RAO
Owners: Chris and Monica Alliegro
The RAO is a wonderful Ed Monk Sr. designed yacht built by Bill Osborne in 1968 for his brother Robert Osborne, the founder of Osborne propellers in Vancouver, BC. Originally conceived as a 54' Pilothouse with three staterooms and flying bridge, she has been meticulously cared for by Mr. Osborne, her sole owner, and boathouse kept since she was launched. According to Bet Oliver's "Ed Monk and the Tradition of Classic Boats," in which RAO is featured, about six boats share her plan.
RAO's hull is carvel built of mahogany planking below the waterline and red cedar from the waterline up. The hull topsides are splined and the lower sections are caulked. All fastenings are made of bronze and are original. She sports 2" by 4" oak ribs; the keelson is made of fir. Decks are made of plywood and overlaid with teak planking. The two level trunk cabin is made of solid Honduras mahogany sides and plywood roofs overlaid with oil paint impregnated canvas.
RAO has seen a relatively small number of hours of use (fewer than 600 hours) and has been maintained largely as-built. Her several updates include the following:
.... Mr. Osborne added an eight foot cockpit extension to RAO. The cockpit is constructed with the same care and materials as the main part of the boat and fits seamlessly with the boat's original design.
.... In the early 1990's, Mr. Osborne repowered RAO, adding nearly new Detroit Diesel 8V92 engines of 720 HP each. The repower was carefully considered and implemented: for example, all running gear was repositioned aft and another strut was added for each extended shaft. The care of this work is borne out underway; RAO can make over 20 knots with almost no extraneous vibration.
.... RAO's galley countertops were replaced with Corian and her sole was replaced with varnished teak and holly.
.... Finally, the aft guest stateroom was modified from a double guest cabin to a utility room. A shower and over-under washer-dryer were added to this room.
We both are very pleased and honored to now be a part of this small piece of history, so beautifully designed by Mr. Monk and lovingly built and cared for by Mr. Osborne, and look forward to meeting other members of the Ed Monk Wooden Boat Club.