These are two Holland 32s hauled up for the winter at Chebeague Island Boat Yard on Chebeague Island.
This 34-foot wooden lobster yacht is under construction at John’s Bay Boat Company in South Bristol for owner Peter Kass.
A & B Classic Boatworks, West Rockport, ME
In the main shop they have a Holland 38, which is being finished out as a pleasure cruiser for a customer from San Diego, CA. They are just starting to put the aft deck together, basically mapping out the grid and laying that down. Then they will start building the forward V-berth section. Once they get the working platform in, they will begin to install all the systems before the end of the year. They are looking for a spring launch.
Next to the Holland 38 is the 26-foot wooden boat FREDDIE, which was built by Bath Iron Works for the Woolworth family in 1932. They are going to add two curve-styled seats up underneath the forward deck, an aft seat and then build an engine box, which will be decked over with Douglas fir vertical grain. Then it is just put down the hardware and she is done.
In the side shop is an Elco, which is nearly complete. She is sort of on hold until there is space in the main shop so they can do her finish work.
There are also several orders for the cold-moulded Cat’s Paw dinghies, like the ones they did last winter. These have a larger rig in them than the original design called for and perform quite well.
The 38-foot lobster boat SILVER DOLLAR, which was built by Willis Beal of Beals Island for Merle Beal of Beals Island in 1970, is coming over to be rebuilt. Several years ago, she was sold to Randy Durkee of Islesboro, and he did some work on her. They are going to finish the structural work, which includes some repairs to the keel, transom, and sheer clamp. Next, they will build the weather deck and aft cockpit deck, hopefully this spring.
Belmont Boat Works, Belmont, ME
Last winter they did an extensive refit on a Fairchild Scout 30-foot powerboat called ELEANOR. This included replacing the tankage and lots of system work. This year she is going to get a new engine. They will be removing a Perkins 4108 and replacing it with a new Beta 35. Also, they will be finishing up some cabinetry, which includes reworking the exterior seating with a new helm system. Last year they installed a new refrigerator in the galley, and they will be finishing up some joiner work around it.
The 34-foot Tiara Express Cruiser GRATITUDE is in for some hull repair, paint, new black water tank system, update the shaft and some general system upgrades. Just completed on this project was the removal and repair of her ZF gear, which failed this summer.
BELLA LUNA, a Herreshoff design, has some issues with her planking. The affected area will be coated with a hard epoxy. Then there is lots of exterior varnish and paint to do before she goes over next spring.
It seems that there are a number of boats that need their standing rigging upgraded this year too.
There are several repowers scheduled this winter. ELEANOR is one, and there is a Cape Dory 36, which is also powered with a Perkins 4108 getting repowered and a pontoon boat will be getting a new outboard.
Then there is “Big Jim,” which is a 56-foot-tall sign, which has been in front of the former Stinson sardine factory in Prospect Harbor for years. The Penobscot Marine Museum has an agreement with the owner of the sign to borrow it for two years. Belmont Boat Works will be taking “Big Jim” down with a crane and bringing it to the shop where it will be refinished. They will be removing the paint, which depicts a lobster fisherman in foul weather gear holding a wooden lobster trap. Originally this sign was in Kittery and greeted those people from away telling then, “Welcome to Sardineland.” Once the old paint is off their painter will be re-painting it back to the “Sardineland” configuration. Hopefully, she will be ready late next spring.
BlueJacket Shipcrafters, Searsport, ME
I love stopping by and visiting Al Ross, who creates or upgrades many of the kits offered by BlueJackets. Over the last couple of months, he has been working on upgrading the Laughing Whale kit of the Herreshoff 12½. This is a model for beginners, so he wanted to keep it simple. Al wanted you to look into the cockpit and see plank lines on the inside. He explained, “When the seats are in position you can still see some of the bottom. Well, there are several ways to go about that. One is to do a really good job planking, which most people aren’t good at, especially since this is a beginner’s kit. So, I’ve been making patterns to fit with the plank lines in them.”
Al did not change anything else with the hull, but he did add some details to make the build easy. He said, “For instance, the transom was a single piece of 1/16-inch mahogany. Well, you have got to drill it to put the traveler and sheet block in. I have already lasered them in so now you have got the holes already set. The transom had a notch in it. What it did was, when you planked it, you still had the transom showing plank ends. What I did is put another 1/32-inch transom over it.
“I’ve added some things that weren’t necessarily there,” continued Al. “Silly things like these two holes for the shrouds and the fairlead for the jib sheet. I made a jig for bending the coaming. That coaming has a wicked curve. When you glue these two pieces together and put your coaming in you just clamp it and you flip it over and do the other side. The keel is different. It is the same shape, but the new keel has tabs on it. Before when you put the transom on you just kind of eyeballed it. The new one has a tab. The instructions are the typical narrative paragraphs, which are not instructions. For me instructions are do this, do this, do this, because there are separate processes and if you have them in paragraph form you never really sure when one process ends and the next one begins. By doing it just simply step-by-step-by-step-by-step you don’t forget. I seldom give people options. This is a field-tested methodology. It works. I know it works. If you want to screw around with it, don’t tell me it doesn’t work.”
There is no release date for this updated version. They still have some things to finish before the new kit is ready to be released and Al thought that the older version would be sold out by that time. Al added, “This is a relatively quick build. It’s for a person just starting out. You want to make it easier, so they enjoy it and continue onto something more challenging.”
Al said that he has been working on the West Coast lumber schooner, but he has also been playing around with a PT boat developed by Higgins. “We have an Elco,” said Al. “I am just toying with the Higgins, testing this, and testing that. Higgins built a couple hundred. They were the two primary boats, the 80-foot Elco and the 78-foot Higgins.”
Al has been researching information on Higgins and other small surface combatants for a number of years for a book he was compiling with John Lambert. Al explained, “There is an interesting progression from some of the earlier boats that Higgins did. You can see the point at which the traditional Higgins PT hull was born. It came out of the Sparkman & Stephens designed PT 5 and 6 from the plywood derby. They were not good. They had a heavy skeg on them and they were narrow. Higgins on his own said it wasn’t good and he redesigned #6. The original 5 and 6, 5 went to the Royal Canadian Air Force as a crash boat and 6 went to the Royal Navy as a motor gunboat. Six prime, the one that Higgins designed, was pretty much the original Higgins PT hull. As far as I can tell he built a 70-footer for the Finns. However, the Finns aligned with Germany during the war, so they were never transferred. These boats went to the Royal Navy as motor gunboats. Later on, Higgins developed the Hellcat, which was a 70-foot boat and if you compare them, I’m pretty sure it is the same boat. They were a fast boat, but it came at a point in the war where they never got a chance to show what they could do.”
Al was not sure when he would have the book ready for press. Recently, Norman Friedman came out with the British version, which is what John and Al were working on, before John passed away a couple of years ago. Al said that Norman had done his usual great job but did not cover the Higgins boats. Al also mentioned the new book by Martin Kelly and David Griffiths titled “Coastal Motor Boats, Thornycroft and the Origins of Fast Attack Craft,” which he said was another excellent book on small surface combatants.
Chebeague Island Boat Yard, Chebeague Island, ME
A few years ago, the yard acquired a Holland 32 lobster boat named AMANDA J., which needed to be re-powered. Well, the project grew into a total refit. They removed everything right down to the bare hull and stringers. The hull needed major repairs and was later sprayed with Pettit Pro Poxy. A new raised top was ordered from Holland Boat Shop in Belfast and barged over to the island. The new engine, a 355-hp Cummins Diesel hooked up to a V-drive, replaced the Isuzu Diesel. The boat was named LOW TIDE by the new owner. She was commissioned and launched in June, and sea trialed with a top speed of 30 knots. This winter they are planning to finish off the forward area with a full galley, head with enclosure, and V-berth accommodations.
Another customer recently sold a Holland 32 and is looking to build another one with a raised trunk cabin and V-Drive arrangement. He has also stipulated that he wants to make sure she will have plenty of speed.
The summer, which starts in May and ends just after Thanksgiving, is always busy. The crew has just finished shrink wrapping the boats in the yard and plans to move inside for winter work. The last of the local lobster boats will be hauled for storage during the coming months.
In early December they moved a 30-foot West Bay, built by Steve Johnson, into the shop for new electronics and a cosmetic makeover that includes paint and varnish work. Another Holland 32, TERMO, is in the shop for fiberglass repairs and new electronics as well. This, along with many brightwork restoration projects, several outboard re-powers, and the usual annual maintenance for customers should keep them busy through the winter.
Friendship Boat, Friendship, ME
In the shop they have a Calvin Beal 34, which they are finishing off as a sportfishing boat. The shelter top was extended four feet as was the wheelhouse. For accommodations she has a rope locker and a berth up forward with an entry way to access. There is also an enclosed head. The owner is a carpenter, and he is building much of the cabinetry, which will be installed when all else is completed. She also has a tuna door, live-well, swim platform and two 225-gallon fuel tanks. She is powered with a 400-hp Cummins Diesel to a 2.5:1 gear and 2-inch shaft. The crew is at the point of fairing, which means lots of sanding. They hope to have this one out the door at the end of winter.
Before this they had some smaller repair projects. ISAAC & COLBY, a Wayne Beal 46, came in for her annual maintenance and some minor repairs. HEATHER’S BOY, a Mussel Ridge 28, was in for her annual maintenance, but also be repowered. She had a 450-hp Duramax, which did not last very long. To make the new engine fit, they had to extend the engine box.
Next, they will be finishing out a Libby 41. She already has most of the fiberglass and fairing completed, which pleased the crew. They will have to install the rails, put the windows in, and hook up the systems.
There are also several fishermen asking to have repair work done, which likely means they will be busy the rest of the winter.
