Good Morning, Skippers
I was looking through the new PassageMaker issue and poking around in the
classifieds to see what's on the market. I don't want another boat, just
always looking to see who's selling what. I came across a boat that has
been on the market for a long time and, for the right person has to be one
of the better values out there. It is the wooden vessel St Elias, a 78'
former Naval Academy YP and Surface Warfare Officer training vessel. We
considered her seriously and drove from Portland to the San Francisco area
to look her over.
She was one of 4 YPs built in 1958 by Stevens Yachts, double plank mahogany
over fir on oak stringers and about a billion screws. Twin screw and 4
DD-671Ns which can be run any pretty much any combination. The owner
purchased her in the mid 1990's, if I recall correctly, shortly after the
Navy did a complete re-power. She is truly an amazing little ship, but
totally overwhelmed us. Although her wooden hull was in absolutely
wonderful shape, it got that way with a gazzilion hours of sanding,
chinking, and painting, The house is all metal. She was designed to be
operated by a small crew and only late in her career were throttle and shift
controls refitted to the bridge. The engines must still be started from the
engineering station below decks in the engine room. Like any Naval vessel,
there are redundant and back-up systems that make for, what appears to the
untrained to be, very complicated wiring and plumbing. The owner said that
he and his wife have no difficulty operating the boat, of course she does
have a 100 ton license.
Bang for the buck though, she's for sale at $300K and looking for offers.
Replacement value must be huge. Like I said, if you're in to wood, this is
a most interesting boat at what seems to be a reasonable price. Of course,
buying this vessel would probably be the cheapest part of owning her.
We're headed to sea this weekend. Bringing Amazing Grace back to Portland
from Seattle......wind and waves permitting.
Robin Goffrier
Amazing Grace '81 50' Ocean Alexander Pilothouse
Portland, Oregon
Good Morning, Skippers
I was looking through the new PassageMaker issue and poking around in the
classifieds to see what's on the market. I don't want another boat, just
always looking to see who's selling what. I came across a boat that has
been on the market for a long time and, for the right person has to be one
of the better values out there. It is the wooden vessel St Elias, a 78'
former Naval Academy YP and Surface Warfare Officer training vessel. We
considered her seriously and drove from Portland to the San Francisco area
to look her over.
She was one of 4 YPs built in 1958 by Stevens Yachts, double plank mahogany
over fir on oak stringers and about a billion screws. Twin screw and 4
DD-671Ns which can be run any pretty much any combination. The owner
purchased her in the mid 1990's, if I recall correctly, shortly after the
Navy did a complete re-power. She is truly an amazing little ship, but
totally overwhelmed us. Although her wooden hull was in absolutely
wonderful shape, it got that way with a gazzilion hours of sanding,
chinking, and painting, The house is all metal. She was designed to be
operated by a small crew and only late in her career were throttle and shift
controls refitted to the bridge. The engines must still be started from the
engineering station below decks in the engine room. Like any Naval vessel,
there are redundant and back-up systems that make for, what appears to the
untrained to be, very complicated wiring and plumbing. The owner said that
he and his wife have no difficulty operating the boat, of course she does
have a 100 ton license.
Bang for the buck though, she's for sale at $300K and looking for offers.
Replacement value must be huge. Like I said, if you're in to wood, this is
a most interesting boat at what seems to be a reasonable price. Of course,
buying this vessel would probably be the cheapest part of owning her.
We're headed to sea this weekend. Bringing Amazing Grace back to Portland
from Seattle......wind and waves permitting.
Robin Goffrier
Amazing Grace '81 50' Ocean Alexander Pilothouse
Portland, Oregon
