Dreaming at Sea
The Schooner ARCTURUS. Words by Bruce Dunlop
“A lucky boat I say” gracing the waters of the Hauraki Gulf and Waitemata Harbour for the last 25 years. Arcturus is one of only nine boats from the John Alden 390 series.
In an era of ocean racing on the East coast of the US General George Patton and his wife sailed the yacht to Hawaii where he was stationed. At a later date he sailed her back to the West Coast when war seemed imminent. Other owner family stories on the West Californian Coast and Hawaii have come to light as people have contributed as time has gone on due to the rebuilding of the vessel in New Zealand over 30 years ago now.
During the time Arcturus was based in the Viaduct Basin, I was approached on a couple of occasions by people who had a past connection. “I thought we would never see the boat again! She was the party boat in Hawaii and in worn condition”. “I conceived my daughter on the boat!”
We all love the stories these boats hold!
In the 1980s she was rescued by an American sailor, Lance Foreman, who nursed her along on a voyage from Hawaii to Auckland, New Zealand, where her state of disrepair became evident.
She ultimately came into the ownership of Don and Tim Armitage. Geoff, a Salthouse-trained boatbuilder, and a team took on the project. It was just in time as Arcturus was in a very bad state.
Working from Alden’s original plans, a 15,000-hour restoration commenced. The hull was stripped, the ballast keel removed and flipped! Carvel planked yellow pine with iron fastenings had no future so major structure planking was replaced with kauri and laminated floors.
Two skins of treated kauri were glued and sealed with glass cloth. A new sapele mahogany interior was beautifully crafted to original details and a new Ford 80hp diesel engine was fitted into a separate engine room. Refrigeration, plumbing and electrical were all installed to MSA charter standards.
Arcturus is now a beautiful practical classic schooner that is easily handled by two people, allowing for several guests to overnight charter. The rig was later changed to a staysail schooner from the original double gaff.
After the rebuild Arcturus was offered for sale and in 2000 this is where the present owner Barry Williams became the owner and Bruce Dunlop the charter skipper.
In her years of sailing charter clients from her base in Viaduct Harbour Arcturus has become an impressive sight under sail or gracing anchorages.
Barry and Renata, and their son Raef came regularly every year in February-March with Barry using Arcturus to run, for some of his clients, a week-long workshop, ‘Dreaming at Sea’.
Barry Williams M.Div., Psy.D. is a Diplomate Jungian Analyst and, along with his wife and late child, is a mara ákâme (traditional healer) in the tradition of the Huichol people of Central Mexico. He lives in the southern Rocky Mountains near Taos, New Mexico. Barry offers a perspective insight from Swiss psychiatrist and scholar, Carl Jung, along with what he has learned from various indigenous elders he has been privileged to know.
“My biggest contribution to a community like this is to try to create a container that is strong and safe enough so that the archetypal energies can constellate within the group. If the container is held correctly, there can be the possibility of some transformation, of healing, or of people getting across thresholds in their lives. The dreams can emerge in an ever greater way, perhaps. The container is built on trust and understanding and the community feels it. The more we establish trust, the more the community feels it and the stronger the container. The stronger the container, the more trust, until we can be a community that’s sharing its deepest truth. That’s an extraordinary event”.
Hence the Schooner becomes this container and the dreams that the crew discover on their voyage enables personal discovery and healing. A beautiful use of a vessel in my view of the preparation for the voyage and harnessing natural energies of the wind and water giving us respect and understanding and personal meaning that going to sea can bring.
Twentyfive years now and with certain other worldly commitments Arcturus is in a holding pattern with Barry seeking the next custodian for this timeless unique schooner.
www.classicboatcharter.com bruce4sail@gmail.com
Schooner ARCTURUS
LOA 67ft ~ LOD 53ft ~ Beam 14ft 3in ~ Draft 7ft 6in.
Staysail Schooner
Sail Area 1600 sq ft.
Two skins of treated kauri epoxy glued diagonally over original repaired splined carvel pine planking
Oregon masts and spars
Ford 86hp diesel engine
Hot water cylinder heated from engine
Refrigeration engine compressor
Raymarine depth, speed, and wind gauges
Icom VHF
Furuno Radar
Furuno GPS
Maxwell 3500 electric capstan
Anchors - 33kg Rocna - 12 mm chain- 35 kg Delta - 60 metres 12 mm chain
Accommodation - Aft Cabin Double and 1 single berths
- Forward Cabin V berth 2 single berths
- Saloon 1 full single and 1 threequarter berth
Tankage - Water 1000 litres 5x S/S tanks - Fuel 400 litres x2 aluminium tanks