Vineyard Open House Blog

Morris Yachts, Luxury Sailboat Builder, Poised for Active Year of New Projects

With 2008 & 2009 well behind it, Morris Yachts experienced a strong recovery in sales and service in 2010, and the company is poised for a strong 2011 with a "surprisingly large backlog of sail boat orders."

Morris has 15 boats on order, most of which will be completed and launched in this year. Their popular luxury 36' M36 daysailer continues to sell well, making hull #66 the next available build slot. The larger 42' M42 weekender has also surged in popularity with three new orders. The next available build slot for the M42 is hull #23.

The newest M-series offering the M29 has also taken off, with eight orders of this sporty daysailer. And the largest of the family, the 52' M52, has a sister-ship under construction (as a spec boat) and is immediately available for an owner to step in and choose personal options for delivery in 2011.

Additionally, the United States Coast Guard "Leadership 44'" contract for eight competitive racing Morris sailboats is well underway with an anticipated launch of hull #1 this summer. Visit the Morris website to learn more about brokerage offerings and much more. Morris Yachts M52 Tri-cabin arrangement 

Morris Yachts 2011 Marketing & Sailing Events

February 17-21 - Coconut Grove demo sail event at "Shake a leg" Sailing Center, Coconut Grove, FL

March 2011 - Strongly considering a private marketing event in Naples, FL (confirmation and exact dates to be determined)

April 2011 - Strongly considering the Oakland Boat Show in San Francisco, CA (confirmation and exact dates to be determined)

April 2011 - California demo sail event (location and exact dates to be determined)

May-August 2011 - Visit the Morris Yachts boat building facility for a test sail on beautiful Mount Desert Island, home of Acadia National Park

July 15-17 - Vineyard Cup, Vineyard Haven, Martha's Vineyard

July 29-31 - Morris Yachts Private Boat Show in NE Harbor, Maine

August 12-14 - Maine Boats & Harbors Boat Show, Rockland, ME

September 2011- Strongly considering a return to the Southampton Boat Show, England

September 15-18 - Newport International Boat Show

October 6-10 - Annapolis International Boat Show
 
 

Vineyard Haven Harbor Deep in Winter, Yet Here Are Some Signs of Coming Spring

The depths of winter are upon us and Vineyard Haven Harbor shows an empty canvas. Few boats are still at anchor, mostly those with wooden hulls. The twin masts of the Shenandoah are topped by Christmas trees for the holiday season and the docks of the inner harbor are quiet and vacant.

Gannon & Benjamin, with plastic shed in place for winter work, sits quietly Jan. 4.

On a New Year's visit to the Vineyard I snapped some photos of what summer visitors never see--a harbor devoid of activity. However, while on the Vineyard I received news of the construction of a new Alerion Express 28 (see photos below) that will be skippered by Mo Flam in next summer's Holmes Hole races. Just the thought of Holmes Hole activities gets my blood racing and my hands ready to grab a sailing bag. See below for all images.

Two-masted schooner Shenandoah set for the holidays.

Inner harbor docks in winter slumber.

Inner harbor--plenty of mooring space now!

Outer harbor--a clear view across to the Vineyard Haven-West Chop shore.

A clutch of wooden boats have the harbor mostly to themselves.

Shenandoah stripped to the bare essentials.

Below, Mo Flam's new Alerion Express starts to take shape.

Sparkling new hull fresh from the mold.

Inspecting the cabin.

Keel in place.

Arctic Tern Project Glows at Completion, Awaits Spring Thaw & a Launch Date

That glow you see emanating from inside the saloon of the recently completed Arctic Tern is the sense of satisfaction that DIY Peter Gron is feeling from arriving at the end of his 6-year trek to the completion of his 23' sloop Artic Tern. His propane heater is also contributing to the sense of well being.

See the heater in action below and the newly installed chainplates. Congrats to Peter! Now he just has to wait until the ice melts next spring to launch his dream boat. View the entire building process here.

Propane heater at work.

Better than the living room!

Chainplates in place.

Day of Reckoning Approaches as Arctic Tern Project Edges Toward Launch Day

The day of recokoning--launch day--is drawing closer for The Arctic Tern Project, a DIY boat building project begun in 2004 by Peter Gron of Gabriola Island, BC, Canada.

Sail dreams turned into boards and beams when Gron erected a boat shed in the autumn of 2004 and started building his now gleaming 23' Arctic Tern sloop. Here are two recent photos. Splash day is not far away!

 

Which Is the Real Vineyard Vixen? You Choose!

The times are getting confusing. If you're into sailing, you may know what a Vineyard Vixen is. But if you are into wine, you'll have another idea of what a true Vineyard Vixen looks like. Please see the photos below and decide for yourself.

This Vineyard Vixen floats and is 28 years old. It is for sale. She was designed by Tom Hale and built at the Martha's Vineyard Shipyard, which the Hale family has owned for 50 years.

This Vixen will float your boat. She is holding a bottle of wine from the award-winning California winery V-Twin Vineyards. The company has graciously given us permission to use these photos.

Another angle of the Vineyard Vixen.

This Vineyard Vixen is standing in front of oak wine barrels, not to be confused with kegs.

This is the teak-finished interior of a Vineyard Vixen, which has a skeg-hung rudder.

So which one is the real Vineyard Vixen? You decide!

Photo Essay: Herreshoff Marine Museum Celebrates the Golden Age of Yacht Design

If you've ever been boatstruck by a beautiful boat, then the Herreshoff Marine Museum is your kind of place. Filled with boats of all shapes and sizes, mementos and photos, it's enough to make you wish you had been alive back in the eighteen to nineteen hundreds during the golden age of sail design when Nathaniel Herreshoff and the Herreshoff family was beautifying the world with sleek and breath-taking creations.

It all got started in 1878 when John Brown Herreshoff, a blind boatbuilder from Bristol, Rhode Island, who had been in business since 1863, went into partnership with his younger brother, Nathanael Green Herreshoff, a naval architect and steam engineer. The name of their new firm was the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company.

Coquina, a little daysailer that Herreshoff designed in the winter of 1889 and sailed most of his life.

Herreshof boasted he could make a better launch, or vedette, than those being built by John White of Cowes, who enjoyed a monopoly supplying such boats to the British Navy. In a contest with boats of the same length, Herreshoff's launch was declared a unanimous winner and the monopoly was broken.

Model of Reliance, he 1903 America's Cup defender, the fourth America's Cup defender from designer Nat Herreshoff.

Reliance bested her America's Cup challenger, Sir Thomas Lipton's Shamrock III, designed by William Fife, in all three races they competed, and promptly retired undefeated. Reportedly the largest gaff-rigged cutter ever built, she measured 201 feet long and the tip of her mast was 199 feet above the water--the height of a 20-story building.

Her total sail area of 16,156.6 sq ft was the equivalent of eight 12 meter class yachts and needed a crew of 64. Understandably, she was referred to as a 'freak.' After her brief career, she was sold for scrap in 1913.

Distinctive and recognizable lines immediately say to a viewer, "That's a Herreshoff!"

When a Herreshoff yacht was delivered to its owner, it came complete with its own set of china.

Bow of Torch, a Fisher Island 31, built in 1929.

Torch cockpit.

Torch interior.

Head on Torch, note butterfly skylight.

Better engines were a Herreshoff development, too.

If you like beautiful boats, then also check out Ballentine's Boat Shop and Gannon & Benjamin Marine Railway.

 

Gannon & Benjamin Celebrate Their 30th Business Year with Gala Book Signing Event

Gannon & Benjamin Marine Railway, otherwise simply known as G&B, celebrated its 30th year in the business of building beautiful wooden boats at its Vineyard Haven beachfront location on July 24th. Central to the festivities was the book signing on the new book Schooner, written by Tom Dunlop with photography by noted Vineyard shootist Alison Shaw.

The book chronicles in beautiful detail the building of the 60-foot schooner Rebecca--the largest sailing vessel created on the island of Martha's Vineyard since the election of Abraham Lincoln. Also on hand to celebrate was The Martha’s Vineyard Museum and scores of well-wishers who ate, drank, listened to music and purchased books which were then signed by author and photographer as well as Ross Gannon and Nat Benjamin themselves.

See below some photos from the event, plus some shots of the near-legendary tools and shop where all the magic begins.

Kids get into the spirit of the event and the place.

In the shed.

Precious boards waiting to become part of a larger whole.

Out of such chaos, beautiful shapes emerge.

Every nut and bolt has its place.

More bits and pieces and a place to keep them in.

More storage and a wondering of what's behind drawer No. 3 and No.4 and No.5 and....?

The good kind of vice to have.

A full house.

Tom Dunlop and Alison Shaw sign their book for enthusiastic fans.

A boat awaits repair.

On the cradle another wooden gem gets prepared for launch.

Ross Gannon Launches His Dream Boat at the G&B Boatyard on Martha's Vineyard

The Gannon & Benjamin Marine Railway in Vineyard Haven, Mass, was the center of the local boating universe at noon on Saturday, July 10th, when co-owner Ross Gannon launched his dream boat, a 45-foot sloop named Elita. 

Elita set in the cradle and ready to go.

Three years in the making, the all-wood vessel was yet another addition to the impressive flotilla of classic-looking sailing boats that the company has been adding to the Vineyard Haven harbor, and the sailing world in general, for nearly 30 years. (The company will, in fact, celebrate its 30th year in business on July 24th.)

Sitting offshore, as if waiting for their sister ship to join them are the Charlotte, Nat Benjamin's boat which was launched last year, and two of the Black Dog ships, Alabama (white) and Shenandoah (black).

A close-up look at these boats can make you feel as if you were looking at a scene from 100 years prior.

Modern boats were on hand, too.

The Juno, a 65-foot schooner, the largest G&B creation to date, was launched in 2003. The following year she won the Concours d'Elegance in Antigua's Classic Yacht Regatta.

Close-up of Charlotte.

The G&B boat shed with celebrants.

A happy crowd of about 200 turned out under clear skies and heavy heat for the traditional benediction, bottle breaking and the new vessel's slow easy slide down the railway track into the water for its first official introduction to its natural element.

Louisa Gould, marine photographer, was there to capture the event.

TV crew.

An ebullient Ross Gannon addresses the crowd.

Island historian Mathew Stackpole puts the event in perspective.

Ross Gannon's wife Kirsten swings the champagne.

Once the champagne bottle was broken on the bow, cannon boomed, cheers and clapping erupted and Elita was set loose to slide down the rails.

The ride down the tracks begins.

First dip into the water and the cannons fire.

A receding tide and overload of well-wishers temporarily puts the splash on hold.

Boats come to offload passengers.

A lighter Elita is free and in. Next up: outfitting, installation of masts and other equipment.

Sparkman & Stephens Offers a Beauty That's Not a Yacht, but an Ultralight Canoe

13' Ultralight Double Paddle Canoe ~ Charlotte

Tom Hill, the master of ultralight boatbuilding, wrote the book on the subject and now you can own one of his extraordinary creations. This canoe is a rare find because Hill is not currently building boats to order.

Built of 7mm lapstrake marine plywood and epoxy construction, the canoe's total weight is 27lbs. The exterior is light blue with white interior and varnished trim.  She is beautiful to behold and a delight to paddle. Comes with collapsible Shaw & Tenney paddle. Offered by Sparkman & Stephens brokerage at $3,000.

For more information please contact Bruce Johnson: Office: 212-661-6170, or send him an email.

You could buy the book, but buying a ready-made canoe is easier.

Morris Yachts' New M29 Comes to Cedar Point YC So You Can Give It a Test Sail

M29: Reaching Under Spinnaker. Photo Credit Onne Van Der Wal

Morris Yachts announces that the M29 will be available for Test Sail starting this coming weekend (April 17) and through Mid-May. Hosting the new yacht is the Cedar Point Yacht Club in Westport, Connecticut.

Designed to be easy to rig, launch and sail, the M29 is a perfect daysailer for single-handed sailing or can be raced easily by a crew of two or three. If you are interested in scheduling a test sail and taking a closer look at the M29, please call at 212-661-6170 and a representative will be happy to assist you.