Sail Selina II: Four Generations, One Grand Cat
By Capt. Iris Robertson
Every great boat has a story, but few can match the salty saga of Sail Selina II—a tale that starts with my grandparents, their first tippy boat, and a nervous grandmother.
Picture this: My grandfather’s first boat was named in honor of his mother, Selina, who had immigrated to the US in the 1870s and done some remarkable things to help ensure the family’s financial success. He became a wealthy man as a result and was grateful to her for it, so he named the boat in her honor. That boat was long, skinny, and about as stable as a three-legged barstool in a rolling sea. My grandmother spent more time clutching the gunwales than enjoying the breeze.
My grandparents had been out on a family outing with their three kids aboard: Aunt Elizabeth, 9 years old, Uncle Sam, 6, and my mother, a babe in arms, just one year old. They got out into Plum Gut (near Orient Point, NY) where the chop can get short & steep, and they got side-to. The boat took to rolling violently, and a bit of water splashed over the gunwales. My grandmother was terrified. It wasn’t long before that boat was history.
Fate, as it does, intervened. Within a year’s time, some friends invited them for a sail on a classic catboat—those beauties that are half as wide as they are long, built for comfort and stability. Suddenly, my grandmother could actually relax, and she gave my grandfather the green light for a new boat.
Granddad marched down to the same boat builder who’d crafted his first (less-than-stellar) vessel, pointed at a Crosby-designed cat, and said, “I want one like that, but bigger.” And so, in 1926, Selina II was built at Sweets Shipyard in Greenport, New York. She’s one of only four catboats ever built over 40 feet—and, as far as we know, the only one still sailing.
For 75 years, Selina II graced the waters off the Hird family home in Dering Harbor, Shelter Island, NY. My grandfather, Samuel Hird, her original owner, was her master from her launch until 1962—a solid 36-year run. His daughter Esther and her husband, Bridg, took over, keeping Selina II in the family for another 39 years. Stunning numbers!
Each chapter in her life has had its own tone. My grandfather was not only wealthy enough to have the boat built, but she was also professionally staffed. She had a paid captain aboard. Captain Frank’s uniform was a livery black double-breasted suit with a black chauffeur’s cap. My grandparents dressed to go yachting. My grandfather wearing knickers, a sport coat, a bow tie, and donned the owner’s cap, a white hat with a shiny black brim and gold brocade decorating the crown. My grandmother wore a pretty dress suitable for the occasion. Quintessential roaring 20s Gatsby era opulence.
My parents were able to keep the boat privately, but not staffed. Growing up, it was just our family boat, nothing fancy, just a part of the family. Every weekend, Mom & Dad would take us out for a picnic lunch. About once a summer, we would actually put up the sail. I remember how excited everyone would get. The original Egyptian cotton canvas sail must have weighed over 150 lbs and took two men to raise. We would go around Shelter Island, or go out to Gardiners Island, and make up stories about why no one lived there.
