Bristol Boat Company Builds New Herreshoff Day Sailer

The construction of a sailboat to re-spark the Herreshoff legacy is underway thanks to a partnership between the Bristol Boat Company and Herreshoff Designs. A vintage 20-foot sailboat with Herreshoff ties is being constructed across the street from the Herreshoff Marine Museum in Bristol.

The plans for the wooden sailboat were originally conceived from the mind of Halsey Herreshoff’s grandfather, Nathanael Greene Herreshoff. Nathanael, who was said to be in his eighties when he came up with the plan for this particular boat, had carved a small model of the boat that was later featured in the Herreshoff museum.

“The Herreshoff boat models were made with such a precise art and science,” said Bristol Boat Company builder Dan Shea. “What a computer would do with tens of thousands of calculations, [Nathanael] did with his hands and eyes. That is a skill very rare in the world.”

One day, Shea spotted the model in the museum and recognized very special features and designs. 

“It was amazing how the lines were very refined on such a small boat,” he said. “So I asked Halsey if it would be worth building it as a boat and if our two companies could come to a business agreement.”

With Shea’s experience and craftsmanship in building boats, and design and technological capabilities of Herreshoff Designs, the small model is becoming life size. Currently, the hull is complete and the boat sits upright in the middle of Shea’s shop. Shea, on his own, will continue to chip away at it until the expected completion this summer.

In addition to constructing the boat himself, Shea has also funded the project himself, shelling out the money for the tools, wood and everything needed to make the classic sailboat.

“For someone to buy a sailboat like this, it usually costs anywhere from $85,000 to $115,000, “ Shea said. “When finished, this boat will sell for $104,500.”

And Shea doesn’t think he’ll have much trouble selling it once it is complete. He says the phone has already started ringing with people interested to see how the sailboat will turn out.

“It may be a vintage design, but the water hasn’t changed,” Shea said. “It’s a very good design.”

But this boat will not be the last of its kind. Shea says the H-20 is just the beginning of a future production line. He plans to create a whole series of the H-20 sailboats and expects to build about six every year.