Gamayun recently asked what made MERLIN so special....As many know, MERLIN epitomized the unofficial theme of Santa Cruz boatbuilding's "Fast is Fun" motto. ULDB's (UltraLightDisplacementBoats), aka "sleds," were being built in half a dozen local boat shops, and MERLIN, at 66 feet, was the biggest and fastest of them all, setting the TransPac Race elapsed time record in 1977 (the year she was launched) that stood for 20 years.
It's hard to not have MERLIN flashbacks from those years. There weren't many mono-hulls that regularly went 20 knots back then. Bill Lee would appear in his Wizard outfit whenever a new boat would come down from the chicken coop to get launched, usually on a Friday afternoon when most of the Harbor locals and workers would join the party.
MERLIN has always been a "people's boat" and the more the merrier. In Santa Cruz, a Wednesday Night Race crew of 35 to 45 aboard MERLIN was not uncommon, and if Bill didn’t cast off promptly at 5:30 p.m., more would have climbed aboard. Bill would sip brandy in the main cabin and watch the passing action through the large cabin windows. From the aft cabin, a bunk the full width of the boat, people drifted in and out, experiencing a contact high as purple smoke wafted out the transom ports. One of the favorite activities for guests was to climb into the narrow bow of MERLIN and position their backs on one side of the hull and their knees on the other. Going to weather, the bow would flex and pant, compressing you gently in a fetal hug known as the "Cosmic Squeeze.“
The Coast Guard didn't know what to make of these shenanigans, and would judiciously count each crew leaving MERLIN after every Wednesday night race. Bill Lee knew what was coming next, and would be asked to show a lifejacket for each crew counted. Just as certainly, Bill would pull out five or six large sailbags from the forepeak, and empty dozens of lifejackets on the dock to be counted.
Before the 1977 TransPac, race safety inspector Hayes McClellan wanted all the requirements meticulously adhered to by the new rogue boat from Santa Cruz. As Hayes went down his list, he stopped at the motoring requirement. "OK, I want to see this boat motor at 8 knots," he boomed in his deep, authoritative voice. Dave Wahle, MERLIN's bosun and professional garbage man, cast off the docklines and, with Hayes aboard, roared down Santa Cruz Harbor at 8 knots, backwards. Santa Cruz Harbor's winter sandbar blocked the entrance, so when MERLIN reached the end of the harbor, Dave spun the wheel. MERLIN turned on a dime, nearly throwing Hayes overboard. They then motored triumphantly, with the whole Harbor watching, back to MERLIN's slip, again at 8 knots in reverse. Hayes quickly checked off the rest of the safety items and bemusedly fled this craziness.”
During those years, it seemed everyone in Santa Cruz claimed they had sailed on MERLIN at one time or another. That was probably true, as in one local election. Bill Lee, without campaigning, got more votes as Port Commissioner (for which he still serves) than the newly elected Mayor.
It's hard to not have MERLIN flashbacks from those years. There weren't many mono-hulls that regularly went 20 knots back then. Bill Lee would appear in his Wizard outfit whenever a new boat would come down from the chicken coop to get launched, usually on a Friday afternoon when most of the Harbor locals and workers would join the party.
MERLIN has always been a "people's boat" and the more the merrier. In Santa Cruz, a Wednesday Night Race crew of 35 to 45 aboard MERLIN was not uncommon, and if Bill didn’t cast off promptly at 5:30 p.m., more would have climbed aboard. Bill would sip brandy in the main cabin and watch the passing action through the large cabin windows. From the aft cabin, a bunk the full width of the boat, people drifted in and out, experiencing a contact high as purple smoke wafted out the transom ports. One of the favorite activities for guests was to climb into the narrow bow of MERLIN and position their backs on one side of the hull and their knees on the other. Going to weather, the bow would flex and pant, compressing you gently in a fetal hug known as the "Cosmic Squeeze.“
The Coast Guard didn't know what to make of these shenanigans, and would judiciously count each crew leaving MERLIN after every Wednesday night race. Bill Lee knew what was coming next, and would be asked to show a lifejacket for each crew counted. Just as certainly, Bill would pull out five or six large sailbags from the forepeak, and empty dozens of lifejackets on the dock to be counted.
Before the 1977 TransPac, race safety inspector Hayes McClellan wanted all the requirements meticulously adhered to by the new rogue boat from Santa Cruz. As Hayes went down his list, he stopped at the motoring requirement. "OK, I want to see this boat motor at 8 knots," he boomed in his deep, authoritative voice. Dave Wahle, MERLIN's bosun and professional garbage man, cast off the docklines and, with Hayes aboard, roared down Santa Cruz Harbor at 8 knots, backwards. Santa Cruz Harbor's winter sandbar blocked the entrance, so when MERLIN reached the end of the harbor, Dave spun the wheel. MERLIN turned on a dime, nearly throwing Hayes overboard. They then motored triumphantly, with the whole Harbor watching, back to MERLIN's slip, again at 8 knots in reverse. Hayes quickly checked off the rest of the safety items and bemusedly fled this craziness.”
During those years, it seemed everyone in Santa Cruz claimed they had sailed on MERLIN at one time or another. That was probably true, as in one local election. Bill Lee, without campaigning, got more votes as Port Commissioner (for which he still serves) than the newly elected Mayor.
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