CHUCK PAINE MASTERPEICE WINGS OF GRACE


Chuck considers this seakindly Alden-inspired custom-built 50-footer to be his masterpiece


Wings of Grace’s hull lines, drawn on a computer, but my protégé Ed Joy was allowed whatever time it might require to combine the various surfaces using Multisurf software to make them look as if they were hand drawn. We were fortunate in attracting a clientele who would pay for all this!


I


WINGS OF GRACE


LENGTH OVERALL 50ft


(15.2m)


WATERLINE 39ft 6in (12m)


BEAM 14ft


(4.3m)


DRAUGHT 6ft


(1.8m)


DISPLACEMENT 44,600 lb


SAIL AREA 1430sqft (132.9m2


)


Built by French & Webb, Maine, 2005 www.frenchwebb.com


56 CLASSIC BOAT JULY 2011


consider Wings of Grace to be my masterpiece. The 50ft (15.2m) LOD Wings was an epoxy-saturated cold-moulded wood ketch modelled after John Alden’s finest work. I’d like to think she’s the sort of design Alden would have drawn given the knowledge of NACA (The US National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics) foils and epoxy-glued wood construction. Had he lived long enough to build her, he’d have even painted her black.


The owners wanted a seakindly shape, high bulwarks


for safety, and a lot of tankage. We responded with a hull that displaced a respectable 44,600lb at halfload. Her design was to a large extent aesthetically driven and the true aficionado will appreciate her elliptical transom and portholes, wood hatches and skylight, recessed wale stripe with incised gold-leafed cove stripe, and sprung teak deck.


MODIFIED KEEL


The yacht featured a NACA foil keel modified by the use of an oversize aperture and partially balanced rudder, supported by the keel, yet whose leading edge was exposed to flow over much of its length, enabling it to be hydrodynamically balanced. The propeller was nicely protected against fouling by the presence of the keel. The side decks were bordered by high bulwarks and the vertical cabin sides. There was simply no place to slip to on these decks, and the natural sprung teak surface had excellent traction. Custom-designed handrails of varnished teak supported by jewel-like polished stainless- steel upstands extended the length of the cabin top. A power winch was provided aft of the mast to assist in hoisting halyards and reefing the sails. The cockpit was shaped as an ellipse, making it a lovely spot for socialising. There was stowage port and starboard


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