Sail Number: 62
Vessel Type: Cutter Rigged Yawl
MANITOU Specifications:
LOA: 62’0″ / 18.9m – LWL: 44’0″ / 13.4m – Beam: 13’9″ / 4.2m – Draft: 8’6” / 2.6m – Design Number: 99 – Designer: Sparkman & Stephens – Original Owner: James Lowe of Grand Rapids -Year Built: 1937 – Built By: M. M. Davis and Son in Solomans, Maryland – Hull Material: Mahogony on Oak Frames – Gross Displacement: 60,000 lbs / 27.2 tonnes – Ballast: 4 tonnes – Sail Area: 1,778 sq ft / 165 sq m – Location: Marine Traffic
Historical:
Manitou – named after the Manitou Passage in Lake Michigan — “Manitou” means “Spirit of the Water,” was built solely to win the Chicago Mac Race (from Chicago to Mackinac Island, across Lake Michigan) as a performance cruising yacht. Launched in 1937 and promptly won the 1938 Chicago Mac Race in the cruising division (on corrected time), beating all previous records. She would go on to win again in 1940 and 41′
After these successes, Mr. Lowe sold her, and in 1955 she was donated to the US Coast Guard to be used as a training vessel at the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut.
President Kennedy used Manitou while he was in office, as the “floating White House.” Manitou was returned to private ownership and sold by government (Defense Surplus Sales Office) on May 23, 1968 to the Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship at Piney Point, Maryland for $35,000.
In 1999 Manitou was sold to Laura Kilbourne, great granddaughter of the James R. Lowe, the original owner. Manitou was then given a comprehensive refit at Chesapeake Marine Railway in Deltaville, Virginia.
In late 2010 she was sold to four joint owners and underwent an extensive refit in early 2011. She was then shipped to the Mediterranean where she was made available for charter out of ports on the French Riviera.
Restoration History:
1999 – Deagles Boat Yard – The vessel has been restored under the supervision of marine surveyor George Zahn along with the staff at Deagles and the U.S. Coast Guard. All the plumbing and wiring was updated as was the fuel supply and engine. The running rigging was replaced along with a good 10 percent of the standing rigging. All the spars were good shape and were refinished, but the sails had to be replaced. Perhaps 30 percent of the planking was replaced in order to repair frames. This means an almost complete restoration from the keel up.
Provenance (The Wall of Remembrance – The Owners, Crew & Notable Guest):
Owner/Guardian: (1937–1955) – James Lowe
Owner/Guardian: (1955–1968) – Coast Guard Academy
Owner/Guardian: (1968) – Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship
Owner/Guardian: (1999-2010) – Laura Kilbourne, great granddaughter of the James R. Lowe
Owner/Guardian: (2010) – Partnership