sailing

Item Description

Estimated Retail Value: $320

Write your own story on the True Love, a 67’ schooner with a star-studded past. The True Love sets sail from the Seneca Harbor Park Pier in Watkins Glen, New York, a quiet village in the Finger Lakes region where nature – waterfalls, lakes, forests, and thousands of miles of trails – take center stage.

You’re bidding on a public, 2-hour sail for 4 people. Complimentary beverages will be served. Adult beverages are available for purchase. All ages welcome. More information about the True Love is available here: https://sailtruelove.com/

Commissioned in 1925 by Elmer J. Bliss, Venona II (TRUE LOVE) was built in 1926 in Wiscasset, Maine, by Pendleton Brothers Shipyard. The True Love made her movie debut in the 1940 romantic comedy, The Philadelphia Story, where she appeared as miniature model of herself. This movie included one of the most famous sayings in modern sailing; when Katharine Hepburn said, “My, she was yar.”

In 1956, the True Love made her life-size debut in the musical-film High Society, starring Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong. There is the famous scene where Bing Crosby serenades Grace Kelly with the song “True Love,” composed by Cole Porter, while onboard True Love.

After her movie career, True Love retired to St. Thomas where she sailed for well over half her life. In 2003 she was completely restored. In 2008 she was purchased by Schooner Excursions Inc. and made the long journey north to her current home. This trip north entailed thousands of miles of offshore sailing and hundreds more miles up rivers and through canal systems where her masts were stepped, or removed, enabling her to travel through narrow passage ways and underneath bridges. She was named Malabar VII for a very brief period before officially returning to her proper name True Love after her re-christening in the summer of 2010.

In 2021, True Love was acquired by Seneca Sailing Adventures, LLC, and continues to offer memorable excursions for its guests. True Love is not only a symbol of American sailing history and American naval architecture, but also a representation of the love of generations past, present, and future. Those who set sail with this truly majestic boat on the waters of Seneca Lake will feel as if they have fallen in love all over again.

Seneca Lake is the deepest of the Finger Lakes, reaching depths of over 600’ in some spots. Seneca Lake, once part of the proud Seneca Nation, is among the most popular of the Finger Lakes of New York, with natural scenic beauty and beloved destinations and attractions, from the Seneca Lake Wine Trail to the auto race track at Watkins Glen. The hills that surround Seneca Lake are dotted with vineyards that cover hundreds of well-tended, picturesque acres, and its beautiful waters draw sports enthusiasts from all over, who come to enjoy boating, fishing, sailing, and swimming.

Your Redemption Certificate will be emailed to initiate the booking process. Please allow 15 business days after your event to receive your certificate. Reservations must be booked 60 days before travel, and property inventory is subject to availability. Reservations must be booked within 12 months, and travel must be completed within 12 months of notification. Once confirmed, all reservations are final. Packages may not be transferred or resold. All certificates should be handled with care as they are the same as cash and nonrefundable. Sailing excursions available mid-May through mid-October, depending on weather.

Item Special Note

Your Redemption Certificate will be emailed to initiate the booking process. Please allow 15 business days after your event to receive your certificate. Reservations must be booked 60 days before travel, and property inventory is subject to availability. Reservations must be booked within 12 months, and travel must be completed within 12 months of notification. Once confirmed, all reservations are final. Packages may not be transferred or resold. All certificates should be handled with care as they are the same as cash and nonrefundable. Sailing excursions available mid-May through mid-October, depending on weather.