Acquisition Day

After following Facebook Marketplace for a few months and evaluating the many different types of smaller sailboats that were available, I finally made an offer for a Ventnor Moth sailboat owned by a lady in the Philadelphia suburbs, which she accepted. I acquired the boat for a modest sum with the understanding that I would need to spend some money and time restoring it before I would begin sailing. I had been looking for a project to sink my teeth into, and now I have it. Luckily, the boat has been stored inside for many years and appears to be pretty solid. It also came with 2 rudders, 2 daggerboards, and a sail that is old but still intact, it is probably usable. I look forward to giving it new life.

The Ventnor Moth is a classic wooden sailboat that was made by a now-defunct company called Ventnor Boat Works in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Ventnor was in business from 1902 to 1968 and was most well known for building wooden speedboats in the early 20th century that set many speed records. They also constructed boats for the US Navy during World War II. 

Happily for me, Ventnor also constructed a version of the Moth sailboat originated by Joel Van Sant in Elizabeth City, NC in 1929. These small singlehanded racing sailboats were all wood construction. With their blunt nose and only one sail, they don't look very fast, but looks can be deceiving. 

Below, I have shared a copy of an old Ventnor Moth advertisement from 1946 in lieu of photos of the boat that I purchased. In the coming days, I plan on taking and posting photos of the boat and all of its parts to document its current condition before renovations begin. This will be my first experience in renovating a wooden boat, so I hope to learn from the experience and I hope that documenting my journey here will benefit others as well. Your comments and constructive feedback are welcome and encouraged.