Snipe Yesterday: Boatbuilding Student Restores 1963 Varalyay

Editor’s Note: Riley Hall, a student at the International Yacht and Restoration School in Newport, Rhode Island, spent his winter nights and weekends rebuilding an old Snipe. Here’s his update.

I took my Snipe out sailing for the first time today. It was a blast, and the rainy, stiff northerly made for an epic maiden voyage.

The boat is hull 15005, a 1963 Varalyay from California. I’ve been in contact with the original owner from Massachusetts who who got it when he was a kid. The fiberglass hull was decked with varnished mahogany plywood, and he said you could comb your hair in the reflection.

When I got the boat it had been redecked at some point with a lower grade plywood that had peeled and checked.

I removed the hardware and splash board and rubrails, stripped off the old paint, sanded the deck as smooth as I could get it, and made any necessary repairs including some big shims around the shear.

Then I filled the holes, coated the deck with thickened epoxy, and sanded it smooth. Since the wood moved around on me I recoated it, and then put a coat of primer and 2 finish coats on the deck.

I also removed the weird fiberglass job that had been added to the daggerboard trunk.

Next was restoring the brightwork, building a new tiller, centerboard cap and mast coller. and installing new mahogany rubrails. I also refitted the boat with new running rigging.

And finally after sitting on a trailer for about 3 years or more, the newly named White Rabbet splashed on a cold rainy day in Newport harbor!