53' Sparkman & Stephens – Skylark

1937 53' Yawl Restoration

LMI was engaged to manage and implement this project and began with locating, evaluating, surveying and trucking from Florida of SKYLARK to Portsmouth RI in March of 2003.

We embarked upon a substantial restoration, essentially from the lead keel up, of a very miss-shapen, partially rotten or broken hull and deck structure. The interior, a portion of which being original 1937, was carefully removed along with the “gutting” of machinery and systems. Shipwright work began with stabilizing the existing structure, removal of multiple frames and planking, and lifting the hull off the lead keel. Working from lines plans and construction drawings, the original S&S design hull shape was reformed at each station with temporary ply bulkheads – thus the hull work could begin in earnest.

We outsourced the coach roof and butterfly hatches, and the original masts and booms were stripped of their white paint in readiness for a varnished finish. Back at the boat, cabin soles, engine beds and the bulwarks are laid out and installed, also the bronze hanging knees and chain plates were going back in. The original furniture was being stripped, rebuilt, stained and finished.

Skylark had some odd changes to her interior layout likely during the seventies, together with a S/S bowsprit, pedestal steering and lopping 4 feet off the boom. We re-established and installed the interior very closely to Olin’s original arrangement. Together with new electrical and systems, a new engine, V drive shaft and strut where installed. The new cabin top and hatches fitted prior to a fallow period and subsequently ownership was transferred to Joe Dockery, managed by Simon Davidson and the considerable carpentry, cap rails, boom construction, interior detail, varnish, deck hardware to a finished yacht by Seth Hagen and East Passage Boatworks, and paint work by Diversified Finishes of Bristol.

Skylark was then sold to Tara Getty, shipped to S. France and currently establishing an enviable racing record.

As you scroll through the photos you will see the sequence of how Skylark’s rebuild came together under the primary guidance of noted shipwright Dan Roten with Kevin Roux, Christian Dutton, James Thompson and Marty Dever. All bronze work by Syd Janes.