Stephens Waring Yacht Design

Spirit of Tradition Yachts Designed In Maine

Sailing Back To Zingara’s Roots

and filed under Boat Nerd Tech, Construction, Design, Spirit of Tradition, SWD News & Stories

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, […]

The Need for Speed

and filed under Boat Nerd Tech, Design, Marine Engineering, Racing, SWD News & Stories

Last week, on the hot dry sands of Australia’s remote Lake Gairdner, something incredible happened. On a 46.2-foot-long, 4-wheeled, carbon-fiber land-yacht called Horonuku, Glenn Ashby and Team New Zealand set a breathtaking speed record of 222.4 kmh (or 138.2 mph) in a wind-powered vehicle. And just a few weeks earlier in Luderitz, Namibia, a windsurfer named Heidi Ulrich completed a 500-meter run at 47.16 knots setting a new women’s windsurfing speed world record. That’s pretty fast especially when considering she was navigating a channel only 500 meters long and just 14 meters wide. These feats of speed are part of […]

Light at the End of the Tunnel For Zemphira

and filed under Boat Nerd Tech, Construction, Design, Spirit of Tradition, SWD News & Stories

We’re thrilled to share an update on the progress of Zemphira as work continues at full tilt for her to hit the water again this spring.  Here’s the latest on her work at the Lyman Morse Boatyard. The Latest: The internal carbon reinforcement frame has been installed around the new molded bottom replacement and keel socket, taped in place, and smoothed and painted. The systems are starting to go in: lithium-ion batteries nested into bays in the carbon grid, each side of and aft of the socket, and collapsible fuel-cell-style diesel tanks in specially-designed compartments within the structure. The new […]

Zemphira returns to the shed

and filed under Boat Nerd Tech, Construction, Design, Marine Engineering, Spirit of Tradition, SWD News & Stories

We are always excited to tell you about our designs: whether in-build, getting refit, or living the life they were designed for. And so it was this spring we started telling you all about the thorough refit one of our favorite boats enjoyed last winter, in which we were deeply involved (Zemphira-(re)fit for a King). But as they do, stranger things happened which changed that story dramatically by creating another project and a new chapter in the life of Zemphira.  Mere hours after leaving the dock in Camden, Maine, on her maiden delivery voyage after the work was done,  the […]

The Complicated Life of the Modern Transom

and filed under Boat Nerd Tech, Construction, Design, Marine Engineering, Spirit of Tradition, SWD News & Stories

Given the variety in styling, operational performance, and construction made possible by current design aesthetics and materials, the modern transom is often one of the more detailed elements of a yacht’s design. On Cirrus, the 68-foot, Spirit of Tradition sailing sloop in-build at James Betts Enterprises (click here for build photos) in Anacortes, Washington, we went for a fairly traditional looking transom to match her sweetly shaped haunches. In Cirrus’s case, however, looks most certainly are deceiving.  With the push of a button, or operations made manually, convertible transom designs are found on all manner of yachts. A transom with […]

Maine racing provides a fantastic test bed for varied hull shapes

and filed under Boat Nerd Tech, Design, Racing, Spirit of Tradition

Racing in Maine’s varied mid-summer weather and tides rewards a variety of boat types and hull shapes. Why do certain designs work better than others in specific conditions? Read on. The classic racing season in Maine is short and sweet. Until a few years ago, classic and Spirit of Tradition boats had to pack it all into three days, Thursday through Saturday of the first weekend in August—the Castine Classic, a race from Castine to Camden, the Camden-Brooklin “feeder” race, and the venerable Eggemoggin Reach Regatta. A few years ago, the Camden Classics Cup joined the party with two more […]

Hood 57 – An Exciting Work of Innovative Design

and filed under Boat Nerd Tech, Construction, Design, Spirit of Tradition

Stephens Waring Yacht Design, in collaboration with C.W. Hood Yachts and Lyman-Morse Boatbuilding, brings to life this contemporary, one-of-a-kind reinterpretation of the classic Downeast style, a Spirit of Tradition design for weekend cruising and entertaining family and friends. The lucky few that can embark on the adventure of a custom yacht build usually have specific goals that bring them to our shop. The owners of the Hood 57 are no different. With many well-appointed power-yachts available on today’s market, why go custom with CW Hood Yachts?  The owner worked with C.W. Hood because he had owned smaller Hood-built boats previously […]

Ship Shape Recommended Reading

and filed under Boat Nerd Tech, Design, Marine Engineering

With all the craziness surrounding us during this time, we love to think about distractions when it comes to boats and design challenges.  Many of you know there’s tons of reading in the marine section of bookstores, but we thought we’d curate a few notable titles for you if you’re thinking what to read next.  Some of these books have been helpful either personally or in our process; others have been laughable and entertaining.  Either way, if you think about supporting your local bookstore, please use the publishing information below to help you place your orders   Here’s looking towards […]

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