Cangarda
Encyclopedia
The Cangarda is a 126 feet (38.4 m) long luxury steam yacht
built in 1901, at the Pusey and Jones
Shipyard in Wilmington, Delaware
.
In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, huge fortunes were made prior to US income taxation. Opulence in homes and yachting reached a peak; many small private steamships like Cangarda were produced in the US, Britain and Germany for the very wealthy. However, Cangarda is the last surviving US-built steam yacht in the US, and one of only three left in the world.
After years of service in roles from opulence to indignity, the yacht sank in the Boston
Harbor in 1999 in poor repair, but has since been completely restored at Richmond, California
for use as a private yacht and periodic museum ship. She will be a part-time feature of the maritime museum
at Mystic, Connecticut
.
lumber mogul Charles Canfield and his wife Belle Gardner. In 1904, George Taylor Fulford
, a wealthy member of the Canadian Parliament, bought the boat and renamed her Magedoma, which was a combination of syllables from the names of his wife and children (MAry, GEorge, DOrothy, MArtha.) The boat was docked at Fulford Place, his 20000 square feet (1,858.1 m²) mansion nestled on the banks of the St. Lawrence River in Brockville, Ontario, Canada.
After Fulford's death in 1905, the yacht remained in the family and in 1927 his wife hosted the Prince of Wales
, The Prince George (future Duke of Kent), and the Prime Ministers of both England and Canada, Stanley Baldwin
and William Lyon Mackenzie King
respectively, onboard.
During World War II, Cangarda (or Magedoma, as it was then known) was donated by the family to the Royal Canadian Navy, to be used as a training vessel. After the war the ship was returned to the Fulford family, but in poor condition. The ship was sold to Frederic Burtis Smith who lived aboard for many years at Rochester, NY, His efforts to preserve the old yacht and carry her into a time when interest in old things was growing can be credited with saving the vessel. But she slowly went into disrepair. In the early 1980s an attempt was made to restore her. The ship was disassembled in Boston
and an effort was made to rebuild the hull, but the project failed and in 1999 the gutted hull sank in Boston Harbor. Fortunately, these efforts preserved the interior and restored the machinery for later use.
began a full restoration, funded by Marin, California resident Bob McNeil. The Cangarda’s original hull was damaged beyond repair, so it was meticulously measured including laser scanning. A new hull was reverse-engineered, using modern welding techniques rather than the original rivet style of fastening. The original machinery was reconditioned and reinstalled; however, the existing 1911 Almy (coal fired) boiler was replaced with an automated, forced draft, oil fired one. In addition, much of the elegant Victorian interior was reinstalled, using the original Cuban mahogany woodwork. The restoration was completed in 2009.
The Cangarda made a historic trip back to Brockville, Ontario - its long-time home - to the delight of local inhabitents from June 4-5, 2011. Tours of the yacht were available during this time to members of the public with all proceeds going to The Friends of Fulford Place - a volunteer group that raises funds for the restoration of Fulford Place National Historic Site.
Yacht
A yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...
built in 1901, at the Pusey and Jones
Pusey and Jones
The Pusey and Jones Corporation was a major ship and equipment manufacturer from 1846 to 1959. Ship building was the primary focus from 1853 until the end of World War II, when the company converted the shipyard to production of paper manufacturing machinery...
Shipyard in Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
.
In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, huge fortunes were made prior to US income taxation. Opulence in homes and yachting reached a peak; many small private steamships like Cangarda were produced in the US, Britain and Germany for the very wealthy. However, Cangarda is the last surviving US-built steam yacht in the US, and one of only three left in the world.
After years of service in roles from opulence to indignity, the yacht sank in the Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
Harbor in 1999 in poor repair, but has since been completely restored at Richmond, California
Richmond, California
Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was incorporated on August 7, 1905. It is located in the East Bay, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a residential inner suburb of San Francisco, as well as the site of heavy industry, which has been...
for use as a private yacht and periodic museum ship. She will be a part-time feature of the maritime museum
Mystic Seaport
Mystic Seaport, the Museum of America and the Sea, in Mystic, Connecticut, is notable both for its collection of sailing ships and boats, and for the re-creation of crafts and fabric of an entire 19th century seafaring village...
at Mystic, Connecticut
Mystic, Connecticut
Mystic is a village and census-designated place in New London County, Connecticut, in the United States. The population was 4,001 at the 2000 census. A historic locality, Mystic has no independent government because it is not a legally recognized municipality in the state of Connecticut...
.
History
Cangarda was named as a combination of the last names of the original owners, MichiganMichigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
lumber mogul Charles Canfield and his wife Belle Gardner. In 1904, George Taylor Fulford
George Taylor Fulford
George Taylor Fulford was a Canadian businessman and politician.- Life and Family :Born in Brockville, Upper Canada , to a family of United Empire Loyalist stock, he was the youngest son of Hiram Fulford and Martha Harris.In 1880, Fulford married Mary Wilder White , a socialite from Wisconsin, and...
, a wealthy member of the Canadian Parliament, bought the boat and renamed her Magedoma, which was a combination of syllables from the names of his wife and children (MAry, GEorge, DOrothy, MArtha.) The boat was docked at Fulford Place, his 20000 square feet (1,858.1 m²) mansion nestled on the banks of the St. Lawrence River in Brockville, Ontario, Canada.
After Fulford's death in 1905, the yacht remained in the family and in 1927 his wife hosted the Prince of Wales
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom
Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
, The Prince George (future Duke of Kent), and the Prime Ministers of both England and Canada, Stanley Baldwin
Stanley Baldwin
Stanley Baldwin, 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley, KG, PC was a British Conservative politician, who dominated the government in his country between the two world wars...
and William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King, PC, OM, CMG was the dominant Canadian political leader from the 1920s through the 1940s. He served as the tenth Prime Minister of Canada from December 29, 1921 to June 28, 1926; from September 25, 1926 to August 7, 1930; and from October 23, 1935 to November 15, 1948...
respectively, onboard.
During World War II, Cangarda (or Magedoma, as it was then known) was donated by the family to the Royal Canadian Navy, to be used as a training vessel. After the war the ship was returned to the Fulford family, but in poor condition. The ship was sold to Frederic Burtis Smith who lived aboard for many years at Rochester, NY, His efforts to preserve the old yacht and carry her into a time when interest in old things was growing can be credited with saving the vessel. But she slowly went into disrepair. In the early 1980s an attempt was made to restore her. The ship was disassembled in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and an effort was made to rebuild the hull, but the project failed and in 1999 the gutted hull sank in Boston Harbor. Fortunately, these efforts preserved the interior and restored the machinery for later use.
Present day
In 2004, after years of efforts by historians and yachtsman, Jeff Rutherford of Richmond, CaliforniaRichmond, California
Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was incorporated on August 7, 1905. It is located in the East Bay, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a residential inner suburb of San Francisco, as well as the site of heavy industry, which has been...
began a full restoration, funded by Marin, California resident Bob McNeil. The Cangarda’s original hull was damaged beyond repair, so it was meticulously measured including laser scanning. A new hull was reverse-engineered, using modern welding techniques rather than the original rivet style of fastening. The original machinery was reconditioned and reinstalled; however, the existing 1911 Almy (coal fired) boiler was replaced with an automated, forced draft, oil fired one. In addition, much of the elegant Victorian interior was reinstalled, using the original Cuban mahogany woodwork. The restoration was completed in 2009.
The Cangarda made a historic trip back to Brockville, Ontario - its long-time home - to the delight of local inhabitents from June 4-5, 2011. Tours of the yacht were available during this time to members of the public with all proceeds going to The Friends of Fulford Place - a volunteer group that raises funds for the restoration of Fulford Place National Historic Site.
See also
- Photos of Cangarda at: www.tricoastal.com/Cangarda
- Photos of retored Cangarda being launched 2008 www.groupxk.com