1951 John Alden - Design No 882
''Ciara Madeline'' was designed by the noted naval architect John G. Alden of Massachusetts. Built by the esteemed Abeking & Rasmussen shipyard in Lemwerder, Germany, she is a steel-hulled auxiliary sloop/ cutter, measuring 44’7” in total length with a length on deck of 44’7”. Her beam is 11’8”, and she has a draft of 5‘5”. Her frame is steel ribbed, with flush welded 3/16" plate steel. Her deck was originally teak, later replaced with 1" thick marine grade plywood overlaid with 1/4" thick fiberglass/ epoxy matrix and painted with beige nonskid paint. Cabin flooring is original cork treated with coats of clear polyurethane. Her cabin top is framed with steam bent oak frames and ceiling is of stripped mahogany, layered with fiberglass and epoxy resin. Her cockpit is of large plank teak and mahogany as well as is her cabin structure. Her spars are all original boxed sika spruce, brightly varnished, as is her original spinnaker pole. The outside of the hull is painted dark blue, however originally white while she sailed as "Steel Away" and "Alibubu IV". Her rigging is all original with original marinized bronze winches and fittings throughout. She is a 7/8 fractional Marconi rig with original roller furling jib, independent of her forestay which makes rolled headsail changes quite easy. The auxiliary power is provided by a 62 horsepower Beta Marine BF2803, 5 cylinder diesel engine. The interior retains her original woodwork and equipment, with the exception of upgraded electronics, stove, and refrigeration. She also includes her original teak wheel, varnished to the brightest finish.
Ciara Madeline is now a USCG Coastwise Documented Vessel having first satisfied the requirements of the Jones Act. Seeing as she’s a foreign built vessel, she had to go through the process of public notifications and hearings for approval to carry passengers and cargo for hire. She actively cruises and can be spotted on grand sailing adventures through the Great Lakes, more specifically Northern Lake Michigan and Northern Lake Huron. She is currently owned and operated by Richard D. Smith, since 2017
Specifications
Alden Design Number = 882
Hull Material = Steel
Number Built = 1 of 1
Length on Deck = 44'7"
Waterline Length = 32'9"
Beam = 11'8"
Draft = 5'5"
Displacement = 28,900 lbs
Ownership History
Original Owner
Vessel Name: Alibubu IV
Owner: Jack Aron
Location: New York, NY
Years of Ownership: 1951 - Unknown
Notes: Originally christened as ''Alibubu IV'', she was built at the Abeking & Rasmussen Shipyard in Lemwerder, Germany, in 1951, to a design by John G. Alden, by then already a well-known designer of sailing ships. She was built for Jack Aron, New York, NY, owner of J. Aron & Company New York, and was berthed in New York. It is believed she was sailed across the Atlantic Ocean on her own keel.
Second Owner
Vessel Name: Lafda
Owner: Unknown
Location: Unknown
Years of Ownership: Unknown
Notes: There is evidence on the vessel she carried this name at some point in her lifetime, however I have found no documentation confirming this period of her life.
Third Owner
Vessel Name: Steel Away
Owners: William G. Talmage and Anne T. Talmage (Garland T. Riggs (Daughter, Attorney-at-fact, Executor of Estate to William and Anne))
Location: Succasunna, New Jersey
Years of Ownership: Unknown purchase date - August 10, 1990 bill of sale to new owner
Notes: She was sold to William G. Talmage and Anne T. Talmage, renamed ''Steel Away'', moved her to an unknown location, where she embarked on the beginning stages of a full restoration. She was completely disassembled, her original 90HP gasoline V-8 was removed, her teak decks stripped and her hull taken down to bare metal, blasted and primed. Unfortunately life circumstances changed course of the restoration and forced her to be sold. I have made contact with Garland Riggs and shared pictures and stories of our ownership to let her know the vessel is still sailing the waters in all her glory.
Fourth Owner
Vessel Name: No Name
Owners: Walter C. Vliet and June G. Vliet
Location: Columbia, NJ
Years of Ownership: August 10th 1990 for $1 - March 6th 2004
Notes: She was stored at Hinckley Boat Yard in Port Salerno, FL where the owners’ sent requests for John G. Alden Naval Architects LLC. copies of the original drawings to aid in restoration. A letter was received on July 1st1991 containing drawings to which are still in our archives today. It is believed during this period of time, she was in the process of being restored and her new Beta Marine 5 cylinder diesel engine was purchased.
Fifth Owner
Vessel Name: No Name
Owner: James DeCristofaro
Location: Bridgehampton, NY
Years of Ownership: March 6th 2004 for $40,000 - Unknown
Notes: None
Sixth Owner
Vessel Name: No Name
Owners: Mike Bretl and Adam Neitzel
Location: Wisconsin Rapids
Years of Ownership: Unknown - August 11th 2017
Notes: Mike and Adam spent 5 years performing the full restoration and afterwards berthed her at the Manitowoc Marina located in Manitowoc, WI. They sailed her for 3 years in the Manitowoc area and took a trip up to Door County. It was during this time, her appearance was starting to make a splash within the Lake Michigan sailing community. To this day we are asked “Is this the same vessel from Manitowoc?”. After sailing for 3 years, she was moved back to Wisconsin Rapids, WI and put on the hard for approximately 4 years. On her boat stands next to the house in the middle of cranberry bog county, she stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the countryside. The locals called her “The Arc” after the biblical story of Noah. If there was a great flood in central Wisconsin, Mike and Adam were sure ready.
Seventh Owner
Vessel Name: Ciara Madeline
Owner: Richard D. Smith
Location: McFarland, WI
Years of Ownership: August 11th 2017 - Current
Notes: We pulled up to the cranberry farm, seeing “The Arc” under the winter cover and it was a site to behold. Here she was, this old, restored Alden waiting for her next adventure. Once we climbed the ladder and saw her for the first time, we were in love. The care and love Mike and Adam gave her was quite evident and our decision was made. The rest, as they say, is history.
