Meet Victoria - Tour of our William Garden 'Porpoise' built by Robin Fung in 1975

Stepping aboard their newly acquired 42-foot cruising ketch in Ensenada, Garrett and Ruth of Salt & Tar introduce Victoria, an authentic William Garden ‘Porpoise’ launched by Robin Fung in Hong Kong in 1975. Known worldwide for their decade-long journey hand-building their 35-foot gaff ketch Rediviva from raw Douglas fir, the artisans survey this heavy-displacement wooden voyager as an expansion of their floating life. Designed by naval architect William Garden, Victoria unites old-growth Burmese teak planking, dense Asian hardwoods, and an 85-horsepower Perkins diesel engine into an uncompromising ocean-going home destined to carry their growing family across the Pacific.

With maritime origins rooted in Port Townsend, Washington, on Puget Sound in the United States, Garrett and Ruth bring a practiced shipwright’s perspective to every timber and fitting. Displacing 38,000 pounds with a 13.5-foot beam and a 6-foot draft, the vessel provides the deep internal volume, robust scantlings, and manageable Marconi ketch rig essential for offshore passages. Having spent 34 years under a single devoted owner who preserved her factory drawings and bronze appointments, Victoria stands as a remarkably unmolested maritime time capsule.

Naval Architecture and Tropical Hardwood Scantlings of the Garden Porpoise

Under the meticulous inspection of Garrett and Ruth of Salt & Tar, the William Garden Porpoise ketch Victoria Ketch—built by master Hong Kong shipwright Robin Fung—reveals timber scantlings rarely encountered along the waterfronts of Port Townsend and Puget Sound, Washington, in the United States. Designed by William Garden during an era when heavy displacement, generous beam, and full keels defined offshore seaworthiness, the hull balances 38,000 pounds across a 42-foot length on deck, creating an easy, sea-kindly motion in heavy ocean swells.

The carvel hull is planked in 1 5/8-inch old-growth Burmese teak (Tectona grandis), renowned for high natural silica and oils that provide unmatched rot resistance. These heavy planks are copper-riveted to steam-bent ipil frames (Intsia bijuga, or Borneo teak) and ipil floors. Locking the backbone together is a massive keelson carved from solid yakal (Shorea astylosa)—a dense Philippine ironwood that sinks in seawater—secured with Monel keel bolts.

Evaluating her topsides finish, Garrett and Ruth examine the 2024 refit where the previous owner applied a high-gloss Awlgrip polyurethane system. While the white teak topsides remain fair and glossy, the dark blue sheer stripe blistered where solar heat absorption accelerated timber expansion and contraction, breaking the hard enamel bond. The crew plans to strip the failing blue stripe back to bare teak and recoat with flexible marine enamel suited for tropical cruising.

Spars, Sail Plan, and Heavy-Weather Deck Architecture

Stepping forward along the wide side decks, Garrett and Ruth of Salt & Tar examine how the William Garden Porpoise design of the Victoria Ketch, originally drafted for blue water passages and built by Robin Fung, differs markedly from traditional coastal craft found throughout Port Townsend and greater Puget Sound, Washington, in the United States. The flush foredeck and wide bulwarks provide expansive, secure working platforms designed for offshore safety.

The vessel carries a Marconi ketch rig with hollow-box Sitka spruce spars. While the main mast is original, vessel logs confirm the mizzen was replaced in the early 2000s. The main boom rests in a heavy bronze boom gallows with three positioning notches and features a unique bronze crank outhaul mechanism. Forward, an expansive bowsprit platform supports William Garden’s factory-designed twin headsail tracks for running trade-wind jibs. While the staysail remains hanked to the inner forestay, Garrett plans to install roller furling on the headstay with reefing battens for safe short-handed sail handling.

Aft in the cockpit, an Edson bronze worm-drive steering gear connects directly to the rudder stock, eliminating quadrant slack and preventing following seas from spinning the wheel. For self-steering, Garrett and Ruth weigh installing a Hydrovane against the agony of drilling mounts through the gold-leaf Burmese teak transom, considering instead a bulwark-mounted Scanmar Sayes Rig. Deck gear includes a manual anchor windlass matching Rediviva’s, carved wooden catheads with red and green accents, oversized Dorade cowl vents, and an Edson manual gusher pump. However, the 30-year-old wire standing rigging and 1994 life raft require prompt replacement.

Interior Accommodations and Handcrafted Teak Joinery

Entering below through a side-hinged companionway door, Garrett and Ruth of Salt & Tar step into the warm teak interior of the William Garden Porpoise Victoria Ketch, where the handcrafted joinery executed by Robin Fung demonstrates an artisan standard revered across Port Townsend and Puget Sound, Washington, in the United States. Constructed entirely from solid teak and marine hardwoods, the interior shows immaculate preservation without structural distortion.

The layout features an aft navigation station and quarter berth to starboard, equipped with a dedicated charting computer, chart drawers, and overhead deck beam fittings for offshore lee cloths. To port, the deep U-shaped galley houses a double sink with pressurized hot and cold water, a gimbaled two-burner stove with oven, deep refrigeration, and full-extension solid teak drawers. Center stage stands the insulated engine box, capped by a flat timber tabletop that Ruth envisions as an ideal surface for kneading fresh sourdough bread at sea.

Accommodations include a private cabin with closing door, adult-sized bunk, dresser, and six feet of headroom, featuring opening bronze ports that vent into the cockpit for communication with watchstanders. Forward, the master stateroom provides a double berth, extendable couch berth, and a Dickinson diesel heater. The enclosed head incorporates a shower well, sump pump, and overhead deck prism for daylight, while the forepeak workshop (‘Garrett’s garage’) houses heavy workbenches and a Sailrite sewing machine forward of the chain locker.

Auxiliary Propulsion and Perkins 4.236 Marine Engineering

Accessing the machinery space beneath the saloon sole, Garrett and Ruth of Salt & Tar inspect the auxiliary propulsion of the William Garden Porpoise Victoria Ketch, an engineering installation originally overseen by Robin Fung that provides dependable mechanical authority for voyaging between Port Townsend and Puget Sound, Washington, across the United States and remote Pacific archipelagos. Three fold-down access doors offer complete 360-degree maintenance access to the engine compartment.

The auxiliary engine is an 85-horsepower Perkins 4.236 naturally aspirated four-cylinder marine diesel. Legendary for direct mechanical fuel injection and heavy cast-iron durability, the engine fires instantaneously without glow plugs, delivering smooth idle and minimal vibration through timber beds. A bronze stuffing box and shaft log turn a fixed three-blade bronze propeller, while heavy copper lines feed from dual fuel tanks. An integrated heat exchanger delivers domestic hot water to the galley and head, complemented by a dedicated fuel line to the Dickinson diesel stove.

Refit Strategy and Dual-Vessel Seamanship Philosophy

Balancing the responsibilities of two traditional wooden cruising vessels, Garrett and Ruth of Salt & Tar outline a disciplined commissioning timeline for the William Garden Porpoise Victoria Ketch, integrating the Robin Fung vessel with their maritime legacy originating in Port Townsend and Puget Sound, Washington, in the United States. Rather than rushing into cosmetic changes, the shipwrights focus on essential safety systems before undertaking blue water passages.

With 34 years of continuous stewardship under her third owner, Victoria represents an unmolested classic. Initial refit priorities include replacing the 30-year-old standing rigging, ordering a certified offshore life raft, outfitting lifelines with child-safety netting, installing headstay roller furling, and stripping the failed blue Awlgrip sheer stripe. Garrett and Ruth plan to complete Rediviva’s double-planking in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico, sailing her home to Washington’s Douglas fir waters, while commissioning Victoria in Ensenada as their long-range ocean voyager for growing a family afloat.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are detailed answers to key questions regarding how Garrett and Ruth of Salt & Tar evaluate the William Garden Porpoise design aboard the Victoria Ketch, constructed by Robin Fung and prepared for future voyaging between Port Townsend and Puget Sound, Washington, in the United States.