Contribute

Support for the continuation of the project is desired and participation is welcome !

So far, about a dozen boat building apprentices have carried out work under professional supervision. Interested people have opened up and advanced current topics according to their interests. Companies such as Hapag Lloyd and Peter Gast Shipping supported the project with know-how and services. Further support has been promised.


Research

In continuing the research, there are a number of relevant questions with already identified starting points/sources. The research is divided into internet, local research at former boat sites, yacht history collections and persons/organisations by interview. On-site research would be useful in Auckland/NZ, Marquesas, Hawaii, Victoria / Vancouver Island Region, Port Townsend, Newport RI, New York, Balduinstein, Düsseldorf, Bremen/Lemwerder, Kiel, Hamburg.

Of particular importance is the contact with people who have been involved with the boat. As these are usually no longer alive, it is especially important to have contact with the descendants, family members and friends of:

  1. the owner/skipper(s)/crew, see under “History
  2. the boat builders and shipyard workers at A&R 1936, 1937 and 1938
  3. the family Henry Rasmussen and Wilkens, Bremen
  4. the crew members of the transport steamers 1937 (HH-Lisbon, NY-Cuxhaven)
  5. Roosevelt family (former US President)
  6. family Herbert Stone (CCA)
  7. family of the photographer B. Ehrenreich (YACHT No. 39, 1937 )
  8. family Frank Jensen, Vancouver 1954-1960

and

  1. Archives of the NYYC and the Mystic Seaport, Newport (mysticseaport.org)
  2. archives of the NY Times and the Washington Post
  3. archives of sailing clubs / ports where the boat was moored
  4. the boat builders and shipyard workers around the Bent Jespersons shipyard 1979-1980 (jespersenboats.com)
  5. archives of The Daily Colonist newspaper, Victoria

Boatbuilding

There is the possibility of active participation in the work on the boat. Depending on the task, there are no special prerequisites for this, apart from having fun with the material, quality awareness and some craftsmanship. Which work is suitable for this and how a meaningful involvement is possible is agreed with the wooden boat builder who manages the project. We are also interested in getting to know passionate wooden boat builders with a traditional boat building orientation, who preferably have experience with A&R boats built between 1934 and 1938.

For the next stages of construction we would like to change the building site in the south of Hamburg. Interesting are closed, preferably earth-moist, cool buildings with power supply like barns or industrial buildings where we can set up a workshop. (ideally 12 by 5 m with a clear height of min. 4 m, gate 3 by 3 m)


Cooperation, partnerships, other

The project is open for sponsorships / donations / financial support. The Sponsorship Programme (ESG) offers a variety of possibilities, which enables companies, organisations and individuals to use the traditional attributes and values of the boat with its history for their own commitments and public presence. This includes media presence and events already taking place during the restoration phase.

If you would like to get involved in this cultural-historical project, please feel free to contact us. The possibilities are varied in type and scope.