Santa Barbara Maritime Museum Logbook

by Lydia Rao

Previous Curator’s Logs cover Haida’s construction here and her world travels over the past century here.

In five years, Haida will celebrate her centennial. Originally commissioned by Max Fleischmann in 1928, Haida was designed by Cox & Stevens and built by Krupp Germaniawerft in Kiel, Germany. Launched in 1929, she made the 9,000-mile maiden voyage across the Atlantic and through the Panama Canal to Santa Barbara.
Fleischmann was an avid fisherman, and from 1930 to 1940 he took numerous fishing expeditions along the Pacific Coast of the Americas. Early on, he made a 4,000-mile trip to Mexico and the Gulf of California, and a 2,500-mile trip to Alaska. The black and white photos featured here were taken by Thomas Bascom Garland, who joined the crew in 1931. Garland served aboard Haida as the chief engineering officer from 1931 to 1933, holding a rank (and occasionally pay), equal to that of the captain. Garland’s daughter recounted that he would stash his weekly pay in his closet, tucked into his folded trousers.

Garland was responsible for all operation and maintenance of machinery, as well as overseeing the engine room. Clearly, he did his job well as the original engines are still in place 95 years later – a testament not only to German engineering, but careful maintenance and restoration over many decades. The diesel Krupp engines are the same design as those that were used aboard German submarines from World War I, and they generate an immense amount of power. The six cylinders in each engine measure more than 18” in diameter, and power six-foot propellers. Each of the two inline engines requires its own engineer, who is directed by the captain via telegraph.

Recently, after remaining available for sale for several years, Haida was again purchased in 2015. The new owner had a vision of revitalizing her to her former glory, naming her Haida 1929. The yacht underwent a thorough retrofit by Pendennis Plus, which focused on restoring her original charm while bringing amenities into the 21st century. Just last month, she spent even more time in the yard in San Diego, getting outfitted for a journey north. Today, her hull is a gleaming white, with a splash of bright aqua at the waterline, and engines to match. Much of her timeless charm has been preserved, and even some of the original navigation instruments remain in place, such as the binnacle. At 218 feet, she is still in the top five percent largest yachts in the world.

As Haida ventures up the coast in the coming months, she will once again see familiar vistas such as the
Santa Barbara Channel Islands, Central Coast of California, and coastlines of the Pacific Northwest. Keep
an eye out for her distinctive white hull and single smokestack as she cruises the Pacific – it may be
another century until she returns.

A brief video of what Haida looks like after her most current retrofit with new aqua hull paint can be
seen here . Watch her engines running here.

Black and white photos are a gift in memoriam of Thomas Bascom Garland.

Some sources below for those inclined to read more:
Merl, Risa. “Haida 1929: How Pendennis restored a classic” Boat International. Nov. 6, 2020.
Wheeler, Sessions. Gentleman in the Outdoors.
Graffy de Garcia, Erin. Noticias: Safe Haven. Santa Barbara Historical Museum, 2010.