Virginia Reel and six sisterships

design #629, 44' x 40' x 13'1" x 4'6" steel motorsailer, 1954



"scan from Chapmans"		 Virginia Reel was designed as a comfortable and seaworthy offshore fishing boat, able to stay out and take heavy weather.  Her cockpit had fighting chairs and the transom had a hinged door.  She was built of steel, with twin diesel engines. 

Her keel was articulated but shallow.  While not a smart sailer, she could sail fairly well.  A shelter over the steering station was added on all the sisterships.
 

Check out how a 1959 sistership, originally named Moonshell, later Natica, now CUAgain, is being restored -- click here.
This design had its inspiration from full displacement fishing trawlers with steading sails.  They retain the high, strong bows, deep hulls, and full-length shallow keel of the offshore fishing boats.   Rhodes gave them more sail area than a small steading sail and a different approach to deck and living arrangements.  These boats were typically twin screws, built of steel, and did not have centerboards.  They were 70-30 motorsailers.  The largest motorsailers in this series did have centerboards, and may have been closer to 50-50s. 

This basic concept of a motorsailer provided the hull form for one smaller and several larger boats:
  38 feet:  Dutchess III (1955, design number 638)
  52 feet:  Saba II (1967, design number 799) 
  52 feet:  Discoverer (1969, in fiberglass, design number 816)
  57 feet:  Dragger Lady (1958, design number 685)
  65 feet:  Virginia Reel II (1958, design number 689) 
  70 feet:  Kanaloa/Sharelle (1960, design number 712)
 

Page updated April 24, 2007
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