Peregrine Falcon

Captain Robert Bennie states that ``this vessel was built out of ferro-cement by a North Vancouver yard for Ean Hay (who was a broadcaster with the CBC - he wrote the folk song "The Kettle Valley Line"). This vessel was designed for Ean by the east coast architect Thomas Colvin. The design is called Dunmowen (although designed for Ean, the design did not take the name of his boat, Peregrine, because this vessel was not the first boat completed - Dunmowen built for Jack Ackerman from Maryland was). This vessel was a gaff schooner with pinky stern and was 41 ft 8 inches LOA and 33 feet 7 inches DWL. Her beam was 13' 9" and draft was 5'4". Sail area working was 876 sq ft and total was 1205 sq ft. This vessel was a heavy boat with a displacement of 44,839 lbs. (these numbers are taken from a book of Colvin plans that I own). This vessel had a Lister air cooled diesel for power. there is an interesting side story to her. Shortly before her completion the yard went broke and was about to declare bankruptcy. Ean was sure that this vessel would be seized as an asset of the yard, even though he had paid for her.

He would have lost everything so he arranged with a trucking firm to get the boat out of the yard as quickly as he could and stashed it away, finishing it himself. Ean had issues with excess weather helm - once he actually broke the tiller - so played around trying to get her to balance properly for some time, changing the rake of the masts and extending the bow sprit. I remember as a teenager going out on that bowsprit to furl sail (in the days before roller furling) with nothing but a cargo net below. It seemed a long way back to the deck. The only picture I have of her is in front of our house in Hopkins Landing, taken from the stern - not very good - with our own Elomar anchored to port."