Looking for a home for a historic vessel

[brdsquib]

Tar Baby

Last year (2011) I made the trip to Portland for the Boatbuilder's Show. I will admit, I am a greenhorn to the industry of boatbuilding and some of the yachts out there. While I had not heard of Tar Baby, my father had and quickly pulled my aside to fill me in a bit on the boat and a few of the people we know who have served this mighty vessel. I made the trip to Portland a couple weeks ago to look at Tar Baby in further detail, only to find she had been moved outside so a different project could be moved into her spot. I have now been a builder's apprentice for a little over a year now and find myself fascinated by wooden boats.
Getting to my point, shortly after my 2011 visit, I quickly drafted up a plan to save Tar Baby since no one else has come forward to keep her from a death with the wood chipper or termites. I was originally trying to get her to become a working classroom for the Cape Cod Maritime Museum. However, the Museum seems to be dragging it's feet. Not to mention the waiting list for a mooring that can handle a vessel her size is more than inconvenient.
I am putting this out here because I want to find a home for Tar Baby. I am looking for another location, whether it be another museum or maybe even a chartering company that would be able to appreciate this vessel and have the facilities to berth her. The transom does say Hyannisport however and I would love for her to stay there. Only problem is the waiting list for a mooring there is much too long. Any availability would be for the next generation and likely not for an immediate need. I have run out of ideas and if someone else can think of something that would work, awesome. I have people in my area that are ready to jump to work and donate time and possibly material for when she comes out of the water if the project were to continue in the immediate area. But I don't think it will be hard to convince people in another area to come and donate time and money if she goes elsewhere.
Last I knew, asking price for the boat was $100,000. The boat needs to be essentially rebuilt from the ground up, as she suffers from extensive rot and her bow is dropping. Looking at $1.5 million w/labor for a rebuild.
Looking forward to seeing where this thread goes! I feel strongly for this boat and would love to see her rebuilt and serve another 100 years on the seas. I hope someone out there feels similar to how I feel and can come up with some ideas.

[Thad Van Gilder]

Is that a 65 footer?

[Ian McColgin]

Yeah. When Dan Adams neglected her for a year or so while attempting whatever he had in mind with Gannon & Benjamine on Rebecca, Tar Baby got the Hyannis Port location. It was pleasant having her for a neighbor.

I don't think subsequent owners have managed to get her into service. Tar Baby is way too massive a job for CCMM, I don't know if the yacht restoration folk in Newport feel good about an Alden, and she's not even remotely economical for restoration and sale on any commercial basis, so her future is indeed bleak.

When I last saw her some years ago - still in the water - I was convinced that saving the keel, cabin and deck furniture, and some other original gear and rebuilding - especially if rebuilding on the original ballast and perhaps some of the keel if any is still good would allow continued use of the original documentation - would make the most sense.

I don't see any reason except pretense in claiming it's a "restoration" as opposed to a "rebuild" if you replace every stick but only one at a time at great expense over some years.

The right way to this project will start when the current owners realize that selling what's there for $100,000 is simply compounding their previous ignorance with greed and coming closer to the actual salvage value, which might make taking her for parts in a rebuild closer to rational.

[brdsquib]

Yeah that's the only possibility I see in store for this boat. I looked at her outside and her ribs and keel are just too far gone. You can dig a hole all the way through the ribs with your finger. It's really bad. The only reason I see to pay $100k is for the name and the lead and there's a lot of it. PYS (Portland Yacht Services) says the new owner should expect to invest $1.5 million to "restore" her. That price includes labor. So, I'm not really sure where to go. It'd be great to save the vessel as she is of historic value, but its going to really take a lot of money and effort to do so. I just don't know who would be interested in such a thing.

[brdsquib]

I didn't know that Dan Adams owned her and neglected her. Makes me dislike him even more. I'd love to see the boat bought and moved to Gannon and Benjamin to have things done right, I don't know how likely that is to happen.

[Willin']

Perhaps moreso than a mooring, you might want to be thinking about an endowment to keep the boat operational once the restoration is complete. Lots of great sailing programs have foundered due to insufficient funding. I believe the Spirit of South Carolina is up for sale for just this reason.

[brdsquib]

I was thinking about that a bit. What I came up with was some clever grant writing, but I was hoping that the program would be self sufficient in that, using the boat as a floating school would bring in enough revenue that she wouldn't need to much else for an income. Although, maybe some prize money from races wouldn't be a bad idea either. Did you have anything in mind?

[Paul Pless]

Although, maybe some prize money from races wouldn't be a bad idea either.

LOL iii

[Willin']

I was thinking about that a bit. What I came up with was some clever grant writing, but I was hoping that the program would be self sufficient in that, using the boat as a floating school would bring in enough revenue that she wouldn't need to much else for an income. Although, maybe some prize money from races wouldn't be a bad idea either. Did you have anything in mind?

I can't recommend a solution, just another cautionary tale. Maine's First Ship originally built a business model similar to what you're proposing, ie, raise funds for the build and the educational money will follow. That turned out to be a pleasant if unrealistic dream. After almost falling off the face of the Earth, they restructured with a smaller design and more modest expectations, but the focus is building an endowment that will keep the boat afloat, and once that's accomplished, focus on the educational/ goodwill mission.

Good luck with your project. That hull is definitely a heart stopper.

[Paul Pless]

When I last saw her some years ago - still in the water - I was convinced that saving the keel, cabin and deck furniture, and some other original gear and rebuilding - especially if rebuilding on the original ballast and perhaps some of the keel if any is still good would allow continued use of the original documentation - would make the most sense.

Isn't this the conclusion that Gannon and Benjamin came too as well?

[Ian McColgin]

Could have but I don't know.

[ramillett]

Any current pictures ? Is this the 61 foot schooner ?

[Concordia 33]

Any current pictures ? Is this the 61 foot schooner ?

I've been through her at the Maine BBS. nice lay out pretty lines despite having hogged.

Tar Baby is one of the finest examples of a Classic Wooden Yacht in the world. Designed by John Alden, long considered the world's greatest schooner designer, and originally commissioned for Gilbert Hood, of Hood Daries in 1928, she was launched in 1929. Mr. Hood kept her until 1975, when he sold her to Carl Sherman, of Westbrook, CT. Now she has been purchased by Portland Yacht Services, for a much needed refit.
Tar Baby is not only known for her beautiful design and balanced helm, but also for her stunning interior. There is a chapter on her in the book "Classic Yacht Interiors", published by W.W. Norton & Company, and also in the book "John G. Alden and His Yacht Designs", published by McGraw-Hill. Benjamin Mendlowitz, the world's premier marine photographer, has a chapter on Tar Baby in his popular book "Wood, Water & Light". She has been the subject of numerous magazine articles.
There were nine schooners built to her design (#390), Tar Baby being the first and now, sadly, the last survivor still in original condition. John Alden personally owned two sisterships to Tar Baby: the first right off the ways Venturer; then, in his retirement, he bought back Abenaki to be his personal cruiser. After purchasing his retirement yacht he wrote an article for Yachting Magazine stating that the 390 was his favorite design. He then went on to win second place in the 1950 Bermuda race in Abenaki. Another 390, Arcturus (extensively rebuilt, but still in service in New Zealand) was owned by General George S. Patton. He and his wife sailed it to Hawaii and back when he was stationed there prior to World War II. Arcturus was later owned by actor Gene Kelly.

[Harbormaster]

Here's another old historic vessel looking for a home - the Marion M, a 1932 wooden lighter that has worked around NYC. She belongs to the South Street Seaport, but they can't keep her - they are faced with a grim choice, basically give her away or take her to the dump. Know any one that can love her? She may be the last of her kind.

[brdsquib]

Isn't this the conclusion that Gannon and Benjamin came too as well?

I have spoke to G&B. Nat emailed me back and is very interested in working on the boat. But yes, that is essentially all that can be saved. The ribs are pretty far gone and so is the a majority of the keel. You'd be saving the lead, her interior, and her gear. You be basically building a brand-new boat, just cannibalizing Tar Baby anything she has to offer and then throwing her through a chipper. Very sad really.

[brdsquib]

@Harbormaster
Shame. Nice little boat. Where does her history lie?

[brdsquib]

Here are some photos I snapped of Tar Baby sitting outside at the 2012 Maine show.
http://s844.photobucket.com/albums/a...us/Tar%20Baby/

[ramillett]

Those pictures look like someone started a project that was beyond there ability to finish

[Harbormaster]

brdsquib,

She's a sweet old girl, and I gotta say, of all the boats that they have at South Street, she's one of the few that really belong in a nautical museum dedicated to NYC boats. Some say she worked in Long Island Sound in addition to New York Harbor. She's got some great old details, she's hard chine, and now she's on hard times. They don't even have a place to store her, and no money to restore her, they have a million projects on the big sexy boats. Find her a home, they are in unload mode.

[brdsquib]

Those pictures look like someone started a project that was beyond there ability to finish

That usually the way to see where you stand on a wooden boat. Always a first step to remove the garboards.

[Compassrose88]

I couldn't agree with you more brdsquib. I saw Tar Baby while visiting friends in Maine. It was a huge emotional blow to see her there in that condition. I felt like I'd been betrayed. My dad owned Tar Baby and took remarkable care of her. When he got ill he sold her. He loved that boat more than any other. While I have strong emotional ties and wonderful memories of sailing her, unfortunately, this has become the way of most old wooden boats. It's a powerful grip of fate and finances that sends many of these fine yachts to the graveyard. I wonder if Portland Yachts donated the vessel, would that bring someone forward to take the project on?

[brdsquib]

You know I wondered about that. I don't even know if Phin and his gang would be interested in donating it. The price tag on his is $100K. That's basically the price of the lead keel. And sadly at this point, you'd have to build an entirely new boat, salvaging small bits from her, like her interior and whatnot. This is what you get for letting Dan Adams own a nice boat. Everything he touches turns to crap.

[VladTepes]

$100K seems a lot for some rotted wood and a bit of lead.

Assuming she's afloat at the moment, a late night cutting out expedition might be in order.....