Wasque

Wasque

Halcyon was delivered from Vineyard Yachts to Milford Boatworks in 1972. She is one of four Wasque\'s with the bulkhead amidships to give her a larger cabin for coastal cruising. She spent two years in the shed as the builder worked with battens to perfect the graceful shear of her trunk cabin in relation to her hull. Her lines were captured by world renowned yacht photographer Stanley Rosenfeld in 1978 for Motorboat Magazine and the pictures reside at the Rosenfeld Collection a part of Mystic Seaport.

The builder launched her in 1974 and by 1975 found her in Old Lyme with her third owners who cruised and fished her for the next twenty six years from Downeast Maine to Key West. When I bought her in 2001 she was powered by a big gas V-8 and in need of a major refit. The bones of a classic yacht were still apparent and I cruised her for four years before embarking on her refit.

I worked with a local shipwright in the Mystic area to bring Halcyon into the 21st century. All the exterior teak was wooded or replaced. The builder had owned a Finkeldey Connecticut River Launch and we reproduced the bow chalks, helm seat and tapered toe rail from the Finkeldey to great effect. We strived to use traditional bronze hardware throughout the yacht and details like the Herreshoff scuppers in the toe rail become evident on closer inspection.

The heavy lifting became apparent in 2006 when it was time to replace the engine with a Yanmar Diesel. We chose to gut the boat from the galley and head forward back to the transom. The cockpit and cuddy soles were removed and replaced. The bulkhead below deck was replaced with cored fiberglass for strength and the bilge was tabbed to keep water from invading the cuddy. The two stringers and engine beds were replaced with seasoned fir and sheathed in seven layers of fiberglass. The cockpit sole and engine box are made of the highest grade, non void mahogany plywood and epoxied for durability and long life. Other details that standout in the cockpit are the side boxes on either side of the engine box and the natural teak ceiling that carries back to the transom under the side decks.

With the Cockpit sole removed we were able to install new aluminum fuel tanks on raised battens to escape moisture issues. A custom made holding tank under the helm station and aft of the head was installed to make hose runs short and easy to service. Each fuel tank is isolated and serviced by its own Racor filter with individual cut off valves.

The helm station was built new and the electrical system is located below the wheel with the panel down below in the head to keep the wiring run short. The batteries are forward of the engine box below the cockpit sole. There are two house and one dedicated engine battery with a smart charger that can gang all three batteries in an emergency. All the wiring was replaced during the refit.

The galley is built to look like a piece of furniture with its raised panels. I chose to forego a stove in place of an oversized icebox. Cooking is accomplished with a large magnum grill and butane burners. A much more sensible arrangement. The head was rearranged for comfort with the Groco manual head at an angle for ease of use.

The soft top, side curtains, 3\" cushions were all replaced and fitted sheets are provided down below. There is a 3\" high teak platform for the helm station, a Garmin 182C color GPS, Icom VHF, Alpine radio/CD with four speakers and a large compass.

Halcyon runs at a comfortable sixteen to seventeen knots at 2650 RPM\'s sipping fuel. Whether running the rips or lying too after a day on the sound, she is a special place to call home for the evening.

This is a traditional Downeast hull with keel running 2/3 the length of the boat protecting the propeller and supporting the rudder. The bottom has recently been striped, barrier coated and ablative painted for the smooth finish that makes for great slow-speed fuel economy. Halcyon has only five thru hull fittings two of which are in the forward cabin. Above the waterline she is black awl grip.

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