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ARION was a Sparkman & Stephens design built in 1938 by George Lawley
& Sons Corp. for Percy Chubb of Chubb Insurance. She was called a Weekender
35' and cost $5700 new. There were 39 Weekenders built and ARION was #39. One of her previous
owners said he purchased her in 1968 and had her totally restored at Elmer Dion's
Boatyard in Kittery Maine for $9000.
She was
still in demand in 1972 when she went on the market
for $13,000. She sold in a week!
The Weekender 35' was a very popular cruising racer design. ARION
had been raced
regularly with the other Weekenders in Lake Michigan and in Long Island
Sound where there were fleets of them.
ARION had many names including AMERICAN ANTHEM, TOP GALLANT and AKBAR.
Nauticals' owner Davita Nowland chose to call her ARION again because the 1968-72
owner was a friend from Marblehead. Along with stories
and pictures of good times aboard, he shared the significance of the name
ARION.
ARION was a famous poet and musician in Greek Mythology who threw
himself into the sea after pleading for his life from a band of thieves
while on
a ship at sea. But instead of drowning he was saved by a Dolphin who
delivered him safely to shore.
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ARION
Lawley
Weekender 35'
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In
1968 an
excited family awaits ARION's launch at Dion's Boatyard in
Kittery Maine. This was her first time wet since she
had been completely restored there.
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When ARION left Marblehead for her final birth at Montgomery's boat
yard in Gloucester, two of her previous owners, still in the
Marblehead area, visited Davita
Nowland of Nauticals of Marblehead to reminisce
about
her hey days.
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One of ARION's critical maladies was the rot in her sternpost and keel.
She was also hogged which means she had a broken back. That
alone is usually considered fatal.
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The last owner to sail ARION called her American Anthem. He found
her on Small Point, Maine, just outside of Bath in about 1990. She
had been in a barn there for about 13 years. Over the 5 years he owner her, he
too made substantial investments in her maintenance. Then one day he'd had enough. He hauled her out at Manchester
Marine in Manchester By The Sea Massachusetts where she sat dry docked for 3 or 4 years wearing a FOR SALE sign.
Finally a man from Rhode Island purchased and delivered her to Thad
Danielson at Redd's Pond Boat Works in Marblehead where they began a
major restoration project. Unfortunately, along the way structural problems
surfaced, putting the entire project in jeopardy.
At the same time the owner suffered a debilitating injury in a head-on
car accident which changed his priorities dramatically. According to
Thad, there was a bit of a scuffle over the residual value of the
boat. Thad eventually secured ownership free and
clear. To reclaim some of his costs he was able to salvaged the
engine and other reusable boat gear. Then he called Davita Nowland
to see if she was interested in the rest of her for Nauticals of Marblehead. The
answer was yes.
On a late October day in 2000, ARION was trucked whole to her final
resting place at Montgomery's Boat Yard in Gloucester Massachusetts.
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