Sail Number: 182
Type: Original Gaff-Rigged Cutter
LOA: 53’0″ / 16.20m – LOD: 48’0″ / 14.60m – LWL: – Beam: 10′ 6″ / 3.20m – Draft: 7′ 6″ / 2.30m – Hull material: Teak on Oak frames – Designer: Harris Brothers – Built by: Harris Brothers, UK – Year Built: 1905 – Original Name: Iolaire – Original Owner: – Current Name: Iolaire – Sail Area: Yawl rig 1,020 sq. ft – Ship Location: Marine Traffic Locator
Status: July 26, 2019 Iolaire, due to bad seamanship, lost off the NE coast of Ibiza
Historical:
IOLAIRE, a Gaelic term that translates in English as “white-tailed sea eagle,” was designed, built and launched by Harris Bros in 1905. Iolaire is the only 100 year old yacht that has been in continuous commission since she was launched; cruising and racing during both wars, as she was Irish owned and based.
Iolaire raced successfully from 1909 to 1923, under her gaff rig for the Tweedy family, of Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire), and also cruised extensively.
In 1928 P. T. Rose-Richards, one of the founder members of the R.O.R.C., purchased lolaire and raced her successfully, she was then variously owned by Lt. Colonel Alston, the Burton family and Owen Edmunds – all of whom raced her under gaff rig. After the war, still under her gaff rig, R.H. Bobby Sommerset another founding member of the R.O.R.C. bought her. He sailed her to the Caribbean in 14 days and hours from the Cape Verdes to Barbados, cruised extensively through the Caribbean as far west as Jamaica—as far north as North Cape; then back to the U.K. and as far east as Turkey. Sommerset then raced her and won the R.O.R.C. Class 2 Seasons Points Championship in 1951 under Marconi rig—He had inherited the rig out of German Freres Joanna, when Freres had Camper & Nicholson build him an aluminium mast.
Don Street, purchased Iolaire in 1957 and has cruised and raced her extensively — lolaire has made twelve transatlantic passages, seven of them under the present owners command. She is a passage maker. Three trips; Cape Verdes to the islands of the Caribbean in 14 days and hours in 1949, 1985 and 1989; the Canaries to Antigua in 18 ½ days in 1975; Halifax to Mizzen Head in 1975 – averaging 154 miles a day. He raced her successfully in the Caribbean until 1985 when he retired her from round the buoy racing. He has continued racing her in Classic Regattas in the Caribbean and European waters. Despite having no engine the present owner has taken her all the places that people say you cannot go without one. Through the East River in New York; through the Cape Cod Canal; eight trips up and down the Thames River; five trips up and down the Elbe; to various harbors on the south coast of England that people say you cannot enter without an engine—to the south coast of France to La Rochelle; Benodet; Trinit<5; Brest; Douarnenez—all possible because of the yawl rig. He has owned lolaire for 53 years and has sailed her roughly 200,000 miles – in all conditions. Considering the extensive cruising done before the present owner bought her, she has probably done between 300,000 and 350,000 miles in her life time.
Restoration
Don Street – Iolaire was hauled in June 2005, the mast was pulled for checking, the bilges were completely emptied, water tanks and internal trimming ballast removed, iron work, mast step and floors in the forward part of the bilge were cleaned, chipped and painted with coal tar epoxy, and new batteries were installed. Iolaire has been painted red for fifty years. When I purchase Iolaire in 1958 she was red. I accused the previous owner of painting her red to hid the rust stains from the iron work whose galvanizing had long since departed. Through the years I eliminated all the iron fittings but kept the color as she had become famous as “the old red race horse”. Iolaire is the Scottish Gaelic name for “White Tailed Sea Eagle” so for her 100th birthday my wife Trich has persuaded me to re-paint Iolaire original white color. The topsides, bulwark, bottom and all varnish work was brought up to first class yacht standard. Iolaire, was hauled again in Cowes in 07 and diesel electric drive with off set feathering prop installed. The winter of o8/09 she was hauled in Old Court boat yard up the river Ilhen above Baltimore. All water tanks were removed, checked and minor leaks that were found were repaired. All keel bolts were again checked, they had been checked in 05, but we checked them again and discovered the last two were broken. These were both replaced. The are l 1/8 bronze. For probably the first time in her life she was out of the water for the entire winter.
We took this time to do a job that we have wanted to do for 50 years. When we removed Iolaire copper sheathing in 1958 we had to guess at the water line, we guessed wrong, it was slightly low back aft. Sailors always said she was down by the stern why did I not get her properly trimmed.
She was not down by the stern, the water line was not correct. Since she was out of the water all winter, D3 our number one son raised the waterline 4″back aft. Iolaire now looks correctly trimmed. Given three weeks notice I can have her ready to sail anywhere in the world. She can be raced in the Classic Circuit as is, or the aluminum mainmast or if someone has a lot of money, deep pockets she can be converted back to gaff rig.
Rig Double Headsail Yawl
Don Street – The rig is very flexible and easy to handle. The spreaders are raked slightly aft to create a slight pre bend in the large sectioned 9 ‘/2 inch fore and aft; 7 ½ inch athwartship aluminum mast. The preventer back stays are seldom used and if being used short tacking in heavy weather they are far enough forward, that both runners can be set up and left set up. They do not have to be adjusted each time the boat is tacked. Over the 53 years of ownership the present owner has worked out the rig that works superbly in all conditions. The working rig is Main and Mizzen, big Yankee and Genoa-Staysail. This provides the same sail area as a 135% Genoa but this rig is much easier to tack than a 135% Genoa. While racing this has often been proved when short tacking up the south coast of Antigua. As the wind increases the main can be shortened down quickly using slab reefing, in extreme conditions a storm trysail can be set in a separate track. In normal off shore sailing the storm trysail is bent onto the track and stowed in a bag on top of the dinghy.Under storm trysail and heavy weather staysail she will work to windward in 50 knots of wind. In storm conditions 70 knots she will heave to under Mizzen alone with helm lashed. The Yankee is set on a Harken roller reefing foil and can be reefed. Genoa-Staysail is roller furling in its own luff wire. In extreme conditions the Genoa-Staysail is rolled up completely and a bullet proof reefable heavy weather staysail is set, hanked on to the staysail stay. In light airs the first step is to roll up the roller furling Genoa-Staysail and set on the staysail stay the hanked on light Genoa-Staysail, with the Yankee. This gives the same sail area as a 10/150% Genoa but is much easier to set up, tack and handle. When the wind goes really light, the light Genoa-Staysail is dropped; the Staysail stay is disconnected and brought back to the mast. The Yankee rolled up. Then the 675-sq. Foot MPG (Multi-Purpose Genoa) stowed in a snuffer is set flying on its Kevlar luff. It is hoisted on an oversized halyard to minimize luff sag. In light airs one person can steer and tack the MPG as there is a clear fore triangle. When reaching the Mizzen staysail can be set. The small one is 320-sq. Feet, the larger one 640-sq. Feet!! Spars The aluminum main mast was built by Proctor 1965, it was anodized and painted. Through the years there has been a corrosion problem with the mast heel. This has been replaced twice. The last time in 1993. A spare tube for the 12″ bottom section can be replaced, and is already made up. This new section should probably be installed ten years hence—2013. The mast was removed for a complete check in 1997, and again in 2005.In 1993 all fittings were taken off the lower part of the mast checked and where there was any significant corrosion double plates were welded on. The mast was removed for painting in 1995 and in 1997 for checking—when all rigging was checked. The main boom is spruce and believed to be the original. The Mizzen mast was built in 1954, for the Aberking Rasmussen yawl Ondine and well maintained over the years. Rigging Main Mast – The standing rigging is 5/16 -inclj. 1X19 stainless steel—all replaced in 1995 in the rebuild. The end fittings are Staylock—all fittings dye checked in 1997 polished and checked with magnifying glass The head stay was replaced in 1995 when the Harken gear was dismantled and checked by Spencers of Cowes. The rig is very flexible and easily handled. The spreaders are raked slightly aft to create a slight prebend, in the large sectioned mast 9’/2 fore and aft 7’/2 thwartships. The preventer back stays are seldom used Winches There are six halyard winches and nine sheet winches, three of which are self tailing. Running Rigging There are ample supplies of running rigging. Too numerous to list individually. Sails Main —440 square feet, Fully battened Doyle Stack Pack that can be single or double reefed. Mizzen —80 square feet, fully battened Korsan (North Venezuelan Agent). Headsail —MPG, 675 square feet set flying Kevlar luff, with snuffer to an oversized halyard minimizing luff sag – Doyle. Yankee — 340 square feet, foam luff set on a foil, North Genoa Staysail roller furling set on its own luff wire—Korsan (North Venezuelan Agents) Heavy Weather Staysail , hanked on and reefable 170 square feet—North. Light Genoa Staysail of 350 square feet set on the staysail stay with hanks—North. Spitfire Jib —, hanked on 60 square feet North Storm Trysail —250 square feet with 6´reef sets on separate track stowed in bag on top of the dinghies. Ulmer Spinnaker with snuffer, Mizzen Staysails —two: Small Mizzen Staysail 320 square feet; Big Mizzen Staysail 620 square feet. All sails are in good condition and have been completely overhauled and checked by the sail makers and repaired as necessary in June 2005.
Construction
Largely original Teak to the waterline; pitchpine below and the bottom four planks are Elm-all planking fastened with bronze spikes-now totally refastened in silicon bronze screws. The Kauri pine deck was iron fastened and was replaced in 1994/95 rebuild. Framing Grown Oak 3 ½ ” squared-double amidships, single at the ends of the boat. Lead keel with bronze keel bolts-all replaced in 1936 and regularly checked, two replaced in 09. All other centreline bolts are bronze-1980 or more recent. Reconstruction through the years. The original bulkheads were non-structural partitions. They have all been replaced by structural 3/4″ marine plywood bulkheads bolted to frames and deck beams. Through the years when broken frames were discovered they were replaced by laminated Iroko frames 3’/2″ X 4 inches, and the planking refastened in with 3-inch No. 18 silicon bronze screws. Needless to say, in all old boats the mast step gives problems. In 1985 Mick Jarrold, who served his seven year apprenticeship in Campers in the 1950s, tore everything out in the region of the mast step and installed four steel plate floors, ¼” all tied to the main frames by bronze bolts and a seven foot long I-beam on the top—completely curing any movement in that area. In 1995 lolaire went through a major rebuild done by Mick Jarrold, who sailed is own Lily Maid (one year older than lolaire) from Madagascar to Venezuela to do the rebuild. All new deck beams were installed, and beam shelf, using pitch pine salvaged out of old warehouses built in England in the 1840s and 1850s. Any planking and any frames on lolaire that were the least bit suspicious were removed and replaced. The deck is not a skin job. There are two layers of 1/2 inch plywood epoxy glued together with 7/8″ teak, screw fastened through the plywood and into the deck beams. The teak was the driest Mick had ever seen as it came from a 23-ft 12X12 log that had been lying in Grenadian Yacht Services for fifteen years. The remainder of the teak, Trinidadian Teak, bought in Trinidad was air dried, stacked and slicked, for three years in the top of a tropical warehouse. The iron floors in the deep part of the bilge which had given trouble over the years were pulled out and replaced with stainless steel and secured with bronze bolts. Two keel’s bolts were pulled and checked. It was decided they were perfect and they were reinstalled. Through the years all the bolts on the centre line stem and stern post bolts have been replaced with bronze. The rebuild used approximately 6,000 man hours. Since the rebuild lolaire has sailed roughly 20,000 miles. We discovered one problem with the stem (an area we did not work on in 1994/95), which was cured when she was hauled in Gibraltar at Shepherds in April 1996. Below decks layout 6-ft. headroom under the deck. 5´ 9″ under the beams-7-ft. under the hatches and skylights. Foc’s’le and Galley Thirteen and half feet long; with two pipe berths — seldom used in modern times, except when sailing down wind and in port. A large galley with a heavily gimbaled Luke stove, (three burners and oven).We have always eaten well, even in gale conditions. The stove is very well gimbaled — and pot holders are very seldom needed. There is a gimbaled sideboard forward of the stove. There are two separate refrigerators with air-cooled compressors. The boxes are so well insulated that in Northern European climate the compressors were only run an hour a day. They finally died in 06. They were not replaced as the boxes are so well insulated, a full 4″ of eurathane foam that ice lasts and incredibly long time. In 08, keeping the box cooled with shave ice from fish factories, sometimes for free, if we had to buy the price was incredibly cheap, and occasionally from supermarkets, bagged ice, ice bill for eleven weeks was about £20. Air cooled refers could be re installed.
In the Caribbean in the hottest weather they only need to be run two hours in the morning and two in the evening. The Galley is fully equipped with spice rack, pots and pans stowage and ample food stowage for tinned goods and fresh vegetables in ventilated lockers and baskets fitted on the overhead. Main Cabin There are two hanging lockers and two sideboards with a big liquor locker on one side, and secretary locker on the other, holding papers and files with a folding desk in between. Two settees, full 6-ft 6-ins long with pull up pilot berths above them, giving four fall length berths in the main cabin. You are secure in the upper bunks in all weather as you are secured in place by 10″ high bunk board that hinges down in the middle to enable you to easily get in and out of the bunks. In the low bunks you are held in place by proper lee canvases. There is ample storage underneath the settees — it will hold twenty cases of beer and two cases of wine. Clothes stowage is underneath the pilot berths — the four lockers provide adequate stowage for four people. Between the settees is a gimbaled table — which is reputedly older than the boat. The gimbal works so well that we have often served a full dinner on the table in a full gale. Navigation Area To starboard of the companionway hatch there is a chart table with a large book rack ample stowage over the chart table for charts tools under chart table and the batteries under navigation area sole. Head Opposite the chart table is the head, sink and counter space plus ample stowage for foul weather gear. Also, foul weather gear can be stowed under the companionway ladder. After Cabin There is a single bunk on the starboard side and a double bunk on the port side with ten inch high boards that hinge down to allow you to easily get in and out of the bunks, a settee along the starboard side bunk and across the after end. With good reading lights over each bunk. There is a door in the cabin that opens up to life raft stowage under the cockpit.
Iolaire was a Lucky Lady.
In 1947 she was lying in the sub pens in Gib, waiting for owner and crew to arrive to commence their transatlantic passage to the Caribbean. A few hours after the crew arrived, a large surge developed in the sub pens. Despite heroic efforts of Iolaire’s newly arrived owner and crew, surging back and forth the davit brackets of a steam yacht alongside removed 13’ of bulwark and 8’ of sheer strake. The owner, the late R.H. Bobby Sommerset, heir to the title of the Duke of Sommerset, was highly regarded by the Royal Navy. He served in WW 11 as navigating officer on an antiquated four stack destroyer donated by the US Navy, then he delivered MBT from Vospers Yard to the Navy. The dockyard immediately organized shipwrights and teak to repair the damage so Iolaire could continue her cruise.
In 1959 Don Street resurrected Iolaire from the dead. She had been declared a total loss lying on the beach in Lindberg bay St. Thomas as a result of a broken anchor shackle. Don bought her back from the insurance company as is where is for $100 with the responsibility of removal. He got her off, put her on West Indian company dock and set up a shipyard!!! His shipyard replaced four frames, five timbers, bilge stringer, eleven planks, rudder, new main cabin interior and re installed and engine, a big mistake. Iolaire was off on charter 13 weeks, and three days after Don bought the wreck on the beach.
In 1961 Iolaire survived two hurricanes Ester and Greda, off City Island YC secured to two heavy permanent moorings.
In 1962 she was dismasted in Anegada passage but Don managed to tow the mast into Norman island, lift it on deck, powered back to St Thomas, scarfed 12’ on the bottom of the mast and was out on charter eleven days later.
In 1966 she lost the top ten feet of her mast off Dominica. Don, his 4 year old daughter Dory (subsequently for three years navigator of the pace boat in Dennis Connors campaign to win the AC back in Freemantel), plus a young Grenadian boat boy, sailed Iolaire under jury rig, back to Grenada, 200 miles averaging 5.2 kts. A bare aluminum tube was shipped to Grenada, fittings transferred from wooden mast, new rigging made by Street in Grenada. Iolaire was back sailing two months after loosing top of mast off Dominica.
In 1984, Iolaire was caught by the late Nov 6 hurricane Klaus. It was the second hurricane since 1851 that formed in the Eastern Caribbean and headed NE. Iolaire was anchored on the north side of St. Martin. She survived using six of her seven anchors.
From 85 until Don sold Iolaire in 2009 Iolaire had six almost disasters, three times disaster was avoided by skillful work of crew and skipper. Three times Iolaire was saved by her own lucky streak.
In her 114 years Iolaire safely carried her crews thru fog, light and heavy winds and more gales than anyone can count.
Provenance (The Wall of Remembrance – The Owners, Crew & Notable Guest):
Owner (1928-1932) – Major P T Rose Richards, founding member, Commodore of RORC
Owner: (1934) – Lt. Col Alston RORC member
Owner: (1939) – D H Owen Edmunds, RORC member who in WWI flew spies behind German Lines at night
Owner: (1946-1955) – R.H. Bobby Sommerst, founding member, Commodore of RORC
Owner: (1957-2009) – D M Street Jr.,
Owner: (2009) – Guy Sommers, Sutton Harbour, Plymouth
Owner: Jean-Pierre
Don Street: Antigua Race Week from SailFlix on Vimeo.
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A film by Charles Croft with Don Street
A one hour award-winning documentary which lets you share the intense sailing action aboard Don Street’s 80 year old, 44 foot, engineless yawl, “Iolaire” during Antigua Sailing Week, 1985, Iolarie’s final appearance in one of the world’s top sailing events.
Built in 1905, Don had sailed and raced Iolaire throughout the Caribbean for forty years while he developed his famous Imray-Iolair charts and the first comprehensive cruising guides that opened up the Caribbean to modern sailors. Antigua Sailing Week races became an annual event for Street and Iolaire since the first regatta in 1957. In 1985, Street decided to retire Iolaire from racing and they both went out in style, finishing only 5 points out of first place at race week’s end. This award-winning documentary shows you what Caribbean racing was like in its golden years when the skippers all new each other and racing was more fun than business.
Also see The Complete Street at https://vimeo.com/ondemand/thecompletestreet
which contains Antigua Race Week and Don’s other 4 videos.