After five years in the water, RADIAN was due for a haul-out—and in December 2024, we brought her up at Cobb’s Marina in Norfolk, Virginia. What began as a routine bit of maintenance quickly evolved into a large-scale restoration, the kind of project that reminds you just how alive these classic boats really are.
The work started with removing both the main and mizzen masts for inspection, minor repairs, and a long-overdue rewiring job and small screw holes that needed to be plugged. We replaced the masthead and anchor lights while the masts were out, taking advantage of the access. From there, the real challenge began—fabricating a new rudder shoe base from cast bronze. We were able to preserve the original shoe’s sides to maintain RADIAN’s historical integrity, but the base was slightly narrower than the original. That meant carving out a portion of the keel to get a perfect fit—a delicate and nerve-wracking job.
Replacing the rudder itself was no solo task. It took both of us and a return visit from Jack, who seems to have a magic touch with RADIAN. Honestly, she behaves better when he’s around, like a dog perking up when its old friend visits. It felt like she trusted him to guide her through the rough stuff.
We also had a serious battle with the propeller shaft coupler—it refused to come off the shaft no matter what we tried, and eventually had to be cut free. That led to installing a completely new prop shaft, a new coupler, and a new stuffing box. We also swapped out the old cutlass bearing and installed a fresh through-hull fitting to round out the drivetrain overhaul.
On the cosmetic side, we fully sanded the hull and applied two coats of epoxy primer. The first coat was a disaster—so thick it felt like painting with Elmer’s glue—and left a heavy texture on the hull. It took over nine hours of sanding to correct it, but the effort paid off. That unexpected detour actually revealed some hidden imperfections and gave us a better surface for the final paint.
Anna, with her incredible attention to detail, took charge of the topside painting. Her hand is so steady that the trail boards and name boards now look professionally done—she could honestly open her own sign shop. She’s also re-staining the cabin interior with a slightly darker finish and plans to varnish it once RADIAN is back in the water.
Throughout this entire process, the boating community around us has been nothing short of amazing. People constantly stop by just to admire RADIAN, many of them saying they’ve seen her before and were glad to see she’s getting the care she deserves. Whether offering tips, encouragement, or just boatyard camaraderie, everyone we’ve met has made this experience even more special.
