“We lucked out,” Sea Scouts Skipper Adam Mollwitz said about the Scouts acquisition of the Phoenix, a 62-foot Corbin Twin Diesel Steel Pilot Boat that will call Martinez its home port.
What he calls luck, was more like an amazing quirk of fate. The Scouts had wanted to buy that boat before the All American was donated to them in 2017.
“We would have been broke,” Mollwitz remarked. “Recently we noticed that it was for sale again for half the price, and two weeks ago Deanna (wife) and I went to Bodega Bay to take a look at it.”
Mollwitz said when they talked with the owners, it became clear that they were motivated to let go of the boat, but they did not realize until that moment, that the Martinez Sea Scouts are a non-profit organization to which they could donate the Phoenix. At that point, they offered to donate it to the Sea Scouts.
Mollwitz said a survey (boat appraisal) was required by the insurance company, so had to wait for that. Then the weather changed and stormy conditions in the Bodega area and along the coast caused another delay. He said that he, and all of the Scouts are anxious to bring the Phoenix to Martinez, for sure before Christmas.
What makes the Phoenix great for training is that they will be able to take the boat out many more days, giving the teens much more on-the-water experience.
“In winter I think we could go out at least once a month, and in summer, at least two times or more,” Mollwitz enthusiastically commented.
He said they plan to sell the All American, and figures they can break even on it. The teens have learned a great deal about boat repair and maintenance working on the impressive All American 85-foot yacht, but Mollwitz is looking forward to them honing their skills on the water.
The Phoenix has more deck space for training, and will not require as many adults to supervise the operation of it.
The All American was a fixer upper when they received it, and Mollwitz says the Scouts learned a lot by restoring it.
Because it is too large to be birthed at Martinez. Mollwitz says it has been kept further up the Delta, and it requires four adults to take it out so they have not been able to use it as much as he had hoped.
