Edson B. Schock 44 ft Staysail Schooner 1934

The first seventy years in the life of this charming and very practical staysail schooner were spent in her home waters of California. In the mid-2000s ESCAPE’S owner since the early 1970s, a contemporary in age, gave her a major structural refit, then in 2011 a new Breton master mariner owner sailed her across the Atlantic. In current ownership, ESCAPE has been based in Adriatic waters since 2017, leading a fun-filled life as a well looked after and upgraded family and friends cruiser and racer. In our opinion this is a very rare opportunity to own and enjoy an all-American schooner of this size in European waters.

ESCAPE was built in 1934 by Ellis Brothers of South Gate, Los Angeles, California, for mortgage broker Ray K. Person, who would become Commodore of Los Angeles Yacht Club in 1942. Person's later, larger schooner ZOE H was designed by Edson B. Schock and built at Port Boat Works, No. 1 Slip, Wilmington (not to be confused with Wilmington Boat Works). With South Gate lying some 15 miles inland, it seems more likely that Ellis Brothers built ESCAPE at one of nearby Wilmington's concentration of yacht building yards, and this is where Schock - described in the Encyclopedia of Yacht Designers as as "one of the most versatile and prolific designers on the west coast of the United States" - was operating from at the time.

After a spell as a commercial fishing vessel, in 1960 ESCAPE was returned to pleasure use at San Diego by Dr William W. and Mary V. Stadel. The Stadel's were San Diego Yacht Club members and Dr Stadel was Director of Medical Institutions for San Diego County.

Then in 1971 there began a long love affair between ESCAPE and US Navy veteran Sidney Hatchl who bought her from the Stadels in his early 40s, based her at Long beach, and sold her well into his 80s to Bretan French master mariner Jeff Lebleu who sailed her across the Atlantic.

In present ownership since 2017, ESCAPE has been based in north Adriatic Italy and is a regular attendee at the classic regattas there, especially Coppa Hannibal near Trieste.

2024
- Galley alterations
- New cooker and fridge
- 4 x New panelled mahogany locker doors in saloon
- Dripless shaft seal fitted

2018
- Drive system
- Engine systems
- Electrics
- Accommodation

2015
- New marine plywood deck, professionally fitted
- Gunwale, toerail work
- Hollow spruce spars split and re-qlued

2004
- Purpleheart floors replaced; bronze bolted
- Garboards replaced
- Fastenings

- Full length Oregon pine planking
- Bronze re-fastened (2004)
- American white oak stem, wood keel, sternpost and frames
- Purpleheart floors bronze bolted (2004)
- Long fin keel, lead ballast keel, bronze keelbolts
- Oregon pine stringers and beam shelf
- Original teak sided trunk cabin
- Marine plywood deck (2015)

FROM AFT
- Substantial bumpkin for main backstay thru open-stanchioned taffrail
- Bronze mooring fairleads port and starboard
- Bronze mooring cleat
- Bronze stanchions at cap rails; stainless steel lifelines
- Original teak 2 x section sunk cockpit seating 6 persons
- Capped teak cockpit coamings
- Various lockers under seating, stowage for warps, fenders etc
- Helm with bronze quadrant to rudder
- 4 x Pedestal mounted in-period bronze/ chromed-bronze sheet winches
- Teak trunk cabin with bronze portlights
- Painted plywood coachroof; teak gas locker
- Teak butterfly skylight provides airy bright interior
- Bronze mid spring fairleads port and starboard
- Teak forehatch leading to forecabin
- 12 V Muir bronze anchor winch (2015),
- 30 kg Bruce bower anchor on bronze roller at bowsprit
- 70 m ½” Chain
- 15 kg Danforth kedge anchor + warp

- Varnished teak and mahogany carpentry
- 2 m standing room throughout main accommodation
- Sliding hatch to companionway, down 5 x steps to aft cabin
- Full LED lighting

AFT CABIN
- Large single berths port and starboard; batteries and tankage below
- Teak lockers below with access to engine via removable teak panels

PASSAGE FORWARD TO GALLEY and WC
Galley to starboard
- Sink
- Mixer tap
- Teak lockers
- Klarstein 2 x burner fixed gas hob (2024)
- Lockers and drawers below
- Vitrifrigo T20 compressor cooled fridge
- Fridge very efficient even in 30c+ heat
- Fridge capacity 8 bottles of wine or equivalent
Heads compartment to port
- Tiled
- Varnished teak lockers
- Lavac marine toilet
- Oval sink and taps
- Cold water shower draining to grey water tank

TEAK DOOR FWD TO SALOON
- Original teak and mahogany interior (rebuilt in 2017)
- Leather seat cushions converting into 2 + 2 folding berths
- Various lockers and drawers provide good stowage
- Period brass lamps and switches, brass handles and locker catches
- Taylors 079K kerosene/paraffin bulkhead cabin heater (2022)
- Fusion marine sound system with USB dock and bluetooth

SMALL TEAK DOOR TO FORECABIN
- Double berth with water tankage below

RIG
Easily handled staysail schooner rig with good windward performance
- Original spars and fittings, restored 2015
- Original hollow spruce masts and main boom
- Original solid spruce staysail boom
- 2 x In-period bronze/ chromed-bronze wire halyard winches
- 4 x In-period bronze/ chromed-bronze rope halyard winches
- Bowsprit
- Bumpkin
- Original bronze rigging screws
- 12mm 1 x 19 Standing rigging (2004 - due for renewal)
- Twin forestay (2017)
- Ash or Elm blocks throughout, original and new

SAILS
- Mainsail (good)
- Foresail (good)
- Fisherman (new)
- Staysail (good)
- Jib (new)
- Gollywobbler (old but OK)
- Top-Reff roller furling for jib (2017)

CANVASWORK
- Sail covers (2017)
- Sun awning
- Heavy duty over all winter cover

MECHANICAL
- 40 hp Westerbeke/ Perkins 4107 diesel engine
- Jabsco cooling water pump, oil cooler, and hoses renewed (2019)
- 3:1 Walter V drive allowing compactness with good access
- Paragon reverse gear
- Stainless steel 1⅛ in shaft
- Lasdrop dripless seal (2024)
- Rubber cutlass bearing (2018)
- Bronze 3-bladed Michigan bronze propeller 16 in x 11 (2018)
- 7.5 Knots max speed
- 6 Knots cruising speed

ELECTRICAL
- 12 V Electrical system completely renewed (2005/2017)
- 100 Ah AGM deep cycle engine start battery (2020)
- 160 Ah Service battery,
- Bluesea circuit breakers
- Mastervolt 15 A Charger (2019)
- 30 A 12 V Alternator charging thru split diodes

TANKAGE
- Stainless steel 70 L Diesel tank (2019)
- All hoses renewed (2019)
- 3 x 200 L Water tanks in 3 x compartments
- 12 V Jabsco pressurized water system (all pipes and clips renewed 2018)
- 2 x 3 kg Gaz bottles in deck locker
- Gas pipes and valves replaced 2019.
- 12 V Jabsco macerator (not connected)
- Cold water shower draining to gray water tank
- Instant gas water heater available but not fitted

NAVIGATION/ ELECTRONICS
- Original 1930s Brass Coubro and Scrutton compass
- Lowrance Hook 5” Chart plotter sounder (2019)
- Hi Chirp bronze sensor
- Navionics Gold charts
- Additional NASA depth + NASA Wind instrument (2019)
- GPS log
- NASA Easy Navtex
- Various Mediterranean charts and pilot guides
- Binoculars

COMMUNICATIONS
- ICOM fixed VHF
- ICOM hand held VHF

- 2 x Auto bilge pumps
- Manual hand pump
- 8 x Adult lifejackets
- 3 x Child lifejackets
- 1 x Infant lifejacket
- Flares
- Bungs
- First Aid kit
- 4 x Fire extinguishers
- Fire blanket

- 2.5 m Inflatable dinghy with oars
- Fenders
- Warps
- Boathooks
- Teak boarding ladder
- Taylors 079K Paraffin heater (2020 - not fitted)

- Sailing photos: Andrea Carloni
- 1960s image: San Diego Yacht Club/ PastPerfect Museum
- 1980s image: Chris Cain via Facebook