liability.”

Brauer’s message to the skeptics and naysayers? “Watch me.”

“I push so much harder when someone’s like, ‘No, you can’t do that,’ or ‘You’re too small,’” Brauer explained.

“The biggest asset is your mental strength, not the physical one,” Nannini said. “Cole is showing everyone that.”

Brauer hopes to continue competing professionally and is already eyeing another around-the-world competition, but not before she gets her hands on a croissant and cappuccino.

“My mouth is watering just thinking about that.”

Emilie Ikeda is an NBC News correspondent.

Crews continue to search for missing 18-year-old at Indiana state park

Indiana conservation officers and the Ripley County Sheriff's Office continue to search Versailles State Park Saturday for 18-year-old Carson Hughes of Osgood, Indiana, who was reported missing around 1:30 p.m. Friday .

Officials said his vehicle was found unlocked, with the keys still inside, near the boat ramp, and his kayak was found on the water nearby.

Versailles State Park is Indiana’s second-largest state park. The park has a 230-acre lake and offers seasonal rentals of canoes and kayaks.

The Ripley County Emergency Management Agency issued a statement saying the search for missing Carson Hughes of Osgood, Indiana has over 150 volunteers onsite and officials ask if you are not already there, please refrain from coming to Versailles State Park.

Anyone with information on Carson’s whereabouts is asked to call 812-837-9536.

Enquirer media partner Fox 19 provided this report.

Fisherman finds body of 19-year-old in Roanoke River, homicide investigation underway

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72-year-old man rescued from sinking ship near Fort Myers

by Gershon Harrell

FORT MYERS, Fla. (CBS12) — A 72-year-old man was rescued from a sinking boat near Fort Myers on Friday, according to the United States Coast Guard (USCG).

USCG says they were alerted to the man's distress call at 8 a.m. after he reported his 40-foot sailing vessel was taking on water. He activated his emergency position utilizing a radio beacon.

See also: Second arrest made in double homicide in Indian River County

The man was spotted at 12 p.m. by an MH-60 Jayhawk Helicopter and a C-27J Spartan airplane. USCG states the man was hoisted off his sinking vessel and was taken to the Tampa Fire emergency medical services at Peter O. Knight Airport to receive a higher level of care.

"Coast Guard crews were able to complete this rescue quickly and efficiently thanks to the boater having a properly registered EPIRB aboard his vessel," said Petty Officer 1st Class Michel D. Dinapolis, Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg Command Center watchstander. "We encourage all boaters to adhere to safe boating in case they find themselves in an emergency out at sea."

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Death of two boaters in Collier County has experts urging people to prioritize safety

The two spent their final moments together out on the water. According to the FWC, Judy passed away when their boat crashed into mangrove trees on Little Hickory Bay in Collier County. John died from his injuries at the hospital.

• RELATED: Celebration of life held for the victims of a boating crash in Collier County

And, of course, wearing a life vest.

Miami Beach real estate investor under investigation for firing shotgun from waterfront home

MIAMI (WSVN) - An investigation is underway after a man was seen on video firing his shotgun off a boat at his Miami Beach home.

It was a real blast on Thursday at the high-end Lakeview section on Miami Beach.

Video obtained exclusively by 7News showed the man, identified as Patrick Carroll, firing his shotgun causally on the boat while wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat.

Carroll is real estate investor who lives in a $16.5 million waterfront mansion.

The 44-year-old, according to law enforcement sources, was firing those shots from a boat that was docked at his home.

In a second video, a second long-gun was also seen. The footage was initially posted on Carroll’s Instagram account, which is now being used in an investigation by the Miami Beach Police Department, who learned about the Bayside shooting session by concerned neighbors.

Police told 7News that officers arrived at Carroll’s home Thursday before being told by him that he was only firing blanks. They also said that a second call was made about Carroll over the weekend, but police have not provided those details.

7News went to Carroll’s home Monday afternoon to get his side of the story, but those at his home didn’t say if he was home or if he would comment on the incident.

When crews returned to his home Monday night, two dogs, a doberman and a Belgian Malinois, were released and roamed the neighborhood without any leashes.

Police were called to the scene.

Carroll eventually came out of his home and said that he was firing blanks from the shotgun and that he was making a gun safety demonstration video.

“I was doing a demonstration. I was doing a demonstration on gun safety,” Carroll said. “Using blanks.”

When confronted about the constant police presence at his home, Carroll claimed he has not done anything wrong and left the scene.

On his Instagram account over the weekend, Carroll seemed to address the gun-play.

“I will slow down the posts,” he said. “Most of the negative things out there about me, and, I think, you know, people, you know think badly about me. They just get the wrong impression.”

Carroll has a significant online presence with over a million Instagram followers.

“I’m a loud guy, I’m 6’4, 220 [pounds]. I’m a big guy, right?” Carroll said in an Instagram post. “The mistake I made on Instagram, you know, if you call it a mistake, is just posting too much content. I’m hyper, I’m ADD. It’s just because, my life is [expletive] awesome.”

Carroll has been in trouble with the law in the past. He is being sued for allegedly spitting at a Wynwood restaurant manager’s face.

He also has open criminal cases for battery, which includes a 2022 arrest at Gold Rush gentleman’s club in Miami. 7News obtained surveillance video from the club during that incident. According to police and victims, Carroll was screaming profanities and racial slurs.

Neighbors at the Lakeview community said that they’ve been calling police for several days.

Police told 7News that their investigating remains active.

No arrests have been made and no charges have been filed.

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