Great Story Bob! You should put together an article for the many other Lyle Hess deveotees and get them published in Crusing World, Lats&Atts, & Good Old Boat.
Hope this economy situation is short term and not impacting too much. Joe Seafrog M-17 #651 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bob From California" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "For and about Montgomery Sailboats" <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2008 1:47 AM Subject: Re: M_Boats: Our Lapstrake heritage > > Hi Mark.. > > I still want to see your Flush Deck 17 when I get a chance... > > Some trivia for us Lyle Hess buffs.......... > > The BCC28 and Falmouth Cutter 22 were smooth hulls. I was there when Lyle > and Ernie Gyrie were > long boarding the 22 plug. I watched them lay up the first Nor'Sea 22. > (which is what the first 10 or so > boats were called back in 1978-79) > > Previously Sam and Betty Morse hired my friend Bruce Meyers, the inventor > of the Dune Buggy in the > 1960s...(now 82 years old; I attended a recent birthday party at his shop) > Bruce will tell you he made > and lost 6 million dollars back in the late 60s....hahaha. but he was a > master mold maker...not as good as > Jerry Montgomery, but close.. Bruce tooled the SamMorseCompany BCC 28 for > Sam. > > When Heritage Marine sold the Nor'Sea 27 and Nor'Sea 22 at auction, Sam, > Lyle and I went together. > > I bought the Nor'Sea molds and tooling and Sam agreed to buy the Nor'Sea > 22 molds. Sam changed the name > to the Falmouth 22. This was in April 1980. > > Bruce Meyers tooled my Nor'Sea 37 for me in the late 80s. (bad back and > all......) Lyle drew the lines > on the plywood floor we built for the stations...... > > Sam ran out of work in 1992-93 and sold the company to George > Hickama..(sp?) George had it for about > 2 months and ran out of money and took Roger Olsen in as a half owner. > Roger moved George out a couple of months later. Tom and Dick, the two > craftsman who worked for Sam since the beginning stayed on with Roger. > > Sam passed away 6 months after retiring in 1993. (NEVER RETIRE. DIE AT > WORK!) > > > They built boats up thru about 2002 when Dick retired and Sumio took over > from Roger. Sumio was a Japanese investor who actually moved to California > to promote a Japanese market for the BCC. But Japan went thru a large > recession and that idea fell by the wayside. Sumio, while a nice guy, just > couldn't speak enough english to sell anything. He built a few boats only. > > 2 (?) years ago at the Annapolis Boatshow, I was over at friends Bernie > and Kate (of Roguewave Yacht sales) along with Sumio, friend and fellow > wine drinker Bob Perry and several others including former Nor'Sea 27 > owner > and new M_17 owner Joe Murphy. (Hi Joe)....It was apparent that Sumio was > selling the Sam Morse Company and production would cease. A sad story. > Roger Olsen was also at the boatshow promoting his book.....Roger told me > when he bought the Sam Morse Company, he had $200,000 in his savings > account. When Sumio took over > (for money he had invested) Roger said he was broke but did get a new BCC > 28 to take with him. > > Bernie had a beautiful BCC28 in the show that year. The lines were long. > Nobody bought one. That about > ended the company for Sumio. No orders were forthcoming. > > Sumio wanted 50K for the molds and tooling.....I don't know if he got that > but he did sell the 28 and 22 to > Cape George Cutter Marine Works in Port Townsend, Washington. > > At the end, Tommy (the other 28 year craftsman) retired as well. I doubt > the market for a new BCC 28 or > BCC 22 exists anymore. To many man hours. > > But it was fun seeing Lyle with that longboard, his hair full of grey > primer dust......his big smile. > > It didn't get much better than that for Lyle. > > Bob > > > > > > >> Date: Wed, 8 Oct 2008 12:51:16 -0700> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> To: [email protected]> Subject: M_Boats: Our >> Lapstrake heritage> > Hello> Both the Bristol Channel Cutter (28ft on >> deck) and the Falmouth Cutter (22ft on deck) > were Lapstrake Hull design >> boats, they were made of fiberglass just like the Montgomery boats.> I >> had the pleasure of touring the builders yard back in the early 90s. The >> construction and pride of> workmanship on these examples of Lyle Hess >> designs was exceptional.> They even had there own foundry to produce the >> bronze hardware used on the boats.> It has always been a dream to make >> one part of my life one day.> To bad Bob couldn't acquire the molds for >> these two fine designs when the manufacturer went belly up.> It would be >> truly awesome if the BCC were added to the Montgomery line, she would be >> the Grand Dame> of the design fleet.> > But I have to say that I'm very >> happy to be sailing a Lyle Hess hull design. It's comforting to know > >> Montgomery's have such a solid maritime heritage, we have much to be >> proud of.> > Mark Escovedo> M17F/D> #103> AMY> > > > > > > >> _______________________________________________> >> http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats > _______________________________________________ > http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
