Breakwater News : Launching into spring
The first launch honors this spring go to Phil Hale of Martha's Vineyard Shipyard with his 65-inch model of the Nat Benjamin design of Juno on April 10. From a chase boat, he sailed the radio-controlled model schooner across Vineyard Sound to Woods Hole during the Woods Hole Model Show. Phil has been building models for over 40 years and is now working on a Sparkman and Stevens design that will be the culmination of all he has learned about microelectronics in a working model.
Rick Haslett's meticulously hand-built Destiny will also be launched this spring at the shipyard. Rick began building the collaborative Nat Benjamin design in 1990 and has dedicated six months a year and weekends and holidays to bring to fruition what can only be considered a work of art. He plans to take his time cruising the world with his native New Zealand wife in a manner that allows them to keep their jobs and Island lives in balance with a life of well-deserved adventure.
The classic Ayuthia was the first launch of the spring at the Gannon and Benjamin Marine Railway. Once she was afloat, Tom Grew got to the less practical parts of the boat, spending much time and effort sanding and painting. It is a relationship that has come from close to three decades of perseverance, and as far as one can see, it has benefited both.
That cleared the ways for Klang II, which showed up in Vineyard Haven last fall with all bilge pumps running. Over the course of the winter she saw the removal and replacement of seven pairs of sawn frames, replacement of seven floor timbers, new keel bolts and fasteners, several new planks and all new fasteners in the lower keel. Bill Benns carried out this very difficult and specialized work in the most difficult of winter working situations. While this work has been critical to her survival, it is part of what will hopefully be the first effort in a continuation of a much-needed major restorative work.
Not all the winter work has been situated on the beach. Up in the woods of Jim Lobdell's sanctuary, Andy Lyon has spent the winter revitalizing two long-time breakwater denizens. In the barn, Andy has done a major restoration on Welwyn, a 1922 John Alden sloop, removing and replacing the deck frames and re-decking with plywood and Dynel. In the process he replaced the sheer strakes, re-using the old rub rails and toe rails. He built a new cabin trunk on the new deck and made a major transom repair.
Greg Coogan, Welwyn's owner, has been sailing the vintage yacht for years and could not be more pleased. "I got tired of seeing the water pouring into the cabin every time we took a wave," he said.
Just outside, Andy has also been doing a fair weather rebuild of Corineus, the long-time fixture in Vineyard Haven Harbor. She is getting a new deck to replace the old worn teak deck. While open to the air, Andy has done a repaint of the deck frames before putting down a new fir deck.
In the woods of West Tisbury, Myles Thurlow, the young, talented prodigy of the G & B boatyard, has set himself up with a shop and taken on a major refit of the 1911 Scottish-built Violet, delivered to Myles's shop late last fall. In a temporary ship shed he built right around her, Myles replaced 70 percent of the floor timbers and fabricated a huge new wood keel of Angelique bolted right on below. The whole project was undertaken to facilitate the modification of adding a lead ballast keel. Myles engineered and poured a new lead keel that is bolted onto the exterior of the wood keel, no small feat for any veteran shipwright. On top of that, Myles has re-planked the garboard and next three planks up with two-inch Angelique. The forward ten feet take a 70-degree twist. To get the planks to conform, Myles steamed the timbers and tortured them into shape. This is heavy marine construction at its best, performed right here by a young native talent. Look for the 45-foot Violet to return to her mooring mid June.
At the Mugwump shop on the Lagoon, we are seeing the final stages of the major rebuild of Killdeer. The lovely Henry Devereaux design was built in 1939 at City Island, N.Y., and for the last seven years has been the home of master shipwright Don Hutton and his wife, Sheena. In the course of her rebuild Don has replaced the frames, installed a new set of floor timbers, replaced sections of the keel and deadwood, and refastened the new planking. In the process, he has re-powered and removed the entire interior of the vessel, which has been totally rebuilt and meticulously refinished by Sheena. The couple has patiently lived ashore throughout the project, foregoing deliveries and distractions, working Sundays and holidays and they are very close to moving back aboard, afloat.
In June look for the launch of the 36-foot Lobsteryacht that was built in the Mugwump shop last year to Nat Benjamin's design. She is the largest yet of the growing number of powerboats that G & B have turned out. She has a very stout look to her and a revolutionary "Evolution" drive system that promises to enhance performance and economy. She will be moving to Northwest Harbor, Maine.
The current project at Mugwump is a new full keel 29-foot gaff rig sloop Nat designed to be a larger weekend coastal cruiser easily handled by a sailing couple. She will have a small galley with an onboard fresh water system and a head. There is ample room below for sleeping or just hanging out of a rainy afternoon. The boat, which will have a 16-horsepower diesel motor, is now in the final stages of construction and is slated for a mid-June launch in time to sail her to the Wooden Boat Show at Mystic Seaport.
Work also continues on the 44-foot sloop that will be the pride of the Gannon tribe. Inexhaustible Ross puts in odd hours away from other projects while Kirsten varnishes and itinerant helpers collude to see that she goes in the water sometime next summer.
In all cases, the shops and boat builders of Martha's Vineyard are always open to visitors and encourage enthusiasts to come and see what is in the works. We are fortunate to have a community that supports these age-old practices and proud to still be producing the best built boats we can. Thanks to all who help keep these arts alive. It is one of the many things that make Martha's Vineyard so special.
