Dave MacDonald wrote:

Hi George

Thanks for the email, Yes The moth now resides on Cape Cod. I checked the hull and saw no numbers or markings. The sail has the # 1929 on it.

I have attached some pictures taken today that might help. It looks like it's similar to on on the website you sent me. I believe it to be in better condition than Leif indicated and plan on having my brother in law make her seaworthy late this coming winter or early spring. Any information would be much appreciated.

Dave MacDonald

George Albaugh Replies:

Hello Dave:

The pictures which you sent me indicate that the boat you have is what we call a "Connecticut" Moth. This particular design was drawn up in the late 1940s by the well known designer and builder, Skip Etchells, who lived and worked in Old Greenwich, Connecticut. Skip designed this particular type of Moth Boat at the request of John White, a member of the local yacht club (Rocky Point YC). John wanted to do two things: he wanted a good trainer boat for junior sailors at Rocky Point, and he wanted a boat fast enough to win the National and International Moth Championships. White first bought several of the most competitive Moths of that era for Etchells to study. The boat of the type which you have is the result. In its day, the Connecticut was the boat to beat and many people bought plans and built this design. Among the better features of this design was the Etchells style mast (which I hope you got with the boat) This mast drew on Skip's experience with the Star class boats (Skip with his wife Mary were the Star world champions in I think 1952--the crew's trophy given at the Star Worlds is still called the Mary Etchells Award). Anyway, in those days, the Star boats were the most sophisticated boats and Star sailors had many years of experimentation with bendy spars to improve sail shape. Skip transferred some of this knowledge to his Moth Boat design. The mast which should be with your boat is a small section spruce mast with a three stay rig plus diamond spreaders (the cross stick is about 24 inches long, set through the mast just above where the main stays attach to the mast).

Getting to your particular boat, assuming the sail number is correct and not from a latter boat, she was probably built in the mid to late1950s. The only year Nr 1929 shows up in my records is in the season of 1964-65. She was registered to a David Brawerner, Jr. who sailed out the Yacht Club of Stone Harbor (Stone Harbor, New Jersey). I raced the South Jersey circuit out of Brigantine, New Jersey in those years, but I don't personally remember this boat or the kid. The pictures of your boat's interior construction and the fact she was raced in South Jersey make me suspect that this boat was built by Carl Patterson in Sea Isle City, New Jersey. Connecticut Moths built at Skip Etchells' O. G. Boat works had internal frames set on 1 foot centers rather than the fore and aft stringer type construction used by Patterson (and others). Your boat, if restored to the CMBA rules for vintage boats could compete in vintage division races. She could also compete in Classic division if you choose to upgrade her spars ,etc. but she would be at a disadvantage racing against lighter, more recently designed boats.

All in all I'd say you got a lot of boat for your dollar! If you decide to sell her to someone who knows Moth Boats, she'd be worth between $400 and $500 after getting spruced up. If you want to race her, the closest regatta to you would be the one I organize in June at Brigantine YC, in Brigantine, New Jersey (near Atlantic City).

Good luck with the restoration and keep me posted on your progress and let me know if you have any questions about how things are supposed to go together. I'm going to forward this e-letter and your photos to our Web master in the hopes that he will post them on the Classic Moth web site.

Best Regards,

George Albaugh