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Sea
Letter
by Katherine Eustis |
1870s The Vallejo, under a different name,
is registered in
Portland, Oregon. There are several stories
about her origin.
She was either built in Portland, built in
the East and came
around Cape Horn under her own power, or prefabricated
in
Europe and assembled in Portland.
1879 Launched on the Willamette River.
1880s Ferry service in Portland.
1890s Moved to San Francisco.
1900s Ferry service in San Francisco.
1920s 1930s Ferry Service from Vallejo to
Mare Island.
1938 Golden Gate Bridge is built. Ferry Era
in decline.
1947 Last Mare Island ferry to be retired
after World War II.
1949 Purchased with a $500 down payment by
Englishman
and artist Gordon Onslow-Ford, artist Jean
Varda, and architect
Forest Wright. (Wright soon moves on and leaves
his
one-third to Onslow-Ford.) Moored in Sausalito
and doesn’t
move again until 2000.
1958 Onslow-Ford leases his side to Dave Cole
as an
art gallery. |
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Varda built a sailboat
from an old lifeboat hull and named her
Cythera. He painted eyes on the hull and sewed
an orange-and-yellow sun on the lateen sail.
He sailed every Sunday, good and bad weather,
with his cargo of beauties and wine —
and never had mishap. People say he was magic.
(Image courtesy of Vallejo website.) |
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Even in these contemporary photos, the
fireplaces aboard the Vallejo reflect the
different personalities of Jean Varda and
Alan Watts, who shared the vessel from
1961 until Varda’s death in 1970.
Varda’s side was chaotic and colorful;
Watts’ side was simple and pristine.
Varda created collages and threw parties;
Watts wrote books and held seminars
and seances. Yet the two became fast
friends, and even co-hosted Varda’s
famous gourmet lunches.
(Photos by Danford/Campbell.)
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| Varda
Side |
Watts
Side |
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“Aborning Be,”
painting by
Gordon Onslow-Ford. (Image
courtesy of Vallejo website.) |
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