This boat would make a wonderful project for . . . someone. Photo courtesy Meredith Currier
Winter 2024
By Bob Muggleston
I’ve always had a soft spot for pretty boats that are down on their luck. A notable example of this predilection, and how it eventually plays out for better or for worse, took place 30 years ago when I was driving down a country road. I’m always examining the contents of people’s yards, and happened to spot – deep in the woods – the silhouette of a boat. Without knowing it I had just glimpsed for the first time the outline of an International Star. The hull shape was beguiling. I went and knocked on a stranger’s door and within an hour, for a handshake and the low, low price of $100, I had become the vessel’s new owner.
At the time I thought my luck was the result of Divine Intervention. The Star’s former owner seemed to feel the same way, and later it was clear why: It was a wooden boat from the ’30s that someone should have taken a chainsaw to, and the trailer it sat on wasn’t much better. What I’d done is paid him for the privilege of removing his garbage.
But man, was that boat beautiful! Even old and worm-eaten, sitting on a trailer riddled with cancer, it was still sexy. I ended up buying a second wooden Star and combined the two into one functional boat. If you’ve never sailed a Star before, the way I’d describe its handling characteristics is by asking you to imagine that you drive a pickup truck to work everyday. Now imagine that one afternoon your boss, who drives a McClaren, asks you to fuel up his car. Game on! Oodles of power, a feather-light helm, ultra-responsive handling, and the feeling that regardless of how over-canvassed you are – and you will be, because it’s a Star and has way too much sail – the boat still feels like it’s on rails. These are just a few of the characteristics I remember 30 years on.
But I digress.
Over the years I’ve rescued plenty of other nice-looking boats needing a good home, but always in fiberglass. Why not wood? Because, you know, one kind of boat is incredibly expensive and time-consuming to maintain, and the other is . . . less so.
I still fantasize about owning another wooden boat like my Star. I know a wooden boat would feel more alive beneath my feet, and would have more character than a fiberglass boat. The older I get, the more vivid this fantasy becomes. Part of it is imagining the fantasy workspace I’d have. One that’s well-lit and warm, and filled with all the tools I’d need to breathe life back into some long-forgotten, but pedigreed, classic.
So imagine my reaction when a gentleman emailed to say he knew of a 1958 Samurai – designed by Eldredge-McInnis, and built in Yokohama, Japan – that was in need of a good home. It’s a 28-foot boat that’s primarily built of mahogany and has already undergone what seems like a very expensive and time-consuming restoration. Her current owners aren’t able to get her across the finish line. She still needs a lot, including an engine, an interior, and the re-installation of her hardware and rig. In short: Pretty much everything. But . . . it’s free.
So yeah, I’m a sucker for a pretty girl who’s down on her luck. But at this point I’m old enough to know better. And that dream workspace is still just a dream.
But maybe this project is just what you’re looking for? If so, email Meredith Currier at mbcurrier@gmail.com.
Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention another beautiful wooden boat that’s currently looking for a new home that happens to belong to our own Jean Kerr. The boat is a 28-footer that was designed in the mid-’50s by Ralph Winslow, and boy is she a beauty. I believe the boat needs re-fastening. That’s a lot, but restored the boat would easily be the prettiest vessel in any harbor. Interested parties should contact me (editor@pointseast) and I’ll be sure to forward your note to Jean.
Happy New Year, everyone!
