The Ocean Queen V Restoration Project of 2022
Updated: May 4
By Terry Moran
Built in 1951 at the venerable Abeking & Rasmussen yard, she is a Philip Rhodes 55' yawl with a storied racing career. Through the sponsorship of the Demere family, and through the generosity of Westpoint Harbor and the Driscoll Family Foundation (a supporting organization of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation), WBFV secured an agreement with the Boy Scouts of America, the current owners of the boat, to charter her.
The first order of business was to thoroughly examine the vessel, and 10 months and $155,000 were spent bringing her condition up to an acceptable level of seaworthy condition. Picking up where the survey report left off, and assessing her condition
underway, we determined major repairs were necessary to make her hull watertight; we also resolved to inspect and correct deficiencies in her rig that were unsuitable for a wooden structure of advancing age. Major repairs included:
- Complete rebuild of the rudder tube and surrounding fairing
- Repair of the forefoot, replacing the temporary lead patch with a scarfed gracing piece
- Re-caulking of over 200 lineal feet of seams
- Relocation of the depth sounder transducer to a more reliable and accessible location
- Complete replacement of bilge plumbing system, separating cockpit drainage from primary bilge pump
discharge, and addition of a high-capacity pump system, bringing the vessel up to ABYS standards
- Repair of rotted area in mainmast in way of the main spreaders with a three-foot scarf
- Repair of the cracked gooseneck fitting in the mainmast
- Fabrication of new tangs and stem fittings
- Replacement of rod rigging with new appropriate 1x19 stainless wire throughout the standing rigging
- Repair of windlass
- Replacement of cutlass bearing
- Repair of dry rot found in stern lazarette area
- Engine service
The team at Svendsen's Bay Marine Boatyard did a truly masterful job, and it was pleasure to manage this project.
In consideration of the wishes of the Driscoll and Demere Foundations, WBFV transferred its rights and claims to ownership of the vessel as well as the remaining term of the Charter to a the Westpoint Harbor. Her next caretaker is getting one special boat.