A Vineyard classic lives on in updated models from C.W. Hood.
At first glance, they were just molds in a Rhode Island field, stored in the tall grass out back at Little Harbor Yachts in Portsmouth. Those wearing a big spray-painted X were destined for the scrap heap.
But as Chris Hood looked them over that day in 1995, one of the shapes stood out. Hood, working at his uncle Ted Hood’s complex, went to get a closer look. “It was the starboard side of a boat, and I saw it in silhouette,” he recalls. “I fell in love with the look of the boat, the beauty of the lines. Sitting out in that field, it looked a little like a half-hull stapled to the wall. I saw it and said, ‘That’s it.’ ”
Here was a boat worth building.
That was on a Sunday. “I asked my uncle about it on Monday and found that it was ready to be destroyed,” Hood says. “He told me it came with the package when he bought the Black Watch molds from C.E. Ryder. I said, ‘How about I save you the trouble? I don’t know what it is, but it’s pretty cool looking.’ I gave him $100, and that was it.”
The object turned out to be the mold for the Wasque 26, one of a trio of single-engine fishing boats that came out of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, beginning in 1969 (see Origins sidebar). Alden Yachts designed the 26, and David Thompson at Vineyard Yachts built it on the island. The 21-, 26- and 32-foot Wasque models, named after an island fishing ground, enjoyed a 16-year production run before Thompson retired and closed up shop in 1985.
The molds were dispersed; the one for the Wasque 26 had kicked around for a decade by the time Chris Hood saw it in the field, beginning its rescue, resurrection and transformation — and the birth of a fleet of modern Wasques.
Rescue
Denne historien er fra August 2017-utgaven av Soundings.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra August 2017-utgaven av Soundings.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Will Biodiesel Ever Work For Boaters?
San Francisco powers its Red & White sightseeing fleet with biodiesel. Seattle’s King County Water Taxi uses biodiesel to move people across Puget Sound.
Jess Wurzbacher
Jess Wurzbacher holds a master’s degree in tropical coastal management from Newcastle University (U.K.) and a 200-ton Master license. She sailed all over the world as chief scientist and program manager for Seamester and is a PADI scuba instructor with more than 1,000 research and training dives to her credit.
3 Takes On Classic Maine Style
The looks may be classic, but many craftsmen in Maine are giving their Down East builds something extra nowadays, whether working in wood or fiberglass.
Lady Luck
An epic voyage immortalized Felicity Ann and her intrepid skipper. Now this pint-sized yacht is getting another lease on life.
Superlative St. Augustine
St. Augustine, Florida, is one of my favorite cruising destinations. (And I’ve been to quite a few.) It’s pretty, historic, has a timeless ambience and celebrates with festivals year-round. And it has beaches and golf.
The Great Ship WaverTree Returns
A ship saved by a city, a museum saved by a ship
Coronet Around Cape Horn, 1888
Cape Horn, looming in the background of this dramatic work by Russ Kramer, is one of the most dangerous places on Earth to sail. In 1888, without electronic navigation equipment or radio communications, it was even more so.
His Bark And His Bite Were Equally Friendly
What is the world coming to? Up is down. Wrong is right.
Doug Zurn
A native of the Great Lakes region, Doug Zurn grew up sailing and boating.
Go Anywhere, Do Everything
Today’s trawlers — and other seafaring boats with passagemaking qualities in their DNA — provide comfort, efficiency and seaworthiness