After four years of diligent and skilled direction of the construction of Endeavour II Captain Kevin Gray is headed on to new adventures. The JVD Preservation Society plans to search for a replacement over the coming months and is committed to completing the boat and using it to build a sailing and environmental education program for youth.

Kevin Gray brought many important ideas to the sloop effort in addition to his boatbuilding skills including starting the youth training program, recruiting sloop design support from a naval architect, establishing the project’s web site, raising funds, and providing critical shop tools. Having committed a major part of his life to the project, he finds that it is time to focus on other interests.

We wish Kevin the best of luck in his new endeavours and we hope he’ll join us when we are able to complete and to celebrate the launch of Endeavour II!



The Project is also losing another integral member, Dwayne Donovan, a local youth who has worked on the project since its beginnings. This fall, Dwayne will begin his studies in Culinary Arts at Johnson and Wales University. We also hope that Dwayne will participate in the launch celebration for Endeavour II.



During the spring, the gravel in the shed was leveled and Endeavour II was moved back to her original place inside the boatshed behind Foxy’s. Deck beams were completed and work on the decks began.



This summer, the work on the boat will temporarily stop as we develop a new plan of completion for the Island Sloop. In the meantime, check out the picture of our rollover in the August 2008 issues of Wooden Boat magazine. We’ll have updates late this summer/fall about the project’s progress.

Fair winds! All the best to you out there in cyber space, from all of us here at the JVDPS, stop by and visit the boat or our new office on Great Harbour during your next visit to Jost Van Dyke.

Susan Zaluski
Projects Manager, Jost van Dykes Preservation Society