When David Moncton set out to create the small cruising yacht of his dreams, he knew that she would be built of wood by the finest of craftsman, and that she would be built to a beautiful, classic and proven design. To that end Moncton enlisted veteran boatbuilder Dave Corcoran of Bullhouse Boatworks in Arundel, Maine, and Kurt H Hasselbalch - curator of the Hart Nautical Collections at the MIT Museum.

Deep in the archives of MIT the three men discovered drawings for a practical but striking 31 ft. gentleman’s cruising sloop, designed by Frank Paine in 1934 for Paul Mooney of Medford, MA. Design #365 was built by Frank Jesse of Plymouth, MA and its praises were sung in the November 1934 issue of The Rudder Magazine.

Dave Corcoran lofted and built AMANDA’s hull to this design in 2006, with traditional Northern White Cedar planking, caulked with cotton, and fastened with bronze screws to steam bent white oak frames. The backbone timbers were built with laminated mahogany and bulkheads with epoxy coated marine mahogany plywood.

Corcoran passed away in 2007 and AMANDA’s hull was moved to the yard of EM Crosby Boatworks in West Barnstable, MA, where construction was completed with mahogany house sides, coamings and trim. Decks are sprung teak glued over epoxy sheathed plywood, and the interior and systems were keenly designed by Moncton, an engineer by trade.

AMANDA features a 3.5 KW diesel/electric hybrid drive whereby her 48-volt Thoosa electric motor (10hp equivalent) will push her along at a max speed of 6 knots or for about 20 miles on batteries alone; but coupled with her integrated NexGen 3.5 kw diesel generator and 13 gallon fuel capacity, AMANDA’s range in diesel/electric hybrid mode is about 100 miles.

On days where there is only a breath of wind, using the electric motor at very low rpm’s in combination with the sails will lift AMANDA’s speed sufficiently to begin increasing apparent wind speed, at which point speed through the water suddenly begins to increase exponentially with minimal power consumption. This mode of operation is a thrill to behold and one of the greatest perks of the electric drive.

There is an available article about AMANDA's hybrid electric drive that was written for Ocean Navigator Magazine in 2011 – please reach out to request a copy.

Below in her surprisingly spacious and well-conceived interior, AMANDA sleeps 4 and features a sit-down chart table, hanging locker, and 6’ 2” headroom. Amenities include a 2-burner propane cook stove, cockpit shower with on-demand hot water, front opening refrigerator, Icom VHF radio, and Simrad chart plotter conveniently located and hidden behind a varnished teak cover in the cockpit. All lighting and electronics are 24 volts.

On deck AMANDA’s hardware is all bronze, including custom self-tailing sheet winches, and a manually operated anchor chain windless with 40 lb CQR anchor, and custom bronze bow roller. All spars are varnished Sitka Spruce, and she comes with two sailing rigs: The original “leg o’ mutton” rig with overhanging boom and running backstays; and a new shorter boom allowing for a fixed backstay. According to her owner AMANDA performs beautifully with either rig but is easier to single-hand with the new rig, particularly with the installed Dutchman sail flaking system.

AMANDA was launched on May 17, 2008, and has brought her owner fourteen years of enjoyment – many of which have been spent on Bras D’Or Lakes in Cape Bretton, Nova Scotia. However, the time has come for new stewardship. AMANDA is stored indoors at Artisan Boatworks in Rockport, Maine. Her condition, both structurally and cosmetically, is as perfect today as when she was first launched.