Hope - Boats of the Year 2009

2009 BOATS OF THE YEAR

Pleasant Bay Boat & Spar Co. PLEASANT BAY BOAT & SPAR COMPANY, for-

merly Marine Restoration and Salvage, saw its busiest year yet. The Orleans, Massachusetts, shop restored the motor lifeboat CG36500 from the rails up—including the cockpits and bulkheads, and some structural work—after stripping it down to the frames. The CG36500 was involved in the historic rescue of 32 seamen from a sinking ship off the coast of Chatham in 1952. Construction of a coldmolded Baybird was begun, with the expectation that 2 of these sloop hulls will be completed by spring. The year’s favorite spar job was for Sanford Boat Company’s new Magic 30 yawl. The shop took over the completion of an Arch Davis 26' lobster-style hull in the hopes of locating a buyer once it is done. A unique project was the building of 8 mahogany columns for a private residence in Miami. The shop has applied for solar panel grants, with the intention of installing enough to accommodate all the business’s electrical needs. www.pleasantbayboatandspar.com; 508-240-0058.

Onne van der Wal(3), courtesy Morris Yachts

crew. As per usual, 2009 saw the restoration of one 121⁄2. Hull no. 1432, Ocean Rose, was built in 1937 for Marshall Field—of department store fame—and has sailed the waters of Dark Harbor for its entire life. The boat is one of the island’s active racing fleet. January marked the beginning of the next 12 ½ project, Nutmeg, hull no. 815 dating from 1916. www.pendletonyachtyard.com; 207-734-6728.

HOPE MORRIS YACHTS M52 by John Snyder

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ESPITE TOUGH ECONOMIC TIMES and the untimely passing of founder Tom Morris, Morris Yachts of Bass Harbor appears to be thriving. The yard’s ongoing collaboration with legendary naval architects Sparkman & Stephens has given rise to the company’s successful M series, which includes the M29, M36, M42, and now the M52. While the M29 and M36 are clearly daysailers, and the M42 a weekender, the M52 is a true coastal cruiser.

Hailing from Bristol, Rhode Island, and aptly named Hope (Rhode Island’s motto and some positive thinking for better economic times), the new 52-footer, the first of its type, is stunning in looks and performance. Like its smaller sisters, the M36 and M42, Hope is easily handled by two, thanks to in-boom furling, a self-tacking jib, and clean line handling. On deck, the layout is reminiscent of the M42, but the additional 10 feet of length make it a much different boat. The side- and foredecks are massive, and with the absence of lifelines seem even broader. While the lack of lifelines accentuates the boat’s graceful sheer, a set of removable lifelines, or a jackline, would be a good idea for offshore passages. Far forward, a unique anchor stowage and deployment system keeps the ground tackle out of sight but ready for

Portland Pudgy PORTLAND PUDGY moved to a new shop in

Portland, where its multi-function service and survival dinghy is sold. The unsinkable proactive lifeboat is 7'8" long, is USCG approved for 4 people, and can be used with oars, sail, or outboard motor. Company founder David Hulbert outlined recent modifications: “We redesigned the sailing rig. We made the sail larger, added a window, loose foot, and designed a telescoping boom. Performance leeboards were designed, and we added a slightly stiffer rudder. The whole rig is still collapsible without disassembly and

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Accommodations below are everything we have come to expect and more from Morris Yachts.

MAINE BOATS, HOMES & HARBORS

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February / March 2010

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Issue 108

BOATS OF THE YEAR 2009 use in a hurry. The chain locker is also plumbed for a wash-down hose.

Aft, the cockpit is spacious and comfortable, suited to casual entertaining, memorable harbor tours, and comfortable cruising. Forward of the helm and control pods are port and starboard seating that’s suitable for six adults or for afternoon naps and a permanently mounted teak centerline drop-leaf table and integrated cooler that are finished to a high gloss. The teak-trimmed coaming is the perfect height and makes for great seating and security under way.

For simplicity of sail handling the M52’s fractional rig has a carbon fiber mast fitted with a Leisurefurl in-boom furling system. Navtec hydraulics control the vang and backstay, and Lewmars serve as primary and secondary winches.

The headsail furling system is from Bamar. As with all of the M-series yachts, sheets and control lines are led below decks, then back to Lewmar rope clutches and winches. The only lines above deck are for controlling the asymmetrical spinnaker. The sails are from North Sails.

Adding a Code-0 to the sail inventory would be worth considering.

Accommodations are nothing short of elegant. The interior is very spacious and has full standing headroom throughout. Forward, the owner’s stateroom is well lit, has a queen size centerline berth, and wide, contoured seats to port and starboard. There are a full-length hanging locker and a dresser with drawers; the lower portion of the dresser has a drop front, with a storage locker above. The owner’s stateroom adjoins a separate head and fully enclosed stall shower with built-in teak slat seat and wet locker. The countertop is bright-finished cherry and has a polished stainless-steel sink and Vacuflush toilet.

The main saloon, to port, has a Ushaped dinette and a mahogany table with integrated storage for liquor and silverware. The table swivels for ease of seating. Immediately to starboard is a settee that also provides seating, a sea berth, and a seat for the aft-facing nav station.

Navigation electronics include everything you would imagine; an Ethernet cable in the nav station interfaces all electronics and entertainment systems.

The yacht’s interior is finished in www.maineboats.com

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SPECIFICATIONS / M52 LOA: 52'10" LWL: 37' 0" Beam: 13' 6" Draft: 6' 8" Displ.: @ half load: 27,520 lbs.

Sail Area: 1,541 sq. ft.

Bridge Clearance: 70' Water: 100 gal.

Fuel: 60 gal.

Power: 75-hp Yanmar 4JH4-TCE

diesel, Saildrive SD-50 Designer: Sparkman & Stephens, 529 Fifth Avenue, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10017. 212-661-1240; www.sparkmanstephens.com Builder: Morris Yachts, 53

Granville Road, Bass Harbor, ME 04653. 207-244-5509; www.morrisyachts.com classic Herreshoff style, with beautiful antique-white raised-panel bulkheads, high-gloss cherry joinery, satin-finished teak cabin sole, and traditional wood sheathing overhead to match the bulkheads. A sizeable butterfly hatch over the centerline provides great ventilation and light below. There are climate controls

MAINE BOATS, HOMES & HARBORS

for an air-conditioning system and a diesel heater with five vents. Hatches and Dorade vents provide additional ventilation below. Outboard of the dinette and the settee there are ample storage for books and a place to conceal electronics, such as a stereo system and television.

The aft cabin has a double quarterberth to port, full hanging locker, and dresser with drawers. The cabin is adjoined by an aft head with polished stainless-steel sink, wall-mounted shower, and high-gloss cherry countertops. The aft head can be accessed from the galley or the aft cabin.

Hope’s galley is located to starboard of the companionway ladder, beneath which is access to the engine compartment. The galley has three separate countertop lockers for dry storage, dishes, and glasses. The refrigerator with a single toploading hatch is aft of the three-burner gimbaled propane stove. The galley counters are Corian. A microwave oven is mounted outboard and forward behind the galley sliders.

The M52’s hull is a vacuum-infused composite with vinylester resin and balsa core. Structural bulkheads are plywood.

The superstructure is Core-Cell construction. Decks are teak, with quarter-sawn teak decking for the cockpit sole.

Below the waterline the M52 features a high-performance bulb keel and a modern high-aspect-ratio carbon/epoxy spade rudder, designed for speed, stability, and precise control.

For mechanical propulsion the M52 is powered by a 4-cylinder Yanmar directinjected, freshwater-cooled, turbocharged marine diesel; it is mated to a SD-50 Saildrive unit turning a 20" Flex-O-Fold three-blade propeller. There is also a tunnel-style bow thruster for ease of maneuvering in tight quarters.

Hope’s owners are not new to Morris Yachts or to S&S designs. They previously owned an M42. Though they were looking for a larger boat to suit their yearly passage from Florida to New England, they didn’t want to sacrifice the performance, style, and build of the M series.

Clean, lean, and classic in every way, the M52 sets a new standard for coastal cruising yachts and is destined to become a legend.

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