Little M
Little m
Specifications
Design: N.G. Herreshoff LOA: 33 ft 8 inLWL: 27 ft 5 inDraft: 3 ft 1 in Beam: 9 ft 2 inDisplacement: 10,777 lbs Sail Area: 520 sq ft
Features
The journey of building this replica was educational and inspiring. With the guiding hand of Maynard Bray and the graciousness of MIT Hart Nautical Museum, keeper of the Herreshoff collection of plans, we recreated every aspect of her original construction and scantlings. French and Webb lofted the boat at Mystic, comparing both the original velum drawing and the hull shape. The “Henry Ford” of boat building, Herreshoff developed many streamlined construction processes that helped the yard’s craftsmen become efficient and productive.
Construction
Everywhere possible, these HMCo techniques were employed in the reproduction. We built the boat upside-down with tapered frames that were steam bent over beveled pine molds. A white oak stem timber steamed over a large form was fashioned into the beautiful bow. We planked the boat with yellow pine and cypress to the exact sizing of the original. We carved casting patterns for all the bronze hardware and built decks of pine with traditional stretched canvas set in white lead and paint. A signature molded white oak top strake was hand carved giving a solid line to the sheer. The spars were made with hollow stave construction. This project had a magic about it; the smells and techniques during the build hinted of past generations.
