Yesterday was hot and hazy here, but there was a good breeze in Great Cove where an enjoyable spectacle was going on: The WoodenBoat School Elements of Sailing classes were catching those breezes and scooting all over the Cove like water bugs.
Above, you see We 3 performing yesterday for a languid audience of harbor seals. (I think I heard one or two flipper claps for some especially good come-abouts.) Here’s another of the boats out yesterday, Crackerjack, flaunting her tanbark red sails":
Both sailboats are part of the School’s fleet of 12 ½-foot (at waterline) sailboats. Some, such as the We 3, are “Herreshoffs.” These were designed by the famous naval architect Nat Herreshoff in 1914 and have been in constant production since then. They are considered by many to be the best small sailboat ever built.
Others, such as the Crackerjack, are “Havens.” These were designed by our locally famous naval architect Joel White in 1984 as a modified Herreshoff 12 ½. The principal difference between the two designs is that the Haven has a retractable centerboard and the Herreshoff has a fixed keel. Thus, the Haven has an advantage in shallow water, but both sail beautifully.
The rigging can be different. Here’s Fox, a Haven with a gaff rig like the Crackerjack’s:
Here’s Dovekie, a Herreshoff rigged as a Marconi Sloop, like We 3:
(Brooklin, Maine)