46' Kettenburg Pacific Cruising Class Sloop (1946) - RICOCHET

RICOCHET is a Kettenburg PCC and she is for sale: $88,000. The PCCs were designed by George Kettenburg in 1946 and built over several years by Kettenburg Boat Works of San Diego. The PCCs were very competitive, some say dominant, in west-coast and Transpac racing throughout the fifties and sixties. RICOCHET was first launched in 1956. She is hull number 21 of 24 PCCs built.

We purchased a rather tired and neglected RICOCHET in 2008. Following a quick five-gallon restoration we happily cruised and raced her for a couple years. We were thrilled to win the coveted Spruce Cup, racing at the 2011 Vancouver Wooden Boat Festival. However, in November that year she sank at anchor.

Divers went down, attached air-bags, and re-floated her, but the insurance company wrote her off. Inadvertently I purchased her back from the insurer, thinking I’d have her patched up and sailing again within a couple of months.

My plan turned out to be somewhat overly optimistic. We spent the next ten years rebuilding her from the keel up. Some of the work included: all new floors and 52 pairs of steam-bent white oak frames, complete refastening of the mahogany hull planking with some 5,000 new bronze screws, new covering boards, toe rails, transom, deck hatches, companionway, cockpit sole, etc, a new engine and complete plumbing and electrical systems. The sitka spruce mast, boom and spinnaker pole were restored, we installed new fir spreaders and hardware, and all the standing and running rigging was renewed. In the process we removed and rebuilt the interior including all of the upholstery, and most of the cabinetry, and we replaced the propane galley stove and furnace.

Since relaunching RICOCHET in January, 2023 we’ve once again enjoyed cruising the magnificent Salish Sea while reacquainting ourselves with our thoroughly refreshed, comfortable and quick little boat. We earned the Best Restored Sailboat at the 44th Annual Victoria Classic Boat Festival in 2023. Off Center Harbor produced a video describing RICOCHET’s restoration that included many images of the process and some beautiful footage of Ricochet sailing during the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival.

Of course, at the end of it all, one has to ask: was it worth it, to spend so much time and energy to restore a sixty-five year old classic wooden sloop? The answer, for me at least, is a grateful and resounding: YES!