For over 20 years Blue Frontier has been a national leader in providing resources and opportunities to bring people who care about the health of our coasts and ocean together, creating solutions for the environmental challenges facing our ocean world. We recently acquired a classic 1934 yacht to continue our work.
Blue Frontier’s 48-foot- Motorsailer, ‘Queen of the Coast’ is a historic one-of-a-kind wooden yacht designed by famed marine architect William Hand. Launched at the Wheeler Shipyard in Brooklyn in 1934 it has provided generations of coastal and high seas adventure. It even did a patriotic-stint guarding the east coast against Nazi submarines during World War II. The ‘Queen’ will highlight the maritime heritage at the heart of California’s wooden boat culture going back to indigenous Tomol canoes crafted by the Chumash people of the central coast.
Vessels designed by Hand were often built of wood, using traditional methods. The hulls were typically carvel-planked, with a strong frame structure to ensure durability. The Queen features a long, sweeping sheer, a well-proportioned cabin house, and a spacious deck. The overall design balances comfort for cruising and capability in rougher seas.
Recently donated to our organization and having sailed down from Fort Bragg California to its new home in the San Francisco Bay Area, it is being refurbished as an educational and youth training vessel. The aim is to have it act as an iconic ambassador between the wooden boat, marine heritage and ocean conservation communities who all share a common commitment to historically healthy seas.
Blue Frontier aims to restore this 90-year-old ketch to its original condition; Funds will be used for hull repairs, rigging replacement, interior restoration, and updating navigation systems to ensure the vessel is seaworthy and safe for future conservation adventures.
These will include its use as an educational platform making it available for a range of purposes from onboard and dockside lectures and marine educational cruises to maritime training for underserved youths who’ve not had the opportunity to experience sailing and the sea including cruising the West Coast’s ‘Kelp Highway.”
None of this will be easy or inexpensive which is why we’re working to build a crew of dedicated Sailors, Volunteers and Sponsors who believe in and can be a part of the Queen’s mission. If you’d like to join us, please contact Blue Frontier’s Board President and Commodore:
David Schwartz:
david@schwartzandassociates.com
1-415-302-3593
Or email: Info@bluefront.org
