Sloop News, Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands

SloopNews.org follows the progress of building a 21st Century Island Sloop that bridges forty years of boat building in the British Virgin Islands — the first ever built on Jost Van Dyke --- celebrating the maritime heritage of the island. The sloop is named after a working sloop from the 1950's and 60's that was in active service to the island.

Endeavour II

UPDATE - March 2010 - The Keel is Poured

Another key milestone was reached in early March, led by problem-solver extrodinaire, Glen Ashmore. Thanks to several months of up-front planning in acquiring lead and shipping 'inspired' smelting tools, Glen led a team of three young men for 5 days in constructing and pouring the keel. (Keel design consulting was provided by our original naval architect.) A pick-up team of 'older' guys helped with some heavy lifting of the mold and the pour.

Preparing the Mold for Pouring	The Finished Keel

January 2010 Update

Shipwright Chuck Handy has made great progress in finishing the deck and nearly completing the gunnels during his visit late in 2009. We really appreciate his high quality work and dedication to the project. This Winter we will be hosting a keel installation team to take one more step forward while Chuck is off sailing in the Far East. Chuck also gave us an informed look ahead at the work that remains to launch. Taken altogether, there still is a good bit of work to do, but our way forward is clearer. We continue including youth workers as we head down the 'home stretch' of completing the sloop. We are now developing our post-launch plans for Endeavour II, an icon of the island's maritime heritage, to become a platform for both sail training and marine environmental studies.

Click here for the Progress Archive

How Did the Project Get Started?

The Elders developed preliminary sketches of an island sloop. Ivan Chennery reasoned that the boat should be at least 30 to 32 feet so as to serve the intended purpose: sail training for the children, racing, and some day sailing. Vancieto George came up with a change to the rake of the stem to make her sleeker. Baba Hatchett concurred, as he spent years sailing on classics and wants her to look as fast as everyone hopes she will sail.

Orlando Martin presented the group with research on the names of all the old sloops and their owners and proposed that the new sloop be named after one of them. Abe Coakley came up with the need to build a cradle to pull her up the beach and keep her safe during the off-season and all agreed this was a real necessity.

Claudius Callwood and Mark Morris supported the idea of a new sloop as being beneficial to the island’s future both in terms of the youth and the visitors who are always keen to learn about the cultural heritage of the island.

Traditional Lines are maintained in our sloop, but we are building the sloop using modern methods so as to teach today’s skills and tool use — building a new class of island sloop that captures the old sheer and above-water shape, combined with a slicker bottom in order to achieve a fast, better handling sloop. This will also minimize future maintenance while capturing the classic design of island sloops. A Naval Architect in Nova Scotia has provided the base drawings based on the sketches created by the elders.

Support from Our Friends Is Critical to Our Success!

We appreciate the support from many individual and business owners who share our vision of honoring the heritage of the maritime challenges of Jost van Dykians over the past 200 years. Our more prominent donors for the construction of Endeavour 2 are recognized here. Our need for support, continues, of course.

Funding and support for this web page has been pledged by Conch Charters Ltd. at Fort Burt Marina, Road Town, Tortola.

Early Funding of $4,000 in materials for hull construction have been committed by Island Marine Outfitters Dennis MacDonald who has been attending meetings on Jost Van Dyke during the design and development stage.

HiHo's Andy Morell hands over a check for $1,000 to get Endeavor II's Sail Cloth Fund started.

St Thomas Yacht Club members Pat Bailey, Chris and Evelyn Nye accept a Thank You Plaque made from an off-cut from the stern of Endeavour II. The STYC hosted a fund raiser at the club on July 22nd, 2005 with hundreds of members showing up in support. A shipment of bronze rod was also donated by Chris for the stem and deadwood bolts. Evelyn is heading up sail development along with Nick Bailey who has offered to come back into sailmaking to help the JVD 32 project.

Volvo Penta USA has offered to supply the auxiliary engine. The commitment was sponsored by Brian McDonnell of McDonnell Marine in New England. The serial number will be registered as an educational engine in Volvo’s master system, so that no matter where the sloop goes, her service and support will be easily tracked by any Volvo dealer.

Living and working on a small island is a special experience, especially for the folks at Necker Island. They have come on board this project with a significant donation to complete funding for the sail. Our thanks to the Necker staff – and we look forward to sailing their way in 2007!

Back in 2003 at the germination of the idea to build a wooden sloop, the Corinthian Yacht Club of Marblehead, Massachusetts held a fund-raising, fun-filled Wooden Boat Regatta that netted over $13,000 to elevate the idea into a reality! Their early support and enthusiasm provided a critical boost to the project and the foundation for attracting additional support and local involvement.

Just in time for the 2007 holidays, our Island Sloop Project received a wonderful Christmas present from one of Jost van Dyke's well-known friends, singer and songwriter Kenny Chesney, in the form of a donation to our project. The reigning Academy of Country Music's Entertainer of the year, Mr. Chesney is a frequent visitor to Jost van Dyke, where he is welcomed by the many islanders he has befriended over the years. References to the island and its residents often pepper his song lyrics, conveying Chesney's affinity for this special community. Mr. Chesney's gift is the largest single contribution to our Island Sloop Project and will allow us to continue construction on Endeavour II pushing us further toward launching of our JVD 32 Island Sloop!

Many thanks to Jim Kelley and www.onlinebvi.net for providing us with support (see the video clip under March 2008 sloopnews updates) and for helping to pitch in with fundraising efforts for other JVDPS environmental projects! If you love the BVI, check out this new site for some great videos!

Project funding is being coordinated by the Jost Van Dyke Preservation Society. JVDPS is registered in the BVI as a non-profit corporation and is dedicated to the preservation of the culture and heritage of the islands. Host and JVDPS Chairman Foxy Callwood and Secretary Bruce Donath have expressed the Society's ongoing commitment to fund the project through donations of materials, labour, and cash. They will be seeking the support of all interested parties, whether it is labour, materials or funds. Contributions are always needed to complete Endeavour II and keep it maintained. Click here to visit the Donations page at JVDPS.org to get more information to make your donation.

Endeavor's design updates those of the old Tortola Sloops like the retired Esperanza

Sloop News will be updated periodically with progress reports. Please check back to watch progress on this island sloop project!

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