39' Concordia Yawl (1959) - MISTY

Here is the classic Concordia Yawl, Misty, (original name) built in 1959, at A&R, and sailing in Penobscot Bay, Maine. She is my third Concordia yawl — I can’t get enough of them. I have owned bigger boats, but I returned to the Concordia’s elegant simplicity and good manners at sea. The more I sail the boat, in big seas and small harbors, the better I like her. Maybe she is not the best hi-speed motorboat, nor the best dockside apartment afloat. But you can’t get better than the careful wood construction and highly polished mahogany and bronze. A jewel box that can take you to the Classic Yacht Races in Newport, across the Gulf of Maine, or to the islands east of Schoodic.

I wish more sailors realized these Concordia yawls are such a joy to sail. Not a lot of gadgetry or fussy labor assists like electric winches, which will often take away from sailing time to repair.

Misty spent her early years in the Great Lakes under the care of one zealous sailing family, and her bronze fastenings and metal work remain in new condition. I have painted her smooth hull with Epifanes Misty Grey, and her brightwork is as close to perfect as I can make it. Two weeks every year, Misty and I take out students from the WoodenBoat School, to show them the outer islands and seabirds of Penobscot, through the high tidal range and steady winds. Rest of the time, my family and I sail from Newport to Mount Desert, feeling blessed to be in this near-magical vessel. Ask me about the basking sharks close to the hull, the sound of whales blowing, gannets diving out of the clouds, and puffins swimming alongside.