Meet Tangaroa
Our Aluminum Home
Built in 1969 by the legendary Stephens Bros. shipyard in Stockton, California, Tangaroa was ahead of her time. At 65 feet long, she was only the second aluminum hull ever built by the company, designated Hull No. M-148. Her original layout was designed for both luxury and functionality, with three staterooms in the aft, each featuring twin single beds, and dedicated crew quarters forward.
The crew quarters weren’t just an afterthought—they had their own settee, a small bar fridge, and a head with a full shower. The forepeak cabin could sleep two, while the captain had a private single cabin. Every inch of her was built for comfort, style, and long-range cruising.
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Where Did She Come From?
Tangaroa was commissioned by Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth B. Hanes of Washington, D.C. The purchase agreement was finalized on February 5, 1969, after negotiations that began the previous May. The final price? A cool $240,000 USD—serious money at the time.
Her original specs:
- Length: 65.3’
- Beam: 17’
- Draft: 4’
- Freeboard: 9’ forward, 6’9” aft
- Headroom: 6’3”
- Displacement: 63,000 lbs
Built to be both strong and seaworthy, her hull was constructed with 1/4” aluminum topsides and a 5/16” bottom, reinforced by a 3/8” thick formed aluminum channel keel.
She was powered by General Motors 12V71N Detroit Diesels, with Kohler Diesel 15kW generators keeping everything running.
Other original features included:
- Anchors: Two 60 lb Danforth high-tensile anchors
- Anchor Tackle: 200’ of 3/4” nylon with a 50’ chain leader and 5/8” chain
- Tender: A 13’ Boston Whaler, lifted by a single davit
- Mast: Originally made of spruce (later upgraded to aluminum)
- Interior: Rich mahogany throughout
- Propulsion: 2-part 17-4 PH stainless steel shafts with manganese bronze muff couplers, driving 3-blade Federal propellers
She was built tough, designed to cruise, and meant to last. And she’s still going strong today.
A Boat with a Past – Tangaroa’s Journey Before Us
After her launch on May 23, 1969, Tangaroa (then named Frances H) quickly proved her strength—but like any new build, she had a few teething issues. By 1970, warranty work was underway, including fixing a starboard shaft vibration, upgrading from three-blade to four-blade propellers, swapping manual davits for electric ones, and resolving problems with teak decking. The original satin brass fixtures didn’t hold up either—gold plating didn’t help, and the owner eventually found a coated set that lasted.
On November 15, 1972, after just a few years of ownership, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Hanes sold Frances H through Northrup & Johnson to a Venezuelan yachtsman, Mr. John R. Stubbins of Caracas, subject to survey. That survey revealed some expected wear and tear—paint adhesion issues required a full hull sandblast, a leaking weld in the forward fuel tank needed repair, and the strut bearings showed serious deterioration. The new owner also upgraded the Vosper autopilot fins for better slow-speed control. Despite these findings, the sale went through.
She was renamed Otesca III, and by Christmas of 1975, she was on the move—cruising the Antilles until transmission trouble struck. Worse, while approaching Port of Spain, Trinidad, she ran over a wreck, damaging the port-side propeller, strut, and shaft.
By 1986, she reappeared in a listing by United Yacht Brokers in Fort Lauderdale, now named Mareva and priced at $650,000. She had just undergone a two-year refit, including a fresh paint job, but it’s unclear when she changed names from Otesca III to Mareva.
Somewhere after this, she received an extension to her stern, increasing her length beyond the original 65 feet to 78 feet. She was also outfitted with a dive aircompressor. Eventually, she was purchased by James Fahy, who registered her under Windbarker LLC and renamed her Windbarker. Her history during this time is mostly lost, but we do know that he moved her to Alaska to serve as a fishing boat for himself and his friends.
In November 2019, we found her, fell in love, and brought her home.
We gave her a new name—Tangaroa—and a new future.
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