Resting throughout New England Boatworks Inc. (NEB) 22-acre facility, tucked in between some of the most technologically advanced racing yachts in the world, are a number of twelve-meters, revered icons from another era in sailing. Although the cutting edge of racing has long since moved beyond classic twelve meter yachts like Freedom (12US-30) and Columbia (12US-16) or more modern fiberglass twelve-meters such as KZ-3 or KZ-5, they are all valued for their central roles in the golden age of America’s Cup sailing. Today there is an active twelve-meter charter fleet operating out of Newport that attracts international attention and competition. In 2009 Rhode Island will host the International Twelve Meter Class World Championship for which a number of European twelves will journey across the Atlantic. Although each boat has its own colorful history the majority of the New England based fleet has one thing in common; year after year they return to NEB for service and refit work.
Certainly the convenience of a full service yard situated in the most protected marina in the region is a draw for the twelve’s, but NEB offers much more than convenience. Before founding the company Steve Casella, David MacBain, and Tom Rich met while working on twelve-meters at Newport Offshore and Williams and Manchester, two yards famous for their roles in producing America’s Cup competitors. In 1988 when they founded New England Boatworks they were joined by a core group of boatbuilders whose expertise stemmed largely from their work on the twelves. For the twelve-meters returning to NEB is like returning home.
Since it’s inception in 1988 NEB has thrived as a custom boat building, service, refit and repair company thanks in part to its ability to continuously adapt to developments in cutting-edge technology. Over the last decade NEB has emerged as a leader in advanced composite boatbuilding producing high-performance boats for clients from around the world. Currently construction is underway on Titan XV, a 75 ft. pre-preg carbon fiber and Nomex® IRC racing yacht. A Reichel-Pugh design, Titan XV is the latest installment in a line of racers that owner Tom Hill and his team have pushed to success in the Caribbean and Eastern U.S. After undergoing sea trials and sail testing on Narragansett Bay Titan XV is slated to kick off its racing career in the Caribbean this spring.
New England Boatworks owes much of its success to the skills and experience that each member of its team brings to the table. Each department – engineers, joiners, composites technicians, mechanics, electricians, metal fabricators, welders, painters, riggers and yard crew – consists of the top tradesmen in the region, a number of whom have been with NEB from day one. With a team that is over 100 strong and growing the company is actively recruiting skilled boatbuilders while regularly creating entry-level apprenticeship opportunities.
The wide variety of expertise that its team possesses allows NEB to offer custom yachts fine-tuned to each owner’s wishes. A case in point is the Nelson-Marek designed Nantucket 55 currently in production. The owner’s specifications call for a sleek, no-frills day sailer primarily for use around Nantucket’s inshore waters. NEB will use pre-preg carbon and Nomex® to build a high performance custom yacht that will offer complete functionality for a short-handed crew. The yacht’s innovative features will include hydraulic sail controls and a lifting keel to allow for shallow water moorings. Throughout the building process NEB’s in-house engineering team will work closely with the designer to transform the project from concept to reality, ensuring a finished product custom tailored to the owner’s needs.
As NEB’s reputation as a leading advanced composites builder has grown several projects have come from outside of the yachting world. A number of sculptors and architects have chosen NEB for special art projects utilizing composite materials. In 2004 NEB fabricated two 40 ft. GRP, foam and epoxy “wings” for artist Masayuki Sono’s sculpture, Postcards, which now serves as the Staten Island 9/11 memorial. Work is currently underway on a complex large scale sculpture for Frank Stella, one of the foremost contemporary artists in the world.
Although, the current state of the economy has contributed to a slow- down in custom yacht construction, NEB’s metal fabricators have remained busy with a range of projects. Since 2003 NEB has worked with NAIAD Inflatables turning out a range of aluminum hulls for the company’s line of Rigid Inflatable Boats. Recently NEB performed hull plating repairs on Save the Bay’s 45 ft. aluminum research vessel, MV Aletta Morris. Having built this hull in 2001 NEB’s crew was familiar with the boat and its systems and was able to quickly remove an engine and batteries that blocked the hull repair area. New hull plating was cut, fit, and welded in time for a Coast Guard Inspection so that the boat could participate in the busy holiday seal watching program. The metal shop will remain busy throughout the winter after the recent signing of a Ray Hunt-designed 35 ft. aluminum jet boat customized for sport fishing and cruising in Maine.
With a 360-slip marina located on the East Passage of Narragansett Bay NEB is able to offer a full range of services to sail and power yachts up to 100 feet. Originally developed by the Navy for use as a PT-boat training center the marina offers instant access to some of the most celebrated boating areas on the east coast. A range of businesses located within the facility cater to boat owners including the Melville Grill, The Ship’s Store chandlery, DePaul Diesel, East Coast Yacht Sales, Naiad Inflatables and Custom Navigation Systems. With three Travelifts, 107,000 square feet of heated workspace and acres of outdoor storage space NEB is well equipped for anything from haul-out and minor repairs to major refits and new construction projects.
NEB’s record of growth and innovation has set the company apart as a true success story among Rhode Island’s small businesses. Through its work on the twelve meter yachts that sailed for the America’s Cup off Newport in decades past NEB retains an historic link to Rhode Island’s past. Now, with two decades of innovation and a growing international reputation New England Boatworks is playing an important role in the future of the state’s boating industry.
Written by: Robert MacBain
Contact:
Bob Sharkey
New England Boatworks
401 683-4000
bsharkey@neboatworks.com
