2013 APRIL CLASSIC SAILBOAT OF THE MONTH: HERRESHOFF BUZZARDS BAY 18
Artisan Boatworks recent launching, 2011, of the recreated Buzzards Bay 18. Alex Brainerd talks about the Herreshoff design from an except of his blog. “The Buzzards Bay 18 is yet another design, of which no original example survives. Herreshoff designed the 18 in 1903, just a few years after the Buzzards Bay 15. She is 29’ on deck, 18’ on the waterline, displaces 4430 lbs, and has 472 square feet of sail. Similarly to the Belfast Lough One Design, the Buzzards Bay 18 captures the spirit of the “Big Boats” in a captivating way. She would be a good intermediate boat between the Buzzards Bay 15 and larger Buzzards Bay 25, and I would be tempted to lower the ballast keel and eliminate the centerboard in the same way Herreshoff did with the Buzzards Bay 15 when designing Flicker.
The Buzzards Bay 18 is one of the smallest designs of this type that have ample cabin space for occasional overnight use, and adequate displacement to accommodate either diesel or electric propulsion. She is very similar in size and shape to Sparkman and Stephens Dark Harbor 20, but her increased beam adds considerably to the available interior and cockpit space.
To me, the Buzzards Bay 18 is one of the most beautiful of all the Herreshoff designs, and she intrigues me because here is an opportunity to reintroduce the world to something that has been otherwise lost forever. I’m not even aware of any photos of original Buzzards Bay 18’s. To build a new replica of Herreshoff’s Buzzards Bay 18 would be a truly noble endeavor, and one that would have considerable lasting value to both the classic yachting community, and those who revere the Herreshoff legacy.
For further information contact: www.ArtisanBoatworks.com