About the TERN

S/V PAVITI TERN

PATIENTLY WAITING FOR VOLUNTEER VETERANS AT BRISTOL MARINE IN SOMERSET, MA.

HER HISTORY

1938

Her history began the year of the great Northeast Hurricane of 1938. The storm killed many as well as destroyed the Fairhaven and New Bedford  waterfront. A little known fact about that storm is its rate of forward movement. The Great Storm traveled over the water in excess of seventy miles per hour which means it could form over Cape Hatteras, NC at 10pm and be pounding Cape Cod, Ma by 6am the next morning. On that day many fishermen left the dock never to be seen again due to the limited weather advisory mechinisms at that time.

 

 

S/V PAVITI TERN began her life at the Casey Boatworks in Fairhaven, MA in 1938. Casey Boatworks suffered two devastating fires that destroyed the company's buildings, drawings and records. The drawings, blueprints and sales brochures appearing on our site were provided by Ken Ziegler of Manatee Pocket, Florida.

 

Major Casey did not pay attention to copyright laws. When he saw a hull design he liked, he set about to incorporate his innovation into the design. Hence the triple headed cutter rig by Major Casey on a John Alden designed hull. Casey installed a bronze steering gear made at the Lunenburg Foundry in Canada. This unique steering provided for no rudder feedback. This was the first manual auto pilot. Though the gear was difficult in close quarters, it made open ocean sailing "easy peasy lemon squeasy". In his sales brochure, Casey describes the triple headsail cutter rig as the most versatile for sea- going passages. The deck mounted, self-tending stay sail allowed adjusting the sail from the protection of the cockpit in stormy conditions and ease of single handling in close quarters. The long cast iron keel, long boom and two headsails on a bowsprit hamper her maneuverability in close quarters. Like the bird, she is home at sea free from the constraints of the land as well as able to to fly fast with her three headsails.

S/V PAVITI TERN is the sole surviving Casey-built, plank-on-frame sailing vessel of this very unique design. Her one-of-a-kind feature is a 16 foot cast iron keel with the slot for the centerboard cast in the iron keel and pinned in the cast iron keel. This allowed for no centerboard trunk in the main salon, thereby making interior design spacious and versatile. This unusual design was not seen in any other sailing vessels of her time by any boat designer.

Her innovative hull design can be traced back to one of America's most prolific boat designers, John Alden. In the early 1930's, John Alden commissioned Casey to build two yawl rigged and two ketch rigged boats with this hull design. Casey liked the hull design and set about rigging his boats to this hull.

Robert Sanborn Restoration and Federal Documentation

Robert Sanborn resident of Oak Bluffs, MA, purchased S/V PAVITI TERN from owners unknown sometime in the late fifties or early sixties. Sanborn  changed her name to PATIENCE. After a four year restoration project he had S/V PATIENCE federally documented #515906 by Benjamin & Gannon boatbuilders of Marthas' Vineyard. When I purchased her, I changed her name back to S/V PAVITI TERN based on the record of Bob's attempt to sell her through CANNELL PAYNE&PAGE Yacht Brokers, where her previous name was listed as PAVITI TERN.

 

The history of Robert Sanborn's four year restoration and forty some years of ownership was recorded in text only. No pictures but Bob did give me a large box of  paper receipt's of the thousands of dollars he spent on restoring S/V PATIENCE. Carpenter Nat Benjamin of GANNON & BENJAMIN boat building in Vineyard Haven MA worked on her at Bob's home in 1979 at a labor rate of $9 an hour. He kept a daily log for his accomplishments. I provide our readers with his personal letter placing the boat for sale in 1998 with CANNELL, PAYNE & PAGE, Yacht Brokers in Camden ME, asking price was eighteen thousand dollars. He laments in the letter below on how he was being forced to sell his beloved boat due to his old age. That coupled with no interest from his family members. He sold me the TERN for 1 dollar. Robert Sanborns extensive rebuild gave me the foundation for my restoration. Now she has come full circle with old age and no family interest forcing me to find a new home for her. His lamenting and no interest by my family led me to sell the TERN for one dollar to S/V PAVITI TERN Preservation Trust, with the stipulation the she be used only as a Veterans Dedicated Service Vessel or be Decommissioned in a dignified manner. I will not let her rot away lonely and uncared for!

ROBERT SANBORN PERSONAL LETTER

 

 

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