Two stunning schooners at once!
To kick off this exciting maritime enterprise, Dawson Moreland’s shipwrights are building not one, but two schooners in the open air at the boatyard of The Dory Shop on the Lunenburg, Nova Scotia waterfront.
More than sister ships, these 48-foot schooners are exact twins, building side-by-side and from the same original half-hull design. Their incredibly durable, never-to-rot Mountain Gormier keels were laid simultaneously. And what a story there is just about this keel wood! Check out this video of its harvest in the jungle of Grenada and the three-day West Indian adventure to bring it out!
These new schooners will be beautiful, simple, elegant cruising craft, modeled to sail swiftly and stand up to a stiff offshore breeze.
The vessel’s double-sawn frames, traditionally fashioned from two layers of solid Osage Orange, were built a pair at a time with installation on one vessel followed by a mirror installation on the other. It was the same process for the two steam-bent White Oak frames that were installed between each of the double-sawn frames. And so it will continue, plank for plank, bronze and copper fastened until the grand double launch in the spring of 2012.
In undertaking this unique double build, Dawson Moreland is establishing a class of fine sailing vessels; craft that can genuinely compete with one another while racing, and whose owners and crews can enjoy the benefits of a unique fraternity of vessels and sailors.
One schooner is already sold to actor-mariner Billy Campbell, the second schooner is still available. And as this is ultimately a custom build, her new owner can come along at any point in the process and have a lot of say on many of her finish details.
Fast and Able Schooners
In developing these schooners, Dawson Moreland founder Capt. Daniel Moreland and designer/builder David Westergard set the lofty goal of creating fast and able vessels that are simple, elegant and blue-water capable combined with a cozy, enchanting below-decks.
“We want the best of all worlds,” Capt. Moreland told those assembled for the twin keel laying. “Vessels so fast they’ll win all the races, so beautiful they’ll make you cry and so comfortable you’ll never want to go home.”
The resulting original half-hull design is heavily influenced by the Tancook Schooners, traditional small seaworthy sailing vessels developed on Tancook Island, a short sail from Lunenburg, and known up and down the coast. Built for fishing and carrying potatoes, cabbage or passengers among the islands, these small schooners had to navigate narrow waterways yet also contend with the North Atlantic, clawing to windward in a gale to make port. Such were these fine vessels.
A number of original Tancook schooners have been restored and are still sailing as private yachts today. These vessels are also well known to have heavily influenced renowned designers such as John Alden of Boston, David Stevens, George Stadel, William Roue of Bluenose fame and countless others in the design of 20th century schooner yachts.
Their traditional construction, which can be viewed start to finish on our blog , ensures a vessel that is as powerfully strong and seaworthy as she is beautiful.
Only the best materials
As blue water sailors themselves, Dan and Dave have been especially fussy when selecting the materials for these schooners. In addition to the woods already mentioned, the vessels are being planked with 1 ¾ inch Alaskan Yellow Cedar with Angelique for the sheer and garboard strakes. They are decked with a teak-like wood from Guyana called Determa and everything is bronze and copper fastened throughout.
Specifications
Length on deck 48 ft Beam 13 ft Draft 6.5 ft Displacing 36,000 lbs. +/- Ballast of 11,000 lbs.
The vessels come with a full two-week and comprehensive orientation for her Skipper should he or she so wish, in any and all aspects of handling, sailing, anchoring, cruising and maintaining their new command and any additional instruction as desired.
Photo by Alex Rhinelander
