The Concordian
Issue #24, Fall 1997
Crocodile #67
Crocodile Wins 1997 Marblehead - Halifax Race
Crocodile, a Concordia yawl owned by Mrs. U. Haskell Crocker, won the Marblehead - Halifax race with the best overall corrected time and received five trophies at the conclusion of the 365 nautical mile biennial ocean race. The 38-year old wooden boat was skippered by Robert Crocker and sailed by a team that included Edgar Crocker, U. Haskell Crocker II, Peter Crocker, Eldon MacLeod, Carl Ladd and John Eide.
Crocodile was awarded trophies for first in PHRF, first in class "K," the Concordia Cup, first in the Double-Masted sailboat division and first place as part of the US winning team. Prior to the race Crocodile was chosen as one of three boats to represent the US team against the Canadian team. The US team arrived triumphant with the best combined time.
The race began in Marblehead on July 6. Crocodile arrived in Halifax at 12:12 a.m. of July 9. The Crocker family received their trophies at the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron in Halifax. - Reprinted from the Manchester Cricket.
Comments by skipper Bob Crocker: It was a small boat race with 100 entries. Crocodile and Sonnet had a 365 mile match race using radar to keep an eye on each other through minimal fog and at night. The wind was off the quarter with ideal conditions. Our crew, the same as two years ago, were well-seasoned Concordia sailors. We welcome other Concordia owners to participate in 1999. The Concordia Cup, together with a magnum of champagne generously donated by Elizabeth Meyer, former owner of Matinicus, is up for grabs. We need help keeping it away from Jim Brown and Sonnet!
On a sad note, Eleanor Crocker, long time owner of Crocodile and wife of the original owner, U. Haskell Crocker, passed away on October 3rd at age 95. We offer condolences to the Crocker family.
Sonnet #63
Jim Brown, Syosset, NY
Sonnet's summer of '97 has been rather humdrum. Seems to have been spent mostly ferrying the boat from Maine to Oyster Bay and back twice. The major interruption in the routine was the Marblehead - Halifax Race. This in itself was enough to keep me gasping on the ropes for weeks.
Last year Edgar and Bobby Crocker on Crocodile showed us their stern for the first time in the Eggemoggin Reach Regatta. This was after Croc's outfitting with a new carbon fiber mast, Spectra sails and an obscenely colored luminous masthead spinnaker. A challenge for the Halifax Race was issued and accepted by both vessels. Sonnet was crewed by the owner and three of his sons, Jim, Chas and Stu along with nephew Stephen Brinkmann and a visiting German yachtsman (to explain to us what an "unterwasserpumpenkloset" might me). Crocodile likewise sported a crew of four Crockers, Eldon Macleod (past owner of Skye), John Eide (present owner of Golondrina) and a seventh "pro."
The beginning of the 365 mile race saw light winds from the SE. Under masthead jib Sonnet put three miles on Crocodile before the wind backed around to the south and spinnakers were popped. At this point it became apparent that yawls with all the rags they can fly can reel in the sloops. From Sunday night, six hours after the start, until Tuesday early AM the two Concordias were never more than four miles apart. For one brief 15 minute spell Crocodile pulled ahead in light variable offshore puffs at Cape Sable. At that point we headed out to sea and got the freshening west wind first, getting two miles of our lead back. The wind increased all day to the 25-30 knot range and both boats put up everything they had. From noon until 2100 we were logging a steady 7 1/2 to 8 knots with frequent surfing to the 10-11 knot range. Still, both boats stayed 2 miles apart as if fixed there. About 1900 the wind seemed to increase a bit and large spinnakers on both boats were dropped and replaced with smaller ones. Crocodile reported a considerable whipping-around of the upper masthead from where its big spinnaker was flown. Perhaps a tribute to the strength of carbon fiber sticks.
Sonnet finished at 2356 Tuesday. Crocodile came across 17 minutes later. A scandalously high PHRF rating (my assessment) of 180 for Crocodile meant we had to give them 1hr+12 min, which insured that Sonnet's crew drove her as hard as we could to get miles between us. Crocodile had only to keep us in sight, and they did a magnificent job.
Now all the above is just typical Concordia racing. But in this instance Crocodile and Sonnet placed First and Second in the entire combined fleet of 103 IMS and PHRF rated vessels. We were elated, as you can imagine. There are some pretty snazzy racing machines that participate in the Marblehead - Halifax Race, but this year the Concordias showed where the class was. It has been frustrating that the local yachting publications did not pick up on the results of this premier East Coast race (Sail Magazine even reported Crocodile being a Contessa) because it might encourage other Concordia owners to get out and race a bit more. We are still competitive.
The rest of the summer has been more restful. Having sons with families living in coastal New Hampshire and Essex, CT provides opportunities to let "the kids" have the boat for a week at a time. I can't believe next year will be the 30th of ownership and the 3rd generation of Browns to sail on Sonnet. Definitely a tradition to be kept up.
This weekend, October 4, the Pequot Yacht Club is hosting a wooden boat regatta, and thanks to the urging of Jon Goldweitz and Abaco, four local Concordias have entered. It should be great fun and like homecoming week. There are not that many Concordias down here in Western Long Island Sound anymore.
Someday I shall relate to you how Sonnet's topsides got to be painted the color that she is. It's a saga that started 26 years ago when Concordia Company made a goof.
Allure #87
Ben Niles, South Freeport, ME
We've done some club racing and family cruising the last couple of years, but no big trips or reconstruction projects. The highlight of the summer has been the Eggemoggin Reach Regatta, followed by a short cruise with the kids who are now 7, 5, and 3. As they get bigger I realize that I'm part of a family of 5, with a boat that sleeps 4. So far we can double-bunk the two little ones, but I'd be interested to hear what your readers might have to say about how they've addressed the "Fifth Crew" issue (no, a different boat is not an option).
Eggemoggin Reach Regatta News
by Ben Niles
Concordia results for the Friday feeder races: Starlight finished second in a 14 boat race from Brooklin, while Sonnet was fourth in a 25 boat race from Camden. Also racing from Camden (in order of finish) were Allure, Raka, Jakarta, and Off Call.
The 1997 regatta was another overall success, in spite of the wind's failure on the last two legs of Saturday's race and a scheduling overlap with the Ray Hunt events in Newport, which may have cut back some of the usually strong Concordia participation. The Dark Harbor / Seven Hundred Acre Island setting is beautiful, western Penobscot Bay makes for a good course, and as usual our hosts threw a great party Saturday evening. There were sixty-four boats total, of which only 13 made it to the finish line (and not a Concordia among them, so the Concordia trophy was not awarded). There was a nice breeze for the start off Ensign Island and the first half of the weather leg. Allure short tacked along the islands, Malay took a long port tack to catch the ebb and for the shift to the west that never materialized, Starlight and others did well by staying east once it got light and shifty. Allure, Malay and Starlight were the first Concordias around the weather mark. Most of the fleet lost the wind off Rockport and Camden as the few leaders sailed away on a dying breeze. Also racing were Jakarta, Off Call, Raka, and Sonnet.
This is a super event; not just for the racing, but also the gathering of wonderful boats at Cradle Cove. In addition to being able to sail the Concordias as a class, there are many others well matched, such as a number of Nielson designed boats, that make for good "boat-for-boat" racing. The Eggemoggin Reach Regatta continues to be the one northern New England wooden boat event of the season not to miss. Among the missing this year were several recent participants: Winnie of Bourne (recently sold), Crocodile (off basking in success, having recently finished first to Sonnet's second in the Halifax race), Magic, Mirage, Golondrina (on the hard, but promised to be back in '98), Harbinger (its a long way from Marion, but worth it), and Abaco (it's even further from Long Island Sound, but still worth it). In addition to the above, all boats within a day's sail, (Belles, Madrigal, Mary Ann, Moonfleet, Nefertiti, Phalarope, Saxon, Sea Hawk, Snow Falcon, Suva Tamoshanter, Thistledown, Yankee, etc.), and any others wanting some sailing in Maine are encouraged to come next year. It will make a great gathering and help mark our 60th anniversary as a class.
Paramour #72
Skip & Anne Bergmann, Waupun, WI
Strong winds and clear skies made for an excellent labor Day week cruise this year in Green Bay and Lake Michigan, mostly around Door County and the northern islands. Combined with a summer of good weekend daysailing, we've had many enjoyable days aboard this year.
Concordias are unique in the Midwest and we attract many knowledgeable visitors being berthed at the Palmer Johnson yard in Sturgeon Bay. We've had the opportunity to introduce Concordias to many newcomers, all quickly won over to the old fashioned boats.
Doyle Sailmakers of Chicago made us a main and mizzen of the new Challenge SMP fabric last winter and did an excellent job. The material really holds its shape well and despite being stiff, still manages to furl under the old sailcovers. Compared to our old main, this one really has some power and with the seven foot reef is excellent when it blows up. Combined with an old, recut genoa, we are enjoying more than an extra knot on the wind.
This past winter we did some replanking and refastening, reglued the transom, re-bushed the lower rudder pintle/gudgeon and finished the backbone structural work with the replacement of the remaining old stem bolts. From the main cabin bulkhead forward, we now have the new stem bolts, longer mast step, six new floors, new aft section of stem, and the mast step tie rod support system. If you have leaks in this chronic problem area, I highly recommend going the whole route when rebuilding and include the entire tie rod system. Palmer Johnson's head carpenter did a good job on the rejuvenation and worked closely with Peter Costa and the late Greg Tuxworth at Triad Boatworks. Although PJ had done work on Misty, some of these projects were new and their guidance was a great help.
A good improvement this year was the addition of a 15lb Fortress anchor which sets well and is a lot easier to handle than the Danforth. For one night of forecast 50 knot winds we also put out the 45lb Luke, which gave us even greater appreciation for the switch to aluminum.
The engine in Paramour is a 1985 Westerbeke 46 with 220 hours and it has always smoked at starting, but runs fine. Apparently there was a problem with the design of the original 3-part exhaust manifold. When I spoke with the Westerbeke technical man this summer, he said they'd send out a redesigned, one piece aluminum casting replacement. This arrived, along with an installation kit, at no charge. I'd call that good customer support, especially since I'm not the original purchaser and the engine is 12-years old..
Paramour will be in the water until the middle of October. We hope that our current string of good weekend weather continues until then.
Streamer #21
Barry Light, New York, NY
As the season drifts into Fall I thought I would share with you some of the things that I have done with Streamer this year. First, this has been a remarkable season, with 17 successive nice weekends. I hope the winter is as good.
We made many substantive repairs this season. Last spring, two stem bolts were replaced. They had both cracked and water was coming in the bow, especially going to windward or pounding. The bow is now dry, and I have two nice bronze objects in my living room.
A major leak was also fixed at the rudder post. The fitting on the horn timber through with the rudder post goes had worked loose. Most of the wood screws had broken at the head. To fix this, the rudder had to be removed. So did the propeller. That was okay, but the cutlass bearing was punky at one end and was barely holding on. Because the water running down the horn timber ran onto the stuffing box it had deteriorated beyond repair, as had the shaft. Then it was noted that the lower strap holding the rudder to the shaft had also almost disappeared. Some minor repair.
When the boat was relaunched, I noticed that water still seeped down the horn timber, coming from the bolts under the cockpit. Not knowing how to get to them I called Brodie MacGregor at Concordia and asked him if there was a way to get to them short of chainsawing our the cockpit. After a long pause he asked in a small voice if (A) I could get the engine out and if (B) I had a small, thin mechanic. Fortunately most of this dried up. The work was done at the Brewer Yacht Yard in Greenport, who did an excellent job. This is like New York: someday it will be finished.
We had a great sailing season, getting north of the Cape for the first time. I am looking forward to hearing plans for the 60th Reunion. It's hard to believe that this is my 9th season. (Readers may recall that Barry was a new owner at the 50th Reunion and enjoyed showing off Streamer with her grass cloth covered main saloon and fully mirrored head. We'll look forward to seeing her restored interior next year. Ed.)
Abaco #102
Jonathan & Dorothy Goldweitz, Stamford, CT
We write this report as Abaco motors east on Long Island Sound on this season's final passage, to winter in Hamburg Cove on the Connecticut River. Although we did not cruise as far as in other summers, this one ranked with the best in Abaco's 29 seasons afloat.
We launched in April after our first winter at Cove Landing Marine in Hamburg Cove. John Leonard proved to be a capable and diligent yard owner, doing much of Abaco's winter painting, varnishing and maintenance himself. No major projects were done, but we installed new lifelines, repainted the bilge (again) and stripped and refinished the shroud rollers.
After to days of hard beating into 25-30 kt winds from the Connecticut River to Stamford, we enjoyed several weekend cruise and evening sails. In late June we were caught in a sudden Long Island Sound summer squall and after dropping sails and securing all gear we were almost knocked down while powering into building winds and seas. With the Dyer dinghy swamped and turned turtle we were able to run off the wind with zero visibility (except radar), making 5 kts over ground with minimal throttle, with apparent wind speed indicator pegged at 65 kts for 20 minutes. The only damage was a shredded yacht ensign. The dinghy acted as a great drogue, slowing us down and keeping the stern into the wind and seas.
Less exciting, but more fun was our annual Stamford Yacht Club Cruise which we led this year, sailing to Buzzards Bay. We took 39 boats to old favorite ports like Cuttyhunk, Marion, Padanaram and Block Island. Got to visit Concordia Co. and say hello to some old friends. In August we cruised to Shelter Island sailing the 75 mile trip from Stamford to Dering Harbor overnight with sails up (and the engine off) the entire way.
In September we installed roller furling for the genoa, something we've thought about for years. It has made short evening sails much easier and has been well received by the crew. We are now looking to sell our club jib boom with blocks and a fairly new Banks Sails club jib with reef point (call 203 329-1581 for details).
Yesterday, Oct 4th, we raced in the second annual Pequot Yacht Club Classic Yacht Regatta on a warm sunny day with a 10-14 kt breeze. We again won the spinnaker division. Unfortunately no other Concordias raced spinnaker class, but Praxilla and Sonnet finished 4th and 7th in the non-spinnaker division. We'd love to get more Concordias to participate in this regatta next season.
This winter we plan some major cockpit renovation with replacement of the bridgedeck and the forward cockpit bulkhead, the coamings and cockpit seats. If time permits we'll wood the spars as well. Next season's plans include cruising Maine in August, racing the Eggemoggin Reach Regatta, and joining the Concordia 60th reunion in Padanaram.
Woodwind #89
George Hartman, Washington, D.C.
Hull leaks under sail, especially in heavy weather, have plagued several Concordias. Before resorting to diagonal strapping or extending the mast step, owners may wish to consider the following which solved the problem on both Woodwind and Loon. Reef out the joint between the keel and the wood for a foot or so on each side of the bow and seal with 5200. Then cover this joint with a triangular sheet of lead rabbeted flush with the surface and completely bedded in 5200. Secure with brads. This patch eliminated virtually all leaks on these two boats. On another note, Snowbird #59 reported using type 316 stainless steel keel bolts. This is a mistake in a wooden boat as they will corrode due to oxygen starvation. Keel bolts should be either silicone bronze or monel.
Horizon #54
Bob Grindrod, Barrington, IL
Perhaps in the vein of a maintenance advisory, I have become aware that the stemhead fittings on our boats are beginning to experience failures. When I bought Horizon one of the items noted was the need to rebed the stemhead fitting which had pulled up somewhat from its proper position. Concordia did this for me, and last year I sailed all season with only the club jib, not putting much strain on the fitting. This year we added roller furling and have sailed extensively with a 155% jib. After some moderate weather, I noticed a gap between the triangular plate where the headstay is attached to the stem itself. I watched this for a while and noted that it slowly got worse, to the extent that I could detect movement in the attached strap running down the forward part of the stem.
I contacted Concordia to better determine how this fitting is actually attached to the boat. When I did, they told be that Javelin had recently experienced a failure of this fitting while under sail, resulting in considerable damage, but fortunately not the loss of the mast.
I then got my boat to the yard and had all the associated fittings removed, sandblasted and checked for cracks or other damage. The horizontal plate which covers the stemhead and serves as the point of attachment for the headstay was both bent upward and cracked, the "joint" between the horizontal plate and the strap running down the stem was cracked, and two of the screw holes which hold the strap to the stem (and absorb much of the upward pull of the forestay) also had horizontal cracks running from the holes to the outside edges of the strap itself. It is obvious to me now that failure was not far away in my case either.
The fix as applied to Horizon might be of interest to others. The defective areas were ground, veed out and rewelded in bronze. In addition, the "joint" between the flat plate and the stem strap was made much more substantial. We also added a gusset to the underside of the "joint" running roughly from the bottom of the headstay fitting at approximately a 45 degree angle downward connecting the forestay fitting, the horizontal plate and the strap down the stem. It was necessary to notch the stem to accept the additional reinforcement between the existing fitting pieces. (See drawings.) I am very fortunate in having found a company the works extensively in bronze, and hope other owners will be able to do the same.
I would seriously suggest that owners examine this area carefully at once, and perhaps make more extensive inquiries over the winter. In my situation there were no visible signs of any cracks in the bronze, only the separation of the horizontal plate from the stemhead by approximately 1/8 inch. I am told that there are two types of these fittings, both with the same dimensions. Evidently some were cast as one piece and others were fabricated (welded) from two separate pieces. In my case, a 41 built in 1957, the fitting is fabricated. Misty, a 39 built in 1959, has a cast fitting. At this point we do not know if the difficulty is common to all or is particular to one type of fitting.
Magic #36
Hank Bornhofft, Gloucester, MA
In the last issue you asked for information on Actea #17. A few years ago a boat carpenter returning north from winter work stopped by with pictures of her on the hard at Playboy Marina in Ft. Lauderdale. She was reasonably together and had some reportedly good structural work done recently. I had lunch with the A&R Ft. Lauderdale crew and talked to them about the possibility of buying her and taking her back to the factory for recycling since we heard she might be for sale. I've heard nothing since.
In 1985 I recanvassed Magic's house top "for life." That's when I had just heard of the virtues of 3M 5200, so everything, including inside combings, were bedded in same. Well, being in commission 365 days a year means you don't get the normal 15-20 years out of a canvas job. No sailing last winter!
I had to do a lot of chiseling before recovering this time and ruined a lot a teak in the process. Things went back together after covering with 8oz. glass cloth and Gougeon epoxy (slow cure). The first coat on bare wood kicked off at 30F in about 24 hours - plenty of time for penetration. Second coat was applied after the cloth was laid down. Plenty of working time in the cold weather. Where 5200 is protected is remains like glue but if exposed to the elements it breaks down and gets gummy. Awful stuff. I've been a SikaFlex 231 fan for some time now.
As of last year, Magic's newest sail had been built in 1981. I replaced the main and the 135% jib this year. Seems that these boats get prettier with age, but Magic also gets faster!
Irene #103
Doug Cole, Bellingham, WA
Another full season has passed aboard Irene. At spring haulout we found that the rudder gudgeons and pintles had just about worn out. In fact, the lower strap had completely separated. Rather than spend weeks waiting for new parts we added some temporary bushings and ordered new parts from Concordia for next spring. Although not suitable for a major passage it lasted the season with only some minor sloppiness. Brodie has assured me that dropping the rudder is not required in order to replace these parts.
Spring sailing this season was excellent due to unusually foul weather. Irene made a complete circuit of South Puget Sound - down to the oyster beds in Little Skookum and Totten Inlets, and even up to Shelton - and return on only half a tank of fuel, a distance of over 350 miles. This is pretty good as sailing can be very dull this time of year. This was followed by several cruises in the San Juans and a two-week honeymoon cruise in August to Princess Louise Inlet in British Columbia. Yes, your editor is hitched up and is attempting to impress on new spouse Margie all the intricacies of Concordia lore. I think she's catching on. We ran into Coriolis at the same spot we passed them several years ago in the Gulf Islands. She looked perfect as usual.
After fall brightwork chores we headed to the Victoria Classic Boat Festival. Though there was no wind for the race, Irene was honored with the Best in Show - Sail award. For some reason her dusty dry bilges seem to impress the judges. We hope for suitable weather fall weather in order to squeeze in several more trips before the winter covers go on.
While detailing the outline of a routine project in Irene's maintenance log I came across the section which listed changes and improvements. After 13 seasons of ownership the addition of items seems to have dropped off. Either I'm getting lazy, a definite possibility, am more spendthrift, also a distinct possibility or I'm finally getting the boat to the point where I am happy with her, which might be closer to the fact. I've fallen prey to most of the obvious upgrades like roller furling, auto pilot and modern navigation - though I must be the only one that is still happy with loran and hasn't upgraded to GPS. But I thought I would comment on several that have specifically made life aboard a Concordia more pleasant.
It would be hard to list them in order, but since fall is upon us I'll start with the diesel stove. I chose a Dickenson Newport model since it fit exactly in the location of the former cast iron solid fuel stove. Now, I'm as much of a purist as the next Concordian in regards to authenticity, but I just could not rationalize carrying a load of wood or briquettes with nearly 50 gallons of diesel fuel nearby. Nor did I enjoy the constant feeding of the firebox. With the Dickenson I simply light it and let gravity do the rest. One can even enjoy a little dancing flame in the evening. And, you can boil water in about 20 minutes, so it's almost like having a third burner. With the addition of a few stainless elbows this linked up to the existing chimney. Lest you lament the fact that the old stove has gone to waste, Reg Butler was able to install it aboard Sea Hawk.
As long as we're in the heating department, the next handy item is a Plexiglas companionway dropboard. This enables the cabin to be closed off (though not so much as to prevent combustion air from entering) yet still let in some daylight. I cut mine out of 1/4 inch Plexiglas and used the two original dropboards mated up as a pattern. It stows flat under one of the bunks in a protective cloth sleeve. To keep it from rattling while in place I made two leather-lined wedges to secure it. The first time we'd use it each season the cat would inevitably race aft from the forward cabin, climb the ladder and go crashing back below wondering what in blazes she had run into!
Atop the companionway is the handy dodger. I've seen numerous variations of the original Concordia folding buggy top. Both Kodama and Vintage have a fixed full-width model, but this rules out the use of folding gallows. Abaco uses a modification of a folding top with side curtains that split around the gallows. The one that appealed most to me, however, was the one used on Coriolis, the design of which I copied. The generous size and radiused corners of the forward window plus the see-through side panels was what I liked. It makes it a nice place to hide out, especially under power with the auto pilot. Now I'm really showing you what a wuss I've become! I added some leather patches on the corners to protect from chafe. The windows fold up easier when it's warm.
Speaking of warm, that is a problem with trying to keep ice. Several years ago I rebuilt my ice box and it's greatly improved the efficiency. The original insulation was about an inch of black smelly stuff that looked like pumice. This was replaced with two inches of rigid insulation, carefully taped and sealed. This also necessitated a new stainless insert and divider. I suppose I should have considered mechanical refrigeration, but that requires a major complication either in battery capacity or mechanization.
Another galley improvement was the building of a custom trash receptacle. We got very tired of a cheap Rubbermaid open topped device and so went to work on a suitable replacement. On Irene this nests between the cook stove area and the side of the engine cover. The lid has a one inch lip making it easy to for the cook to flip open with a foot if necessary. And having a lid is so much more attractive. Keeps the bugs down, too. A 13-gallon trash bag attaches to a special rim and held in place with a shock cord.
On deck, the addition of a small rain fly over the forward port allows plenty of air in without rain. Maybe this is not as appealing to those sailing in perfectly sunny climates, but in the Northwest it does drizzle on occasion.
And lastly, years ago I was lucky enough to obtain from Concordia a simple bronze roller which attaches to the forward pulpit for hoisting the anchor. I know many Concordias have this feature and you too should feel lucky. So should your back. I paid all of $5 for mine, but know of one Concordia owner in Stamford who paid $$ to have one custom made. I'm sure his is nicer, being an improved model of Irene's, but I'm quite happy with mine. (The fleet should be apprised that this owner also spends - wastes? - more time coddling his ultra-varnished shroud rollers than is normal. And he revels in giving me grief for leaving my custom made - by Steward McDougall - shroud rollers bare.) Eventually I may have to install a nice windlass like a few other select senior Concordians, but this little gem will do for a while.
If you have some favorite additions that you think would delight other Concordians please let us know. Or, simply ask for a tour aboard Malay sometime and Dan Strohmeier will be happy to show you nearly every Concordia dohicky known to man. That might also explain why Malay has less freeboard than any other Concordia.
Several large wooden yachts in Puget Sound have recently shown up with breathtaking polyurethane paint jobs. I've long been suspect about the long range effects of this kind of paint on a wood hull in regards to breathability. But my, they sure look stunning. How many of us enjoy either performing or paying for the annual enamel ritual? Any comments or opinions?
Elizabeth Meyer
International Yacht Restoration School
Elizabeth Meyer reports on the Concordias in residence at the International Yacht Restoration School: Last winter IYRS shipwrights and students removed ketch mizzen mast on Renaissance (she has had the unlucky fate to be the only Concordia so rigged) and removed her wheel steering, thereby turning her into a sloop. She had a wonderful summer taking out our sailing and seamanship students. This fall we are going to haul her and do more work including stripping the hull and deck varnish, restoring her original rudder shape and building her a tiller. We would like to turn her back into a yawl with a wooden rig (currently aluminum), but we need donated masts, booms, rigging and sails. If anyone out there has a lead for a 41 rig, please contact us at IYRS soon. Our phone number is 401-848-5777, fax number is 401-842-0669 and e-mail is: info@iyrs.com. We would also love to get an original tiller, if anyone has an extra (fat chance). Next summer Renaissance will be used again for teaching sailing and seamanship at IYRS.
Java, Concordia #1, has been painted and varnished really only to prevent her drying out further. She is in the IYRS yard on the east side of our building in a protected spot. She was uncovered for the summer and will be covered again for the winter. So she is stabilized but not restored. We have succeeded in raising only $3,000 for her refit, so it will be a long time before we got to fixing her up. If anyone out there is feeling flush, please, oh please send us money. OR, you can donate appreciated stock to IYRS. You get a deduction on the full, appreciated amount of the stock, without paying any capital gain tax.
IYRS is flourishing. We have more than 600 members, including many Concordia owners. We have 7 full time, international students, three shipwrights and fifteen part time students. We also have a very popular series of weekend workshops and a evening lecture series. We have listed Shamrock V for sale, intending to use the proceeds as part of the funding necessary to restore Coronet. We are out of debt and are raising money towards our next major goals. Please come to visit us in Newport or visit our WEB site.
Book Review
Abeking & Rasmussen: An Evolution in Yacht Building, by Svante Domizlaff, 1996. Delius, Klasing & Company, publishers. This book, now available in English, tells the story of the famed A&R yacht and shipbuilding yard, now in its 90th year and founded by Henry Rasmussen. It also tells about many of the famous yachts built by A&R and some of their better known owners.
Many of the early yachts were quite simple daysailors, built for owners of modest means. This is in marked contrast to the current production of mega-yachts. An interesting aspect that those in the yachting world hear little of is the variety of military and coastal rescue craft built by A&R.
And, of course, there is a full section on the evolution of the Concordia yawl, this written by Elizabeth Meyer. The photographs are excellent, some by Concordian Ben Mendlowitz, as are the numerous blueprint reproductions. I particularly enjoyed the indexed list of all the A&R built vessels, especially those produced in the years 1939-1945 such as a Torpedofangboot (torpedo recovery boat), a Flugsicherungboot (air force picket boat) and hundreds of tenders and motorlifeboats.
Author Svante Domizlaff, a blue water sailor since 1967 and member of the German Admiral's Cup team in 1969, recently wrote to say that they are printing a third edition of the book and that it is quite a success in Germany. Those interested in obtaining this work should contact Howland & Company, 100 Rockwood Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130-2450. Telephone 617-522-5281.
Ray Hunt Rendezvous & 60th Anniversary News
From Brodie MacGregor at Concordia Company
The Ray Hunt Rendezvous was had at the Museum of Yachting on August 2-3, 1997 and was a big success primarily due to the skill and work of Denise Rousinnos of C. Raymond Hunt Associates, Inc. and Sherry Marx of the Museum. For me, the "feel" of the Rendezvous was just right with the focus on Ray, his family and his career. Of course there were boats of all shapes and sizes - from the 12 meter Easterner to 110s and from 13' Boston Whalers to the 57' Pride on the power side. Sadly, only two Concordias were present and the consensus was that August 2-3 was too early in the season for a big Concordia gathering in Southern New England. A number of individual and commercial sponsors helped keep the cost of participants modest for such an ambitious event, and the highlight was surely Jim Hunt (Ray's oldest) flanked by his brother and two sisters, giving a very personal reflection of Ray, the family man and sailor. All this in the midst of an outstanding lobsterbake dinner on Saturday evening.
As we called many of the Concordias in hopes of enticing them to the Hunt Rendezvous, we also reminded owners to save the weekend of August 29-30, 1998 for the 60th Concordia Yawl Rendezvous. The response was very favorable.
We have solicited the New Bedford Yacht Club next door in the hope that we may be able to utilize their facilities in the same sort of way we did in 1988. Having the experience of both of 50th Anniversary Rendezvous and the recent Hunt Rendezvous, we hope to run a really memorable event - but it will only be memorable if every possible Concordia yawl is in Padanaram that weekend. Please mark your calendars the weekend of August 29-30, 1998 and plan to be there. We will start a series of Rendezvous mailings starting this Fall. Please contact me at any time with questions.
New Owners
Arapaho #85 has recently sold to William Lynch of Boston, and is now based in Edgartown. Praxilla #10 is now owned by Domenic Champa of Fairfield, CT and is kept in Stamford. Both Winnie of Bourne #11 and Otter #19 reportedly have new owners.
Concordias Known to be for Sale
| # | Name | Year | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Halcyon | 1946 | $85,000 |
| 14 | Saxon | 1953 | |
| 29 | Feather | 1955 | $110,000 |
Concordia Burgees
A new shipment of Concordia burgees has just arrived. $35 includes postage.
The Concordian comes to you for only $5 a year.
About half of our subscribers support the production cost and postage for the other half. No billing notices will be sent, so if you feel it's your turn, send in your $5. Of equal importance are the letters and stories you send. Keep up the good work! E-mailing as an attached file saves your editor from having to retype, so this is encouraged. Fax is good, too. Mail is acceptable. Having the editor call to plead for information is least preferable, but it works. Remember, he lives quite a distance from Concordialand and relies on his reporters for news and information. A hearty thanks to our steady and repeat correspondents!
Doug Cole
4344 King Avenue Bellingham, WA 98226-8727 FAX: 360 647-7747 E-mail: Douglas Cole@compuserve.com