I already said in a very recent post that I don’t think if they’re still building Alden yachts these days. I was completely right. Such marvels, like this one built in 1938 for General Patton in his hope for a world cruise, are not being indeed built anymore. Gen. Patton died before he could tour the world in his yacht, but the beautiful schooner remains today, fully functional.
Alden 1938 schooner
John Gale Alden (1884–1962) was an American naval architect and founder of Alden Designs, a prominent yacht design company. Alden who grew up in Rhode Island was inspired by the local fisherman and regattas and when his family moved to Dorchester, Massachusetts in 1900 the docked Grand Banks fishing schooners inspired his later designs. He have worked under yacht designer Edward Burgess and later for his son Harling Burgess, both designers for the America’s Cup.
John Gale Alden
He produced more than one thousand designs before retiring and over one hundred after that. He founded the Alden Design Office in 1909 and his design office was, by 1932, known worldwide in part due to his “Malabar” designs success on the offshore racing scene; Malabar IV won the Newport–Bermuda race in 1923, Malabar VII won it in 1926 and Malabar X won overall in 1932, with his other designs occupying the top four places. His designs have been donated by the company to MIT’s Hart Nautical Collection.
Not Malabar, but Gen. Patton's schooner, again
This post is going to be shorter than others. One more superb plan:
An Alden plan
The parent corporation to John G. Alden of Massachusetts decided in 2008 to close the Alden offices and donate the Alden design collection to MIT’s “Hart Nautical Collection”. The designs are somehow on the public domain, and one may solicit even a list of Alden yacht owners from that remaining presentation website.
(pictures used in this post are from yachtworld.com )
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Copyright © 2011 The Yacht Owner – Alden
ALDEN since 1909 gold rope blue.jpeg
NIELS C. HELLEBERG
Obituary | Condolences
Helleberg, Niels C. Of Swampscott formerly of Nahant, Boston, and Denmark, passed away peacefully at the age of 74 on February 21, 2014. Beloved father of Thomas H. Helleberg and his wife Melissa of New York, and Katrine B. Helleberg of Nevada. Adored grandfather of Mathilde Elisabeth Helleberg. Brother of Kirsten Helleberg Ruys of the Netherlands, and Birgitte Preben Hansen and her husband Jesper of Denmark. He is also survived by nieces and nephews around the globe and by Tzar, his faithful German Shorthaired Pointer. Born in Copenhagen, he served as a First Lieutenant in the Danish Army. Certified as a Master Boatwright and Navigator, he took a degree in Naval Architecture from Elsinore Institute in Denmark. He managed new construction at Hundested Boatyard prior to his emigration to Boston in 1971, whereupon he embarked upon a distinguished career with John G. Alden Naval Architects that spanned four decades. He designed classic production boats such as the Alden 44 and received awards and wide recognition for custom designs like the Borkumriff IV and the S/Y Nazenin III. His designs range from a 15 foot sailing dinghy to a 169 foot big class traditional schooner. At any scale, his work reflected his wonderful eye and his understanding of how to create a stately yacht. His contributions to naval architecture include numerous innovations and patents and his work is preserved in the Alden archive at MIT. Throughout his tenure as Chief Architect, he was a committed guardian of the designs and legacy of John G. Alden. He was an avid sailor, a thirty-year member of the Cruising Club of America, and a participant in many Transatlantic and Bermuda races. As is only fitting, his ashes will be cast to the sea from the pier at the Swampscott Fish House at 2:00 in the afternoon on Sunday, March 2. Friends and relatives are invited to attend. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Mr. Helleberg may be made to the Hospice of the North Shore and Greater Boston (www.hns.org).
Patton’s Schooner “When and If” to be Sold
Posted on October 20, 2010 by Rick Spilman
When and If
In 1939 then Colonel General George S. Patton had a 63’5″ John Alden designed schooner built for himself and his wife. Another world war was looming on the horizon and Patton said that he planned to sail the schooner, “When the war is over, and if I survive.” He named the schooner “When and If.“ Ironically, Patton survived the fighting but died in a traffic accident just as the war ended.
I have always had a hard time imagining “Blood and Guts” Patton sailing an Alden schooner. That may only reflect the limitations of my own imagination. “When and If” stayed in the Patton family until 1970 when it was donated to the Landmark School north of Boston, where for over 20 years, she was used in sail training programs for dyslexic children. (Patton himself was dyslexic.) The schooner was almost lost in 1990 when she broke free of her moorings during a November gale. After being hauled off the rocks she was rebuilt by the Gannon & Benjamin Boatyard of Martha’s Vineyard. See our previous post. “When and If” has been sailing ever since.
Interesting stuff! Shame the parent company decided to close the company in 2008 though 🙁
Hey,
Thanks! Great post you have written on “A few words about Alden”. Really I can say that your post is very informative, I’ll come across your blog again when you will update it with new.
Thanks,
Robin
Yachts in India
I like your site too, maybe we may collaborate, to exchange links for the beginning, what do you say?