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The Cle Illahee is a medium to heavy built yacht using materials that for
the most part were native to the Puget Sound area. Oak frames were used
throughout. The planking is of straight grain Port Orford Cedar with galvanized
square boat nails used as fastenings. The exterior and interior of
wheelhouse and cabins are mahogany. The decks are Alaska yellow cedar. It is interesting to note that over the years when planks were replaced, the
galvanized square nail fastenings were still in great shape. In fact, they
are extremely hard to remove from the oak frames. This speaks well for
fastenings that are now 71 years old.
We have a survey of hull and machinery done every four years and have kept any new wood planks added, true to the original specifications. The boat has not been altered in any way and as far as we can tell is in keeping with the original intent of designer and
builder.
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The Cle Illahee is on its fourth engine. The original engine was a 6 cylinder
Sterling Petrol engine. The second engine was a 8 cylinder inline Chrysler
Royal. The third engine was a Chris Craft marinized 327 small block Chevrolet V-8.
14 years ago we re-engined using a 6 cylinder Isuzu diesel engine with a 2 to 1 reduction gear and a 22 X 16 four blade equipoise propeller. The current engine configuration will cruise the boat at a comfortable 8 knots and uses 1.8 gallons of fuel per hour. A top speed of 10 can be attained if the owner is in a hurry.
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Here in the Puget Sound area we are fortunate to have some of the best protected cruising waters available anywhere in the world, which can be used on a year round basis. A typical two month cruise will take us North into the U.S. San Juan Islands, on into the Canadian Gulf islands and on up the coast into the Desolation Sound area. There are many choices of places to see and things to do. If one prefers solitude, there are many fjords and coves available where you might not see another boat for days. If a more populated area is your preference, then there are many choices where you can tie up for the night with all the ammenities. We prefer the out of the way places where you can explore abandoned indian villages, canneries, etc. Its always a thrill to drop the anchor in an isolated cove...look around and be able to see whales, bears, eagles, seals, and otters in their natural habitat. We have cruised Cle-Illahee for 27 years and are still able to find new places to explore thats why we keep coming back |
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After owning the Cle Illahee for many years, we were fortunate to find the original carpenters certificate at the Western Regional National Archives building in Seattle. It was retained along with other early Coast Guard records. The certificate is signed by Vic Franck Sr. who was the owner of the company as well as the master carpenter on the project. We believe this type of document is can be difficult to find for a vessel that was built so long ago. |
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