Gonzowrite

My Little Sloop CIMBA

Cimba was my little 29’ Islander sloop built in 1967 by Wayfarer Yachts in Costa Mesa. She’s a Coast Guard documented boat. Built of fiberglass back in the days when fiberglass was new technology and they overbuilt everything, she’s “hell for stout”. Cimba was a serious cruising sailboat, not a “Tupperware” day-sailor like a Newport 30.

She had a LOA 29’ 2”, LWL 23’ 4”, beam 9’ 2”, draft 3’ 7”, displacement of 8,100 lbs , she carried 355’ sail area and a PHRF rating of 246. While she will technically sleep 5 [2 in the forepeak, 2 in the main cabin, 1 quarter berth], she was better suited for 2 people for cruising. With a cutaway full keel, keel hung rudder [tiller] and fine entry forward she was surprisingly fast and would rack up 120 - 130 mile days like clockwork. I was able to "shut down" many bigger boats that due to longer waterlines were technically faster, such as the Ericson 32's, etc. She pointed high and admittedly had a bit of a weather helm in a blow. But these Islander 29’s are known for their offshore safety and sailing ability.

With all lines leading aft to the cockpit and trouble free wind vane steering, I had her set up for singlehanded sailing. Fitted out in the manner of Larry & Lin Pardey’s “go small, go simple, and go now!” she had oil lamps, an ice box, alcohol stove, etc, so that I wouldn't fall into the trap of “cruising is fixing things in exotic ports”.

She had an Atomic 4 engine swinging a 10” 3 blade prop, and all new electrical system which took me almost a full year to install. Her sail inventory consists of the mainsail with two reef points, jib, 150% jenny, small spinnaker, and a large “drifter”. Lazyjacks controlled the main on dousing. A Simpson-Lawrence HySpeed anchor windlass, 35 lb CQR on 100’ chain/200’ nylon, 35 lb fisherman, & 20lb “lunch hook” constituted her ground tackle.

Cimba had been down and back to Hawaii more than a few times with the previous owner and is a Baja veteran. Many I-29’s have gone to the South Pacific and a number of them have gone “all the way around”. I bought Cimba in 2002 from the widow of the original owner who bought Cimba new in 1967. I was Cimba's second owner. I sold her in 2008.