SoCal Classics: Conquest

Boat Name:Conquest  Length: 50 ft. Beam: 13 ft. 2 in. Draft: 4 ft. 10 in. Year Built: 1929 The Boat Formerly Known As …: Conquest was originally Colonel Rheem, named after its original owner. She was briefly The Colonel and later known as Ardbaugh and Royal Oak before being hailed as Conquest by her most recent owners. The Back Story: The Stephens Brothers shipbuilders in Stockton, California, custom built a tri-cabin cruiser in 1929 for industrialist and yachtsman Donald L. Rheem, a resident of Orinda, California, who later became president of Standard Oil Company. The Colonel was regularly seen cruising around San Francisco Bay before accompanying Rheem’s wife, Alice, to her residence in Washington State, where she was reportedly forced to live in a mansion on Orcas Island until her death. A Slice of History: The U.S. Navy commandeered Conquest during World War II and was primarily used as a VIP vessel for inspecting the fleet. Several dignitaries set foot on the 50-foot cruiser during her commission with the Navy, including First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. When the war came to an end, the Navy sold Conquest to a private owner. She has since been moving up and down the California coast. What’s Inside: Conquest is powered with two Chrysler Marine...