Watch Hill 15 by N.G. Herreshoff
The first 11 boats of the Buzzards Bay 15 class were delivered to members of the Beverly Yacht Club in Marion, MA for the summer racing season of 1899. Club members wanted a better way to conduct regattas than using a handicapping system and asked Nat Herreshoff to design a boat that could be raced as a fleet. The Buzzards Bay 15 was the second of the Herreshoff one-designs, and became quite popular in the early part of the 20th century. They were known as the E-Class at the Beverly Yacht Club, and 91 boats were built by the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company between 1899 and 1927.
There were 3 variations of the “15-Footer” built, and all were keel-centerboard sloops with cedar planking on bent oak frames. The original design, the Buzzards Bay 15, has a 15 foot waterline, 24’6” LOA, a 2’3” draft with the board up, and a gaff rig. The second design, the Newport 15 only varies in its draft, which is 6” deeper. And in 1923, 11 Watch Hill 15’s were delivered to the Watch Hill Yacht Club. These boats were marconi rigged, drew 2’3”, and had a few minor modifications to the trim and freeboard. Additionally, there were a few special boats built with full keels.
The hull was designed under the Length and Sail Area Rule, which tended to produce graceful, narrow hulls with long overhangs. When heeled over, the waterline length increases, and the boat picks up speed. However, the long overhangs built with the light Herreshoff scantlings were somewhat fragile, and cracked ribs and keels were not uncommon.
Partially as a result of this fragility, the number of boats still in existence is small. Of the 91 originally built, 32 are currently known to exist. Bill Beardsley, a Herreshoff owner and E-Class enthusiast from Marion, MA has been following the design for years and believes there might not be any others left to discover. Of these 32, only 20 are still sailing. The others are either in museums or are awaiting restoration.
These boats are thrilling sailors. They are fast, stiff, and responsive. The hull is slippery, and even at speed such little turbulence is created that the boat leaves virtually no wake. Even at 100+ years old, a 15-footer can give a modern go-fast machine a run for its money.
Read our article “The Herreshoff 15 is Alive and Well…”
Click here to view images of Watch Hill 15, Jeanne
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Designed by Nat Herreshoff in 1923, with the addition of a Marconi rig to the original Buzzards Bay 15, creating a new class for the Watch Hill Yacht Club. Elsie was built in 1995 by Dave Corcoran of Bull House Boatworks in Arundel, ME. She is traditional plank on frame construction over a laminated mahogany backbone.
Notes. Based on the BUZZARDS BAY 15 (1899). Beginning in 1969, the Frank Hall Boat Yard in Avondale, RI built 25 Watch Hill 15s of fiberglass to the original 1922 design. These have been actively raced at the Watch Hill Yacht Club, RI, USA.
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The original design, the Buzzards Bay 15, has a 15 foot waterline, 24'6" LOA, a 2'3" draft with the board up, and a gaff rig. The second design, the Newport 15 only varies in its draft, which is 6" deeper. And in 1923, 11 Watch Hill 15's were delivered to the Watch Hill Yacht Club. These boats were marconi rigged, drew 2'3", and ...
Herreshoff watch hill 15 for sale View the broad range of Herreshoff watch hill 15 for sale in your area on offer in your area, review the detailed information about each vessel, compare prices, and uncover the best Herreshoff watch hill 15 deals
1994. $48,900. ELLA is a marconi rigged Watch Hill 15, built by Dave Corcoran of Bull House Boatworks in Arundel, ME. She is traditional plank on frame construction over a laminated mahogany backbone and with a canvas covered plywood deck. The marconi mast is varnished sitka spruce, and all deck varnish is teak. These boats are thrilling sailors.
Watch Hill 15; Herreshoff Watch Hill 15 boats for sale. Clear Filter Make / Model: Herreshoff - Watch Hill 15. Location. By Radius. By Country. country-all. All Countries. Country-US. ... 1923 Herreshoff Watch Hill 15. £38,096. Watch Hill Yacht Services, LLC | Noank, Connecticut. Request Info < 1 >
View pictures & full details of ELSIE, a Antique and Classic built in 1995 by Herreshoff Watch Hill 15 and available for sale. ... What better way to celebrate the second 100 years of the Watch Hill 15 design, than owning a totally restored boat itself. Designed by Nat Herreshoff in 1923, with the addition of a Marconi rig to the original ...
The original Buzzards Bay 15's were designed by Nathanael Herreshoff in 1898, and with their gaff-rigs known as the E-Class at the Beverly Yacht Club. In 1922 Sidney Herreshoff designed a marconi-rigged version of the same hull known as the Watch Hill 15. ELLA comes with a trailer and is stored indoors at Artisan Boatworks in Rockport, ME
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pilothouse preowned sailboats for sale by owner. pilothouse used sailboats for sale by owner. Home. Register & Post. View All Sailboats. Search. Avoid Fraud. ... Sailboat Added 15-Mar-2015 More Details: Hampton 43' Piolethouse: Length: 43' Beam: 13' Draft: 6.5' Year: 1996: Type: cruiser: Hull: fiberglass monohull:
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Connecticut. 2014. $129,500. The original Buzzards Bay 15's were designed by Nathanael Herreshoff in 1898, and known as the E-Class. In 1906 Herreshoff designed a full-keel version of the Buzzards Bay 15 incorporating the following modifications: -Ballast keel lowered from 2' 6" down to 3' 1" and weight increased 500 lbs. -Sheer raised 2 ...