The Cangarda is a luxury steam yacht built in 1901, at the Pusey and Jones Shipyard in Wilmington, Delaware. In the late 19th and early 20th century, huge fortunes were made prior to US income taxation. Opulence in homes and yachting reached a peak; many small private steamships like Cangarda were produced in the US, Britain and Germany for the very wealthy. However, Cangarda is the only surviving US-built Edwardian steam yacht and one of only three of her type remaining worldwide. After years of service in roles from opulence to indignity, the yacht sank in Boston Harbor in 1999 in poor repair, but has since been restored at Richmond, California for use as a private yacht and periodic museum ship.
History
Cangarda was named as a combination of the last names of the original owners, Michigan lumber mogul Charles Canfield and his wife Belle Gardner. In 1904, George Taylor Fulford, a wealthy member of the Canadian Parliament, bought the boat and renamed her Magedoma, which was a combination of syllables from the names of his wife and children The boat was docked at Fulford Place, his mansion nestled on the banks of the St. Lawrence River in Brockville, Ontario, Canada. After Fulford's death in 1905, the yacht remained in the family and in 1927 his wife hosted the Prince of Wales, The Prince George, and the Prime Ministers of both England and Canada, Stanley Baldwin and William Lyon Mackenzie King respectively, on board. During World War II, Cangarda was donated by the family to the Royal Canadian Navy, to be used as a training vessel. After the war the ship was returned to the Fulford family, but in poor condition. The ship was sold to Frederic Burtis Smith who lived aboard for many years at Rochester, NY, His efforts to preserve the old yacht and carry her into a time when interest in old things was growing can be credited with saving the vessel. But she slowly went into disrepair. In the early 1980s an attempt was made to restore her. The ship was disassembled in Boston and an effort was made to rebuild the hull, but the project failed and in 1999 the gutted hull sank in Boston Harbor. These efforts preserved the interior and machinery for later use.
Present day
In 2004, after years of efforts by historians and yachtsman, Jeff Rutherford of Richmond, California began a full restoration, funded by Marin, California resident Bob McNeil. The Cangarda’s original hull and keel required rebuilding, so it was meticulously measured including laser scanning. New hull sections were reverse-engineered, using modern welding techniques, with the help of Geoff Molnar, rather than the original rivet style of fastening. The original steam machinery was reconditioned and reinstalled with all new service piping by Steve Cobb and Pete Jordan. The existing 1911 Almy boiler was replaced with a modern, code, automated, forced draft, oil fired boiler. Both masts are new as are the decks. In addition, much of the elegant Victorian interior was reinstalled, using the original Cuban mahogany woodwork. The new, reconstructed Cangarda was completed in 2009. The Cangarda made a historic trip back to Brockville, Ontario – its long-time home – to the delight of local inhabitants from June 4–5, 2011. Tours of the yacht were available during this time to members of the public with all proceeds going to The Friends of Fulford Place – a volunteer group that raises funds for the restoration of Fulford Place National Historic Site. The Cangarda returned to Brockville June 14–16, 2013 to take part in the . The TALL SHIPS™ 1812 Tour is a Pan Provincial event that travelled throughout Ontario during the summer of 2013, commemorating the bicentennial for the War of 1812. 16 ports participated in this event which was produced in partnership with the TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE™ Great Lakes 2013 series. , Connecticut, in October, 2010.
