Felix Knauth
Brev fra Felix Knauth / 2008
"Dear Friends,
My son in ... TX linked me to your site featuring “The Black Sheep,” and it was thrilling to see her again I thought you might like to have some more history about our ten years together.
In the late 1980’s I was living in ..., California , in ....cross the Golden Gatefrom San Francisco, and I was looking for a special sort of sailboat to get me back into sailing.
Years back, as a polio child, I had sailed a lot in New England– sailing was about the only sport I manage with my braces and all. Then when I went to university in California , I did no sailing for many years. But the passion never waned. So I knew what I was looking for – a well designed, simple (low tech) boat for one or two people, offshore in safety and some comfort. I looked for a year – boats by Bob Perry Ted Brewer, Tom Gilmer – sloop or cutter – about 30 feet (so I could reef it quickly).
During that winter I visited Norway and I was enthralled by the Colin Archer concept, but I wanted something much lighter in displacement. And so one day, walking the docks in Sausalito (the big sailing center of the Bay Area) I saw “Claire” for sale - - - except that she was very run down, in terrible shape, the smell of mold was frightful. But the owner wanted to get rid of her, so we bargained the asking price down to rock bottom. I put cash on the table and he took it and gave me the pick slip. (In CA, boats and cars are licensed by the Department of Motor Vehicles, and the ’pick slip’ is proof of ownership.) I knew what I had bought, essentially a project-boat, and I knew that my big spending would start immediately!
And it did! I found a user-friendly boat yard (you can do it. we can help, and we will settle the bill every Friday). I was thrilled by the shape of the underbody and I wondered how Tom Gilmer did it. She would be a very, very good sailor – and she was that. Let’s see – rebuilt much of the deck and house – all new standing rigging, including baby stay and running back stays – cleaned up (did not replace) the aluminum mast and boom – new sails, including drifter – lots of reefing options – rebuilt engine – rebuilt wiring – installed propane cook stove – set up nav station – installed Monitor (to purchase and install the wind vane was $5,000) – installed tiny wood stove – redesigned and rebuilt double bunk in forepeak – rebuilt head - two coats of top quality paint inside and out – removed so-called lifelines, and established rule that everyone would be clipped in with a chest harness at all times. And last, set up anchors, chutes, windlass and rodes. Also Lexan shutters for the big windows and the companionway.
We renamed her “The Black Sheep”, and we were ready for the Pacific - - -
In mid 1988 we went out the Golden Gateand turned left for Southern Californiaand Mexico .
Our nav equipment was the compass, a lead line for depth, and very good charts. At the risk of sounding too self-assured, I felt really confident about my coastal nav skills and weather predicting, especially as a bed-bound polio kid I had run a weather station for years. My then-wife and I spent the better part of two years in the Santa Barbara Channel and Baja.
The learning curve was very steep and “The Sheep” was very forgiving. It was a wonderful time, and the boat’s performance was tip-top – except for one feature. To save money the Taiwanbuilders used concrete and scrap iron for ballast, so there was no room for tankage under the cabin floor. So the water tank went under the V-berth. I realized that between water and anchors and chain there was 700 pounds in front of the mast. One day we took out all the water and all the chain and anchors and went for a sail, and she did so much better. But over ten years I could not solve the problem of too much weight too far forward.
Coming home from Cabo San Lucas to .... north of San Fran is a long, hard trip, all up wind.
It took us months, getting around one big cape after another, right into the teeth of the prevailing NW winds and seas. Tired of that, in 1990 we hired a boat-moving truck and hauled her to Norfolk , Virginia , and sailed my childhood waters of New England.
We had Tom Gilmer to tea when we were in Annapolis , and he was very pleased with the changes and up-grades we had made.
In 1991 with a friend I went to Bermuda and back, and then single-handed in Maine .
1992 I single-handed Nova Scotiaand the south coast of Newfoundland .
By then I felt ready for the North Atlantic, and in June-July, 1993, with a friend I crossed from Maine to Ireland in 27 days, 2700 miles. Using the Monitor all the way, I actually steered just twice, a jibe to get around the Grand Banksand another jibe to turn east from Labradorfor Ireland . “The Sheep” behaved wonderfully – her best 24 hours was 186 nautical miles, I could hardly believe it – on a 26 foot waterline - thanks to the Gulf Stream and Tom Gilmer.
In 1994-5-6, sometimes with my wife, sometimes with friends, and often alone “The Sheep” and I went to Scotland, around the west coast of Ireland, north to the Faroes, over to Bergan, then Sweden, Denmark and the Baltic to the Aland Islands – finally, using the canals, across Sweden.
While laying over in Tonsberg, this very nice man came aboard for tea and we talked – I do not recall his name, but he told me that if I ever wanted to sell “The Sheep” he would like to buy her, and in the spring 1997, that happened.
The last picture I have of her, until I saw yours, was that lovely boat under full sail, with a Norwegian flag on her stern, heading for her new home.
Now I am 78 and my sailing days are long past, for sure – I went through a divorce, and now I am very happily married to Barbara Hand, a nationally established, artistic rug weaver. I am treasurer of a public health service for poorer people throughout western Montana. Barbara and I each have two grown children who are doing extremely well raising their families and professionally as well. My anchor is down and well set, and I feel really good about our life together here in ...... . Ah, but those ten years with “The Sheep” – they were special.
I would love to hear from you and your adventures with that great boat. Best wishes, Felix Knauth"
Etterord:
v/Odd A Ertvåg
Savnet på sjøen
Felix Knauth var tidligere eier av "The Black Sheep", og seilte båten fra USA til Europa i 1993. Den 14. mai i år dro han ut fra Monterey i en 22 fots seilbåt. Han ble meldt savnet etter at båten ble funnet drivende tom på sjøen. Han er ikke blitt funnet, og er nå erklært omkommet på sjøen.
Fra amerikanske aviser og magasiner:
May 14,2010 - 70 miles North of PR. Conception
The Coast Guard has been scouring the waters about 70 miles northwest of Pt. Conception since Wednesday night, searching for the skipper of an unmanned 22-ft sailboat. Felix Knauth, the registered owner of the unnamed vessel, reportedly left Monterey on Monday.
Felix Knauth was an experienced sailor, and was living in Montana. He had owned a ketch named The Black Sheep back in the 1980s and 90s and which is now in Norway.
In 1993 he sailed a 32-foot boat across the North Atlantic from Maine to Ireland. He thought his sailing days were past, but he heard the call of the sea again and purchased a new boat in April 2010, calling her "Rose." His last trip began with a planned sail from Monterey Bay, Calif., to San Simeon. Where it ends, we cannot know; his Rose continues to drift unmanned on the waters of the Pacific.
Latitude 38:
"My dad survived polio as a child, so he was always shaking his fists at the fates," Knauth's son Rick told us today. A meticulous planner and avid adventurer, the elder Knauth spent his life climbing mountains, crossing oceans, and helping others. "He was tremendously intelligent," said Rick, "but he always worked in the non-profit and NGO arena. He chose altruism over money."
