December 2014 MAINE COASTAL NEWS Page 5. C. W. Hood Restores 1959 Goudy & Stevens Flybridge Cruiser By Laurie Fullerton
C.W. Hood Yachts of Marblehead, Mass recently launched a re-furbished 1959 Goudy & Stevens-built Downeast Flybridge cruiser that had been a fi xture in Marblehead waters from 1975 to 2007 but in recent years had languished on shore.
Although over 50 years old, the chal- lenge for Hood and this Maine-built wooden vessel was not the actual condition of the boat – as it had an excellent pedigree and had been re-planked and restored beginning in 2000, but the task for Hood was fi nding someone willing to commit to fi nishing the necessary work and take good care of her. The vessel – for many years – belonged to a well-loved physician in Marblehead, Dr. Paul Hannaway, his wife Elizabeth and fi ve children. Dr. Hannaway enjoyed his vessel “Diversion” for over 30 years. He undertook much-needed restoration work in 2000 by hiring Thad Danielson, formerly of Redd’s Pond Boatworks in Marblehead. Ultimately, the work continued at Dion’s’ Yacht Yard in Salem. Sadly, Dr. Hannaway passed away in 2007 and the boat was stored at Marblehead Trading Company without an owner to care for her. The boat needed a great deal of work to make her truly worthy of her beautiful lines and unique, classic structure. “Although this vessel is just one of the many beautiful boats built by Goudy & Stevens, back in the 1950s it was not often that a pleasure craft would have a fl ybridge. The standard pleasure craft in New England at that time had a lobster boat top so this was somewhat ahead of its time, especially for New England,” said Chris Hood, owner of C.W. Hood Yachts. “I remember this par- ticular boat from my youth in Marblehead and the Hannaway family used it well. To refurbish this boat was not a challenge for us but a pleasure.” To make it happen, Hood decided to call on his friend Jeffrey Geisel in Pennsylvania to consider taking ownership of “Diver-
Admiral Jonathan Greenert, the Chief of Naval Operations, visited Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) Nov. 6 for fi rsthand discussions with scientists and engineers conducting research and building technology with potential to enhance Naval capabilities and operations. Greenert toured the WHOI Laboratory for Ocean Sensors and Observing Systems, where he received briefi ngs from WHOI scientists about current research on cli- mate change, the Arctic Ocean, ice sheet dynamics, and sea level rise, as well as the MIT-WHOI Joint Program, which includes a master’s program for Navy offi cers. WHOI engineers showcased ocean technology developed at WHOI such as Ice-Tethered Profi lers and the Nereid Under Ice and REMUS robotic vehicles; and discussed the Navy’s newly commissioned research vessel Neil Armstrong, which WHOI will maintain and operate for use by the U.S. scientifi c community. “We were honored to have Admiral Greenert visit us and see for himself some of expertise and ingenuity that the people of WHOI have always offered the Navy,” said WHOI President and Director Susan Avery. “WHOI’s focus is the Navy’s theater—the ocean.”
On his Facebook page, Greenert said of
his visit to WHOI: “This fi ne organization’s motto, ‘Where Innovation Happens,’ was very much on display as we got to discuss and see their work on climate change and underwater vehicles. Since WWII we have partnered with WHOI to better understand and predict the environment in which our
sion.”
“Having and knowing there is a project like “Diversion” is one thing – but knowing you can make that call and know that there is someone who will care for it is a challenge. Being in this business you tend to know people who are interested and passionate about boats. When the time comes to do a project like this, I knew Jeffrey was looking for something special.”
Geisel is the co-owner of Henry’s Sea-
food in York, PA. He met Hood years ago through the late Mike Porter of Marblehead who lobstered on the beautiful “Helen T” and had a great love for old boats. Geisel previously owned a Katama-30 built by Hood.
“I always loved the lines of a classic Maine boat and I am not afraid of restoration projects,” said Geisel. “I believe it was Dr. Hannaways’ dream to see his boat fully refurbished and we were able to take that dream and extend it. I plan on renaming it “Old Fashioned” in part because my father passed away recently and he loved boats and his cocktail of choice was an Old Fashioned. So, it will remind me of him.” When undergoing the restoration of a vessel, Hood knew he had a quality boat to work with. Goudy & Stevens was a re- nowned shipyard in East Boothbay from the 1920s to 1993. The shipyard was purchased in 1999 by the Hodgdon Brothers and incor- porated into the Hodgdon Yachts. While the vessel looked a bit worse for wear when the work began, Hood said that “when she was launched this past month she was a testament to her pedigree as a Goudy & Stevens-built boat, as well as her lavish rebuild from 2000 to 2007. When she splashed down, she may have taken on ten gallons of water. That is not bad after six years out of the water. “
The varnish and bright work at the Hood yard were undertaken by a group of
Chief of Naval Operations Visits WHOI Navy operates.”
Commemorating WHOI’s historically long and productive relationship with the Navy, Avery presented Greenert with some momentos. The fi rst was a specially decorat- ed Styrofoam cup shrunken by the pressure of the deep sea when it was carried on a mission by the research submersible Alvin, which is owned by the Navy and operated by WHOI. The second was a framed series of “data cards” returned to WHOI by Naval submariners during World War II. At the start of the war, basic research at WHOI had discovered how salinity and tem- perature changes in the ocean affected the propagation of sound under water. WHOI scientists built instruments called bathyther- mographs, or BTs, to measure these changes and trained submariners to use them to avoid detection from enemy sonar.
One of the data cards in the frame given to Greenert read: “The ENG offi cer is happy to be able to forward this card because it means we were able to ‘walk away’ from this one.” The card goes on to describe how the SS 363 used BTs to escape heavy fi re from seven Japanese ships after its successful at- tack on a heavy cruiser. “My sincere thanks to Allyn Vine of Woods Hole Inst. for the time he spent explaining the value of BT observations to me.”
Greenert said he “was intrigued by [WHOI scientists’ and engineers’] research and passion - they gave me many ideas to think about as I focus my energy on sustain- ing our undersea dominance. Special thanks to all who made this visit a success.”
DIVERSION being launched at Marblehead.
A side view of DIVERSION sitting at a dock.
men from the Caribbean island of Bequia, who are renowned for their varnishing skills. Hood also hired shipwright Quin Vallian- court of Marblehead to replank some of the hull and transom. “A lot of the Bequians who did the bright work and painting on this vessel have worked on boats their whole lives in the Caribbean boating industry and have a reputation for quality varnish work,” said Hood. “Additionally, Quin Valliancourt of Marblehead is an amazing boatbuilder and he did a great job.” For new owner Jeffrey Geisel, his long
friendship with Chris Hood and others like the Porter family from Marblehead means he will maintain the same attention to this vessel as its previous owner did. “I grew up on boats myself but this is the biggest one I have ever owned,” said Geisel. “I plan on taking “Old Fashioned” to some different locales next summer along the east coast. Owning a Maine-built boat is great, too, because everyone knows of the reputation for superior craftsmanship. It is a pleasure to be a part of that tradition in some way, too.”
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