Classic timber "Dragon" relisted

[SimonP]

This boat didn't attract one bid at $1500 when last listed. See discussion a few threads back.
It's just too beautiful not to find a home!

Classic timber "Dragon" (eBay item 250724724658 end time 20-Nov-10 22:24:07 AEDST) : Cars, Bikes, Boats (http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250724724658&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:AU:1123)

[SimonP]

Passed in again, no bids at $1500
Makes me feel I want to open a "Lost Boats Home" for all the now-unloved handcrafted marine masterpieces.

[Boatmik]

Both amazing and a little bit tragic it has been passed by.

MIK
Michael Storer

[Boatmik]

I was sent this - I don't know the source.

But it shows the right sort of attitude to classic boats.


For the Love of a Dragon. ByCaptain Andrea McDonald

Caprice was once a American Oylmpic champion. Born in 1968 she was sailed hard to be accepted to the Olympics in Munich Germany 1972. She brought our country home a Bronze metal in what was the last year Dragons competed. Now, she is a very old and tired classic wood Dragon racing yacht. At one time nothing was too good for her and no expense spared. But has spent the last 18 years on the hard abandoned and unwanted. When I came across the add giving her away free, no one wanted her. It took me quite awile to get her to my house. People thought I was crazy taking her home. I promised her I would return her to being one of the fastest and prettiest Dragons around no matter what I had to do.

The events that unfolded with this boat are mind boggling and im actually writing a book about her called " The Ghost of a Dragon" This one, rotten old boat has done so much, in such a short time for me and others in the Seattle area. Being single with kids I really did not have the money for such a big job. While I have restored other boats, this one I knew nothing about fixing. I had such a strong love for this boat and desire to fix her that events got set in motion that never would have materialized without her in my life. She was a catylist and a strong motivating force. I had been working on Seatime for a 100 ton License. But, no money for school. After sitting with her one day with tears pouring down my face trying to figure how I would keep this huge promise I made it came to me. I wrote every Maritime school I could find. One, wrote back. I do yacht painting and brightwork and they agreed to let me work off the large tutuion. I worked long days for the next 2 months. With 2 hours ( each way) of transit time back and forth from my home, working on boats all day, then 4 hours of class at night it was crazy.

I had 5 kids left home, dogs, a house, and 4 other sailboats !!!! I rarely had time to even study and it was crazy. But every time I was about to give up, I looked at Caprice sitting there alone in my driveway. I wanted her back in salt water where she belongs. So, I just kept working.

Meanwhile I did lots of Dragon research and found out we once had this huge fleet here in Seattle that was now gone for over 25 years. No more Dragons according to the IDA were here. Only a few in the east where known to exsist. WHAT? No dragons? Well this just wont work, who is Caprice supposed to race when I get her done? So, I set out to find all those old Dragons.

I was called " The Dragon lady" and " The Dragon hunter" now. I advertised on the web, I emailed, I made phone calls, I traveled to marinas and boatyards. If they were out there, I was going to find them. And, find them I did !!! Before long I had 10 on my list and I was put in contact with a awesome fellow named Vern from the Center for Wood boats here in Seattle. He too wanted to see the fleet restored. He also worked very hard organizing and we ended up getting 5 Dragons to come to the Blanchard regatta. We needed 4 boats for a fleet race. We did it !! One of those boast was one of mine, US35 and it was such a thrill to be a part of the first Dragon start in 25 years. I sold that boat after the races. Now it seemed we had created such a interest in these Dragons that I had people everywhere writing me asking if I knew of one they could fix. One fellow even offered to buy Caprice from me !!

The same boat a few months earlier they could not give away free. NO WAY would I sell her. Odd thing is that she is US244 and so is my very first sailboat that I still have. My little Columbia 23 Sweet Pea. Both US 244 sail numbers.

Now we got all this Dragon interest going and we are planning a big Dragon race this coming July at the Center and all are invited. If you know of any Dragon sailors, please put them in contact with me!! No Dragon will now be crushed or left to rot around here anyway. Im still hunting down several more of the old boats and its so sad when I find out one was burned or crushed. My heart actually hurts for them. Silly I guess. Another awazing thing Caprice did for me in return was she brought me the love of my life. Being alone isnt much fun and I have no family at all in this world except my kids and my boats. My kids used to call US 35 Grandma !!! My daughter wrote a cute story about "my Grandma is a boat" When she told people we had a Dragon it got some funny looks as well. But my Dragons didnt forget to return that love to me. While I was in the locks a man commented on how gorgeous my Dragon US35 was. He told me about this man who had a old beat up Dragon and gave me his phone number.

I had already been told of this man months earlier in response to one of my Dragon hunting adds but they didnt give me any contact for this man. I was thrilled to have his phone number in my hand and as I left the locks headed for that first race, what I didnt know.. is that very man was standing there watching me as I held his number in my hand on the tiller. He is one of the best shipwrights around and had worked for over 20 years on a old 1909 60 foot Ketch that had sunk. Totally rebuilding her. Every frame, every plank. But he too was alone and had no one to sail her with him. He was like me, working on boats is all he did. He had been planning on going to the center to see there just happen to be any sailor girls around, but never had time. I was working at the center as that is where my classes were held and the boat I was working on was at. How odd. I called him the day after the races on my way to work at the center. I told him I was hunting Dragons and was told he had a old one from the fleet he may not want. He invited me to see her which I did. While I was not looking for a boyfriend at all, this man was so interesting. Such a gentleman and so smart and funny. We made plans to go to a boatyard I needed to hunt for Dragons at. He knew how to get there, I didnt and it was a good excuse I guess for a date.

We have been together ever since and I now have the partner I have only dreamed about my whole life. What a perfect match. We joke that his Dragon and mine got us together and planned this. After all, they really did bring us together and I never even let myself dream I could be this happy or in love. Caprice is now at his boatyard in Seattle. She is right next to his Dragon. Im sure they are old friends from thier days of racing in the Puget Sound Dragon Fleet together. After it disolved the boats ended up lost. But, while several of them have been destroyed and sadly are gone forever now, Im still hunting the remaining Dragons. Oh, I graduated from the maritime academy even though being in love really made it hard to study even more that it was already !!! I am now a 100 ton master, I now have the love I always wanted, and my fleet is on its way to recovering here on Puget Sound so Caprice WILL have other Dragons to race.

We are working to restore both of our Dragons together and then we will return them to thier fleet and race them together. I spent 5 hours yesterday slowly and painfully chipping out 350 old bung plugs. Only 1650 or so more to go !!! Caprice needs some major work. Like 82 new steam bent frames and all new floor timbers. We are going to add extra floor timbers and do some other very interesting things to stiffen her up so she can actually comptete against modern glass Dragons. Horn timber and stem needs repair as well as some planks. We will save 90% of the hull and even the original teak deck and the cabin house too. But how odd that I have barely got started removing old paint and bungs, and yet this old, abandoned boat has already done so much for me? Yes, they are alot of work and money to fix. But I cant think of anything more worth my time and dollars. These boats really will give back to you ten times what you put into them.

Caprice has given me so much happiness and love and helped to save other Dragons and reform a lost fleet. I, am going to keep that promise to her and turn this ghost of a Dragon back into the champion race boat that she was. She will be one of the fastest and more eye catching Dragons around. But, much more important than that.... She will be now be well loved for the rest of her new life doing what she was born to do. And gee, so will I. Thank you Caprice, I love you.

[woodeneye]

classic timber DRAGON yacht (eBay item 250769365080 end time 13-Feb-11 17:02:20 AEDST) : Cars, Bikes, Boats (http://cgi.ebay.com.au/classic-timber-DRAGON-yacht-/250769365080?pt=AU_Boats&hash=item3a6304d858#ht_500wt_1156)

Please, somebody grab this awesome beauty...

[SimonP]

If anyone in Melbourne would like to join a syndicate to buy, transport, moor, maintain and sail this beauty, I'm in.
It's beyond me to do it myself.
Gosh, they're a lovely boat.

[SimonP]

Sold for $810!
Oh, if only .....

[Boatmik]

Ah - my goodness. So cheap!

But it is the other stuff that costs - right Simon!

I just hope it has gone to someone who will do something with it rather than just have their eyes on the lead.

MIK