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 CONTENTS NOVEMBER 2024 VOL LXII // NUMBER 3

̭̮

FEATURES
̬̪ WHEN IN SWEDEN a lot of gumption, a good bit ̮̪ WITH A LITTLE HELP DEPARTMENTS
Midsummer days are of help and a driving desire to FROM HIS FRIENDS 8 Underway
memorable in the get back on the water. To build a custom 40-foot 13 Dispatches
Gothenburg archipelago By Kim Kavin sailboat on a tight deadline, 24 Seamanship
aboard a brand-new boat Artisan Boatworks’ owner 28 Power
from Nimbus, the 495 ̭̮ MAKE MINE METAL Alec Brainerd turned to his 34 Launched
Flybridge. Overshadowed by fiberglass talented crew and an army of 40 Classics
By Jeff Moser for 50 years, aluminum is specialists. 72 DIY: Winter Layup
a first-class boatbuilding By Pim Van Hemmen 88 Just Yesterday
̨̭ TRULY RESURGENT material and it’s making a
A husband-and-wife team comeback. ON THE COVER
rebuilt a 1984 Nauset 35 with By Mike Smith The Pursuit OS 325

̮ SOUNDINGS
PUSHING
LIMITS
FURTHER

ON DISPLAY
FORT LAUDERDALE INT’L BOAT SHOW
OCT 30TH - NOV 3RD, 2024

EXCITING SNEAK PEEK

OF THE UPCOMING SERIES

www.wellcraft.com
LEARN MORE
UNDERWAY

Aging sailors
continue to wind. But the sail versus power debate doesn’t
convert from sail really seem to polarize people who love to spend
to power. time on the water. That’s because many of them
move from one boat type to the other over the
course of a lifetime. And as you may have ob-
served, there’s been a persistent trend among
sailors who turn to power as they age, seeing the
switch as an opportunity to extend the number
of years they can enjoy on the water.
Sailors make the jump for a lot of reasons.
They’re often looking for a cruising experience
that’s less physically demanding and for boats
with more comfort, including enclosed bridge
decks that allow them to get out of the elements
in crummy weather. I’ve seen many drawn to
boats with big windows, so they can take in
water views after years spent in the cave-like
salon of a sailboat. A guest room for grand kids
is a priority for some, as are entertainment-
friendly social spaces on deck. And of course,
they just want more speed.
At the same time, though, many sailors I’ve
met over the years come to the powerboat market
with respect for a graceful sheer, functionality
and economy. And the desire for those things
often leads them to certain types of powerboats.
Trawlers are up there, since some sailors don’t
want a drastic jump from six knots to 40. So are
powerboats produced by companies that also
make (or made) sailboats. MJM is one of those.
Sabre (shown at left) is another. True North, now
built by the parent company for Catalina sail-

Crossing Over
boats, also hits the mark.
How are sailors planning their search for powerboats today?
They’re doing the same things they’ve done in the past, as
most have bought and sold more than one pleasure craft over

“C
an you help out an old sailor and walk me through the years. First, they set a budget. Then they get clear on how
all of this?” and where the boat will be used so they can then address the
Those were the words of a guy who looked to be specifics of what they need. A pretty hull with a nice sheer can
in his mid-sixties. He was standing at the gleaming helm of a be very appealing, but will the galley and head meet long-term
new MJM 42 on the opening day of the Newport International needs?
Boat Show in September. The company spokesperson on board Perhaps you have been asking yourself these questions re-
cheerfully obliged, sharing details about the ship’s systems, cently, because you’re a sailor who is on the verge of crossing
in particular the joystick that controlled a pair of Volvo D440s over. If so, how’s the search process moving forward, and what
with DPI drives, which could push the boat to a max speed of got you started on this course? I hope you’ll share your story
46 knots. with us, as we have plans to develop editorial on the subject.
I knew where this conversation was headed. Maybe you do And you don’t have to worry about being
too. It would be a good discussion about making “the transi- chided by our staff for taking the leap to
tion,” or that move sometimes referred to in boating circles as power. At Soundings, we think boating is bet-
“going to the dark side,” although the process is really a lot ter when you do it both ways.
more fun than that. This sailor was shopping for a powerboat.
There’s always been lighthearted ribbing and a playful rivalry
between sailors (rag baggers) and powerboaters (stink pot-
ters). Sailors chide powerboaters for burning buckets of fuel JEANNE CRAIG
and powerboaters thumb their noses at sailors when there’s no JCraig@aimmedia.com

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 DISPATCHES News, Notes and Know-How From the Waterfront

Tragic Sinking “The reason that this sinking has gained notoriety is that
it was rich people and a really big boat, but it is not all that

Delivers Weather uncommon,” says Chris Parker of Marine Weather Center, a

marine weather forecasting and routing service. “There’s an

Lessons
old saying about the Mediterranean. There’s a reason that the
Greeks had ships with small sails and lots of oars. It either
doesn’t blow at all, or it blows really, really strong.”
Parker says that, yes, good forecasting would have provided
FORECASTERS COULD NOT PREDICT THE a warning—maybe not for the extreme weather that occurred,
WEATHER EVENT THAT SANK BAYESIAN, but likely for the boat to have been prepared enough to survive
BUT THERE WERE ENOUGH CLUES FOR it. When the Bayesian went down, Parker says, there was a
“pretty strong” low-pressure system over Corsica. It caused sig-
THE CREW TO BE PREPARED
nificant weather to occur throughout a large area around Italy

C
ontroversy continues to swirl about the demise of the 184- and the surrounding areas, almost over to Greece.
foot Perini Navi Bayesian, which sank in August off the “The meteorological issues were an unusually high amount
coast of Sicily. The 2008 build from the world-renowned of moisture in the water, high levels of precipitable water in
Italian shipyard was an award-winning design that had a 237- the air—generally high moisture levels throughout the atmo-
foot mast and a lifting keel, and that had seemed plenty strong sphere—and there was a moderately high CAPE index,” he
for years, even in rough seas. The sinking was reported globally says. “That’s the convective available potential energy, which
because among those killed were a British tech tycoon, a promi- is an indication of the potential for convective squalls and
nent attorney and the chairman of Morgan Stanley International. thunderstorms. The CAPE values were not incredibly high.
“Eyewitnesses described furious gales and hurricane-like They were a little over 2,000, which would be enough to cause
winds that left an avalanche of debris near the pier,” CNN re- some concern, but not enough to cause dire warnings.”
ported. “More than a dozen survivors were spotted in the area There also was wind shear of more than 50 knots, he says, “or
hanging onto life rafts, according to the captain of a nearby boat, wind speed and direction varying over altitude, which some-
who steadied his ship to avoid colliding with the Bayesian.” times causes tornadoes, waterspouts and microbursts.”
Among the many lingering questions in boaters’ minds are:
Shouldn’t the Bayesian have been better prepared for the weath- Top: The meteorological conditions that occurred prior to the
ALAMY

er? Presumably, on a yacht that size, there was good forecasting sinking are known to cause tornadoes, waterspouts and micro-
equipment on board, and possibly a dedicated weather service. bursts. Some forecasters believe a microburst hit Bayesian.

NOVEMBER 2024 ̩̫
DISPATCHES NEWS

Such an event may have happened because the strongest able beforehand, we would have needed a significant amount
wind in the mixed layer—the portion of the atmosphere that of directional wind shear, and there was none that night,” he
mixes vertically—was about 60 knots and near 250 millibars. says. “So, it sounds much more like a microburst.”
From where the Bayesian was positioned on the water, several A microburst would mean that the 60-knot winds shot down-
miles overhead, there was about 60 knots of wind. “There is ward from several miles overhead to the surface—more straight
always the potential that the maximum wind in the mixed layer down, instead of in a rotational way. However, Parker adds:
will reach the surface,” Parker says. “When the downward rushing air hits the surface, it can’t keep
He suspects a microburst hit Bayesian, not a waterspout, going down. It fans out. It turns into a horizontal wind at the
after looking at how much directional wind shear was also surface. So it’s felt as a horizontal wind, but it’s not air that’s
present. That’s wind blowing from different directions at dif- coming from three or four miles away to your left or your right.
ferent altitudes. “Specifically, are they rotating clockwise or It’s coming from three or four miles away, above.”
counterclockwise with altitudes,” he says. The CAPE index being more than 2,000 would have indicated
When the Bayesian went down, he says, there was almost no some risk for vertical motion of air, he says, but likely wouldn’t
directional wind shear. “Freak things can happen, but for high have been enough to predict such a forceful microburst. “I
probability of a tornado or waterspout, and for it to be foresee- wasn’t forecasting for this event, but I don’t think I would have
foreseen this severe of an event,” Parker says. “I think I would
have cautioned vessels to prepare for potentially 40-knot
squalls and maybe a few thunderstorms.”
Generally speaking, he adds, that kind of prediction
would’ve left the Bayesian at least somewhat prepared for
whatever happened. “If they had been prepared for 40-knot
squalls, they probably would’ve been OK with whatever they
got,” he says. “It would not have been fun, but they would
have been more prepared.”
The overall lesson for boaters, he adds, is never to let down
your guard when it comes to the possibility of weather chang-
ing. “It was a freak weather event, but events similar to this are
not all that uncommon,” he says. “Identifying risk factors is
important.” —Kim Kavin

Top and left: The Bayesian was a 184-foot Perini Navi that sank
off the coast of Sicily when a freak weather event occurred in
ALAMY

August. Events like this are not all that uncommon, according
to marine weather forecasters.

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DISPATCHES NEWS

Channel of Controversy
the channel and come up the outside
of the eastern breakwall, where there is
plenty of water and [it is] much safer for
A FATAL CRASH IN CONNECTICUT LEAVES LOCALS smaller boats to run instead of getting
CALLING FOR CHANGE, AND OFFICIALS ASKING BOATERS out into a washing machine between the
breakwaters,” the petition states. “Boat-
TO RESPECT AIDS TO NAVIGATION ers today use their boats during all hours

A
fatal crash at the breakwater in jured several people on Labor Day 2023. of the day and night. Whether you’re
Old Saybrook—where there have Another, caused by steering-mechanism coming back from fishing or coming back
been multiple incidents in the failure, happened in April 2021. The from a trip at dark, the day beacons do
past years—has local citizens demanding fourth incident, listed as operator inat- not help us.”
change at the same time marine authori- tention, happened in July 2020. Local officials and experts agree that
ties are urging boaters to respect clearly The frequency of incidents has some is what’s happening—boaters are failing
marked aids to navigation. locals blaming conditions at the break- to stay within the marked channel—but
During the Labor Day holiday, a 31-foot wall. More than 500 people have signed a add that the solution is not necessarily
boat capsized after 9 p.m. under dark petition called “Light Up the East Wall.” more aids to navigation or bright lights,
skies. The vessel, according to local news The petition is promoted on a Facebook which can cause confusion in fog and
reports, had “significant damage” after page with about 2,700 followers, some of other subprime weather conditions. The
it ran into the east-facing jetty, or break- whom present themselves as friends and root problem, they say, is boaters failing
wall, at the mouth of the Connecticut family members of individuals involved to respect the existing aids to navigation.
River where it meets Long Island Sound. in the most recent crash. “We have all the aids to navigation
Three people died, ages 24, 25 and 34. Petitioners are asking for additional out there,” says Lt. Junior Grade Hunter
Six others on board were injured, some aids to navigation to be installed at the Medley, public affairs officer for Coast
HARTFORD COURANT

seriously. breakwater, which was built more than Guard Sector Long Island Sound. “If you
According to numerous published re- a century ago when there were far fewer were following that scheme, you’re fine.
ports, it was the fourth boating incident boats, and when most boats were smaller That’s what mariners should be doing,
in the area in the past five years. One and less powerful than modern designs. following the proper aids to navigation
incident, caused by excessive speed, in- “Many of us have opted to stay out of scheme.”

̩̮ SOUNDINGS
Memories they will
never forget.

  
 

www.nimbus.se
DISPATCHES NEWS

Inspectors at the scene As part of the investigation, the Coast

of the crash. Guard sent members of ATON—its Aids
to Navigation Team—to verify that all
aids to navigation are where they are
supposed to be. “Everything checked
out,” Medley says. “They verified that
everything was, in fact, on station in the
vicinity of Old Saybrook and the break-
water. That channel is a federally marked
channel. There are the two lighthouses
there. They are working in fine, perfect
condition.”
Lynch also noted that the breakwater
is clearly visible in real life and displayed
on navigational electronics.
“The breakwater is on every chart,”
Lynch says. “It shows up on our chart-
plotters. It’s visible on radar—even at
high tide, it shows up as a solid target.
Some breakwaters, at high tide, they’re
barely breaking the water with waves
crashing over them. This one is a few feet
above the water even at high tide.”
Matt Lynch, manager at TowBoatUS Speed was also on the minds of boaters Nevertheless, comments on the Face-
Old Saybrook and the harbormaster at in the area. Even on the Facebook page book page suggest that grief and frustra-
nearby Old Lyme, said boaters often take that’s asking for changes to the break- tion within the local community will con-
the shortcut outside the channel specifi- wall, one commenter noted: “The only tinue to fuel demands for change.
cally so they won’t have to slow down as thing we know is the speed of the vessel “When hearing of this accident, I im-
they approach the shore. “If you want to was definitely too fast for entering nar- mediately reached out to my son to be
skip that no-wake zone, you can go to the row channels. It is my humble opinion sure he was home safely from fishing
shallower waters over to the east,” Lynch installation of lights would not prevent that afternoon. And his response was
says. “So, a lot of people use that as a this type of accident.” that he had been, but when he heard
shortcut.” Lynch, who has cruised in and out news of his friends being involved in this
The official report from the most re- of the channel countless times, said, “I horrific accident he was out in the river
cent crash was still being drafted at press don’t think there’s any situation at night trying to help locate them,” one person
time, but the authorities did announce where you should be going in excess of wrote. “No words can express the sad-
that they were considering speed as a 50 knots. I haven’t seen the report on this ness our shoreline community feels at
possible factor. one, but it was faster than I’d be going.” this time.”

TOP: HARTFORD COURANT

The eastern breakwall,

shown at far right, is an
object of controversy
after the latest fatal
boating accident.

̩̰ SOUNDINGS
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DISPATCHES NEWS

Reducing the Carbs bit with our distributor to get the price down to where it’s
affordable for these people, but nobody has reported any
problems at all.”
YEARS OF EFFORT PRECEDED THIS PILOT Arriving at this moment towards a more sustainable ma-
PROGRAM AT A FLORIDA MARINA WHERE rine fuel has been a years-long process. St. Andrews Marina
BOATERS CAN FILL UP THEIR TANKS WITH is part of a first-of-its-kind pilot program created by the Na-
tional Marine Manufacturers Association, Suzuki Marine,
A PARTIALLY RENEWABLE MARINE FUEL the fuel company Hyperfuels and the chemical company

B
oaters who pulled up to the fuel dock this summer LyondellBasell. Their goal is to help reduce the recreational
at St. Andrews Marina in Panama City, Florida, saw boating industry’s carbon emissions with a partially renew-
something highly unusual: images on the pumps able fuel that can be used in existing boats, without any
touting “sustainable marine fuel.” From their helms, boat- modifications needed to the boat’s engine or the boat itself.
ers could see the selling points in big, bold letters. Ethanol “We’ve done the research on sustainable marine fuels.
free. High octane—93 octane, to be precise. The partially Now, we’re demonstrating as an industry that we can ac-
renewable fuel, a non-alcohol, high-octane gasoline mixed tually bring some of these products to market,” says Jeff
with renewable content, reduces CO2 emissions by up to 30 Wasil, senior director of environmental, health and safety
percent more than E10 fuels and is a first step in reducing compliance for the NMMA. “If you’re a boater, you really
carbon emissions for recreational boating. The fuel is not should be excited about this. It gives you an option to do
fully carbon neutral, but a step towards that goal. your part without going out and buying a new boat, and
“We have a lot of charter fishing and guide boats. We’re without any compromise to the boat’s performance.”
in the middle of snapper season, so they come in daily,” Giving boaters the choice to use a partially renewable ma-
marina superintendent Brian Hamilton told Soundings in rine fuel is one of several pathways to decarbonization that
late July, about a month after the fuel started to sell. “The the International Council of Marine Industry Associations
biggest thing for them is the price, so we had to work a little identified in a study last year. The ICOMIA report also notes

̨̪ SOUNDINGS
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DISPATCHES NEWS

Japan. “But they have this big facility

in Texas making millions and mil-
lions of gallons, and we need to get a
few thousand gallons from Texas to
Panama City,” Wasil says.
First, the team tried to work with
the fuel terminal in Panama City, to
store the finished product. “They
said, ‘That’s great, how many bil-
lions of gallons?’” Wasil recalls.
“And we said, ‘Five thousand gal-
lons a month,’ and they said, ‘Go
pound sand.’”
Next, the team looked into sending
the finished fuel by barge from Texas
to Florida. “But they won’t even con-
sider a lease if it’s not billions of gal-
lons,” Wasil says.
They next tried to arrange for
tanker trucks on the highways. “It’s
at least $5,000 to get a truck and a
driver and get it legally to Panama
City. You divide that by 5,000 gal-
lons, that’s $1 a gallon,” Wasil says.
“If it’s loaded in the terminal at
Houston at $3 a gallon, by the time it
gets to Panama City, it’s $4, and you
haven’t even added any of the costs
Top: A pump at St. that boaters can switch to electric, hybrid and for taxes and things.”
Andrews Marina hydrogen propulsion systems. The expense and Then, the team figured it could send the blend-
in Panama City, technological limitations of those options remain stock alone, not the finished fuel that includes
which is helping a challenge for many boaters and boatbuilders, it. “What we ended up doing, finally, after going
reduce the recre- while a partially renewable marine fuel can be a through every scenario known to man, was send-
ational boating
much easier sell. ing just over 30,000 gallons of Ideal EMP as rail
industry’s carbon
emissions by of- “That’s the nice thing. You’ve got a 2024 boat or fuel,” Wasil says.
fering a partially a 1974 boat, it doesn’t matter,” Wasil says. “This Ideal EMP is loaded onto a rail car, which goes
renewable fuel stuff is compatible.” from Texas to a Florida transload facility—a place
that can be used There is, however, the problem of how to get where cargo is transferred from one type of trans-
in existing boats, these “drop-in fuels” to marina docks. Wasil and portation to another. There, the Ideal EMP is
without other pilot program leaders spent more than two pumped out of the rail car and into a tank on a
modifications years trying to figure out the logistics for just the Bobtail truck. “That’s the local delivery guy. He
to the engine or single location in Florida. Wasil’s team told people needs to run over to Chevron, pick up a certain
boat itself. they knew at Suzuki about an NMMA project fo- quantity of gasoline from the terminal in his Bob-
cused on sustainable marine fuels. Suzuki had tail truck, drive it to where the rail car is, and
been opening a facility in Panama City, Florida, so pump in the percentage of Ideal EMP,” Wasil says.
its team knew all the players involved in building The Bobtail truck then delivers the final product
out infrastructure. Those relationships included to the marina, giving boaters the opportunity to
city officials and staff at the city-owned St. An- purchase a more sustainable marine fuel at the
drews Marina. pump.
The NMMA also knew that LyondellBasell, “There has been overwhelming interest from
which is based in Texas, was making Ideal EMP. many, many marinas across the greater Panhandle
It’s a renewable blendstock—a liquid component that want to start selling this fuel,” Wasil adds.
that can be mixed with existing fuels to reduce ex- “It’s really starting to happen, and yes it’s very ex-
haust emissions. It’s primarily sold in Europe and citing.” —Kim Kavin

̪̪ SOUNDINGS
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DISPATCHES SEAMANSHIP

The Right Moves for help should know other boats lis-
tening on the VHF will not hear them.
Someone besides the skipper should
SEAMANSHIP IS A LIFELONG EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE. know how to call for help when time
START WITH THE BASICS AND BUILD FROM THERE is of the essence. It’s also wise to let
guests know about your float plan for
By Peter Frederiksen the day, so if you do need assistance the

W
hen the subject is seaman- first-timers should be shown how to boat’s location can be relayed.
ship, talk often comes around wear them. Although not required, I I encourage my guests to sit and re-
to running the boat in heavy also outfit my PFDs with a whistle for main seated when the boat is underway
salt, big seas and frightening condi- added safety. and I’ll emphasize the importance of
tions. But the fact is, seamanship be- You should take a few minutes to in- using handrails if they need to move
gins long before you find yourself in struct guests on what to do if you, the about or go below to use the head. Not
white-knuckle situations. skipper, become incapable of operating everyone you take out will have your
A savvy skipper knows that before the boat. These days, many new boats seasoned sea legs. Similarly, when leav-
leaving the dock it’s imperative to con- are outfitted with high-horsepower en- ing the slip instruct newbies to refrain
firm that the boat is seaworthy, with all tertainment systems that can outblast a from reaching out with hands or legs to
systems functional and the fuel tanks live performance by the Rolling Stones,
sufficiently full for the day’s assign- but that quiet little VHF radio at the Top: Don’t wait for heavy seas and chal-
ment. It is a good idea to explain to helm is the fastest way to contact the lenging conditions to test your boating
ALAMY

your guests where the PFDs (person- Coast Guard on channel 16. Folks who skills. Good seamanship begins long
al flotation devices) are located, and might reach for their cell phone to call before the boat leaves the dock.

̪̬ SOUNDINGS
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DISPATCHES SEAMANSHIP

fend off pilings or bulkheads. This is to be repaired or replaced quickly. I

what the boat’s rub rail is designed to alerted my dock neighbors about the
endure. damaged day marker and the missing
Once you get underway, make sure stake.
the fenders are inside the boat and Seamanship is also about know-
not whacking against the hull. When I ing the purpose of day markers and
see a boat dragging its fenders I avoid buoys. These navigational aids may
that vessel. These operators some- appear similar to street signs but they
times display inattentiveness. And are much more than that. A street
while on the subject of lack of focus, sign simply tells you where to go and
there really is no excuse for any boat where to turn. Some buoys mark the
operator to allow children to ride on edge of a channel, alerting you not to
the bow with their bare feet splash- get too close, while others may have
ing in the water while the boat makes plenty of depth surrounding them.
headway. Just imagine what might Strong outgoing or incoming tides,
happen if that child fell in. especially during full and new moon
There are 38 navigation rules ap- phases, may cause the buoys to lean
plicable to safe boating (Rules of the over, indicating the strong currents
Road). If you ever choose to apply for that can pull your boat toward them
a USCG license to operate a boat for with a vengeance. True seamanship
hire, you’ll be tested on your knowl- skills are all about not placing your-
edge of these regulations. One of the self into what can rapidly turn into a
most important rules commands the dangerous situation.
operator to be, or to post, a lookout Seamanship is also about operating a
for situational awareness. Using eyes vessel at a safe speed in order to prevent
and ears to observe and listen to your a collision with another boat. A topic in
surroundings goes a long way toward itself, one rule of the road stresses the
demonstrating the level of your sea- importance of determining a safe speed
manship capabilities. This includes at any particular moment, based on the
looking astern to make sure a faster state of visibility, traffic density, wind,
boat is not crawling up your transom sea, current and positions of any naviga-
and hell-bent on passing you without tional hazards, such as fixed bridges and
signaling that he is there. people on paddle boards and personal
The root causes of many boating ac- watercraft. If you’re running in fog and
cidents are often attributed to opera- detect another boat in the vicinity, you
tor inattentiveness and inexperience, want to predict with accuracy that you
reckless operation and excess speed. can stop in half the distance of the vis-
One recent morning while I was ibility, with or without radar.
threading my way toward the ocean Other boats always present chal-
through the sinuous and never lenges to your seamanship skills. I
dredged natural channel in my local often remind myself that discretion is
creek, I approached a warped cedar the better part of valor, particularly
stake with an unlit day marker. It when the seas get sporty and some-
was inches from the water’s surface. one comes flying down the channel
A boat operator may have collided creating a dangerous wake. Perhaps
with it the night before because it was he simply does not know any better.
on station when I had passed it the And who wants to meet that guy any-
previous afternoon. It concerned me way, especially by accident?
because someone might now inad- Seamanship is a lifelong educa-
vertently run over it. At high tide, it tional experience. Every day that I go
would be underwater, and if hit by out on the water I learn something
an unknowing boater it would bend new or refresh my knowledge about
a propeller, possibly stall an engine what I already know. Either way, I
and/or result in injury. am constantly reminded that nature
Farther down the channel, another cares nothing about my boat or my
day marker was just missing. Sea- hours and years spent on the water.
sonal day markers like these are not Honing seamanship skills prepares
maintained once placed on station in you to enjoy the seas safely today and
the late spring and they’re not likely tomorrow.
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DISPATCHES POWER

#Ćäʼnäě€ĩūäŅƒäàäƈĢäà ball game. Two years ago, Scania and

Mack Boring built a Viking 46 Billfish
christened Mack 900 with a pair of the
SCANIA’S LATEST ENTRY INTO THE RECREATIONAL then new DI13 900-hp 6-cylinder en-
DIESEL MARKET IS A GAME CHANGER gines lauded for an impressive power-
By Gary Caputi to-weight ratio and performance curve.
I was there and the engines were light,

T
he Mack Attack is a recently word, but in the rest of the world its fast, quieter than the competition and
launched Viking 48 Convertible, a engines are legendary. The company produced no visible smoke. After a year
flybridge model that looks no dif- has been in business for 133 years of testing, Viking added the DI13 to its
ferent from other Vikings in the 48-foot and builds more than 100,000 diesel power option list. So, I was eager to try
class, but it has a secret. Belowdecks engines annually. The majority pow- out the new V8s.
beats a heart of Swedish gold in the ers Scania trucks, buses and industri- What many boaters might not realize
form of high-performance Scania DI16 al equipment; the rest serve in a wide is that Scania engines were powering
diesel engines. The boat, a collabora- range of marine applications. The com- pleasure boats in the U.S. two decades
tion between Scania, Mack Boring—the pany’s long presence in commercial ago but under a different banner.
largest Scania distributor in the U.S.— vessels in the U.S. has earned the brand “As a distributor for Yanmar diesels,
and Viking Yacht Company, is the test a reputation for economy of operation, we became acquainted with Scania in
bed for these 16-liter, 1,150-hp V8s that longevity under demanding conditions,
are new to the U.S. market. and ease of maintenance and repair. Top: The 48-foot Viking Mack Attack hides
To most recreational boaters in the But building engines for use in plea- two of Scania’s V8 16-liter DI16 engines
U.S., Scania might not be a household sure boats like the Viking is another with 1,150-hp each below its deck.

̪̰ SOUNDINGS
 DISPATCHES POWER

BACK COVE
Dealer Locator
backcoveyachts.com

Serving Massachusetts
and Rhode Island
bostonyacht.com

Serving Maine, New York,

and Maryland
dimillosyachtsales.com
2004,” says Pat McGovern, president when necessary. They offer exceptional
of Mack Boring. “At the time, Scania acceleration, greater fuel economy, and
was manufacturing Yanmar’s higher are among the most environmentally
horsepower engines under a partner- friendly diesels in the world because
ship agreement, but they were brand- they produce little or no smoke, which is
ed as Yanmar. We called them Scan- caused by unburned fuel.”
Serving Connecticut and mars. They were great engines, and The DI series engines are based on
Rhode Island gave us the opportunity to experience Scania’s acclaimed commercial marine
petzolds.com diesels, which utilize unit injection and
Scania’s corporate culture and the
quality and reliability they build into a simple wastegate turbocharger, a re-
their products.” liable method of feeding fuel into the
The partnership was a casualty of combustion chambers of engines with
the 2008 recession, but Mack Bor- lower horsepower ratings and longer
ing began representing Scania in duty cycles. On recreational boats like
the U.S. commercial marine market. the Viking the horsepower demands
More recently, with the introduction are greater and the duty cycles short-
Serving New Jersey and West Florida of the DI13 and now the DI16 plea- er, so the engines are equipped with
Sandyhookyachts.com sure craft engines, things have come a high-pressure common-rail injector
Yachtregistry.net full circle. For boat builders offering system that provides multiple injection
Scania power, the brand is an up- pulses to better control combustion,
grade. For example, the upcharge for reduce particulate matter (smoke) and
Scania 900 hp DI13s over the MAN produce more power output.
850s in the Viking 46 Billfish is about The cylinder design is one of the rea-
$15,000. Scania calls its iron the “be- sons for the efficiency and longevity of
spoke” power choice, an engine for a these engines. Typical diesels incorpo-
specific customer. rate a hanging cylinder supported at
“Scania engines provide a num- the top of the block. Scania utilizes a
ber of benefits over the competition,” standing cylinder, where the liners are
said Alberto Alcalá, U.S. senior sales supported at the base on a ledge deep
manager at Scania. He was aboard the inside the engine block. This allows the
Viking for my sea trial. “They are light- coolant jackets to extend closer to the
New Model Representation Varies by Territory er, have a smaller footprint in the en-
23 Merrill Dr. gine room, and offer the highest pow- Top: Scania diesels are light, fast and
Rockland, Maine 04841 er-to-weight ratio in their class. They quiet, and are known for their economy
(207) 594-8844 have a longer period between service of operation, longevity, ease of mainte-
www.backcoveyachts.com intervals and are easier to work on nance and repair.
 DISPATCHES POWER

combustion chamber, reducing operat- was an experience for me. We depart- gines were reserved and quiet, allow-
ing temperature, improving fuel burn ed the Canon Club in Cape May, New ing for easy conversation in the salon
and providing room for the addition of Jersey, and ran offshore a few miles. and cockpit while burning a total of 82
a “saver ring” at the very top of the com- From a dead stop, when the captain gph. At trolling speed, the decibel level
bustion chamber. put the hammer down the acceleration was so low I almost forget the engines
The saver ring has a slightly smaller was exhilarating, pushing me back in were running.
inner diameter than the cylinder wall, the seat. A look over my shoulder con- There’s a lot to Scania’s new DI series
so when the piston rises, if there is any firmed that the blastoff was smoke free engines that set them apart from the
carbon buildup on its outer edge it as the boat pulled hard to its top end of competition and make them a serious
simply flakes off. This helps the piston 38 knots. At a fast cruise of 1900 rpm consideration for those ordering new
rings better control oil, keeping it in the the boat made 30 knots, yet the en- boats or repowering existing vessels.
pan where it belongs. It also improves
the combustion event, and reduces
cylinder wall scoring, which increases
cylinder life while extending the time
required between oil changes.
The saver ring is held in place by the
cylinder head, but instead of having a
single head for an entire bank of cylin-
ders, Scania utilizes individual heads
for each cylinder. That means you can
work on the top end of the engine with-

A LIFE OF
out hoists and repair or replace a sin-
gle cylinder liner if needed. The heads,
cylinders and pistons are common
between various engines in a series,
which is one of the reasons Scania die-
sels have 30 percent parts commonality.
DISCOVERY
This improves parts availability across
the board. Scania’s parts warehouse is
in close proximity to UPS headquarters
in Louisville, Kentucky, which allows
for overnight delivery of parts ship-
ments anywhere in the country. The
warehouse maintains a stock of 98 per-
cent of the parts for Scania engines.
The engine blocks are constructed of
compacted graphite iron rather than the
more common gray iron. The material is
heavier but considerably stronger, and
when the milling process is completed
it weighs less than a gray iron block. Be-
cause the Scania is lighter, stronger and
less prone to deformation under heavy
loads, it has longevity and a high power-
to-weight ratio. The engines are easy to
C-248 C C-288 C C-30 S C-30 CB C-32 C C-32 CB
service and work on, making them great
for owners who like to get oil on their
hands from time to time. Scania, through
its distributor network, maintains deal-
ers throughout the U.S. and will assist
owners by routing the servicing dealer
that can get to your vessel the fastest. It’s SCAN FOR FUN
part of the Scania handshake program
that starts with the registration of your
engine and an introductory phone call
from the nearest dealer.
Sitting behind the helm on the fly-
bridge of the Viking 48C Mack Attack

NOVEMBER 2024 ̫̫
LAUNCHED

̫̬ SOUNDINGS
 Enhanced
Ergonomics
PURSUIT DREW ON
CUSTOMER FEEDBACK
WHEN DESIGNING THE
OS 325 OFFSHORE

I
t takes guts for a manufacturer to re-
place a beloved boat in its lineup with
a new model of the same size. But
after nearly a decade of service, the team
at Pursuit Boats decided it was time for its
popular OS 325 Offshore center console,
which first launched in 2015, to make way
for an updated version.
“It has seen a good life cycle, and it
was time for it to be revamped and come
up to speed with some of the evolution
that we’ve been seeing in the market-
place,” said Mark Taiclet, Pursuit director
of brand management, during our sea
trial of the OS 325 in Fort Pierce, Florida,
near where the factory is located.
While the 2025 model has the same LOA,
beam and name as the one it replaces,
Pursuit wound up building all-new hull
and deck molds in order to accommodate
all the customer-driven changes the team
incorporated into its design.
“We started the project with an in-
depth customer focus group of people
who owned the OS 325 and were really se-
rious boaters,” Taiclet said. “They’re stay-
ing the night on their boat, they’re fish-
ing, they’re cruising and entertaining.”
One of the main requests the focus group
made of Pursuit had to do with easing the
transition from cockpit to bridgedeck. On
LOA: 34’6” the older OS 325 model, the steps to the
Beam: 10’10” bridge are located to starboard and slanted
Draft (motors up): 2’2” at an angle. “That was the biggest thing our
Weight (dry): 13,740 lbs. customers were asking about. They want-
Fuel: 300 gals. ed to know how we could make it more
Water: 30 gals. comfortable to get into the bridgedeck area
Power: (2) Yamaha F350s without having to rub shoulders with ev-
Base price (w/power): $557,935 erybody who was walking by and worrying
about those steps,” Taiclet reported.

NOVEMBER 2024 ̫̭
LAUNCHED

Pursuit’s solution was to relocate the “There’s no motor well because the said. The design team was able to add
rear-facing cockpit seat to starboard, cre- only engines we offer have the digital the door without losing any cockpit seat-
ating a centerline passageway with two electric steering already built in. So, we ing; the fold-up seat originally on the
straight, molded-in steps leading up to don’t need all that [cable] back there,” port gunwale has been moved to the
the bridge. This is a big improvement, as Taiclet said. starboard side, where it makes a nice
I quickly learned while moving around Pursuit also enlarged the swim-step companion to the repositioned rear-fac-
the boat with five other adults on board. extensions on either side of the out- ing seat.
On the other hand, the Pursuit team boards to the maximum width possible The cockpit entertainment center also
originally had planned to eliminate the without restricting the swing of the out- has been redesigned. The designers opti-
boat’s transom locker to gain more cock- drives. “Some of our competitors don’t mized storage space, added tackle draw-
pit space, but the focus group stopped use those extensions, but we still em- ers and enlarged the sink. In tune with
that idea in its tracks. “Don’t get rid of it, brace them as they make it easy to get on the current trend toward outdoor galleys
whatever you do,” Taiclet repeated the and off the boat,” he said. “And you can on boats, Pursuit also made the barbecue
owners as saying. “When you open up change a prop from the side of the boat grill standard equipment. “Now the grill
this locker, it’s a simple little tub, but if instead of having to be in the water.” is the primary cooking device on the boat.
you take that out, you’ve got full access To enhance the OS 325’s fishability, We eliminated the cooktop at the inside
to all your batteries. So, it just makes it Pursuit enlarged the transom live well galley because everybody said they never
that much more convenient.” and gave it a new glass lid. A cutting use it, and it’s not required for a tax write-
Many of the tweaks the Pursuit de- board was added for prepping baits and off anymore. You can use this [grill] as
sign team made to the older OS 325 were cleaning fish, and the new boat has rod that tax write-off,” Taiclet said.
subtle, like expanding access to the ma- holders that are integral to the transom In the older model, the large galley
chinery space in the cockpit sole and rather than bolted on. Plus, the capacity made access to the mid-cabin behind it
dropping the floor in the head to gain of each of the two in-sole fishboxes has
two inches of headroom, but the new been expanded.
model also features a number of major Another major update was the addi-
changes. For example, due to advances tion of a port-side dive door, engineered Top: An important update to the boat is
in outboard rigging technology, the tran- to swing open 180 degrees. “You can the improved access to the bridge deck,
som platform is now flatter and has more actually sit there with the dive tank on which is something Pursuit owners
usable space. and get it in and out of the boat,” Taiclet asked for during focus groups.

̫̮ SOUNDINGS
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LAUNCHED

Left: When Pursuit moved food-

prep appliances like the refrig-
erator and grill into the cockpit, it
opened up the cabin interior.

facilitating a seated or standing po-

sition at the helm. I chose to sit,
which was comfortable thanks to
the molded-in footrest. Visibility
was excellent through the boat’s
side windows, which have been
enlarged, and the windshield. The
skylights are also larger, measur-
ing 17 inches by 17 inches.
Pursuit packages its boats ex-
clusively with Yamaha outboards.
Twin F300s are standard power,
but our test boat was equipped
with two F350s linked to an op-
tional joystick control.
The 350s offered a great hole
shot. The boat planed off smooth-
ly and accelerated to a nice, fast
cruise speed of 35.6 mph at 4200
rpm on the calm ICW. The facto-
ry pegs the most efficient cruise
speed with these engines at 33.5
mph (4000 rpm), with a fuel con-
sumption of 26.3 gph, which gives
feel restricted. So, the design team the boat a range of 326 miles at
moved the larger refrigerator up cruise. Top speed is 52.6 mph at
to the bridgedeck, mounting it be- 5800 rpm. I was impressed by the
hind the helm seat, and replaced it boat’s performance, but I found the
below with a smaller, drawer-style F350s to be loud at speed. I would
fridge. They left the microwave and opt for the quieter F300s.
galley counter in the cabin, but So, if the old Pursuit OS 325 was
moving the main cooking facilities so great, is the new one better? Ac-
to the cockpit has really opened up cording to Taiclet, the owners who
the interior. saw the 2025 model at the Pursuit
The OS 325’s driving experience Owners’ Rendezvous in Bimini this
has been enhanced. The new model summer gave it a big thumbs up.
comes with a standard Garmin For my part, I would sum up all the
electronics package that includes improvements in two words: en-
a dual GPSMAP 8616 system with hanced ergonomics. In every part of
16-inch monitors (upgraded from this boat, Pursuit has made the ex-
12-inch). A Siren Marine Connected perience of moving about, interact-
Boat Smart Boat Monitoring & Theft ing with the cabinetry and equip-
Deterrent System is standard, as is a ment, as well as with fellow passen-
premium JL Audio sound system. A gers, easy and effortless.
drinkholder that can accommodate “This has been a really good boat
a 30-ounce Yeti mug and smart- for us, and that’s why we didn’t
phone charger are two more nods feel like we needed to make it big-
to the modern era. The entire helm ger,” said Taiclet. “Instead, we
unit tilts open to allow access to the tried to take the same envelope
back of the electronics. and make it more functional. By
The large helm seat has adjust- doing that, it really turned up the
able armrests and a flip-up bolster, value.” —Louisa Beckett

̫̰ SOUNDINGS
 Are You Ready for Your Next Challenge?
The 2025 Marion Bermuda Race Awaits!

Photo by Spectrum Photo

Changes for 2025 - It’s Better Than Ever!

+ New PHRF Division
New division for PHRF handicapped boats

+ Celestial and Electronically Navigated boats

each have their own Class
Separate Class specific trophies

+ “Bring A Friend” Financial Incentive marionbermuda.com

Skippers in one or more of the last three races (2017, 2019, or 2023)
who bring a new skipper and boat will each get $150 off their registrations

+ No Boat Inspection Required

Boats that participated in the 2023 Marion Bermuda Race or the 2024 Newport Bermuda
Race will not require any pre-race inspection

+ 20% Discount on Flights to/from Bermuda on BermudAir

Marion Bermuda Race Crews, friends and family flying to and/or from
Boston will receive this discount

+ Room rate discount at the Coco Reef Resort in Bermuda

All staying in Bermuda because of the race will get this discount

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

June 20, 2025
Miss America IX
Illustration by Jim Ewing

O
n March 19, 1931, on a statute-mile-measured
course in England, the world record for a speed
boat was set at 98.76 mph. The next day, in North
Miami Beach, Florida, Detroit’s Gar Wood and his longtime
friend, throttle man and engine mechanic Orlin Johnson,
drove Miss America IX on Indian Creek to become the first
men to exceed 100 mph on a powerboat.
Miss America IX was powered by twin 1,200-hp, 12-cyl-
inder Packard motors featuring vertical exhaust pipes.
Wood and Johnson sat aft of the engines where they were
subjected to heat, fumes and the visceral pounding of
exhaust air pressure.
They made five runs, northward and southward, to allow
for tidal and wind influences. Wood’s averaged speed of
101.154 mph on a statute mile course, and 102.256 mph on
a nautical mile course, drew wide international acclaim.
Less than a year later, on the same course, Wood and
Johnson broke their previous record by pushing Miss
America IX to an average speed of 110.223 mph. They made
two runs. The first and fastest run, achieved with a modest
tailwind, was measured at 112.434 mph. Power was again
supplied by a brace of V-12 Packards, this time with su-
perchargers, which boosted each engine’s output to 1,600
horsepower.
Miss America IX was built in Algonac, Michigan, in a
factory that once belonged to Christopher Smith & Sons,
which would eventually become the headquarters of Chris-
Craft. All 10 of Gar Wood’s Miss America racing boats were
designed by Nap Lisee, who was a renowned wooden boat
designer. Lisee always laid out the lines on the floor of the
factory—never once using blueprints—and each hull was
one of a kind, specifically sized to accommodate the tanks,
engines and crew.
Miss America IX had a triple-planked bottom, spruce
stringers and ribs, and red mahogany topsides that were
finished bright. She was fastened with Everdur screws and
bolts, a highly popular alloy line from the American Brass
Company in Waterbury, Connecticut. Propellers came from
the Hyde Windlass Company of Bath, Maine.
In 1958, Gar Wood donated the boat to the Algonac Lions
Club. By the time enthusiast Charles Mistele got his hands
on her in 1970 she no longer had her engines and most of
her fittings had been stripped. He repowered her with twin
427 Chevrolet racing engines and drove her—often at full
throttle—until his death in 2020. —John Wooldridge

̨̬ SOUNDINGS
CLASSICS

NOVEMBER 2024 ̬̩
 When in
Sweden
Midsummer days are memorable in the Gothenburg
archipelago aboard the Nimbus 495 Flybridge
S TO RY BY J E F F M O S E R
Previous spread: Accompa-
nied by another Nimbus,
the 495 Flybridge navigates
through the archipelago.
This spread: The 495
has a barely perceptible
asymmetrical layout and
a flybridge with plenty of
seating that can be shaded
or open to the sun.
 We stood shoulder to shoulder in a
semicircle just outside the barn doors
of the brightly colored fish shack. Our
small group chatted as we downed
lagers and prosecco underneath the
early evening Scandinavian sun, still
high in the mid-June sky. I sipped an
ice-cold Carlsberg, a bit nervous about
disappointing my hosts if I didn’t join
in on what was about to happen next.
My mantra in this place: Be like a Swede.
I had told myself this a few times since arriving in Sweden two
days before. It began with the cuisine. I’m one who generally
avoids the seafood side of the menu, but my newfound epicu-
rious streak was paying dividends. I had enjoyed exquisitely
prepared ling and char, and I was eyeballing crayfish harvested
that same day, prepared with lemon and butter for our kräfts-
kiva, or crayfish party. While I didn’t suck the tender parts from
their antennae-laden heads, I did enjoy the delicious meat from
the tails. I was making progress.
This was how they do things in Donsö, an island in Swe-
den’s Gothenburg archipelago where I’d arrived for the
premiere of the Nimbus 495 Flybridge. The model marks a
shift for the brand whose svelte dayboats splashed in

NOVEMBER 2024 ̬̭
 Clockwise from the top: The
Gothenburg Archipelago’s
islands are home to newer
and traditional summer
homes; a midsummer party
would be inc0mplete with-
out food and drink.

PHOTO CREDIT

̬̮ SOUNDINGS
 the U.S. less than a decade ago. With the new 495 flagship,
Nimbus is looking to enter the fast trawler market.
The 495 is also the first Nimbus powered by Volvo Penta IPS
drives. That came as a surprise, considering that the companies
are linked back to the yacht builder’s inception in 1968. The
yard tapped Volvo designer Pelle Petterson, who created the
Volvo P1800, to design the first Nimbus model, a 26-foot boat.
Five decades later, Petterson is an Olympic medalist and world-
champion sailor, and Nimbus has launched more than 12,000
boats spread over 86 models.
Chief Designer Joacim Gustavsson joined Nimbus in 2007 and
has imbued the builder’s Commuter, Day Cruiser and Coupé
models with the same design language seen in the 495. A de-
fining feature on this flagship is the asymmetrical layout: The
superstructure is offset, leaving a wider starboard side deck. The
house sits so seamlessly on the 495 that the asymmetry wasn’t
clear to me until I stood on the wide swim platform and studied
her stance. The other giveaway was the boarding gate to star-
board that aligns with the wider side deck.
Up a few steps, the cockpit shows how the Swedes use their
vessels all over Scandinavia, where the weather can turn quick-
ly. The flybridge overhang shades the entire space, and a wall
of glass occupies the after section. It is electronically actuated
with a built-in shade, allowing complete protection from the ele-
ments. It also can be open to the salon and to the swim platform,
where there’s a wet bar and grill.
With the salon’s glass door folded away and the top half of
the glass bulkhead open, the indoor and outdoor spaces flow
together, with the folded bulkhead creating a perfect bar top.
Inside the one-level salon, the galley is split in the after section,
with a centerline walkway framing a portside, C-shape dinette
for six and a two-seat settee to starboard.
Just forward, the helm area shines to starboard. Sightlines are
excellent in three directions, and a pair of rounded glass win-
dows aft flank a slider.
A centerline companionway leads belowdecks to three state-
rooms, The amidships, full-beam master and the VIP in the bow
are separated by a twin-bunk stateroom to starboard, with the
latter two sharing a head and shower.
At sea, with eight of us on board, the 495 never felt crowded.
With our crew split in the pilothouse and cockpit, there was
room for more people on the flybridge and foredeck. The sun
was shining, so the skipper opened the electric roof above the
helm. That, plus the side windows, open rear glass and wide
sliding door next to the helm station (another Nimbus main-
stay), made the pilothouse feel open and airy.
We hopscotched amid the hundred or so tiny, granite islands,
and I took the co-pilot’s position. The L-shape seating here is
part bench that faces forward or a comfortable settee that faces
aft. Gustavsson calls this the “passenger sofa,” for good reason.
JEFF MOSER

With the Midsummer holiday tourists not yet crowding the wa-
ters, we had our run of the place, so I settled in to enjoy the view.
The experience was eminently relaxing.

NOVEMBER 2024 ̬̯
 Clockwise from left: The
495 is unmistakably a Nim-
bus; abundant seating and
light inside the cabin; the
galley is aft for easy access
to the cockpit.

̬̰ SOUNDINGS
 Twenty or so minutes later, the skipper kindly woke me up for our speed runs,
telling me that a few people from the Nimbus team had napped in that same spot
since the 495 splashed. Just like a Swede, I thought.
The 480-hp Volvo Penta IPS drives are an ideal match. We cruised effortlessly
at 21 knots on the way to her top speed of just under 29 knots. Running at dis-
placement speeds, she showed coastal cruising prowess, achieving a 677-nauti-
cal-mile range at 8 knots and 1500 rpm. As we increased speed, the average range
never dipped below 300 nautical miles, up to 15.3 knots and 2750 rpm.
Returning to Donsö, I hung a few fenders via the wide starboard side deck and
watched as the skipper effortlessly docked her with the joystick. There was no
need to use the optional Assisted Docking feature. The 495 can be easily handled
by a cruising couple.
At our late dinner, the Nimbus team showed us how to ring in the Midsummer
holiday with Aquavit, songs and four types of herring. At midnight, I steeled my-
self against the 55-degree seawater and then went back into the sauna for a sweat.
The Nimbus crew deemed me an honorary Swede, baptized in the Baltic Sea.

NOVEMBER 2024 ̬̱
 TRULY
RESURGENT
This husband-and-wife team rebuilt a 1984 Nauset 35 with a lot of gumption,
a good bit of help and a driving desire to get back on the water

By Kim Kavin

̨̭ SOUNDINGS
 Using modern ma-
terials and plenty of
elbow grease, Tom
and Lauren Tolla
turned an old Nauset
35 into a retro beauty.

Lauren Tolla was having trouble process-

ing what she was seeing. And feeling. And
smelling.
It was October 2021, and her husband,
Tom, had persuaded her to go check out a
boat that he had seen advertised for sale
on Facebook Marketplace. They’d driven
from their home in Guilford, Connecticut,
up to New London, where it had rained the day before.
The name of the 1984 Nauset 35 Downeast was Seahorse.
Clearly, it had been ridden hard and put away wet.
“It was dripping,” says Tom, who was in his late 50s at
the time. “I was looking at it and trying to stay positive.”
Lauren, who was in her early 60s, looked all around the
boat’s interior. She then looked at Tom and said, “Do you
think we can do this?”
Tom assured her, “We can do this.”
“What are you going to do?” the owner of Seahorse asked.
Tom replied, “We’re going to make this new again.”
So began the three-year rebuild of the boat that’s now
rechristened Resurgent, which the husband-and-wife team
managed to make like new with their own hands, and
without destroying their marriage. They relaunched her
this past July—just in time for their 30-year wedding an-
niversary—and expect to enjoy years of cruising with their
four adult children and eight grandchildren.
“We have a long channel to get out to Long Island
Sound. They all want to steer and look for the birds and
the fish. That was the goal, to create a family bonding ex-
perience,” Tom says. “We couldn’t financially have a boat
like this, with this much space and that looks like it does,
if it was new. We couldn’t buy a boat like that, so we had
to make it.”

NOVEMBER 2024 ̭̩
 When the couple
bought the Nauset
it was in rough
condition.

FINDING THE POSITIVE

The Tollas had three main things going for them. First, Tom is
a homebuilder and contractor with an enclosed shop, a ton of
tools and a lot of know-how. Second, Lauren is a nurse who’s
not afraid of dirt or blood. Third is their shared love of boating,
which they’ve been doing together, and with their family, for
the past quarter century.
“We always had center console Grady-White boats,” Tom
says. “We started with a 19-footer, then we had a 27. After that
we had a 30-foot Grady. But just prior to 2019 we sold that, and
suddenly we were boatless.”
“I was depressed,” Lauren adds. “I love the water.”
Some friends had Downeast boats, and the couple had al-
ways loved the styling of those vessels. That’s what sent Tom
into a hunt for an affordable fixer-upper. How much of a fixer-
upper this boat would become, however, surprised the couple
after they got it home. It just barely squeezed through the over-
head door in Tom’s shop, by about 3 inches. Then, they started
taking it apart.
“We were like, Oh my God, this thing is worse than we
thought,” Tom says.
Originally, the boat was built in Orleans, Massachusetts, on
Cape Cod. Its fiberglass hull is a Bruno Stillman design. “It was
built for a fishing charter in 1984,” Tom says. “Sometime in the
late 1980s or early 1990s, it sold to the owner we bought it from.
He then repowered it.”
The couple bought the boat for $25,000, sold the engine and
components for $10,000, and figured they had a $15,000 invest-
ment they could put money into, little by little, until it was like-

̭̪ SOUNDINGS
 Prepping the hull for
new paint.

new. “It was dirty and moldy. The wood on the backside was all
just washed out,” Lauren says. “I called it a tub. We had bought
a tub.”
Everywhere they turned, they found more saturation and
mold. They eventually realized they had to remove all the cor-
ing, and that’s when the project became stimulating.
“For me, it was like doing a project for a client who bought
a late 19th-century house and wanted it restored,” Tom says.
“After we bought it, someone told us how to work with prod-
ucts that were unfamiliar to us—fiberglass and coring and
Divinycell and Coosa and all these cool composites that we can
make really amazing things with. It got to be really interesting.
We rebuilt the entire roof. We extended the sides of the deck-
house to reconfigure the windows and give it a little style.”
A source that provided tremendous help, Tom says, was the
online Downeast Boat Forum. No matter what the couple need-
ed to learn, they could find friendly people there to tap for ad-
vice. “Some people are retired Downeast Maine boatbuilders,”
he says. “You get a ton of information from them. If you have
a creative ability and can work with your hands, you can make
this type of project happen. And it helps to have the space to do
it all in.”

MAKING IT HAPPEN
There were days that tested their abilities, to be sure. For start-
ers, Tom and Lauren had never done any fiberglass work. “But
we had a gentleman we found who told us what to do,” Tom
says. “We bought 100 gallons of resin, and rolls of cloth.”

Tom spent many long

days and nights Some nights, they would be out in the workshop until midnight.
working on the boat. Their friends who were enjoying retirement thought they were
nuts. And yes, some days tried their patience with each other.
“I started calling myself the boat bitch,” Lauren says with a
laugh. “But that was only at the tail end of the project. For the
most part, we were really hand-in-hand. I’d say, ‘What can I do
to help, Tom? Show me how to do it. I can do it.’”
Their biggest challenge, the Tollas say, was putting in the
new engine—a 480-hp Cummins QSB5.9 diesel—along with the
new gear, propeller shaft and propeller.
“Thank God, someone I met—again, a person from that
Downeast Boat Forum—lives two towns over from me,” Tom
says. “He’s a mechanical engineer. I would always bounce
things off of him.”
The first time the couple cranked up the Cummins, even they
were surprised to hear the big iron roar. “I was like, oh my God,
it works!” Tom says.
They also used The Hull Truth online forum to find a marine
electrician who lived within 15 miles of their shop. “He said he
could offer some assistance if we had a problem with wiring
the boat.” Tom says “He’s a great guy. He came to our shop and
checked it out.”
One of the ways this electrician helped the couple was
by teaching them how to design their electrical system to
comply with American Boat & Yacht Council standards. Tom
and Lauren followed the electrician’s written instructions
for the installation.

NOVEMBER 2024 ̭̫
 Lauren showed some flex during
the repower.

“And if Tom couldn’t figure it out, he’d go They no longer call Resurgent a Nauset.
on YouTube,” Lauren says. “I learned a lot They’ve renamed the “brand” a T&L Boat-
that way too, including how to patch a hole in works Custom 35. With the boat now happily
the hull.” in the water, there’s a photo hanging in their
When they look back on the refit project, the shop of the night before it got taken to the
couple is amazed that they figured out how to marina. Resurgent is in the picture, on a trailer
fabricate the stainless-steel railings, handle they built, just outside the shop door, with the
the fairing and painting, and more. inside of the shop empty.
“Lauren and I have touched every single “After the boat was finished, driving away
one of the tens of thousands of miscellaneous from the shop gave me tears,” Lauren says. “It
parts that are in this boat,” Tom says. “We was so much of our life for three years.”
have screwed them in or fastened them or She remembers turning to Tom in that mo-
bolted them down or done something with ment and saying, “So, what are we going to
them. Not in my wildest dreams did I think do now?”
there were that many parts in a boat.” He assured her, “We’re going to use it.”

̭̬ SOUNDINGS
New Cummins iron is
lowered into place.

Resurgent as she
looked coming out of
the shop where the
couple had rebuilt her.

NOVEMBER 2024 ̭̭
The Viggo C10, an adventure boat built
in Sweden, was recently introduced in
the United States. It’s one of a number
of new aluminum pleasure boats.
MAKE MINE
Overshadowed by fiberglass for 50 years,
aluminum is a first-class boatbuilding material,
and it’s making a comeback

BY MIKE SMITH
 The DFNDR 9 by XO Boats is
built in Finland with military-grade
aluminum and the Baltic Sea
as its proving ground.
 canoes, jon boats and skiffs. They were all boats that even kids
at summer camp couldn’t destroy, and neither could fishermen
casting into shallow, rock-strewn waters since the occasional
bump didn’t bother aluminum plate. Custom sailboats and
power boats were frequently built of welded aluminum, mostly
because fiberglass doesn’t lend itself to custom work. Some
of the top racing sailboats in the 1960s and ’70s were custom-
built of aluminum, including the 12-meter Courageous that
defended the America’s Cup in 1974 and ’77. Boats that earned
their living—commercial rigs—were often built of aluminum,
and sometimes steel, to stand up to the abuse that these ves-
Bauxite. It’s not an ore most folks think about very often, and sels typically endured. Builders chose aluminum even if it cost
it’s not very exciting when it comes out of the Earth as it’s just, more than steel, because it required less maintenance, since it
well, a boring, dull-colored rock. But smelt it and mix it with didn’t rust. Paint? Unnecessary.
other metals and bauxite turns into a fabulous boatbuilding Those attributes hold true for aluminum today, and that’s
material: aluminum. It’s strong, light, corrosion-resistant, easy one reason why the material has maintained its appeal with
to work and simple to maintain. Until the fiberglass revolution builders and boaters over the decades. And there is another
that began in the 1950s, aluminum was the material of choice benefit: Aluminum can take a hit. Consider the Lewis-Clark
for folks wanting a durable, long-lasting yacht without the Valley near Clarkson, Washington. It’s called the Welded Alu-
tyranny of maintaining a wooden vessel. Today, aluminum is minum Boat Capital of the World, with more than a dozen local
making a comeback, as more boatbuilders and their customers boat shops comprising the Snake River Boat Builders consor-
recognize the benefits of this versatile metal. tium. Boating on the rivers in these parts is an obstacle course
of shallows, rapids, snags and water-soaked logs. People here
FIRST, SOME HISTORY ride on aluminum hulls because obstacles in the water won’t
Back in the 1950s and 1960s, the country experienced a boating damage the material as it might a fiberglass boat or even steel,
boom like no other and the demand for new boats was strong. which is much stiffer than aluminum and doesn’t deform to
At the time, the subject of fiberglass boats versus wooden ves- absorb an impact. The aluminum alloy hull often comes away
sels was very hot. Fiberglass, the new material on the scene, with just a dent that can be banged out back at the yard. Power
was heavilty touted by builders and marketers as it was stron- a shallow-draft aluminum hull with a jet drive, and you’ve got
ger, easier to maintain, wouldn’t rot and didn’t need painting. a boat that will take you just about anywhere there’s water and
All you had to do was wax it every year and it would shine come back in one piece.
forever. Before long, fiberglass became so dominant in the
recreational boat market that many shoppers never considered METAL FOR MARINA QUEENS
buying a craft made of any other material. It was the dawn of But let’s be honest: Most pleasure-boat owners don’t go around
the Age of Fiberglass. running into snags or skipping over shallow-water boulders,
Fiberglass transformed the boating industry, in large part and they don’t need the strength and durability of a welded-
because it allowed builders to produce easy-to-maintain, user- aluminum boat. Some never venture far from their marina, or
friendly boats that were appealing to newcomers in the sport. the nearest sandbar for swimming. So, what advantages does
And builders were able to manufacture fiberglass craft quickly aluminum have for folks who use their boats for day cruising in
and cost-efficiently, once the tooling—female molds—for the comfortable coastal conditions, or even as Marina Queens?
individual components was constructed. Workers could lay up First, aluminum is easier to take care of. There’s no wax-
fiberglass and resin in molds much faster than carpenters and ing, no compounding, no polishing, no gelcoat crazing. It
welders could build wood or metal hulls. won’t fade over time from UV rays. Aluminum boats are either
This is still the prime advantage that fiberglass has over painted or, sometimes, powder-coated. Neither finish demands
other boatbuilding materials today, including aluminum, al- much maintenance beyond regular cleaning to keep the salt
though high-tech glass laminates and processes like vacuum- and grime off. Skippers who don’t mind the military/commer-
bagging have made building in fiberglass more complex and cial look often leave the aluminum bare above the waterline,
PIM VAN HEMMEN

expensive than it was back in the days of open molds and letting it gradually turn grey as a layer of protective aluminum
polyester resins. oxide forms. Leaving the boat au naturel will also save money—
As the Age of Fiberglass dawned, sales of aluminum boats the grinding, filling and fairing necessary to create a yacht fin-
declined, but the metal never went away. Builders turned out ish is time-consuming and expensive. Fiberglass has the edge
thousands of riveted-aluminum models, including pontoons, here: It comes out of the mold nice and shiny, but keeping it

NOVEMBER 2024 ̭̱
 Because aluminum hulls are more
abrasion-resistant than gelcoat-covered
fiberglass, they’re easier to beach, like
this RIB from Highfield Boats.

that way demands regular waxing. eventually causing more damage, especially if it freezes.
Aluminum is much more abrasion-resistant than gelcoat-cov- Speaking of water, aluminum boats have no osmosis issues
ered fiberglass, so if a docking goes awry or a crew misses with since there is no coring to get wet and cause expensive prob-
the fender chances are the damage will be slight. (In addition, lems. Most fiberglass boats have cored decks, and topsides
rubrails made of extruded aluminum are more effective at fend- are often cored too. Coring lets the builder use less fiberglass
ing off than the hard rubber rails found on fiberglass boats.) while achieving the required stiffness without adding too much
Aluminum tenders, RIBs and skiffs can be beached without weight. Powerboat transoms are cored for the same reason. In-
harm, other than maybe losing a little antifouling, which is evitably, as the boat ages water will find its way into the coring,
easily touched up. If the boat gets scratched through the paint turning it to mush if it’s wood and eventually causing delami-
or the oxide layer to bare metal, leave it alone and soon the nation no matter what the core material. Repairing wet core
aluminum will react with oxygen in the air to heal itself. Unlike is expensive. There is no fear of this with aluminum. There’s
steel, bare aluminum won’t continue to corrode, so it can be structure under the plating to stiffen the material, and nowhere
repainted at leisure. With fiberglass, if a scratch or ding pen- for water to seep in and hide.
etrates through the gelcoat, water can seep into the laminate, Another benefit of aluminum: It can be repaired easily, and

̨̮ SOUNDINGS
 be examined and detected. A bad weld can be repaired on the
spot. The aluminum can be sampled too, to ensure it’s the
proper alloy. The 5000-series alloys used by most boat builders
contain up to 4.5 percent magnesium by weight, although the
amount varies among the different alloys. The foundry produc-
ing the aluminum ensures the mix of metals is correct, and the
builder double-checks the balance with techniques that can
also be employed when surveying an aluminum boat. That re-
moves any guesswork and allow the surveyor to make a more
informed appraisal of the vessel’s condition.

ALUMINUM OPTIONS
If you’re searching for an aluminum boat, it helps to know that
there are eight series of aluminum alloys, numbered 1000 to
8000, but only two—5000 and 6000—are used for boatbuild-
ing. Magnesium is the primary alloying metal in the 5000
series: alloys 5052, 5083 and 5086 each contain a few percent,
by weight, of magnesium, along with smaller amounts of chro-
mium, silicon and manganese. The 6000 alloys contain less
magnesium and more silicon. All the alloys are roughly 95 per-
cent aluminum by weight; other metals make up only a small
amount of the alloy.
Most structural components of an aluminum vessel are built
with 5000 series alloys. Both 5083 and 5086 are strong and
corrosion-resistant, and retain most of their strength when
welded, which makes them ideal for hull plating and framing.
They can be used to build entire vessels if money isn’t an object
(think ships for the Navy or Coast Guard, since these alloys are
expensive). Alloy 5052 is less hurtful to the bank account, not
quite as strong but more ductile than 5083/86. It can be bent
further without cracking, so it’s often used in larger vessels for
decks, cabin sides and tops, fuel and water tanks, and places
where the plate has to be bent or shaped. Builders of small
boats sometimes use it for hulls, too, where ultimate strength
versus scantlings isn’t critical.
Alloy 6061 is the primary 6000 alloy used in boatbuilding. It’s
most often found in aluminum rails, hardtop frames, arches,
sailboat masts, booms and so forth. Unlike the 5000 alloys,
6061, while initially very strong, loses up to half its strength
when welded, so it’s used where weld strength isn’t criti-
cal. Sometimes 6061 is used for structural components (deck
beams, for example), but aluminum boats are mostly built of
5000-series alloys.

LONG LIFE
the repair will be as good as new: Just cut out the damage If you’re looking for one more good reason to add an aluminum
and weld in a new plate. Welding the 5000-series alloys used hull to your fleet, here’s one: The material can be recycled and
in boatbuilding today causes minimal loss of strength, and a then used to build even more boats. Recycled aluminum is as
skilled tech will arrange the repair to keep the welds in less- good as new, and many “new” aluminum boats are built with
stressed areas, or supported by underlying structure. The new recycled metal. Fiberglass can be recycled, too, but the process
metal will bond securely to the old. That’s not always the case isn’t easy. Discarded fiberglass is often ground into powder
with fiberglass repairs, which can delaminate if not expertly and used in a variety of industries—as filler for asphalt, for
done with the correct resins and surface prep. With aluminum, instance. It’s ironic that fiberglass resin, made from petroleum,
there’s no fiddling with ersatz molds or backing materials to which we’re supposed to be conserving, isn’t recycled, but
form the repair into the correct shape. The plate is shaped by ends up effectively on the trash heap, while aluminum, made
machinery in the repair shop (it does take skill to do this) and from bauxite, one of the world’s most abundant ores, can be
then welded into place. given a second life.
Whether done during repairs, modifications or initial con- All of this leads me to conclude that bauxite is really not so
struction, the welds that hold an aluminum boat together can boring after all. And it makes a darned nice boat.

NOVEMBER 2024 ̮̩
 With a Little Help
From His Friends
To build a custom 40-foot sailboat on a tight deadline,
Artisan Boatworks’ owner Alec Brainerd turned to his talented crew
and an army of specialists

BY PIM VAN HEMMEN

ALISON LANGLEY
Top: The Artisan Boat-
works crew dryfits the
fiberglass cloth over
the strip-planked hull.

̮̬ SOUNDINGS
 Alec Brainerd’s Artisan Boatworks in Rockport, Maine, is a
modestly sized yard with about 16 employees that builds, re-
stores and maintains wooden yachts by some of the world’s
most famous designers. Inside the yard’s sheds, there are boats
by Nathanael Herreshoff, William Fife, Starling Burgess, K.
Aage Nielsen, B. B. Crowninshield, John Alden, Sparkman &
Stephens and other great naval architects. Every year, the yard
keeps about 80 wooden boats in Bristol condition. And since its
founding in 2002, it has rebuilt nearly 20 boats and completed
19 new builds up to 29 feet.
But in April 2023, Brainerd was approached by an experi-
enced sailor, a man in his 80s, who was looking to construct
something bigger than Artisan had ever built, a feature-rich
daysailer in the 40-foot range. The caller had commissioned
numerous builds throughout his long sailing career, including
two yachts of around 100 feet from Royal Huisman in the Neth-
erlands. His most recent commission had been a 50-footer from
Rockport Marine in Rockport, Maine.
The caller would have been happy to go back to Rockport Ma-
rine for his next boat, but that yard was busy building a 95-foot-
er, and the buyer was in a rush. Unable to find a quality yard
whose dance card wasn’t filled, the buyer had reached out to
yacht designer Bob Stephens of Stephens Waring Yacht Design
in Belfast, Maine, who suggested the caller talk to Brainerd.
Stephens had worked with Brainerd before. Artisan had built
a skiff for one of Stephens Waring’s clients in 2010 and refit-
ted a 36-foot powerboat for another. Stephens knew that the
smaller yard could build to the client’s high standards. “It’s a
very different business model that Alec has, compared to much
bigger yards like Lyman-Morse or Brooklin Boat Yard or Rock-
port Marine,” Stephens says. “Where Alec is rather unique is
that he’s building at a world-class level with a very small yard,
and a small crew. A very talented crew, but without the special-
ties and the big investment in infrastructure and real estate that
the bigger yards have.”
Brainerd was game to build the boat, but there was a catch:
ARTISAN BOATWORKS

The buyer wanted his new boat in the water by the summer of
2024 and other than some preliminary sketches by Stephens,
she hadn’t even been designed yet. If Brainerd were to get the
boat built on deadline, it would have to be constructed in a
compressed timeline.

NOVEMBER 2024 ̮̭
 Above: To get the The boat, named Wisp, was launched in early Au- get the hull and deck built, Brainerd knew he could
deck, cockpit and
gust 2024. Brainerd’s ability to get it constructed in rely on his crew of talented carpenters and finish-
cabin out, the
yard’s crew had to time can be attributed to meticulous planning and ers. But to get the many systems designed and parts
open up the gable execution, but it’s also a testament to the collabora- delivered and installed in a compressed timeframe
end of the loft. tion among Maine’s boatbuilders, and a large cadre he would need specialists. In the end, he would
Right: Rockport of specialists from New England and beyond. work with more than 40 specialists from about 30
Marine’s Angel As Brainerd says, “it takes a village” for a boat- different vendors.
Rios and Philip yard like his to build a 40-footer, but for Wisp to be Once Brainerd and the owner signed a deal in
Pratt, two of the sailed shorthanded by its 80-something owner and June 2023, the first step was to get the plans fin-
many contractors his wife, the process would be even more complex ished. The owner wanted a boat that was to be used
to work on the as the boat needed many systems. They would in- exclusively as a daysailer, but he still wanted stand-
boat, show off one
clude push buttons and foot switches for hoisting, ing headroom and the ability to sleep on board. He
of the stainless
trimming and stowing of sails, furlers for the head- also wanted to be able to do some work in the gal-
ARTISAN BOATWORKS

steel parts they

made for Wisp. sails, a roller furler for the boom, electric winches to ley, make a cup of coffee, and have space for a com-
handle the lines, and hydraulic systems to control fortable head. He had envisioned a 45-footer, but
the mainsheet, boomvang and backstay. before a contract was signed, Stephens had already
Stephens says it would normally take at least 18 convinced him that a 40-footer could do everything
months to design and build a custom 40-footer. To he wanted.

̮̮ SOUNDINGS
 a hull with lovely overhangs that was have its own in-house designer, the cli-
reminiscent of a mid-20th-century ent had agreed that Stephens Waring
cruiser-racer. On deck, he gave Wisp an would provide all the design and con-
oversized, dual-purpose cockpit with struction support that Brainerd’s team
a plush, upholstered lounge area for- would need. Ordinarily, a design firm
ward and a dedicated sailing zone aft. might provide up to a dozen drawings
“They wanted a very, very comfortable to a boat builder. But by the end of the
cockpit and a very high level of finish project Stephens Waring would provide
and detail,” Stephens says about the 60 drawings for the Artisan Boatworks
owners. “They wanted to match and crew; that didn’t include 3D renderings
duplicate, as close as possible, the cock- and other details. Brainerd is effusive
pit they had on their 50-foot sailboat.” about the insane amount of detail Ste-
For the house, Stephens drew a cabin phens provided. “Knowing that we had
that could accommodate the owner’s Bob Stephens right there along with us
standing headroom requirements but really helped me,” he says. “It made me
restrained it to keep it from overwhelm- more comfortable with the decision [to
ing the hull’s relatively low freeboard. build the boat].”
He gave Wisp a tall Solent rig with As the specs for the various parts and
Stephens and his business partner carbon spars, a working jib and a large, systems were drawn up, Brainerd hired
Paul Waring specialize in custom naval multipurpose reacher, both on fixed contractors and started ordering parts.
architecture and engineering. Both furlers. The mainsail could be hoist- To store the components, he placed a
sharpened their teeth at Brooklin Boat ed from its carbon roller-furling boom container right outside the boat shed so
Yard in Brooklin, Maine, where they at the push of a button by an electric everything would be at hand well before
spent years as hands-on boat builders winch and got a unique under-deck it was needed. “That worked out really
and project managers before turning mainsheet trim system with a reverse- well,” Brainerd says looking back. “I
to yacht design as a career. For three purchase hydraulic cylinder. spent most of the month of September
years, Stephens worked under designer For construction, Stephens specified a just pouring through the specifications
Joel White, who helped pioneer the con- foam-cored plywood deck for structural and ordering every single part. The
cept of Spirit of Tradition yachts, a style integrity that allowed for a swift and stanchions came from Italy and the furl-
that blends the best of classic yacht de- efficient build. By late August, Gardner ing boom came from Denmark. There
signs with the latest in materials and Pickering, Hews & Company of Blue were so many parts, coming from so
PIM VAN HEMMEN

technology. Stephens would use that Hill, Maine, had delivered the CNC-cut many different places that we wanted to
Spirit of Tradition to draw Wisp and the deck molds, which were set up in the get them here early enough so we could
latest technologies to make her swift loft above the boat shed to start the make sure they were going to work.”
and easy to operate. deck construction. By mid-October, the hull molds, bulk-
With input from the client, he drew Because Artisan Boatworks did not heads, stem and transom were set up

NOVEMBER 2024 ̮̯
 LOA: 39’ 6”
LWL: 30’ 3”
Beam: 11’ 0”
Draft: 6’ 0”
Displ.: 16,500 lbs.
Power: 40-hp Yanmar 3JH40
Fuel: 31 gals.
Water: 100 gals.

in the boat shed. For the hull, Stephens had been installed.
specified screwed and epoxied strip- Early May would be momentous. The
composite hull planking encapsulated hull was pulled out of the shed, the gable
on both sides in triaxial sheathing, a fast end of the loft above the boat shop was
and cost-effective construction method torn out, the deck and cabin were slipped
that results in a strong and durable hull. out of the loft and dropped onto the hull.
By late October, Lyman-Morse deliv- With the decked boat back in the shed
ered a pre-constructed fiberglass cock- and about three months to go, the race
pit, which was hoisted into the loft and to the finish was on. The varnished in-
placed inside the already constructed terior cabinets had all been constructed
deck. By late November, the hull setup off site by one subcontractor, while the
was in place and by mid-December the steps, tables and steering pedestal had
hull planking was complete. Days later, been built by another. Those components
construction of interior components were on site, but they and all the sys-
began, and between Christmas and New tems—including hydraulics, electronics,
Year, patterns were made for the teak plumbing and mechanicals—had to be
decks. installed and connected. To give all the
In January, the keel fin and ballast keel carpenters, finishers, interior designers,
arrived. The keel fin’s parts had been cut electricians, mechanics, plumbers and
by a multi-axis CNC machine at Lyman- other specialists the time they needed to
Morse in Thomaston, which also assem- install their pieces of the puzzle, Brain-
bled the keel fin, and the ballast keel had erd had to ask everyone to be flexible
been poured by Mars Metal in Ontario, with their time. Often, one contractor
Canada. That same month, the fiberglass would be crammed inside one compart-
hull sheathing and infusion was com- ment while another was crammed inside
pleted, and the hull was flipped upright. the one right next to it. To make it work,
The next month, the hull was lifted onto some of Brainerd’s crew was coming in
the keel fin and ballast. The month after on the weekends; the finishers were com-
that, the house and cockpit coaming were ing in from 5 to 9 at night and the elec-
completed, interior sheathing and paint trician was often coming in late in the
were finished, the tanks were installed, evenings or working on weekends.
and Awlgrip was sprayed on the house “It was a great collaborative effort,”
and cockpit. By late April the teak deck Brainerd says. “Everybody recognized
plus all the major interior components that if they were going to get their job
done on time, they had to be creative
about when they were going to get access
to the boat.”
ALISON LANGLEY (2)

Above: Builder Alec Brainerd and his

wife, Erin, take Wisp for a trial run. In June, the final paint on the house
Right: The owner and his wife wanted and cockpit was applied. By early July,
a large, dual-purpose cockpit with a the bulwarks and caprails were finished
plush, upholstered lounge area forward and the topsides were Awlgripped. By
and a dedicated sailing zone aft. mid-July, as all the specialists were

̮̰ SOUNDINGS
NOVEMBER 2024 ̮̱
 Above: The
cranking to meet the deadline, the carbon fiber says about Wisp’s mainsheet controller.
crew at Artisan
Boatworks and mast and boom arrived from Moore Brothers Com- Morse was keen to work with Brainerd again.
some of the sub- pany in Bristol, Rhode Island. They’d met years before when they’d worked to-
contractors pose About a week before the boat was launched, Ran- gether on another project. “I like the guy, and I like
with Wisp at her som Morse—who Brainerd had hired from Dart- what they’re doing up there,” Morse says. He’d also
launching. mouth, Massachusetts, to design and install the previously worked with Stephens on a 70-footer.
hydraulics—was on site. “We were here at 10 at “Anytime you have an opportunity to work with
night finishing up some detail and having a beer,” people that you like, you should go do it, right?”
Brainerd recalls, “and Ransom says, ‘You know, ev- On August 5, Rockport Marine’s Walter Gray
erybody’s happy right now and getting along. You backed his truck up to Artisan Boatwork’s shed
never see that at this stage of a project.’” and loaded Wisp on the trailer for the short ride
For Morse, because he generally doesn’t work to Lyman-Morse’s Camden facility. With the boat
on boats under 60 feet, Wisp was a unique project. under the Travelift, David “Jonesy” Jones, who
Ordinarily, he would have installed a ready-made Brainerd had hired to consult on Wisp’s plumbing
hydraulic system, but because the 40-footer was and related systems, echoed Morse’s comments
on the small side for a hydraulic mainsheet, he de- about Maine’s boatbuilding community. “It’s a
signed a custom powerpack with analog controls, great industry,” Jones said. “We all know each
dual motors and two pumps for redundancy. “It’s other. People will help each other and look out for
what you would see on an 80-foot Swan,” Morse each other.”

̨̯ SOUNDINGS
 ARTISAN BOATWORKS
President/project management: Alec Brainerd
Office management: Erin Brainerd
Administrative assistance: Nanette Gionfriddo
Carpentry: Robert Root, Joey Adams, Mike Piasecki, Jerry
Borowski, Marty Allwine, Ian Bruce, Alan (Mouse)
Castonguay, Kale Soud, Jasper Guyer-Stevens
Systems: Tim Frush
Systems and hardware: Kai O’Connor, Colby Pearson,
Tim Frush, Alex Shyduroff
Composites and finishing: Michael (Sprout) Gushee,
Tony Buendo, Mark Brouillette, Paul Curtis, Pete Flansburg,
Eric Gray
Apprentice: Johannes Nightingale

WISP VENDORS
Design and engineering: Bob Stephens, Stephens Waring
Yacht Design
CNC cutting, molds and bulkheads: Gardner Pickering,
Hews & Company
Hydraulic system design and installation: Ransom Morse,
Buzzards Bay Boatworks
Waterjet metal cutting: Walt Fitzjurls, Front Street Shipyard
Fiberglass cockpit tub, 3D CNC cutting: Steve Crane and
Lance Buchanan, Lyman-Morse
Awlgrip coatings: Bob McClean and Jeremy Toleman,
Custom Coatings
Metal fabrication and polishing: Angel Rios and Philip
Pratt, Rockport Marine
Metal fabrication: Chris Gammage, Bog Bronze
Engraving: Dan Callahan, Ariston Engraving & Machine Co.
Winches and winch controls: Skip Mattos and Oakley
Jones, Harken Inc.
Deck hardware: Siebe and Annelies Noordzy,
Euro Marine Trading
Composite spars and standing rigging: Jacques Swart and
ALISON LANGLEY

Henry Maxwell, Moore Brothers Company

Electrical design and installation: Kevin Boughton and
James Crawford, Midcoast Marine Electronics
Furlers and running rigging: Loric Weymouth, Weymouth
Yacht Rigging
Ballast keel: Bill Souter, Mars Metal, Ontario, Canada
Brainerd tied a bouquet of flowers that his wife, Erin, had gath- Interior cabinetry: Alan Rees, Sandhill Cabinetry
ered from their garden to the bow and thanked everyone for their Tables, steps and steering pedestal: Ezra Smith and
contributions. A friend of the owner smashed a bottle on the keel, Jim Thompson, Newport Yacht Builders
and Wisp was lowered into Camden Harbor. Steering, Jefa rudder: Phil Quartararo, PYI Inc.
Throughout the morning, Brainerd and his wife, who manages Yanmar engine: Ryan Leadbetter and Adam Paulsen,
the Artisan Boatworks office, couldn’t stop smiling. Journey’s End Marina
“I couldn’t be happier with the end result,” Brainerd says. “I’ve Lighting and electrical components supplier: Kinder
always wanted to know whether I could build a bigger boat like Woodcock, Imtra
the ones that Brooklin, Rockport and Lyman-Morse built. I knew Wood supplier: Richard Simon, America’s Wood
the only way we were going to be able to build this boat in a year Teak deck and interior sole: Larry Murray and Phil Huning,
was to lean pretty heavily on subcontractors for a lot of systems Teak Decking Services
and components that we didn’t have in-house capacity for. And Sails: Tom Castiglione and Glen Cook, North Sails
this one worked as well as it did because we had a great client and Canvas work: John LeMole, Gemini Marine Canvas
a great designer.” On-site carpentry: Scott Wilmoth, Wilmoth Marine Carpentry
More than anything though, Brainerd feels beholden to his Plumbing and systems: David (Jonesy) Jones
crew at Artisan Boatworks, whose contributions he doesn’t want Interior hardware: Eliot Lowe, Lowe Marine Hardware
overlooked. “Some were here for the early stages of hull and deck Gold-plating/name painting: Reed Hayden,
construction and moved on,” he says, “but they all deserve equal Hayden Sign Company
credit.” Boat transportation: Walter Gray, Rockport Marine
 BOAT WORKS
DIY
Left: Before you put the boat away for
winter, be sure to top the fuel tanks off
and add the appropriate fuel stabilizer.

important step to get it through the win-

ter without problems.
Start on the outside as soon as your
boat is removed from the water. It’s
important to clean the boat’s bottom,
removing any growth that may have
accumulated during the season. Many
marinas provide power washing servic-
es, which are highly recommended as
it becomes significantly more difficult
to remove bottom growth once it has a
chance to dry.
Inside the boat, remove all equip-
ment, including life jackets, cushions,
pillows, and personal belongings, and
store them in a dry, warm place. This
will not only give you better access to
decommission the rest of the boat, it
will also help prevent mold, a common
issue during winter storage.

FUEL CARE
You have to care for your fuel if you
want your boat to run correctly in the
spring. Start by making sure that fuel
tanks are filled, as partially empty tanks
can form condensation on the tank

Fall Decommissioning walls during the winter months, which

will contaminate your fuel supply. To
avoid this, keep the tanks at least 75
THE MORE YOU DO TO PREVENT WINTER PROBLEMS, THE percent filled, and preferably fuller.
LESS YOU’LL HAVE TO DO IN THE SPRING TO GO BOATING After filling the tanks, add the appro-
By Mike Garretson priate fuel stabilizer to gasoline or die-
sel. Be sure to use the correct amount

F
all decommissioning, also re- process plays a vital role in proper win- based on your tank size by following
ferred to as winterizing, is es- terization, so it’s important to under- the product instructions. It’s essential
sential for any vessel facing sub- stand how to complete them and thus to use a stabilizer specific to your fuel
freezing temperatures during the winter ensure your boat is ready for the colder type, as gasoline and diesel stabiliz-
months. While caring for your boat is months ahead. ers have different chemical composi-
important year-round, proper winter tions and functions. Gasoline stabiliz-
GENERAL CLEANING &
SEA & LAND YACHT WORKS

decommissioning is the single most cru- ers prevent fuel from gumming up in
cial maintenance step you can take. Ne- EQUIPMENT REMOVAL the engine system, displace water to
glecting it can lead to significant, costly It is important to start the process by prevent rust, and stop the separation
damage, potentially keeping your boat cleaning both the exterior and interi- of ethanol in your gasoline. Products
out of commission for the next season. or of your boat. Although simple and like Sta-Bil work with both ethanol and
Winterizing involves several key straightforward work, making the boat non-ethanol fuels and remain effective
steps, which are outlined here. Each as clean and orderly as possible is an for about two years.

̯̪ SOUNDINGS
 Learn anywhere,
anytime, at your
own pace.
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BOAT WORKS DIY

Diesel stabilizers are crucial for pre- out the hot water heater breaker at the several times until the antifreeze fully
venting bacterial growth by using bio- electrical panel or disconnect the leads replaces the seawater. This step is cru-
cides, partitioning water from diesel, at the heater. Bypassing the hot water cial to protect the internal components
and providing added lubrication to heater during winterization keeps anti- of the head from freezing.
internal engine components. Without freeze out of the unit, preventing waste After winterizing the head, it’s impor-
stabilizers, bacterial growth can lead and saving you the hassle of flushing tant to winterize the holding tank. Add
to sludge, which clogs fuel filters and it out in the spring. This ensures the a gallon of -100°F antifreeze into the
hampers engine performance. If this antifreeze only goes where it’s needed, pump-out deck fitting. The antifreeze
happens, you can end up with a severe conserving both time and money. will mix with any remaining liquid in
case of sludge and you may have to pol- Next, add antifreeze. Pour marine- the holding tank and prevent freezing
ish the fuel, which is an expensive and grade, non-toxic antifreeze (we recom- failures in the system.
time-consuming process. mend -50°F “pink” antifreeze) into the
freshwater tank(s). The amount you’ll BATTERY CARE
BOAT DRAINAGE need depends on the size of your boat For lead-acid batteries, it’s recommend-
Stagnant water left onboard is notori- and the length of its plumbing system, ed to fully charge them before winter-
ous for causing black mold. It is not so it’s best to have extra on hand. Turn izing your boat. If you have flooded
something you want to deal with when on the water pump and open the fau- lead-acid batteries, check the electrolyte
you’re getting your boat ready in the cets one by one, starting with the one levels before the final charge, and top off
spring. To prevent this, make sure all furthest from the tank. After the water the cells with distilled water if necessary.
stagnant water is removed from lock- tanks are drained, an airlock may form Are you leaving batteries on the boat?
ers, bilges, and live wells. If your boat in the water pump or water filter. If this If so, after charging, disconnect the nega-
has a garboard or drain plug, be sure to happens, disconnect the pump’s output tive terminals to prevent parasitic drain.
remove it to allow any remaining bilge side and run antifreeze into the unit. If For boats with multiple negative leads,
water to fully drain. your boat has a filtration system, loosen zip-tie them together to avoid confusion
If the bilge is dirty, this is a great time the filter housing while the pump is during reinstallation in the spring.
to flush it with freshwater and clear out running to remove any airlocks. If you’re removing batteries, avoid
any debris. Be sure to inspect the bilge Once antifreeze flows from a faucet, keeping a charger connected all winter.
for areas where water might not drain that section of plumbing is protected. Instead, charge the batteries no more
properly and use a sponge and bucket Close the faucet and move to the next than once a month. Also, avoid storing
to remove any standing water. Tip: Dur- one. Since the hot water heater is by- batteries on concrete, as temperature
ing winterization, it’s good practice to passed, both hot and cold taps will differences can cause electrolyte strati-
add any leftover antifreeze to the bilge pull antifreeze from the tank, so be fication. For lithium batteries, it’s best
to help prevent the pumps from freezing sure you switch each faucet from cold to leave them at a partial charge, typi-
over the winter months. to hot to ensure both sides are flushed cally around 50 percent.
with antifreeze.
WATER SYSTEMS If your boat has multiple freshwater ENGINES
With freezing temperatures comes tanks, repeat the process from the tank The process of winterizing your boat’s
freezing water, so proper drainage and manifold to winterize each one individ- engine is a topic that requires a sepa-
antifreeze flushing is required to pre- ually. If your boat includes other sys- rate article, as there are many differ-
vent any surprises come springtime. tems, such as a raw-water washdown, ences between inboards, outboards,
Begin by draining all water from your livewell, ice maker, air conditioners, and diesel engines. But in short, the im-
boat’s water system, including the fresh- or shower sumps, be sure to winterize portant steps include changing all oil,
water tank, pipes, and hot-water heater. these as well. flushing the motor with antifreeze, and
Open all the faucets on the boat and let on gasoline engines—fogging the motor
them run until no more water flows. Be HEAD/HOLDING TANK if the manufacturer recommends it.
sure to open the hot-water heater valve Before leaving the marina or mooring, Decommissioning is an important
to ensure it drains completely. ensure the holding tank is completely step in boat maintenance, and if you
If your boat doesn’t have a bypass kit pumped out. Leaving it full or partially take the time to do it properly, it will
installed, now is the time to add one. full over the winter can cause tank or pay off in the long run and get you on
A bypass kit typically includes hoses plumbing failures, potentially leading the water quicker come spring. Decom-
and valves that reroute antifreeze to severe damage. missioning is an important process for
around the heater rather than through If you have a raw-water flush sys- the overall longevity and maintenance
it. Close the inlet and outlet valves on tem, close the seacock after the boat is of your boat. If you feel uncomfort-
the hot water heater and open the by- out of the water to allow any remain- able performing these tasks on your
pass valve to allow antifreeze to flow ing seawater to drain from the plumb- own, we highly recommend contacting
around the heater. ing. Next is the head flush. Disconnect a marine professional.
To prevent the heating element from the raw water intake hose from the sea-
burning out if the boat is plugged in cock and place it into a bucket filled Mike Garretson owns Sea & Land
before the water system is refilled, lock with -50°F antifreeze. Pump the head Yacht Works in Wakefield, Rhode Island.

̯̬ SOUNDINGS
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www.soundingsonline.com
   
     
    1957 Concordia 41 Firefly
#54 of 103

MAKAI | Stanley 38 – čœ˜i‡œv‡ MAISIE MCGOO | Stanley 38

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ëiVˆ>>“i˜ˆÌˆið$825,000
Excellent structurally, cosmetically,
and systemically.
$167,500

LOON | Stanley 28 – ՈÌˆ˜£™™Î° LUCKY LADY – / ˆÃV>ÃÈV£™ÇÇ

i>ṎvՏÓ>`>ÞLœ>ÌÜˆÌ œÛiÀ‡
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+ Specializing in wooden boats & spars
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21’ Pisces Daysailer (OHFWULFGULYHIXUOLQJMLE*36

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Jean@ClassicBoatShop.com (207) 244-3374 ext. #2 46’ MCCURDY RHODES, 1971 43’ SAGA SLOOP, 1988 36’ NAUSET FB, 1990
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They protect us. Every day. Every night.

And they need your support.
+++
Inspire leadership, learning and a legacy of service by supporting the brave men and
women of the United States Coast Guard through the Coast Guard Foundation.
To learn how you can help, call (860) 535-0786 or visit our website at
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USCG PHOTO BY PA1 TOM SPERDUTO
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NOVEMBER 2024 87
 JUST YESTERDAY

Behind the Lines

D
uring World War II, women played a key role in build- achieve speeds of up to 57 yards per minute, and they were nearly
ing inflatable rubber assault boats for soldiers on the silent without the motor, making them ideal for stealth raids.
front lines This scene from December 1941 captures three women work-
December 1941 marked a pivotal moment in global history ing in the balloon room at Goodyear, assembling two of these
when the United States officially entered World War II. For over assault boats for the Marine Corps. These women were part of
a year, the U.S. had been providing military supplies and as- a larger movement that saw many factory positions filled by
sistance to the Allies, but the attack on Pearl Harbor triggered women as men were called to the front lines. By the following
the country’s full-scale involvement. Almost overnight, the year, they would proudly call themselves “Rosies,” a nod to the
demand for military supplies and personnel surged, and indus- iconic symbol of female labor during the war.
tries across the nation mobilized to support the war effort. At Goodyear, women were involved in almost every stage of
In Akron, Ohio—then known as the Rubber Capital of the the manufacturing process. Production began with patterns
World—factories were quick to answer the call. Goodyear Tire being laid out on fabric. Workers then cut several pieces of fabric
and Rubber Company, along with other major tire manufactur- simultaneously using electric knives. Afterward, women assem-
ers in the area, shifted gears to produce rubber products for the bled and cemented the pre-shaped fabric pieces on long work-
military. Among its contributions, the company was the main tables. They applied rubber cement where fixtures were to be at-
manufacturer of Landing Craft Rubber Small (LCRS) and Land- tached, seamed accessories, painted the boats’ undersides, and
ing Craft Rubber Large (LCRL) inflatable assault boats, which attached inflatable tubular guardrails around the outer edges.
the Marine Corps, Navy and Army used for amphibious war- Once completed, the boats were deflated and packed into water-
fare, river crossings and transporting troops from ship to shore. proof containers, each with a compressed gas bottle for inflation.
LCRS boats were highly transportable, quick to deploy and These boats contributed to many of the Allies’ key victories
suited for a variety of combat environments. They measured 12 in Europe and the Pacific. In total, 10,125 LCRL and 8,150 LCRS
feet, 5 inches long, weighed 210 pounds light, and could carry up boats were built between 1938 and 1945. While they were even-
to seven men. LCRLs were 18 feet long, weighed 320 pounds light, tually replaced by more modern rubber boats, their legacy—
and could carry up to 10 men. They often had a .30 cal. machine and the contributions of the women who made them—has left a
ALAMY

gun mounted at the bow and could be powered by an outboard lasting impact on wartime history and the role of women in the
motor. When paddled by an experienced team, LCRLs could workforce. — Carly Sisson

Soundings (ISSN 1526-8268, U.S.P.S. 527-030) Vol. LXII, No. 3, is published monthly for $24.97 for 12 months by Active Interest Media, Holdco, Inc.
The known office of publication is located at 2143 Grand Ave Des Moines, Ia 50312. Periodicals postage paid at Des Moines, IA and at additional mailing offices.
Postmaster: Please send address changes to Soundings, P.O. Box 37274, Boone IA 50037-0274. Please allow six to eight weeks for change. Printed in the U.S.A.

̰̰ SOUNDINGS
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