Remembering PC#77

Hi Rob!

Steve Barber (of the Kettenburg Website) passed your question along to me, as I am kind of the PC “nut case/historian” down here in San Diego. For years now, I have tried to track down every PC every built. You may know that 83 hull numbers were assigned between 1929 and 1959. Of those 83 boats, only 78 were actually completed, for several reasons. To date, of the 83 hulls assigned (and 78 actually built) I have identified, found or accounted for 60 of them, leaving 18 on the “unidentified” list.

Of the 60 boats that I have accounted for:

45 are still sailing

13 have been lost to the sea or destroyed

4 were never built

1 was “converted” early on and no longer measured a PC

Much of this information is from word of mouth, magazine or newspaper articles. I have tried to get details where ever I could.

Unfortunately, you boat, #77, is one of the boats I can not locate. What I can tell you is the following:

She sailed under the following names:

WHITECAP
TRIO in 1955-1964

Past owners and approximate dates I have are:


Bob Chase (First owner) 1946
Wm. Brinton 1955-1959
Ed Burdzinski
Bob Millmoe Jr. 1964-1977

You will note that your name is not on the “past owners” list, this I am thrilled to meet you!! I am hoping you will take the time to give me any details you are able to, regarding your ownership. Years, From whom you bought the boat, to whom you sold her, names of the vessel, races or trophies won, yacht clubs or marinas she sailed out of, etc. If you have any photos you would be willing to share, I would be thrilled to put them in the history file.

You should know that I am a member of the San Diego Yacht Club PC Fleet. My present boat is #16 DAWN and was restored last year. Last month, she was awarded the trophy for “Best Restored/Maintained Kettenburg PC” at our club’s 120th Opening Day celebration. When I bought my first PC (#63), there were about 6 boats sailing in San Diego Bay. Today, because a swell of interest, our fleet numbers 30 boats!!! Many of these boats have undergone restorations upwards of $120,000.00!! Not bad for a boat that first sold for $1,800.00 WITH NEW SAILS ABOARD!!!! I also write a PC article for the yacht club monthly publication, The Mainsheet. I have recently written 3 articles for our San Diego Maritime Museum quarterly peer reviewed journal “The Mainslhaul”. I have owned 7 PC’s in the past and have been responsible for restoring them or passing them on to others to love and restore. I must also tell you that this is not a vocation or “money maker” for me. I do it all for the love of the boats. Should you be interested in sending any information my way via email or post, the fleet would greatly appreciate it. I have many photos which people have sent me over the years and would love to have one of your boat if that is possible. I will gladly pay for any postal charges incurred.

I hope this information is of interest to you and look forward to hearing from you.

Warm regards,

Rish
SDYC PC Fleet
#16 DAWN

From: Robert Lofthouse [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Sunday, May 29, 2005 11:32 AM
To: 'Richard S. Pavelec'
Subject: RE: PC 77

Hello Rish,

Delighted to read your note. I owned Slipstick, #77 so named prior to my purchase in 1977 and I had to sell her in 1979. Not sure if bought her from Bob Millmoe – Ray Jarecki sticks in my mind for some reason. I’ll have to go through my records (if they still exist) to remind myself whom I bought her from and whom I sold her to. The latter was a young man from Oxnard who crewed a lot in our fleet. I thoroughly enjoyed sailing this craft and learned what I could from Hilliard Brown, as she was berthed with the PC fleet in Marina Del Rey during that time. My greatest thrill as a PC Skipper was in beating the master, Mr. Brown, to the windward mark in one race. He took me on the next leg and I finished back in the pack. I sailed more for the enjoyment of it rather than the racing, but the racing was exciting! I just didn’t have the time to hone my racing skills. Day sailing on a gorgeous day like today was more to my liking.

Sorry I can’t give you more, and don’t have any pictures. She had much the same hull color scheme in the picture you sent, and a boatload of sail! I thoroughly enjoyed learning to sail in my PC and would love to sail another Never put the engine on her and did run up on the dock a few times, but I soon mastered maneuvering her in and out of the slip under sail. What a joy!

Unfortunately, I moved to the east coast over a decade ago and have not found a boat that matches the PC for elegance, history and construction. I know they’re all on the west coast, so I am looking for a sailboat like the PC but was drawn to the Kettenburg website gallery of PC’s.

Do you know of any PCs currently on the market?

If you do run across any information on this one, I would be interested in finding out more.

Thanks for your note, and the best to you and the fleet,

Rob

Robert Lofthouse