Page 18. MAINE COASTAL NEWS July 2018 Boat And Ship Yard News


One of the hulls being fi nished off at Light’s Fiberglass in Steuben. Mike has all three bays fi lled with one other hull outside and he said after these he is hanging up his shingle!


Continued from Page 14.


Grindle said, “We are using Captain Linda Greenlaw's 46 hull, which we laid up for her, as the plug. No more of this 42 plus 4-foot extension. The standard 46 is an exception- ally popular boat of ours. We cleaned up the hull so it is going to be perfect.” Down at the shore they have a regular


46 lobster boat down from Stonington. They are going to put down rubber fl ooring and change the cutlass bearings, inside packing boxes and his rudder post. BACKSTABBER, referred to as a


beast, is a 54-foot sportfi sherman is in the water undergoing sea trials. It has a C-32 1925-hp Caterpillar and everything you would ever want on a boat, literally. She as a full electronic suite, full chiller plates, ice maker, 2,200 gallon per day water maker; full crow's nest, 23-foot long folding pulpit on the bow, you name it.. The boat is set up and inside, it is the most luxurious vessel Wesmac has ever launched, ever. She will be going fi shing between Cape Cod and Cuba as their captain says, a tournament fi shing boat.


Another interesting sign is that, “We are


seeing a transition right now to larger boats,” said Bill, “which is a mixed blessing.”


At Bass Harbor Boat in Bernard they


just launched HUSHAI II a 1959 42-foot Bunker & Ellis, which was their big project this past winter. They took the old Yanmar diesels out, removed the platform and then removed the exhaust and fuel tanks. They then installed two new Yanmar diesels, all electronic, with electronic throttle shifters. She had the old Morse controls, big console


shifters. They came up with something very similar to fi ll that hole, which was fabricated by Glendenning. They created two one-off beautiful shift throttle units, Palm Beach style. Rich Helmke, owner of the yard, said, “Stunning and works fantastic, I can't say enough about the Glendenning Company. I had my doubts, but everything worked fl awlessly. They then added new Soundown muffl ers, fuel tanks, hydraulic steering, built a new fi r platform, added shafts, wheels, boxes and bearings. They launched her the end of May. During the winter months, they move


boats in and out to get them ready for the next season. They had a 32 Grand Banks in and got all of her varnish and maintenance done the fi rst of winter. Another Bunker & Ellis was in for paint and varnish, as were several Rich wooden boats. They also built some Adirondack chairs


this winter for one of their customers. They also did a lot of cosmetic work and put in removable fl oor boards on a row boat that has spent the last four or fi ve decades in a basement. It is not known who the builder was, but they are sure it was built on the Island.


Now comes the usual spring mainte-


nance on several other wooden boats, which will need varnish and paint. One never knows what you might fi nd


in a boat shop. I have seen a Bugatti’s wood- en frame being replaced, doors for a Rolls Royce getting revarnished, and the rebuild- ing of a wooden fi re engine. Rich has a love for old motorcycles and in the shop he had a 1954 Pan-head which was the anniversary year for Harley. What was unique is that the built a special work platform for her. Rich


Saving Tug SATURN We need you to be a Member!


SATURN is an 117-foot railroad tug built as the BERN for the Reading Railroad in 1907.


She is one of the last railroad tugs and is


being saved for future generations to enjoy. For more information: (207) 223-8846 or to join the Friends of SATURN, send a check for $25 or more to P.O. Box 710, Winterport, ME 04496. On Facebook: Saturn-Historic railroad tugboat restoration project


BROOKLIN - Brooklin Boat Yard of Brook- lin, Maine, has completed construction and launched a 91-foot custom cold-molded sloop. Built for a repeat customer, SONNY III is a high-performance cruising yacht designed for daysailing and blue-water passages. Construction on SONNY III took 18 months; the fi nished yacht launched last month and was christened in May 2018. She is just completed sea trials. Designed by Bruce Johnson and the


Brooklin Boat Yard design offi ce, SONNY III is a larger replacement for the owner's current 70-foot yacht, also built by Brooklin Boat Yard. The owner is a retired senior with limited mobility who requested a yacht with more accessibility. SONNY III provides numerous solutions to the owner's mobility


concerns, including chair lifts at each com- panionway, a power reclining chair in the master cabin, a side-boarding ladder and a transom-boarding platform. "We're proud to provide SONNY's


owner with a yacht that performs to his high expectations and accommodates his unique needs," said Steve White, president of Brooklin Boat Yard. "He's been a great collaborator on every boat we've built for him. This was a true challenge that required a lot of teamwork -- a highly customized, 91-foot yacht built in only a year and a half." SONNY III has classic styling, in-


cluding a completely fl ush deck. The yacht has an aggressively raked bow and reverse


Continued on Page 20.


After a couple of years under construction the 54-foot Wesmac BACKSTABBER hit the water and is ready for some very serious fi shing from Cape Cod to Cuba.


said, “The workbench was designed during World War II, for the Harleys, what they call WLAs, for the 45 cubic inch bikes that went over to Europe. The bench was designed for quick on-off to do routine maintenance. I found the plans, and Chum (Robert Rich) built it. The only diff erences are we put it on castors and with the bike being a little longer and heavier it didn't quite tip it at the right point so we had to put this addition on, which also acts as a wheel lock.”


At Light’s Fiberglass in Steuben they


have three hulls in the shop and a Calvin Beal 44 hull outside and that is it. A few months ago Mike Light had 12 on the board, but he started taking them off and got the number down to four. He says when they are done, he is done! “I am hoping the end of February.” In the fi rst bay is a Libby 47, which


will be fi nished off as a lobster boat for a fi sherman from Jonesport. She is going to be powered with a 1,000-hp MAN. In the next bay is a 46 Mussel Ridge, being fi nished out as a lobster boat for a fi sherman from Massachusetts. She is going to be powered with a 750-hp John Deere. In the last bay is a 48 Mussel Ridge being fi nished out as a lobster boat with a 750-hp Nanni in it. She is going to Corea. The Calvin Beal 44 out- side will be fi nished as a lobster boat for a fi sherman from Corea. She will be powered


with a 750-hp Iveco. They all will be split-wheelhouse, with


V-berths and cabinetry down below and crate tanks under the platform. “That's it. I am counting the days,” said


Mike, with a look of relief. “I had my last hull delivered a couple of weeks ago. “I have turned down like fi ve. Mike is even skeptical to do any boats


on a part-time basis, thinking it will just snow ball again. “I've actually got three fi shermen that have approached me that I have done boats for before and they said let's just build it together. I think it is best to just stay away from it all together. It has been 40 years almost.” That is a long time and as he said it is


not a good environment and it is time for a change. He is thinking of spending a couple of


months down in Florida and doing some fi shing. “I've got to do something,” said Mike. “I mean we spent two weeks down there a little while ago, and I'm like, how do these retired people do it? I have to do something. I think the perfect job would be putting grills together in the back room at Home Depot or putting outdoor furniture together. Just leave me alone and let me do it. Maybe working in a marina, I think I could do that.”


Brooklin Boat Yard Launches SONNY III


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