Seattle Fleet Numbers from 1950 to 1963

View below in PDF format. It is best to put the file in another tab on your browser for viewing. Click on the pop-out icon (box with an arrow pointing to the right) on the top right of the PDF box to put the PDF file in another tab.

US 915 - The Lowman Mk 1 - A 1970's clinker design

Clinker or lapstrake designs are a rarity in the International 14, particularly from the 1950's onward (we do have the lapstrake designs of the Canadians, from the period just before and after WWII, during the transition from the LSSA 14 to International 14 - see this previous post). There was several Proctor 6's that were built in clinker by Wyche and Coppock from England during the 1960's but that was about it. Thus US 915, home designed and built by Seattle 14'er Rich Lowman as a clinker design, is an anomaly.  US 915 surfaced on the Internet recently when owner Marcus Raichle put her up for sale. It is a plywood 6-planker, the hull form described as somewhere between a Kirby 4 and Kirby 5; a Kirby 4 1/2. The interior tank layout is typical of this period but leading the jib outside the hull and then to a turning block to re-enter the hull was certainly unconventional. This one-of-a-kind 14 has found a new owner.

Photos sent along by Marcus.

---

Update 07/16: Eli Semke writes to say he has purchased US 915

"I recently purchased International 14 hull US 915. Cool boat! This is my introduction to International 14’s, though I remember more modern ones sailing out of Shilshole. Thought I’d reach out, let you know where she’s at (Port Townsend). I’d love to learn about the history of this boat.

US 728 - Bud Easter Proctor VI Resurfaces

Dennis Canty from Seattle finds US 728 on Craigslist and writes:

"The current owner thinks it was built in the mid-70's, but it sounds like that would be inconsistent with the sail number. I have never sailed a 14 but have raced a lot of other boats, including Lasers, Lightnings, Melges 24s, J24s, etc, etc. We would be using this boat for a local beer can series, the Duck Dodge, where there is a mixed dinghy class with 505s, 470s, and miscellaneous others. It's primarily a light air venue in mid-summer and favors a powered-up boat. Seems like the 14 might fit the bill nicely.

Does anyone retrofit a classic for an assymetrical spinnaker, or is this considered sacrilege? And is there any source for used sails? The boat as a whole is $750 and I would be a bit reluctant to spend more than that on a new suit of sails."

My reply:

"Most likely a Bud Easter fiberglass Proctor VI circa 1962-1963 (I have no records for this particular number). The Proctor VI's were very competitive in their day. Bud Easter's molds eventually went to the Clark Boatbuilding Company and they built Proctor VI's until they built the newer Kirby IV mold in 1969."

Dyke Williams, an active 14 sailor on the East Coast during the early 1960's, gives an update on the Proctor VI numbers in the comment section which I have moved over to the main post:

"The USIFA boat number book shows US 728 is a Bud Easter Proctor VI assigned on Oct 25 1962 to Fred Reebes Seattle. Seven Proctor VI hulls were assigned to Bud (US 721-728) in 1963, and an additional three (US 732, 733 and 735) in 1962. I have no idea why numbers were assigned out of order. Several of these hulls were not registered until 1964 or 1965 which suggests the owners purchased the incomplete hull and finished them later."

Dennis did buy US 728 and sends along some photos:

Talented sailmaker David Bell moved out from Toronto to Seattle and set up shop with Bud Easter to produce Easter 14 sails which is seen on this 14.

Northwyn Sails Ads

During the 1970's, Northwyn Sails out of Seattle was the supplier to the hot shot West Coast fleet. Their head sail designer, Mark Schmidt, wrote an interesting article on International 14 sail development for the North American sailing rag, One Design and Offshore Yachtsman magazine. Northwyn Sails were also kind enough to put some ads into "Planing On", the class newsletter, which featured some good photographs of 14's.

The first is an International 14 start, this may have been at the CORK regatta, Kingston Ontario.......

The second photo is, I think, of Baird Bardason screaming along on a two sail reach.......