Many thanks for all your expert knowledge and assistance in our recent haulout. You have a terrific team!
News
Finding his Fortune
Thursday, May 10, 2012
David is a shipwright from New Zealand, and a very resourceful one at that. He is also the owner of Fortune, a 37-foot OD Garden wooden ketch he is fully restoring at Berkeley Marine Center. Earlier this year, David was still looking for a new boat, with one caveat -- the boat had to essentially be "free"!
It's a little known fact that wooden boats are often passed along to the right person for exactly that price. Wooden boat owners are a special breed, and their boats are like their children. They want their high-maintenance babies to end up being well cared for. Everything else is secondary. And caring for a wooden boat is the true definition of a "labor of love." Costs can quickly outpace the monetary value of the vessel.
With some help from a Berkeley boat diver, David located his "Fortune" at a private dock in Alameda. She was a beauty in need of care. After the owner sized him up and deemed him an acceptable suitor, the deal was made. Fortune changed hands, as David puts it, "for a 15 year-old bottle of scotch and a promise not to cut her up."
And that's just the beginning! David is now busy with the extensive restoration project, and can be found most days, and evenings, at the yard. He plans to sail Fortune to New Zealand this summer, completing some of the projects while under way.
Measuring up
Monday, March 26, 2012
Jim Antrim has gone to great lengths -- and angles -- to ensure California Condor's rudders perform well!
In this photo, Jim, Condor's designer, measures the relative angles of the two rudders, and if you want to get technical, the rudders should not be exactly parallel.
California Condor, and owner Buzz Blackett, have had many successes on the local race scene over the past year. The Class 40 racer will compete in this year's Pacific Cup, slated for July. We're very partial to Condor's success. In case you didn't know, Condor was built at Berkeley Marine Center.
The new boat in town!
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Within days of being commissioned and launched from Berkeley Marine Center, Tai Kuai had two first place finishes under her belt -- winning both days in the "big and fast" division of the Corinthian Yacht Club Midwinters. Tai Kuai's PHRF rating is a sizzling -21!
The Reichel Pugh 44, owned by Daniel Thielman, was recently shipped from Trinidad, and assembled, faired, rigged and tuned by Berkeley Marine Center associate Panda Love.
California Condor, a second boat with ties to Berkeley Marine Center, took second place on Sunday in the same division. The Class 40 boat was built at the yard, and launched in 2010.
Guaranteed to go slow!
Thursday, December 22, 2011
The latest construction project at Berkeley Marine will not set any racing speed records! The challenge was to build and install a replacement barge for the houseboat owned by Diane Brown. An innovative approach was designed by Jim Antrim and executed by Cree Partridge and crew at the yard. A fiberglass shell or hull was built. While the houseboat was held in place at the yard's travelift, the old barge was removed and new hull slipped into place under the house. Water was pumped out, and the new hull was then filled with floating cement for structural integrity. The project should add another fifty years to the life of the floating home, according to Cree.
Help put "Sailing the Bay" on TV
Friday, December 2, 2011
An open letter to support a worthwhile project:
Dear Friend,
Have you ever tried to describe why you love sailing to a non-sailor? To convey the joy and exhilaration of moving across the water powered only by the wind? Of being completely in the moment, balanced between wind, waves and current?
By telling the story of Bay sailing, you share our world of adventure, freedom, and self-discovery with a future generation of sailors.
Help share our mutual passion for sailing by joining me and SailSFBay in our support of acclaimed filmmaker Ron Blatman's upcoming project, Sailing the Bay. Blatman's highly-rated PBS documentary Saving the Bay won four regional Emmy Awards, and very effectively spread awareness about the rich history and sustained health of our San Francisco Bay. The same magic Blatman and his team conjured to create Saving the Bay will now produce Sailing the Bay - a one-hour film that will debut on KQED just ahead of the America's Cup in Spring 2013.
Our immediate goal is to raise $50,000 in seed money for the project. All we need is for sailing enthusiasts like you to show support with a tax-deductible donation of any size - $10, $25, $50 or more. It's important to show potential big donors that the sailing community is behind this project, and dedicated to nurturing our sport.
I invite you to join me, and the sailing community to which you belong, in sharing the story of Bay sailing with a wide audience. Please go to the website Sailing the Bay and make a year-end, tax-deductible gift that will produce huge returns for the next generation of sailors.
Sincerely,
Cree Partridge
Signs of the America's Cup
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
It's not an AC72, but we were excited to have an Oracle tender in the yard recently, being prepared for transport to San Diego. The America's Cup main event will be held on San Francisco Bay in summer 2013, with many preliminary events leading up to the finale. For further info, see the America's Cup website.
Our new website
Saturday, October 22, 2011
We're happy to announce the new Berkeley Marine website! Along with the new design, we now have the ability to add many features we hope will better serve our customers.
The site was designed and developed by Berkeley's own Bay Design Associates, and relies on the open source content management system, Drupal. Send us an email if you have any comments or suggestions!
The Ladies are back!
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
The Ladies of the Lake are back in the yard! You may remember the Ladies, also known as the Oakland Rowing Club, had a custom Jim Antrim designed rowboat built at Berkeley Marine Center last year. The first boat was such a success that the Ladies have ordered a sister-ship to Siren Song. The new boat will use the same mould as the first, so, much of the work is already done. We look forward to creating another excellent boat, and to working with the Ladies of the Lake!
In the photo above, the Ladies of the Lake, in full regalia, step aboard Siren Song.
Aleta lives on
Monday, October 17, 2011
If you think you've spotted the bright-yellow hulled Aleta on the Bay lately with a dozen teens on board, you're not mistaken. The boat was donated to the Bluewater Foundation by Keith Brown. The Foundation, which celebrates it's 20th anniversary this year, is quite successful at its mission: "bringing the joys of sailing to San Francisco Bay Area inner city and at risk youth."
Aleta, shown above competing in the 2008 Big Boat Series, was built in the 1980's by none other than Cree Partridge. "It's great to see Aleta get some extended use serving kids with Bluewater Foundation," stated Cree.
Video of Rapid Transit's Transpac
Monday, August 15, 2011With Transpac behind us, here's a video of Rapid Transit put together by crew member Will Partridge. The voyage was a bit of a family affair, with skipper/owner Jim Partridge, RT's builder and older brother Cree Partridge on board, along with Will.
