Capt Nat was a skilled sailor as well as engineer, and the
programs encompass skills on the water as well.
“Seamanship is not being taught in any serious way by
the vast majority of youth sailing programs,” says Lynn.
“Most kids in the US are growing up sailing Oppies, Lasers
and 420s and launching them with dollies on a ramp. They
don’t carry anchors, and the 420 is the only one you could
actually shorten sail on. So, many of our kids are becoming
really adept at boat handling, but missing out on the basics
of anchoring, coiling, throwing and cleating a line and
dealing with what happens when you get caught in a 60
knot squall. And this isn’t a commentary on sailing programs- merely an observation, and the underpinning of the
mission statement of the HMM seamanship program.”
Meanwhile, traditional skills are central to the curriculum,
this part of it run in partnership with the Rhode Island
Marine Trades Association. Courses for teenagers on
building models and full-size skiff s are managed by the
HMM’s director of education Kirk Cusic with wooden
boatbuilder Dan Shea, whose yard is on the HMM campus in
Bristol, Rhode Island.
What would Herreshoff , who was a progressive in so
many respects, have thought of us so
carefully preserving the traditional?
“I’m pretty sure he’d think we’re all
crazy,” laughs Lynn. “If he were still
around, he’d probably have been
foiling for quite some time now.”
And Lynn’s favourite Herreshoff
designs? He smiles. “It’s hard to choose
just one,” before mentioning the 1903
Bar Harbor 31, Indian, and the early
fi n-keelers Wee Winn of 1892, and Jilt
of 1898, all within the HMM collection.
Then he surprises me: “If I had to
single out one boat, it would probably
be the catamaran Amaryllis II. It’s a
1933 replica of the fi rst modern
catamaran that was designed, built and
raced by Captain Nat in 1876.
“It’s an incredible example of
disruptive innovation and
creative problem solving.”
What with the museum’s popular annual regatta and
ever-growing America’s Cup Hall of Fame, the legacy of
what Herreshoff achieved more than 100 years ago is surely
as strong as it’s ever been, but interestingly Lynn sees
greater room for improvement on the US side of the pond.
“We probably have higher brand awareness in parts of
Europe than we do in the US. For one thing, sailing is a more
popular activity there, and I think European sailors tend to
be more appreciative of historical perspective.
“The market for original HMCo yachts and replicas is
strong. The shops that specialise in Herreshoff restorations
and replicas all seem to be doing pretty well. In fact, we
have a couple of boats in our collection that are in the queue
for some level of restoration, and if the right partner were to
come along, they could potentially show up on the starting
line at our classic yacht regatta.”
herreshoff .orgW
hen I meet Bill Lynn, who is manning the
Herreshoff Marine Museum stand at the
WoodenBoat Show at Mystic in
Connecticut, our conversation has got into
only its second minute when a deafening voice from behind
me proclaims: “Well, she’s gorgeous!”
Bill, who at this early stage of the day looks like a man
who could do with a coff ee, glances past me and I turn.
“Yep,” declares the interloper, “she’s the most beautiful boat
in the world!”
Our new friend, from somewhere deep in the Carolinas, if
my English ears are to be trusted, is standing some distance
away, his arms wide as if welcoming a higher presence into
his life, his eyes fi xed on a large poster of... can you guess?
Forming one side of Bill’s stand, the poster shows the lines
of perhaps the most ‘everyman’ classic boat of all time.
“I built one myself and I had to sell her, but damn, I loved
her!” relates the man, shaking his head at the memory. My
conversation with Bill is clearly going to have to wait.
Herreshoff 12.5 fanatics are a fervent bunch.
I catch up with Bill later in the day and he admits, passion
for the designs of the Wizard from Bristol shows no sign of
waning in 2018: “It’s probably still one of
the most recognizable brands in the
marine industry, although I think our
brand positioning could use a touch-up.”
Lynn is a marketing man through
and through. He cut his teeth in
advertising and then senior positions at
a range of companies, before heading
up a big outdoor clothing group. His
appointment two years ago as the
museum’s president and executive
director was a canny move. The
museum got a man who understands
the power of a century-old logo and
one who can work it in the busy
modern marketplace.
Lynn speaks with passion about the
Herreshoff legacy, but he is not one to
rest on someone else’s laurels.
“The marine museum preserves and
celebrates the heritage of the Herreshoff Manufacturing
Company and its two founders, Nathanael and John
Herreshoff ,” he says. “It’s a museum about a transformational
business, built on a foundation of excellence in design,
engineering and manufacturing, combined with a relentless
drive for innovation. It’s a museum about two brothers with
a penchant for winning and the genius to make it happen.
“I’m in the business of telling compelling stories –
probably too artsy for Captain Nat, and I’m not certain he
would appreciate the term ‘genius’ being used to describe
him – but this is a story that we can use to inspire a new
generation of people in this industry.”
With this in mind, the museum runs a huge range of
courses for young people. “The goal is to off er challenges
that require creative problem solving and create hands-on
experiences that get kids thinking about engineering as
something they want to learn more about,” says Lynn. “The
program is structured using a combination of designing,
building and sailing sailboats.”“The goal is to
off er challenges
that require
creative problem
solving and
to get kids
thinking about
engineering as
something they
want to learn
more about”