UPDATE! ANZAC is in the water! The hul has been secured and ANZAC sits in the water in Somers Point awaiting her masts...

ANZAC, a 63-foot ketch built in Maine in 1936, lay on its side, partially submerged in the salty mud at the Graef Boat Yard in Somers Point, New Jersey. Billy’s work experience and the underlying connection to the water came together in that moment. He had the vision and the confidence to understand what he felt he simply had to do.

“Get it out in 48 hours and it’s yours. I’ve got a guy from California that wants it, too.” With that response from the boat yard’s owner, Billy’s life solidified into a commitment to a project he believed in. Despite the initial reactions of friends and family – “Are you insane?” “What were you thinking?”, “How will you do this by yourself” – Billy’s perseverance, relentless effort, and skill became evident to everyone who visited ANZAC at its new home at the Somers Point Marina just a few blocks from it’s previous salty, muddy resting place.

This year marks the thirtieth year of Billy’s effort to restore ANZAC to its original condition as a seaworthy vessel. Every plank, every seam, and every screw have been disassembled, examined, and brought back to life by Billy alone. Billy married his fourth wife, Barbara, in 2001. Barbara works in health insurance, and has the aptitude for money and budgets. Her experience has been invaluable to Billy, As has her unwavering support, from financial contribution to moral support, to the physical work of scraping and caulking the hull. He and Barbara, have worked together to create a life, and a wooden sailboat, through commitment, understanding, and brute force effort.

Please visit the SailboatBilly GoFundMe page...