The View from the Helm

AMELIA and Chuck

AMELIA, my Paine 14 demonstrator, had her boat show debut this past weekend at the Maine Boats and Harbors Show. Fantastic response! Just about everybody “got it”- that an elegant small boat of unbelievable quality is the future of sailing. Sell your unused 30-something footer and buy one of these and rediscover the fun of actually going sailing!

Art Paine tests Amelia.

Art is my greatist critic. After sailing the boat he began calling his friends, telling them to order one. She’s that good.

She floats! And right on her lines too.

AMELIA, our Paine 14 demonstrator, was launched yesterday July 24. She popped off the trailer and into her element and sails beautifully! We raced her against PETUNIA, an original Herreshoff 12 1/2, and she’s considerably faster and more nimble, at least in the light airs we experienced yesterday. This boat is such a great performer, I’ve got to get her into the hands of others.  Stay tuned.

STORM BREAK

STORM BREAK is my mugnum opus from my 2013 art show, just completed. It is a large, layered painting that has taken me two years to complete in stages.

The modern keel and rudder are what set her apart from her legendary predecessor, the Herreshoff 12 1/2.

From any angle, the PAINE 14 is gorgeous!

AMELIA from forward.

AMELIA, our demo PAINE 14, has emerged from the shop to breathe the dust-free Maine air! This photo shows her hollow bow, invented by Nat Herreshoff and perfected by Chuck Paine. Two more coats of varnish and she’ll be launched.

MOTHER and DAUGHTER

Here are PETUNIA, 76 years young, and AMELIA, yet to be launched. If one picture can tell the story, this is it. You can see how much alike the Herreshoff 12 1/2 and the Paine 14 truly are. I put a light under Amelia to highlight the biggest difference… Petunia has a long keel, and Amelia a short, NACA-foil fin keel. What they have in common is their beauty.