Aphrodite & a Wally at my marina this weekend

Some genetic splicing...?

http://www.yachtforums.com/forums/d...-identify-these-yachts.html?highlight=torpedo

Scroll down the thread and look at "Liberty"! (more pics on the next page too)

Aphrodite or Liberty?

She definitely looks a lot like the Hodgdon built Liberty!
That was early 2000's or late 90's (I think).

Good memory TRY! I spoke with some workers (or crew?) on Liberty, late in 2004. They gave me some details, but I can't remember much past yesterday. It would be interesting to find out if Liberty was patterned specifically after Aphrodite, or just a general re-creation of a 1930's style commuter.

Here's a link showing interior pics of Liberty...

http://www.hodgdonyachts.com/liberty.shtml

Absolutly stunning, I always love to see someone put that much love and dedication and money into restoring an old beauty. Is there a link to the article in soundings? I see it is a NYYC boat do we know anyting about the owner?

Dave, which marina is that? I see the pictures are labeled RYC, Riverside Yacht Club?
I used to live in Old Greenwich across from the Stamford Brewer Yacht Haven

It appears that it was done in Brooklin, Maine



Brooklin Boat Yard readies for launch

Aphrodite is a 74-foot Long Island Sound commuter yacht originally built in 1937 by the Purdy Boat Company. This project is a complete restoration using the original boat as a template. The boat has been completely documented and disassembled, and the final original frame was removed in September 2004. Once all structure work has been completed, replanking the hull will begin, followed by systems installations. The boat is scheduled to be launched in the summer of 2005.

http://www.brooklinboatyard.com/aphrodite.html

Aphrodite, the third commissioned by John Hay Whitney, was built by the Purdy Boat Company in 1936-37. She had two Packard V12 800 hp:s.

The Bruce King-designed Liberty from 1996 is said to be inspired from this Aphrodite although a hightech composite construction.

Thanks Lars! I tried to re-visit Hodgdon's site in search of more info, but it appears we've crashed their server.

For me, i love a Wally. They are new and fresh and offer a modern and daring design. Something i think that other conventional builders are afraid to do. Most mega yachts practically are similar just with cosmetic changes and styling. Wally's are different and for me are a good change to the megayacht world but thats ok if you like the retro Carl. I'll have a *slight* slice of your pie.

Kudos to Mr. Royce. Aphrodite was worth saving. It's nice to know that the craftmanship to achieve a re-build of that order still exists on this continent. Beautiful vessel!

Liberty was not modeled on or based on Aphrodite, but on another slightly earlier commuter, Saga, designed and built for Charles Payson at the Wheeler Shipyard in Brooklyn NY in 1935. Aphrodite (III) was designed and built for Jock Whitney (later owned by John Pannell) by the Purdy Boat Company in 1937. Her recent total rebuild was done by Brooklin Boat Yard in Brooklin, Maine.

The owner of Liberty had a smaller commuter (Ragtime) he wished to replace with a new boat in a similar style. They didn't really want another Ragtime but something with more flash, we were casting about for a concept and Tim Hodgdon contacted Phillip Moore, Author of Yachts in a Hurry. He had owned Saga at one time and faxed a faded profile drawing north. Tim showed that to the owners, they said yes, it landed on my desk and eventually became Liberty.

A major difference is that Saga had a distinct centerline to her stern, very much like the upside-down bow of a boat. Sonny Hodgdon built a hull model that was to become the tank model of Liberty with this center spine. No one liked it, so we just planned it off and thus Liberty's stern started to resemble that of Aphrodite.

Get a hold of the book and you will note Liberty's resemblance to Saga as shown in the front piece. Including the curved mast.

All the best, Tad

http://www.tadroberts.ca

Incidentally, Saga was built to beat Aphrodite II , then Aphrodite III was built to beat Saga up and down Long Island Sound.

Tad

Thanks Tad for filling us in on the history. I got my information from "The Megayacht Century" publication, where they also say that the owner of Saga was the brother in law to the owner of Aphrodite...

/Lars

Was Aphrodite actully a rebuild,as it seems to me the new Aphrodite has no remains of the old. As the old was only dis-assmebled for use as a pattern for the new construction. I know this is just semantics but what should she be called?

I don´t know how much is left on Aphrodite, but it is often like this with restoration projects, both with houses, cars and yachts, that very little or sometimes nothing remains from the original. Still, as long as the original does not exist somewhere else, the rebuild is considered as the original...

In my 1956 Lloyds Register of American Yachts book there is a listing for Aphrodite, it says the engines are: 2 Gas Eng. 4 Cyc. 6 Cyl. 5 1/2 x 7 Hall-Scott

as this was in 1956 could this be a repower from the original Packards or are these the originals?

According to Philip Moore the engine history of Aphrodite II is thus;

1937 twin 800Hp V12 Packards, model 3A-2500
1942 twin 1350Hp V12 Packards, 38 mph
1946-47 twin 1500Hp V12 Packards, 45 knots
1958 twin 275Hp Hall-Scott Invaders, 26 knots
1969-70 twin 275Hp 8V-71 GMs
1978 twin 350Hp V8 Crusaders, 25 knots

I have no idea what is in her now?

Tad