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The Illahee: 1970-1972

The Illahee: 1970-1972

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:

DSC00576 DSC00577 DSC00578 DSC00580 DSC00581 DSC00582 DSC00586 DSC00587 DSC00588 DSC00589 DSC00590 DSC00591 DSC00592 DSC00593 DSC00594 DSC00595 DSC00596 DSC00597 DSC00598 DSC00599 DSC00600 DSC00601 DSC00602 DSC00603 DSC00604 DSC00605 DSC00606 DSC00607 DSC00608 DSC00611 DSC00613 DSC00615 DSC00617 DSC00618 DSC00619 DSC00620 DSC00621 DSC00622 DSC00623 DSC00624 DSC00625 DSC00627 DSC00628 DSC00629 DSC00630 DSC00631 DSC00632 DSC00633 DSC00634 DSC00635 DSC00636 DSC00637 DSC00638 DSC00639 DSC00640 DSC00641 DSC00645 DSC00647 DSC00648 DSC00649 DSC00650 DSC00652

February 26, 2014 Shell

10 Responses to The Illahee: 1970-1972

  • Bill DeMent February 26, 2014

    Wow, Kenny and Libby, that’s a whole lot of boat! Smart to have done it when you were younger….

  • Steve Smith February 26, 2014

    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?

  • Anita Johnston February 27, 2014

    Wow — where did all that time go?

  • Andrea Bowman February 27, 2014

    Kenny!  These are the coolest pictures!  Such a beautiful boat!  What great memories.

  • Bob Camacho February 27, 2014

    Beautiful photos!! I’m sure you have a lot of great memories! Thanks for sharing this wonderful place in time!

  • Dan Robertson February 28, 2014

    Great pictures, Ken.  My, how you two have changed over the years–haven’t we all!  Thanks for sharing.

  • Patty February 28, 2014

    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

  • Marcus Albert Seidl March 11, 2014

    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

  • Maggi Pier March 16, 2014

    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.

  • Gordon Fischer April 27, 2015

    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!

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