Plastic Classic Forum

Did one of my tours of the local boatyards today at lunch, and look what I found! A very classic L. Francis Herreshoff Rozinante, the legendary canoe yawl. Here's a few pics:









I think this is my favorite sailboat design of all time, and to find one in my home port, on the hard was a real treat. First time I've personally had the chance to lay eyes on one.

The reason that I'm posting this here, and not at the Wooden Boat Forum, is that my closer examination of the boat (done politely, without irritating the very dedicated guys doing her varnish in the cockpit) revealed that this looks to me like a wooden deck and cabin house built upon a molded glass fiber hull. All of the originals were traditional plank-on-frame, but I know that Choy Lee built many Rozinantes in fiberglass (Herreshoff called it "frozen snot"). Perhaps this is one of them. Further detective work is in order, including becoming friends with the owner so I can angle for a sea trial.

The Wizard of Bristol wrote: "frozen snot"

I need to say for the record that I absolutely despise this anachronistic turn of phrase.

No offense to any who quote it, as of course it's a well-known and oft-quipped quotation, but I just hate it. This is not the "frozen snot" forum. ;<)

THAT is a beautiful boat!!!. And I'll bet she sails as well as she looks.

I'll take "FS" over punky wood any day of the week. I simply do not have the time, inclination or cash to keep a wood boat in good order, but I am glad there are those who do.

While I proudly own a "classic plastic" sailboat and plan on getting a plastic center console as soon as the bank account (and accountant) will allow (Eastern 18 or 24); given sufficient time and funds, I would own a wooden power boat. They just don't make 'em like they used to. There are a bunch of old, salty looking wood power boats out there that have a whole lot more room down below than a modern downeast boat (one of the few new aesthetically appealing power boats out there). But again, that is under the condition that I had sufficient time to do maintenance and money for repairs/upgrades which does not appear to be part of my near future. It is part of the "if I win the lottery plan."

I love fiberglass.

Metal corrodes.

Wood rots.

Fiberglass endures.

BS

I love that quote, precisely because it IS an anachronism. Herreshoff was a visionary designer, a genius, in my opinion. But he had one foot in the past, in the 19th century, really, and that quote speaks to that. I think he was reacting to a material that he thought had none of the elegance and grace of the material he knew so well, wood. He was wrong, of course. This board is testimony to the the fact that many elegant and graceful things can be built in glass fiber.

But it does look a bit like frozen snot in the raw, doesn't it? :)

Another anachronistic quote from a Herreshoff, this time L. Francis' dad, Nat: "There are only two colors to paint a boat, black and white, and only a damn fool would paint it black".

I love that. :)

Tim wrote:

The Wizard of Bristol wrote: "frozen snot"

I need to say for the record that I absolutely despise this anachronistic turn of phrase.

No offense to any who quote it, as of course it's a well-known and oft-quipped quotation, but I just hate it. This is not the "frozen snot" forum. ;<)

Wouldn't that be "The Frozen Snot Classic Forum"? And wouldn't that have added a bunch of fun during the forum naming contest.

And add me to the list of lovers of this design. Early in the Bolero project, I think while I was negotiating with Bolero's previous owner Tim send me an email about an empty Rozinante hull and spars for sale on ebay (I hope my memory is somewhat clear on this). I was too far invested in what would become Bolero, but there were some agonizing and tempting moments of thinking and dreaming. I can't imagine a more fun project than sending Tim and empty hull of a Rozinante.

And even though I suspect that Bolero cost two or three times what a similar old wooden boat (think used Dark Harbor 20) might sell for, the Dark Harbor will catch up pretty quickly.

I like sailing often so I like fiberglass.

Cheers and thanks for the great pictures.

Bill

The old glass one is a deal if these things really sell for $140000 in wood or "custom built composite"!

Glass:

http://www.cppyacht.com/glass.html

Same boat:

http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listing/ ... Rozinante-

http://www.sailboattraderonline.com/fin ... wl-1553953

Wood:

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2008/Ro ... ted-States

http://www.morrisyachts.com/brokerage/2 ... ose-150000


Then there is the BIG version:

http://www.dmcboats.com/ARIONPHOTOS.htm

The Rozinante looks smaller in the water. Here's one I get to ogle whenever I go to my boat...

There were to my knowledge only two Fiberglass production Roz's - One by Kenner, and one by CL. My first reaction was that this is a CL with all the wood and such, but I'm inclined to think that this one is a one off - or maybe a later CL I'm not familiar with.

I have heard (unsubstantiated) that LFH actually supported the CL effort - and was the only fiberglass hull he did so. One of his big pet peeves was a companionway hatch - almost all builders added them - which LFH thought took away from the spirit of the "Canoe" (low cost) and the KISS concept. CL got inventive and made two foldout hatches keeping her original lines:



Additionally the one above has the prop through the keel as in the Kenner boats, while the CL was (as far as I know) off set:



Anyone interested in the design of Roz - or in LFH's reason behind his concept of a crusing boat, I highly recomend reading "The Compleat Cruiser: The Art, Practice and Enjoyment of Boating".

...One of his big pet peeves was a companionway hatch - almost all builders added them - which LFH thought took away from the spirit of the "Canoe" (low cost) and the KISS concept...

Wow! Now there's a dedication to aesthetics and form that I can admire.

Another 'glass one for sale: http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1971/He ... ted-States