'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
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.