'People keep falling in love with her': 125-year-old sailboat returns to B.C. waters
Surrounded by the sailboat equivalent of friends, family, and fans, Dorothy is embarking on the journey of a renewed lifetime
“It’s the first day of the reborn Dorothy,” says Angus Matthews, a Maritime Museum of B.C. board member.
The boat is being eased out of dry dock, 125 years after her birth.
“You got to go back before the Wright Brothers flew to appreciate her age,” Matthews smiles. Back to 1897, when her plans reflected like a twinkle in the eye of shipbuilder J. J. Robinson.
“She’s probably overbuilt for her size,” says Tony Grove, a shipwright who’s spend the past decade refurbishing the boat.
The quality of her build is one of the reasons Dorothy has outlived her peers.
“She’s the oldest registered sailboat in Canada capable of sailing,” Matthews says.
She first set sail with W.H. Langley, a prominent lawyer in Victoria, who commissioned the nine-metre sloop for the small fortune of $1,800.
“Dorothy was his pride and joy,” Matthews says.
Together, Langley and Dorothy won Queen Victoria’s birthday regatta in 1900. They also experienced what became the first official sighting of an alleged local sea monster dubbed the Cadborosaurus.
“She’s had a few near-death experiences,” Matthews says.
But Dorothy is a survivor. And this trip from Gabriola Island to Vancouver Island, aboard a BC Ferries vessel, is not the first time she’s been delivered to a new home.
“People keep finding her,” Matthews says. “And falling in love with her.”
She had about a dozen owners over her first century, before making the acquaintance of the Maritime Museum of B.C., and being introduced to “the boat whisperer” in Grove.
“There was a bit of a giddy [feeling],” Grove says about being hired to refurbish Dorothy.
He removed rot and righted wrongs that threatened to sink her. “This is kind of a real privilege to work on something of this age.”
After a decade of restoration in his workshop, Dorothy has been transported to Ladysmith, B.C., where she’ll be re-introduced to the water before sailing south to host the public in Victoria next year.
“She has this wonderful history that she carries with her,” Matthews smiles, adding that Dorothy will eventually be used to inspire young sailors. “To see that sail on to a new generation is a big thrill for us.”
“If she’s looked after,” Grove smiles. “There’s no reason why she can’t be around for another 125 years.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.