The Very First Cal 25 (Part 1 of 3)
Art and Scott Melendres are now the proud owners of the elusive and coveted Cal 25 Hull #1.
For years now I have heard the rumor that the Cal 25 bearing the distinction of being Hull #1 has been moored in the Naples community of Long Beach, CA. I never checked it out but recently my son Scott found it listed for sale on Craig’s List. He and our crewman Pat Graham verified that it was, indeed Hull #1. The boat’s history shows that it was originally registered in 1964. The current owner had purchased it a few years ago with the intent of restoring it. The restoration never occurred and thus she put it up for sale. We made the purchase for the sum of $600.00.
The boat is in surprisingly sound condition. The deck is solid, the fiberglass is in fair condition, and the standing rigging appears to be good. The boom was broken and the cost of replacement will probably match the cost of purchase. There is a “huge” air vent on the front deck, the purpose of which I have no idea. The vents life span is short however; it probably doesn’t know it yet.
The primary issues with the boat appear to be “cosmetic.” It is in need of a large dose of “TLC” which I am positive it will receive. I’ll keep you tuned in on how this restoration project will develop. The bottom line here is that the very first Cal 25 off the production line is found, sound and is destined to once again be “proud.”
— Art Melendres
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With all that “TLC” you have to do at least youll be able to save on sail numbers!
Best of luck on the restoration! Glad to see another one saved and out there.
758 Never Alone
I recently acquired a Cal 25 that I know is from the early era (circa 1965). I have a limited history of the boat. I know that around 1981 it was sailed from San Francisco harbor to Hawaii and back by the owner, his son and a friend. After that it made its way to Scottsdale, AZ for a few years and then on to Lawrence, KA. It is named “Dawn”, I have not been able to find a Hull number and the bill of sale doesn’t list it, there was a box checked for “boats prior to 1970 were not required to have hull numbers”. Since you were able to research your boat and find a hull number, maybe you could point me in the right direction. I hope your restoration goes well and I look forward to your continued posts.
Thank
Devin
Sorry for the delay. I just don’t go on this website too often. To answer your question, in most cases the hull number is either stamped or affixed to a plate affixed to the inside of the transom in the lazarette area. Over the years many of these have either been removed or painted over by various owners rendering it impossible to determine. In our case we were able to verify it via this method as well as the date of registration. We already had proof that hull #2 was registered in 1965. The original registration for hull #1 showed to be in 1964.