PEARL

Daysailers PEARL

Joel White’s adaptation of Herreshoff’s famous design in the 1980s sought to maintain the look of the original while reducing the draft by a foot allowing their owners to adventure further into the shallows under sail and keep their shorts dry when wading ashore.

Joel’s Herreshoff 12 ½ Shadow, built in 1930 the same year he was born, came into his ownership at the age of 13 and never left his livery such was his admiration for the design. The resulting (Haven 12 ½) adaptation is a boat with identical profile above the water, overall displacement, and of course the namesake 12 ½ ft waterline on a hull that remains 16ft long.

Remarkably the center of buoyancy and stability are the same as the original design, a feat accomplished through the use of a centerboard that goes down through a slot in the 583lb lead keel, increasing the draft from 18” up to 36” when lowered. Some modifications to measurements were made across the design, but only the most discerning eye can spot these changes in the flesh.  

In the words of the designer himself:

“Let the credit for the excellence of these boats go where it is due – to the Wizard of Bristol, N.G. Herreshoff” —Joel White