This Stephens Brothers boat was built in Stockton, CA, one of eight or nine boats using the same blueprints. Purchased by the United States War Shipping Administration in 1942, the boat served as an anti-submarine net tender in San Francisco Bay during WW2. The boat was fully restored in 1947 and then again in 1998 after purchase by its current owner.
The hull is of Port Orford Cedar, the house is teak, and the soles are fir. The fourth-generation engines are Yanmar diesels. The lace curtains were a gift made by a friend’s elderly mother in Milan, Italy. Seven Bells has an overall length of 43′, is 11’6″ across the beam, has a 4′ draft, and its gross weight is approximately 20,000 lbs. The hull uses sawed white oak frames with Port Orford cedar carvel planks. The boat has bronze fastenings, a teak deck and trim (bright work), plumb bow, and a flat transom. Seven Bells’ official number listed in Coast Guard documentation is 229189.