Are you planning on entering the RESTORE AN OLD SAILBOAT Contest? We've received a few entries all ready, so we thought we'd share them with you.
We've already shown you our first entry, Dean Hinton's 1970 Ericson 32’, ‘Vivant’, which has undergone significant work over the past four years.
Here are another two 'Old Sailboat' projects that have been entered -
Sooke Sailing Association is working on two boats this year. The first is a 19ft Rhodes O'Day 'Whisper'. Robert Chouinard completed Whisper's restoration and she is "....beautiful and a lot of fun to sail. We temporarily add the second foresail using an oar for a little burst in speed." 
Whisper showing her form.
Sooke Sailing's second boat is a Richardson Aqua Craft, a 12 ft Cedar Strip Sailing Dinghy built around 1962.
"In 1967 it was found in bad repair by the Roots Family on the banks of the Gataneau River. They restored it, and their kids and grand-kids learned to sail in her. They felt she was not being used the last 5 years and saw us out sailing all the time so graciously donated her to the Sooke Sailing Association. We expect to have the outside done in a few weeks to sail her this summer then do the inside this winter when we have a little more time inside."
Robert Chouinard, Bob Tully and Mitchell Johnson putting in the hours.
This year we are doing the bottom. Stripping all the varnish. Filling holes, and will have to replace the centerboard box as it was rotted badly.
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Michael Angell has spent the past year restoring a 1975 Mirror Dinghy, and although he considers himself a 'wood boat novice', he seems to have done a very nice job on this one.
"The boat was previously owned by a family which actually sailed her in the North American Championships in the late 70s (there are participation plaques on her transom). Alas, the boat fell on hard times and developed signficant rot in her hull. I picked her up on Craigslist from a well-meaning guy who saved her from the trash heap, but didn't do anything with her."
"Although I am a wood boat novice, I did the following to get her back on the water: 1) stripped off hull paint, 2) discovered and excised areas of rot, 3) replaced rotted areas in bow, transom and hull with Okume plywood and fiberglass tape, 4) sanding and fairing, 5) applied two new coats of bottom paint and new varnish on topsides, 6) had sails cleaned and repaired."
"She was not ready for Sailstice 2016, but will be out this year. I have had her in the water twice." 
If you have a boat project, enter it in the RESTORE AN OLD SAILBOAT Contest. As you can see, there are all sort of boats, and all sorts of projects, and we want to see yours!
