On the passage of her 20th anniversary we look back at one of our best-loved boats: the 50-foot Spirit of Tradition Sloop Hoi An. Hoi An’s history began when we were the in-house design team at Brooklin Boat Yard. In the fall of 2000 we had just celebrated the launch of the first two boats to our W-46 design, and Marc Heilner saw the press releases. A member of a long-time summer family of neighboring Blue Hill (although living in London at the time) and thinking about a sizeable sailboat to enhance his family’s enjoyment of their waterfront home under […]
Impracticality In Its Most Beautiful Form: 53-ft Beaujolais
Beaujolais was a fun doodle we did for a long-time client. She’s the outgrowth of a pet effort of ours, that of expanding the idea of what makes a proper Spirit of Tradition boat. Many folks’ interpretation of a classic yacht relies on a slender hull with long overhangs and low freeboard, the way classic racing sailboats looked in the 1920’s and ‘30’s, under the influence of rating rules like the International and Universal Rules, those responsible for bringing us beautiful racing classes like the 6-Meters and 12-Meters, and the R, Q, P, and J-boats. But there exists a much […]
Past Meets Modern Excellence on 39-ft Wisp
Crafted with a singular focus to design an excellent all-around sailing experience, 39-ft Wisp prioritizes comfort and ease of operation with a timeless aesthetic. Her size is a calculated choice, ensuring standing headroom in both the galley and head. She also sets the stage for a remarkable daysailing adventure or overnight escape. While packing plenty of performance under sail, Wisp effortlessly transforms into a luxury weekender, featuring saloon seating for four and a queen-size forward berth. Sailing Excellence: Wisp promises outstanding sailing performance, characterized by moderate draft and generous sail area; ease of sailing is thoughtfully designed, handling lines lead […]
A Symphony of Silence: The Electric Commuter
The genesis of Stephens Warings’ fully electric venture lies in a deep-rooted client relationship, spanning five boat projects over 20+ years. 8.5 m Isobel was motivated by the client’s need to access and maximize enjoyment of a new vacation home located on an island in a remote Maine lake. The client envisioned a mode of transport that reflected the serenity of the pristine lake environment, but with plenty of utility, performance, and reliability- essential for operating far from any marina or fuel dock. Having test-driven traditional ICE-propelled boats and disliking the noise, exhaust, and appearance of high-profile outboard motors, the […]
Amped on Electric Boats
14 years ago we launched an innovative custom design– the hybrid diesel/electric-runabout, Zogo. The 29-footer built by French & Webb, features a solar canopy and is equipped with a seven-kilowatt generator/motor integrated onto a 110-horsepower diesel engine from Steyr Diesel of Austria. At full throttle under the 110 hp diesel, the hull reaches 17 kts. Cutting-edge for the time, in the decade-plus that has transpired, systems technology for electric boat design has progressed significantly. As Stephens Waring embarks on a more contemporary electric boat project, (introducing Isobel), we’re sharing some of the exciting developments we’re integrating into our current designs […]
Sailing Back To Zingara’s Roots
Since we took ownership of our sweet little Spirit of Tradition yacht, Zingara has brought much joy to us on the water – the boat is great fit to our seasonal agenda. Hosting clients aboard is a great way to build relations and Zingara is a solid and beautiful platform. We enjoy a few regatta events each year and this gives the SWD design team something to chew on; the company team-building is good fun and something to look forward to. And, owning a boat as business partners is a helpful way to manage time aboard during busy seasonal schedules, […]
A Deep Dive into the Super Daysailer
Super Daysailer combines gracious comfort, style, and utility to day sailing adventures. The sleek design is host to a spacious protected cockpit and comfortable overnighting make it an ideal choice for anyone looking to venture further than most daysailers. This beautiful vessel is a light displacement hull built upon substantial waterline and beam, making a beautifully stylish hull that promises great performance. The centerpiece of this design is the partially enclosed cockpit created by a hard-top dodger with all-glass surround– the space is flexible, further blending outdoors with a hassle-free creature-comfort experience on the water. Below deck, a simple day-sailing […]
The Rise of OMG! Vacation Rentals
Have you ever wanted to spend your vacay above the canopy in a historic fire tower in Idaho ($200/night)? How about working from a flying saucer in the English countryside ($235/night)? Better yet, beating the summer heat in a renovated luxury missile silo in Roswell, NM ($875/night)? Well according to Airbnb there are now more than 170,000 unique accommodation options, which short of any better categorical term fall under the label of OMG (oh my god!) vacation rentals. The popularity of original and whimsical vacation rentals has become so immense that the category has become a leading marketing pillar of […]