Sensible Cruising Designs

L. Francis Herreshoff created some great yacht designs. His designs are marked by clean, sweeping lines and a simplicity of hull and rig that show that they have been drawn by a true artist. In each design, he strips away every non-essential and leaves the true elements of a masterpiece. His father, Nathanael G. Herreshoff, had the same genius, but whereas the work of the father emphasized engineering perfection, the work of the son emphasized artistic perfection.

Francis Herreshoff's work certainly shows the influence of his father, but his designs are tempered with an even older tradition. One of Captain Nat's famous designs was the little Buzzards Bay 12 1/2-footer, which may be examined in the plans at the back of this book in the form of Francis Herreshoff's slightly enlarged copy, the Buzzards Bay 14-footer. It is interesting to note the influence of this design on L. Francis' well-known cruising ketch, the H-28. But the schooner yacht America, which came out decades before Captain Nat began designing yachts, also had considerable influence on several famous Francis Herreshoff designs, such as the Tioga II, now Ticonderoga. And L. Francis was obviously intrigued with the possibilities of the double-ender, an ancient form of hull.

The primary designs in this book are based on L. Francis Herreshoff's series of articles in the Rudder magazine of the 1940's and 1950's detailing how to build many of his designs. It was a very popular series, and a considerable number of boats were built according to the plans and instructions L. Francis included. We have added to these design plans for 46 additional small craft and cruising yachts designed by L. Francis.

It is our hope that his book will lead to the building of more and more boats from the designs of L. Francis Herreshoff. There could be no more fitting tribute to him.

L. Francis Herreshoff designed an amazing range of boats, from simple tenders to simple daysailers to meter class racing yachts. In its day, Ticonderoga, a Herreshoff designed 72 footer was a renowned ocean racer that set records that lasted decades. His double paddle canoes are still being built and are excellent examples of the type.

L. Francis is probably best known for his small cruising boats, the H-28 and the Rozinante, both of which have been included in the book with detailed articles by L. Francis titled "Building the....". But as I stated above, L. Francis was a man of many opinions and so in describing building the H-28 he launches off on a variety of topics from how to carry guns on a boat to the type of food one should eat while cruising. L. Francis's crusty writing is clear and forthright, with nothing held back; good solid fire from the hip and let the chips fall where they may stuff.

L. Francis had a marvelous eye for developing beautiful boats. His designs are a joy to behold. As a (sometimes) fellow yacht designer I admire the quality of drafting. As a (sometimes) fellow yacht designer, I admire the quality of drafting which is deceptively simple and clear while conveying a tremendous amount of information.

Today, many of the designs themselves are really relics of a bygone time. They are but a snapshot of a time when boats were simpler and sailing was a more of hands on sport. As boats have become more complex, and modern boats seem to have become so heavily dependent on electronics and hardware, its helpful to have a book like 'Sensible Cruising Designs' be remind us once and a while that sailing and sailboats does not have to be so complex.


One of the best   September 3, 1999
 15 out of 16 found this review helpful

It's surprising how poorly this book is selling. Herreshoff was one of the top yacht designers ever, and probably the best draftsman ever. This book shows many of his designs. It should be owned by anybody interested in sailing craft, design, or even drafting.