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 Around the World in a 34-foot Sailboat
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Vixen's Original Builder's Plate

4/2/2015

6 Comments

 
Picture
"As I have entered by 80th year, it occurs to me that it is time to write to you before it becomes too  late..." This was the first line of an email I received a few weeks ago from Jo Brooks who was Vixen's second owner. She continued: "My deceased husband, Lee, and I owned Vixen from 1961 to 1970.  The black and white photo  at the beginning of your “old” photos was taken in 1965 in Biscayne Bay, Florida, with me at the tiller and  Lee watching from the dinghy.  During the years that we owned her, we lived aboard and worked variously in Florida and the Bahamas and cruised in the Bahamas when we had the time.  We sold Vixen in Miami in 1970 – my  husband was starting up a business building fiberglass commercial fishing boats and we needed every penny that we could collect.
Our boats thereafter included two of the commercial 48 footers plus a 40 foot Hood sloop and finally a 32’ Allied Seawind ketch – the latter was a lovely little boat and we kept her for 20 years until just before my husband died in 2005 – none of these ever replaced Vixen in  our hearts and dreams.
I live now in Matlacha, Florida – a  little island town just outside of Ft. Myers.  I have  a few photos that you might like to have – but best of all,  I  have the small brass plaque which was originally secured to the forward frame of the companion-way hatch.  One day,, the fasteners failed and it fell off, and we never replaced it.  It reads”  Joel J. Johnson”  “Yacht Builder” “Bridgeport, Conn.” Year 1952’ “N0. 61”.  I would like to have it go home to Vixen. If you are ever in this part of the world, call me and I will buy you a drink or three."
I called Jo and had a talk with her about the time she and her husband owned Vixen. She took my address and sent the plaque to my parents in Tacoma. A few days ago my sister delivered it to us here in Maui.
It had always been a mystery as to where the original builder's plaque had gone to. After going missing for 40 years plaque and boat are united again. 
The photos Jo sent were also a great discovery. For years I have had a reproduction of Vixen sailing in the 1950s hanging inside the cabin. Now, with the original I have much more detail and can see that Vixen carried a topsail yard which must have been added after her first trip around the world. The other revelation of this old photo is that it is not James Stark, the original owner, at the helm but Jo Brooks herself.
Vixen is now berthed in the inner harbor of Lahaina, Maui. On Monday we will move the boat down the coast to Maalaea Harbor and stay there until the beginning of June. Then we will prepare for our final ocean voyage back to Victoria -- 2,500 miles across the North Pacific and back to Canada from which Vixen sailed over ten years ago.



Picture
6 Comments
Adam
4/2/2015 10:44:58 pm

Topsail Yard! Topsail Yard! Topsail Yard!...

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Pat Atkin link
4/2/2015 11:08:15 pm

Bruce and Tiffany - how wonderful to have the name plate back - much love sent to you all - Pat

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Ann DArling
4/3/2015 03:24:43 am

Is it just me, or is there something wonderfully fey about this treasure coming into your hands as you contemplate the closing of this journey's circle? How wonderful she didn't wait "too long" to send it.

Reply
Eric M
4/5/2015 03:53:24 am

This boat looks so good under sail!

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Alan link
4/9/2015 05:47:18 am

I just found you guys and love the blog. I'm very interested in learning more about your steering. I have a 22' cutter, yes small but she fits our budget and our life. I have been rebuilding her and sailing locally for 4 years, next year we will head south. With our boomkin we really can't find a happy medium for a vane and are considering other options.

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Kaci Cronkhite link
5/8/2015 10:51:02 pm

What a joy to read the update of your progress on the voyage, on life and on the history of the boat - and to remember back to that 2002 Wooden Boat Festival. What a year! And, what fun to anticipate meeting you there again. It was the first of a decade I spent as director of that crazy passionate lovefest, after a six year circumnav. A journey quite different than yours, but linked in special ways. The Atkins gaffer, a ten year timeline, the geography, the interwoven history of your boat discoveries. The salty connections in all our lives with these boats are profound and beautiful. Blood, sweat and tears. Wood, wind and water. Congratulations on the journey and all it will mean to your and to so many families worldwide. I look forward to seeing you in Port Townsend at the Wooden Boat Festival, this time with my little Danish spidsgatter PAX. Til then, aloha, bon voyage and fair winds!

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    Bruce Halabisky is a wooden boat builder and sailor. He and Tiffany Loney are the owners of Vixen.

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