"Niche" Lyman-Morse 40' Sloop for Offshore and Thin Water!

I am excited to see one of my favorite sailing yachts come back on the market. Her hull and deck were built on a custom basis by Cabot Lyman in Thomasten, Me. and them completed by David Crane at the Todd Boatworks in Oxford, Maryland to a Craig Walters design. Craig pulled on a design philosophy melding offshore performance with significant shoal draft by means of a centerboard and retractable rudder.

Part of my recall of Niche is that of sailing upwind in 18 to 20 knots with the owner/builder sailing the boat using only a trim-tab on the trailing edge of the rudder.

Niche is a remarkable boat and can be seen on jack stands in a covered building on the Maine Coast.

Sandbaggers @ the City Dock

Susan Taylor has been working in conjunction with the National Sailing Hall of Fame to offer waterfront community sailing aboard a pair of wooden/gaff rigged Sandbagger replicas. I have signed on to operate a support boat and yesterday trimmed the sizable mainsail! We don't cleat the sheets on this rig!

Lyman-Morse Lobster Yacht

I am very excited to learn that one of my favorite DownEast boats of all time will be available for sale later this summer or in the Fall quarter; the owners plan some light use of the boat this summer.
"Lyra" is a 38 footer built by Cabot Lyman in 1994 for a sailor who had previously owned a 44' Seguinn also built by Lyman-Morse. Therefore,she is a custom built yacht, built by a world class boat builder for an experienced sailor. The outcome is really special! She is a true-deal downeaster that has enjoyed good ownership by each of her three owners. While in Annapolis (under previous ownership) she was always shed-kept. More recently she has had good care (including new awlgrip paint) by the same firm that built the Shelter Island boats. The current owners employed the boat to navigate the "Loop" and will be passing the boat to new owners in very fine condition!

Hood 40/Gulfstar

Back in the late 1970's there was a collaboration of Ted Hood and the Florida production boatbuilder Gulfstar. The seventeen boats that were built were clearly to another standard, relative to the stock Gulfstar. The outcome was a very nice (and expensive in her day) keel-centerboarder of moderate to heavy displacement. I sailed on a sistership here on the Chesapeake that served two families over a twenty five year stretch of time, equally well as a cruising boat and point to point race boat. I ran across this boat offered for sale in South Florida by a friend of mine. What a great boat for the Keys and Bahamas!

Bruckmann 34 Sea Trial

We had the pleasure of running the 34 Bruckmann this past week with Captain Pat Teeling at the helm. The 440 Yanmar offers great performance through a wide range up to and including 25/26 knots with four people and a half load of fuel. The B34E is not a light boat. To me she feels more like an Eastbay under way than many lighter weight counterparts.With her deep-vee entry and wide chines she is quick to plane and cut through a nasty chop with ease and no hint of pounding.....Mark Ellis got this hull form just right!
We will be double checking our data from the sea trial with Jeff Leitch of Bay Shore Marine to be sure that the Yanmar and associated drive train are just right for the new owner. Look for the B34e at the "un-boatshow" May 1 @ Chesapeake Harbor in Annapolis,Md.

Hinckley Bermuda 40 Sale

I had the pleasure this month to work with Dick Zimmerman of Hartge Yacht Sales on the sale of a lovely Bermuda 40. "DickZ" is one of the true gentleman in the industry and takes great care of his clients. At this point in his lengthy career he has likely forgotten more about boats, sailing, and design than the average broker will ever absorb!
The new owners will base "Ondine" to be renamed "Sometime", at Hartges alongside of hull#1

Freedom 35 "Suzee"

There is an accepted offer on "Suzee", the Gowards 35' 1994 Freedom. She is pictured here sailing on Maryland's Eastern Shore. The boat is on our display deck about one boat width from where they purchased the boat six years ago! There is little doubt that displaying a good boat on the "deck" is an effective means of finding a new owner...purchase is subject to sea trials and marine survey.