Owner’s Description
Ron Bowen built J.D. Crow in the spirit of British Columbia’s long tradition of beautiful and seaworthy homebuilt sailboats, with Allen Farrell as premier guru. Ron was a fisherman, logger, and do-it-all based out of Victoria with a dream of building a plank-on-frame Ingrid (he’d previously built a fiberglass Eric Jr.). He was also a bluegrass banjo player and fan of J.D. Crowe.
Ron moved to Cortes Island in 1980, drawn to its blend of community, seclusion, and materials. He built a boat shed which has since housed several more builds and is now a home! With a bevy of “sport-logged” old-growth timber from years fishing the waters of BC and Haida Gwaii, he set to building his dream boat.
With consultation from legends like Tad Roberts and Dale Nordland, Ron created a completely unique Ingrid. Tad designed an extra-large cutter rig to satisfy Ron’s need for (relative) speed (Ron helped found the Shark Spit Full Moon Regatta). The split-cabin design was shaped by the natural bend in 14-foot yellow cedar carlins, and the distinctive pilothouse was made by hand, eye, and batten – no drawings.
Launched in 1986, the Crow was the family boat – Ron now had a wife and two daughters – for 34 years. Not ones to underdo it, Ron & family’s first cruise was to Alaska – leaving with the to-be-installed head on deck and finishing the electrical wiring in Ketchikan!
Fast forward to 2020, a gnarly year for us all. As I found my footing amidst a tumultuous world, I started looking to achieve MY dream: living and breathing clearly aboard a boat and feeding my addiction to being on the water.
I figured it would take several years to find the right “forever” boat – but then the Crow flew into my life. I’d been dreaming of a tiller-steered pilothouse cutter, ideally double-ended and made out of wood. A salty mariner friend knew my predilections and was a Cortesian while the Crow was being built. He’d heard she was for sale and stopped by Ron’s (in his 1947 salmon troller TOMTE) to check her out the following week. Neither of us could contain our excitement as we realized I was for this boat, and this boat was for me.
In October 2020, battling a pandemic-closed border and impending storm season, I imported the Crow to Washington State to live on, learn from, and explore with.
The summer of 2022 my mom, brother, and I spent 8 weeks exploring BC on what we call “The Reverse Curve of Time” – because this time the kids took mom north! The Crow showed off her many talents – cruising in comfort, ripping across the Strait of Georgia at 8 knots, and bringing together a community of diverse, wild, loving sailors. We spent several weeks with Ron and his family, all basking in shared dreams and continued love for this incredible boat.
2023’s main excitement was a repower. It was tough, sentimentally, to get rid of the old Chinese Diesel, but installing the new Beta 35 was a hell of a learning experience, and there’s no question that the boat is better served by the new motor. Faster, cleaner, quieter without diminishing her original character.
Much of the Worldwide Classic Boat Show was created from inside that pilothouse, as it is my office and wildlife-watching perch when moored.
Photos
Video
A few videos from our "Reverse Curve of Time" trip to Desolation Sound summer of '22...
Enjoy this video from Off Center Harbor...
Slow December - South Sound Currents
This one's from Ron, the builder and previous owner. I'm not sure the rails will ever look this bright again, but I can still make them shiny!
And here's a nice day on Puget Sound sailing with friends.
Map
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21 thoughts on “38' Atkin Ingrid Cutter (1987) - JD CROW”
Owner’s Description
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21 thoughts on “38' Atkin Ingrid Cutter (1987) - JD CROW”
What a stunner! Beautiful version of a classic Atkin
Thanks Charley! All praise to Archer, Atkin, and Bowen.
Praise to you also, Nate! The love and the attention to taking care of your beautiful boat is heartwarming. Such a joy to see.
Thank you, Diane! Always great to hear from you. I’m grateful for the time and energy I have to dedicate to this wooden boat life.
Very nice.
Thanks, Jacob!
Hello Nate! I’ve seen you and ‘the Crow’ a couple of times over on Port Madison. Always love seeing your beautiful Ingrid, and smelling that sweet wood fire!
I’m Scott, aboard s/v Tally Ho! Cape George Cutter 31’. I’ve posted my boat in the show, but had no idea you were part of the Off Center crew! You guys are amazing!
I’ll probably be heading over to PM in a couple days. Working on laminating a new teak and yellow cedar companionway dropboard.
Hope to see you there!
-Scott Brown
Hey Scott! So glad to hear from you. I saw TALLY HO come into the Show but didn’t put two and two together until your comment, so thanks for reaching out. Always fun to see you on the water and I hope our paths keep crossing.
Thanks for the kind words about OCH, I feel very fortunate to be part of this amazing crew.
I’m stuck on land during the Show making sure that I have the best internet possible for presentations and all that, but my brother had the week off so he and his partner are aboard the Crow. First time anyone else has taken her without me since I’ve owned her, but it’s been great, not least because I trust my brother’s seamanship more than just about anyone else on the planet.
Anyway, I won’t be out this time, but hope to be out on the water quite a bit this spring before heading north this summer! Cheers!
Dude, we gotta party…:-)
Darn right we do, Jack!
Hello Nate,
We had no idea what to expect when we submitted our boat to the show, you have done a fantastic job!. Judy’s brother lives in Seattle, so we have visited your area and love it too. Most of all we just wanted top say thank you for all of the hard work. By the way, JD Crow is one nice boat.
Cheers,
Ted and Judy
Thank you, Ted and Judy! We weren’t sure what to expect when we built it, and the participation and connection from you all is what has made it so special and gratifying.
Such a great boat for you, Nate! Congratulations!! Hope we get to sail in company sometime again, soon.
Thank you, Dale! I am honored to have such a wonderful and unique example of so many BC traditions.
I miss you, bud. I’m sad I can’t play at the Oarlock and Sail Club with you. But whenever I can, I’ll be coming up. I dream of a giant, spontaneous raft up a la Poor Man’s Rock, once again reunited with our water family.
Beautiful boat, great videos! Thanks for all the hard work putting this site together!
It’s been a true pleasure to see everyone enjoy the site. Thanks for the kind words!
Great to see videos of Crow under sail
A Mutual Friend
Wow…she’s beautiful. Such a treat to see. I love the pilot house…might just be something for me to consider for PILAR. Love seeing the forward house, also, so shapely, but my greatest delight was your shipmate wood stove! Oh, but there are so many other points that pleased me, too…reading the history, the memories erupting–Eric Jr, the three Eric’s built–was one of them named RONON (not sure correct spelling–will check to see if on this site!) — but simply basking in the beauty of your boat, construction and under sail. Gorgeous!
Thanks Diane! I would HIGHLY recommend the pilothouse. It is such a wonderful perch, rain, snow, or shine, underway or moored.
I’m not sure about the name of the Eric Jrs, but I need to add this to the description: when I asked the builder Ron why the Crow wasn’t going to one of his daughters, he said “well, amazingly enough, a few years ago she found my Eric Jr on craigslist and bought it!”
Good golly miss molly, that boat is screaming for a long cruise! Alaska, Tahiti, who knows; who cares; adventures await the restless soul! The multitude of memories await your discovery……
Thanks, Rich! Alaska first, as soon as possible. Oceans are a big TBD in my book.