60 FT JOHN ALDEN GAFF DOUBLE TOPSAIL SCHOONER 1939/1946 - Sold

DIRIGO II is a fully functional classic schooner yacht of impeccable pedigree, still sailing the ocean doing what she was intended and built for - which is to take family, friends, and crew on adventures: voyaging and sailing in style, in both communal and private comfort, and safely. Two major structural refits under present ownership since 2010 leave this handsome and proven schooner a long way from retirement sitting at a dock as another pretty face. In fact her 2019 summer cruise was 6200 miles from Mexico back to the Maine waters of her birth, and taking part in three regattas once there, proving just what a capable and seaworthy family passagemaker DIRIGO II is – still doing exactly what she was conceived for by John G Alden in 1939.

2010 at Ensenada
- Work on frames: 56 either replaced, repaired or sistered, in purpleheart
- All floors removed, repaired, galvanized
- Associated cabin sole and water tank bearers restoration
- Keelbolts checked
- Bottom planking bronze refastened
- Rudder bronze strapped
- Deck recaulked
- Rig wooded and overhauled off boat
- Steering refurbished

2016 at Port Townsend
- New purpleheart stem, forefoot and knee
- New purpleheart foremast step
- All new purpleheart floors from the keel forward
- 14 new Douglas fir, bronze fastened planks in the bow around the new stem
- New foremast top, spreaders, cross trees, etc
- All new paint, hull & topsides
- All sails repaired
- Engine, transmission and shaft inspected and found to be in good condition
- Propeller re-pitched and polished
- Rig unstepped, taken ashore and maintained / repaired as necessary
- Rig restepped and tuned

The plan for DIRIGO II was always that she would be a circumnavigator, but a major war stymied commissioning owner Charles Van Sicklen’s plans, hatched during a voyage round Cape Horn aboard the legendary former German Pilot Schooner WANDERBIRD.

It was said that DIRIGO II’s rig and accommodation arrangements were almost copies of WANDERBIRD’s and her design is at least a combination of the client’s personal experience and long serving Alden architect Clifford P Swaine’s then two decades involvement in the development of the Alden schooner type.

Twenty years passed before DIRIGO II could finally set off for the big one, and under subsequent ownership. But before the USA entered the second world war, in April 1939 this characterful schooner gained a place in history by being presented on launching at Goudy & Stevens, East Boothbay, Maine, with the first example of the newly legislated State of Maine Merchant and Marine flag. Her name comes from the State motto meaning “I lead”, and she’s DIRIGO II because the first vessel of that name was a 312 ft/ 95 m steel sailing ship (the first all-steel ship to be built in America) owned by Sicklen’s grandfather and built by Sewall of Bath, Maine in 1894 to a Liverpool, England, design and from a kit of prefabricated frames and plates made on the Clyde, Scotland.

Then DIRIGO II was tucked away in the back of a shed for the duration of the war, described as “unfinished” to avoid the threat of government requisition.

Finally commissioned in 1946, DIRIGO II was 2nd over the line, 2nd in Class A and first schooner to finish in the 1953 St Petersburg - Havana Race in the hands of long time owner James W. Crawford. But she didn’t enjoy such good fortune later that summer in the Los Angeles-Honolulu Race: searching for the wind she instead found the mother of all calms just over 300 miles from Diamond Head. As Sports Illustrated reported: “Finally, on July 17, three days after the first finisher crossed the line, the crew of the DIRIGO [II] threw up their hands via a radio message that most West Coast sailors consider the classic complaint on the classic race. "Out of wind," said the message, "out of patience and out of beer."

It was Crawford who finally allowed DIRIGO II to really stretch her legs, setting off on a circumnavigation in 1959 which would feature in his still sought-after book Count the Cats in Zanzibar, in which he recounts how well-behaved and fast she is, and how that WANDERBIRD rig and accommodation worked so well. Both are little changed.

When the present owner and his family found her in 2010, besides being love at first sight, DIRIGO II was in need of and deserving attention. She received that and much more in two extensive restoration refits. These included: structural restoration, system overhauls, electronic and equipment upgrades, sail inventory service and addition, interior refit and refinish - of course, not withstanding the normal annual haul outs, paint, varnish, spit and polish.

Thereafter, DIRIGO II cruised, raced and chartered in the San Juan Islands of the Salish sea and the Pacific North West. In 2015, on the return from a voyage down the west coast of America and cruising the Sea of Cortez, Baja California, she entered and was overall winner of the Great Americas Schooner Cup Race in San Diego. She is not only a proven and capable sea boat but can more than hold her own with other thoroughbred classics, especially when the wind pipes up!

In 2017, after installation of new GPS, Radar and Autopilot, she departed again from her base in the islands for another adventure south and is presently based in Puerto Escondido, an hour's flight from San Diego.

Then from early spring 2019 DIRIGO II once again set of on a big one: to sail back east – “down east” – to the waters of her birth. After a 6200 mile voyage via Panama Canal and the Caribbean, DIRIGO II arrived in Maine in time to take in the summer classic regattas there, at Camden Classics and Eggemoggin Reach Regatta.

Her 2019 voyaging proves just what a capable and seaworthy passagemaker DIRIGO II is – still doing exactly what she was conceived for by John G Alden and Charles Van Sicklen back in 1939.

- Single-planked, carvel, 1 ¾ inch fir & mahogany planking over 3 inch oak frames
- Bronze fastened
- 3 x Marine ply main bulkheads
- Raw teak deck planking on 2 ½ x 3 ½ white oak beams
- Iron and steel beam knees
- Oak and pine carlins
- Varnished teak cappings
- Wood painted bulwarks
- 2 ¼ inch bronze rudder stock
- Bronze rudder pintles
- 1 inch bronze keel bolts

- Mostly painted finish with varnished highlights
- Varnished cap rail on painted, stanchioned bulwarks
- Panama fairleads through bulwarks at quarters and in way of main mast and foremast
- Bulwark mounted belaying rails in way of Panama fairleads
- Deck boxes are removable

From aft

- Teak-capped, raked, stanchioned taffrail
- Raised lazarette/ steering access hatch
- Bronze and teak main boom gallows with ship's bell and stern light
- Mainsheet horse
- 2 x Sampson posts
- Padeyes and tackles for backstays
- Sunk cockpit with raised coamings, raw teak capped
- Bronze spoked wheel forward of worm drive gear housing
- Bronze binnacle
- 1 x Bronze mainsheet winch at “bridge deck”
- 4 x Sheet winches at bulwarks
- Engine controls and gauges in cockpit
- Plotter and instruments at aft bulkhead of aft deckhouse

Aft deck house
- Grabrails outboard aft
- Companionway sliding hatch to engine room/ owner’s cabin to port
- Opening portlighted hatch to aft cabin mid
- Companionway sliding hatch and ladder to accommodation to starboard
- Stainless steel grab bar at aft bulkhead of hatch
- Access cover at sliding hatch garage for bilge pump handle in use

Main mast

- Belaying pins at capping rail and on shroud-mounted boards
- Sheet winches in way of shrouds
- Horse for foresail fwd

Mid deck
- Saloon stove pipe to port
- 2 x Stowage boxes either side of portable grating-top table over saloon skylight
- Table doubles as cockpit table
- Dinghy davits to starboard
- Athwartships gas bottle deck box

Forward deck house with portlighted hatches to forward saloon and galley
- Stowage boxes outboard

Foremast

- Belaying pins at capping rail
- Belaying pins and running lights on shroud-mounted boards
- Jib-boom stowed up starboard fwd shroud
- Galley ventilator to port of foremast
- Bronze stanchions
- 2 x Dinghy davits
- Numerous mainly 1 ¼ inch mooring lines / warps
- 4 x inflatable fenders

Raised scuttle forehatch

- Bronze Dorade vent
- 12 V Avon et Cie (Marseille) electric/ manual anchor windlass
- Bruce 60 lb anchor 150 ft galv ½ inch chain and 250 ft x 1 inch Dacron line
- Danforth 45 lb anchor and 50 ft x ½ inch chain and 150 ft x 1 inch Dacron line
- Anchor davit
- 250 lb Fisherman Anchor (original)
- 200 lb Fisherman Anchor (original)
- c80 lb CQR Anchor
- Sampson post / bowsprit heel housing
- Fwd mooring fairleads on cap rail

Enter from companionway, on aft deckhouse to starboard
Berths for 12 in five cabins

Down ladder with brass handrail to lobby under fwd part of aft deckhouse
- Clock, barometer and designer/ builder plate fwd of coach house fwd
- Bronze column grab post
- To port of ladder and aft is owner’s stateroom
- Heads compartment to port of lobby
- Chart table to starboard of lobby
- Forward to saloon

Owner’s stateroom
- Sliding door access from lobby or via port hatch at deckhouse
- Generous recessed, panelled, curtained bunks 1 to port & 1 to stbd
- Stowage under and at aft of starboard bunk
- Sideboards with drawers, and lockers, at fwd corners
- Seating inboard of bunks, and along aft bulkhead over ship's batteries
- Ventilating hatch in deckhead
- Opening ports in house sides, 1 x port; 1 x stbd
- 2 x Prism lights in deckheads
- Large hanging locker starboard aft
- Door to engine room/ exit, port aft

Heads compartment to port
- Sliding door
- Counter with sink
- Pressurised hot & cold water
- Manual water pump
- Walk in shower pressurised hot & cold
- Aquastar in-line propane water heater - with Trident gas control
- Stowage lockers
- Ventilation through opening port light

Chart table to starboard
- Stand up chart table to stbd
- Inset compass under glass; binoculars rack
- Drawers under
- Comms radio set outboard under side deck head
- Bookshelf outboard
- Opening portlight at house side

Saloon port side fwd of heads compartment
- Fwd facing, bulkhead mounted, ceramic tile backed Dickinson Newport Diesel heater
- Louvre door locker in aft bulkhead
- Settee; “Pullman” type backrest lifts to create over and under bunks
- Stowage under
- Shelf and bookshelf outboard
- Prism light in deckhead
- Folding, fiddled, gimballed saloon table
- Fiddle-topped sideboard fwd with oil lamp and electric light over
- Mirrored bulkhead fwd is aft bulkhead of port ‘over and under’ cabin

Saloon starboard side fwd of chart table
- Settee fwd of chart table; “Pullman” type backrest lifts to offer wider sleeping berth
- Stowage under
- Electrics switchboard outboard aft
- Electrics console fwd of switchboard with rolled chart stowage above
- VHF radio set; bilge pump switching; car type CD/radio
- Remainder outboard is shelf and bookshelf
- Prism light in deckhead
- Fiddle-topped sideboard fwd with oil lamp over
- Mirrored bulkhead fwd is aft bulkhead of stbd over and under cabin
- Hanging oil lamp under skylight

Passage forward from saloon

Sliding door access to
- 1 x Cabin to port
- ‘Over and under’ bunks
- Sideboard just inside door aft
- Mirror above
- 2 x Reading lamps
- Stowage under lower bunk

Sliding door access to
1x Cabin to starboard
- ‘Over and under’ bunks
- Sideboard just inside door aft
- Mirror above
- 2 x Reading lamps
- Stowage under lower bunk

Passage forward
- Ventilation from after hatch of forward deck house
- Upper shelving area between deckhead height and forward house roof
- Signal flag ducats

Athwartships galley

- Ventilation via fwd deckhouse’s fwd hatch and “stove pipe”
- Fold up extra work surface
- Partly under fwd part of fwd hatch

To port
- Copper inset sink unit to stbd with plate/ cup racks outboard
- Pressure water mixer tap, and manual saltwater pump
- Stowage under
- Over counter locker fwd
- Princess 3-burner propane stove/ oven; Trident gas control
- Stowage selves above; locker under

To starboard
- Adler Barbour custom fridge/freezer
- Over counter locker fwd
- Shelves and utensile racks outboard
- Fold up extra work surface

Forward to forepeak via door from galley offset to starboard
- Separate access/ exit via scuttle forehatch
- V-berths with stowage under
- WC and pullman folding sink
- Forward to open access chain locker

Topsail gaff schooner rig possibly modelled on WANDERBIRD

- 2 x Varnished fir masts and topmasts
- 2 x Varnished fir booms
- 2 x Varnished fir bowsprit
- 2 x Varnished fir gaffs
- Galvanised steel chain plates
- 9 x 16 gauge stainless standing rigging
- Bronze rigging screws
- 2 x Pairs of ratlines
- 2 x Lazy jacks
- Dacron running rigging

Sails
- Mainsail (2015)
- Mainsail (Older)
- Foresail
- 2 x Staysails
- 2 x Jibs
- Jib Top
- Maintop
- Fisherman
- Gollywobbler
- Main Storm Trisail

Covers
- 4 x Sail covers
- 9 x Hatch covers
- Miscellaneous sail bags and other covers

- Yanmar 4cylinder Diesel 4JH2-UTE 100hp
- Heat exchanger cooling
- Yanmar KM4A 2.63:1 reduction gear 2,800 rpm
- 1 ½ inch stainless steel shaft
- 19 x 19 fixed 3-bladed propeller
- Wheel to worm gear steering
- 1 x 12 V 85 A engine alternator
- 1 x 12 V 100 A engine alternator
- 2 x True charge battery chargers; 20 A and 10 A
- Statpower 800 W inverter
- 2 x 12 V engine batteries
- 4 x 12 V Domestic batteries
- 3 x Cut off switches
- Shore power cable 120 V 30 A
- 110 V AC System
- Fuse/ circuit breaker panel at Nav station stbd
- 12 V DC Nav, anchor & cabin lights
- 12 V DC pumps
- 2 x 39 gallon aluminium fuel tanks strapped below aft deck each side; on deck fillers
- Additional 7 gallon fuel tank for cabin heater by main cabin bulkhead
- 4 x 50 gallon Monel water tanks below cabin sole
- 23 gallon plastic holding tank by aft head port side
- 2 x 5 gallon gas bottles in self draining locker on deck

- Raymarine Radar.
- 2 x Raymarine GPS
- Simrad Autopilot.
- 2 x VHS with AIS; repeater at helm
- Standard Horizon depth sounder with alarm
- Raymarine 2nd sounder in cockpit area
- Standard horizon speed and log
- Furuno Waas navigator GPS
- 2 x Compasses; Kelvin & Wilfred White
- Salem clock and barometer
- Standard Horizon Eclipse VHF radio
- Standard horizon HX280s hand held VHF
- Telcor binoculars
- Ship’s bell
- Handheld q-beam search light
- Handheld air horn
- Sony disk player

- 12 ft Fibreglass dinghy with oars and bailer
- 12 ft Zodiac inflatable dinghy
- 6 person liferaft
- Boarding ladder
- 1 x Exposure suit
- 25 x Adult approved life jackets
- MOB buoy
- MOB recovery sling
- Orion Kit heaving line
- Flare gun
- Flares
- Lifelines both sides on deck
- 3 x 12 V auto bilge pumps with alarms
- High capacity manual bilge pump on deck
- 2 x Life rings
- Manual engine fire extinguisher
- Fire extinguishers
- Radar reflector
- 1st Aid kit
- EPIRB - not tagged
- CO alarm
- 2 x Smoke alarms

Main image by John Williams, Camden, Maine, USA