Gary & Dave's Boat Page

BARCO DE VIDA

Sailing into Point Hudson Marina, Port Townsend, WA

On display at the 2003 Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend.

We made it on the cover of the local phone book in 2004.

And we made it on the cover of the 2007 Port Townsend Gatheringplace Calendar!
(did you notice the similarity to the 2003 Wooden Boat Festival photo?)

DESCRIPTION

Lifeboat, 16-foot, lapstrake construction, full bodied, tumble-home sides.
Converted to a gaff sloop by previous owner, T-beam keel.

RESTORATION

Found in a backyard near Duvall, WA, in October 1999.
Hull and boom partially restored in Port Townsend in 2002-2003 (see Restoration Photos for pictures).
Painted in colors inspired by fishing vessels in Salema, Portugal.

HISTORY

Probably built September 22, 1952; manufacturer code = "FNE".
Possibly Canadian - A similar vessel, built in the 1920s by Linton and Company, Vancouver, B.C., was found as a lifeboat on the steam stern wheeler M.V. Moyie on Kootenay Lake, B.C.

Construction style also suggests Canadian or European origin (with thanks to Ray Speck for the following):

Lap joinery between stem and keel are typical Canadian and European (Scandinavian) designs
Wedges under the ribs of the shear strake are typical English design
Date of construction follows Canadian and European convention
Rivets are disc-shaped, typical of European design; American rivets were usually flat burrs
English and Scandinavian builders were making wood lifeboats in 1952, whereas American lifeboats were steel.

We would greatly appreciate any information regarding the meaning of the "FNE" code and possible origins or uses of the vessel.

Gary Pascoe gpascoe@olympus.net, Dave & Barbara Sterritt bdnsterritt@olympus.net

PS: If you're looking for Gary's business page, go HERE.

Restoration Photos