In 1970, Libby and I went to the Marina Del Rey in Los Angelas, California to purchase the 45′ (well she was actually 56′ overall with the bowsprit) William Garden design built by Albert Seidl in Vancouver, BC Canada. She was built out of yellow cedar on oak frames and named the Illahee, which in Canadian Indian means “My home, my country, and everything that I am.” We sailed her from California to Mexico twice, and then from Mexico to Hawaii. We sailed through the Hawaiian islands and stayed in the Alawai Boat Harbor in Ala Moana. There we eventually sold her in late 1972 and she was delivered back to California. A big chunk of history is missing, but I did visit the Illahee in 1980 and visited with the new owners, and then never saw her in person again. I hope to meet her again someday. The new present owner, Brian Kenny, is in the process of restoring her to her former beauty. I know this only because he recently contacted me, to my pleasant surprise. Glad to know that she is still around and that she did not have a watery demise and visit Davy Jones’s locker.
Here are photos from when we owned her:
Wow, Kenny and Libby, that’s a whole lot of boat! Smart to have done it when you were younger….
Days of Wine and Roses… Were we really that young or did we really grow-up. Awesome Photos Kenny and Libby. I was looking at your Mom and I kept saying I should know that face. An it dawned on me it was your Mom Kenny! She was a Mother to us all… God Bless her everyday… Do you have any of the Maui pictures?
Wow — where did all that time go?
Kenny! These are the coolest pictures! Such a beautiful boat! What great memories.
Beautiful photos!! I’m sure you have a lot of great memories! Thanks for sharing this wonderful place in time!
Great pictures, Ken. My, how you two have changed over the years–haven’t we all! Thanks for sharing.
OMG!! Talk about going back in time! Was it really 44 years ago we went on that adventure! Yikes, we all look like babies! Great memories is all I can
say. The best time was Libby,Kenny, Neil and I sailing back from Mexico to Marina Del Ray, such a blast! Anyone remember going thru Shelter Island customs…………that was a trips!
Love you guys,
Patty
Kenny
My name is Marcus Seidl, a son of Albert Seidl, who originally built the ILLAHEE. My parents passed the link to you website on to me and my brother David, as we both sailed on Illahee in the late 60’s together with our parents and 2 sisters, Pia and Patty. David and I are currently the Chief Officer and Captain on board the Norwegian tall ship STATSRAAD LEHMKUHL from Norway. It was wonderful to see your photos, and hopefully one day we will be able see the ILLAHEE again.
With best regards,
M. A. Seidl
Wow….I have only one grainy photo of the days we lived on the boat before we moved to Ensenada harbor in Mexico. I will have to dig it out.
I will never forget the trip across the Pacific and the amazing feeling when the big island broke through the clouds.
You never mentioned that I was with you too. It was truly an amazing experience, I will never forget til the day I die.
Wow. These pics really bring back a lot of memories. I lived on the Illahee in Ala Wai Harbor in 1976-77 after she returned from New Zealand. She returned to Vancouver under her owner from most of the 70’s Ernie Rushworth. He then sold her and I saw her in Marina Del Ray in 1986. Lost touch until now. Will let Keith Randle of Newport Beach know of these web pages. He has lots of history on her through the South Pacific coming up from New Zealand. Can’t stand the pics of her without the bowsprit!