Hi everyone newbe from "Margaritaville"

[Geo]

Greetings from the Conch Republic,
I have lived and worked in the Florida Keys since 1979. Last year we aquired a rather unique old sailboat, She's a Herreshoff design in fiberglass with a traditional gaff/ketch rig.

Looking forward to all the advice you kind folks can give me.

Cheers,
Geo

The "Whipray" page address:
http://community-2.webtv.net/geosite/TheSailingVessel/

[delmarrey]

for an old design. You have plenty of sail area without being top heavy, wind wise. And lots of waterline for a 37

Is this one fiberglass? It looks like it's planked.

[Geo]

She's fiberglass, including the masts.

The hull, decks, and house is a fiberglass/foam core construction and is a total thickness of nearly 2". The only exception is the foredeck which is cored with 1 1/2" plywood in order to support a massive bronze Ideal capstain windless.

The masts are heavy, hand-laid fiberglass, molded in port and starboard sections then epoxyed together. After 29 years they show no sign of stress cracking!

The masts are fitted to deck mounted tabernacles and the entire rig can be easily raised and lowered, by means of the anchor windless and a gin-pole. This feature proved to be quite handy last hurricane season due to the fact with the rig lowered, it made it much easier to squeeze her into a mangrove "hurricane hole"!

[delmarrey]

I've always wondered why more masts aren't made of GRP. They are more flexable then aluminum and if you drill a hole, it would not cause a linear crack to run, like in aluminum. Plus, less chance of electrolysis between the stainless rigging and mast.

They do make them out of carbon fiber, but they want a small fortune for them.

It sounds like a boat made just for Florida and the Islands South.

[Geo]

In Herreshoff's own words....

"A great many people have asked for the design of a shallow-draft yacht or cruising boat. Apparently there are many who would like to cruise in some of the very shallow lagoons and bays in the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, Albemarle Sound, and the Chesapeake, and I can say from my experience that even in New England waters some of the most pleasant cruising grounds require shallow draft.
Meadowlark is a suitable name for this craft as she could venture inland and, you might say, skim over marshes and meadows as the joyful bird of that name does over many of our fields which border the Atlantic. The boat is somewhat reminiscent of the Lark of Tom Day's time.
There many today who can visualize a different type of yachting then ocean racing and who would like to spend their vacations in pleasure with comfortable relaxation. Some of these people have artistic tastes and know that the prettiest scenes are along the shore, with the woods in the background contrasting with the marshland, beach, and river banks. They would like to anchor in sheltered places, or lie on the bottom of a sandy inlet, cook supper in comfort, and sleep without worry".

L. Francis Herreshoff - 1947

Amen.

[irwinsailor]

Geo you need to look up By Invitation. He has some pictures in the photo gallery of his Herreshoff that may be of interest to you. Welcome.

[Geo]

Given her vintage, the Aurora has to be one of Nathanael G Herreshoff's boats, father of L Francis Herreshoff.

She's a classic and a treasure. Kudos to "By Invitation" on a job well done.

Thank you, Gunner! For the tip, and the welcome!