Just Launched: April Showers Bring...a Calvin Beal 38!

Calvin Beal 38 by SW Boatwork

By David R. Getchell, Jr.

Text and photographs by David R. Getchell, Jr.

Persistent rain did nothing to dampen the mood for this launch--it's downeast Maine and it's early spring and Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors joined the no-nonsense crowd of people who pulled on their slickers to applaud the latest splash from SW Boatworks of Lamoine. The Miss Maggie II is a beamy 39-foot Calvin Beal design, finished off as a sportfishing platform for an enthusiastic owner from Long Island. Power comes from a 715-hp Cummins turbodiesel, which the owner figures will run on less than half the fuel of a typical 40-foot twin-engine sportfishing boat. The galley-down cabin layout offers a spacious L-shaped settee to port and a big dinette to starboard. Three cushy Stidd pedestal seats will keep the operator and passengers from rolling around while the boat works through a lumpy seaway. The Calvin Beal 38 hull is a favorite of offshore lobstermen; one of the SW crew summed up its ride succinctly: "You won't have to slow down much in this boat just because it's a little rough out." The cockpit is laid out with two fishing chairs, tackle station, washdown sink, and a transom door. The Miss Maggie hadn't been in the water for more than a few minutes before the owner and one of his fishing buddies were leaning way out over the rail, swiping their imaginary fishing rods and imaginary landing nets at imaginary stripers, which surely bodes that this spanking new boat has found itself in good hands.

Launching was handled by the crew at Abel Marine of Mt Desert.

The beamy Calvin Beal hull was a tight squeeze in the launch slip.

Plenty of orange and yellow slickers in the crowd, but the bagpiper wore the Scottish equivalent--a black woolen cape.

One of the SW Boatworks crew surveys the latest embodiment of their motto: "Boats That Work."

One bodacious bow, with quad wipers on the wheelhouse windows: this thing can handle some weather.

Side view emphasizes the spacious cabin and powerful hull.

There's plenty of lounging room here, and passengers can move around without tripping over each other.

The dinette offers up room to feed the whole crew, and may be converted to double berth.

The full electronics suite is by Raymarine, with old-school manual Kobelt controls.

Cherry cabinets and trim dress up the snug galley.

A Happy man: builder Stewart Workman washes down his latest creation.