Thursday, June 24, 2010

Windward Yachts Jolly Roger 24

While I owned Shadow Line I had a whole webpage devoted to my research about the Jolly Roger model, and the builder, Windward Yachts. Since that webpage is now defunct, I thought I would post this information here, for posterity.

Initial contact with the previous owner of my boat, John Healy, had revealed the following:
I did find a bit about it in an old BUC book (the boating world's version if the car world's Kelley Blue Book). She was built in Jacksonville Florida by Windward Yachts.  They built boats just two years 1968 and 1969. In '68 they build two Windward 30' boats; a 23'4" Jolly-Roger and a 21'6" Windward. In '69 they built only two models; a 23'4" Windward 24 and a 21' Trail-n-sail.

They list the 1968 JR as a sloop, sail, fiberglass, keel boat, outboard power; 7'3" beam; 3350 pounds weight and 3' draft.
This actually didn't jibe with me. Shadow was older (1965), and the hoist showed her clocking in at 2,200 pounds.

In October 2008, when I listed Shadow Line for sale, I was contacted by Kathy Broyles, who was an invaluable resource in providing information about the boat and the builder. In her words:
My dad, Ken Broyles, designed and built the line of Jolly Roger boats. He had a shop in Costa Mesa in the early 60's and did business under the name of "Windward Yachts" and Ken Broyles Inc.
We also manufactured a 21' weekender and a 15" day sailer. We advertised in Yachting Magazine from about 1962 to 1968. 
My family owned Windward Yachts in Costa Mesa, CA from the late 1950's through 1967 and manufactured the hand-laid fiberglass boats including a 24 foot model which he named the Jolly Roger. The closest competitive boat at the time was 'The Venture'. The emblem on the original sails was a skull and crossbone. 
My dad built the molds for these boats in our family garage in Westminster, CA back in the early 1960's. He had a shop in Costa Mesa until late 1967. At that time we moved to Jacksonville, FL for one school year and continued to build boats. (Which would explain the guy with the boat from Jacksonville). After that the business moved to Miami, Florida where in 1976 my dad and mom divorced and my dad sold what was left of the business.  
Our Jolly Roger was featured in Yachting Magazine when I was 12 and I was in the photo in the magazine ad. My dad shot all his own photos of the boats from a motor boat while my mom took prospective buyers out for "test sails". I have attached 2 photos taken about 1965-66 by my dad. My mom is at the helm of the blurry one.



Before I sold Shadow I was aware of the following boats in California:
  • Shadow Line - Hull #27 - now in Monterey, CA
  • Nuestra - probably still in Channel Islands Harbor, Oxnard, CA
  • Spam - Santa Barbara, CA
  • Ann Bonnie - Channel Islands Harbor, Oxnard, CA
  • Minuet in Sea - Vallejo, CA
I know the Nuestra was sailed around Pt. Conception by its owner while towing a dinghy, and it was a great story!

6 comments:

Oz said...

Thank you so much!
I am a single Dad (5 kids!), and we just aquired a Jolly-Roger 23 (must be a 68).
She is in the water, not quite ship-shape, but we're getting there.

A wonderful little boat.
It's first owner was a retired USN Aircraft Carrier Captain who purchased it upon retirement (served in Viet Nam), and he and his wife Dorothy spent the golden years sailing the channel islands.

I would love to find out more about the designer and history of our beautiful little boat,Dorothy II


Mike
Ventura CA

Oz said...

I have just bought a Jolly Roger 24! I am stoked, and i am trying to find info to help with the restoration. Do you still have contact with Kathy ?
Mike
805-844-1873

Paul M said...

I am working to restore a windward 21. It is a swing keel boat with a small v berth, sink, spot for marine head and quarter berths. It is titled as a 1970 21 windward and has a shield on the sail with red top left and a W in it and blue with a 21 in it on the lower right side

Stephen U. said...

I owned a Jolly Roger 24 (Razmatazz) from 1980 to 1990. She was berthed at Homestead Bayfront Park Marina (Florida) until 1989 when I got married. From there she was anchored in the free anchorage off Coconut Grove (Miami, Florida). I sold her to a guy from Savannah, Georgia in order to pay for the birth of my first child. The boat was very fast and very seaworthy. I raced her in the Columbus Day Regatta from 1987 to 1989. The last 2 years we came in 4th and 3rd place in our class. I had the pleasure of sailing her in 10 foot seas in the Gulf Stream during one winter when a cold front passed.

Zero said...

Stephen U.

I purchased a Jolly Roger that was was anchored in the free anchorage off Coconut Grove from a guy named George. I towed her to Georgia and built a trailer under the boat. George and his wife were living aboard a plywood cat right beside the Jolly Roger. Do you think it is the same boat?

Kristian malm said...

I got an old weekender 21 built in 1968 for free off of Facebook rescued it from destruction from a construction project the in Miami Florida coconut grove. It needs a keel does any one no how to fi d a keel for this boat?