2006 shipyard - notice the trunnel fastened hull planks and stout frames. photo: Los Angeles Maritime Institute |
December 12, 2018 - I am looking over the project and developing a rig restoration plan. At least she is a lot smaller than the full rigged ship Wavertree! |
Brochure advertising the building of Swift by her builder William Robinson of Ipswich, Mass. |
Originally named Swift and built in Ipswich, Massachusetts as a private yacht, Swift of Ipswich is a 70-foot wooden topsail schooner designed by Howard Chappelle and built in 1938 by William Robinson. Chappelle designed her as a reduced-scale replica of Swift an American privateer from the Revolutionary War which was captured by the Royal Navy, transported to Britain, and documented. The drawings produced from the original Swift have been used as the basis for several tall ship designs, mostly due to their completeness in an era which produced few detailed drawings (most ship designs having been scale models which have not survived intact). The original Swift was rigged as a brig, Swift of Ipswich carries a square topsail schooner rig. |
Soon after completion, Swift was sold in 1940 to actor James Cagney and transported to Newport Beach, where she served as his private yacht and appeared in numerous Hollywood films. After being sold by Cagney in 1958, Swift was used for various purposes, such as harbor tours, before being acquired by the Los Angeles Maritime Institute in 1991and renamed Swift of Ipswich. She is currently undergoing an extensive restoration to return to youth sail training in Los Angeles harbor. |
I have been hired to restore Swift of Ipswich's rigging and plan on beginning the task sometime in June 2019. I hope folks interested in learning traditional rigging stop by Swift of Ipswich and volunteer in this interesting and rewarding rigging effort. Please call the Los Angeles Maritime Institute for information on volunteering at: Los Angeles Maritime Institute Berth 73, Suite 2 San Pedro, CA 90731 Tel: 310.833.6055 General Inquiries: info@lamitopsail.org |