February 2007

Dear Friends:

It’s February in Florida. Cool days and even cooler nights and sleeping with the windows open make this the best time of the year. My wife Stephanie pinched me the other day when I was venting after a hectic day. Slow down and just savor the moment, she said. “Isn’t this what you always wanted?” I did and she was right. We have so much going on that everything gets lost in the moment. So where do I start?

We finally have our Certificate of Occupancy for Moores Marine Yacht Center. I don’t want you going there looking for a grand palace of a boat yard. This is just the beginning. I’ve always started small. My first business was operated out of an old bread truck. I still miss my Gruman.

We started about a year ago today. Myron Meadows, an engineer fresh out of college, and I started designing it. The first building, “The Myron” is now standing. It is 40’ x 70’ with 20’x20’ doors. The yard is built out to Phase II, with three more phases to go. We have water, power, and three acres of boatyard. Thanks to the Carteret County’s commission, county manager and economic development council, we received a $12,500 grant. We applied the money to new machinery for the boatyard. The new planers, table saw, band saw, and dust system, will be delivered tomorrow. For this, we are truly grateful.

Our project team, Trader Construction, Jimmy Berkeley and David Rose, have done an incredible job. Jimmy watched over the project for us and helped out with every aspect of the project. David transformed our little house on South River into a sweet little cottage. Then there is Walter Compton, Dave Inscoe, and Mike Bradley who helped us when it all seemed impossible. This is has been both exciting, and terrifying, all at the same time.

Nathan Smith, my partner, brother-in-law, and my friend will be opening our boatyard this spring.

Our ships store will be built and, we hope, open this summer. Now we can move larger restoration projects and storage to our own piece of dirt. Our motto “We Keep Legends Alive” goes for our yacht center. I don’t know the last time a boatyard was built for wooden yachts, but ours will be open in April, 2007.

So what else is going on? We just gave Mr. Bud Paxson back his baby, a 21-foot Riva Artisan She is a museum piece, the first of her kind. She had lived in a climate-controlled environment for forty plus years. Now she has been moved into the real world. She had approximately 300 cracks in her. She still had her original factory finish from 1960. Our carpenter, Bill, patiently fixed the cracks. Then, for her finish, we sprayed Epifanes varnish, then blocked it out and then we sprayed three coats of Awl-Brite clear coat after she was re-assembled. I said to myself, “This boat would be in my living room.” But, that’s just me.

The “Justice” project is going full force. The 1929 75’ Consolidated yacht is starting to wrap up and she’s a stunner. There has been a lot of re-chroming done, so now it is time for the reassembly. Varnishing, painting, plumbing, systems and not to forget the carpentry have been going great. We are installing an environmental air cleaning system, I will tell you more about that in my next newsletter.

On to the 102’ schooner built in 1929 from a John Alden design that was repatriated from Mallorca, Spain. Her new name is “Summerwind.” We brought in a 60-ton crane to pull down her spars. The wind was blowing a good 20 plus knots and the mainmast is close to 100 feet tall! We were in the capable hands of Chuck of Florida Rigging and Hydraulics. They have done many large sticks in the past. But, I was still nervous just watching. “Summerwind” was re-built in Italy back in the 1990s. They did some wonderful work and some not so wonderful. They built all of these beautiful stainless steel water tanks, installed them, and built a beautiful interior over them. In Italy they don’t have to clean, inspect or maintain the bilges on their 1929 Schooners, apparently.

So we had a choice, rip out the interior or climb down and cut the tanks out. We disposed of the tanks. Each day as our guys climbed out of the bilges, they looked like coal miners. We are using air cutters and air chisels under the tanks, but this black muck just keeps seeping out of the concrete. Well, let’s just say it’s getting better. We have removed planking on the starboard side. This is where this story really begins.

We need wood, lots of wood and the right wood for specific applications. I called Earl McMillin. “I have just the man for you: Churchill Hornstein,” he said. The name alone sounds like a master of wood. I pictured a man in plaid flannel, with a clay pipe clenched in his teeth at the wheel of a Baltic Trader. I wasn’t far off. He has facilitated a number of historic restoration projects by getting them the quality woods they needed. “Summerwind” is planked out of long leaf yellow pine 1-7/8 inches thick and 24 feet in length. As they were already cutting straight, 150-year-old or better longleaf yellow pine trees, for a project in Virginia, a sailing scowl. We lucked out and could piggyback on their order.

Knowing we had planking, my next mission was finding white oak for the ribs. I phone shopped all over the U.S., covering Michigan, Indiana and Pennsylvania. These ribs are 3” thick and the floors are 4” after some false leads. I was talking to Churchill about some Appalachian Mountain White Oak. The best time to cut wood is the new moon in January or February so that the sap is at its lowest point and so is the moisture. Less cracking, warping, so our timing was perfect. Only one problem, the lower part of the stem or forefoot was also found to be too deteriorated.

I don’t like to laminate in this wet area. So we called Neils Helleberg at John Alden and Co. He reached into his “Grand Drawer of Plans” for the forefoot drawing and faxed it to us. We forwarded it to Churchill the same day. He is now wandering the woods in search of a tree that will be “Summerwind’s” stem/forefoot, 8” x 17” x 20 feet long. He called me today and he thinks he has found her. We made a paper pattern and overnighted it to him. Also next week he said he will personally deliver our new stem/forefoot. His importance in this project can’t be overstated. He has the passion to search for just the right timbers and has just as much a desire to see these great yachts preserved as we do. We are not alone, there are some North Carolinians who share the same passion we do.

Other projects in the works include painting the interior in Stargazer. We are getting started on Emma’s projects. We just helped Trianon with a quick haul out.

Along the waterfront: Gitana has been abandoned by the Englishman. Indiantown Marina is looking for anyone interested in her to contact them at (772) 597-2451. The Trumpy in Connecticut that broke her mooring, I don’t think will make it. Her fate is still undecided but so far it doesn’t look good. Norsaga I guess is just about over. I hope that anyone looking for parts has called the number in the last newsletter. Sadly, she is slated to be demolished soon.

I would like to leave this letter on an upbeat note: Trumpys yachts are coming to St. Michaels, Maryland!! The Trumpy Yacht Association will have its general membership meeting from June 15 to June 17. Call the St. Michaels Harbour Inn Marina and Spa’s sales manager, Cyndi Morgan, 410-745-9001, ext. 157 for reservations and more information.

Also there is a great little (soon to be bigger) wooden boat show May 4-5, in Beaufort, N.C., by the state’s maritime museum. The kick-off party is May 4. Contact Brent Creelman at (252) 728-1638.

I’ll be at both shows with bells on. See you there.

Until next time,
Jim Moores

And welcome.