Malolo's History
Malolo was built in 1964/65 for a man named Murnoe Warren by Edwin Albury in Man O'War Cay, Bahamas.
Edwin was the son of Maurice Albury who was famous throughout the Bahamas and beyond for his prolific
production of beautiful dinghies. Edwin built some of the ferries that run between Man O'War and Marsh Harbour, as well as some smaller boats. The only two cruising boats he built were Malolo and the Barbara W, similar in style but centre cockpit. Both boats were built at about the same time. Barbara W. stayed in Man O'War for about five years then wasn't heard of again. Malolo stayed in Man O'War for some twenty-five years.
Malolo was launched in the summer of 1965, just before the devastating hurricane Betsy hit the Bahamas. Edwin kept a close eye on his new creation and she weathered the storm with no damage.
Mr. Warren became ill and sold the boat a year or so after launch to Robert Rodday, of East Dennis MA, Chicago IL, and Man O'War Cay. Bob owned Malolo from about 1966 until about 1987 or 1988 in a partnership with Edwin Albury. Malolo stayed on Rodday's dock in Man O'War most of the time. He sailed her extensively, bringing her north to Cape Cod (Sesuit Harbor) every second summer and back south to Man O'War after the season According to Pam Rodday, Bob's daughter, they made the trip north "outside" (that is, in the open ocean rather than the Intracoastal Waterway) taking advantage of the north flowing Gulf Stream, but generally stayed "inside" on the way back south. Rodday had Malolo fitted out with an Onan generator an electric range, 110 volt refrigeration, and more electronic equipment than you can imagine! He was the president of a large Chicago company, Reliable Electric, so he used her to take his clients and sales force on trips and she got used a lot.
On one trip north, the weather turned bad so the Rodday's turned the boat towards Charleston, SC. Before reaching port, they lost their steering and had to call the Coast Guard for assistance. The first Coast Guard ship sent out decided it was too rough to continue and turned back. A larger ship was dispatched and spent over an hour trying to shoot a tow line to Malolo before finally connecting. Malolo was towed to safety in Charleston when the Coast Guard ship swung her into the dock and broke her bowsprit. The whole adventure took over nine hours.
Someone here in Nova Scotia said that they recognized Malolo from the Bras Dor Lakes in Cape Breton. We told them that they must be mistaken because Malolo spent her time in the Bahamas and New England. Well, it turns out that Bob Rodday had lots of family up in Cape Breton and had in fact taken Malolo up there several times. I wish that we could remember who told us that they recognized the boat just so that we could tell him that he was right!
In 1988 Edwin was very ill and Bob was getting old, so he sold Malolo to Edwin's brother, Freddy. She lay at Bob's dock at Man O'War, largely unused and rotting slowly. In 1993, David Howes, another American who was a part-time resident of Man O'War and a good friend of the Roddays went aboard her, made an absurd offer and it was accepted. He sailed her home to Maine on a great adventure in which, he says, they were lucky to make it in one piece!
David said that he had a lot of fun with her (and did a ton of rot removal and replacement). In 1998 she broke off her mooring and was holed. He hauled her out and put her up for sale, the repairs being too much work for his growing family.
In 1999, Malolo was purchased by David Stimson, a boatbuilder in Maine. He repaired the damage to the hull and also rebuilt
the saloon in a more "yacht-like" fashion than the original workboat finish to provide enough berths for he and his famly to live aboard. Malolo was relaunched and sailed to
Martha's Vinyard where David and his family lived aboard while he worked at Gannon and Benjamin Shipyard. When he finished
his work at the shipyard, he and his family went on a 6 month cruise south, including a brief visit to Malolo's Man O'War Cay
birthplace and then home to Boothbay, Maine.
Once again Malolo fell into a state of disrepair as she floated at her mooring in the Damariscotta River until she finally was hauled out and put up for sale.
As chance would have it, we saw Malolo looking proud but neglected in a field while we were on a driving trip through Maine. One thing led to another and a deal was made for us to purchase the boat in November 2004. We spent the winter making monthly trips to Maine to put her back in shape. We launched in May 2005 and sailed her home to Nova Scotia.
Owners and Approximate Years of Ownership
| Munroe Warren | 1965-1966 |
| Bob Rodday/Edwin Albury | 1966-1988 |
| Freddy Albury | 1988-1993 |
| David Howes | 1993-1999 |
| David Stimson | 1999-2004 |
| Howard and Donna Ray | 2004-Present |