Scarlett O'Hara: A Long and Interesting Life

"A Long and Interesting Life (near end of page)

=======================================
A Long and Interesting Life
January 30 - Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico

Some boats seem to be fated to spend relatively dull lives, mostly stuck in their berths. But that's not true of boats like the Serendipity 43 Scarlett O'Hara. She was commissioned by [Monroe Wingate] in the early '80s, and as we recall enjoyed great success in the SORC and the Admiral's Cup in England which, at the time, were the zenith of offshore racing. She didn't fare as well in the Pan Am Clipper Cup Series in Hawaii, as she dropped her rig in one of the early races.

Many years later, Scarlett was acquired by John and Renee Prentice of San Diego, who worked hard to convert her into a cruising boat. They cruised her quite a bit - and quickly, too - in the Baja Ha-Ha and around Mexico. But trouble struck shortly after heading for the Marquesas - their rudder snapped off.
When we bumped into Renee on the docks the other day, she had to tell us all about their new rudder - although it's not clear to us when they got it. "Our new rudder is all carbon and came from the Santa Cruz 70 Mongoose. It only cost $300!"

John confirmed that they picked up the rudder - which probably would have cost $15,000 if they had it made - for just $300 from Minney's Marine Surplus in Costa Mesa. "I hardly had to do any modifications, and it works great."

Another thing Renee loves on Scarlett is the solar-powered night lights that a friend brought down from Costco in the States. "They only cost about $7 each, and they make great night lights inside the boat. We used to have some of the amber ones, and they were pretty good, too. In fact, one night we were ashore with a bunch of other cruisers at Tenacatita Bay, and a bunch of thunderheads came through with lots of wind. Boats were dragging and bumping, and we all had to get back to our boats as quickly as possible. The only way we were able to do it was by the amber lights, and the only way others were able to do it was by their boat's position relative to the amber lights of our boat"