''Zodiac'' is a two-masted

schooner A schooner () is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail schoo ...

Johnson & Johnson Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is an American multinational corporation founded in 1886 that develops medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and consumer packaged goods. Its common stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the company i ...

pharmaceuticals A medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy ( pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the medical field and re ...

fortune. Hand intended to epitomize the best features of the

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

fishing schooner. The (sparred length; on deck), 145-ton vessel competed in transatlantic races. In 1931 the vessel was purchased by the San Francisco Bar Pilots Association, brought from the Atlantic, modified and placed in service as the pilot vessel ''California'' serving as such until retired in 1972.

Design and construction

The schooner was the largest vessel designed by William H. Hand, Jr., a renowned naval architect, who was a primary developer of the V-bottomed hull motorsailers. ''Zodiac'' was built in 1924 at the Hodgdon Brothers Shipyard, East Boothbay,

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and nor ...

. As built the vessel was length overall, beam, design draft of and a waterline length of on design draft. Propulsion was by an Atlas , six-cylinder, four-cycle engine driving a , two-bladed propeller for a speed of about under power.

Yacht

Robert Hood and J. Seward Johnson sailed the yacht as far north as Nachvak,

Labrador , nickname = "The Big Land" , etymology = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Canada , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 ...

and in 1928 entered ''Zodiac'' in a race from New York to Spain with the yacht finishing fourth among the large yachts.

Pilot vessel ''California''

The San Francisco Bar Pilots Association bought the schooner in 1931 on the Atlantic Coast and brought the vessel to San Francisco for modification and operation as the pilot vessel ''California'' bearing the name of an earlier vessel of the Association. The vessel was the largest schooner operated by the San Francisco Bar Pilots who operated her in peacetime and through wars until 1972 as the last sailing vessel in the United States to serve as a pilot vessel.

Modification

As a pilot boat is required to be on station during all weather and, in the case of the San Francisco Bar Pilots of the time, remain on station for about five days supporting a crew of seven hosting up to ten pilots, modification was required. The Association had the vessel modified by The Moore Dry Dock Company of Oakland, after consultation with the original designer, increased power with a Atlas-Imperial diesel engine to replace the original Atlas diesel engine that in turn required modifications to the stern to accommodate a larger shaft and diameter propeller with pitch replacing the original diameter, 2-bladed propeller. The propulsion change increased speed from approximately . Deck houses and accommodations were renovated to fit the needs of pilots serving long waits on station with a pilot house added that was unusual for a yacht and resembling that of a commercial vessel. The galley had an Ingle oil burner range and accommodations were heated by a steam heat system based on an Areola boiler. Modifications resulted in an increase in draft from the original designed to with a new waterline length of and displacement increasing from 210 to 245 tons.

Pilot service

''California'' was delivered and on station in early 1932 serving as one of the pilot boats, rotating duty on the bar at five-day intervals. The other active pilot vessel was ''Gracie S.'' with ''Adventuress'' serving as backup vessel. The offshore pilot vessel station was approximately nine miles off the

Golden Gate The Golden Gate is a strait on the west coast of North America that connects San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. It is defined by the headlands of the San Francisco Peninsula and the Marin Peninsula, and, since 1937, has been spanned by t ...

. Operating in close proximity with large ships had its risks with ''California'' losing her bow three times and once being grounded in San Francisco Bay. ''California'' was retired in 1972 to be replaced by pure motorized vessels, including a more modern vessel built in 2000. This made her one of the last three sail-powered pilot vessels in the United States, along with the

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

-based schooner '' Roseway'', which was retired sometime between 1971 and 1973, and ''Adventuress'', also once a San Francisco pilot boat, which was retired in 1952, and is also a registered

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places liste ...

Sale and return to ''Zodiac''

''California'' was sold in 1973 returning to the name ''Zodiac'' and, in the late 1970s, the private Vessel Zodiac Corporation was formed to operate and maintain her. She was professionally restored, and her rig, which had been altered during her time as a pilot boat, was returned to its original configuration. ''Zodiac'' now operates charters and cruises in

Washington state Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washington ...

San Juan Islands The San Juan Islands are an archipelago in the Pacific Northwest of the United States between the U.S. state of Washington and Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The San Juan Islands are part of Washington state, and form the core of ...

and

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

Gulf Islands The Gulf Islands are a group of islands in the Salish Sea between Vancouver Island and the mainland coast of British Columbia. Etymology The name "Gulf Islands" comes from "Gulf of Georgia," the original term used by George Vancouver in his ...

. The not-for-profit Northwest Schooner Society partners with the corporation to provide

sail training From its modern interpretations to its antecedents when maritime nations would send young naval officer candidates to sea (e.g., see Outward Bound), sail training provides an unconventional and effective way of building many useful skills on and ...

programs for youth and adults.

Footnotes

References

External links

*
Vessel Zodiac CorporationNorthwest Schooner SocietyNW Windjammer FleetSan Francisco Bar Pilots—What We Do
{{Registered Historic Places Schooners of the United States Transportation in the San Francisco Bay Area History of San Francisco Museums in Seattle National Register of Historic Places in Seattle Two-masted ships Ships on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington (state) Museum ships in Washington (state) 1924 ships