Rebuild of Alden 390 Voyager

[peterny32]

Some folks may remember the schooner Voyager. The owners has cruised her extensively and she is currently in the far east being rebuilt. www.newyork32.com/voyager.html (http://www.newyork32.com/voyager.html) check back for more photos and updates.

[John B]

Thanks for that. I'll forward the link to Arcturus' skipper for his interest.

[peterny32]

More photos of this project have been added to www.newyork32.com/voyager.html (http://www.newyork32.com/voyager.html)

[Bernadette]

thanks for that peter.

[Q.Foster]

Thank you for the update on this great schooner.
What was wrong on the Nova Scotia frames? Green wood? worms? electrolysis?
For those who may not know, Voyager is the black schooner depicted in Benji Mendlowitz's photo book, WOOD WATER & LIGHT. Her picture, on page 110 and 115 would make a schooner lover of anyone, with her flush teak deck, stack of dories, and powerful knuckle bow.
How great to see her so lovingly cared for by her long-time owners.

[Jeff H]

A couple 'Voyager Stories'.

Somewhere around 1965 or 1966, when I was a kid of maybe 15 or 16, my family kept our boats in Consolidated Yacht Yard on City Island. In those days Voyager lived in the 49th Street Yacht Basin (that might be 79th Street) in Manhattan and was owned by a young architect. She was hauled out for a bottom job, some deadwood repairs, I believe they wooded the topsides, and keel bolts if I remember right which ran up a bill of nearly $3,000. The owners of the boat Voyager was having a problem coming up with the money and word went out that the yard might have to sell her for the bill. I had been working odd jobs, saving up to buy a car and had stashed away about half of that amount and I had another friend who had been pumping gas and had the other half. The two of us began talking about buying the old girl. Somehow we ended up on board and being shown through her. She had been drafted by the US Government during WWII for patrol duty and she was still painted US Navy gray down below and had bits of wiring here and there that was left from her naval equipment. Of course, as soon as my Father heard about our fledgling plans he pretty much quashed the whole deal and besides within days the owner came up with the yard bill and she was launched and gone.

At some point a few years later, I met the owner or someone who had sailed on Voyager. He told a story about reaching up Long Island Sound in light to moderate winds. That day there was an important long distance race going on. One by one, hot race boats went sailing by.

After a little while of this, the crew on Voyager decided that they had enough of being passed and began to dig out the old racing sails that had lived down below for decades to see what the old girl could do. One by one they sent up the main gaff-topsail, and the Gollywogger, and the ballooner. And as the wind filled one by one they began passing the crack raceboats. Eventually, they were near the head of the fleet battling back and forth with the lead boats. With each gust Voyager would surge ahead. With each increase in windspeed she would pour a little more speed on.

But finally it was too much for the old cotton racing sails. It was all heralded by but one small pop. A moment of silence and then another. And then the muffled sound like the crackle of distance firecrackers. In an instant the air was filled with a blizzard of small squares of white cotton. Where once stood a proud cloud of sailcloth, all that was left was the ghost of their shapes outlined in the seams and roping of old rotten cotton. Voyager slowed from her headlong charge to wallow in a sea of small white cotton squares. As the crew retrieved the vestiges these once noble sails, one by one the crack racers sailed by on their way up Long Island Sound racing in that day's important long distance race.

Regards,
Jeff

[Scott Rosen]

Nice story. Just goes to prove that you don't need to cross the finish line first to be the winner of the race.

[Concordia..41]

We have six of the best shipwrights in Thailand, from Bangkok, working seven days a week. Now, that would be handy! We could share 'em -- three for us and three for Ed ;)

[John B]

As I've remarked before, I've sailed Arcturus ( another 390)and was surprised at how responsive she is as soon as there's about 12 or 15 knots.I had the privelege of an evening sail in about that windspeed, 2 handed, myself and the skipper.
Considering how the type was rudely commented on when first built ( according to Carrick),She went very well.
Generally , I would expect her to start really showing her heels in winds over say 20 knots. We showed her the way around the Mahurangi race in winds which varied from 20 through to about 30+ but where it was a full on race for us, she was comfortable, as though she was out for a cruise.
Good boat.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid17/pd4dc53ad86f85dbc100ad165ca8b5876/fdf6b79b.jpg

[ 05-21-2002, 08:47 PM: Message edited by: John B ]

[peterny32]

Jeff H, the same architect still owns the boat...

[Ed Harrow]

If you have The WoodenBoat Screen saver Voyager is pictured in that as well.

I like the idea of splitting that crew, but I don't know what the local's reaction would be when I said I was bringing in a crew from Phuket, LOL.

Nice story, too, thanks for sharing that.

[Maybritt]

Hello (again) Voyager.

I should be in Phuket with Maybritt later in the year for the Kings Cup and perhaps a lick of paint at Yacht Haven altho I still face the ever present dilema of sticking with International's two part poly and painting the top sides (abt) every four yrs or so with an enamel every year. O well. The hull is too dry to be painted right now having sat in Raffles Marina for the past few months.

I was in Thailand this mth for the inaugral Koh Sa Mui regatta which was a lot of fun but being placed in Racing Class 1 against (with the exception of ourselves) the pros from HK, Auz and the US was a little unfair for a crusing boat but we did ourselves proud by being the 'best' dressed crew (tongue heavily in cheek I suspect from the Race Committee) and were apparently protested for loud music at the start line - what the hell this regatta was intended to be fun so I reckon that we went about the course in the right frame of mind...

I will make an effort to meet up with you both when I am next in Phuket which should be soon as I plan to go to Rolly Taskers for a spinnaker as part of my assualt with Maybritt on the "classic" class at the next Kings Cup...and get my white sails dressed i.e. shake out the Gheko s!*t LOL