London im Winter 1934 / 1935: Frederick Shepherd M.I.N.A. ist in den 30-er Jahren des letzten Jahrhunderts einer der international beachteten Yacht-Architekten in England. In seinem Büro am Piccadilly erhät er von W.R.S. Bond ´Esquire, einem Mitglied des Royal-Thames-Yacht-Club, den Auftrag für den Entwurf einer repräsentativen Yacht. Bis zum Frühjahr 1935 zeichnet er den 67 Fuß Schoner mit einem gerade sehr in Mode gekommenen Whishbone-Rigg. Eine große Anzahl der originalen Konstruktionszeichnungen sind bis heute erhalten!
Frederic Shepherd
MILLER & SONS
St. Monance Schottland 1935: Die Werft Jas. N. Miller & Sons Ltd. ist seit über 200 Jahren im Familienbesitz und sehr bekannt für ihre seefesten Fischereischiffe. Sie übernimmt den" auf Kiel.
ELLA ist der Beginn einer Reihe von 27 Luxusyachten, welche die Millers in St. Monance in der Folge abliefern. Große Beachtung findet die Werft unter dem Namen "Miller´s of the Clyde".!
LLOYDS REGISTER OF YACHTS
Miller´s Werft am 20. Juli 1935: Nach nur einem halben Jahr Bauzeit tauft die Gattin des Auftraggebers Mrs. Ella Bond das gerade fertiggestellte Schiff auf ihren eigenen Vornamen. ELLA erscheint im gleichen Jahr im Lloyds Register of Yachts. Mit eingebautem Diesel-Ã?l-Motor und elektrischen Lampen ist sie sehr modern ausgestattet und erhält die höchste Sicherheits-Klassifizierung. Taufe, Stapellauf und Ablieferung der schönen Schoner-Yacht sind ein wichtiges gesellschaftliches Ereignis im kleinen St. Monance. Der Clyde Observer berichtet darüber in seiner Ausgabe vom 27. Juli 1935!
At Solent 1936 - 1938: ELLA´s first Owner Mr. W.R.S. Bond;Esquire participated under the flag of the Royal-Thames-Yacht-Club on the races of the COWES WEEK . We find ELLA on the list of results on good ranks and much to our pleasure also at the Archive of the world known Yacht-Photographer BEKEN OF COWES. The taken photos from the years 1936 and 1938 show us, that ELLA was slightly modified already shortly after her delivery: she received instead of the tiller with a rope steerage at the deck house, a wheel operated rudder gear on the aft ship and lost her Wishbone spread gaff for a bigger Fisherman-Sail between the masts. This changes have been kept until today! About ELLA's fate during the years of the war we unfortunately know nothing. In any case the still young vessel with its war important metal of about 18 tons of lead ballast was untouched..
BEKEN OF COWES
Glasgow 1947: Mr. Robert Dunlop sr. is Commodore of the Clyde-Cruising-Club. The Whisky-Producer is Owner from 1947 to 1952. He chooses for the Schooner the name of the Celtic Druid-in VELEDA. From the Family of the Dunlops we were made aware that the letter of the old names remained in the new name! Travel journals of the Yacht are found at the Club-Journal of the Clyde-Cruising-Club. Through the Caledonian canal and Loch Ness the vessel sailed for example through the North Sea to the Norwegian coast and into the Oslo-Fjord. It is self-understood : The excellent Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky GlenDronach is still part in the board-bar in different vintages!
GLEN DRONACH
VELEDA
Olympische Spiele 1948 in England: As a Representative of his Club Dunlop visited the games. With shots of the - still on board - Canon of the VELEDA some of the olympic sailing races have been started. We keep the tradition of shooting whenever we can!
Southampton 1952: For family and health reasons Dunlop sold the Schooner. New Owner of the VELEDA is H. J. E. Smith (Origin: Lloyd's Register of Yachts).
Argentine Republic of the Netherlands 1958: Owner is Dr. A. Van Hall (Origin: Lloyd's Register of Yachts)
Schottland 1972: Owner is Major A. E. Pieckwoad, DFC (Origin: Lloyd's Register of Yachts)
VELEDA
Cowes 1974: Owners is Mr. R. V. Tailor (Origin: Lloyd's Register of Yachts).
Under the entry VELEDA the Schooner gets again photographed and into the Archives of the Yacht-Photographer BEKEN OF COWES.
ISLE OF WIGHT
Isle of Wight 1975: Registered Owner is Mrs. J-D. B. Lacon and her Captain Mr. Mike McMillen. He makes the Yacht the following years to his cause. The vessel gets technically up to date and the Forepart and the Pantry were renewed. The remaining Interior fortunately is left untouched - at this times a lucky case! Skipper Mike realizes the signs of the time and sails now with paying guest on all seas.
OPERATION SAIL
New York 1976: The USA are celebrating the 200 years anniversary of their Independence and inviting Sailboats for a gathering from all over the world OPERATION SAIL is celebrated at New York one of the biggest such events at that time. This event starts a tradition still being served of Sailboat Meetings under the Name –SAIL– .With skipper Mike the VELEDA does participate. The lumber trader Wolfgang Friedrichsen from Hamburg, Germany is a very excited guest on board at this time and is becoming Owners of the vessel.
HAMILTON
Hamilton / Bermuda 1978: The owning Company Maritime Sailors Bermuda Ltd. is registered here. Under Skipper Mike the VELEDA is employed in charters mainly in the Caribbean. Shareholder Friedrichsen takes the Schooner for the first time to Germany.
Hamburg 1979: Excited Sailors and farsighted Thinkers come together to support the remain of traditional sailing ships and classic Yachts. A scene of such people is developing; In Hamburg for example the Club Museumshafen Ovelgönne is founded. At Bremerhaven the Schiffergilde (Guild of Skippers) taking care of old ships; those are now also considered as maritime goods of culture.
OVELGÖNNE
Wolfgang Friedrichsen
VELEDA is accepted with open arms at Hamburg. Supported by different Crews, Friends and Supporters the Owner Wolfgang Friedrichsen undertakes extensive trips in the Baltic and during the following years on a complete round the world voyage.
Hamburg 1985: After 50 years registration at Lloyd's Register of Yachts the VELEDA is registered now in the Deutsche Schiffsregister (German Ship Register) and received the Call sign: – DAKV–. Around the Skipper Knut Kähler a new group of owners has been formed. Again Friends and Supporters taking care of the vessel and its condition. In June 1986 the Schooner again commencing a long and extensive trip into the Caribbean and Brazil. Guest and Friends of the Skipper join for the voyages later 1988/90 via Panama, Galapagos and Polynesia to Hawaii, then –1990/91– via the Marshall Islands, Guam, Borneo to Bali, from there finally via the Seychelles and Maldives into the Gulf of Aden ( Today a dangerous area with Pirates),and into the Red Sea and through the Suez-Canal to the Mediterranean Sea..
DAKV
Malta 1995: After the perennial Round the World voyage it is necessary to put the ship here into a shipyard.
VELEDA is offered for sale and is sailing under different crews in the Med and is returning finally in October 1996 back to Hamburg.
Harburg, Kohlenschiffhafen
Harburg 1997 / 1998: The Schooner has been laid up at Hamburg and requires a general reconditioning. Because of heavy Ice and a very strong Winter and a frozen and consequently burst sea chest the Yacht did sink twice at her berth at the Kohlenschiffhafen. Although many parts of the vessel had been taken ashore, two recoveries and the water did leave heavy traces.
Harburg, Kohlenschiffhafen
Arnis an der Schlei 1999: Knut Kähler wants to sell. Again a new Group of Owners taking the vessel into their heart and starting at Arnis later at Flensburg with the much needed restoration and repairs. The original parts made of Mahogany of the interior have been documented and had only very little damages. They have been taken ashore and stored and did await the restoration. At the Shipyard of Eberhard / Strüwen broken frames of oak tree have been replaced and the whole structure of bottom and deck been overhauled.
Harburg, Kohlenschiffhafen
Bremerhaven 2002: The Restoration did require a long breath – and was continued at the Fischereihafen at Bremerhaven. More work and required funds made it necessary to reform the group of owners. Not without trouble the project was continued. A complete new technology was installed, Riggs and Superstructure costly repaired. After a thoroughly made Restoration the Mahogany Interior was put into place again, without any changes to the original settings. Earlier made rebuilding were changed again into a condition as per the the original plans.
Harburg, Kohlenschiffhafen
Bremerhaven Juli 2005: The Restoration is completed. A fine, almost in original condition brought Yacht does receive exactly 70 years after her launching again her Christian name: ELLA ! A reason to celebrate! Todays Skipper Rainer H. Krampitz and the new founded and registered at the German Ships Register Group of Owners treating the Schooner Yacht since then in the spirit of the original Miller's-Yard description as a private "PLEASURE SHIP". With her traditional Call sign DAKV the ELLA has Bremerhaven as her home port and carries a ship safety certificate for Yachts.
Nord- und Ostsee 2005/10: At her home sailing area the ELLA is today condition one of the very few classic Cruising-Yachts still in original shape and condition. Under the flag of the Schiffergilde-Bremerhaven e.V. the ELLA participates on various maritime events and classic races. The races of the Freundeskreises Klassischer Yachten, the gatherings of the Classic Week and the events around the Kieler Woche or the SAIL are part of the annual tour plans as the extensive trips of the owners to destinations Denmark, Sweden, Norway and obviously along the German coastlines.
Bremerhaven 2010: The 75th Anniversary of our Grand Dame ELLA was celebrated under the Motto: "She's looking younger than ever". It did commence with a festive Start Reception at the quay of the Schiffergilde at the Neuen Hafen at Bremerhaven with a lot of Guests, which somehow did relate with the story of the Schooner Yacht ELLA and showed their solidarity. With the participation on the 2nd Edition of the Classic Week, together with over 200 classic Yachts, a Summer voyage to Denmark the events around the SAIL – Bremerhaven 2010 did complete the celebrations. 75 Years after her launch the ELLA is in good condition. Continued efforts to keep the vessel this way of the Owners and their Friends and Supporters will ensure that this will remain in the future. The History and the stories about the Schooner-Yacht ELLA can be written further on . . .