Reuel Parker's Ibis Revisited

Reuel has been back in Fort Pierce for a little over a month now. I was able to get away for a few hours the other day to go up and visit with him and see the progress on his almost completed 45' sharpie Ibis.

She is really looking good at this point, almost ready to taste some salt water.

This shot of the rudder shows the 30" draft, the counter balanced rudder, and the rudder endplate.

Behind the boat the centerboard waits to be installed. This board is very heavy. It is made of plate steel over web frames and filled with lead and epoxy. As you can see from the shape when it is lowered it is a NASA foil section fin. This will probably be a very well sailing sharpie.

At the bow is an A-frame of stainless steel tubing.This will serve to raise and lower the tabernackled masts when raised to a vertical position and will serve as a bow pulpit when it is lowered to a more horizontal position.

Reuel knows the benefits of adequate ventilation in a boat in the tropics. The boat has many hatches and opening portlights.

Here is one of the mast tabernackles.

Moving aft the bimini is installed, a dodger is forthcoming. The cockpit will have cushions of 2" closed cell foam. There will be some seats mounted aft P&S for the helmsman.

This is the forward cabin.

Aft is the head. This boat has both cabins and the head in the forward house. The galley and saloon are in the aft house. In between are two substantial storage holds.

Looking out the main companionway into the cockpit.

Here is the fwd end of the galley and the dinette.

Boats are certainly very personal and one flavor won't suit everybody. This is a very simple basic cruising boat. One that is set up for extended cruising for a couple or a small family to have lots of fun on and be able to go places that many other boats of this size can't go, both in the water and on the highway. This boat at 12,000 lbs and 10' beam can be trailered quite easily so cruising the Bahamas this year and the Sea of Cortez next year would certainly be an option. I will be visiting this project more in the coming weeks.