Elusive ALDEN ZEPHYRS

CaravelaofExe

Alden Forum Moderator
Jan 24, 2006
221
Alden Caravelle 42 / Northern European waters
During the life of my “Alden Fiberglass Boats" List post, the following Alden Zephyrs have remained elusive. Anyone know of their status/ fate etc?

(Original name underlined)


959A (1961) Halmatic /Field sloop, IRONDEQUOIT III (ex TADPOLE). Originally commissioned by Edmund S. Kelley Jr. Duxbury, MA.

[UPDATE January 6, 2014: 959A has checked in - DIANA since 1982 - see the updated listing here.]

[UPDATE March 2, 2016: 959A has checked in again - MILLIE JO for past two years - see post below (17 Feb. 2016), and the updated listing here.]


959B (1961) Halmatic/Halmatic-Field sloop, MAVEN (ex FANNY, ex ZEPHYR). Originally commissioned by William C. Gillick, Niagara Falls, NY.

[UPDATE December 29, 2016: The owner of 959B has checked in. Still MAVEN. For sale at Easton, MD. See the updated listing here.]



959D (1961) Halmatic/Derecktor yawl, SERENDIPITY. Originally commissioned by O.S. Wyatt, Jr. Corpus Christi, TX.


959E (1961) Halmatic/Halmatic-Field sloop, ZEPHYR. Originally commissioned by H. Clinton Davis, Miami, FL.


959H (1962) Halmatic/Molich sloop, VANITY. Originally commissioned by Kai Nielsen, Copenhagen, Denmark.


959J (1962) Halmatic/possibly Field sloop, BLACK MAGIC. Originally commissioned by Niels A. Skov, Paris, France (But port: Kalundborg, Denmark).

[UPDATE March 13, 2014: Note Shawn Buckley's post below, 4th February, suggesting that BLACK MAGIC was in Tahiti (in the 70s?)


959K (1963) Halmatic/Halmatic-Field sloop, FELICITY (ex BANDITO, ex ISTAR, ex WAHOO). Originally commissioned by Wallace H. Cole, Jr. St. Louis, MO.
 
Feb 3, 2014
1
Back in the mid-Sixties I crewed on the Black Magic, an Alden Zephyr berthed in the Oceanside, CA marina. The boat was owned by my boss, Bill Larkin of Tustin, CA. The boat had a black hull. I think Bill named the boat after a popular song of the day that was his favorite.
I met up with Bill again in the early Eighties, now in Newport Beach CA. I asked him whatever had happened to the Black Magic. By now, he and Joan (??) had divorced and she got the boat as part of the separation. He said she sailed it to Tahiti and that was the last he had heard of it.
Anybody hear any more of it?
Shawn Buckley
 
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TomY

Alden Forum Moderator
Jun 22, 2004
2,758
Alden 38' Challenger yawl Rockport Harbor
Wow! BLACK MAGIC has some stories to tell. Paris/Denmark, California, Tahiti. I'd like to know where it is too. Thanks for the update info, Shawn.
 
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CaravelaofExe

Alden Forum Moderator
Jan 24, 2006
221
Alden Caravelle 42 / Northern European waters
Thanks for your interesting contribution Shawn - the only one in all four classes thus far!
[Edit March 14, 2014: I tell a lie - 959A checked in earlier as DIANA - see above.]

I wonder if she ever returned from the pacific?

Re Paris - Denmark, Tom: if Niels A. Skov is the Niels A. Skov I think he is/was (or maybe it's want him to be!), then it's a very interesting story. Fought in the Danish Resistance in WW2; joined the US Army on liberation; settled in USA and became a very successful business man. Wrote his memoirs late in life, in two volumes, published in both Danish and English. I'll come back with the bibliographics...
 
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Apr 22, 2014
10
I am the current "caretaker" for Zephyr 959A, most recently Diana, now MillieJo, for the last 2 years. She was very well cared for by the prior owner of 30 years.
Sailing out of the corner of the upper Mobjack and Chesapeake.
Nathan Beck
 

CaravelaofExe

Alden Forum Moderator
Jan 24, 2006
221
Alden Caravelle 42 / Northern European waters
Many thanks for checking in, Nathan. Details for 959A updated at the fleet listing: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=169

Do you have any links to up to date photos, or are you prepared to upload a photo here?

Fair winds to the Millie Jo!
 
Feb 23, 2018
2
Catalina 22 Capri Oceanside
Hi there,
Not sure how active this thread still is, but it was my grandmother, Peggy Larkin, who owned and sailed the Alden Zephyr, the Black Magic, from Oceanside, CA across the South Pacific. She was an adventurous woman who sailed all over the Pacific with the Black Magic. Unfortunately, I never met my grandmother as she passed away shortly after I was born in the mid 90's, so I too am hoping to find out what happened with the boat and where it may have ended up today. Hoping to find and collect more information from those within the Alden Zephyr community as I go along, and hopefully I'll find something!
 
Feb 23, 2018
2
Catalina 22 Capri Oceanside
Hi Will, thanks for joining the hunt! Wow! the Orca sure does look like it, and so close too! I wonder...?

I have some photos here of my grandmother and the Black Magic (bear with me, they aren't in the best shape) I'll see if I can't find more photos. I did find what I believe is the original ad listing that my grandparents bought the boat in 1965 (?), so it has some neat info! It is indeed a sloop. I'm hoping to find documentation of when she sold it. I know she sold the boat sometime in the 80's in Fiji.

I tried reaching out to the U.S. coast guard to look it up by the vessel ID number shown in "Scan (2)" attached (CF 5931 CG), but no luck. Unfortunately, they didn't recognize the tag, so I'm wondering if that's a state-issued ID. (I apologize in advance, this isn't my field of expertise!) She was also a member of the Oceanside Yacht Club in the 70's, so I've been trying to see what info they might have.

Hopefully, someone has seen it or knows its whereabouts -- I haven't given up hope yet!

-Richard Larkin McLay
 

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Oct 19, 2017
7,732
O'Day 19 Littleton, NH
She's absolutely beautiful. Thanks for posting and welcome aboard. There is a strong Alden community here filled with some of the best sailors on the Net. I'm neither of those things, I just like to come and look at all the pretty Aldens, once in a while.

-Will (Dragonfly)
 
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Apr 25, 2020
4
Zephyr 36 Kolding
I am the fifth owner of Vanity. She was originally commissioned by Kai Nielsen in Copenhagen. The second owner was a baron (no less) of Gavnø, Axel Reedtz Thott. After that she came into the hands of Børge Leier, also Copenhagen. At this point she was in poor shape and there had been a fire in the electrical system. In 1999 Leif Petersen bought her and brought her to Næstved - and installed her in his garden. Here he spent seven (7!) years renovation and refitting her. He is an excellent craftsman and has put a lot of time, love and ingenuity into the project. The interior is all his work. Vanity was launched as a reborn vessel i 2006 and has been used for crusing in Danish and German waters since then. Now she is mine and her home port for the next many years will be Kolding in Denmark.
 

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TomY

Alden Forum Moderator
Jun 22, 2004
2,758
Alden 38' Challenger yawl Rockport Harbor
I am the new (and proud) owner of "Vanity", Alden's Zephyr 36 from 1962, 959H. It's in Denmark and in excellent shape (I hope)! I can provide info and photos. I recently applied for membership of this forum, but there has been no response.
Kristian Lykkebo
Welcome, Kristian! VANITY is a beauty and well preserved. Thanks for the photos, SBO is an archive of these early fiberglass Alden sailboats. We especially like any history that can be added.

Iain McAllister who lives in Scotland is our yacht historian and has been adding to our Alden list of boats. He owns an Alden Caravelle which he berths in Denmark (he lived there for some time), perhaps he'll be familiar with your story. He should be along soon.

We look forward to future posts about yourself and VANITY.
 
Apr 25, 2020
4
Zephyr 36 Kolding
Does anyone have the original drawings of this design? There is a curious but significant difference between ORCA and VANITY. The keel and rudder designs are different for some reason. I wonder which design is the original one - and more importantly: Why has this alteration been made?
 
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