Sailing the Laura Isabel
Tari and Rob Meredith and Rachel and Malone Williams are the proud owners of the Laura Isabel which after restoration will be renamed, Lothlorien. The name Lothlorien stems from the Lord of the Ring Trilogy. The Elves of Middle Earth created a magical area called Lothlorien where time was slowed down. Sailing has always been a special place for us where the tribulations of life seem muted and the richness of wind and sea is magnified.
Malone--I have enjoyed sailing since childhood but really learned to sail after college on Lake Lanier north of Atlanta on a Cape Dory 19. I have sailed down the Georgia coast, the Florida Keys, Lake Texoma in Texas and I sailed across the Atlantic from the Canary Islands to Guadeloupe, French West Indies.
I have never owned a sailboat due to my work schedule but since moving to Richmond, I now have more time off. My wife Rachel is vivacious and loves to entertain. We have always loved sailing together and we hope to share our fun with friends and family.
I have always been drawn to sailboats with classic lines and I have known about Dickersons for many years. I never thought I would own one till I met Bob Shelton. Bob and I met at a church Christmas party and since then he has been a guiding hand through my search for a sailboat. Rob and I originally decided on a lovely Pearson 30 and put down earnest money. I saw Bob at church the next Sunday and he told me about the Laura Isabel. We engineered a mid week jaunt to Hampton and fell in love. As Rob says, "the Laura Isabel has a soul." I lost my earnest money due to Bob! But we bought a wonderful boat. She needs TLC but the structural components, engine and sails are in fine shape. The former owner Bob Bragaw did a great job maintaining and updating the Laura Isabel. We plan on refinishing the exterior and interior to Bristol condition.
March 26th, weather permitting, Rob, Bob, Barry and I will sail her from Fort Monroe to her new home on the Piankatank River, just a few slips down from my new godfather, Bob Shelton.
We are looking forward to the Rendezvous in June. I have already hammered Barry about my handicap!
Rob-- I grew up in the land locked Midwest but spent summers in Newport RI with my grandparents. My uncle had a Sunfish that he taught me to sail on when I was a teenager. I joined the Navy after high school and made two cruises, came back and went to college and medical school in the same land locked Midwest environment. As the years passed I more or less forgot about sailing. I got a job in Wisconsin and while there is a lake there, and the thought of getting a boat did cross my mind, the sailing season is not very long that far north and it seemed to be more trouble than it was worth.
Two and a half years ago I got a job at MCV in Richmond and eventually met Malone through a mutual friend. About a year or a year and a half ago my wife and I went down to St. Thomas for a conference and while we were there I met up with a man who races sailboats in New Jersey. He and I went out on one of the catamarans that the hotel had and.....well....things long dead were awaken. I had not been sailing for about 25 or 30 years and I forgot how much I enjoyed it.
When we came home from that trip we were out at dinner with a large group of friends and I told one of the people in the group that I had decided after that trip that I might have to look into getting a sailboat now that I was near the Chesapeake and the weather was more agreeable. Malone heard me say this and said “what kind of boat?” and I replied “the only kind worth having, a sailboat”. Malone then traded places with another guest and I found out that he is a sailing junkie. I had not known this up until this discussion at dinner.
The topic made us fast friends and over time we decided that rather than me buying a small boat and learning how to sail on it and then getting something bigger, it might just make more sense for us to go together and get a boat. We began looking and had our eye on a 30 foot Pearson when Malone’s friend Bob Shelton told us about this Dickerson that was for sale. The boat was solid but needed some TLC to bring her back to being a “proper” yacht, but all the elements were there and the price was right.
Malone was a fan of Dickerson’s as he is pretty much any classic, well-built old school sailing vessel, and Bob has a Dickerson, so along with Barry we went to take a look at the boat. I could tell just by looking at her that with just a bit of love she will be back to being a very special boat. You can practically feel the soul in the old girl.
Immediate plans are a good cleaning and a survey to see exactly what we are dealing with. The plan is to probably sail her this spring/summer and then in the fall take her out to sand and paint the hull and repair as needed. This spring and summer we will do what needs to be done to get the rigging up to par and so forth. Maybe get the deck and interior painted. There is a fair amount of bright work that needs a bit of attention.
It’s obvious that the boat has been very well cared for in the past but the prior owner fell ill and was not able to care for her. Between the two of us we should be able to get her back to her former glory in fairly short order.
Malone--I have enjoyed sailing since childhood but really learned to sail after college on Lake Lanier north of Atlanta on a Cape Dory 19. I have sailed down the Georgia coast, the Florida Keys, Lake Texoma in Texas and I sailed across the Atlantic from the Canary Islands to Guadeloupe, French West Indies.
I have never owned a sailboat due to my work schedule but since moving to Richmond, I now have more time off. My wife Rachel is vivacious and loves to entertain. We have always loved sailing together and we hope to share our fun with friends and family.
I have always been drawn to sailboats with classic lines and I have known about Dickersons for many years. I never thought I would own one till I met Bob Shelton. Bob and I met at a church Christmas party and since then he has been a guiding hand through my search for a sailboat. Rob and I originally decided on a lovely Pearson 30 and put down earnest money. I saw Bob at church the next Sunday and he told me about the Laura Isabel. We engineered a mid week jaunt to Hampton and fell in love. As Rob says, "the Laura Isabel has a soul." I lost my earnest money due to Bob! But we bought a wonderful boat. She needs TLC but the structural components, engine and sails are in fine shape. The former owner Bob Bragaw did a great job maintaining and updating the Laura Isabel. We plan on refinishing the exterior and interior to Bristol condition.
March 26th, weather permitting, Rob, Bob, Barry and I will sail her from Fort Monroe to her new home on the Piankatank River, just a few slips down from my new godfather, Bob Shelton.
We are looking forward to the Rendezvous in June. I have already hammered Barry about my handicap!
Rob-- I grew up in the land locked Midwest but spent summers in Newport RI with my grandparents. My uncle had a Sunfish that he taught me to sail on when I was a teenager. I joined the Navy after high school and made two cruises, came back and went to college and medical school in the same land locked Midwest environment. As the years passed I more or less forgot about sailing. I got a job in Wisconsin and while there is a lake there, and the thought of getting a boat did cross my mind, the sailing season is not very long that far north and it seemed to be more trouble than it was worth.
Two and a half years ago I got a job at MCV in Richmond and eventually met Malone through a mutual friend. About a year or a year and a half ago my wife and I went down to St. Thomas for a conference and while we were there I met up with a man who races sailboats in New Jersey. He and I went out on one of the catamarans that the hotel had and.....well....things long dead were awaken. I had not been sailing for about 25 or 30 years and I forgot how much I enjoyed it.
When we came home from that trip we were out at dinner with a large group of friends and I told one of the people in the group that I had decided after that trip that I might have to look into getting a sailboat now that I was near the Chesapeake and the weather was more agreeable. Malone heard me say this and said “what kind of boat?” and I replied “the only kind worth having, a sailboat”. Malone then traded places with another guest and I found out that he is a sailing junkie. I had not known this up until this discussion at dinner.
The topic made us fast friends and over time we decided that rather than me buying a small boat and learning how to sail on it and then getting something bigger, it might just make more sense for us to go together and get a boat. We began looking and had our eye on a 30 foot Pearson when Malone’s friend Bob Shelton told us about this Dickerson that was for sale. The boat was solid but needed some TLC to bring her back to being a “proper” yacht, but all the elements were there and the price was right.
Malone was a fan of Dickerson’s as he is pretty much any classic, well-built old school sailing vessel, and Bob has a Dickerson, so along with Barry we went to take a look at the boat. I could tell just by looking at her that with just a bit of love she will be back to being a very special boat. You can practically feel the soul in the old girl.
Immediate plans are a good cleaning and a survey to see exactly what we are dealing with. The plan is to probably sail her this spring/summer and then in the fall take her out to sand and paint the hull and repair as needed. This spring and summer we will do what needs to be done to get the rigging up to par and so forth. Maybe get the deck and interior painted. There is a fair amount of bright work that needs a bit of attention.
It’s obvious that the boat has been very well cared for in the past but the prior owner fell ill and was not able to care for her. Between the two of us we should be able to get her back to her former glory in fairly short order.