Calling all Stephens Bros. Boat Owners, Lovers and Fans
Calling all Stephens Bros. boat owners, past and present — Dan Payne from San Diego wrote to us last month:
I’m collecting photographs, line drawings, specifications, and personal stories about the owners’ involvement with their boats.
I will be cross-referencing this with the information in the Stephens Brothers archives held at the Haggin Museum in Stockton. This collection will be available at no cost to participating owners as an electronic catalog, which can be printed on demand — in parts, or in its entirety. I’ll also publish a limited number of hardbound coffee table-style books, which will be available to purchase.
Thanks in advance to all who participate, for I cannot produce a meaningful, quality document without the help of contributors.
Any inquiries and all materials will be received here. Thank you for your help in making this publication a reality.
Link above doesn’t work for the Stephens contact.
The link appears to be working for us now. Hope you can connect.
This looks like the Yacht Pajara, who belonged to Wes Becket and was berthed at the old Richmond YC.
I know that they did a few Transpacs in her.
I owned the Wendy Anne, a 38′ Farralon Clipper #20, the last one built in 1962 of that design. My wife and I sailed that boat out of Sausalito, to Hawaii and then down to NZ. We ended selling the boat in Fiji after weathering the Queen’s Birthday tropical storm off Minerva Reef. What a wonderful and fast seaboat.
Tried your link again. Is this an email account? I knew that boat was for many years moored at the Richmond Yacht Club but it was repossessed by a bank. We bought it from a broker in Vallejo – without even sailing it. Following is the message that I tried to send you:
That is my old boat Pajara which was built in 1937 crossing the line, I think in 1941 with the Griffith brothers and others. She took 2nd with her corrected time – 38 minutes behind the winner Escapade (I think this was a 72 foot Rhodes yawl) . Pajara also raced the 1939 Transpac, starting from San Francisco with Theo Stephens and his bother and others taking 6th place. I talked with one of the Griffith brothers a few times over the years. I think he and his brother were instrumental in design of the Cal 40’s.
I owned and restored Pajara in 1980’s and donated the boat to a group in San Pedro. Loved the boat – sailed like a big dinghy. Took the Ocean II class in 1985 Master Mariners race by about 9 minutes. She is quick. We took 3rd in the Ocean I class a couple of years later against mostly 60 foot and longer boats. Hand a plank replaced by Hank Easom that was leaking like a sieve. Changed out all the bronze strips on the ribs with SS. The old bronze strips could be bent/broke by hand! Boat interior was painted grey everywhere. Removed the paint and found beautiful varnish oak ribs. Restored delaminated plywood bulkheads with penetrating epoxy as well as the cabin top. Learned a lot about wood restoration and epoxies. I have pictures and I believe the boat is now in Southern California