Designed in 1914, the Buzzards Bay 25, with its moderate overhangs, hollow bow and relatively high freeboard for the time - as well as excellent wood engineering - was Nathaniel Herreshoff's perfect response to the call for an easy to sail day racing and sailing boat for the shallow and often choppy waters of Buzzard's Bay: light enough to be fun to sail, but strong enough to hold its shape.
Designed in 1914, the Buzzards Bay 25, with its moderate overhangs, hollow bow and relatively high freeboard for the time - as well as excellent wood engineering - was Nathaniel Herreshoff's perfect response to the call for an easy to sail day racing and sailing boat for the shallow and often choppy waters of Buzzard's Bay: light enough to be fun to sail, but strong enough to hold its shape. The "Wizard of Bristol's" answer is one of the finest boats of its type ever designed. The big surprise is that only five were built originally - but a major war did get in the way. Such has been the recognition for the design during the 1980s onwards classic yacht revival that more boats have now been built to Herreshoff's drawings than were built in his lifetime and SOUZIE had the good fortune to be built by the renowned Gannon & Benjamin yard on Martha's Vineyard.
Brokers Comments
Designed in 1914, the Buzzards Bay 25, with its moderate overhangs, hollow bow and relatively high freeboard for the time - as well as excellent wood engineering - was Nathaniel Herreshoff's perfect response to the call for an easy to sail day racing and sailing boat for the shallow and often choppy waters of Buzzard's Bay: light enough to be fun to sail, but strong enough to hold its shape. The "Wizard of Bristol's" answer is one of the finest boats of its type ever designed. The big surprise is that only five were built originally - but a major war did get in the way. Such has been the recognition for the design during the 1980s onwards classic yacht revival that more boats have now been built to Herreshoff's drawings than were built in his lifetime and SOUZIE had the good fortune to be built by the renowned Gannon & Benjamin yard on Martha's Vineyard.
History
Built by Gannon and Benjamin Marine Railway, Martha’s Vineyard, USA, as Yard No. 36 to the order of James Wolosoff, she was named EPIPHANY at launch and had been built from step by step plans provided by the Hart Nautical Museum at M.I.T. who also supplied a certificate of authenticity.
On passing into present ownership in 2013 a complete and flawless refit was undertaken by the original builders followed by shipping to Spain in 2014.
As SOUZIE, she joined the Mediterranean classic regatta circuit in 2014 with a Vintage Yacht Replica Certificate and has been a regular for three seasons at Les Voiles d’Antibes, Monaco Classic Week and Cannes Régates Royales.
Construction
- Stem, keel, bed logs and floor timbers: angelique
- Frames and Beams: white oak
- Planking: white cedar
- Deck and house roof: 9mm marine plywood with Dynel cloth
- Trunk sides, gunwale, coamings, cabin doors, cabin soles and benches: wana
- Cabin ceiling and inside: white cedar
Deck Equipment and Ground Tackle
All bronze deck and mast hardware Herreshoff original pattern fittings by JM Reineck
- Mainsheet horse
- Padeyes for spinnaker blocks
- Ensign staff socket
- Mainsheet cleat at aft cockpit coaming
- Sheet cleats at cockpit sides and with running backstay cleats at side deck
- Chainplates for shrouds and for running backstays
- Running backstay tackle
- Mooring cleat on foredeck
- Hardwood deck chocks for pole stowage
- Jib boom gooseneck
- Herreshoff patent fairlead each side of stemhead faired to toerail
- Herreshoff pattern folding anchor by JM Reineck
- Boat hook
Cockpit with full-length wana coamings
- Cushioned benches each side
- Tiller from elevated bronze rudder stock tube
Electric engine controls
- Under starboard side deck and starboard bench
Accommodation and Domestic Equipment
Access by louvred doors/ washboards each side of centreboard case
- Bench / settee berth each side of cabin
- Fiddled shelves outboard
- Electric motor electrics boxed in at various locations
- Stowage for sails
Rig Spars and Sails
Gaff sloop rig
Spars by Myles Thurlow, West Tisbury, Massachusetts, USA
- Sitka spruce solid mast, boom, gaff ( x 2) and pole
- Bronze mast fittings bt JM Reinick including mastband articulated halyard lead blocks
- Leathered mast hoops
- Stainless steel standing rigging
- Dacron running rigging
- Boom crutch
- Reineck bronze blocks
Sails by North France (2017)
- Light-medium genoa
- Asymmetric spinnaker
Sails by Zaoli, San Remo, Italy (2015)
- Main, Light main, boomed jib, genoa, gennaker, balloon jib
Sails by Nathaniel Wilson, East Boothbay, Maine, USA (2004)
- Main, boomed jib, storm jib
Mechanical Electrical and Tankage
- Electric motor Mastervolt EP AquaPod F-42 48v 402 Kw (2015)
- @ 40% of power: 4-5 knots for 5 hours
- 2 x Mastervolt Ultimate Lithium-ion batteries 24v / 50000 w
- Mastervolt Mass 48/50 charger. Time to recharge from empty - 4 hours
- Separate battery for bilge pumps
- Gori two-bladed bronze folding propeller
Navigation Communication and Electronics
- Steering compass
- Raymarine wireless wind pack
- Raymarine/ TackTick tactical compass
- Raymarine GPS and repeater
Safety
- Manual diaphragm bilge pump
- Electric bilge pumps
Disclaimer
These particulars have been prepared from information provided by the vendors and are intended as general guide. The purchaser should confirm details of concern to them by survey or engineers inspection. The purchaser should also ensure that the purchase contract properly reflects their concerns and specifies details on which they wish to rely.
