SOLD – 16′ Haven 12 1/2 Email Listing to a Friend

(This boat is currently only listed on Off Center Harbor.)

(Was $21,500)

From the seller: With thanks and recognition to Alec Brainerd for his not-to-be-improved-on description of another Haven 12 1/2 built by The Landing School:

Joel White designed the Haven Class boats as a centerboard version of the Nathanial Herreshoff designed 12 ½ sloop, one of which (Shadow) he had owned for nearly a half-century.

Because Joel so respected the original 12 ½ design he set out to make the Haven Class boats perform exactly like their predecessor. With a smidge more beam and slightly filed-out bilges the stability numbers for the Haven Class are almost identical to the Herreshoff 12 ½ and with the whetted surface and sail areas also being equal to their inspiration it’s no surprise that along with keeping the classic Herreshoff aesthetic the same sailing qualities came along for the ride.

The chief advantage of the Haven Class sloops is of course the shallow draft allowing the boats to float in just a foot and a half of water. This opens quite a bit more acreage for skinny water sailing and allows for easy launching and hauling from a trailer. This trailerability vastly increases sailing opportunities as it’s easy to move the boat from one sailing venue to the next adventure either as dictated by the seasons or by the whim of the skipper.

Built by the Landing School in 2008, SPARKLE is a fine example of the Haven Class Sloops that has seen little use but lots of tender loving care.

Includes custom galvanized Triad trailer on which the boat traveled from Maine to California. New tires and bearings would be recommended before travel. Full boat cover new in 2015.

All seasonal paint and varnish last redone in 2017.

Principle Dimensions and Information

LWL: 12’ 6”

Beam: 6’ 1”

Draft: 1’ 6” / 3’ 4”

Displacement: 1,400 lbs.

Sail Area: 1,400 sq. ft.

Rig Type: Gaff-rigged Sloop


Construction
Cedar planking on White Oak frames, floors and other structural members.
 Bulkheads are of painted marine plywood with openings to areas under foredeck and aft deck. 
Dynel / epoxy covered marine plywood decks
. Varnished Mahogany molded sheer strake, transom, cockpit coamings, cockpit seats & trim. 
Lead ballast keel.
 Ballasted centerboard. 
Transom hung rudder. 
Teak cockpit floorboards. 
Bronze deck hardware. 
Blue topsides with Red boot stripe and Black bottom paint. 
Light Tan decks with White interior hull and bulkheads.


Spars and Rigging
Gaff-rigged sloop configuration. 
Varnished Sitka spruce mast boom and gaff. Varnished Mahogany boom crutch
. Stainless steel wire standing rigging with bronze turnbuckle adjusters. 
Dacron 3-strand rope halyards and sheets.


Sails and Canvas
Main Sail, 
Jib




Additional Equipment
Paddle

Triad single-axle trailer designed for use with Haven Class Sloops

Submitted By:
Jeremy Fisher-Smith
Proprietor

FISHER-SMITH BOATWORKS
P.O. Box 760
Marshall, CA. 94940
(415) 663-8336

The purpose of the following Report is to convey a qualified, professional impression of the quality and condition of the above vessel as resulting from a Boat-Builder’s Inspection performed in January 2020 by Jeremy Fisher-Smith of Fisher-Smith Boatworks. This Report is not to be considered, nor to be used in place of, a formal Marine Survey.

Having assisted this boat’s owner in hauling, launching and related services at my Boatworks during his years of tenure as its steward, and having been in frequent contact with the boat at her yacht club, I am comfortable in my knowledge of ‘SPARKLE’ to speak to her quality of construction and level of condition. I can attest that during this time, the boat has been gently used and well kept, as is evident by her general condition, which, while not pristine (i.e., in “as-new” condition), I would term ‘excellent’ for a used boat.

She has generally been sailed seasonally, spending time in the bay and ashore on her trailer, and through the stability of her cedar planking and overall good build, does not appear to exhibit ill effects from this type of use.

I. WORKMANSHIP
The workmanship evident throughout this boat is of a high quality, with visual lines of hull and trim running fair and sweet. Most faying-surfaces of her structure and trim are tightly fitted, and overall have yielded a remarkably stable assembly over time (tight fits and fairness make reliable indicators of competent craftsmanship, and not just because they take skill to produce: poorly-fitted wood elements tend to move independently over time, becoming loose or unfair). Frames are bent and fastened well; planking is nicely spiled, backed-out to fit and faired-off uniformly on the exterior with negligible, if any, indications of bung movement. The signature Herreshoff molded sheer-strakes with integral rub-rails—not easy parts to spile, shape and fit—have been nicely managed on this hull. The wooden centerboard is weighted for negative buoyancy and functions well through its slot in the poured-lead ballast keel.

The rig is nicely crafted and kept; spars are of clear, straight-grained spruce, fittings are mostly Herreshoff-style bronze, and her working sails of vintage- style Dacron are in excellent condition.

II. SURFACES AND FINISHWORK
Overall condition of finishes on this boat can be considered ‘fair to good’.

What’s Good:
To her benefit, she has been carefully kept under a full cover (still sound), which has slowed the aging of her skin-finishes very effectively, as well as having kept her stable. The climate of her location is ‘moist coastal’ and when not on a mooring, she has been stored bayside on a dirt surface—all of which have contributed to her structural stability. Despite her topsides being dark, hence not a cool color, hull seams have remained tight with minimal evidence of paint cracking. Varnish overall shows little opacity and/or pronounced yellowing for its age, with mahogany brightwork still displaying native oranges and browns, and spruce spars in very nice condition as well, having been diligently attended to. Light plywood foredeck is finished in nicely textured fabric under enamel per tradition, and teak floorboards oiled for good traction and easy maintenance. Bottom is coated with high-copper content ablative paint for leaving in or hauling-out over extended periods.

What’s Needed:
The hull interior and exterior are now ready for paint, most prevalently seen in the condition of the interior surfaces. While these surfaces remain mostly stable and intact, the enamel is thin and oxidized and has begun to peel on the sides of some frames due to movement of grain (oak is masterful at shedding its finish). The plywood aft-bulkhead shows slight checking through its enamel. On the hull’s exterior, topside enamel might be refreshed though it has been recoated by this owner and still shows some gloss. Issues with the boat’s brightwork beyond the age of the overall buildup are primarily cover-related, as evidenced in localized areas along coamings and sheer (see images below), which have been worn thin locally and begin to peel as a result. The bottom’s condition is good: antifouling paint is healthy and well adhered with the exception of some localized flaking. This is primarily on the port side deadwood from sun exposure while stored, and can be touched-up.

III. TRAILER
The boat is furnished with a very high-quality welded, custom-fit, single-axle galvanized trailer with adjustable screw-type poppets and cutouts in the keel-trough to accommodate lifting straps. The trailer’s condition is very good, having not been used for launch and retrieval to my knowledge since the boat was brought west. Tires are wide-track with a high-pressure rating.

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