Consolidated 66 ft Twin Screw Long Island Commuter Boat 1929/1997

The term Commuter Launch hints at all things commercial and hard work for the masses, however these ostentatious beasts were built for the very few souls who could afford to travel each day from their large mansions on Long Island Sound into New York City to work. MOHICAN is a survivor – rescued by a previous owner who had an eye for the extremely beautiful, and the good taste to restore the vessel without spoiling her original charm and patina. A 66 ft café racer perhaps? – Art Deco all moving at 20 knots plus… MOHICAN has enough accommodation to be a classic yacht mothership or family cruiser and her current owner takes his time cruising Sardinia and Sicily each summer – does it actually get better than that?

- A provisional set of details for a new listing
- Updated specs to be added in the coming weeks

CONSOLIDATED SHIPBUILDING CORPORATION HULL NO. 2925

MOHICAN was ordered from the Consolidated yard at Morris Heights, Bronx (on the east bank ot the Harlem River) by New York City stockbroker and high-ranking Naval Militia flag officer Rear-Admiral Louis Maurice Josephthal. His wife, Edyth, was a Guggenheim; granddaughter of the dynasty's founder Meyer Guggenheim.

Josephthal succumbed to a lengthy illness on May 23rd 1929 and most probably never got to enjoy this wonderful vessel. His will was quickly settled, with ownership in MOHICAN transferring via his Josephthal & Co. stockbroking business partner Nicholas J. Gerold to Philadelphia City Architect 'in perpetuity' Philip H. Johnson (1868-1933).

Johnson was well on his way to earning $2,000,000 in commission on all public buildings built in the city in an almost 30-year career. A longtime flag officer of Larchmont Yacht Club, by 1931 he was Commodore of both the Larchmont and Philadelphia Yacht Clubs. He was a committed 'small' boat racer; one of the original William Garden-designed 58 ft Larchmont O-Class owners. More research is required into MOHICAN's early years, but she is known to have cruised the Delaware river under four subsequent ownerships until 1936.

The following is extracted from two versions of an article about the Italian classic boat collector, Ugo Baravalle - MOHICAN's saviour and restorer in the 1990s - by motor yachting history guru Kevin Desmond, published by 'Classic Boat' in 2001, and by the Norwegian 'Båtmagasinet' in 2002:

"In 1929, the Consolidated Shipbuilding Corporation of Morris Heights, New York… built a series of four [or five?] 66 ft fast commuter motor yachts, designed by John H. Wells, for transporting wealthy Wall Street businessmen from their Long Island homes to New York City. For at least seven months a year, early every morning, such businessmen would leave home in their dressing gowns to board their own commuter craft. During their journey, at a speed of 20 knots, they were able to shave, dress and enjoy breakfast at their leisure.

"Among the 66-footers was MOHICAN, powered by two Consolidated 'Speedway' gasoline engines each developing 200 hp. During her first 60 years, MOHICAN had 13 owners. In 1991, Ugo Baravalle bought MOHICAN in Long Island, New York, at the same place where the fast commuters were once based.

"Ugo's excuse for acquiring this behemoth was simple: "Because it is the most useless. After all, two beds in 20 sq m of boat? Ma, tante cose inutili sono spesso le piu belle" (but so many useless things are often the most beautiful).

"A cradle was built for her to be transported by lorry to New York and then by container ship across the Atlantic Ocean to Livorno. Unloaded at Livorno, she was towed by sea to Elba, hauled out of the water and stored under cover to await restoration. At the time Ugo's craftsmen were working on [other restorations], so MOHICAN had to wait four years before she could be restored.

"As many of MOHICAN's original parts were missing, two years of careful research were necessary to locate the only surviving copies of the original designs in the Mystic Seaport Museum. MOHICAN's sister ships were also photographed. Period fittings were hunted down from suppliers on both sides of the Pond. MOHICAN's white cedar hull was stripped and rebuilt to her original specification. This marathon project took place between 1995 and 1997. The manhour statistics are staggering: 25,000 hours of work by master shipbuilders, 2,000 hours of painting and varnishing, not to mention 2,000 specially made metal pieces. She now has new engines - two 400 hp AIFO diesel engines.

"In the summer of 2000, not content with visiting Monaco, Ugo took MOHICAN to Scandinavia where he participated in EuropWeek 2000 on Oslo Fjord, together with over eighty classic sailboats and around twenty motorboats. Not surprisingly, Ugo and MOHICAN gained first prize in the event's motor boat rally.

"They then continued south along the Norwegian coast throughout the summer. Among other things, visiting the Risør Wooden Boat Festival in August, where MOHICAN, not surprisingly, was honoured with the award for Restored Boat of the Year. After wintering at Walsteds Værft in Denmark, MOHICAN went up the Göta Canal to Stockholm where they participated in the Swedish Motor Yacht Society's summer meeting. From there on to Helsinki, Tallinn and Riga."

In current ownership, MOHICAN is the most stylish of Mediterranean cruisers in Sardinian and Sicilian waters by summer with a professional captain who remains on a maintenance and guardiannage retainer by winter.

- Keel work
- Topsides painting
- New generator
- New charger

- Double planked mahogany over cedar
- Bronze screw fastened
- Oregon pine decks (varnished)
- Varnished mahogany superstructures

GENERAL
External
- Oregon pine laid decks, varnished
- Varnished mahogany covering boards and toerail
- Painted bronze stanchions to just forward of wheelhouse
- Varnished teak caprail; lifelines
- Mahogany superstructures
Internal
- Spacious interior in separate fore and aft areas
- 6 x Berths

FROM AFT

TAFFRAIL
- Bronze fairleads with rail anti-chafe port and starboard
- Associated bronze mooring cleats port & starboard at aft covering boards
- Associated anti-chafe over toerails port & starboard
- Bronze ensign staff socket

AFT COCKPIT
- Deep with coamings to taffrail and side decks
- Oregon pine sole
- 'Speedway' logo grating manhole cover
- Athwartships upholstered seating aft
- Lockers under side decks
- Table and chairs
- Permanent canopy with cedar deckhead
- Tackles for raising pasarelle
- 2 x Deckhead lights
- Steps to aft side decks port & starboard
- Double doors and sliding hatch to aft accommodation

AFT ACCOMMODATION (INTERIOR)

AFT CABIN
- Down 2 x steps
- Berths port & starboard
- Lockers under
- Folding berths over port & starboard
- 4 x Opening ports
- 1 x Deckhead light
- 2 x Reading lights

FORWARD TO AFT GALLEY
- Sink and drainer to port
- Work surface forward
- Large fridge/ freezer under
- Coffee maker
- 2 x Burner hob
- Cup and plate racks
- Opening port

AFT WC/ SHOWER COMPARTMENT TO STARBOARD
- Manual Wilcox Crittenden WC
- Shower
- Sink with hot and cold taps
- Lockers outboard

AFT TRUNK CABIN (EXTERIOR)
- Original Consolidated 'Speedway' clinker rowing tender on chocks
- Tender launching davit with tackle
- Boathooks and boarding ladder stowage
- 2 x Bronze raised large mushroom vents
- Hatch to port to machinery space

MAST POSITION
- Hinged for lowering
- Ship's bell
- 1 x set of spreaders
- Flag halyards
- Sporing lines bronze mooring cleats at covering boards

OPEN BACK WHEELHOUSE
- Doors port and starboard outboard to deck saloon
- Step up from starboard side deck
- Helm stool
- Consolidated painted bronze and wood bezel whip's wheel
- Original engine controls and displays
- All modern equipment hidden
- Magnetic steering compass in binnacle
- Vintage Clifford Snell 'Loudaphone' intercom
- Hinged opening mid windscreen
- Lockers to port and starboard
- Deckhead light
- Manual searchlight control in deckhead (chromed searchlight on roof)

SALOON
- Large settee across aft bulkhead
- Table
- 4 x Chairs
- Drinks and glasses sideboard forward to port
- Sideboard forward to starboard
- Vintage speaker
- 6 x Bulkhead lights
- 1 x Deckhead light
- Companionway to forward accommodation

PASSAGE FORWARD
- Down 3 x Steps

FORWARD WC/ SHOWER COMPARTMENT TO PORT
- Manual WC
- Shower
- Ceramic bowl inset in mahogany top
- Hot and cold taps
- Lockers under
- Opening port
- 1 x Bulkhead light
- 1 x Deckhead light

FORWARD GALLEY TO STARBOARD
- Sink outboard; mixer tap
- Drainer fore and aft
- Work surface aft
- Large fridge/ freezer
- Lockers
- Cup and plate racks
- Opening port
- 2 x Deck lights

FORWARD CABIN (INTERNAL)
- Sideboard and leaded glass book cabinet to port
- Large settee berths port and starboard
- Stowage under
- Shelves outboard

FORWARD CABIN TRUNK (EXTERNAL)
- 2 x Vent cowls
- Varnished grabrails port and starboard
- Sliding hatch

FORWARD COCKPIT
- Deep with coamings to side and foredecks
- Varnished Oregon pine sole
- Upholstered seats port & starboard
- Manhole access to bilge locker
- Boathook stowage to port
- Lamp
- 2 x Chromed vents to under foredeck stowage
- Access panel to windlass batteries and motor, and stowage
- Windscreen

FOREDECK
- Windlass
- Anchor launcher
- Anchor davit
- Flag staff socket
- Central bronze cleat
- Recessed mooring fairleads in toerail port & starboard
- Bronze mooring cleats port & starboard at covering boards
- Chafe protection over toerails

RIG
- Single Oregon pine mast with 1 x pair of spreaders

CANVASWORK
- Covers and awnings specs to follow

GROUND TACKLE
- 20 kg Bruce anchor in modern launcher
- American Engineering Co. of Philadelphia vertical windlass
- Chain gypsy and warping drum
- Galvanised chain

MECHANICAL
- 2 x AIFO Fiat 400 hp diesels (1996)
- 14 knots cruising
- 25 knots max
- 700 nautical miles range @ 14 kts
- Approx consumpton @ 14 knots: 20 Gals/ 91 L/ hour

ELECTRICAL
- Specs to follow

TANKAGE
Fuel
- 2,500 L
Fresh Water
- 1,200 L

Specs to follow

Specs to follow

- Original Consolidated 'Speeway' clinker rowing tender
- Pasarelle
- Boarding/ swim ladder
- 3 x Boathooks
- Fenders
- Warps