The Commodore introduces himself

[yachtsilverswan]

Evening Ladies & Gentlemen. I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢m here to learn. I own Silver Swan, a 1947 Trumpy motoryacht, originally christened in Annapolis for the Paul Mellon family.

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The yacht is being restored by a talented shipwright in Palm Beach, and I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢m beginning to plan for the yacht?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s relaunch. I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢d like to create a mid-century post-war aesthetic aboard, and hope to use the Fedora Lounge to learn more.

Period furnishings are easy ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú most of the yacht?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s original furnishings are still aboard. I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ve added a handsome Zenith 12s267 console radio and three smaller tabletops (one for each guest stateroom), all running canned broadcasts from a low power AM transmitter.



Replaced the phones aboard with Automatic Electric AE40?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s and wall mount AE50?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s from www.vintagephone.com.

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I bought a well preserved 1952 Cadillac limousine with original coachwork by Derham for collecting my guests at the airport (http://www.cadillaclasalleclub.org/cpg132/displayimage.php?pos=-115 ).

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Sourced a mid-century chauffeur?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s uniform with jodpurs and tunic for one of the deckhands at Dornan?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s Uniforms (http://www.dornanuniforms.com/Details.cfm?ProdID=33&category=8).

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Most recently, I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ve been researching the dining rituals of post-war affluent Americans. Man, these folks could eat ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú formal dinners were often multicourse banquets: 1. oysters with champagne, 2. soup (usually turtle soup) with dry sherry, 3. fish with white wine, 4. sorbet intermezzo, 5. game or beef with red wine, 6. salad, 7. dessert with port, 8. coffee with chocolate truffles, 9. brandy & cigars for gentlemen and liqueurs for ladies. Found period brandy warmers, a nice burled tantalus, a very old humidor, and an oil based tabletop lighter (though the tantalus, humidor, and lighter are each older than my 1947 target ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú but hey, mid-century Americans collected antiques).

I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ve learned about mid-century yachting customs, rituals, and etiquette ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú most of which was based on the routine and rules of early 20th century American & British Naval officers. Flag etiquette was a source of great pride to yachtsmen. Where and when to fly the half dozen or so flags that identified private yachts was an exacting ritual.

I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢m in the Fedora Lounge to learn the dress and style of mid-century Americans. I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢d like to create casual, semi-formal, and formal wardrobes to wear aboard. I think I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢d like to concentrate on civilian dress, though one of the prior owners of Silver Swan was Admiral George Whelan Anderson, Chief of Naval Operations under President Kennedy during the Cuban missile crisis. I think the character I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ll fashion for myself will have served as a Naval Officer during WWII (as were many post-war yachtsmen), but will have retired to civilian life. For now, my character goes by the name of Commodore ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú partly because the title has both military and civilian references.

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[Johnnysan]

Welcome, Commodore!

WOW...a class act from stem to stern! Welcome to the Lounge. I think we'll learn as much from you as you hope to from us! :cheers1:

 

[scotrace]

Welcome to the Lounge

You meet the requirements for membership. You like toys, have flair, and know how to have fun!

 

[Hemingway Jones]

I'll say! An amazing post. Your project is very exciting and will be extraordinarily successful, I am sure. It will be educational for us as well, to watch it come along.
Best,
HJ

 

[PrettyBigGuy]

Ahoy there!
Any chance of you posting pics of the restoration? I'd love to see some more of the furnishings!
Welcome to the Lounge.
PBG

 

[yachtsilverswan]

Thank you gentlemen for your kind welcome. PrettyBigGuy - I never say no to my bartender. And so a few notes on Silver Swan's restoration and interior furnishings.

I bought the yacht in 1997 when she was berthed at Nanny Cay Marina on Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. After enjoying the boat in the Caribbean for a few years, I brought the vessel back to US waters and moored her on the Florida Gulf coast.

After spending many happy weekends aboard, I decided that I eventually wanted to retire aboard the yacht - spending the winter months in Florida and the Bahamas, and then motoring north each summer to cruise cooler New England waters.

To ready the fifty year old wooden hull for another thirty years of service, I pulled the boat from the water and gave her over to a crew of very talented shipwrights who work exclusively to restore Trumpy yachts. The restoration has been very slow, and very thorough. Wooden yachts are built around a massive keel, analogous to a spine. From that spine come many frames (ribs) at right angles to the keel. Overlaying the frames are many longitudinal planks parallel to the keel. The planking provides the skin of the hull. Silver Swan's structural restoration requires removing the planking and replacing the original steam bent frames, one by one, with stronger more flexible laminated frames each handcrafted with 9 layers of white oak. We are basically rebuilding the yacht.

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Trumpy yachts were the best of the best for their era. John Trumpy built shallow draft yachts for America's rich and powerful from the 1920's until the yard closed in a labor dispute in 1973. The shallow draft of his vessels were ideal for coastal cruising in the skinny waters of the Bahamas and Florida. Trumpy built the US Presidential Yacht Sequoia which served Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, and Carter. Sold by President Carter as an unnecessary luxury, the yacht is now in private hands and cruises the Potomac under charter.

Before drydocking for her restoration, Silver Swan's interior was very similar to her 1947 launch. Fortunately for me, the prior owners had resisited the temptation to mess with the classic Trumpy design.

I plan to leave the floorplan and design as John Trumpy designed, replacing the fabrics with a tufted leather 1930's Gentlemen's Club look.

Here are some photos of the yacht before her refit began.

 

[boomerchop]

Every time I come to this thread my jaw hits the floor yet again. My goodness what a fine yacht, etc. etc. I am simply awestruck. Thank you for preserving that fine piece of nautical heritage, and that lifestyle!

 

[PADDY]

Welcome aboard the board Commodore!

What a super project you have going there! Great thing is that your predecessors didn't change the basic decor inside too much, as many folk are prone to do! especially in the early 70s!

I wasn't sure whether this was all geared up towards your retirement, or, whether there was a business opportunity here with the chauffeur, vintage car to collect people and of course the boat itself for taking folk on a w/end of sailing! (?)
Or is this just for the family and friends?

I know how expensive it can be keeping a vintage wooden keel boat afloat over the years and how susceptible they are to nature and the elements. Not a cheap task you've taken onboard there, but, if you feel you can afford it then you'll have a real hum-dinger of a boat at the end of it.

My school friend had a yacht that belonged to Lady Londonderry in the 1920s and 1930s (I'm originally from the north of Ireland). He's only just sold it having moved its moorings from Strangford Lough (Co.Down, N.Ireland), up to NW Scotland, just south of Oban. It was a time warp too, with brass fittings and wood decks and wondefully carved tables that folded back to economise on space. Just wonderful, and I have many happy memories of days sailing her!

Love your little cosmetic touches with the vintage phones. Another nice vintage touch, would be to get some old brass naval shell cases (if you haven't already), cut them off at the bottom and have them as cigar plates for ash! (something I've seen done).

Anyway, keep us posted! I'm sure you are aware that we had our annual gathering of the Fedora Clan on the Queen Mary last year! Have a look at the pics, it's from another golden era world.

 

[Johnnysan]

Every time I come to this thread my jaw hits the floor yet again.

I second that! The difference between being wealthy and having class is in how you spend it. You sir, have class! :cheers1:

 

[John in Covina]

Your boat reminds me of the yatch that was the Senator's boat in the Final Countdown, really neat and classy. One thing that popped into my head was you could host a period "Murder Mystery" dinner on board. It would be a little like Murder on the Orient Express except period boat versus train. (Was it Murder on the Nile?)

Best wishes for continued success!

 

[vintageredhead]

.Welcome to the board!!

I am in agreement with everyone else here-what an amazing project you have taken on!! The touches you are planning are just perfect- and very well thought out. You should post to Wildroot-he is the expert on radios and would appreciate your adding them to your decor!!

I can only imagine what it will be like for people who appreciate that era to experience being aboard. You will have to post pictures here often, for those of us who are landlocked and in need of a virtual vacation back in time!!!

Enjoy it here, everyone is very nice, and of course, they all have incredibly good taste!!

 

[Dr. Shocker]

I wish my boat looked that nice....I live on a 38ft Defever.....nice enough though yours makes me completly jelous

 

[Mycroft]

Welcome, Lovely boat. What are the specs and stats on it (speed etc.)? What is the hull made off? I love your Caddy too. Best of luck and maybe a trip to Deco Week in Miami might be a cool route. :cheers1: -on me.

 

[scotrace]

Nice Digs

I'm a motivational Speaker, and I live in a van down by the river!

 

[Biltmore Bob]

Did you say...

...nice legs, Scotty?

 

[scotrace]

Who me?

...nice legs, Scotty?

I got in enough trouble in the joke thread...

 

[Biltmore Bob]

Join the freakin' club, Scott.

 

[yachtsilverswan]

Evening Gentlemen - and a tip of my hat to you Miss Karen (vintageredhead). Thank you for your generous comments. The Commodore blushes.

Paddy - I did indeed buy the yacht as a charter business. She was moored at Nanny Cay Marina on Tortola in the British Virgin Islands for twenty years, chartering with Captain, Professional Chef, deckhand and stewardess. There she hosted royalty, Oscar winners, and families on holiday from all over the world. I bought the business in 1997, and enjoyed weekends aboard in the Caribbean. The yacht had yearly haulouts for bottom paint and small projects, but I eventually decided to bring the boat back to US waters to plan a thorough structural refit to prepare the yacht for another thirty years of service. I decided that I eventually wanted to retire aboard - and I wanted the hull bulletproof. I hauled the boat out of the water and entrusted her a a very talented team of shipwrights in St Petersburg and in Palm Beach. So specialized is their craft, and so special is this brand of yacht, that these shipwrights work exclusively on the small Trumpy fleet still afloat. They have replaced the transom with double planked teak, and are midway through replacing the white oak steam bent frames with more flexible and more rot resistant hand built laminated oak frames. I began to plan for the yacht's relaunch, and decided that the interior and routine aboard should more closely reflect the era of the yacht's christening in 1947. Hence the "new" radios running off a low power AM transmitter playing period radio broadcasts. Hence the American Electric AE40 and AE50 phones (they work and are linked to a cellular transceiver). Hence the 1952 Cadillac limousine (we call the car "The Derham" because it was coachbuilt by Derham Coachworks in Rosemont, PA.) When relaunched, I still plan to offer the yacht for charter - focusing on a time-warp 1947 theme. Charter guests should feel they are in another time. When guests emerge in the morning from their staterooms, the stewardess will bring an original 1947 New York Times with their morning coffee or tea. The meals aboard will follow menus from mid-century America. Because one of the prior owners of the yacht was a Fleet Admiral, we will serve breakfast and lunch on authentic 1940's Department of the Navy china. Several times during the day, and unseen Radio Operator (Sparks, of course) will send the crew up with telegraph messages with news of the day (tailored to news in 1947). The crew will serve formal afternoon tea for the ladies aboard, as was common in Post-War America. After much searching, we found a coin silver tea service with silver swan finials and mellon shaped pots (reflecting the first owners - the Mellon family and reflecting the boat's christened name Silver Swan). I initially bought a little outboard Zodiac to serve as Silver Swan's tender (to ferry guests from the anchored yacht to the beach) - but of course that white rubber Zodiac looked about as retro as a Ferrari. So I've commissioned a wooden electric tender from Budsin Boats in North Carolina. Lightweight, silent, piloted by a standing deckhand from a tiller instead of a steering wheel, and very retro.

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I like your suggestion of shell casings for ashtrays - Silver Swan does have her own cannon aboard for saluting sunset - so shell casings would fit nicely.


JohnInCorvina - I like your Murder Mystery Dinner idea. We have a Murder Mystery Theater (Agatha's) here in Atlanta. I also like the yacht scene in Final Countdown, but I think that yacht was an Elco or Matthews, not a Trumpy. Trumpys always wore gold-leafed bronze bowscrolls with a script T and a trailing grapevine. Of course I like to think the Production Designer made a serious error with their choice - any Senator in 1941 readying a bid for the Presidency would have cruised in a Trumpy, not in an Elco or Matthews. Trumpys were the best of the best for their day. The New York Times once wrote that if John Trumpy built cars, then Rolls Royce would be second best. Maybe they couldn't find anyone willing to let them blow up a Trumpy.


VintageRedHead - Miss Karen you flatter me. Some additional radio photos for you and for the very knowledgeable (I read every one of his posts) WildRoot:

First the Zenith 1938 5-S218 cube for the port guest stateroom

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Next the 1940 Emerson Ingraham DB-315 for the starboard guest stateroom

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Last the Detrola 335A for the aft master stateroom


Dr. Shocker - it is I who should be jealous - you're the one living aboard.

MyCroft - For you, the stats: Silver Swan is 71' LOA (length over all) with a 17' beam (width), 5' draft. She is constructed of a white oak keel with (now) hand laminated white oak frames and old growth heart of yellow pine planking. She is driven by original twin GM-671 diesels making revolutions for a leisurely 10 kt (12 mph). Tankage 1,000 gallons diesel and 400 gallons fresh water (with watermaker). Electric power is from twin 25 kW Northern Lights diesel generators. Vintage Tappan 6 burner range with twin ovens converted to propane. Original massive oak refrigerators in the galley with separate 1952 Crosley fridge in the serving pantry. Three guest staterooms aft, crew berths forward for two crewmen plus Captain's cabin. Two heads with two showers aft for guests, plus crew head and shower forward. I don't know much about Deco Week in Miami, but I do want to dock at Vizcaya when they finally dredge their approach channel. My favorite anchorages before this refit began were Egmont Key off Tampa Bay and the Vinoy Yacht Basin in St Petersburg fronting the 1929 Vinoy Hotel.

Scotrace - right now my "nice digs" are sitting high and dry and in a very bad part of town. But one day...

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[EL COLORADO]

Okay, okay.
So you got the boat and the radio and wheels an all.
So do lots of antique collectors.
Thats the easy "detached" stuff.

Show me the vintage suits and shirts and shoes.
that you wear.

 

[Vladimir Berkov]

This is just such a cool idea. If I had a boatload of cash I would charter your yacht for a party for sure.

It would be a great excuse to be able to wear a blue blazer and white canvas trousers, anyway!