“Dark Side” Addendum…

In a recent Shallow Draft column (“Going to the Dark Side,” June 22), I suggested that some of our small boats—maybe especially white-gelcoat production models—might look more “classic” if their hulls were refinished in darker colors. And dark hullsides might also increase resale price if and when owners decide to pass their dreamboats along to another caretaker.

Just two small addendums to the story:

1. Here are Before and After shots of the particular Herreshoff America catboat mentioned in the column—the one we restored for a customer. First photo is the boat as it arrived at our shop with faded white gelcoat everywhere, and then how it appeared later, with a color scheme that made some onlookers think they were viewing a classic wooden boat, vs. an old fiberglass production model. Looking at the two photos, and re-reading the recent column, I need to clarify that our refinish of the catboat made it look more “classic” because of darker colors we used on the cabinsides, deck, cabintop, transom and spars—the latter being transformed from aluminum to what some assumed was a wooden mast, boom and gaff. Of course, restoring the teak gunwale guards, grabrails and cabin entry dropboards didn’t hurt, either…but the actual hullsides remained a soft white.)

2. Just to provide a few more examples, here are additional images of a few (of many) boats we’ve taken to the Dark Side:

   

   10’-6” glued-lapstrake yacht tender designed by Walter Simmons, with lines originally taken off of a 1907 derelict.

   

   12’ Whitehall rowing skiff, purchased as a leaky project (split cedar planks), and refinished following hull repairs.

   

   16’ Oxford Wherry, designed by Colin Angus. I added fore- and aft decks to help increase seaworthiness when cutting through tide rips, since the intention was to row in the first Seventy48 race…70 miles from Tacoma to Port Townsend. (Torn rotater issues scuttled that plan.)

   

   Black Boat, a 1925-built 15’ cedar skiff I restored and enjoyed for many years. She was heavily built, but easily driven, and looked sharp with the black hullsides.

   

   Nord Vinden, a 13’ canoe yawl based on the late-1800’s design by George Holmes of the Humber Yawl Club. She rowed and sailed well, and I liked the deep reddish-brown hullsides and creamy-colored sheerstrake.