Classic Boat — March 2018

Sanford Boat of Nantucket, MA, recently licensed Brooklin Boat Yard

to build the popular Alerion Class Sloop, one of the world’s fi rst Spirit

of Tradition sailing boats, conceived of in 1977 by Sanford Boat. The

Alerion Class Sloop (ACS) is a 26ft (7.9m), cold-moulded version of

Nat Herreshoff ’s own yacht, Alerion III, that he drew in 1912. The

Sanford brothers made other slight modifi cations to the original

design, namely a simplifi ed rig, more effi cient centreboard and rudder,

and better accommodation. Around 80 have been built over the years,

and one of them, Fortuna, built by First Light Boatworks, is featured in

this year’s Classic Boat Awards. Visit awards.classicboat.co.uk

The 1903, Arnside-built Morecambe Bay prawner yacht Ziska is out for

a refi t that will include new spars, rig and sails, new saloon and some

"other bits" like iroko cap rails and 900AH of batteries. The plan, says

new owner Stanford Siver, is to re-launch her by spring for the 2018

Race to Alaska, which leaves Port Townsend in June. Ziska featured on

the cover of our October 1999 issue, after her rebuild by Ashley Butler,

who sailed the 38ft (11.6m) gaff er engineless to America. Stanford and

long-term shipwright Pat Mahon are doing the work.

BROOKLIN, MAINE

Brooklin Boat Yard to begin

building Alerions

PORT TOWNSEND, WASHINGTON

Ziska hauled out for refi t

C/O SANFORD BOAT

C/O STANFORD SIVER

The motor yacht Laughing Lady was

re-launched recently after a restoration

that has been going on intermittently, and

in two distinct phases, for the last 13

years. She’s a 33ft 8in (10.3m), round-

bottomed fast commuter and sport fi sher,

designed and built in double planked

Douglas Fir and mahogany on oak in 1949

by Luders Marine in Connecticut, America,

for a New York socialite. She was shipped

to San Diego in 2004 for a structural

re-build at Traditional Boat Works, but

was abandoned before completion.

James and Michael Dreyer bought her in

2014 and had her shipped home to New

Zealand and the Whangateau Yard, which

has been refi nishing, overhauling diesels

and redoing all trim, systems and

hardware, including fi nding two re-built

original Packard straight-eight fl atheads.

With her current diesels she should be

good for around 28 knots. “It was a great

feeling of joy and relief to see her roll out

of the shed on a beautiful NZ day and

fl oat on the tide with friends surrounding

her,” said James Dreyer of the big day.

“Bill Luders certainly had an eye...”

WHANGATEAU, NEW ZEALAND

Fast commuter re-launched after 13 years