The Commodore introduces himself

[Senator Jack]

I don't know how I missed this thread. Tell me Commodore, would you care to adopt a 41 year old would-be writer that's a fairly good conversationalist? If it helps, I'm potty-trained.

Regards,

Senator Jack

 

[yachtsilverswan]

Evening EL COLORADO - That's precisely why I'm here in the Fedora Lounge, my friend. I'm trying to soak up a knowledge base to begin collecting a vintage wardrobe for myself (and some generic pieces for my boat's guests). I have a couple of contemporary vintage-style hats (a Brooks Brothers' Straw Boater, and a not-so-high-quality Panama). I have the white dinner jacket with shawl lapels (as shown in the dinner photo) which of course hasn't changed in style (except for the arm-holes [I am learning Mr. Deckard]) since the 1940's. Stay tuned.

Comrade VLADIMIR - thanks for your kind words. Of course, no one with a wooden boat has a boatload of cash (they may have HAD a boatload of cash, but...) Once "Silver Swan" is relaunched, I would be happy to have guests aboard for evening cocktails - definitely the Blue Blazer and White Duck Pants for us Yanks - but what would a citizen of Stalin's Soviet Union wear aboard a yacht? Did Russians conform to the New York Yacht Club's standard Blue Blazer uniform?

SENATOR - I'm afraid acquiring dependents is not a goal of mine, though collecting drinking buddies is in my top ten. Would-be writers are always great guests - as long as they won't-be writing about me by name. Who knows how to turn a phrase better than a writer? Potty-training not required - that's what the poop deck is for. By the way Senator - did you know that SENATOR JACK Kennedy used the family's yacht "Honey Fitz" to campaign for the Presidency? JKF would meet the yacht in Florida, cruising from one coastal campaign stop to the next. He used to insist on an hour a day of sun on the foredeck to keep that "healthy" tan. Later, during his Presidency, JFK used "Honey Fitz" to ferry guests up the Potomac to Mt Vernon for a State Dinner for the President of Pakistan (the only State Dinner staged outside the White House). Here's a photo of "Honey Fitz" with the President & Mrs. Kennedy aboard, cruising up the Potomac with the President of Pakistan Mohammed Aybu Khan and his daughter, the Begum Nasir Aurangzeb.

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[Burma Shave]

Good goshamighty!

I've lived on a couple of boats in my time -- an 85-foot tow boat on the Tennessee River as a deck hand for 20 days at a time, and a 24-foot cabin cruiser for week-long floating and photo trips -- but I've only dreamed of something like this! On the tow boat I was working 12-20 hours a day and the cabin cruiser, while nice enough, wasn't big enough for a proper cruise or a bang-up party.

Commodore, my hat's off to you, and to that magnificent yacht. I think I might be able to beat your previous offer, which was graciously received, I might add: I'm both a writer and photographer and an experienced deckhand, not to mention one heckuva drinking buddy (if I may say so myself, which I do).

All grins aside (except for the awestruck ones accorded to the boat) I congratulate you on your good taste and on the due consideration you're giving to the entire project.

One thing I don't know, since I've never lived on the coast: Can a chap fish offa that craft, or is the deck too high off the water? I've never done any sea fishing, but I assume some clients and/or guests would certainly enjoy such an enterprise, given the opportunity. Any thoughts on the likelihood or even practicability of such a thing? If it's workable, you may want to stock up on casting equipment.

Best wishes on your commercial enterprise and eventual retirement. I'm sure you'll have a blast on such a craft.

 

[yachtsilverswan]

Hey BURMA SHAVE - That's high praise from a true deckie - my thanks.

"Silver Swan" makes a very poor fishing platform - she has 12 feet of freeboard at the transom - so you could hook a fish - you just couldn't haul it in over the stern. I've had a couple of buddies aboard who wanted to do the hunter-gatherer thing. We cajoled a marina neighbor into rendezvousing with us at anchor early one morning with his sportfishing battlewagon (with low freeboard at the stern and a transom door for hauling in the catch). His crew took my buddies fishing offshore. They returned that afternoon sunburned and happy - with a nice Mackerel for Chef to use at dinner.

As a former River Rat, have you seen the 1970 era photos of the tug that was caught by current at the old Rooster Bridge in Demopolis, Alabama. You'll enjoy this link:

http://koti.mbnet.fi/~soldier/towboat.htm

Be sure to scroll to the bottom to read the full story text.

 

[Burma Shave]

Scary!

I had seen that series, actually. The design of those boats is amazing.

I got a sense of impending disaster on my first hitch on the river. As you know, there's not much more scary than a fire at sea, or otherwise in a boat. In the first tow I worked, there was a burnt tow boat we were hauling back upriver to Serodino, the shipyard that owned my shipping company. The engines had caught fire, and the entire boat was blackened and charred. Nothing remained but the steel hull, walls and all.

It was spooky going several hundred miles upstream with that ghostly monstrosity wired up alongside the boat, I'll tell you that. One of these days I'll work it into a fiction piece.

Smooth sailing to you!

 

[Marty M.]

Farley this.

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

Ok, that's really funny.

Marty

 

[Marty M.]

The Commador Has Class.

Commador,
Wow. Absolute class. Thank you for all of your hard work bringing that baby back to her full glory. Post pic's whenever you can.

Marty

 

[Murph351]

Beautiful Trumpy.
How's the refit going?
Up for charter yet?

 

[carter]

How did I miss this thread...

...and, like Murph351, I'm wondering what has happened in the past eleven months.

Commodore, are you still out there?

 

[Miss 1929]

Beautiful!

My husband keeps whimpering about wanting a vintage boat... but I say we have to get rid of at least 4 Jaguars before we can start on boats!
That's a pretty thing! Wouldn't it be swell to be out on the sea with the Fedorans...

 

[Mid-fogey]

Commodore...

...thank you for taking the time to post. Yours is truly an interesting story. When you are done, I'd love to see complete pictures.

 

[John in Covina]

My husband keeps whimpering about wanting a vintage boat... but I say we have to get rid of at least 4 Jaguars before we can start on boats!

******************
Boats can be expensive to maintain. Since I grew up on Long Island and not far from the water, I had many friends and relatives that owned boats. I don't know how many times I heard the line: "A boat is a hole in the water into which you pour money."

 

[dhermann1]

And a classic wood boat, like a mahogany Chris Craft, for example, will cost you about 3 times as much as an equivalent fibre glass boat, and require at least 3 times as much maintenance. You basically have to revarnish every other year. But those gorgeous oldies are SO beautiful!

 

[ThisOldPirate]

Yacht Silver Swan

I was so sad to learn that yacht Silver Swan,the 1947 Trumpy wooden yacht, often mentioned throughout these posts, was recently destroyed by a boat yard, in Florida. I saw the very sad video and just wonder what happened?

I was familiar with the yacht, when it traversed the Virgin Islands for two decades. I learned about this on DearMissMermaid.Com who blogs daily from the islands the past 10 years.

Scroll down to the April 13th post "In Loving Memory of Capricorn Lady, aka Silver Swan".

The links to the video destruction are there and comments from a former owner, who is in a state of shock.

If anyone here knows what happened to that grand yacht that lead to her destruction, I sure would like to know. She was a top of the line charter yacht the decades I knew her in the islands. She was lovingly cared for so it was with tears in my eyes to watch the destruction of this grand historical yacht.

My mail is ThisOldPirate AT Aol dot Com if anyone knows anything.

Thanks!

 

[Drew B]

i just watched that video posted and had to stop. It was too sad, I'm not too proud to say that I was getting teary. I was born on the river and have never left. I love wooden boats an to me this is one of the saddest things I've ever seen.

My thoughts go out to you Commodore, this must have been quiet stressful thing. I had hoped to one day meet you and spend time on the Swan.

Perhaps one day you will find another beautiful boat to care for, I hope you do.

Sincerly,
Drew B

 

[Lefty]

oh man. The info. at the end of the video really makes this sad.

 

[dhermann1]

I wonder what ever happened to The Commodore. I doubt that he's been around much since those original postings. Too bad.
Edit: I just read that the former owner, aka The Commodore, passed away recently. That's really sad to hear. RIP, sir.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/blog/post/PLNK15M8ILFDJNPZR

 

[J. M. Stovall]

I'm amazed that this boat couldn't be sold and the only option was to smash it to bits! Unbelievable! :rage:

 

[Marc Chevalier]

O quam cito transit gloria mundi!


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[Feraud]

The video reminds me of the bomber graveyard at the end of The Best Years of Our Lives.