Classic Yacht Papoose
now in Venice, Venezia, Venedig, Italy

wooden antique Motor Yacht, Gentleman's Cruiser, San Francisco 1930

History
This is a typical boat design of the period, the oldtimer motor yacht was launched in San Francisco in 1930 as a custom built wooden boat to Californian nobleman Frank M. Ball, by boatbuilder Harold Fish & Company. It is a Raised Deck Express Cruiser style boat of the period with plumb bow and transom stern.
The boat was designed by Naval Architect George Wayland who worked for many famous boatyards including Edwin Monk, Stephens Brothers, Sparkman & Stephens etc. The original boat plans and drawings for - formerly named Skeeter 1930 - are laying in the "San Francisco Maritime National Museum ". To compare, here is a similar Stephens boat, designed by Wayland, the Northstar II, 1928Northstar II
Papoose went to WorldWar II in 1941, at that date her registered name was Skeeter.
Right after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the owners of all San Francisco Bay motor yachts more than 40 feet long got a call: Report to Sausalito. Your boat has been drafted into the U.S. Navy.
Papoose was delivered to the U.S. Navy at Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay on Dec. 9, 1941 and she was renamed and assigned YP-118 (YP = Yard Patrol). YP,s were mostly former privately owned vessels, yachts and fishing boats, which following Navy acquisition and outfitting, served during World War II and used mostly as Patrol Boats. YP,s commonly known as "Yippies" to sailors.
It must have been about 11 in the morning of Tuesday Dec. 9, 1941when Papoose arrived, as the Navy had demanded all boats being taken arrive by 12 Noon.
Another two boats arrived that morning were Xanadu, assigned YP-117 and Pat Pending, assigned YP-119.
Within two weeks these boats had been painted Navy-Gray exterior, and terrible green interior, all over the beautiful varnished teak.
The Treasure Island Naval Station was part of the Twelfth Naval District with Commandant Vice Adm. John W. Greenslade, USN, from here Papoose was assigned to patrol out of Treasure Island, controlling the San Francisco Bay, and possibly The Golden Gate Bridge and the coastal Pacific line.		 Yp118 yard patrol
YP-118 on patrol, 1941

After the War the requisitioned boat was given back and had several different owners. In the 1960's and 70's the owner was the Hollywood Actor Denver Pyle with a STAR on the Walk of Fame, 7083 Hollywood Blvd, who played in hundreds of movies and TV Series with John Wayne, James Stewart, Paul Newman etc. in movies like Bonnie and Clyde, Maverick, Streets of San Francisco, Bonanza, Fury, Tammy, Dukes of Hazzard, Grizzly Adams etc., at that time the boat's name was VIDE III, berthed at Long Beach, Los Angeles.

Denver Pyle Walk of Fame Star Denver PyleDenver Pyle and his STAR

 

Now the boat is owned by an European boat enthusiast,HarryHarry,

in 2020 he handed her over to his friends Lothar & Helga, Lothar & Helga experienced boating people, who will take care about the boat the same way as has been done before.

Papoose is currently located in Venice (Venezia, Venedig), Italy (Italia, Italien).

In the 1950th an 60th the boat joined several 1,000 miles 'predicted log races' in the Pacific from Oregon to Mexico (a predicted log race is similar to a car rally, where you have to reach the target at an exact time - not later or earlier).

In the 1980th Papoose was moored at Pier 39 San Francisco, the foto shows the SF skyline from that period.

VIDE III classic yacht
orig. carving from the 1970's when the boat name was VIDE III

 

 


San Francisco skyline in 1980th with Papoose

Name
Her present name PAPOOSE means: - Actually, the word “papoose” is Indian, and means an Indian baby. When they refer to their babies, the Indians will say “papoose”.		 Indian Woman With Papoose
Kiowa with Papoose
Papoose layout Papoose layout
List of registered names
1930 Jasmine, project name
1930 Skeeter, designer George Wayland , boatbuilder Harold Fish & Co
1941 YP-118, U.S. Navy
1945 Skeeter
1946 VIDE III
1984 Papoose, up to the present day
Papoose logo
Video
Papoose sailing in Venice Lagoon, Video

 
Fotos
Ports
Home Port and Flag-Registry: Road Harbour, Tortola, British Virgin Islands, Caribbean
Last Port: San Francisco
Recent Port: Venice (Venezia, Venedig) Lagoon, Italy		 Papoose mast and flags
Papoose mast with Britsh Virgin Islands flag and Italian courtesy flag
Literature
The Papoose is recorded in the book Welcome Aboard, Inside The World's Great Classic Yachts by Matthew Walker, First Glance Books, 1998, as a member of The Classic Yacht Association
Welcome Aboard Papoose Page
Welcome Aboard Papoose Book
The book
World War II U.S. Navy Vessels in Private Hands
by Greg H. Williams
published 2013 by McFarland, Jefferson NC
lists the boat Papoose as "Yard Patrol Boat" with the registration number YP-118 		Williams WW II U.S. Navy Vessels
The book
Battle Starts for the "Cactus Navy", America's Fishing Vessels and Yachts in World War II
by David D. Bruhn
published 2014, by Heritage Books MD
reports about the stationing of YP-118 in the Naval Station, Treasure Island, in 1941 		Cactus Navy

Mascot
This is the little knotted "Papoose mascot bear" supposed to bring good luck and may there always be enough water beneath the keel of Papoose.

By the way: The U.S. Navy mascot is a goat "Bill the Goat"
in the 1930th it was Bill VII and Bill VIII

knotted animal bear

Moving from San Francisco to Venice (Venezia)
She was moved by Truck to the Container Port Oakland, California, from there by Container Vessel through Panama Canal across Atlantic to Genoa, Italy, from there by Truck to Venice (Venezia), Italy

Papoose arrived in Venice

unload from truck to wheel-cradle


first hour in European Water after major restore, here the dock of the repair-boatyard in Venice


Papoose loaded on Container Ship


Papoose fixed on Container Ship


Transport by Santiago Express

Major Restore
Almost 7 month major restore between June and December 2008 in Venice Boatyard and another 8 month "in water" between January and August 2009.
o renew frames, floors and refastening; renew keelbolts and refasten
o remove, repair, clean and paint three tanks and renew and modernize all plumping from tanks to the motors
o lay ca. 30 sqm (330 sqft) new teakdeck
o caulk more than 300 m (900 feet) planks with cotton and modern sealing stuff
o install coexistence 110 and 220 volt system
o install modern GPS, deep-sounder, TV
o install modern Webasto air-heating to all 6 rooms
o paint hull and underwater up to 6 layers
o built an overall cover for summer and winter
o and much more ... more restore fotos here


The Restore A-TEAM

making a new part


caulking with cotton


painting Papoose

cleaning the tanks with high pressure

 
make a model of a new floor part


cut out a new part


sample of renewed wood parts


new tank parts


teakdeck building


cover construcion

Technical Data

hull Port Orford Cedar planks on Magnolia frames
deck and superstructure and cabins solid teak
LOA 14,50 m (47")
Beam 3,68 m (12'1")
depth 1,30 m (4'3")
gross tonnage 23.80 G.R.T
net tonnage 10.86 N.T.
engines twin Chrysler Crown Marine, gasoline,
6.41 (six cylinder; 4.1 litre)
horsepower ca. 120 hp each
engines year built 1950s
engines year rebuilt 2007
tanks, gasoline three, with 1500 liter capacity (400 US gallons)
tanks, fresh water four
rudders two
anchor windlass, electrical 1500 watt
heavy metal anchor 30 kg (66 pounds)
anchor chain, metal, 50m (165 feet) 100 kg (220 pounds)
Interior  
two bathrooms with heads WC, one shower one electric, one manual WC
sleeping room one double, one single bed
saloon one sofa convertible to doublebed
wheelhouse/saloon one sofa
aft deck balkony space for table and 6 chairs
upper deck balkony space for table and 6 chairs
   
hot water engine yes
heating Webasto EVO 5500
stove and oven propan gas
ceran Hot Cooking Plate 220V yes
refrigerator yes, two
   
Electronic, Navigation  
GPS, color plotter yes
fishfinder, deep sounder yes
VHS DSC radio transm. yes
TV, DVD yes
transformer 12 V to 220 V
battery charger yes, modern automatic 40A
bilge pumps 4 automatic, 15.000 liters/hour (3800 US gallons)
power generator Honda, 220 V

 

 

 

 

 
   
   

Comments
Any comments and suggestions to this old motor yacht welcome:
m a i l @ p a p o o s e - y a c h t . c o m
website: www.papoose-yacht.com
Papoose Classic Yacht

Reference of Fotos and Videos
All Fotos and Videos from Archive Edition Munich, GmbH
Foto Denver Pyle, from The Rifleman, U.S. Western Series 1958-63
Foto Indian Woman from 1910 Cigarette Card
Foto VIDE III from Ron Burson, former boat owner 
Foto Northstar II from Classic Yacht Associaton, Photo Album
Foto San Francisco from Joan De Aragon Wilson, former boat owner
Foto YP-118 from navsource.org
Layout Sketch from Manfred Zill