Amanda

Frank Paine design #365 (1934)

In 1934, Francis Belknap and Frank Paine of Boston designed a practical but striking 31-ft cruising sloop for Paul Mooney of Medford. MOONBEAM (design # 365) was built and launched by Frank Jesse of Plymouth, as noted in the November 1934 issue of The Rudder magazine. This lovely one-off design was re-discovered by builder Dave Corcoran and Kurt Hasselbalch, Curator of the MIT Hart Nautical Collections, while searching for a unique and suitable cruising yacht to fit the criteria of the owners, Nancy and David Moncton, who have enjoyed many years of sailing in the Canadian Maritimes, particularly on the Bras D’Or Lakes of Cape Breton. Corcoran completed the hull with cedar planking on white oak frames with a mahogany backbone at Arundel, Maine in the fall of 2006, but tragically passed away in early 2007.  E. M. Crosby Boatworks of W. Barnstable, Ma completed this unique New England classic yacht.  AMANDA is a “hybrid” with an electric motor and a small generator.  Recently a rig with shorter boom and a backstay has been fitted, improving performance and simplifying sail handling.