Herreshoff Museum Marlin

[Ed Armstrong]

A year or two ago, the Herreshoff Maritime Museum was selling a partially restored Marlin that IIRC had been through a fire. Anyone know what happened to it? I was hoping someone from the forum would pick it up and post some photos of the restoration, but I haven't seen anything.

For those who don't know, the Marlin was a Fish with a cabin.

Ed

[esingleman]

There was a discussion about this on the Herreshoff registry forum, see link below:

http://www.herreshoffregistry.org/

[Carvel]

I saw "Marlin", the Marlin, ten days ago. Her condition is so-so; the fire pretty much ravaged the sb side forward and the restoration was prematurely arrested (unfinished butts, broken frames and several crossspalls missing or not attached). The spars are MIA and there is some hard to duplicate hardware that presumably went up in the fire. The museum had placed some conditions on the sale that might have detracted from her alure. I'm looking at making her my project post-graduation from IYRS- probably make a decision later this week. When I get started I'll post a links with updates.

John

[Ed Armstrong]

Thanks for the update John. I love the Marlin design and hope you decide to undertake the project. If you do, please post many photos of your restoration effort. I haven't seen many Marlin photos on the web.

Ed

[Carvel]

Just as a follow up. The Herreshoff Museum board has approved my sales offer we're just waiting for P&S paperwork to get finalized prior to a formal sale (probably late this week or next).

I won't be taking possession until mid-May as she is burried in the back of the Store House shed. It seemed senseless to have the Museum play musical chairs with their fleet, just so I can take possession of a boat I can't work on until June. There's also the added benefit of giving me some time to locate space and secure equipment etc. (Anyone in greater RI looking to sell jack stands, gantry, staging, single phase machinery? Anyone?)

I'll be milling parts at IYRS on weekends and evenings starting in a couple weeks as she pretty much needs everything for the interior: beams, sole, bulkheads, ceilings, cockpit, decking. As for photos I'm planing on getting some up on Blogger soon. Stay tuned.

John

[Ed Armstrong]

Excellent! Please send a link to the photos when posted and update us here as things progress.

Perhaps your posts will convince John Brooks (Brooks Boat Designs) to create a lapstrake version of Marlin (after he does the lapstrake Fish ;).

Good luck!

Ed

[Carvel]

As an update to this thread. I've started work on Marlin. She's in slightly worse shape than the initial survey indicated: more planking to replace, rake of transom no longer flush with keel and angel hair rot in the keel that compromised the tiny back rabbet- but that was expected. I'm almost caught up posting the narrative in the blog I've been trying to keep, restoringmarlin.blogspot.com (http://restoringmarlin.blogspot.com).

Right now the problem is sourcing materials: port orford cedar for decks and s 22 foot teak boards for shearstrakes and two 9 inch wide teak boards 16+ feet for comings. The other problem is the rig: I have two conflicting drawings and one of the sister ships nearby was built to a completely different set of specs.

[johnw]

I wish you good fortune in this endeavor. Not too many Marlins around!

[Larks]

Looking forward to watching this progress John, please keep this thread going with updates when you can
cheers
Greg

[rbgarr]

Nice blog! Nice shop. Bookmarked.

Does the Herreshoff Museum have boats stored in places other than their main building (you mention a 'Store Shed')?
I don't recognize the location of that photo of your Marlin in the sun next to the white mullioned windows.

And what is a Herreshoff 20 1/2?

Thanks

[Carvel]

Thanks for the comments.

The building in question is behind the complex on the south side of Burnside Ave. (where the mueseum boatshop is). It was, I believe, the old machine and engine shop with the first floor now housing storage of the 'working craft'- mostly 12 1/2s used in the museum's summer sailing program. Marlin had been stored there for the past few years and before that outside in that alley; prior to that she was in a garage on Burnside where the fire supposedly occured.

The 20 1/2 is yet another scale up of the 12 1/2 that NGH did sometime in the early 20s but never went into production. Halsey Herreshoff resurrected the half model a few years ago and is building it in partnership with Bristol (RI) Boatworks- perhaps as a riposte to the 'reproduction' new builds coming out of Maine. There is a detailed thread on this build over at the Herreshoff Registry forums.

[Ed Armstrong]

Great blog. I haven't read it all yet, but I bookmarked it, and I'll enjoy watching your progress.