Schooner Hoshi

[sailorwill88]

Looking for current whereabouts of Hoshi, last reported in 1911 undergoing restoration in Brest. Sailed on her and her sister ship, the Brixham trawler Provident, with the ICC out of Salcombe around 1958-1862. Both wonderful classic ships but Hoshi was my favorite! Provi is apparently now based in the Clyde and cruising the Hebrides.Where is Hoshi?

 

[clyst]

Are you sure you have the dates correct ?

 

[john_morris_uk]

I assumed they were typos when I approved his post.

 

[sailorwill88]

yes the dates I mentioned are correct. I am getting old but my memory still works!

 

[sailorwill88]

Oh sorry, that last date should be 1962!

 

[KompetentKrew]

Looking for current whereabouts of Hoshi, last reported in 1911 undergoing restoration in Brest.

And for this one I guess you intended 2011?

 

[penfold]

Schooners don't beat well but can travel through time.

 

[zoidberg]

I have some fond memories of 'Hoshi', out of Salcombe..... of finding us allocated the comfortable stern cabin and a half-bottle of brandy cached away under the pillows.... of getting up the mainmast to a secure perch and spending 2-3 hours there.... of cleaning and polishing the brass bell.... of helming on a dark night when the dolphins came, leaving streaks of phosphorescence like twisting torpedoes.... and the lady skipper, 'H'.

 

[sailorwill88]

And for this one I guess you intended 2011?

Yes, sorry! Must have been half asleep when In posted.

Schooners don't beat well but can travel through time.

Obviously so does my mind!

 

[sailorwill88]

I have some fond memories of 'Hoshi', out of Salcombe..... of finding us allocated the comfortable stern cabin and a half-bottle of brandy cached away under the pillows.... of getting up the mainmast to a secure perch and spending 2-3 hours there.... of cleaning and polishing the brass bell.... of helming on a dark night when the dolphins came, leaving streaks of phosphorescence like twisting torpedoes.... and the lady skipper, 'H'.

For several years starting I think in 1958 Hoshi had an all-female crew: skipper Judy Russell and mate Verity. Those two ladies could and did sail her on their own if needed. Learnt a lot from them, including the disgusting shanty "Green 'n' Yeller"! The rest of us were just helpers.

 

[Bajansailor]

I remember Des Sleightholme (a former editor of Yachting Monthly) often writing fondly about Hoshi (I think this means 'Star of the Seas', in Japanese?) - I think he was her skipper for a while (?)

 

[sailorwill88]

Yes he skippered both, although in my time he was chiefly in charge of our beautiful 6 meter Bermuda-rigged cutter Nicolette. Sadly I never sailed on her. Several years later she was rammed by a French trawler somewhere off Ushant and sank. At least one person died in that incident but I am not sure if Des was skippering her on that voyage.

 

[dombuckley]

Nicolette was a 24-ton gaff yawl, designed by Fred Shepherd and built in 1912. Bill Purser was her skipper when she was sunk; three off-watch crew members were caught below and died. JonA of this parish was ship's cook aboard her at the time, and did a write-up of the incident a couple of years ago.

 

[penfold]

Link to the relevant thread.

Nicolette was a 24-ton gaff yawl, designed by Fred Shepherd and built in 1912. Bill Purser was her skipper when she was sunk; three off-watch crew members were caught below and died. JonA of this parish was ship's cook aboard her at the time, and did a write-up of the incident a couple of years ago.

View attachment 157956

 

[Greenheart]

Not sure why Hoshi came to my mind this morning, but I have to ask again, where is she now?

Why, when the vessel bears such a singular name, is it not possible to find a single recent photograph, or nowadays more likely a video of this wonderful old schooner?

I could believe she's not in commission - she might be just mouldering up a creek in a mudberth awaiting a rich restorer.

Seems odd to me, to be told she is in regular service with a popular group encompassing varied crews, yet is somehow never captured in pictures or film.
.

 

[zoidberg]

Oh, the wunders of t'internet...!



This pic taken of a print sat on a shelf here. I had another print framed and presented to my club, the TRSC, which hasn't got a round tuit.... presently gathering dust and cobwebs tucked behind some stacked chairs in a storeroom.

 

[Wansworth]

My worst carrera move was not getting a job at the ICC back in 1972

 

[Wansworth]

And there is “Vigilant” another Brixam Trawler restored in Littlehampton and began sailing again after rebuild in the early 1970s

 

[Greenheart]

Hmm. Amusing and ponderable, but are we even a fraction nearer to knowing where Hoshi is?

I read (and re-read repeatedly till it fell apart) the August 1989 edition of Yachting Monthly, which featured a very nice account of Hoshi's career, till then.

I've seen nothing of Hoshi, since. How can such a pretty lady be that camera-shy?
.

 

[dombuckley]

Seems odd to me, to be told she is in regular service with a popular group encompassing varied crews, yet is somehow never captured in pictures or film.
.

Here's some film of her setting off on the 1964 Tall Ships Race

I have a couple of photos of her in the late 90s (when she was painted cream rather than green), but they are on "wet" film, which I haven't yet digitised. I'll post them when I get the chance.

There are also photos of her undergoing a total rebuild a la "Tally Ho" on the Chantiers du Guip website. Admittedly they are quite old (Morwenna is in the background, which was relaunched in 2015 after a 10 year rebuild), but the metadata suggests they were uploaded in 2022. So it is likely she has been sitting in the back of the shed being slowly worked on while more lucrative jobs take priority.