Kingston's Hanley Spur: Francis MacLachlan's Sail-Training Vessels

Thursday 22 April 2021

Francis MacLachlan's Sail-Training Vessels

This week's Whig-Standard obituaries noted the setting sail of the soul of a man well known in Kingston sailing circles. On Sunday, April 18, 2021, Francis Arnold "Skipper" MacLachlan, loving husband, father, and grandfather, set sail and disappeared over the horizon one last time at the generous age of 95. Francis was born on January 5, 1926 in Kingston, Ontario. Entranced by sailing ships and all things naval, Francis joined the Canadian Navy in late 1945 and thus was too late for battle (to his disappointment). Still, with the Navy he steamed across the Atlantic to do cleanup in England. Returning to Canada in 1946 (aboard the RMS Aquitania) he completed a Mechanical Engineering Degree at Queen's University (1949) and then returned to England, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, and earned a Degree in Naval Architecture (1951). With a Newcastle colleague and friend, he founded a boat-building firm (while working as a draftsman in the Newcastle shipyards) and designed and built a series of highly competitive racing sailboats.

Returning to Canada he took a teaching job at Queen's University and continued with boat building. In 1953 the first of three square-rigged sail-training ships designed by Francis, The St. Lawrence II, was launched in Kingston. The St. Lawrence II originally worked in the service of the Sea Cadets but by the early 1960's had moved on to serve a wider community of youth in the Kingston area. Two sister ships Pathfinder (1963) and Playfair (1973) were commissioned by a new Toronto based organization, Toronto Brigantine, to expand youth leadership training out of that end of Lake Ontario. These ships, two still in operation today, have over 150 combined years of operation and have enriched the lives of thousands of people--many of whom acknowledge Francis as an important mentor and inspiration.

Two views of the St. Lawrence II under construction at Kingston Shipyards (above and below - posted to Tall Ships Expeditions Canada Facebook group).

His drawings revealed Playfair to be once again similar to her two sister-ships, St. Lawrence II and Pathfinder. Maintaining the same (brigantine) rig, the hull was made slightly longer, with a fuller stern and more freeboard, resulting in a vessel of slightly higher displacement of 45 tons. James McConnell and Francis MacLachlan atop the Playfair in a 1973 news clipping:

Dragging the Playfair out into daylight:

James McConnell photo of Playfair's launching. Note Anglin-letter buildings at left:

The St. Lawrence II was constructed at Kingston Shipyards, launched on December 5, 1953. The Pathfinder's keel was laid on Nov. 10, 1962 also at Kingston Shipyards. Launched on May 6, 1963 she was captained by Maurice Smith, noted Kingston marine historian, author and curator emeritus of the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes. The Playfair, with Pathfinder docked astern, was christened by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip during a royal visit to Kingston on June 27, 1973 (two views, below). With the Kingston Shipyards closed three years earlier, Playfair was launched at Canadian Dredge & Dock, sailed to Toronto and her construction completed there. The hull and deck were completed, the interior steel transverse bulkheads were in place, the engine and generator had been installed, and much of the electronic wiring was in place. Total construction costs totalled $230,000.