CF Koehler discusses his life around the boat yard, Koehler Kraft, his 10-meter wooden boat Sally, becoming a member of the Yacht Club, and the importance of comfortable cruising interiors paired with good camaraderie. He finishes with talking about the benefits of sailing a boat like Sally compared to newer models, advice on getting involved and his upcoming racing schedule.
CF starts the episode with a recap on how he got into sailing, how he took over his father’s boat yard and how he stuck with recreational boating, despite his father’s advice. He tell us about his very first restoration… his first a sabot. Growing up, he wasn’t very picky on what he sailed.
CF owns a local boat yard, Koehler Kraft. On the wall is a photo of CF when he was a mere baby, sitting on a boat with grease on his face. He goes into how he got Sally and tells host Alli Bell a little bit about the background of where the boat came from. While it was a project too big for all of Sally’s past owners, CF took on the challenge and made her into the beauty she is today. At only 21 years old, CF started his restoration of Sally… a project he says he probably didn’t need at the time.
“Nobody knew what to do with it,” he says.
This year, Sally turns 90 years old. CF tells stories of his first couple of sails on her, and how every couple of years, Sally would need patch work and fixes. He discusses how the earth’s elements take their tolls on materials and some of the restorations he has had to make over the years.
CF tells the story of how he became a member of SDYC, when member Jack Sutphen asked him to show off his traditional wooden boat at a birthday party.
He continues to talk about the difference comfortable cruising interiors and good camaraderie versus boats that might be less uncomfortable but go faster and harder. He talks about some of his offshore adventures, and how if something is still around at 90 years, it must be worth something good.
“Good food, good drink, good company, goes a lot further than anything else,” he started.
“When you have something that still somehow is around and being used after a long period of time, there must be something good about it.”
CF finishes the episode talking about the benefits to sailing boats like Sally compared to newer models, some advice on finding your perfect boat, and what’s coming up next for him and Sally.
“By putting some of these classics back together, you’re opening a lot of eyes.”