Catching the COVID vs. Catching a Sailboat

Well, if you are alive and read the Internet or Cable news, you are very aware that the US and Global population is catching the COVID virus.

But this is not about that. It is about a friend/co-worker who "caught" a Sailboat; his name was George, that's all I remember. He and I were "Deckhands" together, on a Yacht "Natoya" and I ran one of the two 16' wooden Grey marine powered launches.

So here is the story. Back in the early's 60's, yes I was there, they did occur, I was a Deckhand on one of the two largest yachts on the Great Lakes: The Natoya, out of Grosse Pointe Club, Grosse Pte, MI. She was a 118' steel hulled yacht, that was constructed at the DeFoe Boat Works in Bay City, MI, back around 1947 powered by four GM (before Detroit Diesel) 6-71's two to a side. Her Great Lakes sistership was the Chanticleer, that ran around in the North Channel and was owned by Ralph Evinrude of outboard fame. He was married to WWII singer Francis Langford. These two yachts were 2 of 7 such boats built by DeFoe and were called the "Cruisemasters". Both these yachts are gone long ago!

Quick Note: The Natoya had multiple cameo shots, in the James Bond Movie Thunderball. She is always at anchor and is painted in White; in her yachting days, she was in Grey. She is seen offshore, while Bond is shooting skeet on shore and other times, including when Bond motors up to her in a dingy, for a closer look. The boat that was always moving, under power, was a completely different boat! OBTW, after the movie was completed, the Natoya was later scuttled off Florida, as a "reef".

So I sailed on her two different summers, 1961 and 1963. I think the incident occurred is 1961; forgotten. We are running West of the Mackinaw Bridge, when we haul up next to a sailboat, about a 40-50 footer. They may have hailed us on the radio; don't know- never knew.

At any rate, she had lost steerage in some manner, because if she had engine power, she could have sailed on. She we stop to render assistance.

That day there was 3-4' sea, the norm for that area, I would say, after boating up there for 60+ years. The Natoya had a large fantail, where there was large lounging area, for the owner and guests. George and I proceeded to crawl back over the lounge area, and positioned ourselves on the fantail, which was 5-6' long by beam of probably 15' back there; this was to secure a line and bring the sailboat under tow. I used to raise the flag back there in the mornings.

So "George" and I are back there ready to take the sailboat under tow, and we were backing down on her very slowly. Well, as we got very near to the sailboat, her prow was rising up and down in the seas and was about to come down, in the seas, and land on and hit the Natoya! George, being a quick thinker and strong guy, reaches out with his hand to "catch" the prow of the sailboat, which he proceeded to do.

However, the prow came down on his forearm, which was caught on top of the fantail. That was mostly clearly and cleanly broken arm I have ever seen. It had a nice "Z" shape to it! Did I mention that later, when he learned of this, our Captain, Jim Mertaugh, was none to pleased to hear this. Jim was a brother to man who owned and ran Mertaugh Boat Works in Hessel, MI.

Can you believe George's luck?! One of our guests was an Osteopathic (bone- you knew that...) Surgeon from Detroit! He immediately went to work setting George's broken arm. Nicely bound and in a sling he was.

Well, I was about 4 feet away from George, when this happened, so I do remember the event.

Now to where we towed that sailboat, I have no remembrance and I definitely do not have her name. But its a boating story - catching sailboats may be more dangerous that catching the COVID!

Frances Langford had a Polynesian rest and marina in Jensen beach. I pulled in there at least 20 years ago. Evinrudes “yacht” was tied up there but was really deteriorating. Don’t know if it’s still there.

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Originally Posted by rsmith

Frances Langford had a Polynesian rest and marina in Jensen beach. I pulled in there at least 20 years ago. Evinrudes “yacht” was tied up there but was really deteriorating. Don’t know if it’s still there.

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Yes, you saw a "Chanticleer". However, the original steel hulled DeFoe Chanticleer was hauled up on the hard, up in a New England boatyard, back in the early 80's. She had stabilizers, and there was a lot of rust around them; its a wonder she floated.

The Langford Chanticleer you saw was a Burger near-replica in Aluminum. She was 112', not 118', but lines were similar. The last time the Burger Chanticleer was seen was at one of the Grosse Pte marinas, in the 1990's, I read.

So there were two Chanticleer's: the DeFoe steel hull was no doubt scrapped and the Burger was up for sale, after Langford's death. She and Evinrude both did a lot of sailing up in the North Channel, as I understand it. He was known for going to other boats bumming for cigarettes; go figure.

Most of what I know...

OBTW, the Natoya was owned by Harold DuCharme, heir to the Detroit Stove company "fortune". He did own a large area of Grosse Point, almost like a peninsula. He would have been in his 80's, in the early 60's and I firmly believe we used to have some of the original Ford family come aboard, when we were moored at the Grosse Pte Club, in June; I remember references to the "Fords" and some guests in their 80's would come aboard.

During June, we would have parties aboard, while at the Marina. His relatives would come aboard and call him "Unkie". He was a "little" guy, under 5'5" I would say. But then he was on in years. In July, we would run north to Cheboygan, where we moored at the Olds "coal docks", waiting on guests who flew into the Pellston airport or drove up. While not busy with guests, we moved up to to Hessel, where we lay off at anchor; the Captain's home and wife were there. Some of you "elderly" types on here from the Detroit area, may remember a large (2 stories high!) replica cast iron stove, on Jefferson Ave I think; that was from the Detroit Stove Co. .

Wasn't the Burger "Chanticleer" a Jack Hargrave design? I can't find the book, it's around here somewhere, but I seem to recall that. Then again, I seem to recall lots of things that turn out not to be true.

I caught a sandbar with a sailboat once.

True story.

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Originally Posted by jim rosenthal

Wasn't the Burger "Chanticleer" a Jack Hargrave design? I can't find the book, it's around here somewhere, but I seem to recall that. Then again, I seem to recall lots of things that turn out not to be true.

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Paging Eric Horst.......to the white courtesy phone please.

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Originally Posted by oscarvan

Paging Eric Horst.......to the white courtesy phone please.

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If memory serves me (!) "Chanticleer" The Hargrave designed Burger built as "Buckpasser" for Ogden Phipps was originally around 98'. She was lengthened to 108' ish at some point. I saw her a few years ago here in Ft Lauderdale looking very crisp after a recent refit with her then most recent owner. The steel 112' DeFoe "Chanticleer" may still exist although just barely. I remember her at "Enchantress" bought by Sam and JoAnne DuPont after Evinrude's death. She languished at the DuPont's Hexton Farms dock on the Sassafras River for many years. She was rusty and leaking from the exhaust ports and threatening to sink when Sam had her short hauled at Georgetown Yacht Basin to weld steel plates over the exhaust. She was then towed back to their dock where she sat for more years. She was subsequently sold to a dreamer who had a charter business plan.