Lieutenant Commander Frederick A. Fenger was a yacht designer, sailor, and author.

[MMcollector]

 

 

 

United States Navy Lieutenant Commander "Skully" Frederick Abildgaard Fenger was born May 1st 1882 in Chicago Illinois. He studied Mechanical Engineering at Cornell University from 1904 - 1908 in Ithaca New York. A short quote from Fenger's College Senior yearbook: "Skully is a hard worker, though, has played 4 years in the University, designed 100 Canoes, and from present indication will graduate with the class of Ninteen Hundred Six and a Half"

From 1908-1909 he worked in Naval Architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Working in a Chicago Machine shop, & later specializing in Hull Design, and member Swazey, Raymond & Page Inc. in Boston until 1910. He devoted his entire time to travel & study contributing to newspapers & magazines. In 1911 Frederick Cruised along a length of Lesser Antilles in the "Yakaboo" a 17 foot sailing Canoe.

Frederick married Kathrine Lindsay Smith Sept. 16th 1912. He then embarked on a 18 month expedition to the Bahamas, & throughout the West Indies, navigating the 52 foot Schooner "Diablesse" for history study & magazine material from 1913-1914.

In 1917 Fredrick was the author of a book considered culturally important titled "Alone in the Caribbean" published by the George H. Doran Company, New York. Alone in the Caribbean is a classic in boating history, telling the story of Fenger's 800-mile cruise through the Caribbean aboard the Yakaboo (translated from the Ellice islanders' word for "goodbye," uttered when something is dropped overboard a sailing vessel). In 1911, Fenger built the world's only sailing canoe, and sailed it from Grenada throughout the Caribbean islands, finishing his trip in the Virgin Islands. Along the way he spent time in St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Statia, and Saba, where the narrative ends. Fenger's Yakaboo was a covered canoe with a drop keel that can be slid fore and aft to help maintain a straight course, necessary because the boat does not have a rudder and instead steering relies entirely on the set of the sails and the position of the keel.

In March 1917 Fenger was commissioned as an officer in the Navy. He spent 14 months as a Lieutenant J.G. on the U.S.S. Chester the very first U.S. Navy Scout Cruiser in the kriegsmarine submarine zone. Later he was the Construction Officer of the U.S.S. Prometheus at Brest. The LCMD Fenger served during World War II from 1942-1945.

Frederick A. Fenger was a yacht designer, sailor, and author. His main contribution to yacht design are his use of the dhow-form hull, the wishbone rig, and the main trysail rig. Fenger was an inventive designer, and while some of his innovations never became popular, they did enjoy a following, and the wishbone rig has recently had a revival of interest in commercially produce yachts. Fenger was particularly interested in rigs which would be manageable when sailing short handed.

Lieutenant Commander Frederick A Fenger passed away in 1970.

[MMcollector]

 

[MMcollector]

 

[MMcollector]

 

[MMcollector]

 

[MMcollector]

[MMcollector]

[BigJohn#3RD]

Great story about the recipient of the medal. Thanks for sharing.

[MMcollector]

Great story about the recipient of the medal. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks! I plan on buying a 1st edition of his book. Found a signed one.

[kanemono]

Great engraved medal and better history. Thank you for posting.

Dick

[MMcollector]

Great engraved medal and better history. Thank you for posting.

Dick

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the bio. It's a mixture of my research and a bio I found online.

[72psb]

It is interesting that there is a school,Fenger Academy High School in Chicago(opened 1893).It is named for Christian Fenger a Danish surgeon. Interesting in the fact that Fredrick was born in Chicago.Makes you wonder if there was a relationship.