Leo Sampson Goolden, a boatbuilder, sailor, and writer from Bristol, England is rebuilding the historic 112-year-old sailing yacht, the Tally Ho. The 48-foot yacht was designed by Albert Strange and built in West Sussex, England.
Tally Ho History. The long, varied history of the 48-foot yacht begins with Albert Strange (1855-1917), a well-known designer of cruising yachts of the day, with classic quality sought by sailors and builders around the world. His designs and writings on the subject contributed significantly to the evolution of seaworthy yachts. He was a sailor from a young age and had a number of noteworthy trips along the east coast of England. A talented artist and writer, Albert recorded his adventures in drawings, paintings, and in prose.
Albert’s 30-ton cutter, going by the earlier name of Betty, was built in 1910 for Charles Hellyer of Brixham, England, who wanted a vessel for cruising and fishing. In 1913, Betty was sold to Lord Stalbridge, who renamed the vessel Tally Ho. Lord Stalbridge and his crew joined the 1927 Fastnet Race and won under heavy storm conditions. At the start of the race on August 13, participating vessels were faced with westerly gales and rain squalls that continued over the 7-day race. Vessels were met with the full force of the wind and big seas; much damage was suffered by the fleet and many boats turned back or had to find shelter. Only two boats were nearing the finish line, the Tally Ho and the La Goleta. On August 19, both yachts in prevailing conditions crossed the finish line with Tally Ho in the lead. The English cutter and the American designed schooner showed the world that well designed and well sailed yachts could race offshore and become sport.
There is less recorded about Tally Ho in the following decades as noted by the current owner Leo Goolden. It seems she completed more than one trans-Atlantic trip after WWII, while based in Southampton. Living on a boat was a popular option for housing after WWII and the Flutter family spent a year or more cruising on her. Later in 1967, New Zealander Jim Louden set sail with Tally Ho from England to head home via the Panama Canal. He sailed single-handed to Rarotonga of the Cook Islands, where he paused to accept a charter request. Sailing to the island of Manuae, 120 miles northeast with only a young lad as crew, they waited for dawn; as they slept, the current carried the yacht onto the island and the surf lifted and drove her onto the coral reef. She was eventually dragged off the reef and was towed the 120 miles back to Rarotonga. As she came off the reef, she rolled and was dismasted and lost her rudder and bowsprit. She was repaired over a period of years, during which time she changed ownership. She later found her way to the West Coast of America via Tahiti and Hawaii.
After reaching the Oregon coast, she served as a fish boat under the name Escape, fishing for tuna and salmon out of Brookings, Oregon. During her 10-year ownership between 1977 and 1987, Dave Olson sailed some 20,000 miles with her twice to the Marquesas, to Tahiti, and frequented Hawaii. When it was time for Dave Olson to move on, a new owner could not be found and the yacht languished in Brookings Harbor for several years. In 2008 the Port of Brookings sold her at auction to a local fisherman and shipwright, Manuel Lopez. Manuel set out to restore her and did extensive work on the hull, unfortunately he died in early 2010.
Rescue Plan and Restoration. In January 2017, the Albert Strange Association embarked on a campaign to raise awareness of Tally Ho, and to locate a person with the passion and resources to get her back on the water. Around the same time, the Port of Brookings declared that Tally Ho needed to be relocated by mid-February or be destroyed. Tally Ho was sold for one US dollar in June 2017 to Leo Sampson Goulden. The Albert Strange Association assisted with finances to move the yacht to a location near Sequim, Washington where her restoration began.
When Leo Goulden was asked how he felt about the project, he replied “excited and terrified, because I knew the scale of the work to be done.” Yes, it’s quicker and cheaper to build a new boat rather than restore Tally Ho, but rebuilding an historic vessel and the romance of sailing on a very old boat is what it’s all about. After 4 years of restoration of the hull, Goolden’s Sampson Boat Company and Tally Ho relocated to Port Townsend, Washington in July of 2021. A workshop building had become available in Port Townsend, in which he now shares space with other renters.
It is the goal of the Albert Strange Association to make every effort to repatriate Tally Ho to Britain after her restoration to seaworthiness. The idea of joining the Fastnet Race in honor of her original race in 1927 keeps the romance alive.
For the latest progress on Tally Ho, go to Leo Goolden’s website to view his videos and read his blogs. Goolden says the project is entirely funded through a mix of donations and advertising revenue from his YouTube channel.
Photos: Leo Goolden’s blog
