October 24 2016

Now that the afternoons are shorter we’re taking some time to share the news from Rockport Marine. 
We started spring on a great note, by retrieving Concordia Yawl #18 Spice from a few years of decline on the hard. We always enjoy bringing these boats back from the brink, but it’s particularly satisfying when they get good use.  Such was the case with Spice , whose owners, despite a late start, logged over 500 miles as a family, sailing  Spice to her full potential.

91' Sloop

After last winter’s full slate of repair work, we’ll be doing a good charge of new construction this year. We’re currently building the hull of a 91’ sloop for delivery to Brooklin Boatyard by water in mid-April. 

Islander

Beginning in late winter, we’ll be building a Rockport Marine-designed center console runabout for delivery to the Bahamas. The design brief for Islander was for a boat capable of occasional inter-island passages, but which would be used mostly for cocktail cruises and swimming. The boat also had to be very low maintenance as is the custom in the Bahamas. 

Arabesque

Our recent build; Arabesque, met a rock in August and we’re doing some structural bottom work to the area around her deep ballast fin.  Because her interior was undamaged, it was most efficient for us to do this work the same way we built the hull, upside down. While rare, it was surprisingly simple to make some brackets and a cradle to enable this tactic. 

Rockport Marine acquired David Jones Yacht  Brokerage in June and we've welcomed Evelyn Smith to an office at our shop as she works with David Jones to continue this thriving business. Some featured listings are below.
Nova, a 39' S&S sloop, was built by famed San Diego sailor and a Lipton Challenge cup contender Gerald Driscoll as his personal yacht in the 1960s. He sailed out of the San Diego yacht club community to race against such characters as Lowell North (North sails), Skip Caulking, (designer of the 1959 Honolulu race winner LEGEND, also built by Driscoll Boat Works) and Paul Kettenburg’s (K-40 TOMBOY II. Kettenburg’s yard was adjacent to Driscoll’s yard in Shelter Island, San Diego).

To view our complete collection of listings including restorations, runabouts, daysailers and yachts please stop by our office or visit out Brokerage Page. 

When and If   was named by General George S. Patton because of his own uncertain destiny. He had planned to resign from the army and go sailing if he was passed over a third time for promotion.

This legendary schooner was built by F.F. Pendleton in 1938 and designed by Clifford Swaine of John Alden’s office. She is design # 669 and carries 1,770 square feet of sail in her four lowers. Her hull is double planked, with cedar inside and mahogany outside.
We installed new cabinetry in the Dutch-built 26 meter, 125 ton motor yacht, Sea Fox. For this project we had 3 weeks to build parts in our shop and 3 weeks to install and fully finish the interior. It was fast paced, well planned and the results are wonderful. 
  We've had lots of interest on our RM44 design. Though hull number one has not been commissioned yet, the interest has precipitated collaboration with Doug Zurn who helped our design office with the design of a tunnel drive option which strikes us as the ideal propulsion for this vessel. 
 

Storage

We’ve welcomed some new vessels to the storage fleet this year. We now store 13 Concordia yawls, besides servicing a couple more. It’s pleasant to have become so familiar with these fine boats and to routinely see 3 or 4 at the dock in the spring or fall.

We’re glad to add the large Friendship Sloop Lucy Bell to the fleet this year. She’s getting some frame ends and a little fabrication work besides her annual paint work. We’re also pleased to have the 32’ Gannon and Benjamin lobster cruiser Alliance. 
We had time last winter to start a side project that has gotten now and then attention through the summer. We've taken the lines of a 20' Albury skiff, added some tumblehome and a curved transom and built the hull cold molded with spiled Alaskan yellow cedar topsides. The boat has precipitated some nice interest and is now for sale. 

  Those who have been watching our back shop for the last couple years have seen substantial progress on Taylor's William Underwood. First launched in 1941 for the Underwood canning company, this 71' sardine carrier is being fully restored for use as a pleasure boat. She'll be a remarkable sight on the water.  
  While we're busy at the moment, we're actively trying to line up projects for the spring. Please get in touch if there's anything we can do for you!