China Cloud
As we restore this vessel built by my great great aunt and uncle Allen and Sharie Farrell -
We ask for your loving hands, ears, and stories to help build one another’s lives as mariners and artists on the water.
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We have a gofund me live! If you would like to donate by etransfer or cheque instead, get in touch.
Ways to help restore China Cloud
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Work on the vessel or donate materials
We need skilled labour and materials as well, help us out by checking out our up to date material needs list, or inquire about donating labour.
Hi, my name is Eden Murray, great great grand niece to Allen and Sharie Farrell. Since 2022, I've had the most profound pleasure of being China Cloud's steward. For the last 3 years my dad, a shipwright, and I with the help of many friends have slowly but surely been putting in the work of continuing her restorations. The amount of work it took Allen and Sharie to keep up the tidy and immaculately salty abode was a full time job, and thus the lifestyle continues.
This fundraiser is being shared in the time between Sharie and Allen's birthdays-April 22 and May 10th. These are the people that built China Cloud, and all her predecessors on the beaches of Coast Salish Territory. If you'd like to learn more about their incredible lives, a quick google search or a jont to my website at the end of this page will tell you more! China Cloud being their last boat was launched in 1982; a unique 40' wooden junk rig vessel made with hand tools on Lasqueti island.
Like these 2 beloved humans, I too am an artist. I have been putting off asking for financial help to save this precious wooden vessel properly, so that I can offer my lino prints depicting her in return for your generous contributions. One day this will happen, but for now we have a summer of so many China Cloud projects that I really can't do without your help.
Our priority is keeping the fresh water rain out with a boat cover until decks and cabin tops are restored down the road. This is already underway. Second, is rigging. She needs a fresh paint on the mast, new battens to replace the rotten ones, new line to redo rigging, and a complete new suite of sails and handmade blocks to replace broken ones and sun-rotten/teared tanbark. I have been collecting educational support from a generous local sailmaker on Quadra Island and sailmakers in Port Townsend, Including Carol Hasse and Emiliano Marino from The Artful Sailor. Once I have the funds for sail material and wood for battens, my dad and I will be well on our way to getting her sailing again! Other things we hope to do this year include buying a new battery to run the bilge pump, buy new foam for redoing interior cushions and mold proofing them, and perhaps even start on a dory rebuild! Last but not least a naval architect survey for transport canada approved social enterprise projects down the road...
Oof a lot of things, on top of the yearly painting of course. I am so keen to do this work with the help of our community. We are always open to support working on the boat and material donations also. A list of things we are looking for can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/15QEXpDzs5k3sQhmrQmUKYB90l0n2qykAPFivJhTl4uQ/edit?tab=t.0
All of this is happening to keep this relic alive and to one day offer the space to artists as a residency program and group workshop experience while going on wee little sailing trips. The dreams are big, and we need your help in making them happen.
When my dad and I first sailed away with her from Sooke to Esquimalt, I lit a fire and offered some sage I was gifted in a pink pouch to the woodstove's flame. The felt sense of Allen and Sharie were there with me those first few months, along with this unshakeable feeling that this vessel is meant for more than myself and my family, but an extended kin of folks to visit and find home within her embrace. The project of making home for myself, and soon space enough for others to experience the art of sailing and taking time with wind and salt and wild meadows via week long trips is the steady goal. Let's make it happen! First task-prevent further rot and get her wings back on. <3
You can read more about the vessel, and restorations we have done so far on my gogundme here:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-us-restore-china-cloud
Email me with any and all questions!
xo
Eden and her ancestors
P.S. you may be wondering why such nominal amounts are being crowdfunded. I have put everything I can into the boat so far. This summer feels like a turning point, where I have more energy to do physical work on her where she sits on the beach of Quadra Island. She has spent too many winters soaking in fresh water, and too many summers without the funds to do enough to really move forward in restorations. We thank you so so dearly for your contributions! Every dollar will go towards materials and when absolutely needed, hiring a specialist for a specific goal, and we will post a breakdown of what we complete with the money on my website, just like we've done in the past. If we exceed our goal, onto the next projects. Plus, the work will be visible in photos and stories posted on our substack: https://edengrace.substack.com/publish/home?utm_source=menu
Stay tuned for future china cloud fundraising projects and events!
ft. slick lines after a month on the hard doing hull restorations and painting <3
First photo credit to Dag Goering from the cover of 'Sailing Back in Time'.
Links:
My online publication where I write about the boat
Recent media:
Classic Boat Festival Scholarship-A&G
She Tells Sea Tales artwork-Port Townsend
