This afternoon, I took a walk down the dock, I went all the way to the end, where I had not been before. I turned the corner, and what did I see? The WANDERER, a sailboat used in the "CAPTAIN RON" movie. It was berthed in the Kemah Boardwalk Marina, a couple slips down from a friend's boat. It changed hands once again, and is currently being renovated in my marina.
WANDERER is a 1978 Formosa 51 Cutter Rigged Ketch. She needs a lot of work, and it is expected to be a 4 year project. When she is finished, she will be chartered through Windsong Charters. s/v Windsong is also a Formosa 51.
A little history. She was built by the Formosa Boat Building Company in Taiwan, and was renamed by the movie production company. As I understand, there were three boats used in the movie, and the cabin scenes were filmed in the studio. I don't know anything about the other two boats.
The movie, "Captain Ron" is one of those movies I could see a hundred times... and maybe did. If you haven't seen it, I recommend you do. There are funny lines in it that many captains use today.
WANDERER has a cult following, and a lot of misinformation about her. This is the 10th owner, and I hope the refit is completed and I get to see her under sail in the Galveston Bay.
Ahhhh, the good old days of the Kemah Marina :-) Hope the renovations go smoothly ... and the movie? Fabulous!!!
ReplyDeleteTammy
Yacht Chater Dubai these old boats impress me alot. i like it.
ReplyDeleteNice post… Kitty! ;)
ReplyDeleteI have been looking for this very vessel since 2006! Can you give me any leads as to where she lies now? mulvanyp@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteI can only assume she is still docked at Waterford Marina in Kemah, Texas.
DeleteYep. I also accidentally ran into the "Wanderer" like Lezlie did around mid July. It's still in Waterford Marina. And I recognize the dock in Lezlies posted photo of her. The Wanderer is on the same dock but now at the end slip, to the south end of that dock. She looks pretty rough. As bad as she did in the very first scene you see her appear in the movie. I'm not kidding either. An old friend of mine (Marcell) and his wife owned her a few years back and had her in Kemah Boardwalk Marina for a few years. There is a center cockpit Formosa 51 right next to where she is now in pretty bad shape as well. And another center cockpit Formosa 51 on the other end of same dock (the north end) that's in perfectly beautiful shape. That one is a charter boat and I'm hoping to go out on it someday soon. The Wanderer is in Waterford Marina, about in the center of the marina on the furthermost southern edge of the marina. I just pulled up google maps and she's in the map right now. If anyone really needs to know the exact slip, I can describe it to you.
DeleteLezlie. I ran across your blog here while looking at bow-sprint designs and had googled Formosa 51 and was looking at "images". Saw the image you have here of the "Wanderer" on this blog and clicked on it and,,,, well, the rest is history. Anyway, I was a live-aboard 14 years ago at Portofino Marina. I'll be a live-aboard again after the first of the year but will be at Galveston Yacht Basin this time. Glad I found you. We'll have to meet up sometime if your around here in Houston area still.
I am not in Texas anymore, I'm in Key West, Florida. Started cruising, and jumped off here. I love it here and don't think I will ever leave.
DeleteAtta girl. I love the Keys. I hope to live on the hook for a bit there one day. Enjoy it while you can Lezlie.
DeleteLOVE ...The CAPT..RON boat .....My family's favorite movie....A CLASSIC
ReplyDeleteLezlie:
ReplyDeleteWhat shade of Green is "The Wanderer"? I would like to paint my boat, (when I buy or build it) that color out of respect for the boat and Captain Ron.
I don't know the name of the color. The second pic shows the color pretty good.
DeleteLezlie & All Wanderer fans!
DeleteI purchased the F51 Wanderer from Marcell as mentioned above, in 2012 and moved her from the Kemah Boardwalk to where she berths at Waterford Harbor Marina. Had a slow start in the refit as I was still in the Army and living far away from Kemah....but still had some major work done. You can check out my pictures and progress on my FaceBook site at https://www.facebook.com/blackdogcharters. Since I retired in 2017, my goal is to refit her and provide no cost charters for wounded warriors, Ronald McDonald house children, etc. Nothing heals the soul like time on the water! I also recently started a GoFundMe campaign titled "Help Save the Wanderer!" should anyone feel inclined to support the effort. I've been working on the inside, as any passerby will attest, the exterior paint is a bit ragged...Engine is in rebuild, tanks being made, masts being repainted and rigged, has a new coachroof structure built by Superior Marine Services in Kemah, as well as a host of other updates unseen to the outside world. Some of the pics are on the facebook site. To be honest, I've put over $240k into her from all my savings, and am still a good distance from getting her up and running, hence the need for the GoFundMe site and asking for donations.
I appreciate the comments and speculation, but wanted to, in a small way, set the record straight and provide my contact info should anyone have any information needs.
Best to all and Fair Winds!
Mike