#1385 S Boat "Clara J"

[DaveHub]

Just creating a new thread here under "Specific Boats", now that the restoration is complete and I have half a season in the water with her.

She is now settling in for the winter out in Greenport Long Island at Donn Costanzo's Wooden Boatworks.

Also, for you "S" fans, I heard from Ken Upham, the author of the "History and Register of the Herreshoff S Class" back in 1994 for the 75th anniversary of the class.  He is planning to update the book for the 100th in a few years.  He'll be looking for updates.  He was also able to provide me with more details about my boat.  Seems she has had quite the life.  Built in '36, she was damaged in the hurricane of '38.  Another "S" was destroyed (possibly "Daphnia"), and had parts from that boat used to repair her.  Maybe even the Keel.  So "Clara J" may now carry the soul of a couple of boats in addition to the new life the IYRS students and staff gave her.

Dave

[DaveHub]

Great start to the season!  Also just started racing with Setauket Yacht Club in Port Jefferson, on Long Island.

We won our first race!

Since the "S" boats tend to race as a one design, I had no idea how we would do sailing PHRF.  Well, the answer is, very well!

We won on adjusted time, but actually crossed the line second, still ahead of boats who owed us time!  And also ahead of some boats we owed time to.

Nice start to the season.

The last race was cancelled just before the start due to T-storms.  We got caught out in one though.  Another boat's anemometer read 45 kts!  We sort of ended up in what I would say is a 'controlled broach' with the boom in the water, 90 degrees out to port.  But she only heeled so far and then we just sat there until we got the jib eased and she came up, at which point she took of like a rocket.  Don't want to do that again, but I was seriously happy for the "S" boat's 55% ballast!

Dave

[Adam]

Very cool Dave! Will we see her in Bristol this year?

[DaveHub]

A little boat history update:  I got a great letter from Fred Bieberbach, the marine surveyor who did my survey.  I ended up meeting him for the first time this winter.  He attended Warren Barker's talk the Herreshoff Museum this winter, and ran into some old family friends.  Turns out that their dad was 'Unk' Allen (Godfrey) who passed away in 2008.  But he realized it was 'Unk' who did the partial restoration on Clara J around 1970!  More pieces to the life of an "S" boat!

[DaveHub]

History update: This past year was the Centennial of the "S" boat design in 1919.  I had a real treat when the daughter of the first owner of my boat found me through the registry and contacted me. She came down to Port Jefferson Long Island and sailed with me in our YC's 'Village Cup' charity regatta!  She had never been on her mom's boat, as it left the family long before she was born.  She brought with her most of her mom's memorabilia.  Her mom passed in 2007, but the family always fondly remembered the boat that her mom owned only for two years from 1936 to 1938 when the boat was sunk in the great hurricane of '38.  She brought pictures, an original watercolor, and her mom's trophy for winning the Narragansett bay S boat regatta in 1937!  Even some shavings from the boat while being built! But get this, her mom, Ann Wicks, was only 14 years old when her parents got her the boat!

The only pics of the boat are a couple of it being built at the Herreshoff yard, a deck shot, and a shot of her sunk against the shore.

See some pics here: http://lihubbards.com/1919pics.html

Dave

[Charles Barclay]

Great follow up Dave!  Wonderful pictures of Ann and her yacht. 

[Adam]

I'll say - Great provenance Dave!