Destiny sails away

Destiny sails away

I can't believe a full year and many change has gone by since I last brought you up to date.  After the hull was re-caulked, primed, and painted, 2014 was quite a year  on the waters of Mobile Bay and the Gulf Coast for Destiny.  We participated in a few MYC (Mobile Yacht Club, 2nd oldest Yacht Club in the United States) Thursday night "fun races", then we took a first place trophy in the Pirates Cove Yacht Club wooded boat show, took first in class in the 56th annual Dauphin Island Regatta, and was invited to take part in the 150 anniversary reenactment of the Battle Of Mobile Bay, famous for Admiral Farragut's pronouncement "Damn the Torpedo's, full speed ahead", as he and his fleet of Union ships ran the gauntlet between Confederacy held Ft. Morgan on the East side, and Ft. Gaines (Dauphin Island) on the west side of the entrance to Mobile Bay. The event turned out to be a grueling three days of cannon fire and black powder on the decks.  However it too was fun and Destiny received many accolades and was seen on TV with the other 25 boats, including two historic Biloxi Schooners...though I believe Destiny was the oldest boat participating  in the event.

150th annivary of the Battle of Mobile Bay

(Ft. Gaines, Dauphin Island in back ground)

56th Annual Dauphin Island Race -2014

The local TV news, WKRG-TV, channel 5, a CBS affiliate,  anchor Bill Riles , heard of Destiny, and being a sailor himself called and asked if he could do an "on the water" interview.  We had the pleasure of sailing with Mr. Riles on the Bay for several hours, and later got our 5 minutes of fame on local television.

In October we sailed over to Lake Pontchartrain again for the 35th annual Madisonville, LA "Wooden Boat Festival", I put this in quotes because there were only a few wooden hulled sailboats, and when it came time to pass out trophies we were beaten by a plastic hulled Hans Christian for first place.  I guess it is no longer a "Wooden Boat Festival"...sad!  There were many very nice wood hulled power boats though, and the local maritime museum does a great job of putting on a wonderful festival.

After the show Destiny was invited to dock, and be put on display at the Southern Yacht Club in New Orleans, (the 3rd oldest active Yacht Club in the country), and I was ask to give a presentation to their members about Destiny's history.

For those of you that have been following this blog, you know that I've been actively seeking someone to take over the reigns of responsibility for caring for Destiny into the future.  In November, I received an inquiry to my ad to sell Destiny from a gentleman in Texas, Mr. Sean Johnston, who was living in Kemah TX.   After a short initial discussion my immediate thought was that an old historic wooden boat was not what he should be looking for.  However he was not to be deterred and I soon learned he'd done his homework, delving into Destiny's history, actually learning some facts about its origins that I was unaware. For example, as you may have read in earlier blogs, it was reported to me by Pat Atkin (Daughter-in-law to William Atkin) that her Father-in-law had first published his plans for what he called the "Meridian Yawl" in the April issue of MotorBoating Magazine, 1934.  Mr. Johnston learned that that article actually was publish later in 1938 the same year Destiny was launched.  He also determined that Mr. Atkin named his designs after the name of the boat he designed for a client.   Given, that we know the plans for Destiny were drawn in 1937, and now knowing the article was written a year later, there is a possibility that Destiny (named in early 2000s by the sailing school Life Sail, in California) may well have been the original Meridian for which this model was named. Needless to say we are just speculating since we have found no records of registration or USCG documentation from its initial launch in 1938.  As reported before, all I know is that the plans were drawn for a John String.

In any event,  Mr. Johnston came to see Destiny, had it surveyed, went on a sea trial, and fell in love as I had five years before. This all took place in January and February of this year (2015) and when the weather looked as thought it would cooperate Sean, and two friends came to Mobile to sail Destiny back to Texas.  I had promised to sail with them on the first leg of the trip to Gulf Port, MS, 70 nautical miles, a long way to accomplish in those short March daylight hours. We left Mobile in the early morning and sailed into a cold rain that lasted most of the day. By the time time the sun was inching its way to the horizon, we were in sight of the entrance to Gulf Port Small Boat Harbor, and my last sail on Destiny came to a close.

My last Sunset sail on Destiny

Dauphin Island Bridge in Destiny's wake

(Author, left and Mr. Johnston's crew to the right)

Bottom and rudder resteration

The last blog ended with the grounding on Dauphin Island after the Wooden Boat Festival in Madisonville, LA, and waiting for word from the insurance company.  They send an adjuster and agreed to pay for whatever it takes to make the hull water tight again, and rebuilding the rudder, which became my 2013/2014 winter project.   Tom from Diversified Marine Services in Mobile, one of the few "wood boat guys"  left, along with Turner Marine took on the project.  All the bottom paint, just applied six months before, was again ground off the hull. The bilge was filled with water so we could see the areas it was leaking out, assuming that if water will come out it it would probably come in the same place. The rudder was taken off  and the broken hinge removed.  This may sound routine, but in fact the rack and pinion steer mechanism had to be taken apart, and the prop shaft removed from the engine to allow the rudder post to slide out of the boat. I learned that the entire rudder was made of solid teak, and looked to have never been removed from the boat since it was launched.

I had the new hinge fabricated from stainless rather than bronze, because it was not just the hinge but the complete rudder post and topmost hinge was one piece.  Stainless was stronger and less expensive, and since it was to be painted and under the water, I felt secure in sacrificing this small amount of authenticity for the integrity of the boat.

     While the hinge was being fabricated Tom removed all the old cotton caulking from between the planks, from the keel to the waterline.  Except for a few places where the cotton had rotted from water exposure, he was amazed how preserved it was, and estimated that it had been at least 30 years since it had been replaced.   After letting the groves dry out he started the process of replacing the cotton batting.  He first painted the inside of the groves with thinned bottom paint, then using the special tools that look like wide chisels without an edge he would lay in a bead of cotton batting and tap it deep into the space between the planks.  I didn't count the number of planks or the total length of batting pressed into the seams, but I know the planks were only 4-5" wide and started at the top if the keel board to the waterline in a nice wineglass shape for a total of about five vertical feet and thirty-one foot waterline.

Minor grounding impetus for Bottom Over-haul

Last fall while returning home from the Madisonville, Louisianan Wooden Boat Festival, where we  awarded First Place for Sailboats, I had made arrangements to put Destiny on display at the water front on Dauphin Island.  While following the channel from the ICW to Aloe Bay, on the North side of the Island just west of the bridge,  we had a soft grounding.  I was watching the depth meter closely, thought the channel was supposed dredged to 6 feet, and Destiny draws five feet.  The transducer is located a couple feet below the water line on the starboard side of the hull, and was reading a consistent 6'-6'-7'-5.5'- 6' - 0'.  We were just left of center of the channel, but we were stuck.  I tried in vane to back off with the engine in reverse, so we flagged down a passing power boat who was gracious enough to let us throw him a line.  He first tried to back us off but his 90hp outboard Just churned up the water as the lines tightened to laser beams.  Then they came around to our bow and tried to pivot us off.  After several attempts this method was starting to make progress and soon we were floating again in the deeper part of the channel, and motored on down to the bulk head and secured the boat for the night.
     The following morning, I came to the boat and saw the water was up to the bottoms of the floor boards.  The switch to the electric bilge pump took this opportunity to have a mind of its own and decided to go on strike.  After some official language and playing with wires it came to live and shortly dispensed with the invading water.  Since Destiny had before always had a dry bilge, except after a rain, I figured we must have jarred something loose the day before.  We sailed her back up to Turner Marine on Mobile Bay with no issues but kept an eye on the bilge.  I called my insurance carrier to alert them that there may be a problem and watched the bilge.  The problem seemed to get worse rather than better and the experts at the boat yard said we'd better pull her out of the water and take a look.
    I did get a surprise.  Out of the water I saw that the brass rudder hinge was broker and the top of the rudder was cracked and bend over to one side.  Actually the hull itself looked pretty good, no sprung planks, no gaping holes, but I could see water seeping out of several of the lower seams right above the keel.

   I called the insurance company back and they agreed to sen'd an adjuster.
   

Moving East...and South

A lot has happened with Destiny since the last blog.  Both she [boats are still referred to as “She” in these days of over-sensitivity and political correctness aren't they?] and our family have moved out of the Los Angeles area.  Valerie and I finally made the move to our favorite little island off the Gulf Coast of Alabama; Dauphin Island.  Like so often is the case, a variety of circumstances came together at the same time and motivated a life change, another chapter so to speak.  In this case, Valerie lost her job, and our apartment building in Marina del Rey was undertaking a radical renovation which when completed would raise our rent to more than we wanted to pay or could afford.  I had been lobbying for a move for quite sometime so when this opportunity presented itself we knew it was time to go.

            I have owned a beach house on Dauphin Island since 2004.  We enjoyed our get-a-ways there and it paid for itself in weekly rentals when we weren't there.  The Island is loaded with great history having been a French settlement originally since the late 1600's,  the site of native American relics, and Fort Gains built after the war of 1812 to keep the bloody British out of Mobile Bay.  Also, it has the greatest beaches in the world with sand that looks like snow in all the photos. 

  

            When the decision was made I thought we should by another boat to live on during high rental season and live at the beach house in low season.  But, Valerie asked “Where am I going to put my furniture?” so, we bought another house.  I tease that we bought an expensive storage unit.

            After getting settled in, including me joining Turner Marine as a yacht broker, I made arrangements for Destiny to be shipped to Mobile.  One of the perks of working with Turner Marine is that Destiny can stay here free, and being a full service boat yard, she can get all the attention needed…which I’m finding out is considerable.

When she/it arrived I took the opportunity to have her bottom done.  I had not previously done any bottom restoration, as I’ve explained before I’m a believer in “If it ain't broke don’t fix it.”  Well, perhaps I should have listened to my intuition, but instead I had all the old paint ground off, right down to the beautiful mahogany planks, her bottom resealed and new paint applied.  When she was lifted gently down into the Bay it was like trying to float a colander.  “She just needs to swell up some.”  I was told. 

            Well, she did finally swell up and would stay afloat, but we decided to remove and fill in the hole of an old depth transducer we suspected of leaking and that seemed to help steam the flow.   We had a great summer sailing in the Mobile Yacht Club’s Thursday night “beer can” races.  Our advantage was that the competition was so busy taking our picture they forgot to race.  You may imagine that I’ve been in a battle with the Gulf Coast yachting Association GYA for a competitive PHRF rating and after several changes now am racing with a PHRF of 213 around the buoys.

As fall rolled around we made arrangements to attend the Madison, Louisiana Wooden Boat Festival.  Madison, in on Lake Pontchartrain, north of New Orleans, over 150 nautical miles from our marina on Mobile Bay.  We took it leisurely, stopping the first night at Dauphin Island , then Gulfport, MS and finally to Madison with the help of Tow Boat US for the last several miles due to the ignition coil on the old Gray Marine taking that opportunity to breath it’s last breath.  The show was fabulous with hundreds of on-lookers oooing and ahhhing as they toured below decks.  At the final awards presentation Destiny was awarded first place for sail boats and runner up to a vintage steam trawler for best of show.

On the return home, we had to motor against then prevailing south easterlies.  The good news was the new coil performed perfectly and the old Gray didn't skip a beat.  The bad news was, on our way into Dauphin Island, in the middle of a perfectly marked channel, we ran aground.  It was a soft grounding but we were stuck, and less than ¼ mile from where we were to tie up for the night.  As luck would have it, a passing power boat gave us a hand and pivoted us off the shoal, but in the process it opened up some seems and I found out later, when we hauled her again, there was a broken the rudder hinge and a portion of the rudder.

            We made it back to the marina and kept an eye on the bilge until she was hauled and put on the hard,  where she is as I write this segment.  The Insurance Company has been notified and the claim process started.

In the mean time I’ve had the opportunity to do some more research, and have uncovered some more history.  I was reviewing some old paperwork that I hadn't previously uncovered.  With the prospect of water invading the boat I removed all the old receipts and manuals left on board, fearing they may get wet.  I have been able to narrow the gap, though only slightly.  I learned that previously to the donation to the non-profit sailing academy, Life Sail, who named here Destiny, she was owned by Jacques (Jack) Lorch, and her name was Skeaf IV.  Mr. Lorch owned her through the early 2000's, and was the one that installed her current engine. I have put in a call to the number I found on a West Marine receipt dated January 2002, and was told by a receptionist that he was still at the firm but wasn't in at the moment.  I’ll let you know what I find out if we get talk.  

       Prior to that apparently Skeaf/Destiny  was owned by Mr. Paul Kemner, I found his name on a  receipt from the sail maker, long since out of business, who made the last set of sails. There was no date, and the old phone number didn't work.  But, I found his obituary, and it said he owned a wooden boat, too much of a coincidence not to be the same.  I found his son Randy’s business in Long Beach California and called.  He was away but I was given his email. We exchanged emails and I learned that his Dad's boat was called Santana, though he called it his "mistress."  He bought her in the late 60's or early 70's, and took care of her until the late 1990's when he was in his 80's.  Randy didn't remember who his Dad bought the boat from.

            

Maintain and repair: and learn more history

Maintain and repair; and learning more history

 

It has been a year since the restoration was officially completed, though it seems that there hasn’t been a week go by that some marina artisan hasn’t been on board performing his or her magic, and handing me an invoice. 

            After the regatta (previous blog) I noticed the shrouds and stays were a little loose.  Upon closer inspection I saw that the mast had slipped slightly further down into the boat; perhaps as much as a ½ inch.  I called a shipwright friend of mine and we descended into the main salon, lifted the floor board near the mast.  He stuck his arm to the elbow into bilge.  “Your mast step is broken.” he said.  How could that be I thought, I had seen the board the mast rests on it was almost 2” of solid oak 12” wide suspended over three stringers spreading the load more that a foot and a half in each direction.  Apparently over the years, fresh water seeping down the mast, had collected at the bottom where a notch is cut into the board to take the matching notch protruding from the bottom of the mast.  At this weakened point, with the stress put on it by the race, the board finally let go; it would have to be replaced.  “Hopefully we can the step out with out cutting any stringer, but the mast will have to come to see.”  He said, he also said his schedule was too full so he would have to recommend someone. 

            Soon the floor boards in the entire forward section of the boat were out, and the boat was on its way to the yard.  For the second time in less than a year the main mast was pulled out of the boat and laid on saw horses across the deck. Back in the slip, the old step was cut and slipped out of it notch in pieces.  A new step was created out of a 2”x12”x30” oak and the notch carefully cut in the exact location for the bottom of the mast to settle in.  Back to the yard, the mast was lifted off the horses, pivoted vertical, and slid back in with the 1938 silver, Standing Liberty, half dollar securely in place.   Back again to the slip so the oak floor could be reinstalled.  Several of the floor boards were destroyed in the removal process and new boards had to be cut, stained to match. When it was all completed one could not tell there had been any disturbance.  I believe that was the most expensive racing trophy I have ever received.

 

            I believe I’ve mentioned in earlier blogs entries that in the history of ownership Destiny was owned by a group called LifeSail, an organization that teaches sailing to under privileged children.  The head of this organization has been an acquaintance of mine for some time and knew that I had acquired the boat.  He stopped by my office saying he’d found a old set of blue prints for the boat. Wow, what a find.  They were actually copies of the originals, but clearly show that William Atkin drew the plans, a slight modification from his original, for Mr. John F. String, in July of 1937.  I have to assume Mr. String then retained Joel Johnson to build the boat. I am doing further research to learn how long Mr. String owned the boat, if he did, and where and to whom it was sold.

 

Destiny's first Regatta

            It was called “One More Time Regatta”, that is, of-course, assuming there has been a “time” before.  The Wooden Hull Yacht Club teamed up with Del Rey Yacht Club, to sponsor this annual race of wooden hull boats on June 23.   I decided to enter Destiny just to see how she would sail against other boats of her era. I know that Mr. Atkin had, at least, a thought of racing when he drew the plans for the Meridian model, or why else would he describe his Yawl rig a “rule cheater” in the accompanying article for MotorBoating magazine’s April 1934 issue.  Though, the whole idea of a “rule cheater” begs the question of whether it is the “winning” or real performance of this sailing yacht that was most important to the designer.  I guess by nature we are a competitive species, and if there is no desire to win then why race at all?  However, if designing a “yawl” was primarily to get a better handicap performance rating, rather than it actually performing better, then I wonder what is the point other than “winning”?  I would like to think both.

            I have not been able to ascertain whether Destiny had raced before in Southern California; at least not by her present name because neither SCYA, nor Southern California PHRF had a record of it.  As far as I know this wasn’t “One More Time” for Destiny, but perhaps its first time on the field of competition. It was, at least for me at the helm.

            I had sent in my entry form, and at the Saturday morning skipper’s meeting I was supposed to be assigned a handicap.  We looked up other full keel yawls of about the same water line length and displacement and came up with an acceptable rating for the race committee.  The race is historically an inverted start, meaning the slowest boat start first, then all subsequent boat, depending on their handicap, are assigned a start time the appropriate number of minutes and seconds after the first boat is off.  The idea is that if all boats sailed up to their handicap, they would all cross the finish line at the same time.  Thank God it’s only a theory.

            My start was 18 minutes, 45 seconds after the first boat, and I was the 3^rd boat to start in a field of 17 entrants.  The winds were pretty good for Santa Monica Bay this day and that 18 minutes and 48 seconds seemed like a very long wait as we watched the two boats ahead stretch their lead further and further.  Finally our time was drawing near. “Your to close…” shouted our bowman “you’re going to be over early.” So I jibed around, loosing precious momentum, but we got pointed to the line and I heard our horn seconds before crossing; we were off.  The big genoa was cranked, we healed over and someone shouted “we’re doing seven knots”.  By the time we rounded the first mark, at the Santa Monica Pier, we had cut the lead of the first boats by more that half.  As we approached the next mark, three and a half miles to windward, we had already passed the first boat start and the second boat was approaching the mark slightly behind us…but I had miscalculated the current and had to wear away and jibing to keep from hitting the mark.  This was a costly error and the second boat scooted by, rounded the mark seconds ahead, and set its spinnaker, “Good by”, we didn’t have a spinnaker or a chance.  The whole rest of this leg we watched as it pulled away.  Number two was now number one, and I started to look over my shoulder.

            Rounding the third and final mark, at the El Segundo buoy, we turned toward the finish line and starting a slow but encouraging game of catch up.  But, it wasn’t to be, our rival, a gaff rigged sloop, was over the line a good four minutes ahead.  One could argue we were faster, boat for boat, since they started eight minutes ahead, but we didn’t beat the handicap. One could also wonder what might have been if we too had a spinnaker to fly.  As it was, we were handed the first place trophy for “Ketches and Yawls”, but the coveted first over all was captured by the boat of which I only saw the stern…and I didn’t even catch its name.  I guess next year, if we are here, it can truly be “One More Time.”

           

           

 

Mariner Magazine article

The following is from the March issue of Mariner Magazine, published in Marina del Rey, CA

Saving an Atkin’s Yawl

By Captain Jim Cash

            It has been a struggle, but I’ve survived.  A year ago, last December, I reported coming down with a full blown case of the dreaded Woodboatitis.  I’m happy to report that I’m on the mend with a diagnosis of full recovery, though a lot poorer. 

            In my case, it was exposure to a 1938 vintage racing yawl designed by William Atkin, called the Meridian, and built by shipwright Joel Johnson in his shop in Fairfield, Connecticut.  I’d been exposed to wood boats before, but this one really threw me for a loop.  I had let my guard down after attending the Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend, WA, when friend (I use that word loosely) called and lured me to an old boat yard in Wilmington, CA.  The next thing I remember was breaking out a crisp new check book and writing the equivalent to the “Great American Novel.”  Before it was over, I’d gone through several new packets of check, and wore out several credit cards to boot.  My insurance company is refusing to reimburse me claiming it was a non-covered ailment. 

            “You’re spending Millions of dollars on that old boat” my wife would harangue…I hope she’s exaggerating, I haven’t added it up… every time I would mentioned the stack of unread LA Times and suggest we drop her subscription.

            The disease started with a complete disassembly, clean, and preparation the interior for new paint and varnish, even the toilet was removed. Then a coat of white primmer was sprayed everywhere, from the keel board to the cabin top, in, under, around and through every nook, cranny, and floor board.  Then three coats of nice soft semi- gloss white with the natural teak, oak and mahogany trim and sole varnished to a high gloss…Nathanael Herreshoff would have been proud.

            By spring, the malignancy and metastasized to the exterior where the decks were tackled with abandon, over a thousand bungs replaced, and the old grout removed and recauked.  As spring rolled into summer it was time to remove the masts from their seats, strip them of the old varnish, and replace the ancient standing rigging. Wow, things have changed in the rigging world in the last seventy years.  At the same time the cabin structure was scrapped to bare and new varnish applied. 

            When the rigging was completed the hull was next and the process began with a with a haul out and tenting for termite treatment, the mandatory removal and inspection of fasteners for insurance and a fresh coat of bottom paint and sacrificial zincs. 

As summer gave way to fall, three quarters of the year, was gone and the hull had yet to be approached…it was time! Again, stripped down to bare wood, mahogany over oak frames, old caulking removed from between the tightly faired planks, and West System applied.  Then sanded, primed, and painted…a rich burgundy to complement the teak decks and mahogany cabin.  Her name Destiny was re-applied and she was launched: a miraculous transformation had occurred.

            She looked beautiful, but she still needed her electrics updated and her vintage Gray Marine auxiliary brought back to life.  By this time a new winter season, the earth having rotated a full 360º, came upon us and she was done… my malignmant was starting to abate.   Her interior glowed with new lighting, her engine room swept clean of fumes with a new blower, and all her navigation lights brightly warned others of her presents at night.   Her old gray Gray was purring on command and she moved gracefully through the water, 5 knots, at only 1500 RPMs.  We had done it, we saved a vintage nautical classic from the wrecking saw.

            Neptune, or some such deity must be pleased as I’m on my way to full recovery… and hopefully with a full dose of immunity.  

Home to Marina del Rey

It has always been my intention that once the restoration was completed to bring Destiny back to Marina del Rey, about a 30 nautical mile trek around Palos Verdes peninsula, north past the Beach Cities.  Before she was sold to the individual that abandoned her at the Wilmington yard, she was part of a sailing program for underprivileged children, and sailing out of Marina del Rey.

            When I returned from my latest Hawaii delivery, I was disappointed to learn that the mechanic had made no further progress with the old Gray Marine.  It was now the first of December and I really wanted to have her close to home before the winter rains. I asked around and was told of another mechanic, closer to my generation, who could fix anything and knew these old engines.  I’d heard this before, but at this point I figured I had nothing to loose.  His name was Silver, when he arrived at the boat I explained all that had been done so far; rebuilt carbureator, new wires, new points, rebuilt distributor, new plugs, etc.  He, like the others, tore into the engine with abandon.  He too wanted to blame the carbureator at first and replaced it with one he had at his shop,  when that didn’t solve the problem he was convinced it was the fuel pump, but luckily when he tested it, the fuel flow was strong.  Next he removed the distributor and tested spark, even I could see the tiny light jumping in sequence.  Then, unlike the others, he removed the plate at the rear of the engine into which the distributor attached.  Here was a fiber gear.  Holding the distributor armature and turning the gear he found that the gear was slipping.  I saw the nod of his head as he lifted it to show me the problem.  The engine could not stay in time.  “I doubt if we can find these gears anymore, but I think I can fix it.”  He said. 

            “How long?”  I asked expecting another week at the least.  “I’ll have it back together in the morning.” He said, it was already 4:45 pm.  Sure enough the next day when I arrived at the boat he was there and the engine was purring like a lion.  “You know, your starter needs to be lubricated, I’ll take it to my shop and have it back tomorrow.” The starter, though reliable, was making a terrible noise when it kicked in, so I consented. Again good to his word in the morning a new starter was bolted on the block. “Oh, I had a rebuilt one at the shop, so I just swapped them out.”  He said as he packed his tools.  “Give me a call if anything goes wrong.”           

            Thinking a great re-launch voyage would be to go to historical Catalina Island,  Valerie, myself and some friends made New Years Eve reservations at Two Harbors, about a four hour sail from our work docks in Wilmington.  Bright and early the morning of New Years Eve, we packed the boat for two nights at the island and fired up the engine.  We eased the boat out of the slip and retraced our route of the previous month, but this time the engine hummed along without a glitch. It was a sunny December day in Southern California, but when we turned under the Vincent Thomas bridge we couldn’t see past “Ports O' Call,” and the closer we got to the ocean the denser it got…the dreaded California FOG.  We ventured out hoping we would see some clearing, there were even signs of blue if you looked straight up, but as soon as we passed Terminal Island we were engulfed in a cotton like fog so thick I could not see ten feet past the bow.  We didn’t have radar, or even a horn, I hate to say, so I turned around.  Three more attempts were tried that afternoon before calling it a day heading back to the slip.

            New Years day was like another time entirely, and one would not have guessed we were in the same harbor when we again slipped out of Colonial marina.  My volunteer crew was up for another attempt, and this time we had a delightful and uneventful motor-sail to Marina del Rey.  The winds were light, but we were able to sail a little after passing Palos Verdes and falling off to a heading of 350º  All four sails were flying and we saw 7 knots on the hand held GPS. 

            I had arranged for a temporary slip on the sea wall in front of the “Ship’s Store,” on Panay Way, and by 3 p.m. we were pulling in.  No sooner than the lines were tied, we already had an audience of on-lookers.  Shouts of “She sure is beautiful”, and “Now, that’s a real boat” were coming from the walk way along the shore. I was beaming inside.

            Since then we have taken the boat out for one afternoon sail on Santa Monica Bay to get some photos under sail, but the winds were light.  Getting out of the tight slip was quite a challenge.  Luckily, there was an empty slip behind to back into, but still needed to have the bow pulled a round manually to make the turn.  These boats were not designed for the compressed boat slips of the modern marinas.  We watched the start of the “Malibu and Return” race, the first of the 2012 season, and paced the cruising class start for a while.  I felt good that we were keeping up with the new fancy fiberglass cruisers until we had to fall off and head back to the marina.

Long Beach Boat Show 2011

     After Valerie and I returned from Italy, the organizers of the up coming Long Beach Boat Show, called to ask if the Atkin Yawl could be ready to display at the boat show this year. They wanted to have a public draw and knew that a classic, historic yawl would help bring in patrons. Working fast and furious, we managed to get the last of the finishing touches ready for show. I found an antique brass compass and binnacle on eBay to replace the scratched and dented chrome one. The new brass water pump replaced the old, rusted stainless steel at the galley sink, but the copper tubing to the water tanks was not connected...plumbing has yet to be addressed. Also, Lendsey Philpott, author of the definitive decorative knot book, The Ultimate Book of Decorative Knots, came aboard and tied Turks heads on the "King pin" of the wheel, the wheel shaft, made a decorative mat for the cockpit, and made eight new sail ties for the main, mizzen and staysail.

            The show was only a few miles from the boat yard where the restoration was being done, but because of a rail road lift bridge, I had to take the boat the long way around Terminal Island, past San Pedro, and the LA Gate to get around to Rainbow Harbor, where the show was being held. The engine hadn't been run for several months, but it started easily and seemed to run fine. My friend Bill came with me and we eased out to the main channel and pointed her toward the Vincent Thomas bridge. After a couple hundred yards the engine started to slow down. I nudged the throttle, and it picked up but shortly it slowed again. By now we were half way to the fuel dock, where I was headed to top off the tanks. We made it, but when I tried to restart the engine after fueling, the 30's vintage flat-head Gray Marine, refused to start.



















            The guys at the fuel dock suggested I call a local mechanic who arrived within the hour and then for the next two hours tinkered with the engine. He finally got it going again, and we were off, but within two hundred more yards the same thing happened. It started to slow and finally died entirely. The wind was whispering at less than five knots, and the tidal currents were pushing us toward the rocks. Bill and I got the mizzen and staysail up, giving us just enough way on to ease away from the rocks and head toward the Queens Gate side of the harbor. I then called the electrician, Ian, who had been replacing the electrical wiring on the boat, and who had a Boston Whaler moored at long Beach's Shore Line Marina; he volunteered to come to our rescue. The wind had picked up a little by the time Ian arrived with the Whaler and we were sailing comfortably down wind. He came along side, secured the lines, and we proceeded toward the show. This was the first sail since the sea trail, more than nine months before. I was even more impressed with Destiny's sailing ability this time. The old sails had been cleaned and still held the shape well.  With the help of the Whaler we maneuvered into the space assigned for the show and tied the lines. I then called the mechanic, who promised to be there in the morning before the show opened.

            The show began on Thursday morning and ran though Sunday.  From the first day, there was a constant stream of admirers coming aboard expounding “ooohs and aaaahs.”   I was told we had more visitors than any other boat in the show; it certainly was the oldest boat in the show.

            The mechanic, actually was at the boat on several mornings before the show opened for the day, showing frustration but espousing confidence he would find the problem and get the engine running.  Finally on Sunday, the last day of the show I came down the docks in my yacht club blazer (boat show attire) the engine was running as smooth as a top.  The mechanic was all smiles, proud that he prevailed and assuring me he would not be charging for all the hours he and his partner had put in to get in running. 

           Monday morning after the close of the show, Bill and I once again cranked the engine, released lines and motored out of the harbor.  It was like déjà vu.  A couple hundred yard past the harbor break water, as we approached the Queen Mary, the engine started slowing.  We were lucky we made it to some open water before it died for good.  Again we scrambled with sails, putting up the main, mizzen and staysail.  I had a Yankee hanked on to the forestay, but had yet to have sheets attached, so we had to settle for what we had.  The morning wind was virtually non existent as usual for this time of year, but give credit to Mr. Atkin, we started to make a little headway.  As morning turned into afternoon the wind picked up and we tacked into the wind for the rest of the afternoon until about 3:30 pm was able to fall off toward the north down the river past Port’s of Call, and under the Vincent Thomas bridge.  At this point my thoughts turned to how would be get Destiny back into her slip since the entry was mostly blocked by a big power cruiser allowing barely a few inches between the dock and the boat to squeeze by.  Bill was going to have to step off the foredeck when I stuck the bow in, with little or no way on, and fend off the dock while I fended off the power boat.  Without and engine in reverse and the river tide current to deal with, this was going to be tricky.  We dropped the main and mizzen up channel and sailed on staysail alone with the wind behind us.  With several hundred feet to go, I tried the engine again, and it fired up like there had been no problem.  We dropped the staysail, and using reverse, I was able to slow down, Bill stepped off and as luck would have it, the owner of the power boat saw us coming and helped guide us safely passed his boat and into the slip.   I tied the lines and called the mechanic.

            I had a few days before I was supposed to leave on a delivery of another boat to Hawaii, so I managed to retrieve the full boat cover that had only recently been delivered from the canvas maker, and cover the boat.  I knew it would be over a month before I returned. 

Coming down to the wire

Restoration of an Atkin Yawl

We are coming down to the wire with the restoration.  When Valerie and I left town early September, for a long planned island-hopping sail off the Amalfi Coast of Italy, Destiny had been hauled again, this time for the final water-line stripe to be painted and the name and hailing port applied to the stern. The yard agreed they would re-launch in my absence. 

  

When we returned from Italy, the boat was back in the slip, the white stripe gleaming, the name painted on the stern in bold white and gold, all the sails bent on. The final details were, and are being completed, and so many final details there are.  There is two drawers of leftover screws and parts, when I ask Luis where does this go holding up a brass bracket of some kind, he shrugs his shoulders and says “ I don’t know, I didn’t take it off.”  How did it get in the drawer if you didn’t take it off, I wanted to say; for that matter how did we end up with two extra drawers?  But, she is looking beautiful. 

The decks have been the final outside challenge, more bungs being replaced, and half the caulking had to be dug out and replaced.  The good news is that the teak decks are just that, the whole deck is teak through and through, more than a half an inch thick. I love natural untreated teak decks, but for a practical purpose I decided to have the deck treated with a “natural” sealant protectorate from Seamco. I’ve used it before on previous boats with teak veneer decks, but it makes the color a little darker that I would prefer. It fades after a while so I’ll live with it. 

I can’t believe it is now Fall, and the restoration is still going on, and the electrical is still not completed.  I had high hopes for sailing in the McNish Classic regatta in August, or the wooden boat festival in Newport Beach, or the “One More Time Regatta” at Marina del Rey, in September…but for these I’ll have to wait for next year. 

Did I mention that I heard from Pat Atkin? She still maintains the website with many of the plans William and his son John, Pat’s husband, designed.  She told me William originally drew the plans of the Meridian for an article in Motor Boating magazine, April issue 1934.  She said she would send me a copy with photos…I can’t wait to receive it.

Also, I got an email from a gentleman from Rhode Island, who saw this blog, and sent me photos of a model he owns of the Meridian, built from William Atkin’s original plans for the boat.  What a wonderful tool this internet!!

Around the final turn...and heading for the barn

We have slipped into August, behind schedule of my original time estimate.  I’ve missed the 2011 McNish Classic in Oxnard, but hope to make the Wooden boat festival in Newport Beach in September...we will see. 

            The hull painting is the focus at the moment.  The haul out accomplished the termite treatment, the survey needed for insurance, and a new coat of bottom paint and zincs.  Now, back at the work slip, the hull prep was completed and the first coat of primer has been applied.  We had to replace both corners of the stern transom where fresh water had found its way into the wood and rotting.  Also, one plank about 2 feet long on the starboard side needed replaced.  Hopefully the new hull paint will be applied this week.

            At the same time I’ve ordered some of the specialty parts I’ve been putting off.  You know the saying that 20% of the restoration, cost 80% of the total out lay.  I finally ordered the ‘melon deck prism’ that I decided to install, from a company in London.  After an exhaustive search of the internet and several direct call to various manufacturers I decided on the one from the Davy and Company. It’s beautifully sculptured solid glass in the shape of an old fashion orange juicer. It is flat on top to collect the light and the juicer part disperses the light below deck.  I believe I said in a previous blog, that I decided to get rid of an out of place dorade box and vent on the cabin top, but doing this left a 6” hole.  I got the ideal of filling the hole with a deck prism, and went web surfing.  This is a beautiful piece of nautical nostalgia, with the brass retainer ring, but there may have been a better way to spend $250. 

            Then the new brass galley hand pump arrived from Defender. I mentioned before that I want to replace the counter tops with copper, and install a hammered copper sink.   This is not done yet…but at least I have the galley pump!! 

            Finally, I also had to order a new globe for the Harnisch marine lamp that I got from the Ship’s store.  I bought these replicas of old marine lamps  ‘on sale’ early on and put them on the boat. Unfortunately the beautiful globe, with the etched in silhouette of a square rigger, had gotten broken.  I thought there was no way it could ever be replaced.  Thanks god for the internet.  I researched Harnisch lamps and boy, did I get an education.  The company, started in 1841 in Denmark is still be run by the same family, now in Toronto.  I talked to the great, great, great grandson of the founder, also a trained tinsmith, Peter Harnisch.  “No problem” he said just send us $80usd…what could I do? I learned that the lamps were not replicas; the company has been making these authentic marine oil lamps since the late 1800s. I’m happy that another bit of nautical history will be incorporated into the finished project.

Haul out for Termites and other necessities

…And so the work continues.  While preparing the hull for painting we detected a few small signs of termites, so I decided that treatment was in order before painting the hull.  I researched and learned that it was going to be more effective to have the boat tented and filled with gas, than try to treat the boat with spot application.  Having made this decision I learned that it was significantly cheaper to have the boat on the hard for this process, so I decided to bite the bullet and have the boat hauled.  Having made this decision, I needed to get the most for the hauling buck, so I arranged for an out-of-the-water survey at the same time.  I needed this anyway for Insurance pruposes.  All underwriters I contacted wanted fasteners pulled and photos of the bottom by a certified surveyor.  Additionally, it was time to replace zincs as well. 

            Up to this time the boat yard and marina where the restoration was being conducted hasn’t done much work on the boat.  I was going to need a new boot strip painted, and since the boat yard won’t let non-employees work on the boats while in their facility,  I asked them to touch up the bottom paint and paint my new boot stripe while the boat was out of the water. 

            I met the surveyor at the boat mid morning.  He had done the previous survey, and had actually owned this very boat himself some years before.  He said he was blow away by how good the boat looked and how tight the hull was.  He found nothing to be critical about, but did suggest we put another couple stuffing rings in the prop shaft log while the boat was out. 

            The termite company was a day late, claiming a misunderstanding but got the boat wrapped up and gassed by the end of the following day.  Being Thursday, and needing 48 hours, and the yard being closed on weekends meant the tent was now not coming off until Monday.
            I met with the Yard owner and he suggested that they prepare the old boot stripe for painting, but hold off until the hull was painted, saying he would give me a "Free" haul out to paint the strip when the rest of the hull is finished.
      

 

    The boat was back in the water by Thursday and the hull preparation continues.  West system was applied to the hull in prperation for the first coat of primer, but when I saw it for the first time over the weekend, it looked as though the hull was varnished....Wow was that pretty!  I was tempted, for a very fleating moment, to varnish the hull but quickly came to my senses.