My Life in Boats Owned

Contributor Ferd Johns shares his personal "boat-ography"

Poor Ferd Johns. He sent us a private e-mail confessing, as others of you have, to certain addictions and to a life mostly misspent messing about. We’re not sure what exactly prompted this unbosoming (when you call yourself Small Craft Advisor, you’re often the first place desperate boat owners turn), but holy tow-hitch was his list of boats-previously-owned impressive. Where did he keep them all? We wondered. What sort of wife stands for this orgy of buying, selling and sailing? Where were his parents? In clinical terms, Ferd has been… well.. rather nautically promiscuous over the years.

So as not to make things worse for him we responded as if his list was fairly pedestrian and pretty much like the list we’d get from most SCA readers his age. “So what, Ferd? You’ve owned a few boats—we all have…” we responded nonchalantly. This seemed to put him at some ease.

After a bit of urging (and light bullying) we managed to persuade him he should share his list publicly. “Think about how this will help other sufferers,” we said. “Readers will discover they aren’t alone, and your list might be used as evidence in defense of boat-owners whose partners accuse them of being the worst kind of serial boat buyer. You really will be doing us all a favor.”

Hearing about this greater purpose (and our promise to send him links to any cool little sailboats we hear about), he conceded to our publishing what follows. Get yourself something tall to drink before you sit down with this one. Oh, and if others of you addicts perfectly normal trailersailers want to confess your own timeline of boats, our hotline is always open.—Josh Colvin

Ferd Johns writes:

Glen-L 12' design (?) from plans- built in plywood with a lot of help in 1953-1954. Never finished the sailing rig. Just used as a clunky rowboat on the Chesapeake.

MFG 13' runabout—bought new (traded in the above and added all my savings.... plus some money help from my father) in 1956. Couldn't afford an outboard, so my father towed it behind his boat until I made a few more bucks

MFG 15' runabout—bought salvage w/35 hp Johnson and resurrected while serving as a junior officer aboard USS Charles F. Adams DDG2 in Charleston SC in 1965. Sold to fund architecture school following my active-duty tour.

The author, presumably thinking about his next boat.

Venture 17-my first cruising sailboat, although I had frequently crewed on others and had raced the family Penguin dinghy on Chesapeake Bay. Bought this Roger Macgregor retractable keel entry level sailboat new during my last year of architecture school at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville in 1970. I think it cost $1495.

Leisure 17- British twin keeler. Happily traded Venture 17 (plus $$) for her in early 1971. Smitten by British craftsmanship and clever quart-in-a-pint-pot design at Norfolk boat show. Took her along in 1971 to my first post-graduation job in an architect's office in Sarasota FL

Bristol 26—Halsey Herreshoff (full keel/spade rudder—"worst of both worlds”?) real cruising boat. Bought cheap at sheriff's auction in Fort Lauderdale in 1973. Comfy, brick outhouse. Left her in Florida when I went to New York for grad school. Later sold by a friend, as I never returned to live/practice in Florida.

O'Day 22—good looking red hull, Hunt/John Deknatel design. Bought at dealer price at Fall River factory in 1974, right after my first divorce, while in grad school at Columbia. Life was again fluid, so back to a trailerable. Took her to Oklahoma (my first job teaching architecture) and sailed muddy lakes. Got a better job offer at University of Maryland in 1976 and took the 22 to our new home in Annapolis on the Chesapeake. In the interim, I had remarried and now had three kids.

 O'Day 19' Mariner—finally traded the O'Day 22 (a mediocre sailer, with a shoal keel and no c/b) for the even more portable classic Rhodes centerboard design in 1978. Cramped below (damn a centerboard trunk vs. size 10.5 feet!), but a sprightly little sailer. 

19' Cape Dory Typhoon—traded the Mariner (and some $$, of course!) for this tiny, gorgeous, tough, seaworthy, Alberg full keel mini-cruiser in 1980. Sailed her on the Chesapeake in all weathers. Took new young family out regularly. And then I found two new loves: a Bristol 24……and my third and current wife.

24' Bristol— sturdy Paul Coble design, classically handsome, full keel, headroom, super stable (and HEAVY! Really too heavy for the Bay. But my new wife felt safe and loved the boat.). Traded Typhoon in on her in 1982 (with pangs). Sailed her on my third (and last) honeymoon. Sold her in late 1986. Another son was born, and another daughter was on the way. Needed the money.

18' Sailstar Corinthian—bought this classic Alberg-designed golden-oldie in late 1986 for a pittance, anticipating a gorgeous restoration. All wood parts were in serious need of restoration/replacement. Sails were blown out. No trailer, and her cockpit was not self-bailing. A neighbor kindly let me moor her at his place, but she sank regularly at his dock. Always when I was at work or out of town. Tiring of raising the dead on a regular basis, he suggested I donate her in 1987.  I was in early recovery from a booze-saturated lifestyle, so I agreed. I never sailed her. So much for good (but unrealistic) intentions.

17' Marsh Hen—by Rueben Trane—used but in excellent shape and affordable, got me back into sailing about 1988. A very clever design overlaid on a proven sharpie hull (but glad I never capsized her with those potentially water-gulping lockers!). Lightweight, easily trailerable behind the Hesperus (my well-worn 1971 Dodge Dart Slant Six), she was heavily camp cruised throughout the Chesapeake and made an annual road trip to the Florida Keys. Life at its simple best—when you are 47!!

Ensenada 20—A Lyle Hess retractable keel design selling for the price of dinner for six at a good restaurant could hardly be resisted, and was quickly followed by a well-used, bargain basement but wonderfully innovative Bolger design that only needed “a little work.”

21' Dovekie—this design had always fascinated me. Probably as much due to Duff's fabulously evocative ads as to my observation of the astoundingly versatility and creative design of several that I camp cruised with in my Marsh Hen, as a group of us tried to explore all of the shallow waters of the Chesapeake's Eastern and Western shores.

So, I had a two-boat fleet until 1992, when I sold the Ensenada and dragged the Dovekie behind a huge U-Haul truck to our new home in Montana. Alas, she never hit the water out there. Every sailor I spoke to warned me about frequent williwaws, unexpectedly screaming down the surrounding mountain slopes, that instantly dumped even keel boat crews into the frigid lake waters. With two small children and a nervous wife, I decided I needed a keel boat, but one that I could trailer to the distant San Juan Islands, nine steep mountain passes west of Bozeman.

Montgomery 15—In 1993, I met a Chicago-based sailor halfway at a rest stop in South Dakota, and one of my favorite boats followed me home. She was beautiful, well-crafted and a good little sailor, but as the kids grew, she got smaller and smaller. We needed to take a tent or tent camper along for sleeping. About 1995, a friend from Annapolis called to say that there was a widow in his neighborhood who was anxious to sell a boat that I had admired in her backyard when I lived there. Always ready to take advantage of a desperate widow, I drove east to get my first

Sanibel 18—a 1984 model of this lightly ballasted, chubby centerboard boat was far more comfortable for family excursions, although my wife was never enthralled with any one of my mini-cruisers …. except for occasional day sails. Cruising, she preferred headroom, a galley and a private head with a door. And some space.  But the kids and I visited many quiet coves, pods of orcas and quaint villages aboard that little boat. And I would not have let her go except a guy kept after me, offering twice what I had in her. So when I found a derelict but available boat on the internet (which was becoming a curse) that was—or surely would be after she was renovated..... considerably more comfortable, I sold her to him. Next, in 1998, came an

O'Day 23—a 1979 model of the far better sailing Hunt/Deknatel keel centerboard design that was truly comfortable, even though it did not have standing headroom. She was much neglected in a slip in Monterey CA. So, naturally, a friend and I just drove down over the long Thanksgiving weekend, dragged her .... barnacles and all .....  up onto her trailer, and blithely headed home to Montana through a bad blizzard that began just west of Donner Pass. It was definitely a hairy trip, but all long trailer trips are, right?  She got restored, and I trailered her cross-country to cruise the Florida Keys and sail to the Dry Tortugas. But my wife was still not interested in cruising aboard a boat she could not stand erect in. So ….. I went to the dark side and bought a…

MacGregor 26x—basically a powerboat that can sorta sail (points almost as high as a square rigger!), this homely but ingenious boat provided more fun per year than any other I have owned. The kids loved cruising the islands in it, the water ballast made her easy to trailer to Puget Sound, launching was a snap, and the 50 hp engine got us into port on time. We had (after the usual essential customization) decent headroom, an eminently usable galley, a dinette with a great view, a tight but private head, and a berth for everyone. It also worked spectacularly well when I took my male sailing mates along. It was perfect for "when it was" in our lives. But a bit like the kind of wife your mother might try to pick for you. On the other hand, a sailing friend reminded me, “You can’t see her when you are in the cockpit”.

Then, you know, in some sort of succession, but without any conceivable rationale:

Another older Sanibel 18 discovered in rural Arkansas—too cheap to pass up. Kept at our family home in Deltaville VA on the Chesapeake for Bay summer sails and two-week Florida winter cruises.

West Wight Potter 19—the first of several boats co owned with my long-time sailing partner, Dan. Discovered in Denver, towed east to be kept at our family home on the Chesapeake.

Starwind 19—terrific Jim Taylor k/cb design found in Dallas TX- co owned with my sailing partner, Dan, and also kept at our family home on the Chesapeake. A sweet sailer and reasonably comfy.

Com-Pac 19—found in Chicago to replace the MacGregor 26x in Montana. I just really needed a boat I could admire when I looked out of the window or walked down the dock. Beth never liked the MacGregor that much anyway.

Kent Ranger 26—found in Port Orchard WA and co-owned with my ex-brother-in-law. A pretty darn neat Ray Richards design, but a bear to rig and launch. And heavy! Kept in a storage yard in Anacortes for summers in the PacNW. Sold out to my brother-in-law, and I towed her to his home in VA with an old Ford Explorer. Crazy!.

Another MacGregor 26x—found on the Outer Banks NC and kept at our family home on the Chesapeake for summer sails/cruises and two week Florida winter cruising. Eventually brought west.

C-Dory 22 w/Yamaha 80—found in VA and trailered west. I mistakenly thought that headroom and a galley would make my wife swoon. So, I sold my beloved but-hard-to-launch ComPac19 to go to the darkest side! But the porta-pottie under the vee and bunks without sit-up headroom was eventually a dealbreaker

About then, we moved to Whidbey Island. Partially due to the cramped quarters of C-Dory. "You are never going to have a boat I want to spend that much time on. I want a house!" Thanks, little boats!

2008 Rosborough 246 sedan—when Beth first went aboard this boat she said, "I'll pay half.” Those words had never been heard before. Audacious became ours. A fabulous, speedy, very seaworthy and handy Down East mini-trawler w/two Honda 90s. Beth loved the cockpit seat. And headroom (for Beth) everywhere, a head area that could be sealed off from the saloon, a real galley and a comfortable co-pilot seat. Took us all over and took Dan and me up to the Broughton Archipelago. My favorite powerboat, but eventually sold to my sailing partner Dan.

1986 ComPac 23—a beautiful and very solid cruising sailboat. One of the nicest looking boats I have owned …  after I fixed her up. The headroom issue persisted for Beth, but Dan and I took her all over. She was totally predictable, powerful for her size, and sailed well, especially considering she was a shoal keel boat. But then, predictably, I began searching for a deal on a sailboat that would allow me to drysail rather than pay for a second expensive slip (in addition to one for the Rosborough) as well as address some of the remaining issues Beth raised.

2004 MacGregor 26M—another innovative design by Roger MacGregor that looked somewhat better (but never inspired love!) and sailed a bit better than the X. I found a cheap one that required a lot of bottom scraping and other work, as well as a new jib. That is the last time this ancient back will scrape mega-barnacles off of a boat bottom!! I never could get the thing to motor efficiently, though, and it turned out to be just too much boat for me to regularly launch/rig singlehanded (I'm getting old!), as well as not a good boat to leave in a slip (due to the intense marine growth in our marina). It did have a very comfortable and workable cabin with excellent headroom in the saloon and great settees. And was better built than the X model. Not yacht quality by any stretch, but adequate for purpose. And I sold her at a profit. An OK experience, if brief.  

The current fleet:

1993 Camano Troll 28 —seaworthy but slow (by Audacious' standards) 200 hp diesel trawler, great design, well built, nicely appointed with all the (sometimes pretty old) bells and whistles. A little ship. I had to do a lot of work, but she was a bargain. And I know her inside/out. Good thing. Never had anything this complicated before. Beth really likes this one. Finally hit the jackpot. But she still limits her cruises to three days in length. That's the way it is..... and will be! She lies in her slip on Whidbey until I decide to permanently downsize. Probably soon. Little boats, little work, little worry!

2006 Sanibel 18—by International Marine (Potter people). Kept in VA for a while, and used for FL winter cruises, then brought west and customized. "Interior by Ferd.” Now a two-person rather than four-person cabin. Much more comfortable and usable. Kept on the hard for distant cruising adventures. “Have sailboat, will travel.”

1984 ComPac 19- the latest. I will do a little work and then keep her moored in a marina slip on Whidbey Island year-round. Ready for an 81+ year-old to step aboard and go sailing! Anytime! Expense be damned! I’ll just spend more of my kids’ inheritance.

“I'm not crazy............ I'm colorful!” **

** from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

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