Unusual boat taking shape in Brooklin
The planking is partially completed on the hybrid hull design. Photo by Steele Hays.
By Steele Hays
Brooklin’s boatyards are nationally known for building classic wooden boats, both power and sail, usually following traditional designs. But one new power boat now under construction by Brion Rieff Boatbuilders really breaks the mold.
The boat will have an innovative hull that combines elements of a traditional monohull and a multihull. Rieff, the designer and builder, believes the hull shape will let the boat reach speeds of up to 50 miles per hour when pushed by two 600-horsepower outboards, and will be far more efficient than similar-sized boats with conventional monohull designs. As a preliminary step, Rieff and his crew built a six-foot scale model of the hull, which met their expectations.
The 55-foot center console boat is being built for a Southern New Jersey company that offers day cruises to nearby beaches and bays, as well as tubing and other recreational activities. Because the boat will be a commercial carrier, Rieff has had to work with the U.S. Coast Guard to ensure that its design meets certain safety standards.
There will be no cabin or fabric dodger, just the steering and navigation console, plus a table and a variety of bench seats and chairs for passengers.
Rieff has never met the boat’s buyer, although he’s talked to him by phone.
This six-foot scale model shows the unusual hull design, combining elements of a traditional monohull toward the bow and a multihull toward the stern. Photo by Steele Hays.
“The owner’s son called and told me what he wanted to do in terms of design and he kept coming back,” Rieff said. “After a while, we worked out a deal and money changed hands and we got started.” Rieff and his four employees hope to complete construction and launch the boat next year.
The hull is being built with layers of laminated marine plywood and in certain areas, laminated strips of Douglas Fir. That demands a lot of glueing --- so far, the builders have used two 55-gallon drums of epoxy. In the final stages, the hull will be sealed with a layer of fiberglass. Fully loaded, the boat will weigh approximately 25,000 pounds.
This is one of the largest boats Rieff and his crew have built, but it’s not the most challenging, he said. In recent years, they built a 50-foot schooner that they considered even more challenging.
Marine carpenter Rick Jaegel prepares to epoxy sections of fir for the transom. Photo by Steele Hays.
