Having previously owned Josephine and Infanta, BCYC co-founder Tim Blackman has upped the stakes again with his latest project... the Italian yacht Kaléa
WORDS BY TIM BLACKMAN FROM AN INTERVIEW WITH BEN WOOD PHOTOS BEN WOOD
Since 2007, The Boatbuilders Show on Cape Cod has gathered together the best of New England’s boat builders, designers, and maritime trades in one place. With Cape Cod’s proud maritime traditions and ideal location – nearly equidistant between Portland, Maine and New York – The Boatbuilders Show o ers an excellent mid-winter exhibition of boats and products in which to make the most of the forthcoming summer season.
Over three days, more than 30 exhibitors were on hand with boats ranging from small tenders –perfect for the home builder – to larger, sleek, centre-console powerboats – even a new, 100 per cent electric-powered option capable of 42kts!
For the hobby builders, Clint Chase, owner of Chase Small Craft, brought a pair of boats from his extensive catalogue of available plans and kits. New to the show for 2024, Chadwick Pond Boats of Massachusetts displayed two of its beautifully built lapstrake canoes designed by Iain Oughtred. Ideal for the shallow waters of the cape, numerous examples of the iconic catboat were on hand from Beetle Cat, Marshall Marine and Arey’s Pond Boat Yard. Ballentine’s Boat Shop displayed its classic Herreshodesigned daysailers, the 16ft (4.9m) Doughdish and the much larger 28ft (8.54m) Stuart Knockabout. For powerboats, visitors had plenty to see with simple, economical hulls and more adventurous options to choose from, including a newly revisited Chris Craft design by Arey’s Pond Boat Yard, and the brand-new Hood 26E – an all-carbon fibre, electric-powered, centre console built by CW Hood Yachts.
Along with a full showroom of boats, numerous marine trades were also present, including: electronics venders, systems experts, and marine educational programmes to help people of any skill level become safer and more confident on the water.
Weekend highlights included film screenings and follow-up discussions by Nat Benjamin and Bill Womack. Nat Benjamin is co-founder of Gannon and Benjamin Marine Railway on Martha’s Vineyard and subject of the documentary, Charlotte, A Wooden Boat Story. The film follows the construction of Benjamin’s own 50ft (15.25m) ga -rigged schooner Charlotte at his waterfront shop in Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts. The second presentation was a talk given by Bill Womack – owner of Beetle Cat Boat Shop – and the film, The Beetle Cat: A Small Boat with a Big History. With more than 4,000 boats built since their creation in 1921, few boats have made bigger impressions on the history of sailing in America than this 12ft (3.66m)ga er.
Continuing to build upon its reputation as the “Best Independent Boatbuilders Show in the Northeast,” the 2024 show was an overwhelming success and organisers and exhibitors are already looking forward to 2025. Save the Date: 31 January – 2 February. See boatbuildersshowcc.com.
1 The Doughdish – a modern reproduction of the Herresho 12 1/2
2 The father-daughter team of Bob and Christina Fuller at South Shore Boatworks
3 The International Yacht Restoration School (IYRS) is located in Newport, Rhode Island
4 Marshall Marine has been a staple of the catboat community since 1962
5 The award-winning Crosby 24 is a beautifully-finished centre console built to stand out on the water
6 Chadwick Pond Boats’ Wee Rob Canoe weighs less than 35lbs (15.9kg)
7 The Cape Cod Maritime Museum stand
8 The motorboat/launch section
9 New this year is the Hood 26E, an allcarbon fibre hull powered entirely by electric propulsion
Southwinds was designed by Briton Robert Clark but built in Australia. After a big refit, she’s into a new chapter of her life as a charter yacht in Sydney Harbour
WORDS AND PHOTOS: NIGEL SHARP
The life and times of a 65ft wherry and her colourful experiences that included a stint in Paris before returning to her roots on the Norfolk Broads
WORDS AND PHOTOS RICHARD JOHNSTONE-BRYDEN
