Sometime about 2002 Charles Ladoulis (our president) acquired Jet 14 #265 as a donation to NMHA. This boat is a 14 foot two person racing sloop. The hull is cold molded plywood; the mast is a wooden 2x4, sitka spruce, still square but with rounded corners, and tapered to its peak.

The hull has no frames, but relies on its curved geometry and deck for strength. The hull is from an Uffa Fox design for an Internatonal 14; the sails are from a Snipe. Simplicity itself. The Jet 14 designer is Siddons & Sindle, from Tom's River, NJ. The class is active to this day.

In 1962 my wife, Irene, and I acquired our first boat, a Jet 14 #222. We joined Monmouth Boat Club, and joined the local races. Eventually, with a bit more experience, we hauled the boat to local regattas, met the area sailers, and in races saw the transoms of a lot of the champions. But I did once in a while finish up in the pack, and I did learn. And I loved it. It was without a doubt an important part of my formative young adulthood. I emerged not so much a racing sailor as just a lover of wooden boats. And a lover of history.

And now, before my eyes, is #265. Deja Vu all over again. Both 222 and 265 were Lars Olsen boats. Lars was a Middletown, NJ boat builder who built Comets, Lightnings, Jet 14's and many other wooden boats. The Monmouth Boat Club members were among his most important clientele, and it can be fairly said he largely built the MBC racing fleet.

265 has all the Lars Olsen signature-details: the centerboard trunk, the particular way its forward member joined to the foredeck, the hand turned magohany reel for the centerboard hoist, the particular way of trimming the cockpit all around: All these details say, "Lars Olsen."

We moved 265 to my house for the winter of 2005-06 with the idea of wooding down, fixing a few problems, refinishing, and getting it in the water for the summer 06 season. I erected an NMHA canopy in my back yard, and there we put it.

Bill Ward, Highlands, NJ, has restored 4 or 5 Jet 14 "woody's." He currently sails #945 in various regata's. Bill signed on as our technical consultant, but in fact has become the restoration leader. He has been at almost every work party, and not only explains to us what to do, teaches us how to do it, but then roles up his sleaves and pitches in to help with the actual labor. Without Bill's inspiration we would probably do something, but now we have much higher standards, and plans to suit.

Before the move to my house some paint and varnish removal had been done at various work parties. Now it began in ernest. We also uncovered a not-properly-done old repair on the forward 5 feet of keel (really just a trim board). That is now removed and replaced properly. We found the deck carlins permanently bent by poor upside down storage, and a bit of rot in them and the adjacent hull. So off came the deck, the carlins, and fortunately the rot areas are very tiny. All is now repaired.

We obviously missed our hoped for 2006 summer sailing, but we will make 2007. We are rapidly approaching the construction (as opposed to the disassembly/repair) phase of the project.

Our plan in the rebuilding is to bring the hull up to date with modern standards while leaving as much of the Lars Olson details as possible. Specifically we plan on a middecks slant inwards, for comfort while hiking, air tanks instead of the air bags Irene and I used in the 60's, and of course rigging for a spinnaker which the 60's Jet 14's did not allow, but now is pretty much mandatory for racing. That means sheet/guy tubes through the aft air tanks. And a modern CB hoist.

The centerboard trunk, thwart, etc, will all be historically Lars Olsen. We will launch with the original sitka spruce mast. That is not the best for successful racing, but if a racing sailer buys this boat they will have no difficulty upgrading. All the hull work we are doing is compatible with modern competitiveness.

For the winter of 06-07 we moved into my garage. More room, plus a heater (thank you, Vince). And we can do Jet-14-gymnastics like this...

Notice that Lars mast step, centerboard trunk, and thwart are still there. And they have his signature-construction methods.

To learn more about this project, check out the log, and the photos. Or

Come on winter/spring saturdays to help (or just observe) this project. Bring your kids. Tell them it is kool! (It is!!!).

Tom Gibson