While the yacht Ouzel was designed in Newport, R.I., it is the expertise brought by a Rockport boatyard that is getting the vessel ready for the high seas.
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Rockport Marine is slated to wrap up construction this fall of a 95-foot sailing yacht that’s been several years in the making and positions the boatyard to better take on European rivals.
While the yacht Ouzel was designed in Newport, R.I., it is the expertise brought by the Rockport boatyard that is getting this boat ready for the high seas.
“A yacht like Ouzel would most often be built in Europe, and likely from aluminum or possibly composite,” Sam Temple, Rockport Marine’s president, told Mainebiz. “This is our bid to compete in that space.”
Founded in 1962, Rockport Marine specializes in custom wooden boat construction, restoration and design. With 60 employees, the boatyard stores and maintains a fleet of classic wooden boats and usually has some large restorations and/or new builds in progress.
In this case, Ouzel (whose name pays homage to a variety of blackbird) was designed by Newport, R.I., naval design firm Langan Design Partners LLC. Project management is being provided by Marine Construction Management, a Newport, R.I., firm that specializes in overseeing construction of custom-built, large, luxury yachts often called “superyachts.”
At Rockport Marine, Ouzel is being built using cold-molded wood construction. The process involves layering thin sheets of wood with epoxy resin and is said to create a strong, light hull. The technique yields a strong shell while requiring less framing than a traditional plank-on-frame wooden yacht, said Tom Degremont, a partner at Langan Design.
Materials used for the construction of the boat’s internal structural grid include carbon fiber, also commonly used in boatbuilding to provide a high strength-to-weight ratio.
Contributing to the carbon fiber and fiberglass components were Steve Hassett and Nate Hassett, family members who own Custom Composites Technologies in Bath.
‘Wilder places’
Ouzel’s owners are experienced boaters whose previous yacht was a 64-footer from a high-end builder in Finland called Baltic Yachts, according to a news release.
They will use Ouzel, which was designed to their specifications, for an extensive remote cruising itinerary.
“They are interested in exploring wilder places,” said Temple. “The boat’s systems and to some degree construction details reflect that brief.”
The design combines a classic above-the waterline look with a modern underbody.
“When the clients were choosing a builder they were focused on Maine boatbuilding, and they have given an opportunity for this unique industry to show the best it has to offer,” said Temple, a third-generation boatbuilder. “Maine and, more broadly, the U.S. Northeast contains a confluence of marine tradespeople, allowing elements of work to be shared across multiple shops.”
In boatbuilding, Maine has a strong reputation.
The yacht’s owners “already knew they wanted to build in Maine and understood our construction methods,” said Temple.
Construction of initial parts began in late 2022. It’s expected that the boat will be launched this fall, followed by sea trials with the goal of allowing Ouzel to sail away for the winter.
