1929 MOTORYACHT ACANIA

COMPLETE REFIT

ACANIA is a 126-foot diesel-powered twin-screw motor yacht built in 1929 at the shipyard of Pusey & Jones in Wilmington, Delaware. Designed by John H. Wells, she is a prime example of a vessel from the “Golden Age of Yachting”. Not to be confused with her 136-ft sister-ship, also named ACANIA (later named MARIE) our ACANIA is easily identified by her graceful fantail stern. Marie on the other hand is 10-feet longer and features a canoe stern.

ACANIA privately traded hands multiple times in the 1930s, at one point quietly belonging to the famed sliver screen actress, Constance Bennet.  During WWII she was commandeered by the Navy for use in the South Pacific and was later operated by Stanford Research Institute.  She was also part of the TIGHAR Expedition searching for the wreckage of Amelia Earhart.  In a later ownership, the foremost knowledge of Humpback whale research was conducted aboard.  In the 1990s and early 2000’s she fell into a state of disrepair and was eventually moored in a muddy slough North of Seattle; there she sat for many years before being discovered by the current owners.

Our journey of discovering ACANIA’s history and identity has taken several years.  Through the assistance of our project historian, we have obtained photos, construction drawings, personal accounts, as well as pertinent artifacts.  Our keel-up restoration has spanned several years due to the complex nature of the restoration, addition of various modern machinery, and the owner’s meticulous attention to detail.  We have elected to take our time getting the details right, as well as make certain alterations to the original design in the interest of comfort, usability, reliability, and serviceability. However, the core project principle is to honor ACANIA’s past while securing her future.

CURRENT STATUS:

ACANIA’s exterior is largely rebuilt, and much of her major machinery is onsite. The next phase of her story will be perhaps the most critical, the design development and execution of her interior.