Half of my life~a milestone!

[sawcutmill]

July 2007 will be the anniversary of my ownership of Pelagic, a 1952 Gaff Ketch, designed an built by Robert W. Davis, Oakville Ontario.I bought her in 1984.And have enjoyed 23 years of wonderful adventures with her, which means that She has owned me for 1/2 of my LIFE, or vice versa.Stephen

[sawcutmill]

http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2093067623

[S.V. Airlie]

Good looking boat Saw.. I am not sure whether I like the location of that anchor though.. Umm, how are your toes...

[bamamick]

Congratulations on the anniversary. May you all have very many more together.

Mickey Lake

[Hwyl]

Nice boat, I really mean that, but the sheer joy comes through the photos too. May she own you for 3/4 of your life. (yes i did the calculation)

[John B]

Congratulations , and I know the feeling, I bought Waione in 1983.
Unfortunately that doesn't quite represent half my life though.

[sawcutmill]

Thanks for the praise, as it is always welcome and inspiring,especially this time of year(launching season), may all of you also have the pleasure of years of ownership.Where does the time go....? stephen

[John B]

When I think how much I've blathered on about my boat over the years here, You've kept a pretty low profile with Pelagic Stephen. I do recall you telling us a bit about the boat but I'd love to hear more.

[sawcutmill]

John B- Actually, only on the net have I kept it low key.
I bought her in Buckler's Hard, Beaulieu, Hampshire, UK, July 1984.
I was looking for a boat for a bout a year previous, and the European boat(wood) market was crashing at the time. The British Pound was also favorable.The American market was over inflated as usual, until now.I had looked seriously at Herreshoff's, as I grew up in Bristol, surrounded by these magnificent yachts.But alas, I did not want that stigma, as they are Very Fine, but alot of trouble to repair due to the inventiveness of NGH, thin planking, mixed metals, strapping let in thru the frames and deck beams etc, all cause substantial repair issues later.
Pelagic was designed & built by Robert W. Davis, combining Albert Strange, John Hanna, John Atkin, and Colin Archer. He then Blended them to form "Triton", Pelagic's original name.He lived in Oakville , Ontario, Canada, was a local Boat builder extrodinaire(sp?)and had built over 25 Dragon class, as well as many other boats , all plank on frame.
Pelagic, is 34'lwl, 38'lod, 6'6"draft, 10'6" beam.She weighs 16tons displacement.Her planking is 1 1/4" african mahogany on 1 3/8" white oak frames with 9" spacing between.very long iron ballast, approx 8 -10 tons. she has a underwater profile resembling a 1/2 moon shape.
So, I wanted a boat. My mother taught me to sail.She passed away in 1983, while i was still in College, at the "College of the Atlantic", Bar Harbor Maine....I recieved a small inheritence and was in the market for a cruiser.Daysailing was not in my blood, as i had grown up in larger boats, another story of a Herreshoff Yawl my grandfather had built in 1936, named "Belisaurius", 56 feet long, which my father purchased for my mother in 1967, so we could enjoy the Islands of the Carribean. We , or i should say , my parents , owned her until 1975, and we cruised exstensively throughout the Islands, from the Bahamas to the Grenadines and back many times, before selling her to a Rhode Island man.Who kept Belisaurius until his death in the late 1990's. She is presently in the Herreshoff Marine Museum, awaiting restoration.
*John B, I will continue this saga soon, but i must go to the boat now, and do the spring thing, varnish, paint ,sanding and all that.Thanks for the oppurtunity to tell a small story.Stephen.

[S.V. Airlie]

Saw.. College of the Atlantic.. A good school. Used to spend some time there.
Also great history....as to why, how and when ya found that gem.

[John B]

Looking forward to it Stephen. I remember the bare facts because I'm sure you've talked about the boat before . I'm not sure that you had the photos then though... she certainly is a great, capable looking boat.
I've been thinking about the half your life thing... I only miss by a year I suppose. What makes me a bit envious is that you got it right whereas with Waione we've been fighting a losing battle for the last few years simply because of volume.( for cruising that is) Its a bit sad that Waione's christmas cruise of 2007 is possibly the last we'll do in her, but hopefully she'll be going on to a quieter , less stressed life from now on ( for a few years anyway). You never know.. when the kids leave maybe...

Anyway, very much looking forward to more about Pelagic .
If you need help with linking the photos in here ,sing out.

[Tristan]

A beauty, congratulations and many more years together. And, looking forward to a continuation of your story. I visited Buckler's Hard in about 1976 while traveling along the S. Coast. Saw some wonderful boats between Bosham (sp?) and Portland.

[sawcutmill]

After I arrived in the UK, I went straight to the south coast.I had previously looked here in the USA for a well made cruising boat, with the help of Cannell , Paine & Paige, whom were most respectful and very knowledgeable of what I wanted, although in the end they suggested the foreign market, which I thought at the time would be a lark.And it is because of their recommendations that I found Pelagic.
They were very helpful in my pursuit, introducing me to the new brokers,setting up the contacts,arranging for the preview of prospective vessels, one of which was Pelagic,( and at the time, I had no idea i would be enamoured to her). Alistair Easton and Co, located in Lymington, Hampshire, UK. were the brokers.
At age 22, I had been to Europe many many times, probably 30-40 times , due to my father's family,I had visited them often for various holidays, weddings, etc...So I was very comfortable there,and knew that even if I failed to find a vessel, I would be well recieved ,enjoy my time,and find a boat.
I arrived in late June 1984, and immediately took the train to Southampton, where i would then take another train to Lymington station.I was greeted by Commander Easton after making my way to the local pub.He and I became acquainted quickly, and proceeded to find me some "digs" for the next week or so, while i made my self acquainted with the area's boatyards etc.
The following Monday morning, I went to the Office to meet his associate, and peruse the inventory of available vessels, ranging in price, length, age, style, type, and condition.I was handed over 100 listings!
Within 2 hours time , I had narrowed it down to the "Top 25" must sees, eliminating vessels that were TOO THIS OR TOO THAT, or under contract , which then left me with a good 15-20 suitable vessels.The next question was, would I sail her back on her own bottom, or ship it back via a freighter? I was keen on the "own bottom" idea, as I figured, any vessel that had to be shipped HOME, was not good enough for my intended purpose.
Which at the time was to find a vessel that I might possibly be able to go around the WORLD in! Yes you could say that I was a Idealistic, daydreamer.Still holding hope for that daydream to come true....lol
Nevertheless, I had the oppurtunity to see some of the most incredible yachts Britain had to offer in my criteria , not to mention the multitudes of yachts that were being sold , restored and scrapped. Alistair Easton and I spent many days trvelling to various yards looking at boats, intermingled with the various out of the way Pubs and eateries the south coast had to offer. Commander Easton in his previous life had been in the Royal Navy, and had taught Prince Charles how to sail, in a "X"boat nonetheless. His knowledge base was over the top, and he introduced me to many famous an infamous characters, including Adlard Coles, as well as some very fine gentlemen of Lymington. On one particular day, we went to Calshot Spit, to see a large project under way by a fellow american, Elizabeth Meyers. Whom was restoring the once forgotten "J" boat "Endeavour", and was in the process of replacing all of the lower floors, frames and ballast, which were iron i believe. She was hands on, with a torch, cutting out iron sick components.That was a cool visit which lasted several hours.
I finally found my "digs", a B&B run by a wonderful lady named Mrs Wild about five streets away from the Berthon Yard.Which as it turned out had a history of unparallel yacht building in their time. I was a huge fan of their "Gauntlet" design, and wanted one of those boats so bad I could taste it.But, alas, it was not to be, as many of them were serious projects or not available for sale.It was this moment that a Double Ender started to over whelm my senses, as that look captured my attention, with the history of seaworthiness( WB article on a Gauntlet at the time did not help either with my infatuation) and handling capabilities.
When I had arrived in England , I had brought along several listings of prospective vessels to look at....one of them was a double ender! How had I over looked this?
The next day, Alistair and I went to Buckler's Hard, in Beaulieu, Hampshire, had lunch at the local, and toured the museum, and learned about the history of Brita in's most famous shipbuilding port.
A fact that has never left me, was the "Agamemnon" a first rater, 77 gun ship that (ibeleive) Lord Nelson had command of.Many,many ships of equal size and armament were built in this small tidal creek off the Solent. Who would think that ships 200 feet long could be built and launched here? Anyhow, they did.
After lunch, Alistair suggested that I look at a yacht that was for sale in the yard, it was a Harrison Butler design, 27foot or so.I did not find it seaworthy enough or something, and he then suggested that we take a row in the yard supplied dinghy to another boat up the (proverbial ) creek.
Pelagic, at first sight stole my heart. after looking at some 30 odd boats of sizes and condition, price, etc, I knew then that this was it!
She had things that I had never seen before, like BronzeBelaying Pins, no mast winches, flush deck, two masts, a proper bowsprit, and soem other things that made her un equalled in my veiw.All of my searching, had brought me to a vessel of unparalled, uncomprimised, and original, structure, no alterations to speak of aesthetically, as well as the unusualness of her flush deck, tiller steering, and bronze hardware, hit me like a tonne of bricks.
I spent the next 3 hours on board, looking at every detail, taking it all in, while i daydreamed about sailing up Narragnsett Bay with my new found treasure.And of course there was NOTHING like her any where on the eastern Seaboard, let alone Rhode Island. I was boat struck.
I made immediate plans.Telephone calls were made, surveyors were appointed,owners were notified, and the paper work trail began, she was registered in Gibralter.That in of itself was a real eye opener. days passed, money was transferred, and I was now in the process of actually buying a yacht in a foreign country, negotiating the sale etc.arranging for this an that. The price was well within my means at the time, which worked out to be about $27,000 USD.Vat not included ,lol!
So I had a wonderful B&B to stay at, a used 3 speed bicycle which i could travel to the Boatyard with, to spend time with my new love, a hour or so away.I learned the country roads, and the local farms, and made acquaintances all along my route for the next 2 months, as it took that long for the Gibralter paperwork to go through.
That is chapter ONE.

[sawcutmill]

http://www.imagestation.com/4132852/3934157947

[sawcutmill]

http://www.imagestation.com/4132852/4111692557

[John B]

What's the large octagonal? bin around the mainmast area. Is it a locker or some thing put there while the mast is out?

[sawcutmill]

The octaganal box ( one peice of teak resawed 7 times with my woodmizer)with the mansard hip roof ( yellow locust,gledistia tri skyline) is my propane locker, that I built to accomodate a 30lb cylinder.
Originally, when I bought the boat, there was a small squarish box there.I spent many hours trying to come up with something that fit, looked good , was nautical in nature and beautiful yet functional.Many drawings, from barrel shapes to rectangles.It sits right behing the main mast.this is what i came up with....stephen

[sawcutmill]

here is a sample of the albums~http://www.imagestation.com/mypictures/?view=all

[S.V. Airlie]

I was expecting a different boat Sawcut.... I thought it was gonna be more shots of Pelagic...