Page 10. MAINE COASTAL NEWS August 2015


Waterfront News SEA BAGS LAUNCHES ITS OWN SAILING TEAM


Team to compete nationwide and year- round, and help promote process of recycling sails


PORTLAND – Sea Bags (www.seabags. com), designers and manufacturers of handmade items from recycled sails, has announced the formation of its own Sailing Team, which will represent several one-de- sign classes, and compete in events nation- wide, all year-round.


While Sea Bags has a long history of supporting sailing regattas and sailing teams, including the 2015 J/24 World Cham- pionships, 2009 J/24 Nationals, 2013 J/24 North Americans, the Offshore New En- gland Championships, and the 2007 Horton/


Nichol Olympic Campaign, this represents the fi rst time the company has curated its own team members to sail under the Sea Bags’ brand.


Beth Shissler, chief sustainability offi - cer at Sea Bags, says: “Since the beginning of Sea Bags, we’ve supported sailors and the sport of sailing, but we always dreamed of one day having our own team that would sail with Sea Bags branded boats and help promote the process of recycling sails. This summer, that dream has come to life! Shissler added: “Each of the sailors on our team has pledged to be a pillar of sportsmanship, environmentally conscious, a brand and sport ambassador, and compet- itive in their class. They’ll help promote


Sea Bags and our value of recycling and sustainability, as well as the sport of sailing. We couldn’t be more proud!” The Sea Bags Sailing Team will partic- ipate in events year-round, starting in July. Upcoming Summer and early Fall events include:


August 1 - 2 Northeast Regional


Championship J/24 Carter White Atlantic Highlands, NJ


August 6 – 9 J/22 Canadian Na-


tionals J/22 Travis Odenbach Oakville, ON, CAN


August 14 – 16 MS Regatta J/24


Women’s Team Erica Beck Spencer Fal- mouth, ME


August 28 – 30 ONE Regatta J/24 SEVENTIES MEMORIES: BUILDING THE 65 By Lee S. Wilbur


Interesting when a person thinks back on his or her life and refl ects on turning points or platforms from which a career, or business, or just a simple building block to fi ll a long agonized, much discussed gap occurred. During my thirty years of build- ing boats to fl oat on waters, there were thankfully several more than a few. Shortly after our 38’ was announced at the Miami Boat show, we’d come back to the shop wondering, “Good decision, bad decision?” Hadn’t sold one so might as well worry, eh. Soon received a telephone call from a Mr. G’s boat captain asking if he could come up to Maine and talk with us about building one of our new 38’s. Said he’d seen the 38’ drawing at Miami, taken the brochure back to Mr. G who admired the lines and wanted to know more. As you can imagine, the answer was “most assur- edly” and “when would you like to come.” Captain arrives a few days later and in the opening course of conversation says he is not only in Southwest Harbor to perhaps do a contract with us, he’s also seeing the Henry Hinckley Company in regards to having one of their new 61’ sailboats com- pleted for Mr. G as well. He would be “in residence” a good deal of the time when, if both contracts were signed, the two boats just happened to be built.


We talked that day, got a feel for what


Mr. and Mrs. G were looking for. Capt. stayed in town for a few days, going be- tween the two boat shops, then asked If I would mind coming to Florida to meet with Mr. G, see his 64’ (?) Broward motoryacht at their expense, and bring a contract. At that time we weren’t even doing contracts. Every boat thus far had been built with a simple handshake and as close an estimate as I could give. So, I hop on the early Delta Florida connection, get into Miami around 11:30, Captain picks me up, we beeline for Fort Lauderdale. I look over Mr. G’s Mo- toryacht, unimpressive I must add. We talk over the layout again. The 38’ will in effect be their home on the water and the Hinckley 61’ will be used as a daysailer. We signed the newly created contract and I managed to catch a late fl ight to Bangor. (Wonder if that is still possible fl ying being what it is today.) Thought to myself “Somewhere along the line here I’m going to wake up and this will all have been but a dream.” No dream. We built “The Little Boat” as she came to be christened. Raced HRH to see who would be in the water fi rst. Fin- ished midwinter as much as we could, had Nick Moody load her aboard the trailer and met them in Lauderdale where we set the fl ybridge, did fi nal hookups while Albert Farley, head painter/varnisher, tried to lay varnish in 50deg. weather. Temperature felt twice as cold as the -20 we’d left in Maine. Swear it was coldest I’ve ever been. And, I don’t recall the sun ever breaking out while we were there in sunny Florida. I’d hear from Mr. or Mrs. G occasional- ly after completion. Tell us of where they’d been, both boats in tandem going to the Ba- hamas where they’d spend a few months, of their living on The Little Boat though they had a condo there and enjoying it much the more than the condo. Mr. G would go for the occasional “daysail” and Mrs. G would


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go sportfi shing in which sport she held re- cord catches. Wonderful couple. Absolute pleasure to know and work for them. Six years later, I get a call from Ray-


mond Hunt Associates out of Boston, a well known, reknowned boat and yacht design group with whom we had done some work, including Billy Joel’s fi rst boat. Asked if we would be interested in building anoth- er boat for Mr. and Mrs. G. Hunt designed deep-V. somewhere in the area of 60’ to 65’. Took a moment to swallow before allowing I would be more than happy to discuss it. Flew to Boston where I met with the


G’s and Hunt Associates. We’d been build- ing a number of Newman 46s so had, I thought, somewhat of a handle on moving into larger vessels. At least Mr. G agreed, saying “it’s only another 17’. Few more staterooms.” I’m thinking, “here these folks trusted us to build the fi rst 38’ yacht replete with any bugs to be expected in a new model, and now we’re going to do it all over again with almost double the size vessel. We didn’t even have a building large enough to build it in, nor equipment to move it around. And, this time, there’d be contracts with “Completion Dates!!! and drawings, the whole Magilla. Be plenty to fuel those 3 AM wakeups if this one went through, and it did, and I spent a number of wakeups as I have before and since on the tomorrow’s schedules and problems. A building didn’t present such a prob- lem, although we realized more time should have been spent studying different struc-


tures. Quonsets are alright if done well. As I’ve been prone to do a good part of my life, I made a hasty decision and although we built, fi nished, or repaired many boats in the two we constructed (in house) they leave a lot to be desired.


Handling was another challenge. We’d learned a lot with the 46s. Built steel cradles with removable wheels, purchased larger fl oor jacks on wheels and in the course of events when Heidi and I were coming back through Quebec from a skiing trip spotted an aircraft moving hydraulic tractor in a fi eld which we managed to purchase and again have Nick Moody truck down to the shop. The tractor worked but weight level was hovering around the max level. One of Doug Gott’s half loaded dump trucks served just as well.


The 65’, actually 63’ by the time plans were complete was a pleasure to build. Plenty of room to move stationary tools aboard. Put a good size crew aboard and let ‘em go. North End Marine hustled to get the parts done. If I thought the fi rst hull to slide in to the original shed was large, this hull looked huge, even in a building fi ve times as large. The G’s by this time had changed captains, and perhaps for the better as the new was well acquainted with larger boats. We modifi ed the weight distribution just a tad to keep the bow higher and I’ve since believed “EXCEL” was a better boat for it.


Women’s Team Erica Beck Spencer Marble- head, MA


September 10 - 13 North American


Championship J/24 Carter White Falmouth, ME


September 10 - 13 North American


Championship J/24 Women’s Team Erica Beck Spencer Falmouth, ME


For a full events schedule, see www. seabagssailingteam.com/team-schedule and to learn more about the teams and follow their success, see www.seabagssailingteam. com


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