We talk about the “fun factor” of boats quite a bit here in the design office. How well does a boat put a smile on someone’s face? There’s not a single contributor to the fun factor, and it’s certainly not something we can define in a spreadsheet! 

Fast is fun.

Comfortable is fun.

Exhilarating is fun.

Easy on and off the mooring is fun.

Simple is fun

Beautiful is fun.

On most yachts, there are a number of other parameters we are trying to maximize that are very important but not directly smile inducing. Things like rough weather comfort, systems reliability, performance vs a handicap, etc. But every now and then, an owner has a single-minded focus on just the one question: Is it fun? This design is the result of such a design brief.

Dick Pendergast, the owner and builder of this 27ft daysailer, had long appreciated the look and general design idea behind the Stuart Knockabouts designed by L. F. Herreshoff. But the group he sails with on Lake Winnipesaukee all sail more modern boats, and he appreciated how fast and easy to sail they were in comparison to older designs. He is a prolific boatbuilder, so when faced with the decision of what to build next he commissioned us to design his dream daysailer. 

The Great Cove 27 is designed to maximize that fun factor. Her profile is designed to evoke the aesthetic of the Stuart Knockabouts, but that is where the similarities end. The moderate deadrise hull allows for traditional looking lines above water and an extremely low drag underbody. Her composite lifting keel with a lead bulb provides enough righting moment to support quite a bit of sail area despite her moderate displacement, so she will be both fast and stable. No need for crew to fold themselves over a wire to keep her upright!  

Her spacious cockpit and simple deck arrangement make her equally well suited to singlehanded sailing, ripping around the racecourse with some crew, or casually cruising with a few friends.

The construction of hull, deck, and cockpit are an interesting combination of some of the techniques we have developed in larger boats scaled down and small boat build techniques scaled up. The result is a lightweight and efficient to build combination of cold-molded red cedar, plywood, fiberglass, and carbon that looks like a wooden boat through-and-through but will have many of the maintenance advantages afforded by modern boatbuilding methods.

Dick built Grace over the course of a few years in his New Hampshire boat shop. His careful attention to detail is evident throughout the build. 

To inquire about building or purchasing this design, email Will at wsturdy@brooklinboatyard.com