The Hunt for Stacia Leigh
The Hunt Starts As a company one of our specialisms is finding suitable boats for clients. In this we are assisted by our own bespoke software known, immodestly, as ‘BEST’ (which actually stands for Boating Enterprise Search Tool!). Recently we were engaged for a very unusual assignment. A client wanted to find a specific boat of great historical interest, which was built in the early 1900’s. He was interested in its fascinating history and in trying to find out its current location or what had happened to it. He had already engaged three local researchers for a period. They had not succeeded in the task. So, as specialists, we were called in. Could we help? We were specifically engaged to investigate and report back on what had happened to the boat variously known as Chryseis and Stacia Leigh. Our research team consists of Joseph Dewhurst, John Thain, Mollie Fordyce and Ilistyl Scates-Stenzel. Although they were very busy on other tasks, it only took our researchers a mere three days to find out the history of this boat and what had happened to it. This is its story. It turned out that this boat has done everything, from being part of the pioneering motor industry, to unsavoury connections to the Nazi and Axis regimes, to smuggling arms, to becoming a movie star in not one but 4 films, to being a bed and breakfast. So – for more, read on… It’s early history; 1906 – 1998 The boat was built in 1906 by clipper company Le Havre, hull number 0227, and named Chryseis. The significance (if any) of the name is not clear; however “Chryseis” is one of the female characters who appears during the events of the Trojan War in Greek mythology. The basic metrics are impressive for the time. It had a gross weight of 84 tons, measured 31 meters LOA, a beam of 4.8 metres and a top speed of 9.5 knots. This was the largest petrol driven yacht that had been built up until then. We think, but are not certain, that the hull was designed and built at the Dubigeon shipyard, in Nantes. The rear fittings were by Maison Leglas Maurice in Nantes. However, the location has not been verified. The vast majority of the boat was reserved for accommodation. This gave it a feeling of spaciousness even greater than its size would suggest. In the stern, there were 4 master bedrooms, each with en-suite. On the lower deck there were a further 4 smaller cabins for the crew. In the forward area there was space for a further 6 people, with a head and a kitchen area. The original owner was Louis Renault, co- founder of Renault motors and one of the early pioneers of the car industry. Together with his two older brothers, Marcel and Ferdinand, they formed the Renault Freres company in 1899. Louis Renault went on to become a highly controversial figure, supporting the Nazis during WW2. It was while cruising up the Seine on Chryseis that Renault spotted a 1,000 acre estate at Herqueville, Normandy. Just like any modern-day billionaire, he bought the estate. Chryseis was originally fitted with two 50HP Renault petrol engines, with a secondary 8HP motor powering internal electrics. We can speculate that Louis Renault was interested in investigating how his engines would perform in a marine environment. Or maybe he just happened to have a couple of spare engines laying around. Of course, diesel is generally regarded as the favourite fuel for several reasons, including the risk of fire from petrol. This seems to have been recognised as there were several fire safety precautions evident in the design and structure. The petrol fuel was placed above the ship’s own deck. The tanks were above the waterline in watertight double boxes, with direct flow to the sea. The annular space between the tanks and the caissons was filled with sand, such that the petrol tank was therefore embedded in the sand. The fueling devices were also above the waterline in completely sealed metal boxes. Any fuel that could have flown from these devices would have been immediately flushed out of the hull. These precautions eliminated most of the fire risk. We understand that she was then sold to 1937 to Count Galeazzo Gano of Liveno, Italy. He had previously married Mussolini’s daughter, Edda, in 1930. There is some evidence that the Count was a journalist, although evidently a well-connected one.When Count Gano died, the boat was inherited by Mussolini. After Mussolini’s execution in 1945, Italian rebels used Chryseis to smuggle arms. Once the war was over, Chryseis became a movie star! She was used in four movies; The Count of Monte Cristo Seven Cities of Atlantis Chitty Chitty Bang Bang S.S. Commodore. The later years; 1998 – 2004 – and a name change After her movie career, she lay abandoned for several years until she was purchased by Patrick and Bonnie Hicks in 1998. She had been discovered in a shipyard near Dayton Beach, Florida. We could find no record of how she came to be there. The boat was then moved to Orange where she underwent repairs and enhancements for a month. This included the radical addition of the upper deck comprising of five staterooms which changed her looks radically and increased the internal accommodation further. This was eventually to become her downfall. The vessel was then moved to Galveston, Texas. Here she underwent a name change and was operated as the Stacia Leigh Bed & Breakfast. She was named after the owners’ daughter. She was moored at Pier 22 in Glaveston, Texas. Unfortunately, the vessel became unstable probably due to poor weight distribution caused by guests staying onboard and that addition of an upper deck. She sank in April 2004. 2004 – present day – Where are you now Stacia Leigh? After the sinking, we believe she was raised by T&T Salvage and placed on hard-standing. Where are you now, Oh Stacia Leigh? During our research we found the following images taken at Port Bolivar
Interview with Blue Davies
Go Earth Marketing Manager, Jacey Roberts, had the pleasure of sitting down with Blue Davies, to talk about all things boating. Blue has a wealth of experience within the leisure-marine industry, including 5 years as the Head of Training at British Marine. More recently, Blue has joined the team at Go Earth as our Brand Ambassador. With a plethora of knowledge and contacts, invaluable to Go Earth and it’s clients alike. Firstly, welcome to the team, Blue! Secondly, what do you think of Go Earth’s new website? Thanks for the warm welcome, Jacey! I am thrilled to be working as a Brand Ambassador for Go Earth. The new website looks great – it looks slick and is easy to navigate – making it easy to locate the services you may be interested in. How do you think Go Earth’s services can help boat buyers? The Go Earth offer is unique and offers such a broad range of services that a boat buyer will be able to access a range of independent advice and guidance in their journey to buy a boat. What trends do you see or predict in the boating industry? The main trend I think will be technology and how it makes boating easier to access, simpler to partake in and safer. This in turn will attract more family-oriented users and hopefully a more diverse section of the community. With the easy-to-use technology, a wider range of people can get into the boating industry, compared to a white male dominated market. Also, social media will help, seeing a variety of different people to get into the boat search. How would a beginner put ‘dip their toe in the water’ with boating? Seek out your local Sailing Club, most will have opportunities for beginners to give it a go, whether is sailing or powerboating. Take a course, get qualified and build your confidence, then in time the next step is to give Go Earth a call and look in to buying your own boat. What are some great reasons people should buy a boat? A lifetime of adventures awaits you, and what better way to experience that than in your own boat? It has great health and wellbeing benefits as well; fresh air, exercise and the freedom of the seas. Owning a boat can seem daunting and there is much to consider before buying, but ultimately it can be easier than you may think. Purchasing a boat doesn’t have to cost the earth either, starting from as little as £3000 for a 5-metre sail boat. There are excellent programs for children as well, where they can learn to sail and be confident in their abilities. What are some questions you should be asking the seller before purchasing a boat? Always have a survey completed on the boat you are buying and if possible, it’s like when buying a car, you wouldn’t buy a car without checking if it has an MOT. Also, take someone with you who knows about boats, especially if you are new to boating. This is where Go Earth come into their own, providing all the advice you will need to make a purchase or not as the case maybe. What are some destinations you would recommend to visit on a boat in the UK? I live in the Solent on the south coast of England and the waters around the coast line are fantastic, with the Isle of Wight close by and rivers like the Hamble and Beaulieu easy to access with stunning scenery. Jacey: I live in the ‘Cheshire circle’ which hosts a number of canals, nestled within chocolate box villages. The canals are a great way to spend time on the water – you can hire narrowboats which is great fun for all the family.
Innovation for Boat Buyers and Boat Brokers
Here at Go Earth, we pride ourselves on being innovative and resourceful – and like to ‘think outside of the box’ when it comes to how we approach our products and services. With that in mind, we thought it would be interesting to showcase our latest innovations; The Boating Enterprise Search Tool (BEST) and Boat Simulator game. Brand Ambassador, Blue Davies and Marketing Manager, Jacey Roberts discuss the BEST and the Boat Simulation game created by Go Earth. To kick things off, can you briefly explain what the BEST Software is? Blue: In simple terms, the BEST Software is a tool to enable brokers to have access to more boats, to enable a larger volume of boats to be sold. A straightforward process using the software to quickly locate and identify a specific type of boat and price to meet the buyer’s requirements. What are the benefits for a broker using the BEST Software? Blue: The main benefit is the access to a wider selection of boats to match the ideal boat their customer is looking for, ultimately doing more business. Jacey: We are ultimately eliminating all the hard work for the brokers by adding hard to find data of brokers which sell all types of boats. On average, how much faster do you think the BEST Software is compared to a generic Google search to find the ideal boat? Blue: I would suggest it would reduce time spent finding the ideal boat for a customer in terms of days. Jacey: We got transport providers and surveyors through geo-location, so if a broker is unfamiliar with a location, we have resources to assist with the deal, such as transportation. Who should buy the BEST software? Blue: Simple, any brokers looking to increase their boat sales. You can try the BEST Software and you can make your own mind up to how helpful it is to your own business. Moving on to the Boating Simulation game – Did you have fun playing it? Blue: Yes, I am not a gaming person, but I did enjoy the Boat Simulator and getting a feel for what it could be like trying to manoeuvre a boat. It’s an introduction of what it will be when you get a chance to get on a boat in real life. How realistic is the boat game to real life? Blue: Like any simulator / video game it cannot replicate the real environment, but it does give the user the opportunity in a safe space to try their skills, without endangering anyone or anything. Having answered all the key questions related to the BEST software we hope we have made it clear, what is the BEST software. We would like to thank Blue Davies and Jacey for their valuable feedback on the new and exciting ventures which Go Earth has taken on!
Buying a Trailer
You have your nice boat – but are faced with the problem of where to put it. If you have a large boat, then you have no choice but to use a marina or mooring. However, for boats up to, say, 25 or 26 feet, then storing your boat on a trailer is a very viable option. Most small boats, RIBs and dinghies can easily and safely be stored and transported on a properly constructed trailer. So – what are the advantages and disadvantages of a trailer? The good news Let’s look at cost first. A good, new, trailer for a 16 footer boat costs about £2,500. The marina berthing fees are typically about this – except you have to pay them every year. The savings on marina fees is like getting 100% interest on your investment! That’s a great financial incentive. If you want to do any work on your boat, storing it at home on the trailer is much more convenient than having to traipse down to the marina. I know from bitter experience that having gone down to the marina, you often don’t have the right tool with you to finish the job A trailer means that you don’t have to keep the boat in the water, and can give it a freshwater wash-down after every trip. This keeps the hull in great condition. It also means that you don’t have to antifoul the hull – giving you another annual financial saving. Having the boat at home means that you can go to whichever part of the country you wish – you are not tied to your usual marina. All you need is a suitable launching ramp or slipway. There are many across the country, and the public ones are free of charge. Websites such as Boatlaunch list suitable sites in the UK and near Europe. Clicking on the map in the locality you want brings up detailed information on each slipway and its suitability for different types of boat. Disadvantages Of course, you need four essentials – a boat small enough to be trailed, the trailer itself, a car capable of towing the trailer and boat and finally somewhere (on your driveway or elsewhere) to store them. If you don’t have these then unfortunately a trailer option is not viable. Size matters Choosing the right size of trailer for your boat is important. Trailers are typically suitable for everything from a small sailing dinghy right up to a 25 or 26 footer. They are not usually viable for sailing yachts with a deep keel. You can of course get a trailer for small deep keel boats, but you then usually have to launch them via a crane, rather than a ramp – and the cost of cranage negates any cost savings. The size and weight of the boat determines the size of trailer you need. You need to take account of the LOA (length overall), plus any outboards. Weight matters The relevant weight is the weight of the boat dry, plus the weight of fuel, freshwater and blackwater on board, plus all the ‘essential’ bits and bobs that seem to get crammed into boats. Heavier boats may require a twin-axle trailer. The trailer does not have to have brakes if the weight of the gross trailer weight is less than 750kg or half the towing vehicle’s kerb weight – whichever is less. The full set of rules are complex. Go Earth can assist in any sizing questions you may have. Just contact us, and we will try to help. Adjustability A key element when finding a suitable trailer is adjustability. It has to fit your boat – and continue to fit your boat as you load and unload it. There are several elements to this. Firstly as you load the boat, the rollers should automatically adjust to the changing profile of your boat’s hull. Indespension trailers do this by their swing axle method so that the change in the bow-stern dimensions are covered. (see photo) Then the change in the portstarboard dimension (i.e. the keel angle) is covered by the pivoting of the rollers arms (see photo). Indespension trailers pioneered this swing axle design (see the video below for a demonstration) which is a key feature of their boat trailers. In addition, for larger adjustability, all the main components should be attached to the framework by U-bolts. Then you can very easily adjust all the dimensions by unscrewing the nuts, moving the U-bolts, and then re-tightening. Indespension, again, have majored on the concept of completely bolted trailers. (The bolts are actually rectangular to fit the shape of the components, rather than ‘U’ shaped, but everyone calls them U-bolts!) This provides both adjustability and ease of replacing any damaged components. Some boat manufacturers will try to sell you a trailer when you are buying a new boat. That’s fine as far as it goes – but there is a catch. The trailer is often built just for that model of boat, and often has no or limited adjustability. What happens if, when you eventually sell the boat, the new purchaser does not want a trailer if, for example, they have a berth somewhere? You would be left with an almost useless trailer. Our general recommendation is to purchase a trailer with a wide range of adjustability such as the Indespension range. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRlp5UeQaFs Size and weight matters – again You have your boat. You have the right trailer. Now you need a suitable car or other towing vehicle. Most cars can take a tow bar at the rear. Notable exceptions include Porsche 911s, and a few other specialist cars. The towing weight of a car is defined by the manufacturer. It is sometimes called the ‘gross train weight’, and may be in the owner’s handbook or on the VIN plate on the car. You need to check the combined weight of the boat, trailer, and all the various bits of boating paraphernalia that you will throw into
