She has been at the Challenged America docks for a little over a week. This 1971 Erickson 35 has been beautifully restored by her previous owner. The woods are beautifully varnished, engine rebuilt all new deck hardware, including new Anderson winches.
Erickson 35 drawings
Squalus ( dogfish shark), a Pacemaker 36 became the latest boat to enter the Challenged America fleet. She is a sportsfisherman with twin diesel engines.
Thank you Bruce Nelson (Nelson Marek) and David Reed
Did you sail with Challenged America in the 1990′s, the 1980′s, or even as far back as 1978? If so and you have any photos or videos (even VCR tapes), we’d love to borrow them and make duplicates for our archives … and include them in the (now being written) “The History of Challenged America” book. Please contact the Challenged America office if you can help here.
As always, planning a sailing calendar at Challenged America tends to be dependent upon funding and other resources, to include what boats we have, and the volunteers available. Under consideration for the 2012 calendar are:
Is there another special program you’d like to see and can participate in and help? Let us know.
Volunteer Steve Edenson and blind sailor Hiro taking Casual, our newest donation out for a first spin on San Diego’s Big Bay.
“Casual” is a Santana 525, designed by Shad Turner and built by the W.D. Schock Corporation to the highest standards of quality. it is a beautiful boat with sleek lines and well balanced dimensions unique in a 25 footer.
The 525 was designed for competitive racing under a variety of measurement rules. The hull is shallow and of light displacement but has a considerable amount of beam to insure stability. The displacement to length ratio of the 525 is very low, providing excellent light air performance. The keel is a deep fin and the rudder is a simple but highly efficient spade. The hull is quick to surf and is lots of fun to sail in a breeze. Since the 525 is also built to strict one design specifications, its owners find great pleasure in level class racing as well.
The cockpit of the Santana 525 is probably the best available in a boat of this size. long bench seats and a contoured deck shape offer welcome comfort and a wonderful sense of security for the family. The hardware is strategically placed for efficient crew work, with all halyards lead to the cabintop. The blister design of the deck eliminates sharp corners and provides extra wide side decks for safe and easy deck maneuvers.
The beam of the 525 offers an amazing feeling of spaciousness below. Two wide midship bunks provide extremely comfortable seating in the main cabin and are wonderful for overnight cruising. A 6½ foot v-berth provides additional sleeping accommodations. The cleverly capsulized galley unit is equipped with a sink for an insulated ice box and provides good countertop space. Two beautifully finished hanging lockers, an attractive interior liner, and a handsome teak and holly sole give the 525 the look and feel of a much larger boat. Many a crew has spent hours after the race in the comfort of this cozy interior.
The crew said: She is fast and fun, we love her.
It being September, Challenged America will now shift to a Fall-Winter Sailing Scheduling – not due to the weather, but due to vacations ending and work schedules of our many volunteers.
Special training, meetings and events will only be listed on the monthly calendar, with the following Sailing Schedule becoming the norm.
Please contact the Challenged America office for more information and to make your request.
Upon completion of the Grand Banks 42 “Challenged America” restoration, “Rags,” from the San Diego Maritime Institute, will be conducting a “Captain’s Course” at Challenged America on boat handling and operations of the programs Grand Banks 42 and Donzi 23 motorized vessels.
Selected volunteers will be invited to this free training course, and completion of this program will be a requirement to operate these Challenged America vessels.
Rags, owner of The Maritime Institute, is a long time sponsor and supporter of the Challenged America program.
Challenged America, the Grand Banks 42 donated by Nielsen Beaumont Marine is back in the water.
After sanding and repainting the hull with a bright shiny white coat, the work will continue in the water. She still needs work on the engine, the upper hull will get a few more coats of paint and the transom a few more coats of varnish, the deck and cabins will also be modified to accommodate people with disabilities.
Thank you to Nielsen Beaumont Marine, Marine Exchange, their employees, suppliers and the volunteers who worked so hard to get to this point.
You can follow the whole project here:
Check her out:
Volunteers are still needed, call Dave Hopkins at 619-808-3650 or the office 619-523-9318. You can also email our office
We are lucky to have the support of companies like Nielsen Beaumont who donated a Grand Banks 42 to Challenged America and all the local companies, some of their suppliers which donated materials as well as employees and local residents who are donating time to restore and adapt the Grand Banks 42 for use by the disabled.
The Grand Banks 42 project is bringing together the local community to help disabled children, adults and veterans.
We need your help, we want to find out more about the history of this classic wooden boat.
The Grand Banks 42 that’s being restored for Challenged America is Hull #76 and we think was built in 1968-69? Thanks.
if you have information, videos or photos, please email us.
The newest addition to the Challenged America fleet is a Grand Bank 42 trawler. She is not much to look at, but thanks to local businesses rallying around Nielsen Beaumont Marine, it won’t take very long before she proudly sits at our docks or grace San Diego’s waters again.
You can follow the progress here:
