ESLO's Story

ESLO was custom-built in the 1940s in Brisbane, California, by local shipbuilder Lowell A. Netherland. She is one of only a small number of vessels attributed to Netherland, and still carries the craftsmanship, mahogany joinery, and classic character of mid-century Bay Area wooden boatbuilding.

Her stewardship has always been long and personal. For decades she belonged to Tom and Nancy Clothier of San Francisco, who undertook significant restoration work to preserve her structural integrity and classic lines. During their care, she was registered with the Classic Yacht Association of Northern California, where she still holds her place today.

In 2021, ESLO passed to her current stewards, Percy Rotteveel and Bouwien Luppes, who have continued her restoration with a focus on both preservation and thoughtful modernization. As part of her continuing stewardship, ESLO has been carefully repainted throughout over the past several years, both above and below decks, preserving her classic appearance while refreshing the vessel for years to come.

Life aboard a forty-seven-foot classic does not feel like staying on a boat. It feels more like a small, well-loved home that happens to float. The pilothouse is laid in red marmoleum — period-correct and warmer underfoot than most modern materials. The decks are painted blue, just as they were originally. Like the forward cabin, the salon features a beautifully preserved mahogany floor, a galley with stained-glass cabinet doors, stainless-steel appliances, and a playful tiled countertop.

In the forward cabin, the butterfly hatch opens to the night sky above the V-berth — perfect for stargazing, a restful night's sleep, or an afternoon nap you did not plan on taking.

ESLO is moored at Bair Island Marina in Redwood City, a quiet gated marina community with lovely amenities on the South Bay. Her slip sits in one of the friendlier corners of the harbor, where neighbors keep an eye out for one another, swallows dart overhead, and the occasional harbor seal pays a visit. At sunset, the marina glows with the same soft mid-century light the boat seems to have been built to live in.

Underway, she is a true displacement cruiser, not a speedboat. Her single Detroit 6-71 N carries her comfortably at eight-and-a-half knots while burning just under three gallons of diesel per hour. Push beyond that and fuel consumption rises quickly, so most cruising is done at the steady pace she was designed for. For low bridges, the mast folds forward, reducing her air draft to approximately ten and a half feet.

The bottom was painted with two fresh coats at The Boatyard at Grand Marina in June 2025. During the same haul-out, the automatic bilge pumps and the electrical components servicing them were replaced, along with routine engine maintenance. The battery banks were replaced the following month, in July 2025. Anodes and bottom cleaning have been maintained by David Laird on a three-month schedule.

Under current ownership, many of the smaller onboard systems have also been renewed, including the freshwater electric head, freshwater pressure pump, water heater, and stove/oven — allowing the next steward to spend more time enjoying the boat and less time chasing deferred maintenance.

Percy and Bo have recently relocated to their home country of Canada. Bringing ESLO north did not feel right for a classic yacht that has spent her entire life in the temperate climate of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Her next caretaker will not simply be purchasing a boat, but becoming part of a story that began in a small Brisbane boatyard more than eighty years ago.