If a boat appears in the Model History feature in Classic Yacht you can fairly well assume it is a personal favorite of mine. This is certainly true of the Fleming 55. As an engineer I have a silly fondness for things that are, well, properly designed and built for their intended use. If your intention is to cruise under power to latitudes high and low, the Fleming 55 demands your attention as a result of the sheer focus with which it is designed and built.

The Fleming 55 story begins with the legendary Alaskan 49, designed by Fleming 55 Arthur DeFever and built by Grand Banks in the 1960s. Tony Fleming was in Hong Kong at the time working as the technical director for American Marine, builder of all things Grand Banks. After almost 20 years of steadily improving the Alaskan trawler series Tony left to develop a new pilothouse motor yacht design. The result is the Fleming 55.

Well, the initial result was the Fleming 50. Eight of those were built, followed by a handful at 53 feet and now over 200 Fleming 55s have been sold around the world. The visible differences between the three versions amount to little more than the added cockpit length. What’s not immediately apparent to the casual observer are the dozens of refinements made over the years, inside and out, that make this one of the most finely tuned cruising yachts of all time.

Built of fiberglass (those topside seams are tooled into the hull mold) by the Tung Hwa yard in Taiwan since 1987, the 55-foot examples were first launched in 1991. She’s not a trawler; the hard chine semi-displacement hull can be driven to almost 20 knots with twin 500hp Cummins QSC 8.3 diesels, although most have been powered with Caterpillar diesels ranging from 210hp to 475hp apiece. The goal for Tony Fleming was to create a refined and dependable cruising yacht capable of taking her crew in comfort and safety wherever they might wish to go.

As a result, the selection of every item on board reflects the Fleming philosophy.
The hull’s clipper bow helps keep the foredeck dry. She’s got fine forefoot for a clean entry and long, deep keel to keep her tracking steadily and to protect the running gear as much as possible. The Portuguese bridge forward of the pilothouse is one of the essential design elements that tells us this boat is ready when you are.
Other cruising details: the anchor chain is stowed in a massive tube to prevents its tumbling.

An Aquadrive anti-vibration system is fitted to each main engine and propshaft, stifling vibration at the source. An elaborate main engine exhaust system works with the extensive sound insulation to muffle the vast majority of engine room noise. A simple dumbwaiter leads from the overhead galley cabinet to the bride, arriving exactly where you’d want it, inside a cabinet right in the middle of the flybridge seating group.

The four-burner cooktop in the galley is recessed and includes individual potholders for each burner. Each of the three staterooms has been arranged with real-world stowage capacity. Lockers, drawers and cubbies abound everywhere you look. Both heads have shower stalls and medicine cabinets with security locks. The Fleming 55’s hull is constructed robustly as you would expect. There’s no core below the waterline, just 13 layers of fiberglass mat and roving laminated with blister-resistant epoxy resin.

Frames and stringers are laid eight layers thick. This boat has good bones. At a leisurely 1,600 rpm the Fleming 55 can make 8.4 knots and burn just six tenths of a gallon of fuel per nautical mile. That’s five gallons per hour and a range of over 1,600 nautical miles, two very cruising- friendly figures. Is she perfect? No, of course not. My first disappointment is the lack of a full-length watch berth in the pilothouse.

And no boat with this svelte a profile will have much in the way of stand-up headroom in the engine room. Finally, the guest head butts up against the master stateroom bulkhead, a small price to pay for a layout that devotes so much space to a grand, multipurpose cockpit. But for those with the means and the appreciation of the hundreds of little details that make this boat what is it, there are few better choices.

What to pay for cruising bliss? I found 20 for sale in early March, ranging from $590,000 for a 1991 to $1,795,000 for a 2008, both in San Diego, California. The majority of Fleming 55s on the market are in Maryland and California, nearest their dealers.

Mystic, Connecticut – Mystic Seaport visitors will soon be able to explore the rugged, undiscovered and somewhat fantastical terrain of 16th- and 17thcentury California and its surrounding waters with the Museum’s newest exhibition, Mapping the Pacifi c Coast: From Coronado to Lewis and Clark, The Quivira Collection. Drawn from the private collection of Henry Wendt, this traveling exhibit features more than 30 historic maps, illustrations and books made between 1540 and 1802, all of which reveal Europeans’ changing understanding of the North American Pacific Coast.

Opening May 2 in the Museum’s Mallory Exhibit Hall, the exhibit leads viewers on a voyage of exploration, beginning with the collection’s oldest map – a rare 1544 woodcut by Sebastian Munster – and ending with Thomas Jefferson’s decision to commission the Corps of Discovery. The rare documents illustrate cartographers’ early visions of foreign lands and waters, regions replete with sea monsters, mythical kingdoms and the very first contacts between Native Americans and Europeans.

“The [maps] show the state of knowledge of this new world at the time the map was made. They have historical significance. And aesthetically, they’re great to look at. That’s the other part of the appeal: they’re works of art,” said history buff and lifelong sailor Wendt. The exhibition is divided into four sections – “Fact and Fantasy,” “California as an Island,” “Secret Russian Explorations in the Pacific” and “In the Wake of Captain James Cook” – helping to lead visitors on a chronological journey through developing European perceptions of the Pacific Coast.

Further enhancing the visitor experience, Mystic Seaport is also offering viewers a free mp3 audio-guided tour narrated by Wendt himself. A selection of 18th-century nautical instruments drawn from the Museum’s own collection will also be on display. From sextants to chronometers, visitors will see first hand the types of navigational tools early explorers used to determine their exact locations on the watery world.

Visitors can then continue their navigational quest in the Museum’s Nautical Instruments Shop and in the Planetarium lobby’s permanent exhibit on 19th-century navigation. Mystic Seaport will additionally open The Map Spot adjacent to Mapping the Pacific Coast, providing an activity space for visitors of all ages that boosts map literacy and appreciation for maps recording and imagining the world. The Map Spot encourages adults and children to use and make maps and maritime charts at different activity stations, while large-scale wall graphics will challenge aspiring cartographers’ visions of the world.

Through varying hands-on activities, visitors will discover the paramount role maps play in their lives, while also seeing maps as tools that serve specific purposes. Entrance to Mapping the Pacific Coast and The Map Spot are included in Museum admission. The exhibition will run through December and is open daily during regular Museum hours.

On days when life seems unnecessarily ridiculous, complicated and frustrating, it occurs to me that I really just want to sail away. The pressures and complications that form the landscape of my life are so frequently oppressive and omnipresent, that for the most part, I simply yield to them without protest and do what I am told without even realizing I am submitting to the collective will of a culture that really may not have my best interests in mind.

Yet simply sailing away, while it has occurred to me daily in the past 15 years or so, seems impossibly out of reach. I believe this is exactly so for most of us, even the most adventurous. A bit of summer cruising is all I usually get, and mostly, it’s all I have the courage to expect. However powerful the allure of the horizon, duty calls, after all. My reality, you could say. While my choice has been to be somewhat passive in respect to accepting the daily grind one shouldn’t make the mistake of believing everyone chooses to live a life of quiet desperation.

There are people who plan great things and accomplish them, and it’s their stories that are at the heart of all that is extraordinary. Here you learn another of my little secrets. By day, I am essentially a salesperson. I know you see me only as a writer, but that is simply a matter of your perspective. From my point of view, there is an office to serve. Understand, I have never believed that the intricacies and art of the deal make for best selling material.

I don’t own any “Seven Secrets of Sales Success” books that I would ever admit to having read. What a bore. That’s not the kind of “sail” I am interested in. I will admit that these days, the implausible stories of business failures and the tracking of “sales” and stocks” has become a terrifying chain of acquisition, divestment, disillusionment and implosion, and is anything but boring. All the more reason to simply want to sail away.

I believe we were born to expect something better than to live our lives by the rule of the dollar. More eternal than the pursuit of wealth are the great sagas of the past, and in these, all of us can fi nd something inspiring. Epic voyages are at the heart of our fantasies, from Ulysses to Shackleton, Columbus to Vancouver. Such great explorations and adventures are universally enthralling. In a day when it seems all on earth that can be done has been done, where do we turn for another such adventure involving wooden ships and sturdy people willing to take a risk to learn something?

Well I have first hand knowledge of such doings, and I’m going to share it with you. Actually, I only saw a movie about these things. It was made here in Seattle, complied painstakingly by John Sabella and his team. John writes a column in this very magazine, but that’s really not his day job. He has had a few careers in his life, but his abiding interest has been in documenting maritime subjects, including commercial fishing, on the North Pacific from Seattle to the Bearing Sea.

Although not a fisherman, John knows something of the hard, dangerous life occasioned by fishing in northern waters. And it is this interest and his study of first the boats and men, and finally the facts of survival in this bitter environment that has brought us to his attention, and he to ours. John’s real focus in fact is media production and compiling the records of our marine heritage in an easily accessible form before those records are entirely lost.

This interest has led him to produce a number of videos on classic boats which you can explore on his website, the address I’ll provide further down the page. I think you should know about the subject of John’s latest documentary, the yacht Westward and her families of owners. All of them have in their way broken with the traditions of land bound responsibility and the rules of the game that we drones follow dutifully. The Westward makes everyone who possesses her sail away.

It’s simple, really. To sail away one needs a ship capable of so doing. Westward, which is the inspiration for my musings and our escape, was designed by Ted Geary, one of the golden era’s greatest marine architects. She cut the mold for the Geary fantails that were to follow. Built for Campbell Church Sr. by the John A. Martinolich Shipbuilding Company in Dockton, Washington, she was launched in 1924. But she is no ordinary yacht.

She is built in the style of a north Pacific cannery boat, but with rather more graceful lines at the stern where she fl aunts Geary’s trademark fantail. As a yacht built to cosset people and not hold fi sh, she has some extra house that makes life aboard gracious and spacious. At 86 feet, she’s a large boat but not so large that a small crew can’t handle her. Church’s planned use for her was Alaska voyaging, and he supplemented his family boating experiences by putting her in service, catering to the most wealthy, successful and powerful people of the day.

Later, his son Campbell Jr. would make a thriving business out of the vessel with a supporting cast of boats and camps in the wilderness. But Church Sr. showed the way. Westward’s passengers experienced nothing less than the wilds of Alaska in the days when it was untouched by civilization. There they might on any day shoot a brown bear or moose, or row up to a glacier from which it was possible to dive in and take a swim. The first paying guest aboard Westward, and arguably the most important, was George Eastman.

That’s Kodak’s George Eastman from Rochester, NY. Mr. Eastman taught Church Senior to take 16mm films. This was a most fortunate thing, yielding to posterity a legacy of 300 reels of remarkably competent film footage. These reels innocently display the wealthy of the time engaging in sports of a kind that are now entirely out of fashion. For instance, Sabella’s documentary has a section devoted to whale hunting from the deck of Westward, and to accomplish this she was equipped with a cannon
to do the work in a thoroughly efficient manner.

My dream has no place for whale hunting, and it was as disturbing to view this event as a sport as it was to see photos of skinned bears shot for fun. But you have to admit this is really different than what you do for a living. And to run this show, to be at the helm of this boat and give the Roger Maris salute to income taxes and parking tickets really does have universal appeal, doesn’t it? It was appealing enough to Don Gumpertz and his wife Anna Louise to cause them to buy Westward in 1967 after the Church’s had owned her for forty years.

Having refitted and engaged her in a few years of shake down cruises, they took her cruising. They left port one day, turned right and sailed her all the way around the world. I met Don at a Seattle showing of the film and was impressed by this soft spoken, unassuming man that did exactly what I fantasize about every day. He just done did it. The Gumpertzs sailed their forty year old power boat everywhere you could take her, returning five years later.

You really do need to see this part for yourself, and this central piece of Westward history matches my personal take on the ultimate escape from the world’s stupid stuff about as well as I could possibly imagine. My hat is off to Don and his wife, Anna Louise, whom he has survived. Their adventure is the stuff of dreams and it surely must comfort him that they lived this improbable experience together. Extraordinary. As Westward served Don and Anna Louise, so in turn did she fi nd new ownership in Teresa and Hugh Reilly, who purchased her in 1993.

The expected refitting may have exceeded the usual run of work demanded by a seventy year old boat simply because of the use that was intended of her. That is a story for another telling, but here I can do no better than to quote Hugh himself. We are leaving Port Townsend on Sunday, headed for San Francisco, the beginnings of a voyage that will take us down to Mexico. We will spend March and April in Mexico and early May we are leaving Cabo San Lucas for the Marquesas in French Polynesia.

It will be a two-week crossing and we will spend the summer, our summer, in French Polynesia, the Marquesas, Tuamotu Islands and the Society Islands, Tahiti, Bora Bora, the Îles Sous-le-Vent, the Islands under the Wind, French Polynesia. I am hard pressed to explain my rationale for doing this, it probably requires a pretty deep therapy to dig into my psyche and find out why this is going on. If I am crazy, I
am having fun doing it.

Although Hugh may have a hard time putting his rationale into words, I do not have so much trouble with what I imagine would be my justifications for such “madness.” You see, I believe I can perfectly explain such behavior as the desire to sail an eighty-year old boat around the world. If you have the boat, and you have the guts and the resources, what would you do? Do you prefer to read self-help books or collect parking tickets? Perhaps you find joy in dealing with insurance companies, or pondering how to get out of your latest jury duty summons?

Maybe you like jury duty; how would I know? But for me, Westward’s capabilities are the basis of the dream. There’s lots to explore. Poke around until you fi nd the section on Westward. As a decent navigator, I’m sure you’ll find the way. Look under “Classic Yachts.” That’s always a good place to start! Speaking just for myself, I have to admit that I’ll be going to work tomorrow, because I have responsibilities. But one of us needs to break away and taste freedom. The Reilly’s are looking for a partner to keep Westward on the move. I don’t know what a share costs. You’ll need to check with Hugh and see what he’s thinking. I’m afraid even to ask.

On Sunday, July 12th over twenty classic and elegant yachts designed and built by Alfred Mylne will gather together in Scotland, at Rhu near Helensburgh. Their common cause: to celebrate the design and work of Alfred Mylne (1872 – 1951). Alfred Mylne started out in the yacht design business working for another famous Scottish yacht designer George Lennox Watson. One of Mylne’s jobs in 1892 was to draw up the plans for the Royal Yacht Britannia, and his initials can still be seen on the original plans for this yacht.

In 1896 Mylne left Watson, and at the age of 24 set up his own yacht design business at 81 Hope Street Glasgow, near Central Station. Mylne quickly gained a reputation for building fast and seaworthy yachts and became one of the leading instigators of the International Metre Rule in 1906. Mylne designed and built over 400 yachts in a career that spanned two world wars. In 1945 he handed the reigns to his nephew, also named Alfred Mylne, who continued the business through austere times.

In 1959 he was joined by a yachting journalist and enthusiastic designer and sailor, Ian Nicolson. Ian, after an apprenticeship in Canada, decided to spend his airfare home on building his own yacht and sailing single handed across the Atlantic. Ian is now the author of over 23 books on yachts and yacht design, and has regular columns in many yachting publications. In 2007, David Gray, an enthusiastic naval architect based in Fife, bought the business from Ian, and with Ian’s help, started the enormous task of digitising and cataloging the entire archive of over 10,000 drawings and documents.

It can earnestly be said that A.Mylne and Co. is the oldest continually operating yacht design business anywhere in the world. So what makes a Mylne special? Mylne’s designs are often confused with those of William Fife, a close personal friend and friendly rival of Mylne. To the trained eye, one would notice a slight increase in sheer (the deck line is not so flat), and slightly fuller sections. The reason? Mylne felt that a yacht should last for 50 years.

He recognized that the racing life of a yacht is short – and the cruising life long. Therefore he designed his yachts to be fast racers, but also to have space below to make them capable and seaworthy fast cruisers in their later years. And that is one reason over 100 original Mylne-designed yachts are still afloat today, with the 1899-built Tigris still sailing competitively in the Mediterranean.

These yachts now cover the globe, from New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, Argentina, the United States, Canada, Finland, Sweden, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Greece, India, and of course England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland. There are over twenty yachts coming to the event, including Eileen II (ex Albyn), a 1935 Ketch of 95 feet coming over from Norway (see www.eileen.no). There is also Kelpie, a 1904 52-foot Rater, which after re-measurement now holds the title as the world’s oldest 12-meter.

The 1935 motor yacht Faith (www.yachtfaith.co.nz) is coming from New Zealand, a most able and seaworthy vessel of 75 feet in length, who sailed much of the way across the Pacifi c using her auxiliary sailing rig. Four 25-foot Glen class yachts, built in Bangor, Northern Ireland in the 1940s and ‘50s are coming from Strangford Lough and Dublin. There are also representative coming from the Royal Mersey Mylne class, and the River class among many others.

There is palpable excitement from the owners and crew for this first ever gathering of Mylne yachts. The racing will start on Monday, July 13 with a run from Rhu to Rothesay. Tuesday will see a Round Bute race. Wednesday’s race will be around Great Cumbrae for the larger yachts, and the fi nal race on Thursday will be back to the Royal Northern and Clyde Yacht Club (RNCYC) at Rhu for the Prize giving. First prize is the Keepsake Trophy, presented for the first time at last year ’s Fife Regatta.

This is a very special trophy, being the last ever design by William Fife, a 12-meter that was never built because of the war. When Fife retired in 1939, he telephoned Mylne and asked if he would like something to remember his old friend by. Alfred asked for this model which he knew to be hanging on Fife’s office wall – and the model duly arrived entitled “A Keepsake”. This then represents a great friendship between the two great designers of the time.

It is now presented “for Scottish Classic Yachting on the Clyde”. The winner of last year ’s Fife regatta The Truant is attending by special invitation to defend her prize. The social program for the event includes some very special moments. On the Sunday there is a hog roast in the grounds of the RNCYC clubhouse during the registration of the yachts. Silvers Marine, who are sponsoring the first race, will have an open house day.

They will shuttle people back and forth across the narrows to visit their yard to witness boatbuilding old and new in their excellent facility. One of the original Silvers motor launches will be taking part as a “Sponsors” entry. Tuesday night sees a special reception hosted by the Isle of Bute Sailing Club, supported by Homecoming Scotland. The Isle of Bute is where Mylne had his own yard, The Bute Slip Dock Company, at Ardmaleish Point, so there are strong historical connections between the island and many of the Mylne yachts.

There is a free evening on the Tuesday night, where crews can relax in the many bars and attractions of Rothesay. On the Wednesday night there will be a tour of Mount Stuart, the home of the Marques of Bute, including a whiskey tasting by Adelphi Distillery who will be launching the new Adelphi’s “Fascadale” 10 year-old single malt this year. Returning to the RNCYC for the final night’s awards, there will be a Ceilidh and Scottish Dinner, plus a charity fund raising event for the Regatta’s official charity, The Ellen MacArthur Trust – “helping young people regain their confidence through sailing after serious illness and leukemia.”

The Mylne Classic Regatta 2009 promises to be an exciting gathering and celebration of some of the fi nest yachts ever produced and designed in Scotland. Come along to Rhu and Rothesay, where you’ll get a chance to walk among the yachts and appreciate first-hand the craftsmanship and beauty of these floating works of art. Meet and talk to the people who spend so much time and money enjoying them. When Alfred Mylne designed these yachts they were cutting edge race winners. They were always beautiful - now we see them as true classics.

Coronado is one of the most enjoyable waterfront locales in California. Here’s what to do if you’re in town and you want to spend time by the boats. San Diego’s near-perfect climate, gentle breezes and endless sunshine make it an ideal destination to relax and set sail in beautiful Southern California waters. For visitors looking for a romantic setting, a fun family outing or the opportunity to learn from certified experts, San Diego offers numerous options for the most skilled or novice sailors.

Tours and Cruises - A visit to San Diego wouldn’t be complete without sailing along the Pacific and enjoying breathtaking coastal views. Following is a list of companies offering tours and cruises:

• Shelter Island Sailing offers six charter cruises daily. Visitors can leave Shelter Island and head into scenic San Diego Bay for a four-hour dinner cruise that showcases all the major ships and military aircraft along downtown’s Embarcadero and Coronado’s Naval Air Station North Island. From December through March, guests can silently enjoy the wonders of the California grey whales migration to the warm breeding grounds of Mexico on half-day whale watching tours aboard wind-powered vessels. Chartered fishing trips and cruises lasting one to seven days are also offered to explore the beauty of Los Coronado Islands in Mexico. Guests can also venture to Catalina Island or sail in San Diego’s Mission Bay. shelterislandsailing.com


• Sail-USA 11 offers visitors a chance to participate in a unique and thrilling sailing experience aboard a sleek, authentic America’s Cup competition racing yacht. Guests can be part of the crew or just relax while others hoist the sails during an exciting three-hour ride aboard the Stars and Stripes USA-11, the yacht raced by Dennis Conner during the 1992 America’s Cup. sailusa11.com

• Visitors can explore landmarks along San Diego Bay with Next Level Sailing. An affordable two-hour trip allows guests to experience the thrill of sailing on two 80-foot International America’s Cup Class racing yachts, among the fastest mono-hull sailing vessels in the world. nextlevelsailing.com

• Sail San Diego provides guests a combination of luxury and fun. Offering sailing, whale watching and fishing excursions, guests can enjoy romantic sunset cruises or interactive family adventures. Whale watching tours during December through March last two hours, and guests get the thrill of seeing other marine life including dolphins and sea lions. Fishing trips are private charters and allow up to fi ve passengers for half- or full-day tours. All equipment is available on board, including fishing licenses and live bait. sailsandiego.com

Sailing Lessons - For the sailor at heart, San Diego offers many opportunities for visitors wanting to learn how to navigate the protected waters of San Diego Bay:

• JWorld Sailing–The Performance Sailing School provides a range of sailing courses for all skill levels. Courses include a weekend Sailing Fundamentals class, Coastal Navigation, Performance Sailboat Cruising, and Live-Aboard/ Off-shore Cruising. Serious sailing enthusiasts can take Intro Sailboat Racing or the International Yatchtmaster Certification course. All courses are taught by U.S. Sailing-certified instructors. jworld-sailing.com

• Shelter Island Sailing offers guests a choice of three 10-hour long lessons. The Keelboat Class teaches the fundamentals of sailing; the Coastal Cruising Class builds on skills and introduces navigation systems; and the Combination Keelboat/Coastal Course teaches safety, seamanship and navigation to prepare visitors for a solo sail. shelterislandsailing.com

• Located in Coronado, downtown San Diego and Mission Bay, Seaforth Boat Rentals invites guests to climb aboard their fl eet of Catalina sailboats for a range of sailing classes. Classes include one-day group lessons of sailing safety in San Diego Bay, and overnight group lessons in which guests practice being the skipper and the crew while learning how to sail at night and day. For longer trip experiences, three- to fi veday sailing lessons to Catalina Island teach guests all they need to know about sailing; upon completion, certifi cation awards are provided. seaforthboatrental.com

• Guests can choose from over 70 sailboats at Harbor Island Yacht. Certifi ed by the American Sailing Association (ASA), Harbor Island Yacht provides a fun and easy learning experience. Visitors can learn the ground rules of sailing in the Basic Keelboating class and then advance to certifi ed sailors, as they embark on a weekend cruise to Catalina Island. Accommodating up to six people, the Catalina Island Basic Coastal Cruising certifi cation trip is the perfect way to spend a weekend on the water. harboryc.com

Charter Cruises - Groups can enjoy an unforgettable party or corporate event aboard one of these chartered cruises:

• Wooden Yacht provides sailing adventures with space for up to 12 guests and trips to San Diego Bay, Mission Bay, La Jolla, and Coronado. Guests can enjoy full-day, half-day or sunset sails on a classic yacht; all charters are serviced by U.S. Coast Guard-licensed captains. woodenyacht.com

• Groups can sail aboard a top-ofthe line, 58-foot sailing catamaran with AOLANI Cat Cruises; fl at screen TVs, surround sound and indoor/outdoor seating for 30 add elegance and comfort. The first sailing catamaran charter in San Diego, guests can sail underneath the San Diego-Coronado Bridge, pass by military aircraft carriers and submarines or take in the city skyline; the cruises provide visitors the opportunity to see marine life like whales, dolphins and sea lions. aolani.com

• Groups can enjoy sailboat racing with Harbor Island Yacht Clubs. For a thrilling team building experience, U.S. Coast Guard-licensed captains guide teams through basic sailing skills, and upon completion, compete in a race across the water. harboryc.com

• Groups can practice teamwork or thank their employees or clients on Sail- USA 11’s corporate sailing trips. For team building exercises, participants rotate through the different roles of sailing a boat and working while sailing across San Diego Bay. For special clients or employees, Sail-USA 11 offers the unique experience of racing on an authentic America’s Cup Class racing yacht. sailusa11.com

Dock and Dine - San Diego’s waters provide a unique and picturesque dining experience at many waterfront restaurants located around San Diego Bay.

• Guests can dine along the waters edge of Harbor Island at Island Prime and adjoining C Level Lounge. Both known for superb steaks, seafood and panoramic views of the downtown skyline, Island Prime provides an elegant and upscale dining experience, while C Level Lounge embodies a casual and laid-back atmosphere. Dock slips are available at the nearby Sunroad Marina. cohnrestaurants.com

• Guests can dock at Anthony’s Fish Grotto along downtown’s Embarcadero and choose between two restaurants. Anthony’s Fishette offers fast casual meals for visitors on the go; Anthony’s Fish Grotto serves quality seafood in a home-style environment. Docking is limited to guests dining only at these locations; dockside services include assistance in cleaning and prepping visitors’ “catch-of-the day.” gofishanthonys.com

• Guests can sail into a historic location at Bali Hai, the fi rst Tiki Temple on Shelter Island. The backside of the restaurant offers a convenient 90-linealfoot dock with four slips. Sunday brunch is the most popular meal for boaters; guests are encouraged to arrive early for a cultural combination of meals from the South Pacific. balihairestaurant.com

• Visitors can sail into beautiful Coronado Bay and dock and dine in luxury at Loews Coronado Bay Resort & Spa. Its 150-lineal-foot dock offers 10 slips accommodating boats of any size. Guests can dine at Loews’ Market Café, known for its fabulous brunches, or Mistral serving award-wining Mediterranean cuisine accompanied by top wine selections. loewshotel.com

Accommodations with Marinas - For guests interested in a place to sail and stay, San Diego’s beautiful hotels and resorts offer guests sparkling ocean or bay views and marinas for docking or renting sailboats.

• Guests can enjoy a stunning waterfront getaway at Kona Kai Resort & Spa located at the tip of Shelter Island. The fusion of California beaches paired with Mediterranean style makes this resort a popular destination for sailors. Kona Kai marina holds 518 slips ranging from 30 to 200 feet; Shelter Island Sailing and Sail-USA 11 are located nearby. shelterpointe.com

• Loews Coronado Bay Resort & Spa on Coronado offers guests a unique island vacation. Its 150-lineal- foot dock offers 10 slips accommodating boats of any size. Visitors can enjoy a water shiatsu massage in a private pool, take cooking classes, embark on a gondola canal ride, play tennis, or rent a sailboat from the marina. All rooms have stunning views of the ocean, marina or bay, and the resort’s spa offers 15 different types of spa treatments and massages. loewshotels.com

• The Hilton San Diego Resort on Mission Bay provides guests the opportunity to indulge in spa treatments, tennis lessons and scuba certification. The “H” shaped marina is over 100-lineal-feet long and houses several docked boats, including sailboats, kayaks and jet skis for rentals along the bay. The hotel’s Catch Your Breath package includes room accommodations, one-hour bike rentals for two, 15 percent off spa services, and a 10 percent discount on sailboat rentals. hilton.com

• Named the “best family resort in the world” by Forbes.com, Paradise Point Resort & Spa along Mission Bay offers a choice of leisure activities including an 18-hole putting course, pool with a sandy beach and a fullservice marina where visitors can rent sailboats, jet skis and kayaks. The hotel’s new Play at the Bay package offers four to five guests accommodations in a bungalow, $100 credit for sailboat rentals, complimentary parking, and breakfast. Package price varies upon availability and length of stay. paradisepoint.com

• The Catamaran Resort & Spa is a bay front destination providing visitors a tropical paradise on the shores of Mission Bay. Guests looking to relax enjoy a peaceful waterfront spa featuring South Pacific and Asian healing traditions and techniques. The nearby marina holds many sailboats and other water vessels that guests can rent for a different form of fun and relaxation. In addition, the resort is offering a new Sailing Adventure package, which includes boat rental, sailing lessons for up to 6 guests and a 10 percent discount on a room. catamaranresort.com

• The Hyatt Regency Mission Bay recently renovated and improved its bayside facility. Featuring a new restaurant, spa, state-of-the-art health club, and pools complete with water slides and private cabanas, the property offers the perfect combination of modern and elegant. Overlooking its marina, guests enjoy the view and short walk to Seaforth Boat Rentals, where they can rent water-sport vessels like sailboats and jet skis. Lessons are offered by a certified crew and rental fees can be billed to the guest’s hotel room. hyattregencyislandia.com

• Guests can enjoy a dynamic downtown atmosphere at the 1,362-room San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina. With a spectacular waterfront setting, the hotel boasts two free form pools, six tennis courts, bike rentals, jogging paths, and boat rentals. Its marina offers 446 slips and breathtaking views of the bay. marriott.com/sandt

• Located next to Seaport Village, the Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego offers 1,625 rooms, two pools, four tennis courts, boat rentals and a full-service day spa. The hotel also features Top of the Hyatt on the 40th floor, where guests can enjoy panoramic views of the county along with the view of magnificent yachts below, including the world-famous America’s Cup racing boats, the Stars and Stripes, Abracadabra and America. For $395/night, the hotel’s Grand Escape package includes one-night of accommodations and sailing in a sixperson Capri 22 sailboat with a licensed captain. manchestergrand.hyatt.com

Lou Rauh: I see Chris-Craft boats as still being the most sought after. These boats were the most popular brand when they were originally built. People see a mahogany boat and think it’s a Chris-Craft even if it is not. Of the many styles that Chris-Craft made, I think the ones that will continue to be most collectible are the various “barrel backs” made from 1939 through 1942. These were made in sizes 17’, 19’, 23’ and 27’. In most people’s minds, these boats have timeless style. A group of younger buyers have begun to admire some of the post war Chris-Craft boats especially the 20’ Custom runabout made from 1946 through 1949. Capt.

Jim Shotwell: In our line it would be the 16’ Comet Gentlemen’s Racer with bright finished mahogany topsides and decks.

F. Todd Warner: The 17’ and 19’ Chris-Craft barrel backs have been continually great performers. Just a little history here, in 1980 I had three 19’ Chris-Craft barrel backs for sale, priced from $3,500-$5,000. They were a hard sell at the time. These were running, working, usable classics, in most cases excellent original examples. Today you are hard-pressed to find a good 19’ under $75,000. It now costs just shy of $150,000 to do a show quality restoration on a barrel back.

Pretty good return on investment don’t you think? I think many of the 20’ to 25’ utilities are undervalued, and among the best family boats you can buy. When you compare original cost of boats to automobiles, and see that the boats cost three to five times an average automobile of the day, it appears that boats are still undervalued. We are particularly enamored of the Canadian classics. Minett, Ditchburn, Greavette and Shepherd boats are simply beautiful, and even more rare than similar American classics.

Just about any 1930s triple cockpit boat 26’ and over is a great investment. Another observation concerns the classic cruiser market. Many marinas and boat yards no longer have the knowledge base to maintain and store classic cruisers properly. This has created an opportunity to buy more boat, dollar for dollar. Make sure you survey thoroughly, though! Fiberglass boats are coming on in popularity, too, especially Century Coronados, Arabians, Resorters and Chris-Craft XK’s and Lancers.

Peter Mellon: The area that I feel is very strong is boats with limited production. Canadian boats have long been appreciated for their craftsmanship and their low production and as such they have kept their value high. The Riva boats are also very sought after and desired especially given their low production, craftsmanship and low numbers in North America.

One can rarely open a copy of Vogue or Vanity Fair without seeing a Riva in the background of an ad promoting a high end consumer product such as a fragrance or designer apparel. Collectors of antique boats rarely feel that their collection is complete if it does not include either or both a Riva or a Canadian boat such as a Ditchburn, Minett-Shields or Greavette.

Chris Schmaltz: Any Barrelback, any Riva, Utilities under 22’. 2009 is a great opportunity for ownership!

Peter Mellon: Our sense of the Wooden boat market overall is that we are very encouraged by the influx of first time buyers. They all seem to share one thing in common which is a connection in their past to a wooden boat. Whether it was a family member who owned a wooden boat, a neighbor on a lake who took a young child out for a ride or just the allure and beauty of seeing a wooden boat glide effortlessly across a body of water.

All of our buyers at some point in the buying process will regale us with a story like this which are all eerily reminiscent. These people all have been deeply affected by an experience with a wooden boat and it has made a deep and profound impression upon them. As such they present themselves looking to buy a boat in an effort to reconnect to this early experience and to capture something from their past.

Lou Rauh: The demographics of our business is predominately men having been born prior to 1960. These are the people who not only have some disposable income, but also remember the antique/classic boats from their childhood. They remember their next door neighbor’s father who had one of these beautiful boats. We are seeing some of the younger folks being interested and purchasing some of the early fiberglass boats.

The antique/classic boat hobby very much copies the antique/classic car hobby in who is purchasing, and what they are purchasing. In my opinion, there are two general classifications of antique/classic boat owners:

1. Collectors – These folks are similar to classic car collectors, generally men who are not impacted by the slowdown in the economy.

2. Users – These folks generally have only one boat and they use it. They are generally much more impacted by the current economy.

We think that the first group will start being more active as the stock market stops its slide, and begins to show some growth. In some cases, some of these people are buying “investment quality” boats in place of CDs that are only paying 2.5%. The “users group” is definitely being reticent about buying boats. Our customers are usually cash buyers.

Capt. Jim Shotwell: While initially we thought the largest part of our market would be families with children, it turned out to be professionals and retirees with the baby-boomers just starting to pick up momentum.

F. Todd Warner: We have observed that our customers tend to become able to buy their boats right around the age of 50, and tend to sell them around the age of 80. As baby-boomers age, there are fewer and fewer people who remember the boats when they were new, but thanks to the active vintage boat community, there are plenty of opportunities for younger people to “get hooked.”

Jay Leno has commented that there will always be people interested in the best technology and style of each era, regardless of their personal interaction with the cars when new. We feel this is true with boats, as well, and we see it among our customers. We feel the value proposition in all classic boats from $15,000 to $5 million is better than ever.

For the first time boater, the cost of entry is reasonable and, maintained properly, a vintage boat will hold its value over time. If you invest in a classic and maintain it, you are, in fact, protecting yourself from depreciation downside. Moreover, the care and nurturing of a classic boat counters the trend of disposability in our society. We embrace this philosophy.


Chris Schmaltz: We are happy to see some shifting to a younger owner demographic. Of course there has been some influence because of a rise in popularity in the early production fiberglass boats, as the people who were influenced by these boats in their youth are now able to pursue these as collectibles. There also seems to be a movement in the presentation and awareness in the materials, clubs, and related venues, to a younger, more informed market base.

There are now web searchable databases for information, parts, owner groups, blogs, all things that will propel the hobby forward for the next generation. These things did not exist as little as five years ago. Look at this publication as a prime example. We feel as this exposure continues to increase and grow, it will have a positive effect in the industry.