Built in 1906, Bill takes the helm of the Yankee schooner

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Along with the infamous "Gang of Four" veteran sailing buddies, Bill was invited to sail this classic racing vessel. Here he is, smiling at the helm. I did not go aboard until the boat docked again at the St. Francis Yacht Club, where I joined the group, added a few friends, and enjoyed a wonderful Shepard's Pie for dinner at Liverpool Lils. Highly recommended (just off the Presidio).

According to the owner, John McNeill (as reprinted from the internet);

"The family goes off in lots of different directions," John McNeill said. "For all the things going on, this boat seems to be the ground where everyone gathers. ... Every member of the family is always going to have the right to step in and participate. And it doesn't take money. It does take time."

The cockpit and stateroom sport many trophies from race victories over the years, including best elapsed time in the 2005 Master Mariners Regatta. "The boat is still fast," McNeill said.
The 16-ton vessel has a cast-iron keel, yet is broad and shallow enough to sail like a skiff. The boat's lines shift dramatically when heeling over in a breeze.

"There are still crew around in their 90s who fondly remember this boat," McNeill said. "Old hands used to say, 'When our rail's down, the rest of the fleet is in trouble.' "

The Yankee is a mastery of wooden boat-building and cabinetry, with two fir masts and a fir-planked hull, white oak ribs, fir decks and teak doors. The bulkheads and cabin top are oak tongue-and-groove. The cockpit rail has nine coats of spar varnish.

A 1999 marine survey found a rotted bow stem and other soft spots on the Yankee's bow near the waterline. Probed, the dry rot produced a hole as big as a fist. It took nine months to find white oak to repair the rot. The owners also had to replace about one-third of the boat's planking, plus numerous ribs, among other things.

Craftsmen at the KKMI boatyard in Point Richmond helped restore the Yankee. A cadre of family and friends also worked on the boat on weekends for 18 months. The Yankee was launched again in 2001.

"When something like this has been in the family as long as it has, there was no question that we would do everything we could for her," McNeill said.