I bought my beautiful little 25 foot Fisher Pilothouse Ketch Friday's Child on my BIG 40 birthday in 1981. It was built in about 1973, and I bought her from the widow of the original owner. The last time I searched FOG (Fisher Owners Group), the boat is still in production, but only 289 have ever been built. So, she has become a collector's item. I have kept her up over the years as best I have been able. When the blue hull began to show years of sun damage, I had her awlgripped at Dutch Wharf in Connecticut. When the original Volvo Penta crapped out, I installed a new Yann-Mar at Wilson's in Rowayton, CT. This year, I had a new headsail fabricated and installed with a more robust roller-furler at Consolidated Yachts on City Island, NY. I still enjoy every hour spent sailing her, and also on maintainence. Rosania and I still sand and finish the teak rub rails every Spring, but I have given more tedious jobs like bottom scrapping/painting to the boatyard. Before nestling her into her winter cradle at Hammond's Cove (formerly Locust Point, under the Throg's Neck Bridge), we had a Hauling Out Ceremony at the Harlem Yacht Club for our best friends. You can print and fold the invitation, but please do not spindle or mutilate. Best wishes to anyone who reads this.... dave

Postscript, Feb 10, 2007: Last Fall, I realized that Friday's Child had gone about 30 years with her original Arun-fabricated sails, which is a testimonial to the original quality. But, they were showing the wear of the years, so I decided to do a new sail plan. I read some books and fooled around with design a little bit myself, but professionals said that my scheme for a self-furling mizzen staysail wouldn't work very well. So, I wound up taking advice of experts at Doyle on City Island, NY, esp considering that with their patented self-stacking system, I could handle the rig by myself from the rudder behind the pilothouse, without having to go forward alone in rough weather. The following picture is the result: New Sails