Wilson Yates started out making yacht rigging in April, 1968 working for Davidson Sails and Marine Supplies in downtown Toronto. Davidsons was involved in the retail rigging business plus they had a contract to make custom rigging for EB Bruckmann Woodworking, who had built the famous Red Jacket in 1967 and Bruckmann was soon to become part of the new C&C Yachts Mfg. Limited Erich Bruckmann built after 1968 several Redline 41`s, and Redline 25`s, then on to built the C & C 43`s, 48`s, 50`s, 61`s, and custom boats like Nepenthe being produced by Bruckmann. Most boats were owned by groups or individuals at RCYC. Also in the beginning there were a couple of Alum. yachts built by Macotta in Rexdale and finished by Bruckmann and a 53 ft. custom fibreglass C&C for Bernie Herman called Bonaventure V, plus some other boats. Wilson was the rigger at Davidsons from `68 to `74 and put together all the running rigging for these boats plus standing rigging for a lot of them since we were still in the early days of real rod rigging with Navtec just getting started. Wilson was also putting swage fittings on rod with a Kearney machine, a company, NDI was doing rod this way too in the USA. Red Jacket had a rod backstay that was shortened at Davidsons in this way. When a boat was ready at Bruckmanns, Wilson had to pack his tools in the car and travel to Oakville for a couple of days to make the lifelines there and put in the steering cables plus install the halyards in the mast and do other rigging that was needed before the launch. First, most of the alum.masts came from Morch Mfg. in Belleville and soon Bruckmann found a mast builder and machinst to make his own masts and custom metal parts. Martin Klacko and his brother Danny set up inside Bruckmann MFG. Wilson and Danny Klacko worked together installing the messengers and the halyards in masts for Bruckmann. Wilson was also present at the launches to see that everything about rigging was installed properly and the boat had a primary tuning so it could sail for its sea trials. In the fall of 1974, work was slow at Davidsons so Wilson was laid off for a few months. About a week or so news came that Whitby Boat Works needed a rigger so Wilson drove to Ajax one afternoon and had a sit down interview with Oskar Valentine, the Whitby Plant Manager, and the next day started work at the Whitby Plant there. Whitby had been growing quickly as a builder with the building of the Whitby 42 plus the Alberg 30 and the Alberg 37. Working every day full time as a rigger was a new experience and there was lots to do making standing and running rigging because Whitby was putting boats out the door and shipping them them to the USA as fast as they could be built. Whitby Boat Works was also in the process at this time of moving into their new plant on Charles St. in Whitby. A lot of the final setup at the new plant was done by employees of Whitby and Wilson spent time working with Wolfgang, a welder, building the stairs and other projects inside the new plant. Wilson was also given the job to install the air compressor lines throught the building.
Yates Custom Rigging is Cottrells Cove-based company (Newfoundland/Labrador, Canada) with a phone number 709.485.2944. Our data show that the company is located at the address: RR 3. The company has a web site: www.yatescustomrigging.com.
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