We had the annual Maritime Festival here in Greenport last weekend. Featured was the yacht Zaida, which was commissioned for the Coast Guard's Corsair Fleet or Picket Patrol or the Hooligan Navy. This is a great piece of history for those interested in yachts and I encourage those interested to look into this subject. My interest was started by Good Old Boat Magazine's Rx of a book on the subject, Voyages in Desperate Times by Jule Miller. Then I learned that Zaida would be in G-port for the festival. Then I learned that our favorite nanogenerian from the North Fork, served on Zaida. Actually, Zaida lives in Sterling Harbor, which is basically G-port. And there is another picket patrol here as well. Futhermore, for those who follow Mystic Seaport's events, the yacht Brilliant is also a veteren of the picket patrol. All this history in this small area!
Zaida has been owned by the same family for the last 37 years and has had fewer than five owners in its life. It is an Alden design, built by the Nevins yard on City Island for the Ratsey family. I've included few pictures.
According to the current owner, who was on board, the boat carried a crew of nine and served two weeks on station in it's patrol area off the East Coast and then two weeks in port. This schedule went on through the winter and in, so far as I know, all weather. He recited a story about the boat's knockdown in a gale, it's subsequent drift nearly across the Altlantic during the largest search and rescue undertaken to that date, and the crew's heroic return of the boat to the Carolina Coast under it's own sails. This is great stuff. I hope others on the forum can add details to the discussion that I am so far unaware of.
Zaida has been owned by the same family for the last 37 years and has had fewer than five owners in its life. It is an Alden design, built by the Nevins yard on City Island for the Ratsey family. I've included few pictures.
According to the current owner, who was on board, the boat carried a crew of nine and served two weeks on station in it's patrol area off the East Coast and then two weeks in port. This schedule went on through the winter and in, so far as I know, all weather. He recited a story about the boat's knockdown in a gale, it's subsequent drift nearly across the Altlantic during the largest search and rescue undertaken to that date, and the crew's heroic return of the boat to the Carolina Coast under it's own sails. This is great stuff. I hope others on the forum can add details to the discussion that I am so far unaware of.
