Burger's 118' "Chanticleer"

Burger vs. Defoe

The pictures are clearly of the Chanticleer. If she is a Burger, which I know was the brand/mfgr of the most recent Chanticleer, then she bears a striking resemblance to the original Chanticleer, as owned by Ralph Evinrude and Francis Langford from the time of her launch, I believe.

I have seen posts indicating the current Chanticleer is either 98, 110, or 118 feet. Be that as it may, I know for a fact that the original boat was 118' feet because I was a deck hand on one of her four (4) sisterships, produced by Defoe Ship Yards of Bay City Michigan. Pictures are posted on the Defow web site, which is not very active, as the senior most Defoe just passed on in 2005.

Defoe built many ships for the US Navy and the Cruisemaster line was to fill in slack capacity at the yard, after WWII.

So, the original Chanticleer was a 118' 1947 or so Defoe "Cruisemaster" with four General Motors 6-71N Diesels, mounted 2 in-line on a side. I served on the sistership Natoya and both boats were active in the Great Lakes. The Chanticleer spent the summers in the "North Channel", while the Natoya was usually in N. Lake Huron, Lk Superior, or Lk. Michigan and once on a while in the N. Channel. She was berthed in Cheboygan, MI or achored off the Mertaugh Boat Works in Hessel, MI. The Natoya owner was Harold DuCharme of Grosse Pte. MI, now deceased. The Natoya was sold and sailed to Florida in the mid-late 1960's and has a very brief cameo shot in a James Bond movie. The reason for anchoring off Mertaugh's in Hessel was that the Captain, James Mertaugh, was a brother to the owner of Mertaugh's. Jim passed on in AZ in the 1990's.

The original Chantilcleer was sold in the late 1990's to an east coast boat yard and is up on the hard somewhere on the E. Coast. There are pictures posted on a web site and she is for sale. But the pictures will show much corrosion around her stabilizers forward. She was seen headed out East by the owner of the Wicked Witch, Les Swanson of Traverse City, MI.

Unfortunately, Mrs. Langford passed away in the July 2005. The Burger Chanticleer was most recently seen about that time in the Grosse Pte. Yacht Club.

Trivia for the record.

Defoe Cruisemasters.....

It was good to read the letter from a former "Natoya" crewman. There were 5 Cruisemasters built by Defoe but I can only remember the names of 3. They were "Savitar", "Natoya" and "Chanticleer". I knew Captain Jim Mertaugh for years as I worked at the Detroit Boat Basin where she was the last to be hauled in the fall and the first to be launched in the spring.

With the help of the Mill foreman I designed a sort of yard tug out of a "work punt" with a well for an outboard which we used to push "Natoya" from her layup dock to the Marineways. That allowed Capt Jim and the crew to lay everything up early and not be concerned about running her engines.

"Natoya" is now part of the artificial reef off Dade County, FL. I was aboard her in her final days. She'd been re-painted white (from her former Navy gray) and had fallen on hard times. I had asked for her engine quadrant but it was not to be.

They were fine old boats. Would enjoy hearing from any members of the old crews. <rwies@verizon.net>

Wrong Owner Name

In my prior post I inadvertantly referenced "Alice Faye" as Ralph Evinrude's wife and final owner of the Chanticleer. While Alice Faye was a fine actress and singer from the same period as Francis Langford, in fact I should have said that Francis Langford was the final owner of the Chanticleer and had been married to Ralph Evinrude.

So this should correct my prior error and sorry for any inconvenience.

The 108' Burger "CHANTICLEER" is located in Stuart, FL and is for sale asking $1,950,000. Julien Elfenbein at Burger Yacht Sales is the Central Agent. He can fill you in on the particulars.

Alycia at Burger Yacht Sales

Chanticleer

To be specific ...

CHANTICLEER was commisioned by my Great Uncle, John C. Pace. My Father, Thomas M. Pace, Sr took delivery of CHANTICLEER at the DeFoe yard, and ran her through the Great Lakes, out the St Lawrence Seaway, where they encountered exceptionally rough weather causing 38-degree rolls ... at 118' LOA and roughly 18' beam with a round bottom, the much later added stabilizers were no doubt a Godsend.

She was sold to a foreign national many years later, and ultimately became the proud and happy ship for Ralph Evinrude. amd thus the connection to Mrs. Stuart.

If anyone knows of the yard or the website where CHANTICLEER can be found, I would appreciate learning it -

Shortly after the end of WW II, my Great Uncle John wanted a fine yacht, and contacted old man Huckins ... after some discussions about the size and specifics of the boat (a 58'-64' plan), my Great Uncle added he preferred a blue hull. As the story goes, Mr. Huckins responded that ALL Huckins boats were grey. John replied that if he was paying for the boat to be built, he could choose whatever hull color he so desired ... Huckins replied that if he was going to build it, the boat would be grey. John calmly relplied, ' Mr. Huckins, it appears we cannot do business' ... shortly after, Mr. DeFoe agreed to build John the 118' CHANTICLEER, with a dark blue hull.

Actually, you are slightly mistaken :

After the death of Mr Evinrude, the original CHANTICLEER, a 118' DeFoe CruiseMaster, was sold. Miss Langford then purchased the current boat, a 108' 1973 Burger, which she renamed ' Chanticleer'.

The boat listed for sale is the second Chantilceer, and not the original.

Of course it is

People,


First I must say that is a burger, and it is Chanti. I know the Captain and have been all through it at the yard. Whomever said it was used for fishing was totally BS'ing you. That boat hasn't moved in a few years, considering the Mrs. just passed last year, i would say that she was not an avid fisherwoman in her mid 90's before she passed. And its not like it was even a good spot. Its been at the same Marina for 20 years, AND that boat is in pretty bad shape....I mean the crew kept it up as best they could...but there was no money put into maintaining it beyond that until it went up for sale.

Original DeFoe vs recent Burger

Hey Geoff -

Since you know the most recent Chanticleer, the 108' Burger, I am curious to know if you have any current information about the Evinrude's first Chanticleer -

Last word I got was that she was on the hard at a boatyard somewhere in New England -

The yacht that I am initerested in is the 118' DeFoe Cruismaster, originally built for, and named ' Chanticleer' by my Great Uncle, John C. Pace shortly after WW II.

Thank You,

Tom Pace

gentlemen,

does anyone know where this cruisemaster {envirude fame } is at present?

Tom Pace,

have u had any luck in finding the defoe cruisemaster?

regards
james bush