Dear Friends May 2009

May 2009
Dear friends,
April was a good month. The Florida shop refit has been completed and got its first project in the building, a varnished Chris Craft runabout. We are in the process of remodeling our Florida ship’s store as well. Everyone who has seen it has raved. I, however, am in North Carolina and have not seen it yet. Stephanie hasn’t even sent me any pictures. She wants me to be surprised.
I came up to Beaufort to be a judge at the North Carolina Maritime Museum’s Wooden Boat Show and have stayed on to hold down the fort. Nathan Smith, my partner and brother-in-law, and Renee just welcomed a beautiful baby boy, Mason James Smith, 7 pounds, 11 ounces. Nathan is taking some much needed time off to help out. Mason is as handsome as can be.
I recently took a trip down to Wilmington, N.C. to spend the day with naval architect Bruce Marek. Bruce has worked on a few projects with us, from dealing with U.S. Coast Guard certified yachts such as Innisfail to the schooner project in Florida. We have been working on the launch construction drawings, line plans and profile. This all started with a half model I made a while ago. We have come a long way. The length has grown from 28 feet to 40 feet. And, from the advice of long-time client and friend Mr. Hollis Baker, a stand-up day head has been incorporated. I have attached a profile. The idea is simple. Integrate the beauty of a pre-war yacht with a modern underbody and construction inspired by Innisfail. She will be cold molded. This will make for a light and strong boat.
The speed will range from 40 HP, 6 knots; 200 HP, 20 knots or more; to 460 HP with 40 plus knots. It will seat 12 people and a captain. The wheel is forward. In the aft, an additional set of motor controls and a pop-in tiller will allow you to be a part of the party or take a slow cruise around the harbor on a Sunday afternoon. It will be called a Moores 40 launch and will sport a bronze trumpet on both sides of the bow. There is a haws pipe for the anchor. From the front wheel, the anchor can be launched and retrieved. There is a winch and cleat under the deck. This will make it easy to anchor for lunch or any other time. We are very proud of how the ideas have all come together.
There has been a lot of great things happening in the Trumpy community. On May 9, history was made in Portsmouth, R.I. with the re-launching of Freedom, the 103 Mathis Trumpy, Contract 181, built for Albert G. Fay. The first time I saw Freedom, she was held together with Fiberglas. Earl McMillen had the vision to restore her and 7 years in the making, with a lot of patience and focus, she now graces the water again. I am sure Mr. John Trumpy Sr. would be proud because she is a magnificent yacht. This is the biggest restoration of a Mathis Trumpy to date and I hope it will inspire more.
In other Trumpy news, the new Trumpy yacht company has its first order and two are pending. And, the Trumpy Yacht Association is putting together its web site, www.TrumpyYachts.Org. Bill Waskey, TYA’s president, has asked for help with content. If you have photos, stories etc., send them to the association’s webmaster Catherine Freeman at catherineafreeman@hotmail.com and wwaskey-RWThomas@comcast.net.
I have had many people ask whatever happened to Sea Hammock, the 84’ Trumpy yacht built in 1961, Contract 400. My reply has been that she is sleeping. Well, she has been until now. This story will unfold.
After seeing the damage on Sea Hammock after her grounding, Mark Spillane, the owner of Coconuts, a 75-foot Trumpy built in 1965, Contract 420, asked us to cut off her fins. To many, this might seem extreme, but to me it seemed like a sound solution. We are currently looking into alternatives to fins, a gyro that turns about 10,000 RPM in a vacuum. It’s 3 feet by 3 feet and doesn’t have to be installed on the center line. The gyro can be left on at anchor to stop rolls even on the hook. In mid June, I will be attending a seminar on installation and maintenance for the Sea Keeper Gyro. The preliminary calculations are that we will control 75 percent or better on rolling. That’s as good if not better than stabilizers that dangerously hang below. I am very happy that we are seeing true alternatives to this problem.
Another problem that we have decided to handle in-house is shaft maintenance. We invested in the equipment needed to do these jobs that includes a device that was designed back in the 1940s by Tommy, John and Emil Rybovich. The device is for targeting shafts with up and down, side to side, fine adjustments. It’s a simple design but still used today in building those fine boats. I borrowed one from a friend, went to a machine shop and had it made. I asked my friend Mike Rybovich whether he prefers laser or wire targets. He just laughed. “Our sportsfish are 75 feet and do 40 MPH. I prefer a wire target over laser. They’re just as accurate and they are faster and easier to set up. “
We have both systems, laser and wire targets. On our last four yacht haul outs, America, Innisfail, S.S. Sophie and MY-CY, we’ve replaced the bearings including realigning the shaft. On the sea trials on S.S. Sophie, with all her floorboards opened up and at running speed, Capt. John and I could have a normal conversation while close to 80 feet of shaft whirled under our feet, 40 per side. Nathan and his men do a great job.
I’ve really enjoyed being in North Carolina. I’m having such a good time, who knows, I might want to spend the entire summer up here. Since I’ve been here, I’ve seen a lot of wildlife. Just in the backyard at the cottage, I’ve seen deer, a bob cat with pointed ears and a fox. Driving home the other day, a big buck stood in the middle of the road. When we launched S.S. Sophie, there were dolphins playing in the Intracoastal. With spring in full bloom, it has been good to be here. With a new baby, boats and bobcats, it’s been a terrific change of scenery.
Until next time,

Jim Moores