Arion and Walter Greene

[Paul Pless]

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/pe350623813a23d4540b2351f589562b1/e8aed906.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/p3f9f1df7e96731d3f3216cb7f0169112/e8aed823.jpghttp://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/pe753de132b9ffa2c530f864c0eee72ed/e8aed0a9.jpg

It was a pleasure to speak with Damian about the boats. Apparently he's taken Arion off the market as he doesn't want her to leave her home waters. The Walter Greene, shown here was built for a customer from lines taken off Arion. She's cold-molded over stringers, the inner layer is 1/4 okoume plywood, and the next two layers are cedar. Very cleanly built. I thought I had some interior shots but can't seem to find them. Just aft of the forepeak, shes' got an enclosed head, the moving aft there are basically two simple benches built into the hull then a small and simple camp cruising galley. There's a double berth in the aft cabin.

Damian mentioned she's dry and comfortable and fast, think of her as an enlarged Rozinante. She is sensitive to heavy weight in her ends - thus the center cockpit. If he builds another one he'd build her molded over strip planking to eliminate the stringers for a cleaner and roomier interior.

[rbgarr]

Thanks for all that, Paul. I went aboard Arion in her shed at his yard. Did the new boat have the offset tiller linkage arrangement? Did he happen to mention what he had hoped to get (dollar-wise) for Arion?

[Paul Pless]

It does have a multipart tiller-linkage-rudder assembly. I asked about it and he said it was direct feeling but I've heard of complaints before about such systems being wonky and vague. I didn't get a dollar amount. When he had Arion for sale I gather he had a few offers but they were from buyers in New Zealand and/or the Med and he didn't want to see the boat leaving the country. He mentioned that one of his neighbors went in on Arion partially so she is now owned by a partnership. He did seem to be interested in maybe finding an interested party for her though.

Also he'd be willing to sell the lines and offsets he developed for the Walter Greene...

[JimD]

That is a really smart boat!

[Thad]

Did you get the designer? That was your question of me.

[Hwyl]

I never even saw it, looks like it was parked stern to on Brilliant. I lingered over Brilliant.

Why is she called "Walter Greene" he's a boat builder of well earned renown up here (Yarmouth Maine) he's a broad spectrum kind of guy, but he's mostly known for his tri's and cats

[Paul Pless]

Did you get the designer? That was your question of me.

Sydney Herreshoff

[JamesCaird]

Hi Guys-Yes, Arion is a Sidney Herreshoff design but one of the first larger boats whose hull material is (????????). Otherwise she is wooden-sheer clamps, deck beams, deck, cabin house, spars, rudder, deadwood......
Damian, like some others, was looking to a follow on to the Rozinante in terms of aesthetics, style, beauty, speed, handling and he got this close with Arion which was designed and built in 1951 or 52. Rozinante emerged (for us) from LFH's imagination about the same time.
Walter Greene is named for an old friend, designer, builder and inspiration, I think. Cheers/JC