Letters to the Editor — Issue 171

I have enjoyed your coverage of new powerboats and your updates about the state of all of our efforts to have fun on the water and preserve recreation opportunities for future generations. I have a 44-foot trawler that I operate up and down the East Coast from my base in the Chesapeake Bay. I purchased it used (reused), kept it out of a landfill, and put extensive work into it to get it to a safe and stable condition. The engines are diesel and run at low rpms and low speed. I feel like pollution and the mis-use of resources is low on my boat and I intend to operate it to that goal. My engines are 28-years old and I expect them to last another 30 years. At the same time, I am keeping my eye out for diesel electric or all electric solutions that will improve that profile immensely.

Not all powerboats are bad, and not all powerboat owners are climate-change deniers. But all of us live in this modern world and are faced with strong messaging about dealing with pollution and fuel efficiency on the water. And all those boats, both power and sail, help pay a lot of bills for a lot of folks up and down the coast.

By the way, there are a lot of new boat owners out there this year. This is a plea to show them kindness and support as they learn how to do things safely, efficiently, and with respect for the environment we all share.

John Weaver, Via email

Small adventures

I am writing to compliment Mimi Bigelow Steadman on her writing of the Small Adventure articles for your magazine. She has an uncanny manner of including interesting information in all her articles. She is a doyenne.

Tony Corea, South Bristol, ME

Dolphin ancestry

There’s No Debate! I’m responding to Jay Paris’ email/letter to the editor in the May issue (#170) regarding the references made in my article tracing the design evolution of the Dolphin 24 from Finisterre—the famous S&S designed long keel/centerboard yawl. I did not mention the important intermediate design evolution role played by the Shaw 24, Trina, partly because of my concern over length of the article.

No question, the Dolphin 24 was the product of a design evolution that included the Shaw 24—which was itself an evolution of the Finisterre design. The evolution story can be read at HERE. In the mid 1950’s Bill Shaw, at that time a project designer for S&S, was a member of the Midget Ocean Racing Club (MORC/24' max length rule). He was a key member of the group at S&S charged with coming up with the MORC rule. As a personal design project he said, “I did a half-size prototype of Finisterre, just to test the principles.” That design was the Shaw 24, and Trina was Shaw 24, hull #1, built in 1957, in wood, in Denmark.

Trina’s first year racing was outstanding, and George O’Day (the man who loved fiberglass) saw the press coverage and called Olin Stephens. He wanted a “boat like Trina,” except in fiberglass!

Ron Breault, Old Lyme, CT

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