One hundred years ago, this 30-foot gaff-rigged workhorse was a familiar sight on San Diego Bay as she hauled loads of provisions and mail to the windjammer fleet lying off Point Loma, Calif. Today, thanks to the efforts of the San Diego Maritime Museum, Butcher Boy is now back on the bay, this time serving as a fleet member for the museum.
After rescuing her derelict hull from a yacht yard in Los Angeles, the sloop is sailing after 30 years of restoration. Originally built for Charles S. Hardy to service the merchant fleets, Butcher Boy was built on the lines of a double-ended salmon boat and was constructed by Manuel Goularte. Cedar on oak, it carries 604 square feet of sail.
Throughout the summer, the museum plans to have Butcher Boy actively sailing San Diego Bay with hopes of displaying it for the Festival of Sail, Sept. 12 to 16.
