A publication I'm associated with runs a monthly feature about a brokerage
boat.
Sort of a "boat review" for used boats. This is a lot of fun to do.

The item I'm just finishing might be of some interest, particularly the history
of the original owner and the fact it was the last boat (reputedly) done by Ed
Monk Sr.
Here's a peek at the rough draft.

*************************

"Sea Tramp"

The 1970's were a colorful time in Pierce County. The County Sheriff was
discovered to be a partner in a topless bar in Lakewood, along with one of the
county's most wildly prosperous bail bondsmen. KING TV broadcast a charge that
the Pierce County Prosecutor was failing to collect forfeited bond money from
the bondsman's company, and that the bonding company was covering the
Prosecutor's election campaign expenses in return. As the decade unfolded, the
topless bar was torched, there were other suspicious fires, and state and
federal investigations for illegal gambling, racketeering, insurance fraud, and
organized criminal activities frequently targeted the bondsman and his highly
placed political associates.

The bail bondsman was reputed to have certain "connections", and as his new
yacht was under construction at the Nordlund yard on Commencement Bay there was
an especially careful attention paid to detail. A shipwright involved in the
project remarked, "Nothing but the finest available lumber was used to build
that boat. Only our best and most experienced people were allowed to work on
her. Nothing less than first class was acceptable, and no expense was spared.
Nobody wanted to be sleeping with horses!"

Not only was the vessel carefully constructed, she is reputed to be the last
boat designed by legendary designer Ed Monk, Sr. His design would have
reflected the many decades of his increasing expertise.

When she came down the ways in 1973, the new boat was 58' long, with a 17' beam
and a 4'6" draft. She was built with oak frames, clear fir stringers, and
spruce laterals. Planking is Honduras mahogany below the waterline, and British
Columbia red cedar above. Her gunwales are teak, and the superstructure is
constructed of plywood and fir.
Thirty years later she remains tight, dry and stout.

The bail bondsman eventually needed to convert the boat to cash, and he sold
her to a Tacoma physician. After a short ownership period, the physician sold
the boat to a NW yachtsman who cruised the boat between Mexico and Alaska
several times during the next decade. Bob Dalby, an associate broker with Gig
Harbor Yacht Sales, crewed on the boat during some of those voyages and speaks
favorably of her seakeeping ability.

Bob Dalby also remarked on her maintenance history. "The boat was extensively
reworked in 1984," said Bob Dalby. "She went back into the yard at Nordlund and
everything was carefully inspected. Anything that needed repair or replacement
was addressed. Later that year, she was selected as "Pride of the Fleet" at the
Newport Harbor Yacht Club in California."

Bill Shaw acquired the boat in 1993, and now lives aboard with his wife Crystal
and their young daughter Jackie. Jackie was born aboard "Sea Tramp" and has
never lived elsewhere. The Shaws have cruised her extensively throughout the
Pacific NW, but have now decided to sell her and move ashore. Bob Dalby,
already well acquainted with the boat, listed her for Gig Harbor Yacht Sales.

There is no sense of anachronism about "Sea Tramp", no impression that the
vessel must be three decades old. Her clean lines and stylish profile would be
the envy of many contemporary builders. She was drawn with good bow flare to
promote a dry foredeck, a raked stem, and a long but fairly level sheer line.
She features soft chines, but a flat transom, and rolling is minimized with the
use of Niad stabilizers. A Portuguese bridge protects the pilothouse from any
rollers breaking over the bow, and the overhanging boat deck shelters a walkway
on both sides of the aft cabin as well as the cockpit. Some of the most
pleasing designs are dictated less by the latest NY fashion fads than by
conditions at sea. While decorative trends may come and go, the basic elements
of a well-found boat change might very little over the years.

Sea Tramp was originally conceived as a coastal cruiser rather than a
long-range passagemaker, and so enjoys the redundancy and maneuverability
associated with twin engines. Her 220 HP Cummins 903's will cruise her at 12
knots, with a 16-knot maximum speed. When laden with 1100 gallons of diesel,
her approximate range is represented as 1200 miles. She carries 300 gallons of
potable water. AC power is supplied by 12kw and 7.5kw gensets, as well as a 6kw
cruising generator driven by the starboard engine. The engine room includes a
wonderful, 9-foot workbench area with full standing headroom against the
forward bulkhead. Aft of the workbench, the engine room becomes a
hands-and-knees proposition but the 16-foot beam allows adequate service room
on both the inboard and outboard sides of each of the Cummins.

"Sea Tramp" is a two-stateroom configuration, but will sleep about seven
without pressing tabletops and settees or the pilot berth into service. The
guest, or crew, stateroom is most forward, just aft of the chain locker. A
custom shaped double, V-shaped mattress is situated below a single berth
suspended on the port side. The walls are painted out in white yacht enamel,
with splendid teak locker doors and drawers. The forward stateroom can be
isolated from the rest of the boat, as there is a head with a sink, shower, and
VacuFlush toilet. Access to and from the forward stateroom is accomplished
through a door in the aft bulkhead (which connects to the master stateroom), or
through a ladder and scuttle to the foredeck.

The master stateroom, (next aft), features a double berth to starboard and a
slightly smaller berth to port flanking a central companionway. Mirrors on the
bulkheads create an illusion of expanded space, and the mirror on the aft
bulkhead does double duty as a make-up area with a vanity chest and appropriate
lighting. The head for the master stateroom is situated in the aft starboard
quarter. The fixtures and finish are reminiscent of a nice hotel, with a full
size tub and shower, porcelain hand basin, and VacuFlush marine toilet.

Access to the engine room, a laundry area, and passage to the galley and salon
in the aft cabin are found in the aft port quarter of the master stateroom. A
feature seen on other Ed Monk designs and present on "Sea Tramp" as well is the
single, companionway berth tucked up under the port deck in this area.


The aft cabin is trimmed entirely in teak, with a carpeted sole and spotless
white headliner. "Sea Tramp" does not present as a typical liveaboard; with
only a few hours of prep work she would be ready for display at a boat show.
The galley is U-shaped, with the "full size" refrigerator/freezer, three-burner
princess stove and oven, microwave, and coffee maker against the forward
bulkhead. A double stainless steel sink is on the short leg against the outer
cabin wall, and a long teak countertop provides galley workspace while doubling
as a divider and staging platform for meals in the salon. A pull-out shelf,
(trimmed in mica black laminate that matches the galley countertops accentuates
the golden brown teak) creates a slightly lower and more comfortable eating
surface for three to five persons at a serving.

A liquor locker and general stowage area is nicely fit on the port side of the
salon, with a curved settee wrapping across the aft port corner. Everything
aboard is well kept, or better. One would be hard pressed to identify anything
deteriorated or the least bit "edgy."

The pilothouse is sensational. Unlike many similar vessels, there is no traffic
pattern through the pilothouse as there is no access to the staterooms. On some
boats, the only access to the forward staterooms is through this area. Ed Monk
had some serious navigation in mind when he drew "Sea Tramp's" bridge. The helm
is on the keel line, surrounded with what seems like acres of space for
charting and electronics. "Sea Tramp" is loaded with electronics, and while
most of the equipment is a few years old the systems are far better than merely
adequate for extended cruising. A communications area includes VHF, CB, and
single side band offshore radios. GPS plotters, Loran C, and radio direction
finders provide important redundancy in navigation aids. A gorgeous set of
matched clocks, barometers, anemometers, and other instruments is fixed above
the helmsman's head. Individual wipers and defrosters for the numerous, raked,
pilothouse windows insure a clear view of the vessel surroundings.

A throttle and gearbox control as well as a wheel are fixed on the forward edge
of the Portuguese bridge. If the weather tempts the skipper to step outdoors
for a spell, it can be accomplished. Use of the exterior helm station would
also prove more convenient in many docking situations.

Ground tackle includes a 110-pound Bruce anchor, with an enormous length of
chain rode hauled by a hydraulic, deck reel windlass. Once anchored, "Sea
Tramp" is likely to stay put.

A 14-foot Achilles dinghy with a 30 HP outboard is hauled by a hydraulic davit.

The next owners of "Sea Tramp" will be acquiring a vessel that is in fine
condition, and with an unusual history. The many years of happy family living
enjoyed by the Shaws seem to have erased any potentially lingering essence of
the original, controversial, owner. Bob Dalby and Bill Shaw chatted briefly
about the location of various "secret compartments" the bail bondsman had
constructed in various locations.

"I looked through her pretty good when I first got her," said Bill Shaw. "I
thought maybe I'd find an extra million bucks squirreled away aboard her, or
maybe some other sort of contraband. Nope, nothing. There was this one
compartment that the surveyor couldn't quite figure out how to access,
however........."

You write pretty good images.
I almost felt her under me.
Parts, I could see

Thanks



"Gould 0738" wrote in message
...
A publication I'm associated with runs a monthly feature about a brokerage
boat.
Sort of a "boat review" for used boats. This is a lot of fun to do.

The item I'm just finishing might be of some interest, particularly the
history
of the original owner and the fact it was the last boat (reputedly) done
by Ed
Monk Sr.
Here's a peek at the rough draft.

*************************

"Sea Tramp"

The 1970's were a colorful time in Pierce County. The County Sheriff was
discovered to be a partner in a topless bar in Lakewood, along with one of
the
county's most wildly prosperous bail bondsmen. KING TV broadcast a charge
that
the Pierce County Prosecutor was failing to collect forfeited bond money
from
the bondsman's company, and that the bonding company was covering the
Prosecutor's election campaign expenses in return. As the decade unfolded,
the
topless bar was torched, there were other suspicious fires, and state and
federal investigations for illegal gambling, racketeering, insurance
fraud, and
organized criminal activities frequently targeted the bondsman and his
highly
placed political associates.

The bail bondsman was reputed to have certain "connections", and as his
new
yacht was under construction at the Nordlund yard on Commencement Bay
there was
an especially careful attention paid to detail. A shipwright involved in
the
project remarked, "Nothing but the finest available lumber was used to
build
that boat. Only our best and most experienced people were allowed to work
on
her. Nothing less than first class was acceptable, and no expense was
spared.
Nobody wanted to be sleeping with horses!"

Not only was the vessel carefully constructed, she is reputed to be the
last
boat designed by legendary designer Ed Monk, Sr. His design would have
reflected the many decades of his increasing expertise.

When she came down the ways in 1973, the new boat was 58' long, with a 17'
beam
and a 4'6" draft. She was built with oak frames, clear fir stringers, and
spruce laterals. Planking is Honduras mahogany below the waterline, and
British
Columbia red cedar above. Her gunwales are teak, and the superstructure is
constructed of plywood and fir.
Thirty years later she remains tight, dry and stout.

The bail bondsman eventually needed to convert the boat to cash, and he
sold
her to a Tacoma physician. After a short ownership period, the physician
sold
the boat to a NW yachtsman who cruised the boat between Mexico and Alaska
several times during the next decade. Bob Dalby, an associate broker with
Gig
Harbor Yacht Sales, crewed on the boat during some of those voyages and
speaks
favorably of her seakeeping ability.

Bob Dalby also remarked on her maintenance history. "The boat was
extensively
reworked in 1984," said Bob Dalby. "She went back into the yard at
Nordlund and
everything was carefully inspected. Anything that needed repair or
replacement
was addressed. Later that year, she was selected as "Pride of the Fleet"
at the
Newport Harbor Yacht Club in California."

Bill Shaw acquired the boat in 1993, and now lives aboard with his wife
Crystal
and their young daughter Jackie. Jackie was born aboard "Sea Tramp" and
has
never lived elsewhere. The Shaws have cruised her extensively throughout
the
Pacific NW, but have now decided to sell her and move ashore. Bob Dalby,
already well acquainted with the boat, listed her for Gig Harbor Yacht
Sales.

There is no sense of anachronism about "Sea Tramp", no impression that the
vessel must be three decades old. Her clean lines and stylish profile
would be
the envy of many contemporary builders. She was drawn with good bow flare
to
promote a dry foredeck, a raked stem, and a long but fairly level sheer
line.
She features soft chines, but a flat transom, and rolling is minimized
with the
use of Niad stabilizers. A Portuguese bridge protects the pilothouse from
any
rollers breaking over the bow, and the overhanging boat deck shelters a
walkway
on both sides of the aft cabin as well as the cockpit. Some of the most
pleasing designs are dictated less by the latest NY fashion fads than by
conditions at sea. While decorative trends may come and go, the basic
elements
of a well-found boat change might very little over the years.

Sea Tramp was originally conceived as a coastal cruiser rather than a
long-range passagemaker, and so enjoys the redundancy and maneuverability
associated with twin engines. Her 220 HP Cummins 903's will cruise her at
12
knots, with a 16-knot maximum speed. When laden with 1100 gallons of
diesel,
her approximate range is represented as 1200 miles. She carries 300
gallons of
potable water. AC power is supplied by 12kw and 7.5kw gensets, as well as
a 6kw
cruising generator driven by the starboard engine. The engine room
includes a
wonderful, 9-foot workbench area with full standing headroom against the
forward bulkhead. Aft of the workbench, the engine room becomes a
hands-and-knees proposition but the 16-foot beam allows adequate service
room
on both the inboard and outboard sides of each of the Cummins.

"Sea Tramp" is a two-stateroom configuration, but will sleep about seven
without pressing tabletops and settees or the pilot berth into service.
The
guest, or crew, stateroom is most forward, just aft of the chain locker. A
custom shaped double, V-shaped mattress is situated below a single berth
suspended on the port side. The walls are painted out in white yacht
enamel,
with splendid teak locker doors and drawers. The forward stateroom can be
isolated from the rest of the boat, as there is a head with a sink,
shower, and
VacuFlush toilet. Access to and from the forward stateroom is accomplished
through a door in the aft bulkhead (which connects to the master
stateroom), or
through a ladder and scuttle to the foredeck.

The master stateroom, (next aft), features a double berth to starboard and
a
slightly smaller berth to port flanking a central companionway. Mirrors on
the
bulkheads create an illusion of expanded space, and the mirror on the aft
bulkhead does double duty as a make-up area with a vanity chest and
appropriate
lighting. The head for the master stateroom is situated in the aft
starboard
quarter. The fixtures and finish are reminiscent of a nice hotel, with a
full
size tub and shower, porcelain hand basin, and VacuFlush marine toilet.

Access to the engine room, a laundry area, and passage to the galley and
salon
in the aft cabin are found in the aft port quarter of the master
stateroom. A
feature seen on other Ed Monk designs and present on "Sea Tramp" as well
is the
single, companionway berth tucked up under the port deck in this area.


The aft cabin is trimmed entirely in teak, with a carpeted sole and
spotless
white headliner. "Sea Tramp" does not present as a typical liveaboard;
with
only a few hours of prep work she would be ready for display at a boat
show.
The galley is U-shaped, with the "full size" refrigerator/freezer,
three-burner
princess stove and oven, microwave, and coffee maker against the forward
bulkhead. A double stainless steel sink is on the short leg against the
outer
cabin wall, and a long teak countertop provides galley workspace while
doubling
as a divider and staging platform for meals in the salon. A pull-out
shelf,
(trimmed in mica black laminate that matches the galley countertops
accentuates
the golden brown teak) creates a slightly lower and more comfortable
eating
surface for three to five persons at a serving.

A liquor locker and general stowage area is nicely fit on the port side of
the
salon, with a curved settee wrapping across the aft port corner.
Everything
aboard is well kept, or better. One would be hard pressed to identify
anything
deteriorated or the least bit "edgy."

The pilothouse is sensational. Unlike many similar vessels, there is no
traffic
pattern through the pilothouse as there is no access to the staterooms. On
some
boats, the only access to the forward staterooms is through this area. Ed
Monk
had some serious navigation in mind when he drew "Sea Tramp's" bridge. The
helm
is on the keel line, surrounded with what seems like acres of space for
charting and electronics. "Sea Tramp" is loaded with electronics, and
while
most of the equipment is a few years old the systems are far better than
merely
adequate for extended cruising. A communications area includes VHF, CB,
and
single side band offshore radios. GPS plotters, Loran C, and radio
direction
finders provide important redundancy in navigation aids. A gorgeous set of
matched clocks, barometers, anemometers, and other instruments is fixed
above
the helmsman's head. Individual wipers and defrosters for the numerous,
raked,
pilothouse windows insure a clear view of the vessel surroundings.

A throttle and gearbox control as well as a wheel are fixed on the forward
edge
of the Portuguese bridge. If the weather tempts the skipper to step
outdoors
for a spell, it can be accomplished. Use of the exterior helm station
would
also prove more convenient in many docking situations.

Ground tackle includes a 110-pound Bruce anchor, with an enormous length
of
chain rode hauled by a hydraulic, deck reel windlass. Once anchored, "Sea
Tramp" is likely to stay put.

A 14-foot Achilles dinghy with a 30 HP outboard is hauled by a hydraulic
davit.

The next owners of "Sea Tramp" will be acquiring a vessel that is in fine
condition, and with an unusual history. The many years of happy family
living
enjoyed by the Shaws seem to have erased any potentially lingering essence
of
the original, controversial, owner. Bob Dalby and Bill Shaw chatted briefl
y
about the location of various "secret compartments" the bail bondsman had
constructed in various locations.

"I looked through her pretty good when I first got her," said Bill Shaw.
"I
thought maybe I'd find an extra million bucks squirreled away aboard her,
or
maybe some other sort of contraband. Nope, nothing. There was this one
compartment that the surveyor couldn't quite figure out how to access,
however........."

Gould,

Could you write something like that for me about Britney Spears. I'd
like to get the same kind of experience BB got. You best e-mail it
though. You know, Larry's heart and all.

Ron

Gould,

Could you write something like that for me about Britney Spears. I'd
like to get the same kind of experience BB got. You best e-mail it
though. You know, Larry's heart and all.

To write a fair to decent description, one must first examine even the most
remote nooks and crannies. Somehow, I doubt the subject in question would put
up with that.....and besides, she is a (relative) child. You reach a certain
age, and women younger than our own daughter just look like
babies......regardless of "legal" status. :-)