❖ FIRST HOME IN 1950 ❖ ALOTOLA

ALOTOLA 
Skipper: Charles Frisbie.
Photographed in 1947 
Kenneth G. Ollar
The Brotchie Head start was 12:30 PM.
Original photo from the archives of
the Saltwater People Hist. Society©

The hungry Thirties had been hard on Northwest boat builders, but by 1935 things were definitely on the move again. Blanchard's yard had managed to keep their crew together by mass producing their popular 23-ft Knockabout. It became increasingly obvious that there was a market for a really capable sailing craft; one that not only had a fair turn of speed but one that could accommodate four or five persons for family cruising.
      Young Ben Seaborn was working as an apprentice in the yard at the time and spent all his spare moments and evenings sketching boats. From his father, he had inherited a natural gift for the development of sweet lined hulls for sail craft of many types. One day, during the lunch hour when the crew was gathered, Norman Blanchard Sr asked a straightforward question––"Why can't we build a good looking family cruiser that will really sail?"
      Ben took up that challenger and went immediately to his drafting board. In a matter of days, he came back with the plans for a sleek racer-cruiser. The boat that was to become Tolo had been born. Without delay, the lines were laid down and within a month she began to take shape. Now enter Charlie Frisbie, insurance salesman supreme. Frisbie took one long look at the boat on her cradle in the big shed––and bought her on the spot. 
      She was christened TOLA, destined under Frisbie's skilled drive to lead the Pacific Northwest into a new era. For the next five years, Charlie Frisbie and TOLA were inseparable. If anyone on the PIYA circuit had ideas of winning, he knew that he had to beat TOLA first. During WW II, TOLA was sold, as her skipper enlisted in the US Navy. 
      By wars end, Charlie Frisbie was a full-fledged captain. When he mustered out, he bought a 57-foot Alden Schooner, sailing her up to Seattle from California. He promptly christened his new love ALOTOLA. ALOTOLA first appeared at Swiftsure in 1948*. The sweet Alden sheer of her gleaming black hull, offset by a truly romantic schooner rig, made her an immediate favourite of the photographers and fans.
      By 1950, Frisbie had grown tired of just being picturesque. He wanted to win some races. With this in mind, he converted ALOTOLA to a 7/8 rig sloop. With the rig came new life. 

OFF TO THE START for the 1950
SWIFTSURE RACE,
VICTORIA, BC.
ALOTOLA was first home.
Original photo from the archives of the
Saltwater People Historical Society©

ALOTOLA was first boat home in Swiftsure 1950. Garry Horder was one of the crew. He recalls this incredible event: "ALOTOLA's crew, with the exception of myself, was made up of Charlie's cronies who had served with him in the Navy. There were commanders, captains, and at least one rear admiral, and every one of them tried to run the ship! It was a circus, but one of the happiest trips I ever made."
      Charles Frisbie was very much a part of the yachting scene wherever yachts gathered in Puget Sound. With his infectious accent, irresistible laugh, and great voice, he endeared himself to all he met. Buoyant, fun-loving, a master raconteur, gentleman, and above all, a sailor man's sailor, he was unique. To sit with friends in the spacious cabin of ALOTOLA and watch the magic fingers of the skipper as he fashioned an intricately knotted garter for the leg of the prettiest girl aboard was one of life's rare moments. His salty wit, shining eyes, and flying fingers always left some happy girl with the souvenir of a lifetime, plus memories of ALOTOLA to last forever!
       In 1959 Charlie Frisbie and his wife Betsy set out for San Francisco with the ultimate goal of sailing ALOTOLA through Panama, across the Atlantic, for a year cruising the Mediterranean. At the end of this voyage, ALOTOLA was sold in Greece. She has been reported many times since by visiting yachtsmen and still in wonderful shape, busy chartering.
      When the Frisbies returned to Seattle, they attended several more Swiftsures as spectators in their Newport motor sailer. Through his two loves, TOLA and ALOTOLA, Charlie Frisbie gave much to yachting. His name will ever be deeply engraved in the legend that is forever––Swiftsure."
Humphrey Golby and Shirley Hewett. SWIFTSURE, the First Fifty Years. Victoria, B.C. Lightship Press Limited. 1980.

1947 Swiftsure
1.  OWENS CUTTER, Chas Ross, 1st overall.
2.  DORADE, Franklin Eddy, SYC
3.  MARUFFA, John Graham, SYC.
4.  SEAWEED, Gus Gratzer, SYC
5.  ALOTOLA, Charles Frisbie, SYC.
6.  CIRCE, Ray Cooke, SYC.
7.  ANGELICA, John Locke, SYC.

*The above finishers as listed in SWIFTSURE, the First Fifty Years. Humphrey Golby and Shirley Hewett. 1980.

Hello ALOTOLA og crew in Danmark.
      
   

❖ Remembering Seattle Sailing Yacht ❖ ALOTOLA

ALOTOLA
226859 
The vessel owner, Charlie Frisbie, is aft.
Dated 1949, 
by mariner/photographer Dolph Zubick, Seattle.
Original from the archives of S.P.H.S©

 "The rest of the gang struggling the new mast onto the deck

for transport to a crane for stepping. 

This was early in my sailing days,

I was not acquainted with many of the adult waterfront gang.  

I recall some articles stating this was the tallest 

yacht mast in the PNW." Quote from Miles McCoy. 

Original photo by Dolph Zubick, Seattle, 1949, present this day.

From the archives of the Saltwater People Historical Society©.

1949 at Karl Seastrom's shop.

Original photo by sailor/photographer Dolph Zubick, Seattle. 

See identification in the following text.

From the archives of the Saltwater People Historical Society©.

ALOTOLA is receiving a new mast as seen in the following photographs by Dolph Zubick.
      "This smiling bunch are the ones that got the job done. The man on the left is Anton Peier. Anton, for many years was the head machinist for the Seattle Fire Department. He had wonderful experience and skill with metal work, casting, and machining. Most of the halyard and sheet winches and sailing hardware in the Seattle area, at the time, were made by Anton Peier.
      Second from left is Charlie Frisbie, the proud and friendly, owner at this time, of ALOTOLA, home-port Seattle.
      I believe the tall man in the felt fedora is Karl Seastrom. Karl was a woodworker of the first order--the shop was a long, narrow, old building, ideal for spar-making. Karl was noted for making helms and steering wheels for all types of craft.
      The nice man in the plaid jacket is Rudy Peier, brother to Anton. The Peier brothers were icons on the Seattle sailing scene and boat building world. Rudy Peier was the head accountant for the Fischer Flour Mill family and went on to be chief accountant/purchasing agent for Vic Franck's Boat Company. Rudy was the designer and had much to do with building the new mast in the photo as well as many other spars in the Seattle area.
     I was a crew member on ALOTOLA several times with the new rig. I do not recall any big wins during my time on board, but everyone always had jolly good times and came away with fond memories sailing with Charlie and Betsie Frisbie."
 Above text:
Miles McCoy, who has been forever sailing the breezes of West Sound, WA. He found himself in the islands to skipper WESTWARD-HO in the summer of 1950 for the beautiful Four Winds-Westward Ho Camp on Orcas. 

Below text: The Adaptable Stephens Brothers,
Wooden Boat Issue #175 page 32.
Written by Barry Ward.
"The 57-ft ALOTOLA was built side-by-side with her full sister TAMALMAR for a San Francisco businessman in 1927. She went through a succession of owners before coming into the capable hands of a Seattle yachtsman [Charlie Frisbie] who bought her in 1947, recognizing the pedigree of Stephens Bros., and designer George Wayland.
      In 1949, he converted her into the largest active racing sloop in the Northwest, giving her a new 86-ft mast and a sail area of 1,552-sq. ft. She responded by winning or placing high in many of the Puget Sound racing events of the 1950s and was named boat of the year in 1950. But distant shores were to beckon, and in 1958 she departed the Northwest on a 15,000-mile world cruise down the West Coast to Panama, through the canal to Colombia, and through the Windward Passage to Jamaica. From there, her owner sailed her to Nassau, then Bermuda, and on to Nice, France, where Frisbie was born and lived until age 16. The cruise continued to Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Greece. There a Greek yachtsman made an irresistible offer, thus ending ALOTOLA's American registry in 1960."

Mariner memory from 1959:

"Charlie Frisbie almost postponed our wedding. We went to opening day of boating season at the Seattle Yacht Club the May before we were planning to marry (in June 1959). Charlie approached Robin and asked if he would help sail ALOTOLA from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean Sea. Robin turned him down because he was getting married the next month. I thought my future husband was crazy. You don't get that chance often in my world, and a wedding could be postponed. But Robin didn't go."

Kae Paterson, Maritime Historian.

Gig Harbor, WA.

       Mr. Norm Blanchard devoted a chapter to his close friends and mentors, Rudy & Anton Peier, as well as a chapter highlighting his "silverware collector", life-long friend, Charlie Frisbie, in his book Knee Deep in Shavings, Horsdal & Schubart, Victoria, BC, 1999.

In 1981 ALOTOLA was captured by the Danes from the north.