126-year-old B.C.-built sailboat ready to take to the sea once again

A sailboat that first launched 126 years ago in Victoria, B.C.,is set to take to the sea once again.

Dorothyis a 30-foot (7.41-metre) sailboat built between 1896 and 1897by John J. Robinson in what was then the James Bay boatyard on Vancouver Island, currently marked by the Laurel Point Inn.

The Maritime Museum of B.C. says Dorothy is considered the oldest sailing yachtin the Pacific Northwest. Itwent through nearly a dozen owners before being donated to the Victoria-based museumin 1995.

After a decade of restoration work, Dorothy will be launched into the ocean fromLadysmithon Saturday, making it the oldest B.C.-built registered sailboat in use, according to Angus Matthews, one of Dorothy's previous owners and board chair of the museum.

"She's absolutely gorgeous," Matthewstold CBCAll Points Westhost Jason D'Souza, crediting red cedar harvested from B.C., along with oak and mahogany touches, with keeping Dorothy seaworthy for so long.

Matthews explained that Dorothy was one of roughly two dozen sailing yachts built in the 1890s to help launch the European-style sailing scene in British Columbia.

Over the years, it participated in manyraces, and the museum houses multiple trophies won in regattas held in the first half of the 20th century.

The museum also has logs of itstravels around Vancouver Island and B.C.'s south coast, including a sworn testimony from a previous captain that he had witnessedCadborosaurus, a sea serpent that wasrumoured to have lived in the waters of Victoria's Cadboro Bay.

"It was an amazing career," Matthews said.

Decade-long restoration

The refit of Dorothy was a joint project between the Maritime Museum of B.C. and the Ladysmith Maritime Society.

Volunteer boatwright Robert Lawson used early photos to help him restore the boat back to its original design.

Roughly 80 per cent of the original hull is still in place, with Lawson repairing seams and caulking and stripping layers of paint away before refinishing the exterior.

WATCH | Tony Grove explains the refitting process:

Volunteers took part in restoring the deck and other aspects of the boat, said Maritime Museum of B.C. president Jamie Webb in a statement, adding that "without them, we would not have come to this happy day so soon."

Dorothy will be launched into the Ladysmith Harbour on Saturdayat 1p.m. After that it will stay on display in the Ladysmith Community Marina. Itwilleventually be moved into Victoria's Inner Harbouronce a berth can be found.