In Seattle we have known for some time that Neil Young’s 101’ Baltic topsail schooner W.N. Ragland was for sale. She is moored out on Bainbridge Island in the Sound, awaiting her next assignment. I enjoyed this profile of her in the latest issue of Yachting, in which her unique aesthetic is described, aptly, as “Haight-Ashbury-hippie-pad-meets-Swiss-Family-Robinson-treehouse.”

Although, I am actually more interested in Young’s other classic, Meteor, which is now up in Port Townsend. Meteor was designed and built in Seattle by Jensen Boat Co in 1938. It is a kind of a wild boat, very streamlined and styled like something out of Metropolis. The boat is often described as having been “ahead of her time,” but thats not actually true in most ways. Lots of runabouts were designed with that streamlined, double-ended look in the 20s and 30s, probably inspired by Gold Cup speed boats of the 1920s like Baby Bootlegger. The credit for that style really goes to George Crouch, who designed Bootlegger and similar boats. Unfortunately, I don’t think Jensen really looked at Bootlegger’s lines; if they did they would have realized that the point in the stern was actually just to carry the rudder post aft of the planing surface, and that there was a step that the stern rode on. Meteor was originally designed with a double-ended planing surface, which didn’t exactly work out. Those “wings” were added to correct the design defect. 

Still, it is a stylish boat, and I like that. So is Ragland, and I especially appreciate yachtsmen with such diverse tastes. Way to go, Neil.