Motor Sailers by Philip Rhodes & John Alden

[Tad]

From Yachting of June 1970

 

[u4ea32]

That really looks like a fun boat. Practical, in a way that makes fun practical. I love the fly bridge (visibility underway is important, especially in beautiful places). I love the big aft cockpit without any sheets. I love the big windows in the saloon. I love that big flat deck and transom to make carrying dinghys convenient.

If the sailing performance is a bit lacking, well, I think anything this side of, say, an F18 is a sailing slug. Just carry one or more high performance sailing dinghy, windsurfer, kite surfer, kayak, etc. for the adrenaline.

 

[brian eiland]

Mystery Rhodes

From Yachting of June 1970

View attachment 58608

That is her Tad!! In fact I think it may be the very vessel design that I spoke of in my opening of this subject thread. Many thanks for that brochure photo!

However it fails to mention a length on the brochure?

Just the other day I also contacted Ben Stavis at....and here was his email:
http://astro.temple.edu/~bstavis/pr/rhodes.htm

Hi Brian,
About the vessel in Southern Maryland.....

It would help a lot to have a long tape measure and be more precise about her length.

Rhodes design 816 (1969) is a 52 foot motor sailor in the Virginia Reel form. She was named Discoverer, built in fiberglass, for "Marine Distributors, Inc."

The Mystic Seaport Ships Plan Division Rhodes collection does have design 816 and refers to it as 40 ft. LWL fiberglass motorsailer.

With the greater length, she very well may have had 3 windows.

So maybe this is the mystery boat.

Best wishes,

So now here is my latest delemia. I am almost certain that I took a tape messure to that vessel at one time and found it to be a little less than 42' at the waterline. (I can't remember exactly as I stepped it off one time and measured it another).

The point is I found it too be shorter than I thought from my original expectations.
AND the vessel does not appear to have enough overhangs to be a 52 footer??
AND the Mystic Seaport plans refer to it "as a 40 ft LWL fiberglass motorsailer"??

I hate to trouble you more Tad, but if you could find those dwgs it would be great??...we could really pin down those dimensions.

 

[Tad]

Doing some quick scaling of the published drawings (from the Discoverer ad).

Guessing the foc'sl is no more than 6'6" inside (between bulkheads). I get an overall (hull) length of 43'10" or 44'0" (fuzzy lines).....waterline length of 39'10"(could easily be 40'), beam of 13'6", and draft of 4'6".

The 52' is mentioned in the Rhodes design book, but it could easily be a typo....

 

[capngil]

My Lady Stella Maris

Hello all I woud like to join the conversation with an introduction of My Lady Stella... Stella my 1975 John Alden 68ft Ketch is what I call a 80/90/110 Motorsailer. To clarify she is 80% sailboat (impressed me), 90% motor yacht 250 hp Cat, and 110% home, lived on her for four years..... Stella also has a long and unique history as she was designed and built for Neil Tillitson, the then second owner of John Alden. Beside owning Alden, Neil also purchased Hodgdon Brothers in Maine to build her and Pearson Inc to build her hull. By the way the T in TPI represents Tillitsons. I know I am biased but I can honestly attest that she is a joy to sail. I've spent numerous months (various trips) sailing over to the Bahamas on her with family and friends and she never leave us wanting more. She sails well from 50 degrees aft with best point of sail being around 60. Her four sail provides various combinations and I've singled handed her on many trips to destinations where others fly in for visits. I've done a full restoration (and I mean "I" and "Full") with what knowledge and funds I have. If you would like to see more details on her restoration, please visit my site at stellamaris-charters.com. I do not charter her but at the time I had thoughts of doing so, hence the site. If I can be of service and/or if you have any question pertaining to such a restoration please do not hesitate to e-mail me. I trust you enjoy the visit.

In retrospect I would not buy such a large vessel again (no matter what the price is) and do not suggest such a purchase to anyone, unless you can sustain the expense of it. Her labor and financial demands are, as we all know exponential due to her size. The only way I can keep up with her is that I do all (minus monthly bottom cleaning, that grew old many moons ago) the maintenance, repairs and upgrades myself. Yes it is true that she is very comfortable and roomy to travel in, in fact I once had 39 people on board for my other ladies B-day (see photos). Her size poses numerous concerns such as there is no quick get on board and going anywhere. Taking her out "IS" special and for special purposes and/or Bahamas getaways. Interestingly enough I can take her out and dock her along as long as the winds don't exceed 15 knots; anything more and doing so get stressful.

OK Guys and gals, let me not abuse my intro. I leave with an invite, should see us out on the waters please don't hesitate to dinghy on by for sundowners and a tour.



Chat soon
gil

 

[brian eiland]

Lady Stella Maris

Welcome aboard Gil, really glad to have you join the conversations.

How about posting some photos directly to this discussion? (or do you need to have some help doing that since you are new to the forums?)

I might also suggest you have a look over at this other forum where I brought up the same subject, as often folks may not visit both forums. Thus there can be other sources of information. You might consider posting there as well?
http://www.yachtforums.com/forums/general-sailing-discussion/6710-motor-sailers-philip-rhodes-john-alden.html
(Note that the max size of a photo that can be added there is 640 pixels wide, so you might just as well plan on this as a nominal size)

Cheers, Brian

 

[brian eiland]

WOW, just had a look thru your engine room photos....great transformation! And you did most of this by yourself....WOW. There was a time in my youth where I might have attempted the same, but age takes the 'lifting power' away.

 

[capngil]

thanks for the welcome.... Brian. Yes its true age does wear on use. If you were to look closely at the before and after photos you will Stellas progress and me degressing.... The project took a lot out of me but I did enjoy it (mostly). Some people are poets, other singers, etc, I just happen to enjoy working with my hands. Please share your thoughts on the rest of the restoration and if I can be of any assistance please ask. There are a few things I would do differently if I had the chance to do it over so hopefully somebody can benifit from my mistakes.

Not sure as to posting images here but I will review options and proceed accordingly

gil

 

[sabahcat]

So here is a motorsailer I found at a marina in southern MD a number of years ago.

A truly stunning looking boat Brian
Many is the time I have come back for a drool

 

[brian eiland]

I drooled as well...for a number of years while I tried to make contact with the owner. Seems as though the marina owner wished to keep that a secret as long as the owner was still alive and paying his monthly bills.

As I thought about it in more detail, it had set so long that I was almost sure that the engines were frozen,....plus many other potential problems made it appear to not be a viable economic purchase unless it could be bought for a very low price.

Eventually the gentleman who owned it passed away down in FL, and the marina owner made a deal with some other buyers without ever contacting me for a bid. I think those buyers were predisposed to keeping the vessel right there at that same marina, thus generating an ongoing income to the marina owner.

The vessel did get a partial topsides paint job and is now in the water at a slip.

You do realize that the brochure in posting #61 (courtesy of Tad) is that very vessel. Research thus far indicates there were only 2 of this design built.

 

[brian eiland]

....As if that wasn’t enough, in 1963 the actor Sterling Hayden published his book Wanderer;
“They never taught wandering in any school I attended. They never taught the art of sailing a vessel, either. Or that of writing a book. It's all so mysterious and – yes – enchanting. And that is what I suppose this book is all about.”

Since its first publication in 1963, controversy has surrounded Wanderer, the autobiography of Sterling Hayden. Just as he approached the peak of his career as a movie star, Hayden suddenly abandoned Hollywood, walked out on a shattered marriage, defied the courts, and set sail with his four children aboard the schooner WANDERER. A broke outlaw, he escaped to the South Seas.

This subject has come up again over on this subject thread...
http://www.yachtforums.com/forums/general-yachting-discussion/18184-sailing-bora-bora.html#post146358

...and I found another photo of them getting ready to leave on that trip to the 'South Pacific'

You have to remember that in those days this was a VERY EXOTIC notion,...hollywood even did a big musical production about it titled 'South Pacific'
South Pacific (musical) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[peter radclyffe]

there is a new movie out called
The South Pacific Garbage Patch

 

[bntii]

You have to remember that in those days this was a VERY EXOTIC notion,...hollywood even did a big musical production about it titled 'South Pacific'
South Pacific (musical) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

From Michener's novel of the same name.
His book was based on his war time experiences & is a decent read.

I am betting enough Marines managed to craw under grass skirts during the war to leave a permanent impression about the region.
Cook started it all though..

Brian- I did manage to find a photo of the Alden motor sailor I messed about on years back. I mentioned it (years back), on this thread and will post a scan if I can find it again!

 

[sabahcat]

A truly stunning looking boat Brian
Many is the time I have come back for a drool

Just did it again

 

[brian eiland]

Just did it again

You are referring to the 44 Rhodes I presume? But what about that Alden 57, ..she's a beauty as well......postings #7 & #14 above
http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/attachments/boat-design/12381d1175867813-motor-sailers-philip-rhodes-john-alden-alden-57-profile.jpg


I can't help but think that either of these two designs, brought up-to-date with modern lighter-weight materials, and thus the capability to carry a little more sail area, etc, would make a nice modern motorsailer/trawler vessel for the coming future yachting world of big fuel prices.