The Builder

I watched Erich Bruckmann’s staff build the actual boat.

I was fortunate to live close to the builder in Oakville Ontario and was able to watch the hull being laid in the winter of 1974 and follow its progress.

I watched the mast builder Martin Klacko taper the mast and fill the slots to smooth the halyard exits. He made the ss. pulpit and pushpit. And hand-turned the alloy stanchions and fabricated alloy bases to match the alloy toe rail. Interior used teak/mahogany ply of a quality hard to find today, and now costing about $400 a sheet. Even the engine bulkheads were of this material. All bulkheads are glassed to the hull. Every part of the hull is accessible, as are the bolts for toe rail, winches etc.

It required 1100 man-hours to build my boat. When I saw that the quality going in to my small boat was just like the bigger yachts, I knew I could trust it in the Ocean.

In this polaroid photo from 1974, my hull is in the foreground and the famous Red Jacket is in the background.

Erich Bruckmann, the builder, passed away recently.

Burlington Post Nov 2011: “ A master boat builder and founding partner of one of the most highly-regarded yacht/racing sailboat construction companies in the world has died.” Among Mr. Bruckmann’s most notable creations were the racing sailboats Condor and Evergreen, which he built for C&C, and Red Jacket, a C&C design built by Bruckmann Manufacturing.”

His son Mark, and family continue the tradition of building finest quality yachts. Here is the spec on his 42 sailboat designed by Mark Ellis (Niagara and Nonsuch designer.) It sells for close to $500,000, so you can imagine how well it is built. My 3/4T 33ft yacht cost $235,000 (in 2011 dollars.) This was twice the cost of the 33ft production C&C at that time. Today you can find a 1975 3/4T for less than $20K. Only 15 were built - all different interiors, some for racing, some for cruising.

From this yard came Red Jacket, Condor 40 ft., the Canadas Cup boats Merrythought 42 ft. and Manitou 42 ft.

Then 1971 - 75 the (12) 43 footers.

1971 43 ft. Arieto (#1), became Esta Es

Destination 43 ft. 1971 (#2)

Long Reach 43 ft.,

Evening Star 43 ft.,

Rampage 43 ft.,

Night Train 43 ft. 1975

Endurance 43 ft.,

Caprice 43 ft. 1975 (last one built.)

List of 15 43’s

Calypso hull #1 (ex Arieto, Phantom, Esta Es) Seattle, WA

Carmanah hull #2 (ex Destination) Bainbridge Island, WA

Pretty Woman, last known in San Fran

Finesse II, last known in San Francisco

Hellion, Bloomfield Hills, MI. ?

Kintana Bayview, Detroit (per SA Dec 2011)

Usual Suspects, Bronte, Ontario

Opus, Vanc BC last known port (possibly a newer 1980’s custom version)

Evening Star (now in San Fran) Ex Dry Fly from Nova Scotia (originally AVANTI built for Sid Bregman, Toronto architect, who sold her to Christopher Pratt, Newfoundland. She is the subject of one of Chris's best known serigraphs "Yacht Wintering".)

MmeCaprice, Great Lakes, now blue hull color (hull #3)

Epic (Seattle, on So Pac cruise?)

ex Margo, Boston last known port

Sanfire (maybe) 1974, in Florida in 2010 for sale (was in PNW 70’s and 80’s, 2 Vic Maui's)

Awesome, New Jersey last known location

Summertime, maybe Chicago

Long Reach, Bronte Ontario, (hull 15, 1975)

Rampage RCYC

Tiger, mid Atlantic family cruise early 2000’s

Blackbeard

Bonaventure 53 ft.

The Cruising 61 footers