fish class sailboat

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The privilege of owning a Herreshoff classic

By Ben Emory For Points East

The author was dumbfounded when he first laid eyes on Perch, after buying her sight-unseen in 2014. She was pure perfection. Photo by Benjamin Mendlowitz

In August of 2014, just as dark fell, the Fish-class sloop Perch, on her trailer, was dropped off at Brooklin Boat Yard on Maine’s Eggemoggin Reach. I’d purchased the Nathanael Herreshoff-designed boat sight-unseen, based on a YachtWorld.com ad and photos sent by Tyler Fields of Ballantine Boat Shop in Massachusetts. Built in 1925, she had been restored in 2005 by MP&G of Mystic, Conn., a shop as good as it gets for Herreshoff restorations. She also reportedly had had excellent maintenance for the following nine years. Still, I was dumbfounded when I first laid eyes on her just after sun-up the morning after her arrival. She was perfect – absolutely pristine, with gleaming paint and unmarred varnish. I was bowled over by what was now mine.

The Fish class is Herreshoff’s enlarged version of his famous 12½. Three and half feet longer on the waterline, almost twice as heavy, and with a rig that’s relatively larger for the size of the boat, the Fish is faster, steadier, drier and more powerful.

The first Fish boats were built by the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company of Bristol, R.I., in 1916 for racing at Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club on Long Island Sound’s Oyster Bay. A later group was built in 1925 for the Warwick Country Club in Rhode Island. Although she lacks her builder’s plate showing her hull number, Perch is almost certainly one of the latter fleet. She sports the lovely visual accent of the Herreshoff molded sheer strake (topmost plank), a feature the earlier Fish boats lacked. She also has a Marconi rig like the 1925 boats, although some of the earlier Fish boats were converted to Marconi from the original gaff.

I grew up hearing about a Fish boat my father had owned, but sold, the year after I was born. He often talked about how much he regretted selling her and all the fun he, my mother, and family and friends had had in her. “Best boat I ever owned,” he said. His judgment was seconded by L. Francis Herreshoff, Nathanael’s son, himself another famous American yacht designer. For some years I’d had in the back of my mind the possibility of trying to own one someday. Then I saw the online ad.

Less than two days after her arrival the boatyard launched Perch into Brooklin’s Center Harbor, having painted the bottom and stepped the mast. This thrilled not only me and my wife Dianna, but our five visiting small grandsons. Soon we had East Boothbay sailmaker Nat Wilson’s outstanding, traditionally made sails on the spars, the soft polyester sailcloth a light cream color reminiscent of the cotton sails Fish boats originally used.

Sailing Perch on the Eggemoggin Reach and Jericho Bay was delightful. For a heavy, full-keel boat of her size she is fast. The tiller has the gentle tug of slight weather helm, the pull of the tiller increasing with building wind strength. Usually alone in a boat intended to race with the weight of a three-man crew, I found the boat slightly tender, but a single reef stiffens the boat markedly and reduces weather helm back to that pleasurable gentle tug. I’ve heard others complain of Fish boats having too much weather helm. Perch’s mainsail was cut quite flat and that might explain the weather helm I experienced on the boat, which anecdotally seemed less than that of her sister ships.

Perch’s exceptional aesthetics provided never-ending pleasure, whether aboard or admiring her from a distance. Her beauty attracted the attention of offcenterharbor.com’s videographer Steve Stone and still-photographer Benjamin Mendlowitz. Benjamin’s annual Calendar of Wooden Boats is always a masterpiece. For the 2016 calendar cover he chose, reportedly from among 3,000, a photo of Dianna sailing Perch at sunset on the Eggemoggin Reach. Offcenterharbor.com’s five-minute video “A Three-Generation Dreamboat – The Herreshoff Fish Class Sloop Perch” is spectacular and, as the website’s 250th video, was widely promoted. All this attention added to the fun of having Perch in our harbor.

There were two downsides to owning this masterpiece. To keep Perch in as perfect condition as when she arrived, I left her maintenance to the highly skilled wooden-boat professionals at Brooklin Boat Yard. She was not our only boat, and while the boatyard’s bills were reasonable for the quality of work done, they obviously added to the annual cash drain of my sailing passion.

The second downside – and others might feel very differently – is that the boat is TOO pristine for my family’s style of sailing on the Maine coast. I didn’t take her on family picnics, for I didn’t want sandy feet returning from an island beach stepping on the flawless varnish of Perch’s seats. I didn’t sail her to our float to pick up family or friends, for I didn’t want to risk too fast a landing and possibly scuffing the immaculate white topsides.

Several years ago I had an interesting conversation on the Brooklin Boat Yard float with one of the yard’s most senior personnel. He agreed that the expected standard for wooden-boat maintenance has arguably become too high. Nowadays, wooden boats are expected to be perfect. The financial cost of maintaining perfection limits who can afford a classic. That’s far different from when I was young. Some wooden boats were perfect, but many others were just OK. Yet the latter still gave their owners no end of pleasure, even if leaks, rot and failed gear created the occasional misadventure.

After exactly four years of fun with Perch I made a sudden decision one evening to offer her for sale. A night’s sleep did not change my mind, and by 7:30 a.m. I had an email off to people who might know prospective buyers. Literally within 15 minutes the phone rang. Tyler Fields of Ballantine Boat Shop, who had brokered my purchase, was on the phone. He was confident he had a buyer and asked if I would hold the boat through the weekend. Tyler was on his way to Brooklin the very next day for the Eggemoggin Reach Regatta. Could he take a look at Perch? He came straight to my house, and I rowed him out to the boat. He looked around and pulled out his cell phone. I overheard him say that the boat was in even better condition than when she had left Ballantine’s four years earlier. He finished the call and made an offer slightly higher than what I had paid. Sold! The buyer was a Herreshoff enthusiast in Massachusetts, who already owned one of the Herreshoff Buzzards Bay 25s. The smaller, more manageable size of the Fish class appealed to him. By the following week Perch was on her trailer enroute to Marion. Owning one of Nathanael Herreshoff’s extraordinary Fish-class sloops was a marvelous adventure from its beginning to the happy, although sudden, end. It also was a treasured privilege.

Ben Emory of Bar Harbor and Brooklin, Maine, has decades of experience afloat. When not on the water, he has been deeply engaged in land conservation, professionally and as a volunteer. His book “Sailor for the Wild: On Maine, Conservation and Boats” was published by Seapoint Books in 2018 (see pg. 98).

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Designs Daysailer

20’3″ Flatfish Class Sloop

Inspired daysailer with a centerboard conversion similar to the Haven 12 1/2.

20'3" Flatfish Class Sloop

The original print version of this article can be viewed as a PDF or purchased from the WoodenBoat Store.

T he winter of 1913 saw the great Nathanael G. Herreshoff wintering in Bermuda, with a new boat, ALERION, designed for his own use. He was so pleased with this new design that most of his subsequent small sailboat designs could trace their lineage to her.

In 1914 came the wonderful 12½-footer, and the next winter brought a some­what larger version, known as the Fish class. The boats in Alerion’s extended family, including the Buzzard’s Bay 25s, the Newport 29s, and the Fishers Island 31s, share cer­tain traits-shapely hulls, fast sailing, impeccable man­ners, and long lives.

Flatfish Particulars

In 1986, WoodenBoat introduced the Haven 12½ ­footer , designer Joel White’s centerboard version of the Herreshoff 12½. These boats were so successful and the design so well received that Joel was persuaded to design a similar centerboard conversion of the Fish class boat, which he has named Flatfish .

Like the Haven 12 ½, the Flatfish will require an accomplished builder. With the exception of the centerboard and its case, the original scantlings and construction details are used throughout, and Herreshoff drew his designs with the skilled builders of his day in mind. In addition, this hull must be carefully lofted if the full beauty of Flatfish’s hull is to be realized. Wooden Boat’s monograph How to Build the Haven 12 ½-Footer will provide valuable help to the Flatfish builder as well, as the two boats are very similar in construction.

Flatfish Drawings

The result will be more than worth the effort, as this boat must surely be one of the most lovely and able daysailers ever conceived. Yes, a well-built Flatfish, with proper care, will be a cherished possession for generations to come.

Plans for the 20’3″ Flatfish Class Sloop are printed on six sheets, and include lines and offsets, construction, gaff and marconi sail plans, and details for spars, hardware, and ballast keel. WB Plan No. 129, $150.00.

Flatfish Plans

DESCRIPTION Hull type: Round-bottomed. keel/ centerboard Rig: Gaff or marconi sloop Construction: Carvel planked over steam-bent frames

PERFORMANCE* Suitable for: Somewhat protected waters * Intended capacity: 1-5 daysailing Trailerable: Yes Propulsion: Sail

BUILDING DATA Skill needed: Advanced Lofting required: Yes * Alternative construction: None Helpful information: How to Build the Haven 12 ½-Footer , by Maynard Bray

PLANS DATA No. of sheets: 6 Level of detail: Average Cost per set: $150.00 WB Plan No. 129

*See page 96 for further information.

Completed 20’3″ Flatfish Class Sloop Images

An original Herreshoff Fish, SHARK, near Noank, Connnecticut. The Fish is narrower and deeper than the Flatfish; the greater beam of the Flatfish compensates for the reduced stability caused by the newer design’s shallower keel.

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Herreshoff Fish: A Good Catch

Sailing perfection in a manageable size.

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Herreshoff Fish Class   by N.G. Herreshoff

The Fish is a husky boat with a roomy hull more like a cruising boat, in some respects, than a daysailer.  She is much like a big Herreshoff 12 ½, with the same virtues of stability, rough water ability, good looks, and excellent handling characteristics. While she is only 4’ longer than the 12 ½, she has twice the displacement and thus, in real terms, is twice as big.

Her distinctive pointed-front cabin trunk (almost a Herreshoff trademark) simplifies the construction and leaves more useful deck space than other styles. The cuddy cabin allows some privacy for use of a head or bucket, and she can have a couple of berths if desired.  With the cabin trunk lengthened, she becomes a Herreshoff Marlin– a real cruising boat rather than a daysailer.

Compared to long-ended types she will be much drier, and somewhat less expensive for the amount of useful space inside. She will be better for off-season and cold-water use, and will generally be a fine, handy, compact boat that will keep the sailing fun even when conditions are less than optimum.  She will sail fast at moderate angles of heel, and like her smaller cousins features a large, deep cockpit that will be reassuring for folks of all ages and will be particularly good for couples with small children.

As with the 12 ½,  she is limited in her ability to land people on shore for picnics and such, due to her draft of slightly over 3’. For this reason Joel White revised the design to create the Flat Fish, which is a nearly identical boat with a foot less draft, a centerboard, and some more beam. The Flat Fish can find her way in more shoal water, and can drop people off on a beach or can be allowed to ground out more satisfactorily than the original.  The narrower, deeper boat is probably better to windward and is likely to have a slightly better motion in rough water. The centerboard trunk consumes some space in the interior of the Flat Fish. Having these choices simply means the boat can be fine tuned a bit to your local conditions and your intended use.

Click here to view images of Fish Class   Tulip

Marlin Heritage

Designed by: nathanael herreshoff.

The redesigned Cape Cod Marlin Heritage combines the best of Nathanael Herreshoff’s Fish and Marlin designs with a touch of modern amenities. Her classic hull shape below the waterline remains unchanged. The comfortable cockpit is slightly smaller than the original Fish allowing more cabin space. This is a return to the era of Herreshoff when simplicity was fundamental, boats were designed for performance, built with craftsmanship and pride, and remained strikingly beautiful.

New Boat Options

Marlin heritage (white hull, white deck, colored waterline stripe, antifouling bottom paint)..........$117,000.00.

Please inquire for additional upgrades and customization

Name painting & delivery also available

Prices subject to 6.25% Massachusetts Sales Tax, if applicable

© 2024 Cape Cod Shipbuilding Co. ®, Wareham MA USA [email protected]

Preview: A Three-Generation Dream Boat – The Herreshoff Fish Class Sloop – PERCH

*     *     * OffCenterHarbor.com is a membership website with over 1,000 videos and articles on boat handling, repairs, maintenance, boat building, dream boats and more.

Sign up above to learn more, and get 10 of our best videos. *     *     *

April 15, 2015

We pass a significant milestone with this video — our 250th video for members of OffCenterHarbor.com.

We fantasize about owning lots of different boats we see in Center Harbor and along the coast of Maine, and each of us have our own dream boats.  But a boat we all agree on, is the Herreshoff Fish class.

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You can leave a comment or question for OCH and members below. Here are the comments so far…

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40 Responses So Far to “ A Three-Generation Dream Boat – The Herreshoff Fish Class Sloop – PERCH ”

Joseph Wl Haley III says:

As a kid in the 50’s I sail on a 21′ Gaff headed sloop at the Sarasota Yacht Club in Florida. It was decked over with a small cockpit, fixed keel, inboard tiller and under hull rudder. Planked hull of Cypress. IT WAS A FISH CLASS, but not the design as this of New England/Herreshoff built.

I like this Fish better than the one I sail on in SRQ bay.

graham watson says:

Thanks, Guys, for yet another wonderful video. I wish we had somewhere in Europe like Offcenter Harbour! We’re getting better at re-evaluating our wooden boat heritage but we’ve still a long way to go. You inspire us!

Robert (Bob) Godfrey says:

Very nice as always! Keep up the great work!

Ahoi Mench says:

If I could only say one thing about the many wonderful videos produced by OCH it would be “slow it down”. Let us see more. Spend a tiny bit more time on details. I know what a molded rail is but my wife doesn’t. I’m a sailor. I’m not in a hurry.

Stephen Syrotiak says:

My friend Jack Bumstead owned what we believed to be the original Marlin. I’ve never sailed a better vessel than that….. Last I knew Jack gave it to the Herreshoff Museum…probably in the ’60s.. wonder what ever happened to her?

Bill Ertel says:

Beautiful little boat- would have liked to seen the interior and other details as well

Steven Wallace says:

Such a beautiful boat, a true work of art. I could look at this all day.

Brian Corbett says:

I agree wholeheartedly with Dianna Emory. I sail a beautiful Nat Herreshoff Half-Rater called Winifred in the UK and every time I sail her I admire her beautiful lines. Winifred is a replica of Wee Winn and is admired everywhere I sail her from Falmouth in Cornwall to Oban in the Scottish Highlands and Islands.

Walter Allan says:

Nice story about Perch in Maine Boats and Harbors this month with a pointer to your great 250th video. Should bring you some traffic and hopefully new subscribers. Love this video.

Howard Sharp says:

Congratulations on #250!

bob mcCorkle says:

What a satisfying, peaceful, and joyful video. I have watched it a few times now and will continue to do so. What a beautiful boat! Thank you for allowing me to share it with you. How will you do better?

John Wujack says:

I’ve watched this at least twenty times and I’ll watch it again and again. I have a devil-in-the-details question about the mainsheet rigging. Despite the fact that there seems to be enough space on the inner face of the transom to allow the final turning block to be affixed directly above the tiller, it’s offset slightly. Is there any specific reason? Thanks, John

Timothy Guy says:

Beautiful boat and sail! Mine wasn’t presented in HD though…..hmmmm…..

michele del monaco says:

You guys, building file for Myers Dreamscape… Lovely boat and Great video.

Larry Cheek says:

Lovely boat, beautiful video production. OCH’s video of the NY30 ALERA remains my all-time favorite, but this one approaches it. Hmm … qualities in common: Herreshoff design, Wilkins music, sailing action.

Suggestion: a feature on Cape Cod Shipbuilding’s new Marlin Heritage 23, a modern adaptation of another timeless Herreshoff design. Yes, it’s plastic, but OCH does occasionally step aboard an inorganic vessel, and Cape Cod’s Marlin is intriguing for several reasons. It’s also quite beautiful, at least judging from the photos. It would be interesting to dig deeply into the question of whether and how the spirit of the original crosses the transformation into the new material.

Steve Stone says:

Good idea Larry.

William English says:

That, in one video, IS Off Center Harbor. It’l be hard to top that. Well Done!

Mason Dyer says:

You guys over at offcenterharbor are amazing, I will forever be a member of this site.

Peter North says:

Well, the Fish Class video finally made me a member….lol. I have a long history of enjoying the look of the Fish Class. I liked the look of the boat in passing when I noticed the Cape Cod shipbuilding replicas built back in the 60’s, then I sailed a Cape Cod Mercury. The first home I purchased overlooked Dion’s Yacht Yard in Salem, MA. There one of the workers built a Fish for his own use and the owner’s brother had one of those 4 Marlins mentioned in the video. I once mentioned to him how I thought that was the best boat in harbor. Now all of this has got me thinking of building Joel White Flatfish….

Enjoy your new membership Peter. We’re thinking of building a Fish too.

Jim McGee says:

Great video, beautiful boat. Just wish it were longer :-)

David Anderson says:

Watching this super video is like re-living the hours I and my friends and family spend on our Fish Class repro in fiberglass built by Golden Era Yachts many years ago in Noank CT. It is indistinguishable from the video and gathers many admiring looks and comments as we sail out of Pt Judith. (Salt Pond). In 1973 I bought a Marlin from my neighbor. And who should I meet at the boat yard in Wakefield, RI as I was putting a cover on it but Maynard Bray. Of course he was unfamiliar to me then but who in this world of wooden boats doesn’t know him now? i still have it. The Fish is a dream to sail and will stand up in the roughest condiitions.

Daniel DeZwarte says:

Once again; a great video. Maybe, if we had smaller, more simple sailboats, we would sail more often with increased joy and enthusiasm.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Wishing you continued success.

David Dickmeyer says:

The boat is absolutely stunning, the music was a perfect match! But the video was way too short! I want to see more of this one. Congratulations on your 250th video! Thanks for what you do for those of us who are dreamers.

Jonathan Margolis says:

A dream boat–in the true sense of the phrase. And I can tell that the owners know how lucky they are.

Cheryl Baird says:

What a beautifully simple, elegant boat. Thank you for the video.

Brian Mosher says:

I can only confirm all the comments above, from my perspective here in Nova Scotia, that Fish design is beautiful to behold! Thanks again for a great video and for all of your offerings on this site. I am building a Whitehall 13′ in my basement and I couldn’t do without your site, as well as the many fine boat builders my wife and I met last fall, touring New England wooden boat shops and schools,

Thank you, Sincerely , Brian Mosher

John Hooge says:

What a magnificent boat for the 250th video. I will watch this one over and over. Well done everyone.

peter bachmann says:

Thank you OCH!

Maggie Hunt says:

Ben and Dianna- I’ve been looking forward to this all winter and it was worth the wait! What a treat.

Ben Emory says:

Can’t wait to see you again, Maggie. Yes, OCH has done an over-the-top job with this video!!

Congrats on the 250th video. Love OCH.

David Walker says:

Congratulations, Your love for the very essence of sailing is captured in this, your 250th video. What a delightful presentation. And, what a beautiful boat.

Hugh Bamford says:

Happy 250th

Doug Wood says:

The Fish is my favorite small sailboat design, and ‘PERCH’ is lovely!

David Tew says:

That’s the life, Ben! Your Presto in the south, a Fish in Maine. PERCH is spectacular.

David Owens says:

Lovely film of a lovely boat.

Mark Hawkins says:

Great Job OCH team!

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