12 CLASSIC BOAT MAY 2015PAPA 1
LOA
56ft (17m)
LWL
46ft 7in (14.2m)
BEAM
13ft 6in (4.1m)
DRAUGHT
7ft 8in (2.3m)
SAIL AREA
1,750sqft (161m^2 )
DISPLACEMENT
77,784lbsPAPA 1
moves the boat efficiently with an assist from a Max Prop.
Finally, she was dressed in Dacron and set loose to
romp the bay for a validating sail for Steele and his team.
Their goal, of marrying together a perfect hull with the
schooner rig, exceeded all expectations and every sail
since the first has been an acknowledgment to the design.
Her 42 tons allow for effortless, graceful movement
through seas. When the boat comes about, she does so,
steady and confident, without hesitation or antics.
She hadn’t been sailing her local waters long when an
art director called, inviting Papa 1 to star in the Tom
Selleck movie, Sea Change. At the time, she was painted
white trimmed with a papaya’s orange and green hues.
Steele’s offspring felt the colours were too “girly” so
when the movie man said, “You’ve got the job but you’ll
need to repaint the boat,” they scored a victory. Brown
paint covered the bright while Papa 1 served as home for
the bad guy in the movie. After the project, she was
painted again, a toned down version of her tropical self.
Her brush with fame did not end there. She was hired
again by Hollywood as a crew-bonding platform for the
William Hurt version of Moby Dick.
Two years running she was invited to participate in
the Halifax Tall Ships race. Another invite took her to
the PEI Around the Island Tall Ships Race where she
sailed with the Pride of Baltimore and other beauties.
Steele enjoys testing his boat in races but adheres tothe gentlemen’s rules; he likes to win but more than that,
he enjoys a great sail. During the 2014 Antigua Classic
Regatta, with steady winds of 25-30 knots, blown sails
and broken gear were the talk of the harbour but none
of that drama unfolded on Papa 1.
Her crew experienced a few waves over the bow;
little spilled in over the gunnels. She charged around
the course, holding her own each race with the main,
fore, staysail and just one of two jibs; the three
topsails had the week off.
Papa 1 can easily keep a large crew busy but Steele
rigged her to sail short handed which he and his wife
Mady do routinely in Nova Scotia, the Caribbean and
the waters in between. Jib and main sheets lead to the
cockpit to highly efficient winches, all within easy reach.
For a relatively new boat, she carries an old soul,
evident in every aspect from bow to stern; perhaps
passed down from the legendary Bristol Channel Pilot
Cutter or a bit of Lunenburg lore built into her. But
more likely, her timeless spirit comes from Steele’s
expertise of crafting dozens and dozens of traditional
vessels. Papa 1 has allowed Steele to experience all that
he enjoys. “I love sailing,” he acknowledged. “I
certainly enjoy living aboard but I really love designing,
building; the process. I didn’t do it for the purpose of
something – like a trip. I did it to build the boat.”
And what a boat he built.Top, left to right:
Marguerite T;
Papa 1 ready for
fitting; newly out
of the shed.
Above: Papa 1
featured in the
movie Sea Change1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12CB323 Papa1.indd 12 24/03/2015 13: