Historical:

Sandeman Yacht Company comments – IRINA VII was launched in 1935 under the name SONAS – meaning happiness in Gaelic for her first owner Major J.G. Allan DSO of Helensburgh to Alfred Mylne’s design No 366 and was build number 811 at the Fairlie yard of William Fife & Son. By 1947 SONAS was in the ownership of James C Guthrie and then sold 5 years later to Norwegian George Von Erpecom of the Bergen Yacht Club, who changed her name to IRINA VII. He by the way had previously owned six other yachts he’d named IRINA. In the 60s, IRINA VII was entrusted to new owner Finn Engelsen.

From 1965 to 1985 IRINA VII was based in Devon and became effectively a founder member yacht of Island Cruising Club Salcombe. In 1985, she was bought by Mr and Mrs Potts who undertook major maintenance work and changed the rig and some fittings.

In 2002, IRINA VII was bought by her current owner a Frenchman to be renovated at the AMEBOIS shipyard in Toulouse. The restoration was substantial and took more than 16,000 hours. She is now restored also to her original Marconi cutter rig and the interior according pretty well to the original 1934 arrangement.

Since 2003, IRINA VII has been a regular participant on the Mediterranean regatta circuit. Among other events in 2005 she won her class in the Trophée Bailli de Suffren (St Tropez to Malta). She also won the CIM Cup for her sporting spirit and grace in the Vele d’Epoca 2008 and in 2009 she sailed in Les Voiles d’Antibes

Provenance (The Wall of Remembrance – The Owners, Crew & Notable Guest):

• Guardian/Owner: (1935) – Major J.G. Allan DSO of Helensburgh
• Guardian/Owner: (1947-1952) – James C Guthrie
• Guardian/Owner: (1952) – George Von Erpecom, Bergen Yacht Club (renamed IRINA VII)
• Guardian/Owner: (1960s) – Finn Engelsen
• Guardian/Owner: (1985) – Mr and Mrs Potts
• Guardian/Owner: (2003) – Philippe Beteille

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.

Historical:

INVADER was designed by Albert Stanton Chesebrough, the grandson of Nathanael Herreshoff and Edward Burgess, who were considered to be the best designers of their era. The schooner was launched on 11 July 1905 and built by the famous George Lawely & Son – South Boston shipyards – and registered in New York.

Lawely & Son were renowned for their construction techniques and the material they used. The shipyard produced two yachts designed by E. Burgess, the PURITAN (1895) and the MAYFLOWER (1896), which both went on to challenge and win the America’s Cup

The structure and planking of Invader were in nickel steel, the ballast was made of lead and the bridge in teak. The ship had a mobile keel which brought her draught to 7.610 metres, a feature which very few designers dared to adopt in ships of this size, given the difficulty in maintaining the axis as well as the ease of pivoting of the vessel on her beam-ends. The harmony of the lines of the yacht, which ran from prow to stern, uninterrupted by motor axes or propellers must have been a wonderful sight to see on the day of her launch. The ship’s hull had been created to move through the water without risk of anything harming her, powered by more than 1067 m2 of sail. The was launched and remained in this condition until 1914.

INVADER had been commissioned by Mr. ROY A. RAINER of Cleveland, a coal magnate (more than a quintal of coal was found during the rebuilding of the yacht – which seem to symbolize the source for the birth of INVADER). Mr. ROY was keen for INVADER to take part in the 1906 Spring Cup regattas, but the boat needed more preparation time and the crew (of 28 to 35 members) needed to train more. And without these things, there would be no hope of competing against the sacred monsters of the America’s Cup who that year frequented the waters around New York and Newport. The adversaries were the Vanderbilts, Morgans, Astors and Goulds, not to mention the ones from the Old Continent like Kaiser Wilhelm II or Sir Thomas Lipton, the richest men in the world who owned the fastest yachts in the world.

Under Donald Musgrave Lee’s Ownership

Don Lee was a pioneer in S. California broadcasting. He owned and operated the first radio station, KHJ-AM (1050) in Los Angeles. He was also the west coast distributor for Cadillac and LaSalle cars. The transmitting tower for KHJ stood atop his dealership at the corner of Seventh and Bixel in downtown Los Angeles.

The Don Lee Broadcasting Network was formed by including his KFRC-AM in San Francisco with KHJ and other stations along the Pacific Coast (in Washington, KOL in Seattle and KVI, then in Tacoma). When the Columbia Broadcasting System extended their lines west, Lee took CBS President William Paley for a sail aboard Invader to measure the cut of the easterner’s jib while discussing a merger. Thinking it a day sail, Paley lost patience on the third day when no talk of combining networks had begun. Lee returned to port, signed Paley’s contract with little haggling, and the largest broadcasting network in the country was created.

When California Yacht Club revived the Transpac race in 1926, Invader won the event with Pirate designer Ted Geary aboard as sailing master. Earlier the same year, Lee had set a record for sailing from Catalina to L. A. harbor in 1hr. 50 minutes.

In 1931, Don Lee obtained the first television license in California for experimental TV station W6XAO (later KTSL for Thomas S. Lee). With the help of the young engineer Harry Lubke, they published plans for building receiver sets at home and as many as a hundred “lookers” built them as commercial sets were still unavailable.

To reach a larger audience, Lee ultimately relocated his transmitter to a mountain top just east of Griffith Park. Still known as Mt. Lee it is easily spotted just above the famous “HOLLYWOOD” sign.

Landmark events attributed to W6XAO are the first live talent broadcasts on the coast in 1932, the first dramatic TV serial “Vine Street” and the first live broadcast of a natural disaster when aerial images of the damage from the 1933 Long Beach earthquake were aired to viewers.

Don Lee died suddenly on August 30, 1934 at the age of 53 leaving son Tommy as sole heir…Don Lee Broadcaster

Under Joseph Michael Schenck Stewardship

In the early 1920s he founded Loew’s exhibition company together with Marcus Loew. Schenck married the film star Norma Talmadge in 1916, the year before he left Loew’s to become an independent producer. Among the stars for whom Schenck produced were his wife, her sister Constance Talmadge, the comedian Fatty Arbuckle, and Buster Keaton, who was married to the third Talmadge sister, Natalie. It was the freedom provided by his contract with Schenck that enabled Keaton to produce his finest work between 1920 and 1928.

In 1924 Schenck was offered the position of chairman of the board of United Artists, a company five years old and in financial difficulty. Schenck attracted much new talent, including Gloria Swanson, in addition to his own stars Buster Keaton and William S. Hart. Within four years United Artists had become profitable. Following the death of its president, Hiram Abrams, Schenck assumed his position. Other important names who became associated with him during his  tenure were Samuel Goldwyn, Walt Disney, and Alexander Korda.

n 1933 he partnered with Darryl F. Zanuck to create Twentieth Century Pictures, which merged with Fox Film Corporation in 1935. As chairman of the new 20th Century Fox, he was one of the most powerful and influential people in the film business.

Pioneer executive Joseph Schenck played a key role in the development of the United States film industry. Schenck was one of the founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, in 1952 he was given a special Academy Award in recognition of his very significant contribution to the development of the film industry. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6757 Hollywood Blvd.

Douglass Fairbanks Charter

Douglas Fairbanks by Jeffrey Vance, Tony Maietta

Douglass Fairbanks chartered Joseph M. Schenek’s schooner Invader, in order to film a modern adaption of Daniel Defoes novel “The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe. Insulated by his most faithful cronies, including his new leading lady, the Spanish actress Maria Alba, with whom he was discreetly having an extramarital affair. The affable A. Edward Sutherland, who had previously worked with Chaplin and W.C. Fields, and Max Dupont were also brought aboard, as director and cinematogpher respectively. The film would be called “Mr. Robinson Crusoe,” due to the remoteness of the location, either by accident or design Fairbanks was back into “Silent Films.”

With over 70% of “Mr. Robinson Crusoe” finished the crew returned to Hollywood to complete the film where the arduous task of postproduction dubbing was undertaken. The world premiere of “Mr. Robinson Crusoe” was held on September 21, 1932 at the Rivoli Theatre in New York City to favorable reviews, except Variety declaring the film “one of Douglas Fairbanks minor efforts.”

While sailing in the Pacific on the schooner Invader, Steve Drexel (Douglas Fairbanks Sr.), a wealthy yachtsman, bets his friends that he can swim ashore a deserted island with nothing but a toothbrush and, after one year, can be found by them to be living a comfortable lifestyle. After the bet is accepted, Drexel and his dog arrive on a South Seas island and set up an amazing home, through the use of some incredible hand-made devices and the training of some local animals. Meanwhile, on a nearby island, a young maiden flees her arranged wedding. She canoes to Steve’s island for safety, whereupon she is dubbed “Saturday”. Soon they are attacked by vengeful tribesmen from the neighboring island. Will Steve and Saturday survive?

Mr. Robinson Crusoe is a 1932 Pre-Code American film. It is one of the few “talkie” films starring Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., in his penultimate film role; Fairbanks also produced the film and provided the story. The film was directed by A. Edward Sutherland, a veteran silent film director, for Fairbanks’s Elton Productions, and released by United Artists. Steve Drexel (played by Fairbanks) shows a fiery optimism and can-do spirit that matches the Fairbanks screen persona that appears in his most popular films.

The South Seas comedy adventure featured location filming on Tahiti[1] with working titles being Tropical Knight, A Modern Robinson Crusoe and Robinson Crusoe of the South Seas.

Known Racing History

1926 – Don Lee, San Pedro, California to Honolulu Race Winner (12 days, 2 hours, 48 minutes)
1926 – Don Lee, Honolulu to San Francisco, record run (13 days, 5 hours, 45 minutes)
1927 – Don Lee, Catalina to Los Angeles Harbor – Record run (1 hour, 50 minutes)

Voyage of the Invader – by Louise Omwake Eckerson

It was the spring of 1941, WWII was only something that concerned Europe and Asia. And I? I was a psychology teacher in a small New Jersey College. I had spent five summers traveling on twelve-passenger freighters and had become addicted to unexpected adventure and was looking for further adventures. Then I found the Student International Travel Association (SITA).

Reading the SITA promises grabbed my attention, held me captive, and sold me on a July voyage “under sail to Hawaii.” For $450—covering all expenses including $50 for a single cabin—I would steer the schooner, work in the galley, visit four Hawaiian Islands, and savor the Pacific Ocean and Polynesian culture under sun, moon, and stars. The next day I mailed my check for $25 to reserve Cabin 1 for the July 10 sailing from California. The schooner would be my home for two months.

For the next three months I dreamed of sailing ships. I was to have an adventure to top all adventures. A schooner would be more beautiful and more exotic than a freighter. Finally in July, six of us, all strangers, met in New York on the Pacemaker and started our trek by rail across the continent. We arrived at the harbor in Newport Beach, California, ready to embark the next day. We met Jack, the owner, and the other 13 crewmen and saw our schooner, the Invader.

There she was, 136 feet of gleaming white schooner with new sails furled over her booms. Although her topmasts had been removed when her racing days ended at middle age, the Invader still retained the freshness of youth. Yet, even without her wings spread, the Invader was a streamlined beauty, a promise of adventurous days afloat, the excitement of wind and wave alternating with lazy relaxation.

Jack told us the Invader had a distinguished pedigree. Built in 1905, she was purchased in her prime by John Barrymore and subsequently owned by Hollywood’s Joseph Schenk. The Invader became a movie star when Douglas Fairbanks, in the role of Robinson Crusoe, dived off her stern and swam to one of the Hawaiian Islands. She had moved among the elite. However, my dreams aboard ship didn’t reveal how many illustrious persons had occupied my cabin. No glamorous ghosts returned.

Read more…

Provenance (The Wall of Remembrance – The Owners, Crew & Notable Guest of Invader)

• Owner: (1905-1914) – Roy A. Rainey, Larchmont Y.C. (heir to the W.J.Rainey Coke Co. empire)
• Owner: (1914-1915) – John Borden (brought Invader to the “Great Lakes”)
• Owner: (1915-1919) – Henry D. Whiton, N.Y.Y.C., Henry D. Whiton served as president of the Union Sulphur Company from 1905-1914. Although his hiring likely resulted from his marriage to (founder) Herman Frasch’s daughter Frieda Frasch, prior to their marriage Whiton had distinguished himself as an executive with Charles F. Brush’s Brush Electric Company. Whiton had worked at the Brush Electric Co. for twelve years, with much of his time spent in Italy working on construction of the company’s electric plants.
  Whiton was a supporter of the New York Zoological Society, now called the Wildlife Conservation Society, he became a member of its Executive Committee in 1924 and Vice President in 1925
• Owner: (1919-1921) – Commodore John Barneson was one of the most important figures in commerce and development on the Pacific Coast of California. He was responsible for the first oil pipeline in the State of California and was the Founder of General Petroleum which he later sold to Standard Oil of New York. Captain Barneson was a Director and Vice President of Standard Oil after the merger. Captain Barneson was also a pioneer in the use of oil as a fuel for ocean steamers, he was one of the most popular social and business figures in the early 1900s and helped transform the economy of California. San Francisco Yacht Club & St. Francis Yacht Club, California Club of Los Angeles, Seattle Yacht Club Member, and Northwest International Yachting Association Commodore 1893 (20,060 mile ocean voyage) In his memoirs Herbert Hoover wrote: The matter was not itself so important but it brought me the acquaintance of Captain John Barneson, the president of General Petroleum. Captain John was one of the choice souls in American life. Honest, courageous, frank, generous and loyal, and with a high quality of humor, he had started before the mast; risen to command a naval supply ship in the Spanish–American War; gone into the shipping business for himself; thence into oil fuel business; from there finally into oil production, where he built up the General Petroleum Company to a great industry.” (The Memoirs of Herbert Hoover, pg 111)
• Owner: (1921-1924) – John Percival Jefferson, Montecito
• Owner: (1924-1929) – Don Lee, San Francisco Yacht Club – Renamed vessel Nancy Lee
• Owner: (1929-1935) – American Film Studio Executive. Joseph M. Schenck
• Owner: (1935-1941) – Harry H. Hunnewell, Boston, Massachusetts. The Capital Journal 04 Sep 1941, Adrift helplessly off the Golden Gate, and running short of food and water supplies, the yacht Invader raised distress signals last night and was towed into port by a coast guard cutter. The crew of 25 college students, including eight women, said they had been on emergency rationd for five days, after being becalmed twice since leaving Honolulu 22 days ago. Jack Dengler of New York City, head of the group, said the 112-foot, two-masted schooner, owned by Harry H. Hunnewell of Los Angeles, ran out of fuel about 1000 miles west of Honolulu, and was becalmed for four days. After picking up a strong breeze, the Invader came to within five miles of the Golden Gate, where it was becalmed again Tuesday night. Dengler said the ship’s supply of butane cooking gas gave out about 12 days out of Honolulu, and the water and food ran low about 17 days out, making strict rationing necessary. The students, mostly from Los Angeles, were all members of the Students International Travel association, and shared expenses and work. There were only two professional seamen aboard.
• Owner: Glen Beymer
• Owner: (1941-1945) – Carl Shilling
• Owner: (1945-) – Sita Tours Inc
• Owner: Sailor’s Union Pacific (S.U.P.) converted into a training ship
• Owner: Paul Noyes
• Owner: Joseph Rosenberg
• Owner: Paul Steffen
• Owner: (1948-1949) – Warren C. Holst (15 January
• Owner: (1949-1950) – George Koykendahl
• Owner: (1950-1961) – Roger J. Henderson
• Owner: (1961-) – R. L. Wood
• Owner: (1976) – Robert J. Halcro (Windjammer Cruises)
• Owner: Caribbean Blue Sea Inc
• Capt: John Barneson 1920 – ?
• Captain: L.A. Davidson
• Capt: John Haga 1929 – 1935
• Capt: Ted Geary
• Capt: Giuliano Mussone
• Actor: Douglas Fairbanks, actor, screenwriter, director, and producer.
• Film Producer: Irving Thalberg
• Director: E. Sutherland
• Writer: Tom Gerahty
• Actor: Charles Chaplin – founded United Artists and met Paulette Goddard, his future wife onboard. All at Sea (1933) but not released until 2010. Silent home movie of Charles Chaplin, Alistair Cooke, Paulette Goddard sailing around Catalina.
• Actor: Franklyn Ardell
• Actor: Earle Browne
• Actor: Chuck Lewis
• Actor: John Barrymore
• Actor: A. Edward Sutherland
• Actor: Buster Keaton
• Actor: Clark Gable
• Singer/Actor: Ben Lyon
• Talent Agent: Phil Berg
• Actress: Peggy Hopkins Joyce – The Portuguese Diamond
• Actress: Pola Negri
• Actress: Maria Alba
• Actress: Paulette Goddard
• Actress/Model: Leila Hyams
• Actress: Greta Garbo
• Actress: Gloria Swanson
• Actress: Mary Pickford
• Actress: Norma Shearer
• Actress, Singer, Dancer, Writer and Producer: Bebe Daniels
• First Mate: Robert J Decker 1933-1935
• Architect: A.S. Chesebrough
• Sailing Master: Ted Geary, (1926 Honolulu Race) Most trilling sail in 30 years occurred on the first night of the race in a gale – 15 knots for seven hours.
• Race Crew: Owen Churchill, (1926 Honolulu Race) “We really went first class: one chef, two assistant cooks, and one steward. Not one drink was taken [while] racing over. We raced! Then we raced back to San Francisco and beat the hell out of MARINER and POINSETTIA. We drank going home!”
• Race Crew: Pierpont Davis, (1926 Honolulu Race)
• Race Crew: Swift Baker (a SIR TOM crew member), (1926 Honolulu Race)
• Race Crew: Lloyd Johnson
• Race Crew: Ray Cook, (1926 Honolulu Race)
• Crew: Major J.C.Waller
• Crew: Lloyd Johnson
• Crew: Pierpond Davis
• Crew: Ray Cooke
• Dr. C.B. Combille
• Crew: Robert Decker
• Passager/Crew: Louise Omwake Eckerson
• Engineer: O. Schonsted

Comments

Loyd Mclaughlin – September 4, 2019

i worked on the invader in the late 1970’s when she worked as a cruze boat for windjammer in hawaii
there are more pictures on the facebook windjammer hawaii page of her.

Freedom Mevana- January 2, 2021

Hey there ,
How you doing . Happy new year there mate. My name is Freedom . I’ve been working on Invader for almost 2 years . We’ve managed to do a new refit in 2018/2019 and got her back to sailing after many years of being out . We’ve been fortunate enough to work with many salty old dogs who knew a little bit of her previous older crew years back . I wanted to find out whether you had any photos or clips to see how the older generation used to sail her and rig her up as to how we’ve set her after using the old sail plans and setups there were aboard.

Any links of previous crew riggers photos around 80/90’s who would’ve potentially sailed raced or crewed her before she went into the major restoration in Italy 2000-2003 would be also deeply appreciated any information or input to her rig setup and sailing will be deeply again much appreciated.
Deeply appreciate your time ,

Yours sincerely

Freedom

Lewis Chesebrough – January 17, 2021

Hello Freedom,

I am wondering if you’d be willing to talk to give me more information about this boat’s current status, ownership group, and opportunities for chartering. My great grandfather Albert Stanton Chesebrough designed this boat and I am deeply interested in family research, and have only started generating enough income to make chartering it somewhat of a reality if I can convince some cousins to go in with me. Perhaps there is someone involved in the management who would be willing to provide a family discount if we promise to bring family stories. Some of us are very good sailors and can assist as crew as well.
Best,
Lewis
My email is:
Lfchesebrough (at) gmail dot com – wrote it this way to avoid bot spam

Lewis Chesebrough – January 17, 2021

my other comment was meant to be a reply, hope you see this.

Bill Chasser – January 14, 2022

As a young lad in the late 1960’s I had the privilege of being onboard SV Invader on many occasions in the San Francisco Bay Area. My grandfather, Jack Chasser, knew Bob Wood very well. I’m thinking both were members of the Sacramento Yacht Club but I can’t be sure how they knew one another. Both, Jack and my dad William Chasser spent time working on the boat’s restoration and made several cruises down to Mexico and other destinations. I remember Bob Wood’s German Shepherd as he would follow me around the deck making sure I didn’t fall overboard.

Both my grandfather and my dad would tell stories about Bob and their cruises together. I have daily audio tape recordings of the Mexico cruise that I recently uncovered. I also have a oil painting that my grandfather painted of Invader in full sail with her rigging from that time period hanging in my home.

I was aware of her move to San Diego. I think a church organization owned her then. Our family happened to see her there while on vacation. And we saw her tied up again in Hawaii when we went to see Jack who was living on the islands during retirement. I then had lost track of her movements and ownership.

One night, several years ago, I was watching a very old movie that was set in the South Pacific and realized I was looking at SV Invader once again. I was spellbound looking over her details. I don’t know the name of the movie but would like to find it again. With my memory jarred I began an internet search for SV Invader. I was filled with tears when I rediscovered her on a website, having been completely refitted along with a brief history and being offered for sale. She’s absolutely beautiful. I wish I could be able to walk her decks and to simply touch her. I have fond memories of her if only from the perspective of a child.

Historical:

Designed by Sparkman & Stephens and built and launched by the Minneford Yacht Yard, City Island, NY in 1967. Design number 1834 was S&S’s 6th 12 Metre, incorporating a revolutionizing innovative hull shape, first fin and skeg configuration with a trim tab. Adding to greater stability the crew and winches were moved below deck to facilitate a lower innovative bending boom, with the top portion of the mast was made out of titanium. She easily won the 1967 America’s Cup Races 4-0 against Dame Pattie.

For the 1970 Cup defense INTREPID was modified by Britton Chance. Her keel was redesigned and recast, she was given a longer waterline, a reduced wetted area and her weight increased. She became the second yacht (after Columbia 1899 and 1901) to successfully defend the America’s Cup twice, the first 12 metre to do so. Intrepid won the Caritas Cup (NYYC) in 1970 and the Chandler Hovey Gold Bowl (NYYC) in 1967 and 1970.

Redesigned yet again by Olin Stephens and his team at S&S, she was back again for a third time in 1974 under the command of Californian Gerry Driscoll. Intrepid came within one race of becoming the only three time America’s Cup Defender in history, losing the final race of the Defender trials to Ted Hood on the brand new Courageous.

Intrepid had many home ports from Miami, FL to Seattle, WA to Monaco, FRA where she was briefly owned by the L’Association Francaise pour La Coupe de l’Amerique (Marcel Bich) in 1979. From there she was returned to the US to Luskegon MI, renamed Windancer and was hired for charters on Lake Champlain. In 1993, Intrepid Sailing Inc. brought her to Seekonk, MA, she was run aground on the Nantucket breakwater in 1994.

Now owned by Intrepid Charters LLC (John P. Curtain, Jr.) she was completely rebuilt at Brewer’s Cove Haven Marina in Barrington, RI under the direction of Herb Marshall (American Eagle) and George Hill (Weatherly) of America’s Cup Charters. She had a new deck and deck beams, floor timbers, ring frames, bottom planking and ballast keel. She is actively sailed and raced in the Newport fleet.

Chartering Information: America’s Cup Charters

Content Credit: The Twelve Metre Class by Dyer Jones & Luigi Lang | America’s Cup Charters

Provenance. (The Wall of Remembrance – The Owners, Crew & Notable Guest):

Owner: (1967-1971) – Intrepid Syndicate, U.S.A.
Captain: Bus” Mosbacher (1967 America’s Cup Winner)
Captain: Bill Ficker (1970 America’s Cup Winner)
Owner: (1971-1972) – International Oceanographic Foundation, Miami
Owner: (1972-1976) – George F. Jewett
Captain: Gerry Driscoll (1974 Defender Trials)
Owner: (1976-1978) – Robert H. Fendler, Seattle, WA
Owner: (1978-1980) – Pierre G. Goemans, Monaco
Owner: (1979) – Marcel Bich (AFCA)
Owner: (1993-1996) – Intrepid Sailing Inc
Owner: (1996) – John P. Curtin, Jr. (Intrepid Charters LLC)

Historical:

Kenneth D Rolt – My dad witnessed the events described below as a teenager; prior to crewing on 30 US40 during 1946-1947 for my grandfather and the boat owner George T. “Mike” Brady.

Hunt built the prototype in 1940, and raced it. It became the 210 #1, the “Et Tu”.
• The Boston. Globe – August 21, 1940 – 1940 Race Results
• The Boston. Globe – September 1, 1941 – Article – Bad Risks Prove Good at Winthrop – Wins in Class 1 as 190 Craft Sail in Second Day of Regatta.

WW II delayed the further demonstration and development until after the war. A new boat was discussed and planned in late 1945, giving rise to the production demonstrator model in 1946, the 210 #2, which eventually became C.F. Adams’ “Harpoon”. My grandfather test drove this boat in the spring of 1946, preseason, because that same day the boat committee found it lacking during tests.

In short, the boat committee thought it was a performance dud after each member tested it. One of the committee suggested that my grandfather George Rolt try the boat. Rolt was a South Boston boat builder and well-known as a racer, and was in Marblehead that day tuning 30 US40 for the upcoming 1946 season of Thirty Square Meter Racing for Corinthian and Eastern YC events. He took the 210 out solo outside Marblehead Harbor and began legs downwind, and windward on both tacks. Satisfied with the observations, he returned to the dock. He asked that the boat be lifted by Graves. He pointed out the visible misalignment of the keel axis with the boat axis, something he was very familiar with from boat building. A well-built boat has no self-helm tendency if the boat is built straight. A poorly built boat will turn on its own, and therefore require helm corrections (and drag) to drive straight. He then suggested that the keel be loosened, realigned, and then retightened. That happened, followed by each committee member taking another turn at the helm. That solved the problem, the committee was very pleased with the boat, and the 1946 orders followed in turn. My grandfather didn’t get back into a 210 until 1948-1950 as guest skipper, after the 30s had moved to the Great Lakes. He was a regular with George O’Day and Cornelius (“Connie”) Wood in Wood’s 210, as the EYC representative for the Manhasset Bay Challenge Cup in 1951 and 1952, winning in 1951.

My dad is still amazed by having watched the 1946 Marblehead 210 demo, seeing the unhappy EYC, Corinthian and Boston YC committee members as they exited 210 #2. Then seeing the committee ask my grandfather to try it, and later solve it. My dad added one other tidbit to the story. The chief foreman at Graves (where the 210 had been built) was very unhappy at how the day unfolded, and that my grandfather found the keel-alignment fault (which Graves’ should have caught). Words were exchanged, but my grandfather had worked in the Boston Navy Yard during the war so he tried to be diplomatic in spite of the embarrassment of the Graves staff. “They asked me to look at the boat” and for him (expert skipper & boat builder) it wasn’t that hard to figure out.

The 210 was drawn by Fenwick Williams, under the guidance of C. Raymond Hunt. Designed to be a bigger drier boat than the 110s. Mr. Hunt built a prototype in 1941, which proved a race winner. World War II postponed all racing until 1946, whereby after keel alignment to hull number 2, was presented to the clubs of Massachusetts Bay for consideration as the selected boat for inter-club racing. The requirements of the clubs were that they wanted a new one design boat that was affordable, pleasant for day sailing as well as racing, a boat that will always be uniform so that it cannot be out-built. ‘Fourth a boat that is modern and can be kept so. At the next meeting, the selection committee announced that Ray Hunt’s proposed “210″ was more boat than any other that the clubs could find for the money, so they adopted it, and with it a new era in yachting was ushered in.

True to the 210s origins through good price, comfort, and exceptional racing abilities, the class took off with some of the sports top sailor’s campaigning boats throughout Massachusetts Bay. Over 60 boats were built at Graves Yacht Yard on Front Street, Marblehead (rigging. supplied by Merriman Bros. Inc.) for the 1946 Summer season. Soon fleets were formed throughout the Midwest, Maine, Hawaii and beyond.

Governed by strict one design class rules, to keep boat costs down, but allowing for nominal changes to keep up with the times, a successful concept for the development of the class, yet challenging at times.

The International 210 is currently in production at Shaw Yacht’s, Inc., 52 Oyster River Road, Thomaston, ME 04861, Phone: (207) 594-5035, Fax: (207) 594-5035

Comments

Kenneth D. Rolt – July 16, 2020

Hunt built the prototype in 1941, and raced it. It became the 210 #1, the “Et Tu”. WW II delayed the further demonstration and development until after the war. A new boat was discussed and planned in late 1945, giving rise to the production demonstrator model in 1946, the 210 #2, which eventually became C.F. Adams’ “Harpoon”. My grandfather test drove this boat in the spring of 1946, preseason, because that same day the boat committee found it lacking during tests. The 210 web site documents the efforts of the committee to scope out the boat in 1945, basically circa $1300 per boat using plywood (so lower construction costs), under 30 ft LOA, to promote widespread sales and therefore similarly wide interclub racing. It also mentions the demonstrator model in 1946 but does not describe the problem the boat had. In short, the boat committee thought it was a performance dud after each member tested it. One of the committee suggested that my grandfather George Rolt try the boat. Rolt was a South Boston boat builder and well-known as a racer, and was in Marblehead that day tuning 30 US40 for the upcoming 1946 season of Thirty Square Meter Racing for Corinthian and Eastern YC events. He took the 210 out solo outside Marblehead Harbor and began legs downwind, and windward on both tacks. Satisfied with the observations, he returned to the dock. He asked that the boat be lifted by Graves. He pointed out the visible misalignment of the keel axis with the boat axis, something he was very familiar with from boat building. A well-built boat has no self-helm tendency if the boat is built straight. A poorly built boat will turn on its own, and therefore require helm corrections (and drag) to drive straight. He then suggested that the keel be loosened, realigned, and then retightened. That happened, followed by each committee member taking another turn at the helm. That solved the problem, the committee was very pleased with the boat, and the 1946 orders followed in turn. My grandfather didn’t get back into a 210 until 1948-1950 as guest skipper, after the 30s had moved to the Great Lakes. He was a regular with George O’Day and Cornelius (“Connie”) Wood in Wood’s 210, as the EYC representative for the Manhasset Bay Challenge Cup in 1951 and 1952, winning in 1951.

My dad witnessed the events described above (as a teenager, prior to crewing on 30 US40 during 1946-1947 for my grandfather and the boat owner George T. “Mike” Brady). He recounted it for me. I later found the newspaper articles from 1941 and 1946 concerning Hunt’s 210s as described above if you want them. HTH.

Kenneth D. Rolt – August 18, 2020

Another update. Et Tu, Ray Hunt’s 210 prototype was actually built in 1940, as evidenced by the Aug 21 1940 race in New Bedford MA in the Cruising Class B. News clipping is forthcoming.