Philip L Rhodes 53 ft Bermudan Cutter 1936/2019

Philip Rhodes was already a very clever designer of beautiful, fast and seakindly yachts in 1936, but it was KIRAWAN's astonishing victory straight out the box in that year's stormy Newport-Bermuda Race that gained him his big break internationally, and assured KIRAWAN's long lasting fame. After a second life of hobnobbing with Hollywood and racing the Pacific classics, eventually fame alone almost wasn’t enough to save this striking yacht from a horrible end. Thankfully a man with a plan caught her just in time. In 2017 she entered a period of deep restoration funded by her present owner and executed at Portsmouth RI by Joe Loughborough's experienced artisans. The aim: to enjoy with friends the re-introduction of KIRAWAN to some of her old racecourses. KIRAWAN has ticked off the 2022 Newport-Bermuda race, and can be a potent and head-turning force on any of the classic circuits: a supremely comfortable, able - and famous - classic family cruiser-racer.

ON THE 2022 NEWPORT - BERMUDA RACE
“We were really thrilled by the way she handled, Especially in the really heavy weather when there were big seas and winds gusting to 35 knots, you just knew you were in a classic ocean racing boat.”

LMI, PORTSMOUTH, RHODE ISLAND 2017 - 2019
- Lead ballast keel dropped
- Wood keel, part stern post, and horn timber replaced
- Ballast keel refastened with new keelbolts
- Hull refastening, underbody re-caulking, topsides re-splining
- New floors and bronze mast step
- Deck removed, deck beams repaired/ replaced
- New teak laid deck on cedar substrate
- Deck hardware refurbished/ replaced
- Restoration of trunk cabin and doghouse
- Restore/ replace skylights and hatches
- New cockpit with teak coamings
- Create new companionway at doghouse
- All new winches
- New interior faithfully respects the original layout
- Exception are:
- nav station (was lockers); low galley bulkheads; forecabin
- (Original interior had been removed many years earlier)
- New spruce mast and boom; all new custom bronze hardware
- All new standing and running rigging
- All new mechanical, electric, electronic, and plumbing systems

PHILIP L. RHODES DESIGN NO. 399
LAUNCHED 23 MAY 1936

New York stockbroker Robert P. Barush can’t have enjoyed being second last over the finish line in the 1934 Bermuda race, his 56 ft William Hand-designed schooner ZINGARA arriving two days behind the leading boats. Barusch, however - a very able small boat racing helmsman - had time on his side; he was only 25.

By the 1936 Bermuda race he’d become a partner in his family’s Wall Street brokerage house, H. Hentz & Co., was now married, and had only just taken delivery of this very fine yacht with all the potency to do much, much better. KIRAWAN was untried - launched only a month before the Bermuda Race start - though her designer Philip Rhodes well knew what she was capable of. But surely only in his wildest dreams could he have imagined beating Olin Stephens’s STORMY WEATHER boat for boat in a 635-mile slog to windward with gusts of up to 45 knots – and winning the race overall.

The two years from 1934 to 1936 had also been happy ones for Rhodes, finding post-Great Depression stability working with Cox & King, yet with a free hand to develop his own portfolio. Rhodes was 14 years Olin Stephens’s senior. Why Baruch didn’t commission his contemporary, Stephens, to design his race winner remains a subject for deeper research, perhaps of family connections. KIRAWAN’s Bermuda Race race win brought international recognition for Rhodes and, at 41 took his career to another level. KIRAWAN’s renown was also assured, and her doghouse/ hard dodger became much copied, in particular by Sparkman & Stephens. It must have been such a bonus on that 635 mile stormy beat to windward.

Apart from Long Island Sound racing, KIRAWAN’s next distance race was the Cruising Club of America’s New London to Gibson Island (Chesapeake) Race, the highlight of the 1937 East Coast USA offshore racing season. Racing in Class A against the likes of EDLU, HIGHLAND LIGHT, ELIZABETH McCAW, and SONNY, KIRAWAN wasn’t so successful this time, but Philip Rhodes was again: his 41 ft yawl design GOLDEN EYE won Class B from John Alden’s MALABAR XI.

Robert P. Baruch returned to Philip Rhodes for KIRAWAN II, a very different boat - a double-ender with the refined fiddle bow that would be emulated in 1961 on THUNDERHEAD, KIRAWAN II’s second owner (as HOTHER) Paul Hoffmann being the common link. And both KIRAWAN II and THUNDERHEAD sport that “hard dodger” doghouse.

But what then became of this first KIRAWAN? Pre-world War Two it’s a little unclear, probably because she mostly cruised, renamed SILVANA. Reports vary, but at some late 1940s to early 1950s point she arrived on the West Coast and reverted to her original name. An early owner there is believed to have been Hollywood actress Terry Moore whose long term relationship with Howard Hughes became the stuff of legend.

KIRAWAN spent at least four decades sailing the Pacific, mostly out of Marina del Rey, taking in the Transpac twice in the mid-1950s and the 1964 Los Angeles - Tahiti Race. In the ownership of film producer Sandy Horowitz from c1993, she enjoyed a major refit and was trucked back east to Newport Rhode Island for the 2000 Bermuda Race, but perhaps too much had been spent on cosmetics and not enough on her structure, because she leaked very badly though at least finished. A subsequent restoration attempt failed and KIRAWAN ended up in store and in bits until purchased by her present owner and saviour in 2017.

Completing her major restoration at Joe Loughborough’s Portsmouth, Rhode Island LMI yard in the midst of the pandemic undoubtedly slowed the rejuvenated KIRAWAN’s re-exposure to the classic yachting world, but she remains a beautiful, practical and potent classic cruiser racer, doing exactly what she did straight out of the box in 1936.

TIMELINE
- 1936 23 May - launch
- 1936 June - Newport to Bermuda Race (Winner)
- 1937 June - New London to Gibson Island Race
- 1949? To West Coast USA
- 19?? Terry Moore (Hollywood actress)
- 1950s C.P. “Boo” Paschall
- 1955 Participated in the Transpac Race
- 1957 Participated in the Transpac Race
- 1960s Grant Hoag
- 1964 Los Angeles to Tahiti Race – 3rd to RASCAL and TICONDEROGA
- 1960s Tony Dow – Actor known for playing Wally in ‘Leave it to Beaver’
- Early 1970s Hy Jaspol, Marina del Ray - 5 years of refits
- c1975 Harry Cohen, Marina del Ray
- 1993 Sandy Horowitz (film producer)
- 2000 Newport to Bermuda Race
- 2000 Participated in Operation Sail 2000, Newport, RI
- 2022 Newport to Bermuda Race
- 2023 Marblehead to Halifax Ocean Race

©2024 Iain McAllister/ Sandeman Yacht Company Ltd.

- Mahogany planking on oak frame
- Bronze floors, strapping and hanging knees
- Lead ballast keel
- Bronze keelbolts (2019)
- Beamshelf with full length clamp
- Teak laid deck on cedar (2019)
- Teak superstructures

GENERAL
- Teak laid deck on cedar (2019)
- Varnished teak covering boards
- Low, varnished teak-capped bulwark
- Bronze stanchions and pulpit
- Bronze deck hardware

FROM AFT

AFT DECK
- Flush ensign socket and traditional stern light at taffrail
- Flush lazarette hatch in aft deck
- Panama mooring fairlead port & starboard
- Associated mooring cleats port and starboard
- Vent cowl
- Harken bronze traveller car and track

COCKPIT
- Deep, large cockpit
- Varnished teak coaming with raw teak capping
- Raw teak port & starboard benches lower than deck level
- Benches run forward into doghouse
- Lockers under
- Aft helm seating is continuation of deck
- Bronze Edson helm pedestal with Danforth steering compass binnacle
- Traditional ship's wheel
- Yanmar engine panel
- Autopilot controls
- Open aft raised doghouse (or "Solid Dodger")
- 2 x Glazed panels port and starboard
- 2 x Bronze opening ports forward
- Companionway to owner cabin (2019)
- B&G Nav repeaters
- Painted sheathed doghouse roof
- Varnished teak grabrails port and starboard
Harken Bronze winches
- 2 x Primary: 3-speed 60 ST
- 2 x Runners: 2-speed 46 ST
- 2 x Mainsheet: 2-speed 40 ST

TRUNK CABIN
- Teak uprights with 12 x Bronze opening ports
- Painted sheathed roof
- Varnished teak grabrails port and starboard
- Varinshed teak Dorade boxes with bronze cowls
- over: owner cabin, WC, and galley
- Butterfly skylight hatches over owner cabin and saloon
- Main companionway sliding hatch offset to starboard
- Bronze hatch garage
- Mast position
- Varnished teak hatch over galley with bronze portlight

SIDE DECKS
- Bronze headsail tracks port and starboard on rail
- Bronze Panama mid mooring fairlead
- Associated mooring cleats port & starboard

FOREDECK
- Varnished teak forehatch over forecabin with bronze portlight
- Muir 24 V 1200 W anchor vertical windlass; chain gipsy & capstan

GROUND TACKLE
- 60 lb / 27 kg CQR Bower anchor
- 100 ft / 30 m BBB 7/16 in anchor chain
- 10 ft / 3 m BBB 7/16 in chain w.100 ft / 30 m 5/8 in 3 x strand rode

GENERAL
- White panted bulkheads and deckhead
- White painted hull ceilings with attractive vents
- Stained mahogany carpentry
- Raw teak sole
- Original interior had been removed many years earlier
- New interior faithfully respects the original layout
- Exceptions are nav station (was lockers)
- Lowered bulkheads saloon to galley

FROM AFT

OWNER CABIN
- New companionway from doghouse (2019)
- 4 x Steps down over engine box
- Large single berths to port & starboard
- Lockers under and aft
- Shelves outboard
- Banquettes to port & starboard
- Stowage under
- Hanging lockers port and starboard
- KIRAWAN half model
- 4 x Bronze opening ports
- Butterfly skylight in deckhead
- Deckhead lamp
- 2 x Danish brass reading lamps
- 2 x 24 V fans
- Ship's clock and barometer

FORWARD TO LOBBY
- Main companionway 6 x steps ladder to starboard
- Navigation station to starboard
- WC/ Shower compartment to port

NAVIGATION STATION TO STARBOARD
- Upholstered bench
- Stowage under
- Large, forward facing chart table
- Stowage under
- Drawers under
- B&G Displays
- VHF Radio
- Satcom handset
- Bronze opening port
- Deckhead lamp

WC/ SHOWER COMPARTMENT TO PORT
- Fore and aft sliding entrance door
- Baby Blake manual WC with wood lid
- Inset sink bowl outboard - draining to sump
- Period brass mixer tap and shower head
- Mahogany top surface
- Lockers under and over
- Raw teak shower grate - draining to sump
- Bronze opening port

SALOON
- U-shaped settee to port
- Fiddled sideboard port aft
- Drawers under; glazed door locker over
- Generous pilot berth outboard
- Drop leaf saloon table offset to port
- Settee to starboard
- Generous pilot berth outboard
- 4 x Bronze opening ports
- Butterfly skylight in deckhead
- Deckhead grabrails port and starboard
- 2 x Deckhead lamp
- 2 x Danish brass reading lamps
- 2 x 24 V fans

FORWARD TO OPEN PLAN GALLEY
- Hatch with portlight at deckhead
To port
- Force 10 3 x burner propane stove with oven (2019)
- Bronze opening port
- Side deckhead lamp
- Vintage style pewter u-shaped top surfaces
- Stowage under and outboard
- Pewter sink
- Vintage brass mixer tap
- Whale gulper sump pump
To starboard
- Fridge / Freezer units with mahogany fiddled top (2019)
- Sea Frost BDXPAW 24 V Freeze; spillover to fridge
- Lockers over (outboard)
- Bronze opening port
- Side deckhead lamp

FORECABIN
- V-Berths
- Stowage under
- Access forward to chain locker

RIG
- Hollow spruce mast (2019)
- Spruce boom (2019)
- Standing rigging all new 2019

SAILS BY NORTH
- Mainsail - NPC CROSS-CUT (2019)
- Genoa 165% - NPC CROSS-CUT (2019)
- Genoa 150% - NPC CROSS-CUT (2019)
- Yankee (2019)
- Staysail (2019)
- Asymmetric A2 (2019)
- Asymmetric A3, 2.13 oz - 2019)
- Storm Trysail high viz, 10 oz (2020)
- Storm Jib High viz, 10 oz (2020)

CANVASWORK
- TBA

MECHANICAL
- Yanmar 4JH80 4 cyl 80 hp turbo diesel (<300 hours)

ELECTRICAL
24 V DC System
- SMS AGM House batteries 12 x 12 V in series in parallel; 630 Ah
- Dual 70 A Alternators with external regulators
- Victron 24/3000/70 inverter/ charger
30 Amp Shore power
- Blue Sea 360 breaker panel
- Siren Marine bilge and battery monitor

TANKAGE AND ASSOCIATED
Triple 'M' plastic tanks

Fresh water
- Main fresh water tank on bilge centerline - 28 US Gal / 106 L
- Outboard wing tanks port and starboard - c40 US Gal / 151 each
- Wing tanks gravity fee the main tank
- Sureflo Aqua King II fresh water pump with spillover to fridge
- Aqua Whisper Mini 24 V 10 Gal/h 38 L/h water maker

Fuel
- 45 Gal/ 170 L Tank

Waste
- Black water tank - 25 US Gal / 95 L
- Y-valve for overboard, or holding with macerator
- Grey water sump tank at WC compartment with Rule pump

Propane
- 2 x 8 lb tanks in dedicated cockpit lockers
- Trident solenoid in propane system

NAVIGATION
- B&G Hydra pack
- B&G H5000 + Triton displays
- Airmar transducer
- 2 x B&G Boat speed sensors with gravity switch
- B&G Zeus 12 in Multi Function Display in nav station
- B&G Zeus 9 in Multi Function Display at helm
- B&G Halo 20+ radar
- B&G H5000 Autopilot controller
- Raymarine Type 2 autopilot linear drive
- Simrad V3100 Class B AIS with splitter

COMMUNICATIONS
- Icom M400BB VHF Radio
- 2 x Icom HM 195B Command mic (at nav station and helm)
- KVH TracPhone Fleet One satcom

- MOM 8-S Man Overboard Module
- Life Sling
- Superior Life Saving 10-Person liferaft
- Whale Gulper Grouper auxiliary bilge pump
- 2 x Whale Gusher Titan manual bilge pumps
- Siren Marine bilge and battery monitor
- Rule 2000 HD bilge pump

Sailng: Tyler Fields