Simple Pleasures

Our recent story of the simple pleasures of sailing our 22-ft 1964 Ensign, Solvogn, on the coast of Maine inspired Chris Maher to write in about his ‘new’ Ensign, Rubicon, which he and wife Sheila now have ‘berthed’ in their driveway in Walnut Creek.

Chris, who’s sailed several Baja Ha-Ha’s on previous boats — the Morgan 38 Blarney3 and the Beneteau First 42 Blarney4 — with his wife, kids and friends, bought the boat, hull number 889, from its original owner in Seattle in 2011. Chris tells us he "removed all the old hardware and then did the perfect AkzoNobel paint job at Delta Marine in Seattle and added new Lewmar hardware and winches and Doyle sails. She looks almost new! It is fun telling people in Tahoe that she was built in 1965."

Chris continues, "I’ve always liked the hull shape. Back in the early ’80s, a buddy had an Electra with the same hull. It was moored in San Pedro and we would sail it over to Catalina to meet women. The meeting-women thing didn’t work, but it hooked me on ocean sailing. Great boat."

Longtime residents of the Bay Area, the Mahers took a hiatus living in the Pacific Northwest for a few years before moving back to the Bay, but leaving Rubicon up North. Chris said that recently, he "finally went and got the boat in Anacortes. She had sat for four years under a tarp. After towing her over 1,000 miles, she still looked really good after a run through a car wash."

"We went sailing every day last week at Tahoe," Chris continued. "The boys came up with their friends and we had a blast. Sheila wanted me to give the boat away up in the Pacific Northwest, but I’m glad we didn’t! Now we have the perfect family Tahoe sailboat."