Phil Mills Sails His Arch Davis-Designed Dinghy Home
When Phil Mills saw his photo in Sailagram, he wrote to share the story of his Arch Davis-designed lapstrake sailing dinghy that we’d photographed. He and his son were sailing home after the Master Mariners Wooden Boat Show on Father’s Day when we snapped the shots. Arch Davis has designs for 13-, 14-, and 17-ft lapstrake dinghies, which Phil reports are built of marine plywood and mahogany.
Phil’s Penobscot 14 is kept at home in his garage so he and his family can take her anywhere for a row or sail. He says she’s fitted with Shaw & Tenney oars for ideal rowing characteristics. He added, “I like keeping it here because I can tinker with her when I’m bored. A little varnish here and there, repaint it a new color, replace some of the blocks and cleats with vintage bronze ones, etc. Fun! We can also trailer it to Tomales Bay without getting on the highway, which I like.”
Phil also reports that he acquired what he believes is the last San Francisco Bay Hurricane 30 afloat. They’re in the process of restoring her.
Looking back in the Latitude 38 archives, we found a list of classic one-design boats sailing the Bay, though we’re not sure it’s comprehensive or even accurate. But there are quite a few. Who remembers sailing any of these? The list we have is:
- Acorn
- Bear
- Bird
- Buccaneer
- Carina
- Clipper
- Coast 13
- Cox 22
- El Toro
- Farallon Clipper
- Friendship Sloop
- Frisco Flyer
- Golden Gate
- Hawkfarm
- Holiday
- Hurricane
- Junior Clipper
- Maya
- Melody
- Mermaid
- Mercury
- Pacific Clipper
- S.F. One Design
- Seahorse Yawl
- Shamrock
- Spaulding 33
- Sunset
- Treasure Island
- Voyager
- Windward
- Yankee
- Zephyr
What’s missing? Hundreds of other sailing boats and ships have been launched from shipyards, boatyards, backyards and boatbuilding shops around Northern California, so who knows where we should draw the line on a list like this? There are fewer of them still sailing, but with the help of the Master Mariners Benevolent Association, many sailors are inspired and helped to keep the tradition alive.
Many years ago, I was fortunate enough to have a friend in Redwood City. His dad, Doctor Waters, owned a Bear Boat, “Threadbare” or was it “Threadbear?” I was invited to sail with them out of Sausalito on a sunny warm day on the bay. My first sail anywhere. I think I was about 13 in 1954. That was just the beginning. Dr. Waters sold that boat and bought a 35′ sailboat called Lana Kila. A wonderful boat that got me on my second sail.
I’ll never forget that first sail. Now many years and miles later – some 15,000 miles plus uncounted miles on a Navy Destroyer – I often think of that first sail
What a wonderful photo of Phil Mills and his son sailing together on Fathers day, this is what it is all about, time together on the water doing what you enjoy with the people you love. The lessons learned while sailing will last a lifetime, patience, confidence and a sense of adventure that awaits those who dare.