The Finding Aid of the John Abel Collection on the Malibu Yacht Club and the Malibu Surfing Outrigger 0138
Kimberly Chan, Katie Richardson, Reilly Saint Amand, and Kelsey Knox
Pepperdine University. Special Collections and University Archives.
July 2015
24255 Pacific Coast Highway
Malibu, CA, 90263-4786
kelsey.knox@pepperdine.edu
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
Pepperdine University. Special Collections and University Archives.
Title: John Abel Collection on the Malibu Yacht Club and the Malibu Surfing Outrigger
Identifier/Call Number: 0138
Physical Description:
1 Linear Feet
(1 box and 8 blueprints)
Date (inclusive): 1957-2012
Abstract: This collection consists of materials relating to the Malibu Yacht Club and the Malibu Surfing Outrigger, a sailboat designed
by club member Warren Seaman. It includes blueprints, plans, articles, manuals, photographs, and record books about the Malibu
Outrigger, as well as ephemera and directories for the Malibu Yacht Club.
Arrangement
The collection is organized alphabetically by folder title.
Biographical / Historical
Founded in the late 1940s, the Malibu Yacht Club promoted sailing off the coast of Malibu for over 60 years. Three-time club commodore Warren Seaman designed the Malibu Outrigger, inspired by Polynesian crafts he'd seen while serving in the Pacific in WWII. When Seaman
first became commodore in 1954, he donated the rights to the Outrigger plans to the Club. John Abel, former commodore and Club treasurer, collected materials related to the Outrigger and the Malibu Yacht Club and donated
his collection to Pepperdine University in 2015.
Conditions Governing Access
Advance notice required for access.
Conditions Governing Use
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This collection was donated to Pepperdine University by John Abel in 2015.
Scope and Content
This collection contains materials related to the Malibu Yacht Club and the Malibu Surfing Outrigger, a type of sailboat designed by club member Warren Seaman. Included are an original blueprint for the Malibu Surfing Outrigger, plus seven copies. Also included are additional plans
for modifications to the boat, flyers advertising plans for the Malibu Outrigger, and photographs of the boat. There is also
a photocopy of a guidebook of techniques for sailing the Outrigger, as well as photocopies of several articles about the boat.
This collection also contains photocopied ephemera relating to the Malibu Yacht Club, a copy of the
Malibu Surfside News containing an article about the Club, and several original memembership directories for the Club. A few of the items in this
collection are accompanied by handwritten notes from John Abel.
Related Archival Materials
Malibu Times Photographs, Collection no. 0112, Malibu Historical Collection, Special Collections and University Archives,
University Libraries, Pepperdine University.
Preferred Citation
[Box/folder# or item name], John Abel Collection on the Malibu Yacht Club and the Malibu Surfing Outrigger, Collection no.
0138, Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries, Pepperdine University.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Malibu (Calif.) -- History
Sailing -- California -- Malibu
Sailing clubs
map-case 1, drawer 2
Malibu Surfing Outrigger Blueprints
1957-1968
Physical Description: (1 original and 7 copies)
box 1, folder 1
12-foot Malibu Outrigger Plans
1957 March 10
box 1, folder 2
Malibu Outrigger Article in
Popular Mechanics Magazine
1958 June
Physical Description: Article is a print-out of the digitized original.
box 1, folder 3
Malibu Outrigger Article in
Sailing Illustrated
Physical Description: Item is a partial photocopy of the original article.
box 1, folder 4
Malibu Outrigger Record Book
1967-2014
box 1, folder 5
Malibu Surfing Outrigger Plans Promotional Flyer
Physical Description: (1 original and 1 copy)
box 1, folder 6
Malibu Surfing Outrigger Plans Alternative Rudder
Physical Description: (2 copies)
box 1, folder 7
Malibu Surfing Outrigger Plans Spray Rail
Physical Description: (2 copies)
box 1, folder 8
Malibu Surfside News, Vol. 39, No. 19
2012 March 29
Physical Description: (1 copy)
box 1, folder 9
Malibu Yacht Club Membership Directories
1977, 1990, 1993, 1999
Physical Description: (4 copies)
box 1, folder 10
Malibu Yacht Club, Beachcomber Invitational Regatta Ephemera
1966 September 17 - 1966 September 18
box 1, folder 11
Photographs of Malibu Outrigger
1983
box 1, folder 12
Techniques of Sailing and Racing the Malibu Outrigger, The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
1970 April 18
Physical Description: Item is a photocopy of the original text.
