We often celebrate the history of old boats, but what is just as exciting is when they begin a new chapter. At 123 years old, Ziska has a new owner, Jeremy Schmich, who is preparing her for ocean cruising. Congratulations, Jeremy!

Built in Arnside, England, in 1903 along the lines of the traditional Morecambe Bay Prawners, Ziska was inspired by the region’s working fishing boats but launched as a yacht. She raced extensively in England and Ireland through the first half of the twentieth century before narrowly escaping destruction in the 1970s.

After spending nearly 20 years waiting in an English boatyard, Ziska found new life when 19-year-old Ashley Butler fell in love with her graceful lines and traded his own boat to save her. Following an extensive restoration, he sailed her across the Atlantic and raced along the East Coast and throughout the Caribbean for many years.

In the 2000s, Ziska was transported to Port Townsend, where she passed through several owners before Stanford Siver undertook another major restoration from 2017 to 2022. During Siver’s stewardship, Ziska also competed in and successfully finished the 2019 Race to Alaska, proving she was more than a beautifully restored classic. She was still a capable, seaworthy vessel.

This spring, Jeremy Schmich became her newest steward and is preparing her for a life of ocean cruising.

For a wooden boat, there is no better ending than another beginning.