8/3/2019 Bogie's Boat - Prologue Fall 2011

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PieCeS oF HiStoRy

Humphrey Bogart paired his passion or acting with his passion or

the sea. While he piloted boats in a ew o his movies, he was also aserious sailor in his private lie. Among the records o the Nation-

al Archives at Riverside, Caliornia, is evidence o the nautical side o his lie.

Te Designation o Home Port o Vessel signed by Bogart confrms the

yacht Santanas home port as Los Angeles. Te ormer owner is ellow Holly-

wood actor Dick Powell. Ater a cruise on Santana with Powell, Bogart ell in

love with the boat and bought it or $50,000 in 1945.

Bogart owned the 55-oot Santana or 12 years, until his death in 1957, longer

than any o the other 11 owners o the yacht. His immediate predecessors as own-

er are listed together on another document, the General Index or Abstract o i-

tle. Tis sheet names all the owners o the vessel rom the builder to its frst owner

to Eva Gabors husband to actors George Brent, Ray Milland, and Dick Powell. Inthe heyday o Hollywood, yachting was certainly a sign o the good lie. Te short

tenures o Milland (three months) and Powell (15 months) suggest that their mov-

ie studios were behind the purchases or publicity reasons.

Te Vessel Documentation Case File or the Santana also contains pages signed

by Powell, Milland, and Brent on their own Designation o Home Port applications.

Te documents contain an additional historical ootnote. Another amous

name in American history appears on the applicationsWilliam Jennings Bry-

an, Jr., son o the three-time Democratic Presidential candidate and Wilsons

Secretary o State. Bryan is listed as the Collector o Customs or the Port o Los

Angeles. He was appointed to that post by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1938

and served ourterms or a total o

15 years.

Humphrey Bogart and his wife, MayoMethot, in 1943. Right: Designation of

Home Port of Vessel for Humphrey

Bogarts yacht Santana.

Bogies

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