BOATS OF THE YEAR 2009
SPECIFICATIONS / BEAMAN 35 LOA: 35' LWL: 32'2" Beam: 11'6" Draft: 3'0" Hull & Top: Fiberglass/balsa-cored Power: Caterpillar 3116TA
(300 hp @ 2,800 rpm) Speed: 20 knots (WOT); 16 knots @ 2,400 rpm (cruise) Prop: 23"x22"x4 Michigan Fuel: 150 gal. Water: 70 gal.
Metal Fabrication: West Fabrication Builders: Fred & Sue Beaman Hull Design: Royal Lowell Hull: Five Islands Boat Works,
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Artisan Boatworks: Murmur ARTISAN BOATWORKS launched Murmur, a
full-keel version of Herreshoff’s Buzzards Bay 15. The Rockport shop collaborated with maritime professionals who specialize in such reproduction work—from sails to reproduction hardware—“to ensure with every detail that modern innovation was tastefully combined with historical accuracy,” in the words of the shop’s owner, Alec Brainerd. Brainerd will present a paper at the 2010 Classic Yacht Symposium, sponsored by the Herreshoff Museum in Bristol, Rhode Island, describing the project in depth. The 44' Winthrop Warner cruising yacht Congar was in for work. Two major rebuilds are in progress this winter: a 110-year-old Clinton Cranedesigned sloop from Upper St. Regis Lake in the Adirondacks, and a Sparkman & Stephens-designed Dark Harbor 20 from Islesboro. The shop grew with a 5,600-sq.-ft. indoor storage facility designed for wooden boats and an expanded service department. www.artisanboatworks.com; 207-236-4231.
719 Five Islands Rd., Georgetown, ME 04548. 207-371-2837 House: Downeast Boats & Composites, Route 175, Penobscot, ME 04476. 207-326-9400
Well entrenched in his “one small job at a time” approach, Beaman spent his last two summers in Maine doing nothing but working on the boat. “One day,” he said, “I realized that I didn’t have any room left in the cockpit for the table saw. That’s when I realized I was finished.” Brilliant performed well during July sea trials; the 300-hp Caterpillar diesel drove the boat to a 20-knot top end and a 16-knot cruising speed. The big news, though, was that Brilliant, now completed, was for sale. Wasn’t Beaman going to miss his companion of the last 10 years? “Oh, no,” he said. “Life’s a trip—forward you go.” He began listing some of the things that he and Sue wanted to do in the years ahead, then paused to share a bit of advice: “Life’s like a roll of toilet paper—the closer you get to the end, the faster it spins off.” “Plus, who knows?” he said. “I might build another one.” N And he might, especially if he got a deal.
www.maineboats.com
center and smoother ride. November saw the completion and launch of a threeyear project, a 38' Spencer Lincoln powerboat. www.areyspondboatyard.com; 508-255-0994.
Alison Langley
Having seen more than his share of boat projects gone wrong over the years, Beaman went into the process with his eyes open. “Frankly, I was scared to death,” he said, “but I figured the best way to tackle it was one small job at a time.” Five Islands assisted in many ways, including the installation of the boat’s engine and drivetrain. A sharp eye will note that the house is not a standard Bruno/Five Islands unit. “We built our own custom house with a panel from Downeast Boats & Composites on top,” Beaman said. “It’s actually a Northern Bay 36 roof. By the time Sue and I were done sanding, [Five Islands owner] Bill Plummer claimed we’d made enough dust to build a dinghy.” Eventually, the boat, named Brilliant (as in “That was a brilliant idea, Fred”), was shuttled up the road to the Beamans’ home for the final years of the finishing process. That’s right: years. Working summers, Beaman spent 10 years on his 35footer. (The Beamans take off in their motor home each winter. They cover their expenses by doing handyman work at parks around the country— another “deal” you could say.) There were no shortcuts taken along the way. Beaman was adamant that there be no visible fastenings in any woodwork, for example. “After awhile,” Beaman said, “I began telling people I’d been a boatbuilder for a number of years. It was just the same boat, that’s all.” Below, Brilliant has the accommodations of a much bigger boat, with V-berths, a full galley with stove and refrigerator, an enclosed head with shower stall, and plenty of storage. “It would probably scare you to see how much stuff you can tuck away down there,” said Beaman. Up in the wheelhouse, there is plenty of seating, including the helm station, a mate’s chair, and a dinette that can be converted into a double berth.
MAINE BOATS, HOMES & HARBORS
Back Cove 37 BACK COVE YACHTS, based in Rockland and
owned by Sabre Yachts, builds downeast-style lobsteryachts in express and hardtop styles. The line includes the Back Cove 26, 29, 33, and now the Back Cove 37, which launched in February. Summer 2010 promises to bring the launch of a new model, the Back Cove 30, a hardtop with molded-in cockpit seating, a transom door, and a 315-hp Yanmar diesel engine. www.backcoveyachts.com; 207-594-8844. BASTILLE WOODWORKING AND BOAT WORKS
of Saco told us of the drama of the West Wight Potter, or “Is a Sandwich Aboard Too Much to Ask?” It all began with a phone call to the shop’s owner James Bastille from a fellow on a lake in Maine who reported that he “had a problem with his 14' sailboat,” a rather dramatic understatement. After launching the
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