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New Boat 4 Sled

Lightship SAN FRANCISCO

A piece of interesting "yachting history" has come on the market. The one time Lightship SAN FRANCISCO (now the NANTUCKET) is for sale for a mere $6,250,000. As the ad explains, this was our Lightship SAN FRANCISCO from 1950-1969 and the weather mark for races of the same name. I have memories of sailing around the Lightship with Coast Guardsmen waving from on deck. I remember thinking that being out there rolling in the swell must be pretty rough duty. I also remember trying to decide how close to come to the "mark" as the ship heaved and rolled.

http://www.yachtworld.com/boat-content/2013/02/nantucket-lightship-for-sale/

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1950/NANTUCKET-Lightship-WLV-612-2446949/Barnstable-County/MA/United-States
 
Critter said:
Maybe it's time SSS had a commmittee boat to call our own?
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It would give new meaning to "setting the weather mark." SSS could have ocean races to anywhere along the continental shelf. And there might not be difficulty recruiting race committee considering the accomodations. The gross tonage is not indicated, so I'm not sure if Jan could be Captain.
 
I like the comment about the Lightship "with 24 locomotive headlights on the main mast, you will be noticed."

Like Tom, I remember rounding that sucker when she was anchored off SF. It did not look like very "romantic" duty.

Captain Jan will be visiting in a few days enroute AZ. I will ask her if this is "up her alley." They don't call her "Red" for nuthin'.
 
Happy 40th Birthday to Kame and Sally Richards and the crew at Pineapple Sails. A long time asset and contributor to the SF Bay Area, Pineapple Sails has been serving Bay Area sailors and giving back to our sailing community since 1973. Well done, guys!

Bonus points for anyone who can tell us what class of boat the first suit of Pineapple Sails was built for.
 
Unless you attended Pineapple's birthday bash it will be a long shot to get this right. I'll hijack it instead (I never do that!) and toss out some classes you may not have heard about in awhile, all SF Bay-centric.

Perhaps my favorite (and the one that's not SF-centric but we've had a couple) - the Yankee OD. Or how about a Treasure Island, Golden Gate, Buccaneer (we had one in the 3BF!) or Hurricane? Of course the Birds and Bears are still around, as are the Folkboats, Knarrs and IOD's. Others?
 
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I assume Sled meant the first suit with Pineapples on them?

We had some DeWitt sails (before the dinghies and the paintings).
 
Jake (van Heeckeren) and Kame began an association in the late 60's at the Stanford Sailing Club boathouse on Alpine Rd., in Palo Alto. Jake had an industrial sewing machine, and they made mountaineering gear, sleeping bags, clothing, the odd El Toro sail, and sails for the Stanford Fleet of Flying Juniors. Jake also made the first pair of plastic ski boots I ever saw, beginning with plaster of paris molds of his feet. He forgot to shave his ankles when he stood in the waste baskets full of plaster of paris. I had to break him loose with a hammer, 'cause he couldn't walk very well.

Though I'm not sure exactly when the first Pineapple Logo was stitched, it had to be around 1971. I believe the idea came not only from Kame's Hawaiian heritage, but also from a pizza box at Round Table. The first suit of Pineapple logoed sails I saw (and I was also living at the boathouse) was for Jake's Flying Dutchman. This pre-dated their move to the Oakland warehouse where Pineapple began business.

Thanks to RAGTIME for reminding us of early SF Bay centric classes. I will throw a few more woodies in the pool: Spaulding 33, Rhodes 33 (not SF Bay centric, nor is the IOD,) Pelican, Zephyr, Wylie 30 Gemini Twins, S&S 34's (SPIRIT class), El Toro, and Farallone Clipper.

An extra bonus point for who can tell us what Farallone Clipper recently sank, and why she was so pretty.

It's great to hear Bill Merrick will join GREEN BUFFALO for the Vallejo Race. Certainly the occasion for an SSS party in Vallejo. All in favor, raise your hands.
 
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sleddog said:
... at the Stanford Sailing Club boathouse on Alpine Rd., in Palo Alto...
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Skip, where was this more specifically? I grew up just off Alpine Road, and as far as I know it doesn't pass near any body of water except San Francisquito Creek.
Max
 
Max,

Beginning in 1963, the Stanford Sailing Assoc. boathouse was on a loop driveway on University Land, on the southeast side of Alpine Rd, about 1/4 mile southwest of the 280 freeway. The Dish was visible just across the 280. I believe today it is some sort of tree nursery.

The nearest sailable body of water was Lake Lagunita, which only had navigable water from New Years to April. In the late 60's SSA lobbied the University to seal the lake bottom so the water wouldn't all leak out each spring. But there was a special plant that only grew in the muck, and the Biology department successfully objected.

There was a fleet of 10 FJ's that SSA sailed on Lake Lag that were maintained at the boathouse by the live-in crew. In addition, two Shields sloops were kept at San Francisco YC in Belvedere.
 
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While I was attending Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the later half of the 70's I raced (team SLO :p) a few times on Lake Lag. when Stanford was the regatta host. As I recall, close to 1980 Stanford moved their regatta location either over to Redwood City or to Half Moon Bay, but that could have been San Jose State's host location. By the mid 80's when I was taking classes at Stanford the lake was no more than a meadow year round, so it seems they did something to keep the water from even collecting thought the winter.
 
OK, so it was just across Alpine Road from Ladera where I lived. I see on Google there are several streets on that side, but I don't recall ever venturing over there. Thanks for the history.

Wandering off topic, that stretch of 280 didn't even exist until the mid-60s. I remember riding my bicycle up and down the freeway a day or two before it opened.
 
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