Sailing Yacht Ouzel Gets Her Deck

The 95-foot cruising sailboat Ouzel, now under construction at Rockport Marine, moved a step closer to its 2025 expected launch when it was wheeled out of the shop to have its deck installed.

“The operation required some ingenuity, as the building's doorway needed modification to allow the expansive deck to pass through—a testament to Ouzel's impressive scale,” noted a press release announcing the milestone.

The cold-molded wood and carbon-fiber hull and foam-cored fiberglass and plywood deck fit seamlessly, and once in place, the boat was rolled back into the shop, where the two components will be permanently bonded together.

The pilothouse yacht was designed by Langan Design Partners and Mark Whiteley, and it is the largest project to be undertaken by Rockport Marine.

The release quotes Sam Temple of Rockport Marine as saying, “While we know from experience to trust our work, there is always a measure of unfounded anxiety in a large move such as this. Beyond fit, the challenges were to keep the relatively thin deck panel from flexing under its own weight and to tuck the aft end of the deck into the bulwark tumblehome while fitting chainplates through pre-cut holes. All went smoothly almost to the point of dullness—the result of careful planning and excellent help on the rigging side from Cote Crane service. We are excited for the interior and on-deck work this step enables.”

The next big milestone will be installation of the deckhouse. In the shop, meanwhile, attention will begin to turn from primarily structural work to installing the interior and detail finishing.

To read more about Project Ouzel, click here.