1920 Wianno Senior #42 “Golden Eagle” Originally “Arem” (shown as “Golden Eagle”)

 

                                                Photo Courtesy of Arthur Hastings.

1930 Wianno Senior #88 “Ocean” Originally “Haze” (shown as “Ocean”)

 

                                                Photo Courtesy of James Melcher Jr.

1930 Wianno Senior #90 “Gemini” Originally “Hobgoblin” (shown as “???”)

 

                                                Still searching for photo

                Between 1920 and 1930, the majority of the early Wianno Seniors were built, but sometime in the very early 1960’s, 2 of those Wianno Seniors were returned to Crosby Yacht in Osterville for upgrading. These two boats, # 42 and # 90, were at this time derelicts, but Crosby had an idea they would restore the boats to “new” condition in hopes to sell them again, but they would raise the deck 10 inches higher. The centerboard box was also removed from the inside of the cabin to make even more room. The centerboard was then replaced with a “half centerboard” that could be brought up into the partially extended keel. All these adjustments were made in the hopes to attract more Wianno Senior cruisers. (One Boat # 42 “Golden Eagle” had the cabin and coamings removed and replaced with a taller Trunk Cabin (See Golden Eagle Picture) James Melcher, after seeing one of these boats, decided to have the same improvements made to his boat, #88 “Ocean”, because him and his wife spent a wet week in the cabin of the boat. (Ocean was also one of the three “Extended Cabin” boats Built in 1930. The other two were # 87 and # 89) Wianno Senior # 42, When it was finished, it was named “Golden Eagle” and was bought after the rebuild by Doug Higham who sold it four months later to John Hastings who knew Doug very well. Doug was also the one who did the rebuilds on # 90 and # 88. After # 90’s rebuild, she was bought be Henry R. Hope and named “Gemini”.

                Wianno Senior # 42 “Arem” When first built was owned by George H. Field and sailed out of West Falmouth, Wianno Senior # 88 “Haze” When first built was owned by Henry Kane and Malcolm McVickar and sailed out of Edgartown, and Wianno Senior # 90 “Hobgoblin” When first built was owned by Alexander O. Vietor and sailed out of Edgartown. Wianno Seniors # 88 and # 90 were raced out of Edgartown Harbor between 1930 and 1944, alongside 2 other Wianno Seniors # 87 “Eroica”, and # 89 “Adios”. The participation of Wianno Seniors in the Annual Edgartown Regatta since 1928 was probably responsible for the interest that resulted in these four boats being built for Edgartown sailors.

                As of 2009, one of these seniors in 89 years old and the other two are 79 years old. The boats have been bought and sold a few times since the 1960’s. Wianno Senior # 42 “Golden Eagle” was sold by the Hastings Family in 1972 to Jack Smith, whose daughter Dorothy Smith had it until the mid 1990’s when the boat went missing in 1995. If anyone knows were she is now or what happened to her please notify me. Wianno Senior # 88 “Ocean” was sold in the mid 1970’s to Philip L. Azoy who sailed her out of Hyannis Port until the late 1980’s and because of his poor health it was returned to Crosby Yacht Yard in 1989 where she sat until 1992 when she was donated (Along with # 99 “Wiggle”) to a mini golf course in Hyannis (Par-Tee Freeze Ice Cream) which is were she sits to this day. The Fate of Wianno Senior # 90 is unknown because when Henry R. Hope died it was given to his wife Sarah-Anne A. Hope-Davis who died in 2002. The Boat was sold by the McClennen Family to Edson Eldredge who sold it in 2003 to an unknown person. If Anyone knows what happened to “Gemini” please notify me!

 

Sam Lawrence – August 2009 --- This Information was put together with the help of many people! Thank You to: Arthur & Peter Hastings.; James & Barbara Melcher; Charles Melcher; Jamie & Peter McClennen; Teddy & Malcolm Crosby; and Bruce Hammatt; Thank You all for your help in putting this all together!