Sloop La Nube

Sloop La Nube. . The sloop La Nube (The Cloud), a Soverel 37, was built in 1972 by Soverel Marine, Inc. in North Palm Beach, Florida. Originally designed as a ketch rig, the boat was redesigned as a sloop at the request of the owner, Captain H. Cordie Weart, USN (ret.), With the Bahamian-beige color to reflect the heat of the sun and a shoal draft of only three inches, it was the perfect boat for Captain Weart and his wife, Virginia Collins Weart, to sail the Bahamas for five years., Upon Captain Weart's diagnosis of mesothelioma, his daughter, Ann, and her husband purchased La Nube. From 1977 to 1984, they and their children sailed the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers and creeks. , In the early 1990s, the ownership changed to T. Parker Host, Jr. He and his wife, Ann, and their many friends enjoyed sailing the Chesapeake Bay until 2000 when the boat was donated to The Mariners' Museum. , Sailing and Cruising. Following the Second World War, Americans had more leisure time and more disposable income. Fiberglass revolutionized the boating industry as a durable and relatively inexpensive boatbuilding material. More families could now afford to sail and it developed into a major pastime. Coastal areas and lakes were filled with recreational sailors; especially around the Chesapeake Bay. , Cruising boats offered many amenities that enticed people to take up recreational or weekend cruising. Sailboats, like La Nube, featured accommodations for sleeping; flushing toilets and a freshwater shower; a saloon and galley where meals could be prepared and enjoyed; and an engine so the boat could be driven when the wind died, or when entering a port or anchorage. , Putting La Nube on Exhibit, 2013. To honor the Host family's support of the Museum, La Nube was placed on exhibition here in front of the International Small Craft Center. , In Memory of Captain H. Cordie Weart, USN, 1916 - 1983. Captain Weart enjoyed an illustrious career in the United States Navy, receiving the Distinguished Flying Cross before world war two. His last assignment was commanding officer of Naval Air Station Pensacola. He retired in 1966. , In Memory of Mr. T. Parker Host, Jr. 1925 - 2013. T. Parker Host, owner of the Norfolk-based shipping agency T. Parker Host, Inc., was deeply involved in The Mariners' Museum for many years. In addition to serving as the chairman of the Board of Trustees, he generously contributed to and supported collections acquisitions, conservation and exhibitions. One of Parker Host's great passions was the small craft collection, and it is in large part thanks to him that the International Small Craft Center now exists.