Well, they say the rich are different. Coronet (left) was a gift from Willis James to his son whom he had identified as having a strong interest in the sea and felt this would be the perfect craft on which ‘the young and inexperienced sailor could develop his skills’. Right: yacht no2, the first Aloha was a 160ft brigantine designed by Clinton Crane – at the time she was far and away the largest boat to be launched by the still little known designer. Crane went on to design several 12-Metres as well as the J-Class Weetamoe
to ascertain the yacht’s position. He stood regular watches with the crew. He kept precise logs that stated position, conditions, course and speed, and very little else. He constantly examined all aspects of the yacht for wear and tear. On Sundays he read the religious service, which was attended by the paid hands as well as guests. He loved steer- ing the yacht, ‘fondling the spokes as one would caress a pet dog’, one guest noted. And as host, another guest wrote, ‘he hides his feelings during difficult times, and braces everyone up by being encouraging’. That Arthur was a gregarious host was
lucky. It is evident from the frequent bouts of seasickness mentioned that many of the guests aboard his various yachts were friends, not ‘sailors’ accustomed to the rigours associated with venturing upon blue water. Even a luxurious yacht like Coronet, with its piano, library, hand- carved furnishings, gourmet galley and a raft of creature comforts equalling those found in the most comfortable homes, was at the mercy of Neptune’s whims. Those whims can be downright violent at times. It warmed up, eventually. The Jameses
and their friends enjoyed the rest of their cruise south in more typical fashion: playing
card games in the evening; playing quoits on deck and reading during the day; exalt- ing over frenzies of porpoises frolicking in the bow wave; bathing on deck for the men; swimming; and lowering the dinghy during periods of dead calm for the thrill of rowing a small boat in mid-ocean. Their landfall was the island of Barbados, where the guests reported that ‘Jake’s oily persuasion’ got the better of the officious harbour master, and that ‘his suave manner with all officials was certainly irreproachable, and occasioned good-natured bantering’. Coronet’s major voyage under Arthur’s
command was from San Francisco to Tokyo with a group of astronomers to photograph the eclipse of the sun in 1865. After his father died in 1907 Arthur decided that he needed a larger vessel…
Aloha, the brig One thing serious sailors have in common is the neverending lust for boats. Like car guys, or those preoccupied by the opposite sex, serious sailors never, ever tire of looking at (or dreaming of) the objects of their passion. Water is such an unstable medium that the challenge it offers yacht designers is also infinite. Combine water
with wind and you have two very unstable mediums disharmoniously working to beset whatever vessel one tries to design. There is all manner of water, from the innocent- looking pond, to lakes large and small; from broad, cranky rivers and stormy bays to the legendary perils of the open ocean. Many vessels have been built for these various waters, and it is safe to say that all of them could fail at some point or another. Mother Nature will always win if she
wishes. Serious sailors know that, but for them, the combination of wind and water is impossibly seductive. They find the enduring pleasures it offers to be well worth the risk. Armed with due respect and a vessel, all their experience tells them, that is as fit as possible for the job, they venture forth with confidence. Serious sailors who are wealthy build their dream boats, and often amass a fleet. That’s what Arthur Curtiss James would do. In the winter of 1896-97, not long after
the Japan trip, Arthur got in touch with a budding naval architect by the name of Clinton Crane, asking him to design a small sailing lifeboat for Coronet. There is no indication that Arthur was a friend of Crane’s, but serious sailors would often
SEAHORSE 51
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