1921 Herreshoff Manufacturing Company 6 Meter

Wooden Ships Comments on this Herreshoff 6 Meter

Designed by Starling Burgess to the Six Metre rule and built by the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company in 1921. She was part of the first ever team of American 6m yachts to be campaigned in England and she carried sail number US4.

After the racing she remained in the UK and her well documented history took her cruising around Scotland, Ireland and over to Norway with various owners who have written books and memoirs about their time with the boat.

A major 2015 refit included refastening of the hull and plenty of structural repairs, but also gave her a new gaff sloop rig to replace her original Bermudan rig design. Although her original rig and spars are with the boat still, she has been raced very successfully in recent years as a gaffer and won a lot of silverware.

When purchased by the current owner in 2020, a lot of time and money was put into the boat to optimise her for racing. The hull was strengthened and the rig design looked at carefully, replacing all hardware with modern equipment such as Harken CarboAir blocks. She has a complete integrated B&G system with 4 x H5000 displays.

The boat is engineless as she was originally and the interior has been stripped out for racing.

She has proved to be a very competitive boat, winning Suffolk Yacht Harbour Classic regatta and has consistently been at the head of the fleet in other regattas and local races. In recent years she has won at Falmouth Classics, Solent racing and was overall winner of the West Country Classics series. She has the potential to do extremely well in classic events both here and in the Mediterranean and could be a cost effective yacht in which to enjoy these regattas.

Length Overall: 27’4″

Length on Deck: 27’4″

Beam: 7′

Draft: 5’6″

Thames Tonnage: 5TM

Carvel planked in 3/4″ Honduras mahogany all bronze screw fastened to steam bent oak timbers at 6″ centres. 90% of the hull was re-fastened in 2015.

Hull is splined throughout, these splines were all renewed in 2015.

Wooden structural floors across the centreline. All centreline bolts from stem to stern replaced in phosphor bronze in 2015.

External lead ballast keel of 2.5 tons fastened with bronze keel bolts. Half the bolts replaced in phosphor bronze in 2015. 4 new bolts fitted 2024.

New hanging knees in way of the mast form an effective ring frame to strengthen the hull.

Deck laid in T&G yellow pine, overlaid with 1/4″ Robins marine plywood and sheathed externally with epoxy glass cloth. June 2019 deck paint. Varnished Honduras mahogany toe rails and rubbing strakes.

Pair of circular cockpits, one for the helm and one for the crew, both with varnished teak coamings.

Tiller steering with a new rudder from 2015. All new hangings and rudder stock.

Gaff sloop rig completely new in 2015.

Keel stepped varnished spruce hollow mast with an internal plywood structural web, new in 2016. The bare mast only weighs 40kg.

Varnished hollow spruce boom and gaff. Hollow spruce spinnaker pole plus a carbon fibre pole.

Stainless steel standing rigging to internal bronze chain plates. New bronze chain plate bolts in 2015. Rigging and rigging screws new in 2015.

Running back stays on Highfield levers.

3 x self tailing Harken winches mounted on the deck.

Mainsail 2016, topsail, Jib from One Sails 2023. Jackyard topsail re-cut 2023. Asymmetric by One Sails 2024.

All modern Harken blocks.

Running rigging all new with Southern Ropes Beige SuperT braid on braid (dyneema equivalent core).

Halyards all controlled below deck with Lewmar clutches.

Original bermudan rig complete with rigging and sails still with the boat and able to be fitted directly back in if required, uses same chain plates and mast step.

12 volt battery with a Solar Panel from Hartnell Marine.

Powers bilge pump, nav lights and instruments.

• Integrated B&G system
• 4 x H5000 displays – compass, traducer, wind sensor and receiver
• B&G GPS screen
• Harken rig hardware
• Mainsail – 2016
• Jib – One Sails 2023
• Jackyard topsail – re-cut by One Sails 2023
• Asymmetric spinnaker – One Sails 2024
• 3 x Harken self tailing winches
• Electric auto bilge pump
• Manual bilge pump
• Custom designed all over cover
• Mainsail cover