In 1956, a big white sloop pulled alongside the Orcas Island docks, not far from the ferry landing. Dick Philbrick tied the boat off and headed up toward the Orcas Hotel. Midway he met the dockmaster, a friend not much given to sailboats. The dockmaster took a long look at Dick’s new boat and loudly proclaimed, “Well, goddamn, I see they finally got smart and stuck a mast in a Chris Craft!” So began the life of Sea Fever, the 51’ racer/cruiser that many claim to be designer Ben Seaborn’s finest effort.

There was indeed a link between Chris Craft and Sea Fever. Three Seattle sailors, partners in a Chris motoryacht, began to talk about their ideal sailboat. Dick Philbrick, Otis Lamson and Benjamin Gardner really liked the bright open cabin of the Chris. They had all spent a great deal of time aboard sailing yachts in the Northwest gloom and wanted no more of dark, claustrophobic cabins. They also wanted a performance sailboat, having cut their teeth racing Stars, 110s and Flatties (Geary 18s). Furthermore, the partners wanted boat speed - especially under power. Frequent calm days are a part of Northwest cruising and the partners appreciated the ability of their Chris Craft to motor at 10 plus knots.

They knew of the 50’ Legend, a Wendall Caulkins designed sailing yacht tearing up the Southern California race circuit and reputed to motor at 9 knots. The partners flew south to look at this flush deck Hawaii race winner. While they liked Legend a lot, they thought they might as well talk with Bill Lapworth since they were in the area. After listening to their parameters, Lapworth said sure, he could design such a boat, but he really felt they should go back to Seattle and contact Ben Seaborn. “Then,” Lapworth pointed out, “you’ll not only get a cutting edge racer/cruiser, you’ll get one designed by a man who understands Northwest conditions. Plus, you might not realize it, but Seaborn is on the cutting edge of modern lightweight design.”

The partners returned to Seattle and did commission Ben to design their boat. Otis Lamson, an engineer by profession, contributed significantly to the boat’s mechanical systems and it wouldn’t be the last time Lamson would help collaborate on one of Ben’s designs.

The project quickly became the buzz of Seattle’s yachting community. Roger Schuemann, a fellow Seattle YC member, wanted the same boat with a cruising orientation. A contract was struck with the Vic Franck boat yard to build two boats for $45,000 each. Both were to be 51’ LOA, 12’6” beam, draft 8’7” and displace just under 32,000 lbs. In the end, Schuemann’s boat, Helene, was heavier due to traditional plank on frame hull construction.

Sea Fever, on the other hand, was one of the first lightweight “cold molded,” large yachts constructed in the Northwest. Perhaps “semi cold molded” is a more appropriate description as 1¼” by 2¼” coved mahogany strips were glued and edge nailed over light oak framing to create a “seamless” fair hull. The hull remains strong and true today and Dick Philbrick always hypothesized the boat was overbuilt and possibility could have been constructed with even lighter framings.

The keel is one piece of 48’ x 18” Alaskan yellow cedar. Steel floors once stiffened the hull (replaced with epoxy/wood units in 1998), supporting a hollow steel fin keel, lead filled and complete with a trim tab.

Sea Fever’s speed was everything the partners wanted. In all the long distance Salish Sea, Transpacific and Victoria to Maui races, Sea Fever always placed well and often won her class.

Between 1999 and 2001, the prospect of more offshore adventures inspired Sea Fever’s third owners, siblings Tori and John Parrott, to re-outfit her and set sail for the South Pacific and New Zealand (attending the 30th America’s Cup) for 2 ½ years.

Her fourth owner in all her years, Clay Gustaves, has brought Sea Fever to The Center for Wooden Boats for everyone to observe a significant contribution to Seattle’s maritime design, craftsmanship and history, and also to perhaps inspire a little adventure - made possible by Ben Seaborn, Vic Franck Boat Company, The Center for Wooden Boats founders Dick and Colleen Wagner and a beloved poem by John Masefield.

We must go down to the seas again…