23' Herreshoff Cape Cod Marlin Sloop (1971) - MYSTIC

Mystic is a Cape Cod Marlin built by Cape Cod Shipbuilding in 1971. All but her hull was was rebuilt from a traditional Marlin in my back yard in Edgewater, Maryland. Everything was removed essentially back to a bare hull and rebuilt.

My goal was to create a last boat for me, by me, that reflects the lovely lines of an original Herreshoff that was pretty, efficient, and sailed well that I could sail easily, comfortably, and proudly until I can’t.

The Marlin is a fiberglass version of the Herreshoff Fish class designed by N.G. Herreshoff in 1914 and redesigned in the 1950’s by Captain Nat’s son Sidney to be built of fiberglass by Cape Cod Shipbuilding of Wareham, MA.

Mystic started out as Caprice, a standard Marlin whose lovely Herreshoff lines and epoxy barrier coated hull made her perfect to convert to look and feel of a 23′ version of a Herreshoff Alerion.

The process ultimately took over four years and involved removing the Atomic 4 engine, gas tank, shaft, shaft log, etc., sazalling off and removing the molded house, cockpit, interior and all the bulkheads. Only the bare hull and portions of the deck were reused.

The engine was replaced with an electric trolling motor in a housing aft of the keel.

The self bailing cockpit was replaced with a teak cockpit sole, 12” lower than the original for more comfortable sailing.

Aft deck was extended 12” forward for ascetics

The vinyl rub rail around the gunnel was removed and fiberglass hull deck joint refashioned and rounded over to support new teak toe rails slightly inboard of the rail.

Fiberglass cabin house and original teak comings were removed and replaced with matched teak comings leading forward to form the side of the new house to reflect an original Herreshoff design,

The position of the new house and main bulkhead was moved aft 2’ to provide a longer foredeck, a more roomy interior, and smaller cockpit for single handing.

The interior was removed and replaced with a 6’+ vee berth and a chart table with drawers and electrical panel to port of the companionway and an ergonomic seat seat to starboard

The fiberglass transom was laminated over with 1/4” teak milled from original comings

The overlapping Genoa requiring winches was replaced with a new self tending jib with a Sitka spruce jib club similar to the Alerion.

Electronics include wind instruments, speedometer, and depth sounder on a NEMA network backbone

After launching in the fall of 2021, the trolling motor was replaced with a ePropulsion EVO motor mounted in a custom side mount and
connected to a new electrical panel in the cockpit. A 2 kv LFePO4 battery is mounted in the forepeak just under the deck.