Camden, Maine – Congratulations to the 32′ Francis Sweisguth designed replica Silent Maid. Overall Winner of the 2019 Camden Classics Cup.

Silent Maid

To rebuild the original Silent Maid would be to destroy her. It is not likely a single piece of her would remain because she is fastened with iron nails. Once they rust into the wood the only cure is to replace everything. This is what prompted the decision to build a new boat. Independence Seaport Museum’s Workshop on the Water built Silent Maid. The original boat is in the museums collection and the new boat was built to her lines and sails the Barnegat

Francis Sweisguth designed the original “Silent Maid” for Edwin Schoettle of Island Heights, N.J. in 1923 /24. She was built by Morton Johnson of Bay Head with spars from the Pigeon Hollow Spar Co. of Boston. Schoettle is the author of “Sailing Craft” published in 1928 and in this volume he extols the virtues of boat and designer alike. Silent Maid was considered innovative at the time. Two rigs were designed, marconi rig and gaff. In 1924 the merits of each were still hotly debated. The gaff rig had attained a pitch of perfection only a thousand years of development could give but the marconi was based on the modern aerodynamic principles that would soon rule sea and sky. Silent Maid was built with the gaff rig & sailed with it all of her long life.

For more information on the building and sailing of Silent Maid:

Building: http://seaportmuseum.blogspot.com/
Sailing: http://blogofthecatboatsilentmaid.blogspot.com/

Resources:

Independence Seaport Museum’s Workshop on the Water
Wooden Boatbuilder
Camden Classics