Everything new is old again and sometimes the show didn't go on
April 2019
Dear Friends,
Starting a letter with “I remember when” makes me sound an old fogy. I know but I can’t help myself. I just returned from the Palm Beach boat show. Wow! I remember when it was held at the Riviera Beach Municipal Marine. It was small and had a hometown feel to it. Every year it would rain on that weekend. At one point, it was canceled altogether. Now it is the West Palm Beach waterfront on Flagler Drive and is the fifth largest boat show in the world.
This year we were there it felt like old home week. I saw so many friends. Bob Hogan came by our booth and told me this story, “I went out to an antique show and picked up a half model and decided to buy it”. The next day his subscription to Woodenboat magazine showed up. He sat in his office reading away when he ran across a picture of our M-30. His eyes glanced between the model and the photo. As he told me the story, he flipped through his phone and showed me a photo. Bob said, “Come by my shop and I will give it to you.”
The next day after packing up, I stopped by. Bob was not there but Mrs. Hogan let me in. As the door swung open to his office, I realized that I never knew Bob was a collector of fine models and other cool stuff - a man after my own heart. My car was packed to the gills with all the booth setup but I made room for the gorgeous little half model. During a stop while driving back to North Carolina I picked up the model and ran my eyes down her. This was a ship. My first drawings had a bow like that, tipped up. But when Graham drew the bow without the hook, i liked it better. Our original ducktail was finer much like the model. However, our design needed more lift. Alan, Graham, and my design is the evolution of pre-war design. With that type of piercing bow, planing bottom, and lifting chines, even the ducktail plays an important part in the performance. Thank you, Bob Hogan, for the insight.
Once back at the boatyard I had some guests stop in, Don and Carol Trumpy. We have known each other for a long time so it was nice to have them stop by. He wanted to see our new boat and how she is coming along. We talked about all kinds of things because there was a lot of catching up to do. Sigrid Trumpy’s show. I have attached her letter and announcement and I'm sorry I'm a little late.
She is looking for modern Trumpy yachts to come and dock as part of the show. I love Annapolis I gave Don a pair of bow scrolls to give his sister to add to her collection. They are the way they came off the boat! Hope to see you there.
While I was gone, I missed the exciting adventures of “Sea Blitz,” a one-off 50’ Chris Hood. The talents in our crew run deep. Jonathan, a former Coastie, is a licensed captain and he and Larry Keeler, a guest worker and otherwise full-time captain, agreed to run the boat up from for the new owner so we could work on her.
Only one of the engines would fire up, several batteries were dead or missing and the nav system flickered on and off and, oh, most of the lights, including the nav lights, were out because of a problem with the inverter.
A driver took the crew down to Wilmington at 9 a.m. They limped in at 3:30 a.m. the following morning, tied her up at the dock by the light of a dying flashlight. The next day, both of the guys were back at work for the haul out. I can’t thank these guys enough. Absolutely first-rate!
The bottom work on the M/Y “Olympus” is clipping along. We have pulled all of the cotton caulking and now we are pulling all of the screws. Then we will tighten the nails. This is all brutal work, hands over heads, covered in stuff in your hair. Every day these guys look like coal miners but they understand how important this is for the longevity of this great yacht.
Last time, I wrote about the Life Car that was used as a cistern that was found in a backyard of a house out on Cape Hatteras. Indeed to make a correction I said that these are the only ones left. Well, they are the only left of the Life Cars used in Hatteras. These Life Cars were used all over the East Coast. How many are left? I don’t know but there are many more including several at the Smithsonian.
The bottom is missing altogether of the one we are restoring. I need the original shape. I have contacted the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort to see if they will let us scan the bottom of their intact life car. That way we can build a jig to get the bottom curves and lay out for metal panels. This would give us an accurate restoration.
We are very honored to do this project for the state’s Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum and will give it our all. This is putting a part of history back together, to understand the rudimentary equipment and courage of the men who saved lives in a vessel not much bigger than a 55-gallon drum, bobbing in a crashing sea. I can hear the seaman saying, “You want me to get into that?!!!”
I am writing a formal apology to all the members of the New York Yacht Club. In our rush to get the word out about our M series boats for my new company, Moores Yachts, the New York Yacht Club burgee was temporarily used on some of our artwork by the artist. I had sent the artist my burgee and when the art was finished we sent it out to the media.
I sent out the pictures without checking whether the burgee had been replaced.
I slipped and didn’t pick up that the wrong burgee was still on many of the pictures. I am very sorry. I know many of the members and have enormous respect for the legendary institution. I was in no way trying to use the club or its members for promotional purposes. I hope that my apology is accepted. This will not happen again. I will look much closer at any pictures.
I know I wrote about Jim Sproatt, the owner of the Trumpy M/Y “Jenny Clark” passing away not that long ago. The family is now interested in finding a new owner to take care of her. We are not yacht brokers, we restore rather than sell them. The “Jenny Clark,” Hull #406, 1962 53’ built as “Aries” for Henry Gibson is a fine example of a restoration done right, from top to bottom.
She had major work on the bottom including total refastening, all wood below the waterline that was questionable was replaced. Mr. Sproatt wanted to take every step and precaution to restore and preserve her, including lots of electronics and everything from an Arid bilge sippy system to keep her bilges dry to a water jet stern thruster. And the interiors were tastefully updated.
If you are interested, please contact “Jenny Clark’s” Captain at 843-263-1848.
Finally, there’s the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort’s Wooden Boat Show coming up in May. This is a great little show. Every year, it’s the first Saturday in May. This year, it’s May 4. Every year, it gets better. The in-water slips are full but there ’s still time to enter your smaller boat for land displays. If you have never been, or even if you have, this year is not the year to miss. Hope you make it
Until next time,
Jim Moores
FROM SIGRID TRUMPY:
Dear Trumpy Yacht Owners and Enthusiasts,
On April 18, 2019, the Trumpy exhibit, “A Single Goal, the Art of Trumpy Yacht Building,” which I curated and which originated at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts in Annapolis in 2016, will open at the Annapolis Maritime Museum. The exhibit will be open until June 15, 2019. I am writing to announce the exhibit and spread the news, and also send out an invitation/request to any Trumpy yacht owners who would be interested in visiting the Museum with their yacht during the exhibit.
Docking at no charge will be available on the following dates, Thursday, April 18, Thursday May 2nd or Thursday May 9th, 2019 at the slips in front of the Museum on Back Creek in Annapolis. You would be welcome to dock for the entire weekend. (Dates other than those listed are available and can be arranged.) The Museum is open from Tuesday-Sunday, 11 AM – 3 PM. Bathrooms (no showers) are available, as is free parking. The docks can support 120 feet LOA, draft of 6 feet, and a beam of 30 feet at the narrowest point. Electrical hook up and running water are available on the docks.
Should you be interested in visiting the Museum with your yacht a reception will be planned to coordinate with your visit. Visitors boarding your yacht are entirely up to the owners. Viewing from the outside is equally exciting for the public.
I want to thank you for considering this invitation. Happy motoring!
Sincerely,
Sigrid Trumpy 410-267-0318
