Frank Paine 72 ft Bermudian Staysail Schooner 1930 - Project Completion - Sold

If Frank Paine ever designed a slow boat, we haven't heard of it. In VIVEKA he created a high performance schooner yet still capable of girding the world safely and comfortably more than 50 years after launching. The current owner has embarked on what can only be described as an immaculate restoration, the structural aspects of which are now complete. This is a unique opportunity to finish this project; the owner free to select her inventory and define her final specification. VIVEKA hits that sweet spot at 72 foot – comparable with the Fife designed HALLOWEEN and LATIFA: large enough to offer substantial accommodation but without the need for a large crew – indeed her former owner sailed much of his circumnavigation in her single-handed !

VAT is unpaid on this vessel

VIVEKA is a project in an advanced state of hull and deck construction with some interior joinery and mechanicals etc as described

VIVEKA, originally JOAN II and subsequently SEAWEED, SWIFTSURE and MAUNALOA, was designed by Frank C. Paine of Paine, Belknap & Skene. The build at the highly respected Fred Lawley yard in Quincy Massachusetts started in 1929 and she was launched in 1930. She was designed for J.P. Morgan who wanted a fast cruiser, putting special emphasis on speed. He got exactly what he wanted.

During the Second World War, as SEAWEED, she became part of the "The Hooligan's Navy", the government-requisitioned fleet of seagoing pleasure vessels for use as spotter patrols on both the West and East coasts. For almost a month in May 1942 she held her station through some very tough North Californian spring weather - 15 days of it hove to splendidly under just a small main staysail. Good practice perhaps for a future stage in her life... In more recent times VIVEKA has sailed one and a half times round the world with her former owner Merl Petersen at the helm.

She was purchased from Merl as a project by her present owner who, wanting everything to be done to perfection, chose Rutherford's Boat Shop in Richmond near San Francisco to make the total restoration.

The yacht was originally cedar and mahogany double planked on oak frames with a deck length of 72 ft 9 in, 48 ft waterline, maximum beam 14 ft and around 9 ft draft. She has been substantially restored with the key elements as follows:
- New purpleheart stem
- New horn timber and rudder post
- New laminated transom
- 100 % of the frames replaced
- Every 3rd frame 3 ½ x 3 ¼ inch laminated oak replacing the original sawn frames
- The 2 steam bent oak frames in between are 1 ¾ x 2 ¼ inch
- Hull planking replaced in the same way it was done originally
- Double planked 5/8th inch yellow cedar inside, 1 ¼ inch mahogany outside; total 1 7/8th inch thick
- Mahogany planking all scarfed full length to a 12 to 1 ratio
- There are no butts to show up or deteriorate
- The two layers epoxy glued together; the whole fastened with large bronze screws and faired
- Douglas fir sheer clamp and shelf
- 74 x Cast bronze floors
- Bronze chain plates and knees
- Original teak rudder sound enough to be repaired and refastened to the stock with bronze rod
- Laminated white oak deck beams with side laminations for the appearance of having been sawn
- l/8th cedar 1st layer sub deck with underside white painted before laying for a crisp line in deck head
- ½ Inch Douglas fir marine ply 2nd layer all epoxy glued with overlapping seams
- 10 oz cloth fibre glass sheath over
- ¾ Inch teak deck prefabricated by Teak Decking Systems
- Deck fitted by Rutherford's without screws or plugs to negate any fixture related problems
- Teak bulwark and cap rail
- Mahogany hatches and skylights

From aft Superstructure and deck equipment is fitted to the extent shown in pictures provided
- Aft deck
- Bronze backstay terminal / chain plate
- Cockpit
- Raised trunk over aft cabin
- Main trunk and sliding hatch access to companionway
- Main mast
- Bronze chain plates
- Butterfly skylight fore and aft
- Butterfly skylight fore and aft
- Foremast
- Bronze chain plates
- Low profile raised sliding fore hatch
- Bowsprit

Some interior bulkheads and joinery items have been fitted according to the pictures provided

- Sitka spruce hollow foremast with conduit inside for electric cables, etc
- Bowsprit

- Nanni diesel to be mounted well forward out of the main saloon
- Sillette twin bronze hydraulically driven sail drives
- 3 blade folding Gori propellers
- Stainless steel fuel tanks
- Stainless steel water tank
- Polyethylene black and gray water tanks

- Sliding hatch over the forepeak recently completed
- 2 x Skylights installed
- The house over owner’s stateroom, sides complete leaving top off for ease of access
- All the items have several coats of varnish for protection
- Teak deck margins currently being fitted around finished deck superstructures
- Fuel tanks installed under the cockpit and the fuel transfer system designed for fitting
- Installation of the whole system and the hot water system is due shortly
- Cockpit fitting and installation to follow next, followed by main companionway and house