Ricochet is a Kettenburg PCC (Pacific Cruising Class) fractional-rigged sloop. She was built in 1956 by Kettenburg Boat Works of San Diego (hull #21 of 24), to a 1946 design by George Kettenburg Jr. The PCC is a one-design ocean racing yacht, with full creature comforts for family cruising – suitable for the Transpac and Victoria to Maui races. She is carvel planked, mahogany over white oak, with a teak cockpit, mahogany and sapele deck furniture, and sitka spruce spars.
Kettenburg Boat Works (1928) was a premier West Coast boat builder before and after WWII. Located in San Diego Ca. KBW was founded by George Kettenburg Jr who began by building small runabouts and then sailing yachts, most notably the popular PC Class, which is still raced in the San Diego area to this day. During the 1930’s, when recreational boating dropped off, the company found new business in the construction of the specialized ‘Albacore’ fishing boat. With the onset of WWII, the firm received a contract to build ‘plane rearming’ boats for the US military. At the end of the war, George designed the PCC or Pacific Cruising Class, which proved to be nearly unbeatable on the race-course, as well as easy for a family to handle.
The PCC is regarded as one of the most significant offshore racers in the heritage of North American yacht design. In its own era, the PCC was no less famous than Sparkman & Stephens’ ocean racing yachts DORADE (1929), and STORMY WEATHER (1934). In fact, the PCC was active, some say dominant, in all major west coast ocean races post WWII through the late 1950s.
George Kettenburg Jr and his PCC’s had a strong presence, both cruising and racing, in the Pacific Northwest. George himself spent the summers of 1948, 1949, and 1950 cruising here aboard PCC’s, visiting the Royal Victoria and Royal Van Yacht Clubs, Friday Harbour, Desolation Sound, Princess Louisa Inlet, etc. There is a well-known photo of three PCC’s racing together in English Bay at Vancouver in 1950.
The original owner of PCC 21 was Lamont M. Cochran of NYC, who named the boat Compadre II. Subsequent owners named her Sothis Tahiti, Tatalina, Esoteric, Minita B, and finally Ricochet. She arrived in Canada in 2007. We purchased her shortly thereafter.
In November 2011 Ricochet sank at anchor, and was salvaged. The insurance company wrote her off and we were forced to decide at that point between abandoning or restoring this beautiful, but aged, classic sloop. We chose the restoration route.
Commencing in 2012 Ricochet underwent a thorough restoration, and extensive rebuild. The work includes replacement of all structural frames and floors with white oak and several mahogany hull planks, replacement of the mahogany transom, replacement of toe-rails and covering boards, hatches, hand rails and other deck furniture in sapele. She is completely bronze re-fastenned. We’ve restored the teak cockpit and refinished the sitka spruce spars, and replaced all the standing and running rigging. We’ve replaced the diesel engine, and rebuilt the interior, and the electrical and mechanical systems. Most of the work has been completed by myself and a few very dedicated friends.
PCC Ricochet won the 1992 PCYC (Pacific Corinthian Yacht Club) Classic – 1st Place Sloops and Cutters A.
Ricochet won the coveted Spruce Cup at the Vancouver Wooden Boat Festival in 2011.
Ricochet was awarded Best Restored Sailboat at the 44th Annual Maritime Museum of BC Classic Boat Festival in 2023.
Off Center Harbor produced a video detailing the restoration of Ricochet, released in early 2024.
Ricochet is currently home-based at the Heritage Harbour at the Vancouver Maritime Museum.