Teresa Smith-Galoob and her family love their Roosters, but we’re not talking about the kind that crow loudly and wake up the neighbors at 4am, we’re talking about the Rooster Class Sailboats.
Rooster Class Sailboats were originally designed in Jamestown, R.I. by Teresa’s father, Commodore (U.S. Navy) Michael P. Smith. A life-long boat designer and builder, Cdr. Smith launched his first Rooster ‘Kathleen’ in 1957.
Teresa’s Rooster was originally built in 1982.
'We built the boat in 1982, from the original plans & coaching from Cdr. Michael P. Smith, original designer & boat builder. We recently restored the boat with a fresh coat of paint, etc., in preparations for upcoming events (Nationwide) for the small wooden boats,(Messabouts), and for the Rooster Sailing Class Boats, in particular. Our Rooster Class sailboat is now 36 yrs. old, and was stored indoors, so the structure of the boat remains stable.'
The boat had been stored for around a decade, and although it was covered it was still exposed to many years of sunlight and weather.
'We "rescued it" from anymore damages, and refinished & repainted the boat inside & out. Then we updated the Registration, and entered the boat in a couple of recent Messabouts in OK. The sail is still the original sail, which we prefer, as a remaining mark-of-its-time sail from the mid 1970s.'
Rooster Class Sailboats have been enjoying a revival with their Fleet now comprising a few older restored Roosters, and a few more newly built Roosters. Between the time of their inception and the passing of their creator, Cdr. Smith, there were as many as 700 Roosters across the globe. However despite their numbers, not many original boats have survived.
'In this photo, two Rooster Class Sailboats rest side by side, the older and the newest. Ours, (Teresa Smith and Michael Galoobs), is 715, in green, on the rightt. The white Rooster, left, is my nephews, Cdr. Gerrit Rickwalt. This is a favorite of many, as our older Rooster was built by ourselves, under the Coaching of my father, Cdr. Michael P.Smith, original Rooster designer and builder, and my nephew, Gerrit's, (the next generation), was built by Gerrit, following the passing of his grandfather, my father. Gerrit is the Grandson to Cdr. Michael P. Smith. As sailing is passed on through generations, so have our skills in boat building and restoration.'
The Rooster Class Sailboat is 9’6” long and weighs around 100 pounds. The lateen-rigged wooden sailboat is made from 1/4 inch plywood and has an 8-foot mast with a bamboo sprit and boom, and a dagger board. Despite its size, the boat can accommodate up to three people (depending on their size). Named for the shape off its rudder (after the Rhode Island Red Rooster), the Rooster carries 37 square feet of sail and can be easily transported, making it a popular small sailboat. http://roostersailboats.com/index.html