Sirroco

The man himself,Errol Flynn,a heck of a life,he died when only fifty.

Sirroco was here in Cape Town,an entry in the Cape To Rio ocean yacht race,was it in 1974? she was one of the larger yachts,grouped in with the fleets largest yacht 'Greybeard' 90ft long and had to be berthed at the north end of the Duncan Dock,not a great place to be in a south wester or north wester,she was a great boat to look at,being high up on the quay side,it was easy to look the decks over from above,I seem to remember she never started the race?

Roy
December 6th 2008,some feedback from Ian Allen,down in Picton, South Island,New Zealand.

For the record, Sirocco arrived in CT at the end of 1975, in good time for the 1976 Rio Race - the one we sailed Jenny Wren in and, I think, the same time that you joined Peter for the trip back in Brer Terrapin. One of the guys on Sirocco made T-shirts with a picture and the name of our yacht, Carina, printed on them. He did this all on board.
Cheers,
Ian

Ian & Paula Allen ian.allen@xtra.co.nz
The Gables info@thegables.co.nz
Web Site www.thegables.co.nz
Tel / Fax 64 3 5736772






The Man
Errol Flynn was born in June 1909 in Hobart Tasmania and died in October 1959. He was a rowdy youngster and found ways of getting into trouble. As an actor, he was the ultimate swashbuckler, a rebel who loved freedom, a fighter against injustice and a heartbreaker. Flynn, the man, was ardent about boating, drinking, fighting and sex. He was a rogue and delighted in this. The actor was a defendant in three statutory rape trials. His career fell into decline. He had problems with the IRS and lawsuits, but before he died, he was making a name for himself as a serious actor, not just a role playing buccaneer.

He bought a yacht, the Sirocco, but sold it after the war. It was the scene of some of his famous orgies. He bought a new boat, the Zaca, also called the Black Witch, which also was the scene of his wild parties. Among his guests were major stars of the cinema. He had affairs with many women and he liked the young ones. His last romance was with sixteen year old Beverly Aadland.

His finances were in such poor shape that he decided to sell the Zaca shortly before his death. The prospective buyers invited him to a party. He said he did not feel well and died of a massive heart attack on the boat he loved.

Eerie Phenomena
The new owner sailed the Zaca to Europe where it broke down, then rotted in a shipyard in the French Riviera. During these years, people reported seeing Errol Flynn’s ghost walk the decks. Usually, his phantom was seen during twilight. One man who saw the specter jumped overboard and was in a state of shock when others found him.

A skipper of another boat heard music and women’s laughter and voices as if a party was happening on the Zaca. Lights were going off and on. No one was aboard. The boat had no electricity hooked up.

The shipyard owners decided to repair the Zaca. Before they did so, they decided to have an exorcism done. A boat painter who had seen Flynn’s ghost took a model of the Zaca to a church in Monte Carlo for the rite. Others who had witnessed Flynn’s phantom were present. The ritual was performed by a Catholic Priest and an Anglican Archdeacon.

During the service, the boat painter groaned and slumped forward in the pew, but quickly recovered.

All who attended the service felt it was a success

Santana,Bogies boat

Regardless of how many owners there have been or ever will be, Santana will always be known as "Bogie's" boat. In Stephen Bogart’s book, "In Search Of My Father," he writes, "While most people know that Bogie and Bacall had a great love affair, probably fewer know about my father’s other great love affair. It was with sailing. Specifically, it was with the Santana, a fifty-five-foot sailing yacht, which he had bought from Dick Powell and June Allyson. My father was not simply some movie star throwing money into a hole in the water. He was very serious about the boat and he was an excellent helmsman who earned the respect of the sailing fraternity, despite some well-entrenched prejudices they had about actors with boats. The sea was my father’s sanity. My father once answered a question about his devotion to sailing this way: "An actor needs something to stabilize his personality, something to nail down what he really is, not what he is currently pretending to be."

Bogart learned to sail as a child and once he had the good fortune to own his own boat he did it as often as possible. He sailed Santana between 35 and 45 weekends a year. Most of those weekends were stag, as Bogie felt that "the trouble with having dames on board is you can’t pee over the side." In addition







Nautical Man

Bogie and Bacall aboard Santana Bogies great off screen passion was sailing, and his pride and joy was his fifty-five-foot sailing yacht called Santana. Both a pleasure and a racing vessel, Bogie entertained friends and family aboard Santana and was also a respected racer, winning several high profile events.

Bogie on the Santana: "I don't use the boat to drink or chase dames on. I use it to get away from things. Hemingway said that the sea was the last free place in the world, and I respect and love it."

On the topic of Bogies love of the sea, and Santana, his wife Lauren Bacall had this to say:
"Bogie loved teaching me his love of the sea. It was one of his greatest joys when Steve was old enough to come on board. Bogie was fulfilled, completely satisfied when he was on the Santana. One look at his face and you could see the purity and the simplicity of the man I knew." "When Bogie laid eyes on the boat for the first time, he became lighthearted - singing, laughing. He did not want to part with her... If I ever had a woman to be jealous of, she was the Santana. Her sleek lines, the way she moved through the water... When Bogie bought that boat he was enslaved - happily so - and truly had everything he'd ever dreamed of."
When he established his own film production company he named it Santana Productions. For the scenes aboard a yacht in Key Largo the vessel was called Santana (although not Bogie's actual yacht). At his funeral his replica model of Santana stood beside the pulpit.

Since Bogie's death the yacht has had several owners and been toured around the world.

Santana Stats
55 ft 2 inches long
Mast Height 62 ft
Working Sail Area 1,569 sq ft
Displacement 50,000 lbs
Fuel 75 gallons
Water 66 gallons
Designed by Sparkman & Stephens, NYC
Built in 1935 by Willmington Boat Works

Tall ship the Stad Amsterdam

Yesterdays blog about the boat Appledore 2 brought a response,which in turn took me to Adventure@BostonNautical.com,which in turn has a feature on the sailing ship
Stad Amsterdam,this is what they tell us on the page:

About the Stad Amsterdam
The clipper ship Stad Amsterdam is making a brief stop in Boston, and will open her decks for free tours on Sunday, April 13, 2008 from 10 am to 1 pm. She'll be berthed at Rowes Wharf by the Boston Harbor Hotel and welcomes all tall ship fans, sailors and sailors to be to come aboard. Soft soled shoes are suggested, she is not ADA capable, and please no carriages or strollers. She is open to "youth of all ages".
The "Stad" is a 250 foot "greyhound of the sea" that offers individuals and groups an unmatched experience under sail. She can make 17 knots under 2,200 square meters of sail, and offers all aboard an authentic hands-on sailing experience (if they choose), as well as unmatched European hospitality. She summers in European waters, taking groups on multi day sails, as well as guest appearances ranging from the Grand Prix at Monaco and major tall ship events. During the winter, she explores the Caribbean with international guests. Sailors looking for a "blue water" experience can sign aboard for her fall transatlantic passage to the Caribbean, or for the spring run from the US back to Europe. This year she leaves Boston on April 16, bound for Portugal..and yes there are berths available.

Conceived in 1995 and launched in 2000, she's an evolution of the clipper ship design that revolutionized shipping and transport in the mid 1800's. She embodies the designs of such legendary clipper ships as the Flying Cloud, Cutty Sark, Peking and other legendary clipper ships, and has set a new standard for cruising under sail.

Her website is www.StadAmsterdam.nl but she's a vessel you'll want to see in person.

How to contact us for other charters or individual bookings:

If you would like info about a specific trip on more than 150 traditional vessels around the world, to cultivate a dream, or would like to organize a meeting, gathering or event under sail, the best way is to email us at Adventure@BostonNautical.com with as much detailed info as you can muster. Please include good phone numbers where we can reach you, and a mailing address where we can forward catalogs, etc. where appropriate.
We will try to respond within 24 hours of receipt.

For general information and to gam with a live person, our contact info is below.

We look forward to sailing with you.
Fair Winds,

Barry L. Nickerson, President & Founder
BOSTON NAUTICAL HERITAGE GROUP
PO Box 379
Stoughton, MA 02072-0379


office 781.344.1749
cell 781.249.4348
email Adventure@BostonNautical.com


Web Site Contact:
Web@bostonnautical.com

Jill Knight,The Mermaid

Jill stayed on her yacht at the HBYC marina for a good while,we got on very well and she was a welcome visitor to the local TBA meetings,when Jill and her black cat on Cooee finally departed,in what was posted as a strong south wester,she got a full gale and was forced to put into Saldahna and ended up taking Cooee out of the water at the Club Mykonos marina to have the entire hull re-caulked,pictures,I have some but where!


Once I saw a mermaid in the Mooloolaba Yacht Club . It was a Tuesday evening about 7pm and a line of thunder storms dark and mean in appearance had approached from the south west.

Like a few other people living on board their yachts I had taken refuge in the Club bar, rather than sit out the chaos of the storm on board. Sitting alone at bistro table number eight in the near empty club I could not help but notice her appearance.


Materialising in a ghost like fashion only metres away, the mermaid then stood at the bistro counter waiting to order. I took in the apparition of this sea creature standing before me. I managed this by stealing discreet glances whilst pretending to read the wine list. No polyester fashion here. No pretension with expensive Sperry boatshoes or Henri Lloyd togs. The legendary sailor was wearing sandals with an anklet of beads or shells and what looked like silk Thai fishermans pants topped with a shawl over a brief shirt. Her long dark hair cascaded over slender shoulders and her spectacles sat upon a wonderfully composed face with natural dignity and grace.

Indulging in all this imagery while she and her companion stood waiting to order their meals, I felt guiltily thankful, that the club service was as usual slower than a Roberts 25. I felt a strong temptation to speak with my mermaid, perhaps ask for her signature on a beer coaster, or just to tell her how much I enjoyed the articles published in the sailing magazines over the years. Alas, I struggled too long with a rare wave of shyness and before long the mermaid went and sat with her friends in the far corner at bistro table number thirteen.

Turning my concentration to the plate of fish and chips and schooner of XXXX on the table before me , I began thinking of the day before when I had discovered COOEE anchored up stream with about twenty other cruising boats during a nice morning sail in my dollar dinghy.

The old yacht which I had read about for the best part of twenty years looked fabulous at anchor. My blood had stirred with the romance and sensation of the moment. I get particular enjoyment from looking at yachts that are renowned in sailing circles and there in the Mooloolaba pond, COOEE looked a pearl of great lustre among common pebbles. I jillied around COOEE in the dollar dinghy a few times and then took my leave from the anchorage.

Buoyed by the sight of the old classic yacht and feeling a strange exuberance I broadreached back to the Yacht Club in the light nor westerly. I celebrated my good spirits by sailing under the Minyama Island bridge with only centimeters separating my mast tip and the bridge span. Life is a gas when things are going well and never more so than for sailing types.

My inspection of COOEE that bright warm Queensland winter morning followed by my furtive glances at the mermaid herself later in the yacht club, confirmed the impression formed in my mind over the years of reading her articles. The impression being that of the perfect symbiosis of a beautiful old vessel and equally beautiful and surefooted lady skipper.

As I remember, much of what stood out about her writing was how she related tales of humanity and personal feelings along with practical elements of ocean travel. I had really wanted to speak with this most alluring sailor but at the club I could see her enjoying the company of her friends so I was reluctant to intrude.

I wanted to ask about her writing as I had heard she had completed one novel and was working on another but alas, I lacked the power of enough XXXX to boost my confidence.

To finish this offering and complete my sharing with you the fruits of a vivid imagination I have this to say. Whilst I tend to dwell on the romantic, moral and spiritual side of things, I do not accept fate as the only lever of my destiny.

Before the week’s end I would have made the acquaintance of COOEE’S skipper, for when the mermaid appeared in the chandlery shop where I worked, I summoned all the chutzpah in the world and greeted her with a smile and the keenest of attitudes.

My willingness to help find the clevis pin missing from the bronze shroud terminal she held in her slim brown hand led naturally enough to a lengthy and enjoyable conversation about yachts, writing and sailing people. My mermaid also bid me to hail her should I ever be sailing past COOEE again.

And that, if it comes to fruition, may be the seed for another story.

Jill Knight is the mermaid of my story. She is a doyenne of the Australian cruising yacht fraternity and well known for writing of her sailing adventures aboard her old gaff rigged yacht Cooee. Her musings and photographic images , published in sailing periodicals for the past two decades have inspired multitudes of sailors to live the cruising life.

Navigating the Edge is Jill Knight’s first novel published by Harper Collins.

Order Jill’s novel

Appeldore vists Cape Town on world tour

This boat was a very welcome visitor to Cape Towns RCYC many years back,I remember looking at her timber masts,round and really well shaped,I was told they had been turned in a vertical lathe in Scotland but I am not quite sure on the truth of this?

Launched on August 22, 1978, Appledore II is the largest of her four sister ships, Appledore I, III, IV, and V. Appledore II was the last schooner custom built by the Harvey Gamage Shipyard in South Bristol, Maine, which had previously built the tall ships Mary Day, Harvey Gamage, Shenandoah, Bowdoin and Spirit of Massachusetts, among others. Designed by Bud McIntosh, she was structured to endure heavy weather and the open ocean.

Appledore II is gaff rigged on both her masts, with a hull speed of 10.5 knots and a length of 86 feet (26 m) overall.


[edit] Maiden Voyage
Her maiden voyage was an 18-month circumnavigation, which commenced in November 1978 from Portsmouth, New Hampshire and concluded there after the Appledore II visited many ports of call around the world. This voyage has been chronicled in two books, Dreams of Natural Places, A New England Schooner Odyssey and Sailing Three Oceans, both authored by Herbert Smith.

Nautical knots you will need on your world cruise

The only rope on a boat is its Bell Rope

The mariners choice,The Bowline.

Making a Bowline

Knots to choose from

Yachts have many lines,'getting to know the ropes' is a very old term given to how a new person learns the various tasks on board but in effect a sailing yacht or boat only has one rope,thats the Bell Rope that is used for signaling when its foggy or for recording the ships time.The rest of the lines on the boat may be called,Sheets,Runners,Halyards,Topping Lift,Vang,Spring,Stern and Bow line,the list goes on but there is still only one rope!

The 2008/9 Volvo Ocean Race Route

This years route is a very different one,the map of the world shows you that India, and China are ports of call too,with the start being in Alacante,Spain,its a very broard band of ports this time around.

Erricson 4 breaks record to use Fluid Film

Volvo Ocean Race 70 ft yacht ,Erricson 4 was leg one winner and the first boat into Cape Town,she and her sister ship Erricson 3 will be using Fluid Film on the next legs,supplied by CKD Boats to their local shore based agents.The boats have now all arrived and can be seen at the Volvo Race Village at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Towns old harbour.

Tom is building his Didi 38 from a CKD Boats kit

We did put a picture of Toms building stocks on the blog some while back,Tom has since been busy assembling his bulkheads,its winter where he is,so he glues them together inside,then when the weather allows he sets them up outside on the building stocks,watch this space for more progress updates.

Paper Jet is in 'Sailing' magazine

Just out,Sailing magazine has a full feature on the Dix Design paper jet,its only available as a kit,we sell ours for R10,037,this includes the plans which are valued at U$300,we pay those on the buyers behalf.



More information is available from

http://www.dixdesign.com/paperjet.htm

This is what we supply in our kit:

4mm OKoume Marine plywood
Sheets 1220x2440mm [8'x4'] - 6

Meranti, Douglas fir or white pine framing
12x12mm (stringers) - 14m, selected for straight grain
16x32mm (wing edge frame) - 5m
18x32mm (daggerboard casing) - 1m
19x19mm (daggerboard casing) - 2m
22x32mm (wing beams) - 3m
16x16mm Triangular (ex 22x22mm cut diagonally) - 16m

Cedar
10x32mm (gunwale) - 5m
16x82mm (wing leading edge) - 5m

Poplar, mahogany or similar
10x32mm (gunwale capping) - 5m
12x89mm (rudder blade) - 2m
16x40mm (wing edge cappings) - 5m
16x64mm (daggerboard) - 5m 19x25mm (wing leading edge cappings) - 2m

Glass etc
50mm glass tape - 1 roll
300g/sq.m [9oz/sq.yd] glass cloth - 2m [2yd] (sheathing foils) (extra 1m for Turbo bowsprit)
Laminating epoxy & hardener - 10litres [3 gal] total

Didi 38 Bulkheads assembly

Click on the picture to view it full screen size.

This is a kit we sent to a north african customer,he has invested in lots of clamps,the bulkheads with our stepped scarphs are being assembled one on top of the other to save space,when they are all glued up,they will be placed on the building stocks ready for the next stage of the boats build.Note the small meranti wood cleat on the top bulkhead and closest to the camera,all bulkheads will have similar cleats,they later support the Shearclamp that takes the top edge of the plywood hull skin,also the deck plys.

ST 433,The last flying boat tender now under restoration

A Sister ship.


Its really great to see some action and a positive stance by a group of people who care about saving our heritage,its also good news to read the Manex Power Marine (fittings) and Barloworld (Perkins engines) have agreed to assist the program.

Click on the 'Home' button below to enter the boats web site.

Home

CKD Boats cc Marine Survey Service in Cape Town

ST-433 the last of her line is now being restored by a group of enthusiasts,click on 'Home' on the blog above this one to enter the web site dedicated to the boat.




Over the years I have done a a good share of yacht and boat survey work,often as a back up for other surveors with less technical marine work experiance,especially when plys and woods are concerned,was the boat built with exterior grade or marine plys is a good example?

The pictures show a local use Sea Plane service tender,it probably dates back to 1943,built in Britain but shipped out here to service the flying boats using the waters near Saldahna,West Coast and just over sixty miles north of Cape Town.In this case the question being asked,was 'could the boat be restored and returned back to light passenger service in Cape Towns V&A Waterfront? the reply was positive but when the costs were known,the idea was given up,the boat still exists I am told.

Packing takes time and care,we do it right

The lable for good service

This crate contains a Didi mini transat fixed keel foil.

Didi mini transat parts being packed

Three Didi mini transat kits being crated to send to the USA,the top crate contains glues and deck parts,plus two of our Optimist kits.
As our kits are mainly to exports world wide,we have become carefull to ensure that the kit is well packed,check out the details in our pictures,all crates are screwed together,then steel band strapped as well.