Owner’s Description
History of Puffin
In the preface of William Gardens first book “Yacht Designs” there is a copy of a letter he received from a couple who were then in New Zealand. They had sailed from California to the Marquesas Islands then on through the South Pacific to Tahiti. Finally, arriving in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand. They were working to replenish their cruising fund when they wrote Garden. Their boat, Puffin was one of his designs and this was her second trip to New Zealand. Just over 26 feet on deck with a water line length of 22feet 6 inches she had an ample beam of 9 feet 6 inches and designed in Bill Garden’s words “as a small oceangoing vessel”.
One of three built in the mid 60’s at the Y. Chen boatyard in Taiwan, Puffin and her sister ships were framed in Yakal and planked with Cypress (Port Orford Cedar). Their cabins, decking and hatches were built of teak. Puffin differs slightly from Garden’s design and her two sister ships. While under construction two changes were made at the request, I believe, of the soon-to-be-owners Roy and Tee Jennings. Her cabin was extended one frame bay aft and a bridge deck added, but otherwise she remains true to the original “Vashon Cutter” design. She was shipped to San Francisco where Roy and Tee Jennings took possession of her. They sailed her down to southern California but from that time until 1975 there is little information about her owners or her voyages. I was told that during that time she made her first trip into the South Pacific.
Garden published his first book in 1977 and by then he had altered and renamed the design. He replaced the almost straight stem with a clipper bow and fiddlehead then added stern davits. These changes visually lengthened the boat. The altered design he called a “Spice Island Cutter” (which is how the design is presented in his book). However, when I bought Puffin, she was introduced to me as a “Vashon Cutter.” Why the different names? The explanation maybe in a spiral bound booklet “100 Yachts and Vessel Designs” by Bill Garden that pre-dated his first book. There the design is called a “Vashon Island-built cutter, Andy Goodwin’s boat”
The couple that wrote to Garden didn’t continue much further than New Zealand. They sold Puffin and she passed through a succession of owners. She sailed the Tasman Sea and South Pacific with one owner then was sold and sailed via Hawaii to Port Townsend. There she was again sold and transported to San Francisco. Puffin sailed for a few years on San Francisco Bay. Then once again she got a new owner who began getting her ready for a trip North. Work was done to renew her teak decks. A new interior was designed and built by Bob Darr at the Center for Wood Arts (now the Arques School of Traditional Wooden Boatbuilding) in San Rafael. The work was finished by 1983 and Puffin was off again on a new adventure, this time by barge. She was shipped to Seward Alaska.
Over the next several years her owners sailed her between Alaska and Seattle finally settling in Juneau. Perhaps their lives became too busy, and Puffin began to be neglected. To their credit they didn’t leave her on a mooring to rot. In the hands of a delivery captain, she sailed South to Port Townsend. There a bit of work was done before once again she was put up for sale, this time on Bainbridge Island. That is where I found her twenty-nine years ago. After all those years I’ve decided to put her on the market for sale. Peter Marshall at Marshalls Cove Paints, who has worked on her with me and helped take of her is the contact.PUFFIN is also featured in our WCBS Classifieds, along with scores of other great classic boats for sale. You can find that link in the details on the right.
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10 thoughts on “26' Garden Vashon Cutter (1967) - PUFFIN”
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10 thoughts on “26' Garden Vashon Cutter (1967) - PUFFIN”
This was long ago and my memory is a bit fuzzy. I’m pretty sure PUFFIN was built in 1966 at R. Fung Co. Ltd., Hong Kong. I knew Roy Jennings. He was an American Airlines pilot and he went to Hong Kong to observe the construction. I think he flew there with my father a Pan Am pilot. In the Fall of 1966, I worked for Raccoon Strait Yacht Sales, Sausalito. We were importing quite a variety of wooden boats from Asia. My job was to get the boats off the ship, bring them to Sausalito and do the commissioning. I remember meeting Roy in probably Sep/Oct 1966 when PUFFIN arrived. One of the W. Garden Vashon Island Cutters was own by Bob Tellefsen, one of our salesmen. I think he named his boat VASHON ISLAND. Many years later one of the Vashon Island Cutters lived behind a house on Corte Madera Creek near the Larkspur Ferry Terminal. I don’t know which one.
What you told me is interesting. Several years ago I wrote Roy and Tee Jennings asking about Puffin. Roy was not well but Tee responded and sent pictures of Puffin being built and of her in Sausalito and the channel islands, California. One picture is of a building with the sign saying Tawian Yacht Industries. Just inside the building you can make out the Puffin. I’ve tried to get more information about th Y.Chen or R. Fung Co. for sometime but have had no luck.
I recently heard that Vashon Island (the first built) is still in the bay area but Tangiroa later named Moses was last seen in Panama.
Thank you for the information. It’s great to hear her history.
My memory is foggy and I could be very wrong. There’s a thread on the WoodenBoat forum where Robin Fung’s son has posted. He specifically mentions the Vashon Island Cutters being built by his father. Fung built boats typically had a bronze “builder’s plaque,” but that could have been removed during the rebuild. I used to visit with Roy and Tee Jennings when they would pass through Sausalito on their Freya 39. I think Bob Tellefsen still lives in the SF Bay Area.
I didn’t know there was a thread on the WoodenBoat forum with Robin Fung’s son. I’ve got to find it. Thank you. There is no builders plate on Puffin, but as you said it could have been removed at sometime in the past.
she looks as good as you describe her, you must be so proud to own her
Yes I’ve always been proud of her. She a very strong comfortable boat.
A quick fav! (We have a Garden boat) Thanks for sharing!
Great!, what design is your boat?
Wonderful chronicle of your boat! She’s beautiful and is blessed to have you as owner. Is it possible to also see some of the interior?
There are some photo’s some
where I’ll look around and see if I can find them. Bob Darr did a wonderful job of design and build. Very confortable for a small boat.