PHOTOS OF TOPSY

Blaine Bey of Victoria, British Columbia bought the slightly modi­fied Topsy

Pacific Integrity from the Center for Wooden Boats in Seattle in early 2006.

Pacific Integrity during her haul out in Sept., 2009 at the

Cowichan Bay Maritime Centre on Vancouver Island.

Rick Chapman writes:

The sloop I have is William's Topsy design, which he drew in 1937. Her builder, Albert, began construction in 1946 and launched her in 1950, naming her Octavia after his grandparents old yacht. Apart from adding a bowsprit she was as William designed her. Although the original plans are long gone I have a photocopy of the first sheet along with most of her records. After many years with the family she went through a few owners, one of which rigged her Marconi and another that gave her a full restoration in 1999.

 

A new family   purchased her around 2004 and kept her until 2016. During their ownership there were many happy trips and weekends and New-Years-Eve celebrations. Towards the end she developed a couple of rotten planks and after a brief sinking at her mooring, she was hauled out at the marina to be repaired but before any work was undertaken the fellow I bought her from walked past and offered to buy her. She had been looked after but was already 66 years old and starting to show a bit of age so they decided to let her go.

 

I discovered her last November and ended up purchasing her early this year in run down shape. Her frames are of ironbark, her planks of Douglas fir, her deck of Kauri pine and her cabin of Tasmanian oak. She is currently at my property on a cradle awaiting restoration.

Octavia in the 1950's

Fully restored and photographed in 2001.

Her current state in 2021.