Each morning on my commute to work, I see from my car a derelict old 28' Herreshoff S-class sloop that's slowly going back to the earth of a local boatyard. The boat has sat for years, quietly taunting me with the vision of restoration-a job that would require every single piece of wood in it to be replaced. If I think too long about it, that process typically strikes me as an unreasonable thing to do. But every now and then comes an inspiring story that makes a complete rebuilding seem not only approachable, but logical, too. For such a project, the old boat serves as a sort of living construction drawing, yielding dimensions, details, and patina that would be difficult to replicate if starting from scratch. Three such stories in this issue are making me slow down each morning to crane my neck for a better look at that S-boat.
展开▼
