I just bought a pristine Rebel 16' (Mk3-version). Even the trailer has been updated and modified. Sometimes the boat gods really do cut a guy some slack now-and-then.
I'm the long-time owner of a 27' Hunter but with two little kids and our future plans taking us away from the ocean/Great Lakes (retiring Navy officer) I figured it was high-time to get an easily launched boat with a swing keel/centerboard. I chose the Rebel over a few other boats (O'Day, Sunfish, Mutineer/Buccaneer, etc...) because my prior experience shows that the Rebel is a bit more stable then the rest. I actually love Santanas from back when I lived in San Diego, but there doesn't seem to be many of those here in the Midwest...whereas there is a pretty active, though small, Rebel community. I also think it is kind of cool that the Rebel is considered the first mass-produced fiberglass sailboat, not that it means much.
Being a DIY'er and a long-time big-boat sailor I, of course, can't help but tinker. I've already test fitted my tiller auto-pilot, am ready to install some LED navlights and a cooler for those overnight adventures on the lake. That ugly rubber "rub rail" is going to be replaced by some nice varnished wood too. I'm also going to test fit a short, bowsprit to see if I can get some more wind over the top half of the mainsail with a flying jib...but that's a tale for later... (Oh, and I'm naming the boat after the Admiral to help smooth-over the fact that I own TWO boats now...)
I'm looking forward to being a contributor and learning a bit from the regulars of this forum. I'm not done with the big boat yet, I have 2-3 more years here on Lake Michigan but I can't wait to start exploring some of the inland waters again in my new boat!
I'm the long-time owner of a 27' Hunter but with two little kids and our future plans taking us away from the ocean/Great Lakes (retiring Navy officer) I figured it was high-time to get an easily launched boat with a swing keel/centerboard. I chose the Rebel over a few other boats (O'Day, Sunfish, Mutineer/Buccaneer, etc...) because my prior experience shows that the Rebel is a bit more stable then the rest. I actually love Santanas from back when I lived in San Diego, but there doesn't seem to be many of those here in the Midwest...whereas there is a pretty active, though small, Rebel community. I also think it is kind of cool that the Rebel is considered the first mass-produced fiberglass sailboat, not that it means much.
Being a DIY'er and a long-time big-boat sailor I, of course, can't help but tinker. I've already test fitted my tiller auto-pilot, am ready to install some LED navlights and a cooler for those overnight adventures on the lake. That ugly rubber "rub rail" is going to be replaced by some nice varnished wood too. I'm also going to test fit a short, bowsprit to see if I can get some more wind over the top half of the mainsail with a flying jib...but that's a tale for later... (Oh, and I'm naming the boat after the Admiral to help smooth-over the fact that I own TWO boats now...)
I'm looking forward to being a contributor and learning a bit from the regulars of this forum. I'm not done with the big boat yet, I have 2-3 more years here on Lake Michigan but I can't wait to start exploring some of the inland waters again in my new boat!