Hi Pilou, Your own GB 42 heritage, now that is a beauty and a rare one. The ones on yachtworld are all 1997. Was this the only year they were built with the full wide aft cabin?
Think you know Grand Banks ? What about the Chantyman ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pilou
The link you posted is still pointing to a old post of my husband who is not an active member anymore.
Check your PM.
Pilou
In my Marinia in WI there was an old wooden boat kept under a tarp for years. It was said to be the first Grand Banks. I looked under the tarp and she seemed smaller and not shaped like a GB. Teak on teak. It was hard to see under the tarp. The owner contacted Grand Banks to try to sell it to them. They were not interested. Eventually he sold it to someone out east, maybe Maine for restoration. The Marina called it Spray. Do you know if this is possible?
In my Marinia in WI there was an old wooden boat kept under a tarp for years. It was said to be the first Grand Banks. I looked under the tarp and she seemed smaller and not shaped like a GB. Teak on teak. It was hard to see under the tarp. The owner contacted Grand Banks to try to sell it to them. They were not interested. Eventually he sold it to someone out east, maybe Maine for restoration. The Marina called it Spray. Do you know if this is possible?
Hi Greatlaker221,
Do you mean at a marina in Kenosha, WI in 2008 / 2009 ? Yes it was Spray, so-called the prototype of Grand Banks trawlers or the GB 36-01.
Indeed from 2008 to mid 2009, Spray was on the hard in Kenosha, WI, put on sale by her owners Donald and Wendy Moeller from DesPlaines, IL who bought Spray in 1997 from Philip and Marcella Faustman of Kalamazoo, MI.
At the time Philip and Marcella Faustman owned Spray, she was shipped to American Marine Ltd boatyard, 26 Jalan Terusan, Singapore where she has undergone a refit. In March 1986 I went to American Marine Ltd boatyard in Singapore to order some optional customized interior layout during the construction process of our new Grand Banks 42' Classic. There I took the opportunity to see Spray moored at the American Marine Ltd facility. I took photos of Spray when I was there. I may post the photos when I could make time to find and scan them.
In 2009 David Towle and his wife Bettie bought Spray (on the yard in Kenosha) from Donald and Wendy Moeller. Spray was transported by truck to Bar Harbor, Maine, where she arrived on July 13, 2009. David made an amazing full restoration of Spray of at least 3 years.
Unlike what many members of TF may think, Spray, that was designed by the New England architect Kenneth L. Smith from Fairfield, CT, was not built at American Marine Ltd boat yard in Junk Bay, Hong Kong. Spray was built in 1962 / 1963 at the Wharton Shipyard in Jamestown, RI, USA, which is now the Jamestown Boatyard. Spray was powered by a single engine Caterpillar series H rated at 270 HP with Twin Disk reduction gears.
Photos below :
- Spray in 2009.
- Wharton Shipyard in Jamestown, RI, where Spray was built in 1963.
- Spray in Yachting Magazine, 1963.
- Spray in Maine fully restored by David and Bettie.
At the time Robert Newton and his sons built custom yachts long before the Grand Banks line, one of the most luxurious boat built at American Marine Ltd boatyard, Junk Bay, Hong Kong, was the 65-foot "Carolyn Quincy" AKA "Francis Marion".
Built in 1963, Carolyn Quincy was made to the order of a wealthy American, Philip L Van Every, who was Chief Executive of Lance Inc. and Mayor of Charlotte, NC. Carolyn was one of Van Every’s four daughters.
With a mahogany and teak hull, a deep freeze, water distillation plant, electric -powered lavatories and carpeted lounge, the launch was powered by two diesel engines and could cruise at 10˝ knots.
It was designed by Walter J McInnis of Eldredge-McInnis, Inc. Boston, MA. He maintained the firm and continued a very active design practice until his retirement in 1976 at the age of 83.
Every owned the boat fom 1963 to 1968 when its name was changed to the Francis Marion. It was then sold to Anthony J Sposato.
The bent port shaft was was repaired in 1977. In 1980 a Cal-Rod heater was added and a bow plate for the anchor in the 1980s. And later larger steadying sails and a washer and dryer. A 13′ Boston Whaler was her tender until 1980, then replaced by a 10′ antique lapstrake Inboard Captain Tender, and then changed again in 1995 to a 14′ inflatable.
The Francis Marion was later donated by Michael Phillips, who owned the boat from 2000 to 2014, to Mystic Seaport, Connecticut, USA. Restoration work was done from 2000 to 2003.
(Courtesy Thomas Sposato. Thomas is the son of one of the boat’s previous owners, Anthony J Sposato.)
Photos below :
- Carolyn Quincy, 1968 “Motor Boating & Yachting”.
- December 5, 2010, completely restored Eldridge Mcginnis named the Francis Marion. Courtesy the Smith Family.
PS : Elusive and crafty, Brigadier General Francis Marion (1732-1795) outwitted British troops during the American Revolution. In 1790, Marion helped write the South Carolina state constitution.
Pilou
This is such wonderful history. Thank you so much for taking the time. Who would of thought that the original was built in my back yard....Jamestown RI? The Wharton family has / had a large presence in Jamestown. A little history https://whatsupnewp.com/2016/05/hist...on-hit-market/
Pilou
This is such wonderful history. Thank you so much for taking the time. Who would of thought that the original was built in my back yard....Jamestown RI? The Wharton family has / had a large presence in Jamestown. A little history https://whatsupnewp.com/2016/05/hist...on-hit-market/
Hi Charlie,
Thank you for the link.
Yes, Spray, the ancestor of a long line of Grand Banks yachts, was designed and conceived in Connecticut, and born in your "backyard" , in Jamestown, Rhode Island.
Having taken my 1st ever boat trip from Puget Sound to Alaska in a friends GB32, we were sure to buy a GB for our first boat. We purchased a 1972 GB 43 #305 in 1992 and sailed her from LA to Puget Sound. We sold her 1995 after purchasing a 1976 GB 50. This boat was unusual in that it was a documented GB but sold as a Kong &Halverson. I believe it was hull #65.
The story that I put together was that it was an unfinished GB that came under the stewardship of Kong & Halverson when they took over the wood yard. It was finished for Leo Collar who was the president (?) of Crowley tug. He has several modifications made that I believe were unique to the GB50 line. These include a hawse anchor system from the side of the bow, a teak upper deck and a full king berth in the master. The bulwarks were ply as opposed to the short, small piece, solid wood build.
We purchased it from some folks in Anacortes who had used it for a liveaboard for several years while constructing their marina condo units. We took it yearly to Alaska and sold it in 2002 to some folks whose family owned a marina and shipyard in Scappoose, Ore. as we thought we were getting out of boating (ha!, ha!).
We sometimes regret selling her as she was such a good boat. I checked the USCG documentation list a couple of years ago and the folks in Oregon were still listed as the owners. I had run into them in 2006 and they thanked me for selling them such a fine boat!
Interesting post, thank you Tator.
63 Grand Banks 50 have been built at Junk Bay boatyard plus 2 unfinished. Since yours was hull #65, she was the very latest.
I guess that yours had the 2 engine rooms configuration (1 for each engine) separated by a passageway to access the aft master cabin, 1 spiral staircase on the forward part of the boat, 2 forward cabins.
After Joseph Kong & Harvey Halvorsen took control of the Junk Bay boatyard, they extended the 50 model to 55 foot, with 1 large engine room over the full width of the boat, 2 spiral stair cases (1 to access the 2 forward cabins, 1 to access the aft master cabin from the salon).
Many royalty crowned heads of Europe have owned a Grand Banks 50. Prince Albert of Belgium (who later became King Albert II of Belgium) owned a Grand Banks 50 hull #27, moored in Port Vauban of Antibes, French riviera.
Prince Bernhard of the Netherland sailed a Laguna 38' (a high performance boat built in fiberglass by American Marine Ltd at the Singapore boatyard) from June 1973 to September 1980, then a Grand Banks 42 sedan until 1985. In 1984 on an official trip to Indonesia, Prince Bernhard stopped in Singapore to visit the boatyard. An order was placed on the new Grand Banks 49 just being introduced since the Prince needed some more room and an extra cabin, which has been shipped to Marseille, south of France, in June 1985, and had been in royal service until September 1991. In June 1992, Prince Bernhard took delivery of his new Grand Banks 58.
Still about royalty of Europe, British royal Princess Margaret, the second daughter of King George VI and the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II, enjoyed sailing a Grand Banks 42 Europa when she visited the American Marine Ltd boatyard in Singapore.
Photos below :
- Prince Albert of Belgium purchasing his Grand Banks 50 at Brussels boat show.
- Prince Albert aboard Grand Banks 50 on a trip from Antwerp to Zeebrugge, Belgium.
- Prince Bernhard of the Netherland's Grand Banks 49 unloaded in Marseille-Fos harbor.
- Prince Bernhard's Grand Banks 58.
- Princess Margaret aboard a Grand Banks 42 Europa in Singapore.
Indeed we have thousands of docs and photos about American Marine Ltd's boats, yachts, events, live aboard, rendez-vous, also almost the whole collection in PDF and hardcover of American Marine News magazine & Spay magazine. We even have a announcement's card of the passing of Robert J. Newton, founder & President of American Marine Ltd company owner of Chantyman, Grand Banks, Alaskan, Laguna, Admiralty, Eastbay lines of yachts.
At the beguinning, Robert Newton owned and managed a soft drink bottling plant located in Mok Cheong Street of a village called "To Kwa Wan", Hong Kong.
In the 1950s, the soft drink business facing different difficult challenges, Robert Newton and his 2 sons John and Wit started a boat building shipyard located at his bottling plan's parking lot (!) on the side of Junk Bay. They called the company "American Marine Ltd".
Mok Cheong Street still exist, but the To Kwa Wan village is not a city anymore, it has been incorporated in Hong Kong. The area is located very near the former Kong Kai Tak Airport of Hong Kong, so-called one of the world's most dangerous airport. I trust that those who have visited Hong Kong before 1998 remember the old Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport, it was located in the urban area of Hong Kong where is full of high buildings and surrounded by mountains and water on 3 sides. These mountains made taking off and landing very difficult and impressive.
In late 1950s, Robert Newton and his sons built new buildings still on the sea side of Junk Bay where they built many custom motorboats and sailboats in which the Chantyman (motorboat), Admiralty (Motorsailer), 40' sailboat Sparkman and Stevens, then in 1963 the famous 36' Spray. In 1965/66, they started to build the first Grand Banks, a 36', with marine architect Kenneth Smith who had previously designed SPRAY. Then we know the history.
My father's husband travelled to Hong Kong right after he ordered his first Grand Banks, a 42' Classic hull # 52 which was the first or second GB 42 delivered in Europe, in mid 1968. My future husband who was 11 years old at that time, traveled with his father and got the chance to visit the American Marine Ltd's Junk Bay boatyard.
Among all the numerous pictures we have :
Pic #1 : Junk Bay boatyard at its beguinning.
Pics #2, 3, 4 : Chantyman.
Pic #5 : One of the first GB 36' built.
Pic #6 from left to right :
- Joseph Kong, production manager. When American Marine Ltd stopped building wooden boats and closed the Hong Kong Junk Bay boatyard to build fiberglass yachts in Singapore, Mr Kong teamed up with Harvey Halvorsen to create "Kong & Halvorsen Marine & Engineering Company, Ltd" which build boats under the "Kong & Halvorsen" and "Island Gypsy" brand names.
- Robert J Newton,
- Tony Fleming, technical director, who later created Fleming Yachts. Tony Fleming have "the skills of an engineer and the eye of an artist". He started his boatbuilding career with American Marine in Hong Kong first building wooden boats and then in fiberglass. It's Tony Fleming himself who designed and created the Grand Banks 42' Motoryacht.
Pics #7 & #8 : "To Kwa Wan" area to date, where the Grand Banks story started.
Pic #9 : Senator Ted Kennedy aboard a Laguna 38'. In 1972 American Marine Ltd produced in Singapore boatyard the Laguna line, a flush-deck highspeed boat reflecting the popular lines in Europe, powered by twin turbo 637 V8 diesels. On the pic, Phil Harill of Ammarine Ltd, Sausalito, CA, hosted Senator Ted Kennedy aboard a Laguna 38'. Ted Kennedy cruised across San Francisco Bay, from Tiberon to Oakland aboard the Laguna, to attend a football game.
Here's an interesting fact. I have hull #125, 1969,42ft Grand banks. This boat was built for Mr Robert Newton as a retirement gift. He had it built with 800 gallon fuel tanks, instead of the 600 standard, and,in the main salon,instead of the settee, he had the cabinet from the Grand Alaskan installed. Rumor has it that this boat was also built at the Grand Alaskan yard,using superior wood and such.
She's still alive and cruising.
Here's an interesting fact. I have hull #125, 1969,42ft Grand banks. This boat was built for Mr Robert Newton as a retirement gift. He had it built with 800 gallon fuel tanks, instead of the 600 standard, and,in the main salon,instead of the settee, he had the cabinet from the Grand Alaskan installed. Rumor has it that this boat was also built at the Grand Alaskan yard,using superior wood and such.
She's still alive and cruising.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Captain DJ
I had GB 42-125 which was built for Robert & Mildred Newton, founders of American Marine Ltd. And she is a fine boat still.
Amazing! So, at different times both of you have owned the same GB 42 originally built for Robert Newton.
When your Grand Banks 42 was built in 1969, the Alaskan (not "Grand Alaskan" which was DeFever yachts) line was not yet launched.
, in Jamestown, Rhode Island.
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