During the recent “Shipyard Cup” races organized in Boothbay Harbor, I had the great good fortune of yet another adventure with Captain Mark Stover aboard his 32’ Luhrs Redhook. It’s always a special treat to cruise the region’s waters with Captain Mark.

The weather for the first day of racing was rather dismal – fog and little wind. But, it was interesting to see how the many skilled captains maneuvered the vessels to get as much speed as possible. We followed along and managed some interesting views despite conditions.

The second day of races was a different story. Better weather and some wind to fill the sails. Although the winds may not have been what all the racers hoped for, it did give everyone a better chance to experience more “adventuresome” conditions. For me, from the comfort and stability of Mark’s boat, things looked pretty good as we weaved our way through the fleet.

An unexpected special treat showed up as we were returning from down near White Island, headed toward Squirrel Island, off Ocean Point. A small set of sails stood out from the multitude of racing boats and the endless variety of onlookers. It was a sailboat I recognized from months of photography at Bristol Marine, Fraulein, the #1 hull Boothbay Harbor One design. It was the first time I had seen the boat sailing after extensive restoration. What a thrill!

When my photography began, Fraulein was in storage at the old Southport Island Marine yard, now owned by Bristol Marine. She was in pretty tough shape but about to begin a journey of revitalization at the hands of a skilled crew at the Bristol Marine, Boothbay Harbor facility.

The Boothbay Harbor One Design has quite a history. From what I’ve read, the BHOD was designed by Geerd N. Hendel in the mid 1930s. It seems, again from my reading, that the boat was a sort of an “accumulation,” if you will, of much knowledgeable nautical input. The final design was intended to be “more affordably” built by virtue of lighter weight materials and more manageable size. It was quite a speedy craft with unique but streamlined features.

My experience recording the Fraulein project was an amazing lesson filled with unique discovery and wonderful observation. The boat was literally dismantled, i.e., all the planking removed from the frames, some new frames installed and then thinner overlapping planking replaced in two layers to provide greater strength and rigidity. It was a very precise process, the work of a special and talented crew. I was honored to record such a detailed and precise restoration and thrilled to finally get to see Fraulein under sail.

If you get on the water, keep an eye out for the unique and beautiful, yet very straightforward and fast, latest revitalized member of the Boothbay Harbor One Design fleet. It’s a real joy to see and a significant restoration of a locally historic vessel.