Roy Mac Keen on Boat Hull Numbers

One of the first requirements for Cabotcraft Industries was to purchase the ‘reverse image dymo labler’ necessary to affix a permanent ‘carving mark’ in the hulls of the Cabot. As the majority of our market was export, it was absolutely mandatory to have this mark. BOLD VENTURE #14 has one so it would be illogical for #15 not to have one. It may be that some owners illegally filled in the number for cosmetic reasons.

The oval brass plaques were not introduced until mid production and were affixed to the aft cockpit just below the main sheet traveller where it could best be seen at a Boat Show. No other competition had them at the time. This little plaque would not have qualified as an identification marker as a carving mark for boats of all nations must be permanent.

More to come on this shortly. Roy and I are working on a piece that brings together information from various emails and attempts to increase the accuracy and scope of this information for all owners. (KD)

Hull #14 Bold Venture

July 2007. Just received this picture of Bold Venture, now owned and being sailed in Antigua by Jan Johansson. This was also first owned by Roy Mac Keen, who led the team at Cabotcraft Industries back in the late 70s. Glad to have Jan in contact - and Bold Venture. I think there is another pic of BV posted on the blog, but the two Jan has sent are current and in better light.

Here's Jan's quick summary of travels so far. It started in Antigua on June 1, 1999. I left for Sweden, stopped at the Azores and England before going through the Kiel Canal into the Baltic Sea and KALMAR, where I stayed 2 years working on the boat and raising money.

I left Sweden Holy 2001 together with a Swedish girlfriend and sailed to the Mediterranean through the Kiel Canal, Bay of Biscay and the Straits of Gibraltar. We stayed one winter in the Mediterranean and then continued to the Canary Islands where I worked for two years.

I left Las Palmas (Canary Islands) single handed in January 2004 for Cape Verde Islands, across the South Atlantic to the Brazilian Archipelago of Fernando de Noronha, Salvador, Rio de Janeiro and then on to Buenos Aires, Argentina and many other places.

I left Brazil again in November last year (2006) for the West Indies where I am now working on St. Barth."