Low Tide

Dragoon

Dragoon, an Ocean Racing Ketch

Launched 1925

Built by H.W. Embree & Son in Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia

Designed by Ford, Payne, and Sweisguth

Drawn by Francis Sweisguth (1882-1970)

Built for Robert Bavier of City Island NY

Contract price (firm) $6,795

LOA 66’6”

LWL 55’0”

Beam 14’6”

Designed draft 8’6″

Ballast 27,000 iron outside

Sail Area 2130 square feet

I don’t have a favorite boat but this is one of my top 10 or so.

Robert Bavier Sr. had her built for the Bermuda Race of 1926, in which she was first to finish and corrected to second place. She came west in 1930 and was racing out of the St Francis club in San Francisco into the early 1950’s. Then she came to the PNW owned and raced by Capt. (RCN) WB Holms of Victoria. In the Swiftsure races 52 through 55 she was consistent but did poorly in the light winds. My understanding is that she burned in the late 1970’s or early 80’s.

This is a very good looking and able hull, I would draw the sheer line a bit differently but that’s a minor detail. The flat run of the buttock lines and tight tuck of the garboard are very modern while the deep deadrise throughout gives the boat lots of volume to carry a load. There’s tankage for 400 usg of fresh water under the deckhouse. And the deadrise makes possible the owner’s cabin with headroom under the main-deck level cockpit sole.

Dragoon came to the PNW in the early ’50’s and William Garden would have been well aware of the boat. I believe the hull form had considerable influence on his work for a number of years, when he created hulls of this shape in numerous sizes. It’s an alluring idea.