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NORTHERN LIGHT

Sparkman & Stephens · Henry B Nevins Inc City Is NY

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About this yacht

NORTHERN LIGHT’s pedigree is hard to question – a pre war 12 Metre from the board of Sparkman & Stephens and built by Nevins; her beauty is effortless and so is her charm. She has all the power of a 12 but is somehow less brutal than the later boats yet arguably just as potent. She has been a survivor throughout her 77 years but most dramatically when she was rescued from the bottom of a lake in Michigan in 1984. She spent 2 winters there being put back together before being sailed to Newport in 1986. She is USCG certified for 13 passengers and 3 crew. Realistic offers will be properly considered. Meanwhile lying at Newport Rhode Island, she is well placed for the 2019 12 m World Championship.

Key details

Designer
Sparkman & Stephens
Builder
Henry B Nevins Inc City Is NY
Date
1938
Length overall
70 ft 3 in / 21.4 m
Length deck
70 ft 3 in / 21.4 m
Length waterline
44 ft 11 in / 13.7 m
Beam
11 ft 10 in / 3.6 m
Draft
8 ft 10 in / 2.7 m
Displacement
27.6 Tonnes
Construction
Mahogany over cedar planking
Engine
Westerbeke 55D-four 2003
Location
USA
Price
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Specification

Specification section 1 History
NORTHERN LIGHT was built in 1938 as a 24th birthday present to Alfred Lee Loomis Jr. from his father as enticement to keep his young son from going on his grand tour to Europe. Later under the ownership of the Greek shipping tycoon, Stavros Niarchos, as NEREUS she was involved in the America’s Cup in 1958 for the defender COLUMBIA and then again in 1962 and 1964. After her cup service, she ended up in Pentwater, Michigan and participated in local racing including the famous Chicago - Mackinac Race. In 1984, her owner fell into arrears with his boatyard payments; the boatyard taking ownership, then for a lake surge to occur impaling NORTHERN LIGHT on a piling and sinking her.

The late Bob Tiedemann purchased her in a blind bidding offer to the boatyard. After spending 2 winters in Michigan replacing the steel floors with bronze, rebuilding the rudder, scarfing 16 ft of Sitka spruce on her original mast and replacing some bottom planking and painting topsides and bottom, she was re launched. In 1986 Bob and crew brought her back to the east coast to Newport, RI, where she has been offering private charters since.

NORTHERN LIGHT’s original interior had been removed during the late 1970s. Her current configuration is open with a navigation area, galley, cushioned settees and a private head; ideal for chartering and racing. She is very competitive and has won several regattas including the Classic Yacht regatta held annually in Newport, RI and her class in the Edgartown Yacht Club 12-metre regatta. NORTHERN LIGHT was placed tenth in the Classic Division in 2001 in Cowes during the World Championships and second in the Vintage division in 2009 in Newport RI.

The bow of NORTHERN LIGHT is clearly visible while chasing GLEAM in the famous black and white Rosenfeld image “Flying Spinnakers” taken in the late 1930’s in Long Island Sound, New York.

The owner has two volumes of scrapbooks and the original set of blue prints.
Specification section 2 Construction
- Carvel double planked mahogany and cedar on white oak frame with silicon bronze fastenings
Specification section 3 Accommodation and domestic equipment
- Open layout with double berth port side in aft section
- Navigation seating/desk area starboard side
- Galley on port side with sink, stove, reach in ice box and cabinetry
- 2 x settee berths on port and starboard
- Head to starboard with Skipper WC
- Forward open for storage
Specification section 4 Rig, spars and sails
- Spruce mast and boom
- Wooden spinnaker pole
- Stainless flat rod and stainless standing rigging
- Hood main sail with cover in off white with smaller cut panels
- 4 x Jibs with covers; #1, #2, #3 and #4 all off white with smaller cut panels
- 6 x Spinnakers of various configurations
- Navy chute; fairly new
Specification section 5 Deck layout equipment and ground tackle
- Anchors and chain
- All winches are the original bronze by Henry B. Nevins
Specification section 6 Mechanical electrical and tankage
- Westerbeke 55D-four 2003
- Offset feathering propeller
- 12 V Electronics
- Pumped fresh water
- 30-40 US Gallon fuel tank
- 20 US Gallon fresh water tank
- 15 US Gallon holding tank
Specification section 7 Navigation, communications and electronics
- Magnetic steering compass
- GPS
- VHF radio
Specification section 8 Safety
- Fixed fire system in engine space
- 10 to 12 person flotation life raft
- 16 adult PFDs and 2 child PFD’s
- 2 man overboard life rings
Specification section 9 Restoration and refit
1984 -1986
- Robert Tiedemann purchased NORTHERN LIGHT in her sunken condition and raised her
- Removed the mast and stabilized her on land
- Replaced the steel floors with bronze
- Re planked areas of the hull bottom
- Rebuilt the rudder.

1999
- Modified ring frames installed

2002
- Forward section each side of the hull bottom refastened with bronze fastenings

2003
- Bottom refastening completed

2013
- Rudder post area rebuilt
- New gudgeon shoe cast and installed
- Rudder stripped and faired

2017
- Some topside planks replaced in addition to two hundred fasteners
- Topsides faired and primed for painting this year

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