[Marian Claire]

The MC has had two POs. In the mid 60s R Shaw began building her in Raleigh NC. RS had grown up on the NC coast and survived the lean times by living on a 17 ft sailboat he built. He would harvest oysters, crab, whatever and trade for potatoes etc ashore. The MC was his seventh and largest boat. At the same time another man D Timothy was planing to build the same boat. He had purchased plans from Charles Wittholz. One day as DT drove thru a Raleigh neighborhood he recognized the lines of the boat taking shape. He stopped and that began a long friendship. They worked together on the boat for the next 7 years and she, then the Martha Kay, was launched in 1972. After 20 odd years RS decided he was to old to use the boat and DT's wife decided she would purchase her for DT. And she was renamed the Marian Claire. DT did most of the nice wood work you see on the interior of the boat. He also did some upgrades to the 1965 A-4, EI, electric fuel pump. He dreamed of taking her south and to the Bahamas. Life got in his way and he never made it that far.
Thru a strange twist of fate, thats another story, Linda and I became the third owners. DT had one stipulation when he sold her to me. He made me promise that when I sold her I would make sure the new owner would take care of her. I had the privilege of meeting RS before he passed away and DT, RS and I swapped pics and stories from original construction to my rehab. I kept DT notified during my trips south and after his death his wife told me how much he enjoyed the E-mails.
Last spring as I made my way back from the Abacos I anchored at Allans Pensacola Cay. There is a signing tree there, a place to leave remembrances of boats, crews, trips etc. On a ribbon I wrote "IMO R Shaw and D Timothy owners and builders of the S/V Marian Claire"
Dan S/V Marian Claire