Vessel History

La Revenante was built by hand in Massachusetts by a Mr. Leonard Nelson, a tugboat captain from Boston, who built her over a 12 year period using nothing more than a skilsaw and electric drill. The vessel was commissioned in 1969 and named Amanda, after the builders Grandmother. She was built as a replica of a classic New England fishing schooner design, intended to be operated by short-handed crews in the rough and challenging waters of the Atlantic cod fishery.  After serving as a personal yacht and a live-aboard residence, the schooner sailed to Florida where it was operated as a charter vessel for some years under the name Buccaneer. Laid up for conversion again as a residence at Panama City, Florida, the schooner was put up for sale when her owner’s plans changed, and bought by her current owners, Dr. John Wootten and Captain Vernon Fairhead, both of Shawville, Quebec, Canada.

Here is a shot showing her on the hard (most likely in Florida) getting a new coat of paint. The next shot, shows her sailing downwind, wing on wing. This next shot shows her with all sail set, looking very pretty.  The last shot we have from her earlier life, is a shot taken on deck looking forward as two crew look to be getting ready to hoist sail.