1955, The Special Hinckley "36"
Just wanted to say hello.
I found a beautiful Sparkman & Steven’s designed yawl built by Henry R. Hinckley in 1955 – hull no. 972 – and spent 6.5 years rebuilding her (actually it has never stopped), launching her in 1990. She was marketed as The Special Hinckley “36,” at 36 feet on deck and 25 at the waterline. The pictures shows her today and, believe it or not, she’s insured as a new boat. My wife named her “Obsession,” and I’m still trying to figure out why?
She’s full keel, fast on a reach, and has been a pleasure to own these last 21 years. She’s taken two first-place finishes and one second-place finish in our 2010 Norfolk Yacht & Country Club Spring Sailboat Race series, so she’s still going strong.
I did rebuild her as a wooden boat but – having grown up with wooden boats – made a few changes (with apologies to the wooden-boat purists) that have made her easier for me to manage over the years.
She’s got 140 gallons of West System epoxy on her, 42 new laminated frames, a Universal diesel engine, aluminum spars (original dimensions as her spruce ones) and an added bowsprit to help overcome the 3,500 additional pounds all of those new screws, gallons of epoxy, bronze fittings, miles of electrical lines, etc. added. Other upgrades include AC, refrigeration, pressurized fresh & salt water, inverter, gimbaled microwave, radar, etc.
BTW: When I wrote Hinckley in 1984 the company sent me a full set of original building plans for her. Obviously, those plans have made everything about her reconstruction much easier. In fact, Hinckley treats me as if I just purchased a brand new yacht from them, so I have to say their service has been very nice.
Good to be a part of your forum.
Bill Ripley
Norfolk, VA (USA).
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Originally Posted by Lew Barrett
