Page 16. MAINE COASTAL NEWS May 2009
PROFILE: Giffy Full, More than a Surveyor
Continued from Page 5.
Full added, “That was a wonderful experi- that I had several surveys done on boats and you don’t know what you’re talking about.
ence. I not only helped with the design and I told them I thought that they were really So I went up and got the foreman in the yard
paint and she floated finestkind. There was some of the details in the boat, but I worked poor. It’s very poor when a man comes down and said I want you to come down here and
an older man who was a very good mechanic on building her. I helped Sonny lay her down. to a boat that he is hired to survey, knocks on measure this boat. He measured her and said
and he came down and helped my clean up the I’d work weekends when nobody was the hull and hollers. So I come up from down she is 42 feet 6 inches. Then I got into the boat
engine and get her running. Of course back- around. One of the things I did was vacuum below to see what is going on, and he says is and found her full of rotten frames, stern post
ing up a little bit, my father had known that I out everything so everything was clean there a warmer place to go than this? So we gone, horn timber gone. So I asked the man
was over at Ralph Crowell’s looking at this when the workmen came Monday morning. went in the stock room of Grave’s Yacht Yard did you have this boat surveyed and he said
boat two or three times. So he spoke to me I’d prime stuff out, put a coat of paint or and he started to ask me all kinds of questions oh yeah I had a survey three weeks ago in
about it, he said, ‘I understand you have been varnish on this or that so it was done for the about the boat. What were the gas tanks, Baltimore. When I got into the lazarette I had
over to Ralph Crowell’s shop looking at that painters when they come in Monday morn- what were the water tanks, what was this, to haul a lot of gear out of there. Nobody had
boat over there. I said, ‘Yeah, yeah, nice ing. It was a real pleasure to be involved with what was that. I said so this is a survey of the moved it I can tell. When I got down under it
boat.’ He said, ‘Under no circumstances do building that boat. And I ran her for 12 years boat. I was kind of shocked. I had another I found the horn timber and stern post gone.
you get any idea of buying a boat.’ Of course after that. She was just beautiful boat and person come to survey one of those boats I said why didn’t the guy find that stuff? He
I complete defied him, you know. Well it sailed like a dream.” and the guy didn’t know any more about the said well the owner wouldn’t let him go down
wasn’t more than two or three days later, my “There were many times I got up in the boat when he left than when he came. If I am in there. Then I got down into a place by the
father of course had this 21 foot sailboat over middle of the night and went down to the boat going to survey a boat I am going to do the galley. This boat was built with no sheathing
on a mooring in the same cove where I put this to check and make sure this or that was right. whole boat, everything in the boat.” inside so you could open a locker and see a
little launch. After supper one night, every- The night before Hurricane Carol [1954], we He added, “I was very fortunate, one day good part of the frames. I went in under a
thing was quiet; I walked up the street to make had a big party, steamed clams and lobsters, I had the opportunity to watch a man that I galley counter and the frames were all rotten.
sure she looked all right. Well, I’m almost up down on an island outside of Salem harbor. respected. He was surveying a fairly sizeable I said how come, well the owner wouldn’t let
to the beach and who was coming back but When that was over I came back to old wooden boat hauled out in a boat yard in him go in there, didn’t want his pots and pans
my father and he is carrying a pair of oars. I got Marblehead and put the boat on the mooring. Florida where I was. I watched him, and said disturbed. That boat wound up in a tremen-
up to him and he grabbed me right by the There was my boss and his wife, and another that man knows what he is doing. That man dous financial disaster.”
scruff of the neck swung me around and couple and they were staying on board for the had gone over every inch of the boat. That’s After 35 years Full said that he did not
looked at me and said, he was really stern, he night. They didn’t need me so I went home. the way I’d do it.” want to live with the paper work. It needs to
said ‘Did you buy that boat that’s out there One of those real strange things, I can’t When he was fairly new in the business, be very, very fussy work.
on the mooring. The one I told you not to go explain it, but about three o’clock in the Full came across an interesting issue. He said, After Full was getting ready to leave the
near?’ And all I could do was stutter and say, morning I woke up and for some crazy reason “I got into a fairly good size yawl and up in her motorsailor he got a call about a possible job,
‘Yea, yea, yes sir I did.’ He looked at me and I just reached up on the head board and fo’c’sle everything was soaking wet. So I which he was interested in. Within minutes
said ‘You defied me and bought that boat?’ turned on the radio. It was raining out. I heard spoke to the owners about it and they said oh he received a call from the yacht’s owner,
I said, ‘Yea, yea, yes sir I did.’ ‘How much did this announcement come right on. “Hurri- well the hatch got left open. That didn’t ring Helen Mosely, who lived on the North Shore.
you pay for it?’ I said ‘$35.’ He put his arm cane Emergency, due to strike Boston at 10 true with me; there was too much water in She owned the yacht VANITY, which Full
around me and said, ‘$35, I’m proud of you o’clock in the morning.” I said that must be there. It took some extra effort, but I went knew. They agreed to meet on the boat, which
that’s a good deal.’ Of course I damn near some kind of serial story or something. Then home and I got 100 feet of hose and tested her Full was operating at the time so she could see
fainted. He never said another word about it. two minutes later it was on again. I looked out decks. The water poured through them every how he ran the boat, the following morning.
I had her a year and sold her for $200. I never and the trees were flying back and forth, the where. Now you know if I missed that!” The launch man brought her out and she was
forgot that, I thought sure I was going to get rain was driving and I said this is the real Full continued, “A few years ago I ran impressed with the boat and offered Full the
a good tanning and I would have deserved thing. I got up and I went around the house into a problem surveying boats that were laid position. But now for the interesting part of
it.” and a locked all the windows down and I told up in the wintertime. I was never happy with the story. Full’s wife, Charlotte, knew he was
After high school Full went into the Charlotte you don’t have to worry about this that because there are too many unknowns. talking to a woman about a job, so she asked
Navy and after the war ended he and a number house, but I have to go to the boat. People are If it is a boat with just a four cylinder gas who Helen Mosely was. He said, “She is a
of others were no longer needed and they aboard and I some how have got to get them engine there isn’t too much to that, but if you very, very wealthy lady that has a big estate
were discharged. Full then headed off to off. It was probably 4:30 or five when I got get into some bigger, more expensive yachts, down in Newburyport and has a nice yacht
Wentworth Institute to study mechanical down to the wharf. We used to keep our work there is so much machinery that is laid up. called the VANITY that she keeps up in
engineering. After leaving there in the spring tender hauled out on the float, a good old How do you know if they are really in good Maine in the summer time.” Charlotte than
he got off the train and met a yacht captain he Chamberlain lapstrake skiff. It took me a long, shape or not? So I started a thing that upset asked how old she was to which Full said,
knew. The captain offered him a job as mate long time to row out to that boat. I waited for a lot of people. I would tell the buyer that I “Well I don’t know. I am not a good judge of
on the 72-foot ketch VALKYRIE. He took care a chance and I got along side of her and think this boat should have an escrow ac- age. May be she is 35, possibly 36.” His wife
of the engine room, but also helped on deck. jumped on board. I had to go down below and count [this was to cover mechanical issues exclaimed, “What! You are going to run this
Later on they sailed her south to Miami and wake the people up, which I felt foolish to do. that might arise from not being able to run lady’s yacht?” and Full said, “Yeah it is just
her captain left. Another captain came on I hate to tell you, but you’ve got to get off them]. The boat needs to be trial run and another job, another boat you know.”
board and he was there four or five months because we’ve got a real serious hurricane everything check for proper operation. That Well the truth is Helen Mosely at the time
when they came north to haul out in North coming. You don’t want to be aboard this raised hell with the yacht brokers. I got a was about 70 years old. So, following the
Carolina he also left. The next skipper was not yacht, because we’ve got to do something couple of calls and told they would never use interview on the boat, Full asked if she would
competent. Full added, “I stayed the summer, with her. Marblehead is the worst place in the me again and everything else and now it is the come to his house and met his wife, to which
but in the fall I left, because there was no world to be caught in a storm. I am going to standard practice today.” she agreed. When they walked Charlotte
question this boat was going to have an start getting gear ready and I will go to Another time he was surveying a 50 came out to meet them it was obvious that
accident sooner or later and a year or so later Manchester with her, because it is a 100 something foot yawl, which was in storage. Charlotte would make Full pay!
he sank her. He ran her up on the Gloucester percent safe harbor. I could go into the East- He said, “They hadn’t laid up the engine. One After five years working for Mosely, she
breakwater on a full moon night.” ern Yacht Club’s floats and let them off. of the first things I did when I got into the passed away.
Full next job was on a power yacht down When I left it was 6 o’clock and it took me 4½ engine compartment was open the heat ex- Full was also involved in operating a
in Florida, but he only stayed the winter hours to get to Manchester. I got half way changer to see what the antifreeze was like passenger boat business in Marblehead,
before coming back and working on a 104- with no problem, just up past Eagle Island, and it was solid ice. I discovered the mani- which was run by other people. His first boat
foot ketch owned in Blue Hill. She had a crew and it was blowing so hard she would go any folds split. So, I went right into the yard and had been built by Atlantic Boat in East Bos-
of 11 men and Full worked as a deckhand. longer. I was afraid of over heating the en- told them I said you got a problem out here ton in the early 1920s. She had originally been
Unfortunately, he worked just that season, gine, well I said Giffy put your friggin’ brain and told them what it was. The manager blew steam, but had been converted to gasoline
for in the fall she was put up for sale and sold. in gear, so I started tacking her under bare up, ‘can’t be, can’t be. You’re crazy.’ Well, I power. Following World War II she was
Then he went to work on the 260-foot poles and I could gain. I got up under Baker’s said you better come out and look. He came stripped and given a bus configuration, with
motor yacht, ELPETAL, which was being Island and waited for a chance to head into out and looked and he was pretty livid. He got a windshield forward and a cockpit with lots
rebuilt at Bath Iron Works after the war. She Manchester. It was blowing so bad I couldn’t a couple of guys out there with heaters, of seats behind the helmsman. Full bought
spent three years at BIW and when she left so see. We had a lobster kettle in the cockpit heated that engine up, they got the engine her about 1955, ran her the first summer and
ended BIW’s yachting work. There were 36 because it was dirty, so I grabbed the kettle apart and they welded up two or three things. by September she had paid for herself. The
men in the crew and some of them came from and put it over my head and that was the only I went back and looked at it and said nope, no following winter he helped refasten her bot-
including, Stonington, Deer Isle and Isle au way I was able to see. Some lady called the good. ‘What do you mean,’ he says. ‘That tom and rebuild her stern. Unfortunately new
Haut. Full worked on her for the winter, but in boat yard and they came out with their tow- isn’t what the man bargained for, it is now a regulations were being written and not feel-
the spring he was hired to go to sail on the boat and helped me in. The next day when I patched up engine.’ If the block is okay you ing that she would pass because her platform
yawl MAGGIE FURY, built by Goudy & called Marblehead about coming back down, are going to put new parts on it. I wasn’t very was level with the waterline, they sold her.
Stevens in East Boothbay. She was named for they said don’t, there were boats sunk, boats popular, but that is what I was being paid to Then his brother wanted to go into busi-
the cook, who had an Irish temper. If dinner ashore, boats that had smashed into one do. ness with him and they purchased a boat that
was served and they did not come at the another. It was a mess.” “A few years ago I got called to would meet the new law. Full said that he was
appointed time she let them have it. They had Full would work for this family for 23 Gloucester to go and do a re-survey on a boat never happy with that boat, she just was not
this boat for 11 years and then decided to years. But during his time with them he was that had been bought,” said Full. “He told me a good model. He said that she was like a
build another, a little bit bigger and more asked to do something he never thought of she was 52 feet. I walk in the yard and looked pumpkin seed, and if the first wave did not
comfortable, a motorsailer that had to sail. doing, surveying boats. He explained, “I at her and said this boat is not 52 feet. So I get stop her, the second one would. She was still
This boat was designed by John G. Alden and didn’t know any better. I said well I think I can my 100 foot tape out and she was something
Continued on Page 24.
built by Sonny Hodgdon in East Boothbay. do them all right, but I told them right up front, like 42’6”. Of course he got very upset. Oh no
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