1951 Sparkman & Stephens Pilot Sloop

Well cared for 1951 classic, wooden Pilot sloop purchased in 2014. We thoroughly enjoyed cruising along the coast of Maine in our home away from home. But our situation has changed, and its time for us to pass it on to someone else to enjoy. The boat was originally designed by Sparkman and Stephens and was the forerunner of the well-known Hinkley Pilot. Unlike the experience in a fiberglass hull, a wooden hull glides quietly and smoothly through the water, and is a joy to sail. The boat was well maintained and stored inside a boat shed on a gravel floor. It has a rebuilt 1996 Volvo Penta 27hp which was dependable and problem free for us. Annual maintenance included scraping, caulking, painting the bottom and topsides, varnishing the brightwork, mechanical tune-ups, and tensioning the rigging. We re-fiberglassed several areas on the deck, added a new GPS unit with a swing out mount that extends into the cockpit, mounted a radar on the backstay, switched to an Airhead compost toilet (we still have the flush toilet available), and replaced the gas with an alcohol stove (the original gas stove is available also). There are two sails in excellent condition - a recently, custom-made, beautiful, antique white mainsail and a roller-furling genoa. The mast, boom, and all the fastenings, shackles, cleats, etc. are sound and in good working order. The cockpit is old but sound, though it will eventually need some attention as the plywood sheathing underneath the teak deck is looking worn. A survey from 2014 is available which pointed out maintenance items in need of attention, most of which have been addressed. We have documented the work done to date, and the work still remaining. In these unsettled times sailing a classic wooden boat offers a nostalgic return to simpler and more restorative way of life.