Hinckley Alden 42' Yawl

[Hinckley or Die]

I am looking to restore. I love to sail, and I have plenty of opportunity. Loads of friends with boats. I want to restore, but will not be looking to flip. Maybe this will help:
I have an old ford 9n tractor that I redid because my grandad had one when I was a kid. I don't farm
I have bird dogs (Wirehaired Pointing Griffons) and hunt quail/pheasant with a parker side by side that I (with a lot of help) restored.
There are better tractors, there are better shotguns (for sure), I could use an over under, an auto loader and I have a nice over under....but I like the way the parker feels. I also like the feeling I have saved something and the conversations that start with "cool old gun"

I am not sure if this makes sense, but I doubt I will circumnavigate. I doubt I will do a crossing (certainly not on a boat I own, but crewing may be fun)... Right now, the Hinckley/Alden checks the boxes. It may not further down the road I go. I won't marry her if she doesn't.

 

[jon hansen]

TomY

forums.sailboatowners.com

tom young is our alden moderator. tom knows aldens.
tom is a carpenter
tom lives in maine
tom has many wood boat carpenter buds
tom is very nice
tom may well know the boat
send him a note
see if that helps you

wood boats are very cool
they sail like no other, a clear step above
your wanting to restore a woody sound really nice
all my dad's boats were wood until aeolus. i loved sailing them
i totally respect you restoration fellows.
all my dad's sailing buddies sailed fine wood boats. i watched and learned.

now, please post loads of pictures. we love pictures here.

jon

nothing rides as well or like a wood sailing boat

 

[kappykaplan]

we love pictures here.

 

[TomY]

I am currently looking at a 1959 Alden 925B it's a Hinckley Built Wood 42' Yawl that looks a lot like Shanti.

I am hoping to get any info anyone has on this hull, and maybe the boat itself. Original name was Belatrix no named Night Wind.
She has been on the hard for at least three years, has some separation on coach roof where fiberglass over marine plywood. I am seriously considering taking the plunge and joining the wooden boat world. I will not change much to the boat other than making her bristol crisp.

View attachment 208149View attachment 208150

Welcome to the forum, SHANTI is cared for in my harbor, Rockport maine. Different Alden design, I think Shanti was a 1974 build/design. Shanti is also a center boarder but I think (I can’t open the specs) beamier and a more contemporary hull shape.

The condition of the boat, only revealed by an experienced wooden boat surveyor (there are good ones in maine), could advise you as to condition of the boat.

I’m onboard off Isle Au Haut inPenobscot Bay with a faint cell signal. I’ll try to add more once we’re ‘in range’.

 

[Hinckley or Die]

TomY

forums.sailboatowners.com

tom young is our alden moderator. tom knows aldens.
tom is a carpenter
tom lives in maine
tom has many wood boat carpenter buds
tom is very nice
tom may well know the boat
send him a note
see if that helps you

wood boats are very cool
they sail like no other, a clear step above
your wanting to restore a woody sound really nice
all my dad's boats were wood until aeolus. i loved sailing them
i totally respect you restoration fellows.
all my dad's sailing buddies sailed fine wood boats. i watched and learned.

now, please post loads of pictures. we love pictures here.

jon

nothing rides as well or like a wood sailing boat

Thank you so much. I will PM him for sure. If this continues, I will be posting all the pics, All the time

 

[Hinckley or Die]

 

[kappykaplan]

Yep, impressive boat!

 

[Hinckley or Die]

Yep, impressive boat!

Those pics are 5 years old. What do you see if anything to be concerned about. Survey says that the rudder is FAIR. Hull was solid and that was the worse screw removed 2' below water line below engine.

The next pic I send is the bad thus far

 

[kappykaplan]

I am far from being a wooden boat expert! I do see some cracks in the rudder that cause me concern. You did say you were into a restoration project - photo above would seem to give you the perfect opportunity to jump in.

 

[Hinckley or Die]

Roger that. I agree on the rudder. So far, very optimistic.

 

[jon hansen]

those cracks will close with swelling, non issue.

cabin top fiberglass repair, easy peezy

you want to know about ROT. all repairs are easy, if there is no rot. salt water can retard rot as say fresh water sailing on the lakes.

DRY ROT is always the issue with all wood boats. they all have some. some you can sail with until the season is out, some can be dangerous.

on the hard is tough on wood boats. very hard. the drying out in the winter. the dirt in the air getting into open seams so they do not swell up tight.

the good news is it's in maine. because there are men that know wood boats. you hire them to check every board. rib, plank, keelson, block, ......
then you decidr how much repair you can live with.
i've replaced ribs. made sister ribs, replaced planks, put in the cotton, caulked the seams, ..... and on and on and on.

new wood boats last 10 years. that's right. then they are in a constant state of repair/ rebuild. forever.

that's where you come in. the endless love affair that spurns the upkeep.

watched my dad do it. watched his friends do it. i helped. that parlayed into getting to be trained in the art of sailing at a very young age.

any friend that helps gets unlimited sailboat rides. hence, the making of your crew. to this day i always sail with a crew. this is how yachting was in the day of wood boats.

but here's the deal, and it's HUGE! nothing in the world sails, rides, works through the water, did i say rides, like a wood boat. the flex, they work, the bend, they have a sweet special sound.


.... and they all leak. and a little is just fine

jon

 

[jon hansen]

US ONE-DESIGN - sailboatdata

Carl Alberg was part of the Alden design firm at this time. Photo from the Leslie Jones’ Collection, curated by the Boston Public Library, and found under the Massachusetts Digital Commonwealth online archive is of John Silsby Lawrence’s US One Design yacht Goose, US-10, from circa 1946. Thank...

sailboatdata.com

7' beam on 38' boat, what a thrill it was. had it 13 years.

 

[jon hansen]

no engine, no life lines, no self bailing cockpit,
what a racer to grow up on.

was a very wet boat. no electric bilge pump. huge hand crank pump. huge tiller to drive with. i was a snot nose kid with the fastest hull at the club, and me and my buds would push that boat. no such thing as reefing, thats for pussys.

you swamp it it sinks.

 

[jon hansen]

back to your vessel. your going to love it. very pretty

 

[Hinckley or Die]

I am jealous. That is a far cry more fun than a Hunter 36 lumbering around the buoys and bridge pylons in Louisville, KY... But I didn't know anything different, so it was a blast. Gotta learn how to read the wind shift off the knobs.....

I for about two months thought I wanted a go fast racer, but I decided that I wanted something that my wife and daughter wouldn't pee themselves on every time we went out....I'll still get the rails wet to wake them up

 

[Hinckley or Die]

those cracks will close with swelling, non issue.

cabin top fiberglass repair, easy peezy

you want to know about ROT. all repairs are easy, if there is no rot. salt water can retard rot as say fresh water sailing on the lakes.

DRY ROT is always the issue with all wood boats. they all have some. some you can sail with until the season is out, some can be dangerous.

on the hard is tough on wood boats. very hard. the drying out in the winter. the dirt in the air getting into open seams so they do not swell up tight.

the good news is it's in maine. because there are men that know wood boats. you hire them to check every board. rib, plank, keelson, block, ......
then you decidr how much repair you can live with.
i've replaced ribs. made sister ribs, replaced planks, put in the cotton, caulked the seams, ..... and on and on and on.

new wood boats last 10 years. that's right. then they are in a constant state of repair/ rebuild. forever.

that's where you come in. the endless love affair that spurns the upkeep.

watched my dad do it. watched his friends do it. i helped. that parlayed into getting to be trained in the art of sailing at a very young age.

any friend that helps gets unlimited sailboat rides. hence, the making of your crew. to this day i always sail with a crew. this is how yachting was in the day of wood boats.

but here's the deal, and it's HUGE! nothing in the world sails, rides, works through the water, did i say rides, like a wood boat. the flex, they work, the bend, they have a sweet special sound.


.... and they all leak. and a little is just fine

jon

Dry rot is something I am worried about. The new survey will tell all. I will hopefully make it to Maine mid-September with loads of notes I am learning on the forums and reading in books. If I see nothing then I'll get survey and move forward.

 

[TomY]

Those pics are 5 years old. What do you see if anything to be concerned about. Survey says that the rudder is FAIR. Hull was solid and that was the worse screw removed 2' below water line below engine.

The next pic I send is the bad thus farView attachment 208282

I'm back in the land of broad band. These photos help. I've been by this boat before in the past I think. I remember it was impressive. Wooden rudders, believe it or not (many won't!) are the longest lasting. There are many here mostly on wooden boats (but not all, some early glass designs like mine as well). Worst case scenario is it has to be taken apart and the bronze drifts, bolts and perhaps some of all of the wood replaced. Your's doesn't look like it needs any of that boat a surveyor will be able to tell you in a few minutes of wrestling it with the wheel locked.

The hull sounds good but I'd want to know at what stage between 'just built' and 'really tired' it is in. Meaning, when is it due for an extensive rebuild including some new frames, planking etc. Then you can decide how involved $$ and time-wise with the future care of the boat.

Next the big one would be decks. They look pretty good from the photos but only a surveyor can tell you how many years are left in the material. Could be many (beyond your stewardship), could be serving notice.

The damage above it too bad. The shapely Alden eye brow (the curved trim) covers the rough edge of the fiberglass cloth as it overlaps the house (trunk) side .
Once the fiberglass failed (it can be repaired without redoing the entire house top), water went behind and into the house top and maybe the side plank (hard to tell if the damage is just surface or deeper). The surveyor will give you an opinion if this area could be repaired or if the whole top needs to be re-glassed. Likely a patch could be fitted into the house side if needed.

There's nothing that can't be restored and this boat is no exception. It's just a matter of having an expert tell you what you're getting into.

We went by MANDARIN yesterday, a 1958 Alden out of Mass. Maine is full of wooden boats. I'd buy one, but only under the guidance of a competent, wooden boat surveyor.

 

[smokey73]

Is there a cure for boat envy? As Jimmy Carter once opined (paraphrased here) - I have sinned - I have lusted!

 

[Hinckley or Die]

I'm back in the land of broad band. These photos help. I've been by this boat before in the past I think. I remember it was impressive. Wooden rudders, believe it or not (many won't!) are the longest lasting. There are many here mostly on wooden boats (but not all, some early glass designs like mine as well). Worst case scenario is it has to be taken apart and the bronze drifts, bolts and perhaps some of all of the wood replaced. Your's doesn't look like it needs any of that boat a surveyor will be able to tell you in a few minutes of wrestling it with the wheel locked.

The hull sounds good but I'd want to know at what stage between 'just built' and 'really tired' it is in. Meaning, when is it due for an extensive rebuild including some new frames, planking etc. Then you can decide how involved $$ and time-wise with the future care of the boat.

Next the big one would be decks. They look pretty good from the photos but only a surveyor can tell you how many years are left in the material. Could be many (beyond your stewardship), could be serving notice.

The damage above it too bad. The shapely Alden eye brow (the curved trim) covers the rough edge of the fiberglass cloth as it overlaps the house (trunk) side .
Once the fiberglass failed (it can be repaired without redoing the entire house top), water went behind and into the house top and maybe the side plank (hard to tell if the damage is just surface or deeper). The surveyor will give you an opinion if this area could be repaired or if the whole top needs to be re-glassed. Likely a patch could be fitted into the house side if needed.

There's nothing that can't be restored and this boat is no exception. It's just a matter of having an expert tell you what you're getting into.

We went by MANDARIN yesterday, a 1958 Alden out of Mass. Maine is full of wooden boats. I'd buy one, but only under the guidance of a competent, wooden boat surveyor.

View attachment 208361

That begs the question:

Do you have some recommendations?

Also, i am loving that design . I didn't like the large cabin windows, then I saw the view from the inside!!!!

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

now, please post loads of pictures. we love pictures here.

Because we don't know how to read !