27 minute read
Broker’s Best
BY RANDY WOODS
Specs & Info
LOA 50’ Beam 15’0” Max Draft 4’6”
Tankage (Fuel/Fresh/ Black)
600 gal. / 170 gal. / 70 gal.
Engines
Twin diesel 380hp Volvo Penta TAMD 71Bs
Contact
Waterline Boats Seattle, Port Townsend & Everett, WA 206.282.0110 boats@waterlineboats.com waterlineboats.com
1993 Navigator 50 Pilothouse Classic
Offered by Waterline Boats, this 50 Pilothouse Classic features a multi-level layout that makes wonderful use of its well maintained space.
It may be nearly 30 years old, but this Navigator 50 Pilothouse Classic is still bursting with life, featuring an unusual, multi-level layout that makes ingenious use of every inch of space. Access to the boat can be made through the transom door from the molded swim platform. The outdoor aft cockpit leads to the salon, which contains a full-size couch and two chairs. A flat-screen TV, equipped with a Bose sound system, can be lowered into a custom cabinet to provide more space for entertaining. From the salon, a small stairway connects to the pilothouse, galley, and dinette space, with an L-shaped settee and two individual stools. The galley has a refrigerator, sink, and three-burner electric stove, and side doors provide access from the pilothouse to the foredeck. Starboard of the galley is the lower helm, which features a Raytheon RLC Pathfinder radar, a Raytheon Tridata depth speed display, and a Raymarine C760 depth sounder, an Autohelm autopilot, and Standard Horizon VHF. A stairway in the aft upper deck leads to the flybridge, which has upper and lower seating areas, as well as space for deck chairs and a cushioned aft bench seat. The flybridge also has a helm chair and two companion seats. The berths are found in two staterooms, each with its own head and shower, that are separated from each other to provide a high degree of privacy not often seen in boats of this size. A starboard stairway leads to the master stateroom, with a king-size berth and ample storage. The master head with a separate shower is located forward on the port side. Another stairway leads from the pilothouse to the guest stateroom, which has a centerline queen berth and seating on the port side. The forward head/shower can be accessed via the hallway or another private door from the guest stateroom. An aft deck hatch gives access to the engine room, housing twin diesel 380hp Volvo Penta TAMD 71B turbo-charged engines. The six-cylinder engines cruise at 10 knots, with a flat-out speed of about 14 knots. Though built in 1993, there have been some recent improvements. At the stern, a dinghy cradle has been added to the aft end of the flybridge, saving deck space. The 2001 Caribe RIB dinghy, powered by a 30hp Yanmar outboard, can be lowered with a Nick Jackson electric lift arm davit rated at 1,000 pounds. Both heads were rebuilt and all black-water hoses from the heads to the holding tank were replaced in 2020. The current owner has also updated the pilothouse and salon with new carpets and flooring.
LIVE THE ADVENTURE SEA BEYOND
Life is one grand adventure and Seattle Yachts invites you to experience the greatest ones that lie ahead. As your destination for adventure boats, we have decades of hands-on experience in sales and construction of luxury cruising vessels of all types. From sailboats, to motor yachts, liveaboards, trawlers, and cruising boats, if it’s adventure you seek, you will find it with us. Let our expert team make sure your journey begins with the right yacht.
Live life by a compass and come adventure with us.
55’ 1988 Californian $169,000
34’ 1976 CHB
$39,500
42’ 1987 Sabre 42
$130,000
‘34 1999 Sea Ray
$52,500
35’ 1984 Endurance PH
$110,000
65’ 1990 MacGregor $159,950
LISTINGS NEEDED!
65’ 1990 Macgregor 65 $159,550 55’ 1988 Californian $169,000 52’ 1971 Thames $99,850 49’ 2008 Beneteau 49 COMING 47’ 1980 Gulfstar SOLD 44’ NEW Roberts $9,950 42’ 1987 Sabre 42 $130,000 40’ 1987 Ponderosa SOLD 37’ 1979 North Sea COMING 36’ 1981 C&C COMING 36’ 2003 Bavaria SOLD 35’ 1984 Endurance 35 PH $110,000 34’ 1999 Sea Ray $52,500 34’ 1976 CHB $39,500 33’ 1972 Nauticat SOLD 30’ 1978 Tollycraft SOLD 25’ 1994 Nimble Nomad SOLD 22’ 1989 Glacier Bay SOLD
Bristol Yachts Northwest / 520 E. Whidbey Ave., Suite 106 / Oak Harbor, WA 98277 curtis.adams6@frontier.com 360-679-6779 www.yachtworld.com/bristol/
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[ 2021 GIFT GUIDE ] GADGETS &GEAR
Make your mariner merry with nifty new gear under the tree.
NOC Provisions Zoom Tube Monocular
Put the clearest view of the horizon in the palm of your hand with the powerful Zoom Tube, providing 8x32 magnification in a compact, 5-inch-long monocular. The rugged, water-resistant casing will endure through the roughest of seas, and the fog-proof, scratch-resistant lens will bring any feature or obstacle into focus. The multi-coated optics and BaK4 roof prism allow for a bright, 384-foot field of view at 1,000 yards. Available in six fanciful colors, from beeswax yellow to tar pit black. $75 // nocprovisions.com
DiKaou LED Flame Speaker
Not only does this LED Flame Atmosphere Speaker supply 5 watts of dynamic audio power, it also comes with an LED lamp that shines a dancing yellow glow that resembles a flickering candle—the perfect atmosphere for dancing on deck or a romantic evening for two. Equipped with Bluetooth, the compact 6.5-inch-tall speaker easily connects to phones or tablets from up to 33 feet away, allowing you to custom-design your favorite playlist from nearly anywhere on board. $39.99 // amazon.com/dikaou
Garmin’s GPSMAP 79 Handheld Series
This holiday season, Garmin has released the GPSMAP 79 handheld series. Designed to equip mariners with a suite of essential, easy-to-use onboard navigation tools, the rugged handheld comes in two versions: the 79s, with support for downloadable marine charts, and the 79sc, with BlueChart g3 cartography. Both units feature larger displays, scratch-resistant lenses, a tilt-compensated electronic compass, 19 hours of battery life, and 8GB of memory. $300-$350 // garmin.com
Mission Boat Gear Sentry Boat Fenders
For boaters tired of fumbling with wet and tangled fender ropes, Mission Boat Gear’s Sentry fenders are designed to better fit your boat shape, which enables quick tie-ups. Made of durable, closed-cell XL Xtralight foam, the 22-inch Sentry Fenders are molded to hug the curves of today’s boat hulls and are easily secured with a unique Dryline strap system. The patented foam material protects your boat, always stays dry, and is salt-, mold-, and chemical-resistant. Available in gray, blue, yellow, and nearly black. $72 // missionboatgear.com
[ 2021 GIFT GUIDE ] HOME &DECOR
These sea-inspired finds are sure to say “home sweet yacht.”
Storm Cloud
The weather in our fair city is known to change without warning but with this Storm Cloud weather predictor on your desk or mantel, you will at least have a heads up before sailing out into the elements. Changes in barometric pressure will cause the white liquid to change shape, indicating the pressure outside. Cloudy liquid? The weather will be cloudy as well; if you spot crystals at the bottom, expect frost outside. $25 // uncommongoods.com
Salty Home Pacific Modern Tide Clock
It’s an age-old question, especially in the winter: What’s the tide schedule? Now, thanks to this intrepid clock, you can get the answer before you head in, or out, for your next adventure ashore. Made with natural beach wood and protected by mineral glass by Southern California decor brand Salty, the chestnut-colored hand is synced to the rhythm of the ocean indicating low and high tides. (It does need to be calibrated once a week and can be done so through Google.) $79 // salty-home.com
Studio Abachar Serving Board
In life there are so many perfect pairings to be enjoyed; wine and cheese, fried chicken and champagne, and the list goes on. The consummate host in your life will enjoy serving these items on another spectacular pairing— engraved wood and resin serving boards from GMG Woodcrafts and artist Amadeo Bachar’s Studio Abachar. Each design is handmade with live edge wood and a gorgeous resin fill with laser engraved characters inspired by the sea. $145-$165 //studioabachar.myshopify.com
NiceAftGoods Custom Nautical Coordinates Pillow
Pay homage to a special someone’s favorite port of call or home marina with this customized décor pillow. Street addresses are translated into longitude and latitude coordinates with personalized text in an adjacent bracket. $36 // etsy.com/shop/NiceAftGoodsw
Nautical Luxuries Melamine Rowing Oars Dining Set
There are many uncertain aspects to sailing that contribute to the incomparable charm of life at sea. Your dinnerware, however, should not be one of them. Snag a set of Rowing Oars dinnerware in delightfully bright and navy blue hues crafted with a sturdy melamine material that should withstand whatever your course throws at you. $149 for a 12-piece set // nauticalluxuries.com
[ 2021 GIFT GUIDE ] FOOD &DRINK
Deliver some galley gourmet with these locally made bites and sips.
Coro Limited-Edition Provisions & Holiday Sample Salami Pack
From the fine folks behind the esteemed Salumi Deli in Pioneer Square, Coro allows you to enjoy a quintessential Seattle bite anytime, anywhere, on any vessel. Their classically made salami is now available at area grocers and online. For the holiday season, Coro is debuting a limited-edition pack of delectable condiments inspired by those used in the deli—a Navel orange marmalade, herb and caper spread, Giardiniara relish, and plum mustard—in addition to a Northwest-inspired Porcini-Leek salami crafted with flavors such as earthy mushrooms, sweet leeks, and a dry Pinot Gris wine. (Pro tip: Many of the brand’s salami also come in pre-sliced packs so you can serve them aboard in a snap.) $44 per 4-pack of provisions; $50 per holiday pack of 4 salami (set includes Porcini-Leek, Lemongrass, Agrumi and Mole flavors) // corofoods.com
Simple Goodness Sisters Cocktail Farm Club Subscription Box
Hand-crafted from farm-grown or foraged ingredients, and available in such flavors as berry sage, vanilla rhubarb, and the seasonal apple pie option featured on page 32, the cocktail syrups from this sister-owned farm located near the base of Mount Rainier can be purchased singularly or in sets, but our favorite way to imbibe is through the sisters’ subscription box. Shipped bimonthly, it is filled with seasonal flavors, exclusive micro-batches, and cocktail garnishes such as herbs, salt, or sugar rimmers, plus custom recipes from mixologist Belinda Kelly, so that you can keep the docktails flowing all year long. $55 per box// simplegoodnesssisters.com
Cookies with Tiffany Cookie Subscription
Whether you’re looking for a hostess gift, congratulatory token for a new yacht purchase, or a no-fuss holiday dessert, these sweet treats really deliver. Based in Seattle, Cookies with Tiffany hand-crafts small-batch cookies using pure vanilla, real cane sugar, locally procured eggs and butter, and sustainably sourced chocolate—then bakes them up fresh and ships the cookies straight to your door. In addition to their signature flavors, which include snickerdoodle, s’mores, and toffee, owner Tiffany Lewis also offers seasonal options such as pumpkin pie and chocolate crinkles. Order a variety pack by the dozen, or give the gift of a sweet, sweet subscription. $38 per dozen or $108 for a 3-month membership, plus shipping // cookieswithtiffany.com
[ 2021 GIFT GUIDE ] APPAREL & ACCESSORIES
Stylish, cozy finds that nod to the life aquatic.
Breitling Superocean Automatic 48 Boutique Edition Diver’s Watch
Legendary watchmaker Breitling’s Superocean Automatic 48 Boutique Edition Diver’s Watch is the perfect companion for your nautical adventures, whether on board or underwater. This super stylish timepiece boasts features for the quintessential diver, too, including protection against magnetic waves, secured bezel, and waterproofing up to 300 meters. $5,500 // breitling.com
Men’s Sailor Pullover
The traditional nautical must-have gets an upgrade thanks to 727 Sailbags, as the brand’s men’s Sailor Pullover features a cozy mock turtleneck, asymmetrical button details, and elbow pads made from 100% recycled sailcloth. Also made with 100% wool, the stylish sailor in your life will thank you when the weather gets frigid. $225 // 727sailbags.us
Title Nine Bun Warmer Skirt
When your favorite layers are just not enough to stay off winter’s chill, pull out the next best thing to a cozy fire: Title Nine’s Quilted Skirt Bun Warmer. This super lightweight piece keeps you warm even when wet and sports an abrasion-resistant nylon. $139 // titlenine.com
Maggie Lee Designs Wooden Boat Pendant
Wooden boat aficionados, we’re thinking of you with this sterling silver pendant from Maggie Lee Designs. Cast in precious metals and finished with a fine texture on the planks, it also features hand-engraved highlights between each overlapping “board” and high-polished stem and edges. Turn it over and you will even see the planked inside of the hull. $94 // maggieleedesigns.com
Willy Backpack
Mariners will marvel at the Willy backpack made with a unique combination of linen and leather—all sourced from 100% recycled sails. And, oh, the pockets! Four zip pockets and a large interior closure, to be exact, will welcome all of your belongings whether you are planning a jaunt around the islands or a scenic hike. $290 // 727sailbags.us
[ 2021 GIFT GUIDE ] STOCKING STUFFERS
Nautical treasures and treats to hang by the chimney with care.
Nautical Luxuries King Crab Bottle Opener
Next time you crack open a crab, why not get a crab to crack open a beer? This whimsical bottle-opener in the shape of an Alaskan king crab claw can be a memorable addition to any party in the Northwest. $28 // nauticalluxuries.com
Tight Lines Sticker
Every angler loves to have tight lines (as well as read our popular column, page 64!), so here’s a locally made indoor/outdoor sticker that shows off your expert fishing skills here in the “Upper Left” of the U.S. $3.75 // thegreatpnw.com
Ugo Line Cutterz Zipper Pull
Never fumble around for a line cutter again with this handy tool that attaches to your jacket zipper. With a recessed blade and non-slip grip, Line Cutterz can slice through any braided, monofilament, or fluorocarbon line with ratings of up to 100 pounds. $14 // ugowear.com
Taylor Shellfish Japanese Oyster Knife
One must always have a firm grip when preparing mollusks for dinner. This stainless steel oyster knife, based on a classic design from Japan, has a molded, comfortable handle to make even the toughest shells easy to open. $18 // taylorshellfishfarms.com
Un-Duz-It Marine Kit Cleaning System
This all-inclusive kit has everything they need to clean, restore, and protect their vessel so they can get back on the water looking sharp after the winter lull. $69.95 // shop.cleanerlivingproducts.com
Fireworks Beverage Life Vest Cozy
The first rule of boating parties is “never let the beer go down with the ship!” This fanciful little nylon life vest keeps your beer snug and cold, while also protecting it in case it (or you) goes overboard at your next party. $16.50 // fireworksgallery.net
Girl Meets Dirt Cherry Fig Jam
This delectable jam, made of Rainier and Lapins cherries and fig leaves harvested from Smallwood Farms in Washington state, sure makes a sweet gift this holiday season. $14 // girlmeetsdirt.com
Ekone Oyster Co. Tinned Seafood Suite
This fresh variety pack from the Ekone Oyster Company, located on the shores of Willapa Bay, features six different canned seafood delights fit for your next snack tray, including the company’s signature tangy lemon-pepper and smoky-hot habañero oyster treats. $58 // buy.taylorshellfishfarms.com
Kraken Rum Dark Label & Limited-Edition ‘The Kraken Attacks from Seattle’ Rums
Snap up a bottle of black spiced rum to ring in the New Year from Kraken Rum. The lineup includes both the Dark Label with notes of ginger, vanilla and peppercorns, and a limited-edition flavor made in tribute to Seattle’s newest sports team. $25 // Available at area stores such as Total Wine & More or Bartell Drugstores, krakenrum.com
HAIL TO THE CHIEFTAIN
Longtime Northwest Yachting contributor PETER MARSH recounts the fascinating history of the tall ship Hawaiian Chieftain as she finds a new lease on life, and he fondly remembers this past winter as her caretaker in Astoria, Oregon.
The Hawaiian Chieftain (at right) snapped during a battle sail with the Lady Washington back in 2018. PHOTO BY RICK HORN
The Chieftain on a public sail. PHOTO COURTESY OF GRAYS HARBOR HISTORICAL SEAPORT
The Grays Harbor Historical Seaport sailed the two ships together for many years; Lady Washington remains in their care today. PHOTO BY MEG PATTERSON
The Hawaiian Chieftain, a classic sailing ship with a bright yellow hull and traditional square rig, has been a popular sight on the waters in the Pacific Northwest for almost 30 years. But wherever it went, this unique steel vessel was often overshadowed by its wooden partner Lady Washington—the state of Washington’s official tall ship.
Sister ship Lady Washington’s iconic figurehead. PHOTO BY RICK HORN
The launch of Lady Washington on March 7, 1989, as the flagship of the Washington State Centennial celebration was probably the biggest I’ve ever covered in the 34 years I’ve written for this fine publication, but it was just the beginning for Lady Washington, which has appeared in several hit movies including Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and Star Trek: Generations. However, it was the “double act” with Hawaiian Chieftain that became famous on the West Coast from Vancouver, British Columbia to San Diego, California. Whether watching from the shore, boarding at the dockside, or as a paying passenger, who could resist these two replicas of historic vessels participating in a staged cannon battle under full sail? I photographed one of these engagements myself from the helm of my 21’ wooden trimaran a few years back, and I remember being caught up in the event while trying to steer, trim the sails, and get some good shots all at once. The next day, the eye-catching pair were off on their travels again, and I could never have imagined that in the fall of 2020, I would be given the responsibility of safeguarding one of these magnificent ships through the winter. How the Hawaiian Chieftain and I became entangled is now part of these tall ships’ tale.
[Built on History] I began digging a little deeper into their fascinating history, and it was only then that I realized that both tall ships were under construction in 1988 and both boasted naval architects named Ray. Owned by Grays Harbor Historical Seaport (GHHS) (historicalseaport.org), Lady Washington was designed by Raymond E. Wallace, a well-known marine historian and artist, naval architect, and prominent yachtsman. The Hawaiian Chieftain was built in Lahaina, Hawaii, on the island of Maui and designed by Seattle naval architect Ray Richards, who is best known regionally for designing two iconic Northwest craft; the Ranger 24 and Haida 26. A couple of the men who helped build the Chieftain visited me during my tenure with the boat last year and reminisced over the casual atmosphere at the shipyard. There were occasional changes to Richards’ interior layout to suit the climate and
the intended use, they recalled, then the Chieftain slipped into the water without fanfare. The hull was 65’ long, and when it was fully rigged as an early 19th-century topsail ketch with an authentic long bowsprit, it grew to over 100’ overall—10’ less than Lady Washington’s impressive sparred length of 112’ on a 67’ hull. Richards’ design was based on a flat-bottomed shallow draft hull, with a long keel and bilge fins to keep the draft down to 5’5”. It was powered by twin diesel engines to give it better maneuverability in small harbors. The maiden voyage was to Tahiti in 1990, then the crew sailed to San Francisco under a new owner who eventually based the boat in Sausalito, California. In 1993, the two aforementioned ships first arranged to meet in a mock sea battle in San Francisco Bay, which began their long association. The Hawaiian Chieftain passed through the hands of several owners until 1998, when GHHS decided to purchase it and make the vessel the official sailing partner to Lady Washington.
[Sisters at Sea] From there, the two tall ships established a successful “trade route” of cruising the Northwest shores in the summer and Southern California in the winter. This program provided hands-on history of the fur trade for school children on weekdays and took the public sailing on weekends when a battle under sail was recreated by firing black powder charges from ships’ small cannons. There was a brief hiatus from 2004-2005, as GHHS accepted an offer for Hawaiian Chieftain from a New England enthusiast. Unfortunately, the new owner died soon after, and GHHS then bought the ship back. The ships resumed their partnership, reaching thousands more children and carrying many families on exciting sails. (The Hawaiian Chieftain and Lady Washington were also featured together in a September 2019 NWY article outlining the state’s tall ships). All seemed well, until the annual haul out of Lady Washington in the winter of 2018-19 for maintenance and U.S. Coast Guard inspection. Some serious issues with rot were discovered, and the entire transom and many planks had to be replaced. In the summer of 2019, Coast Guard inspectors discovered serious rust problems with the Chieftain, particularly in the hull below the waterline and bowsprit. It was forbidden from carrying passengers until these issues were completely resolved. Thus, the organization had to make some difficult decisions on the future of both ships and announced their plan in December 2019: “We came to the difficult decision that it was time for Hawaiian Chieftain’s role within Grays Harbor Historical Seaport to come to an end,” stated Brandi Bednarik, executive director. The steel ship was delivered from Port Townsend south to Astoria in 2019 in the hopes of less
Memories from the GHHS maritime history education program once held aboard both ships (and still offered on Lady W) surround a shot of the Chieftain being towed away for restoration after the 2020 winter spent in Astoria. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS PHOTOS BY COOPER CARRAS; LADY WASHINGTON BELL PHOTO BY RICK HORN; TOW PHOTO BY PETER MARSH
RESTORATION PROJECT
Port Townsend Shipwrights Co-Op has its own fascinating story, which also began in the 1980s. In 1981, a group of shipwrights in Port Townsend banded together to purchase a ship saw—a large and very heavy bandsaw. They built a shop over it and created a viable space to work on all types of boats. Forty years later, Port Townsend Shipwrights has expanded to four buildings where the historical trade of working on boats is alive and well. The co-op now employs over 50 craftspeople with a wide range of skills and a team of certified shipwrights who handle practically any task on any type of boat, from big fishing vessels to classic wooden motor yachts. Many of them are graduates of the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding in Hadlock, a few miles away, so they can re-plank, re-caulk, and re-rig heavy wooden hulls like Lady Washington. They are equally skilled in working with all types of metals and welding methods, which will be necessary when repairing the heavily rusted hull of the Chieftain to a level that can pass United States Coast Guard regulations. According to Day, the hull repairs will start with “minor crop and replacement of
expensive repairs in partnership with the Tongue Point Job Corps. Unfortunately, the estimated cost of the steel repairs alone came to $350,000—well beyond the ship’s current value—and it also needed new engines plus an overhaul of all its mechanical and electrical systems, bringing the total cost to a minimum of $600,000. In the fall of 2020, the ship was towed around Tongue Point and moored behind Astoria’s Pier 39, which was established in 1875 and is the site of the oldest remaining fish cannery in the region.
[With Great Care] This is where I enter into the tale because I happen to be the volunteer director of the Hanthorn Cannery Museum (canneryworker.org), located inside one of the pier’s many freezer rooms. Being the most experienced sailor available, I found myself speedily “promoted” to the rank of ship’s caretaker for the winter. I was well aware of the conditions the winter would deliver to the lower Columbia, and by December, cold east winds were starting to blow down the river from the Gorge. I looked all over the ship searching for some spare mooring rope until I had several lengths that enabled me to double and then triple the bow and stern lines. After every blow, I would climb on board via a narrow plank and check for wear and tear on the canvas I had wrapped around the warps where they ran through the ship’s rusty hawse holes. (I actually considered spending a night on board in the main cabin but decided I might be spoiled by all the space compared to the tunnel-like berth on my own small boat.) Storm after storm, once I was satisfied everything was still shipshape, I would climb the steps to the poop deck like Captain Bligh and survey my handiwork as the ship pitched and rolled in the easterly swell. Happily, the lines held and the ship began to attract more and more public interest as the weather improved in the spring. Technically, the Chieftain was for sale the entire time it was at the pier, but it was still a surprise in the middle of last summer to hear that someone in Hawaii was seriously interested in becoming the next owner. Aubrey Wilson, who has crewed as a deckhand on three traditionally rigged tall ships—198’ Niagara (Lake Erie), 156’ Tole Mour (Catalina Island), and 137’ Roseway (Boston), was intent on buying the boat, with the support of her husband Matt, and restoring it as an educational resource. “We desperately wanted to come to Astoria to inspect the ship in person, but we didn’t feel it was safe to fly with our baby during the peak of the pandemic,” Wilson said. However, she did call me to say hello, thanked me for my efforts, and I soon found myself welcoming her mother on board, followed by her surveyor Captain Dennis Crowley from Aberdeen, and work crews from GHHS, escorting them all across the flimsy gangplank. Finally, Arren Day, one of the twelve partners of the Port Townsend Shipwrights Co-Op (PTSC) (ptshipwrights.com) that has worked on the two tall ships for many years, gave the boat a thorough exam. They were certainly the most qualified yard to perform the necessary restoration work; once they won the bid, I knew the ship’s days in Astoria were numbered. The final visitors were the crew of the 75’ tug Triumph, owned by Western Towboat, a family-run company based on Seattle’s Ship Canal. This crew wasted no time in rigging up the tow, and then Hawaiian Chieftain quickly disappeared downriver from our view. I decided to get one more view and jumped in my van and drove through downtown to the Astoria-Megler bridge, where I watched this 18th century design traveling faster than it ever had, with a strong pull from the tug and a full spring tide bringing her to Port Townsend. When the restoration work is complete (see sidebar below for more details), and after sea trials, the new Hawaiian Chieftain will sail back to the Islands where she first took shape and start the next chapter in her story. >> For the latest on the repair work and future plans for Hawaiian Chieftain, visit: sailhawaiianchieftain.com.
hull plating, center keel, and some deck structure, plus a lot of little repairs to bilge areas and tanks—but nothing too dramatic!” On deck, they will build a new steel main mast and the windlass, and fit new standing rigging, new chainplates, and new bowsprit. It is in the propulsion and electrical system that the Chieftain will depart entirely from tradition with a state-ofthe-art, hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system and a big lithium-ion battery bank. The foundation of this will be a modern “clean diesel” generator, which will power two electric motors on the twin propeller shafts. This is expected to give a threehour motoring capacity on fully charged batteries before the generator must be started. The ship will need to be extensively rewired with LED lighting and the crew will have the advantage of modern digital instruments and satellite navigation equipment—unless they want to practice their sextant skills! The exterior will be sandblasted and painted in a new color scheme that chosen by a contest on the ship’s new website. The latest schedule estimates the work will take 18 months and the ship will be relaunched in spring 2023.
