OFF THE DRAWING BOARD Two Ideal Daysailers: The WH 15 and the LS 30 Jamie Bloomquist Capacious cockpit and finely balanced helm: the Watch Hill 15, built by the Artisan Boatworks of West Rockport to an original design by Nat Herreshoff. FEW WEEKS AGO I was sailing with In answer to the first question I said that a client in Southwest Harbor. Along as much as I adore the looks and luxury of A came a magnificent Hinckley day- those big daysailers, for me they represent sailer under mainsail alone. The peak of the too great a commitment for just knocking Answers to main must have reached 30 feet above ours, around in. They all have berths, engines, and we were sailing a 43-footer! Looking like enclosed heads, and galleys ranging from the question, a million bucks, the yacht passed us as if we rudimentary to elaborate. All that is very were standing still. nice, to be sure, but if all the time I could “What would My job of the moment was teaching a spare for summer leisure is an afternoon you buy?” new owner how to safely and confidently once in awhile, I wouldn’t necessarily need a command and navigate his newly purchased hull with accommodations that could take yacht. “Art,” the owner asked, “what do you me to Bermuda, nice as they might be. Fur- BY ART PAINE think of these daysailer-yachts?” And then he thermore, I’m a stick-and-rudder guy, and asked, “If you had all the money in the world many of those high-end daysailer-yachts are for a daysailer, what would you buy?” steered by wheel. I love questions like that, because they In answer to the second question, I said I allow me to indulge my nautical fantasies probably wouldn’t buy a daysailer; rather I without spending a cent. would design and build a unique boat for MAINE BOATS, HOMES & HARBORS SHOW Exhibitor . August 8–10, 2008 | www.maineboats.com 87 OFF THE DRAWING BOARD myself. The truth is, however, that when For 30 years of my life I’d probably Yes, I could ask Artisan Boatworks to push came to shove I’d likely fail to find have chosen a Herreshoff S-boat. Dur- build me an S-boat, and given the qual- the time, so I discussed two very differ- ing my nautical childhood on Narra- ity of their work, the only thing of value ent styles of daysailer, the best possible gansett Bay, I grew up with S-boats it would lack would be an authentic, examples of which are built right here in being the premier class of racing sail- numbered builder’s plaque from the Maine. boats there. Their owners were exalted Herreshoff Manufacturing Company. The first thing I’d do, then, is phone in my mind to the status of princes and But when I saw AB’s version of a Watch and reserve a time slot in the schedule of Hill 15, it stole my heart away. Artisan Boatworks in West Rockport, I must interject that not just anybody and ask that the boat they would build Not just anybody can can replicate a Herreshoff yacht, or cer- for me would closely resemble their replicate a Herreshoff tain designs from Crowninshield or Fife, Watch Hill 15. Here is my reasoning: as the plans are not generally available to Given only an afternoon in which yacht, as the plans the public. For many years it was virtu- the wind comes up and I want to sail, I ally impossible to gain access in particu- know that I’d prefer a wooden boat, for are not generally lar to Herreshoff lines and offsets, since three reasons. First, I just love the stuff made available to the they were sequestered with severe against my skin, the acoustics of water restrictions at the Hart Nautical Muse- striking and gurgling past it. Second, I public. um at M.I.T. In recent years the wishes love a boat with a light and lively feel— of the Herreshoff family have been inter- on a tiller, a tiller that’s a bit delicate, kings. In a newly published book— preted in such a way that a few highly with a nice oval handgrip at the end. Sloop, by Daniel Robb—a Cape Cod qualified boatbuilding professionals can Third, for the same reason I’d love to boatbuilder was described comparing be granted the use of the plans, for a fee. 1 drive a vintage Mustang or MGTD, I see a Herreshoff 12 ⁄2-footer to an S-boat. Among the select is Alec Brainerd of virtue in being custodian of something “The twelve-and-a-half was a Volvo,” the Artisan Boatworks. recognizably classic, the best of some- builder said, “whereas this thing [the S- That’s a good reason to go to Artisan thing from the past. boat] was an Aston Martin Lagonda!” to have my personal Watch Hill 15 built. 88 MAINE BOATS, HOMES & HARBORS | BOAT SHOW ISSUE 2008 | Issue 101 Another is that Brainerd works closely keel versions were built, too. One was added a critical two inches of freeboard with customers to make small, carefully Flicker, now owned by Maynard Bray of aft, with no change at the bow. Second, vetted changes. Of course, being a Brooklin. he switched to the much simpler and designer, I’d insist on the incorporation The Watch Hill 15 was built in 1920 arguably more weatherly Marconi rig. of a few select, personal touches. Who at the request of the yacht club in Watch This is substantially the same rig as we else, for instance, would entertain put- Hill, Rhode Island, an exclusive summer see on the plans of the Artisan Boat- ting a gaff rig on a Watch Hill 15, as I’d works takeoff. prefer? But I’m getting ahead of myself. WATCH HILL 15 Interestingly, the Watch Hill Yacht The Watch Hill 15 was one of several club still sails the WH-15 as their signa- LOA 24' 6" boats that came off molds first set up in ture class. Most of their boats are now LWL 15' 1898 for the Buzzards Bay 15 at the Her- fiberglass, although they happily invite Beam 6' 8" reshoff Manufacturing Company in Bris- true classic wooden WH-15s to join their LWL 19' 7" tol, Rhode Island. (Most such boats in that races and have extended the same invi- Draft 2' 3" board up era were named for their waterline length; tation to the recently launched Maine Draft 5' 6" board down the overall length of the various 15s came variant. Doubtless the yacht club’s mod- Sail Area 303 sq. ft. to just a bit more than 23 feet overall.) ern 15s would be fastest, both because of Displ. approx. 2,200 lbs. Over a long span of time other vari- BUILDER: ARTISAN BOATWORKS their high-aspect-ratio fractional rig set ants came off the same molds, including 410 Main Street, Rockport, ME, 04856 on a double-spreader aluminum mast such one-designs as the E-boats and the 207-236-4231; www.artisanboatworks.com and their full spinnaker. Photo gallery & video: maineboats.com Herreshoff 15. Nat Herreshoff had a prac- The first Maine Watch Hill 15 was built tical, almost blue-collar approach to turn- resort. Nat Herreshoff made two signif- rather conventionally but used the West ing a profit; he’d use any opportunity to icant changes to the design of boats he’d System approach. It is single planked, and craft a boat from his molds. Although been taking off the same molds for 20- thus on the inside it looks just like a carvel- nearly all the boats from the original Buz- plus years. Because he noted that the H- planked wooden boat (a real plus for me). zards Bay 15 molds became centerboard 15s and Buzzards Bay 15s sometimes The exterior is epoxied in such a way as or keel-centerboard models, several full- would bury their afterdecks at speed, he to minimize maintenance. MAINE BOATS, HOMES & HARBORS SHOW Exhibitor . August 8–10, 2008 | www.maineboats.com 89 OFF THE DRAWING BOARD 2,200 lbs), somewhat tender, lively boat with a non-self-bailing cockpit. I’d have all those modifications in my own boat, with just a couple of additions. I’d go back to a gaff rig only because I love the look of it on this hull. I’d keep the ease of a self-tacking club jib, but I might instead steal the I have the soul of a dinghy-racer, whetted by team racing on the Upper River Thames in England. approach Morris took on their daysail- er. Their curved traveler track and method of rigging affords instant and effortless tacking while gaining some camber in the foot of the jib. And I would add a little removable cabin affair that would sit right on top of the coam- ing forward and open out the sides of the fore bulkhead in such a way that two could sleep aboard. This vee-front cabinette would, when in place, make the boat very similar to the S-boat. Bringing my fantasies to their most fanciful fruition, I would put my brand- new, aquamarine-colored, Maine-built Watch Hill 15, with its nicely stowable gaff rig parts and pieces, into a large box and ship it to Staniel Cay, in the Bahamian Exumas. Then I’d proceed to take full advantage of the shoal draft, carving a sinuous path over miles of Steve Dalzell/courtesy The Landing School sandy bottom, perhaps even learn to fly-fish after bonefish.