VARNEBANK
Boat Type: Custom Trawler
Owner: Ken Donnelly
Club: San Diego YC
Home Port: Ventura, CA
Built: 1965
Captain/Owner Bio
I come from the technical side of boating experience. Although I was introduced to cruising and sailing by my father when I was 14 (1960), and I have owned a few sailboats, I have always preferred the mechanics of cars, boats and planes to driving, sailing or flying. I did crew on the beautiful S&S sloop, ORIENT, back from Transpac in 1965. After college, I was trained and licensed as an aircraft mechanic (A&P) and worked as a corporate pilot/mechanic until 1978 when I was hired by United Air Lines as a Flight Engineer. During my career at United, I purchased the lovely LADYBUG, a 32 foot diesel trawler yacht from John Burnham, Sr. of SDYC. I volunteered for the Freedom/Liberty Campaign in 1982 as a grinder and electrical technician.
Favorite Cruising Destination
I am lucky enough to own a house on Vancouver Island on the water of the inland passage. As it has been in my family since 1930, I have spent countless happy summers exploring/cruising the infinite number of calm deepwater inlets. It is my ultimate goal to take my wonderful Dutch steel North Sea trawler, VARNEBANK cruising in the Pacific Northwest. Part of the attraction of Cubar is to meet the people who are from there and those who have cruised there.
Favorite Boating Experience
My pacific crossing on the S $ S sloop Orient from Honolulu to St. Francis Yacht Club. Also, the idea of actually purchasing a boat in Holland and bringing it home to Calif.
About the Crew
Christy Steinman Crawford -SDYC: I started sailing in High School in San Diego but really racing Hobie Cats off Diamond Head when I went to college. In order to come home to San Diego in 1973 I hitched a ride on Columbia 52′ called OBESSION. Little did I know that sailing and navigating would become such an Obession! From 1977 until 1989 I sailed with “the best of the best” with such people like Tom Blackhaller when we won the Bermuda Race in 1980 , navigating for Kialoa in the 1979 Fastnet race, and for Dennis Conner for 4 years where he asked me to be the first woman to sail as crew in the America’s Cup. After having children, we went cruising to Mexico and up the Sea of Cortez on a 46′ ketch from 1989 – 1991. This will be my first “big” power boat rally as we ready the boat, I am still looking for those “sails’ – just in case! We look forward to meeting other cruisers on this trip.
What’s in a Name
Varnebank was named by the man, the queens surveyor, who completely rebuilt Varnebank when it came up off the bottom of the North Sea after a fishing accident. The Varne Bank is a sand bar in the Dover straight well known by navigators in the North Sea. The British call it the Varne Bank and the Ducth call it the Varnebank. The Varne Lightship warns navigators this hazard to navigation.
Reason to Buy This Boat
Ever since I was a teenager in Newport Beach, I had admired the beautiful North Sea Trawler Yachts created and imported by Romsdahl of Norway. Searching the internet I found the Varnebank for sale, a true full displacement long range steel North Sea Trawler Yacht.
Previous Boats Owned
Numerous dingy’s, skiff’s etc.
Westsail 32′ Seva
Lady Bug 32′ Diesel trawler yacht
82′ Topsail schooner Shearwater
Interest in CUBAR
It is the people! Cruising Mexico with accomplished like minded people would be a pleasure, and as a new chapter with my first mate, Christy, who is both fluent in Spanish and cruised Mexico previously, we look forward to the passage. We have operated Varnebank as two person boat for 5 years now, and are comfortable doing so.
Boating Story
Pusser Rum needed to really recap all these stories… Look forward to the parties.