Kettenburg Boat Works and Owners Association

Sedan Cruiser MARLIN

THEN
NOW

The Sedan Cruiser MARLIN was built by Kettenburg Marine in 1938. According to Tom Kettenburg, son of Paul Kettenburg, she was one of a handful of production boats Kettenburg built to address a marketplace for private sport fishermen in San Diego. She is 30' overall, 29'8" at the waterline, has a beam of 8'6", and draws 2'6". According to an August 1969 survey she was fitted with a V-8 engine which was not identified. At present (2003, June) she has a three cyl. diesel. We believe that she was originally fitted with a Chrysler Crown Straight 6 or a Royal Crown Straight 8.

From the looks of things MARLIN, according to the '79 and subsequent surveys she was renamed from 'FOGGY III', has remained mostly original but with fiberglas added to decks, house, and cockpit roofs. Boatwright David Cassiee acquired her from her longtime steward, Mike Cherry in the summer of 2002. David serviced her engine, replaced her cutlass bearing, removed and otherwise repaired some punk wood in the stern, and got started on the rot present in the cabin sides and roof. Her interior is varnished, clean, and needs no attention. Because of a change in his personal agenda David turned stewardship of her over to Steve Barber which is where our tale here begins.

MARLIN now lies in a Wilmington berth accompanied by a K-43, a K-38, and an Admiral's launch in the same marina (see photo album about SERENA), all built by Kettenburg. At this installment of the story she awaits the following: cabin roof fabric and wood replacement (all the fiberglas goes, wood replaced as needed), rub rail replaced as needed, cabin sides at cockpit and windshiled surround replaced as needed. During all of this we will be puttering around the harbor, scooting to Catalina, or towing becalmed friends. There is a 350 V-8 sitting on a pallet to be installed, but this will wait until the rot is gone and her good looks have returned.

Updated: 12/02/03

Our boatwright apprentice, Ernesto, works on new decking put down after rotten cabin side and deck plates were "excised". Surrounding wood was sprayed with antifreeze to kill friable rot spores which may have escaped during the destruction of the cabin side.

Can you see the blackened screw in the hand? YIKES!

A closer look at the opening of the cabin. Boatwright Keith Smith improved the technology here by reinforcing the deck shear structure and the cabin side to roof ribs by installing substantial blocks of mahogany.

Here is Ernesto doing his best to ground out his sander while fairing out the screw plugs.

This shows the forward cabin side pieces in place and the companionway opening locale of even further cabin side work. Then entirety of the cabin sides were replaced to remove any hint of rot.

An interior picture of the new cabin side mahogany and support structure in place just above the galley.

Interior view of new cabin side in place awaiting port light openings.

A similar view of cabin side at the berth location, again, awaiting port light openings.

Cabin interior facia having been sanded and put in place now awaits a fresh varnish job

Marlin's now got fresh cabin sides all around. Underlying structure has been improved substantially from original. Dark spot in hull at rub rail is fresh wood replacing a small spot of rot which developed where deck water collected.

Updated: 02/05/04

Our boatwright apprentice, Ernesto, works on new decking put down after rotten cabin side and deck plates were "excised". Surrounding wood was sprayed with antifreeze to kill friable rot spores which may have escaped during the destruction of the cabin side.
Can you see the blackened screw in the hand? YIKES!
A closer look at the opening of the cabin. Boatwright Keith Smith improved the technology here by reinforcing the deck shear structure and the cabin side to roof ribs by installing substantial blocks of mahogany.
Here is Ernesto doing his best to ground out his sander while fairing out the screw plugs.
This shows the forward cabin side pieces in place and the companionway opening locale of even further cabin side work. Then entirety of the cabin sides were replaced to remove any hint of rot.
An interior picture of the new cabin side mahogany and support structure in place just above the galley.
Interior view of new cabin side in place awaiting port light openings.
A similar view of cabin side at the berth location, again, awaiting port light openings.
Cabin interior facia having been sanded and put in place now awaits a fresh varnish job
Marlin's now got fresh cabin sides all around. Underlying structure has been improved substantially from original. Dark spot in hull at rub rail is fresh wood replacing a small spot of rot which developed where deck water collected.