grounding of the IRVING JOHNSON @ Channel Islands Harbor

[Robert]

NEWS UPDATE: 3/24/05 8:30 pm
The Irving Johnson is FREE!!! Over 100 of our volunteers were present as the Irving Johnson was successfully towed to deeper water where she was reported "floating well on her lines". She is being towed into Channel Islands Harbor where a more detailed assessment of her condition will be made in anticipation of moving her to Ventura Shipyard as space becomes available. Additional information will be posted as it becomes available.

SPECIAL NOTE:
"THANK YOU" to all who have assisted, offered to help and/or have been so supportive during the past several days. Your time, efforts, words of encouragement and contributions are sincerely appreciated.
Our TopSail Youth Program continues its sails on the Exy Johnson (the Irving Johnson's sister ship). We look forward to the successful return of the Irving Johnson to join the Exy Johnson in our mission of service to youth.

http://www.lamitopsail.org/

[Mark Prouty]

How did the disaster get started in the first place?

Rich

The 315 hp Caterpillar V8 Diesel engine quit on the 90-ft brigantine just as she was about to enter the safety of the breakwater. Nobody was hurt, but everyone aboard had to jump into the 56 degree water to be rescued.

[Rolf]

The Irving Johnson is one of two exact ships built here in San Pedro by an organization to help troubled youths. They are most often sailing around the LA harbor or over to Catalina ( A kid on watch saved a diver floating out to sea off Catalina from the Irving about a year ago).

My sailing buddy's yacht club (King harbor) chartered the Irving 2 weeks ago for a daysail, which I foolishly passed up. Luckily it will now be possible to go again! A good friend of our family is a writer for People magazine and has been trying to pitch a story to the mag about the construction of these fine ships. For Christmas he gave me two posters from the LA maritime museum of the ships, one a detailed blueprint of the guts of the ship.

His pic was in the recent issue with Bruce Willis on cover, because he is covering the M Jackson trial. Name is Ron Arias. I'm supposed to take him sailing on the Mac soon, which I have already hyped to him past couple of Christmas dinners. Maybe I can get him to do a story on macs (haha).

Rolf

[udannlin]

another report says the diesel engine was working fine when this happened. Apparently it struck an uncharted sandbar formed during this last storm and could not get itself loose.

[udannlin]

This is one of two ships of its kind. The other is called Exy Johnson. They are named after a well celebrated couple in the sailing world. Exy and Irving Johnson (the people, not the boat) have circumnavigated 7 times around the world and taught sailing to thousands of kids. Irving passed away in 1991 and Exy, his wife, just recently died at the age of 95 this last november. There is a brief tribute about them in the new Cruising World Magazine.

[mermaelee]

I teach science at Banning High in Wilmington. I take 60 of my students (little rascals) on those ships. I have been four years in a row on the topsail ships. This will be our third year to use the Irving Johnson. It is speficically designed to accomodate 30 kids each boat. The sailing experience greatly impacts and improves my job of teaching these students. They become team-work oriented and feel a sense of family with the crew and ships. Especially after our weeklong trip to Catalina. I love to learn about the rigging and see the kids cook and clean and walk around the roomy ship like they are little ambassadors on a mission to see the world outside their busy city. I am so relieved to see that it and the other students survived the whole ordeal. It really is a safe and wonderfull program. Thanks to everyone on this board for their concerns.
Ben Welch (Mermaelee is the Mac26x of my wife and I)

[Frank C]

. . . The sailing experience greatly impacts and improves my job of teaching these students. They become team-work oriented and feel a sense of family with the crew and ships.

Thanks, Ben. Nice to hear from "horse's mouth" that a program adds good value.


My Father-in-Law lives in Ventura, just up 101 from a bunch of you guys. He saw the ship afloat this week after being towed to a shipyard in Ventura Harbor. Just received his following message about the Irving Johnson.

Irving Johnson is now at Ventura Harbor - Actually, the way she was floated was pretty clever. The crew built a berm on the beach which essentially 'reflected' the incoming waves back to the hull; this kept lifting and pushing her back out.

I didn't notice a great deal of damage-the port-holes were all boarded over as the waves broke most of them. From reports-quite a bit of water inside and damage to the electronics, but nothing of a fatal nature-indicated some may be salvage-able after drying out???? I believe there are reports of some minor openings in the hull along the keel, but some will have to be evaluated once she is hoisted out.

[Catigale]

On historical ships

Through our kids school I have met the skipper of the replica ship Half Moon, an 85 foot replica of the ship that Henry Hudson sailed up the river that now bears his name (Hudson, not the skipper)

See Half Moon

The ship sails up and down the river and is used for historical education

Skipper invited me on board this summer for a sail! Ill keep you posted

The ship is featured on a History Channel series on Discovering America - sorry about this, the Hudson epsiode aired last night!

Catigale

[Captain Steve]

I was in Ventura Harbotr today and saw the Irving Johnson at the dock. the crew was aloft repaining and replacing a lot of rigging. Also at the entrance to Channel Islands Harbor there are now 2 floats warning of shoaling, in the spot where she went aground!