TwentyEightFeet
LIZZY BELLE
Lizzy Belle is an H28 class Ketch rigged sailboat designed by L. Francis Herreshoff. H28's were first built in 1942 and have since become one of the most circumnavigated sailboats in their class. Lizzy Belle was built in Chester, Nova Scotia by Chester Boatwork's in 1968 and named after the wife of the original owner Elizabeth Belle. In the winter of 2012 the first chapter of my adventure became a reality as Lizzy Belle and her crew sailed the blue waters of the Caribbean. From there we'll have the trade winds to help guide our way.
March 2010 - Bridgewater, NS CANADA
March 2012- Charlotte Amalia, USVI
In the beginning...
In March 2009 I came across a 28 foot sailboat dry docked on the Port of Bridgewater, Nova Scotia. This long forgotten wooden boat (Lizzy Belle) had been built in Chester, NS in 1968 and was designed by L. Francis Herreshoff as an offshore sailing yacht. Without any engine or spars (masts) her future was bleak. Negotiations with the owner in a small pub in Halifax resulted in my favour. The next 5 months were spent examining and restoring every detail in her hull, decks and quarters. Cracks were filled in her hull, dry rot replaced in her bow, a used engine installed, sanding, painting and and caulking seemed endless. Main and mizzen masts were scoped out and purchased. Lizzy Belle was revived. She had a second chance at life and little did I know, she gave me one in return. Owning and maintaining a traditional wooden sailboat requires continuous loving care. In return I receive she provides me with the thrill of the open ocean sail, the challenge of seemingly endless creative problem solving, and the enjoyment of preserving an important part of Nova Scotian Heritage.
SORCA
As with any wooden boat there is a past... both historical and personal. Here is her historical side... Sorca was built in 1978 by Murray Stevens in Second Penninsula and is classified as a Class 3 Tallship. She is a Nova Scotia Schooner that has an overall length of 76 feet. We undertsand she has crossed the Atlantic Ocean 12 times between Nova Scotia and Ireland by her original owner. In 2012 a company under the name of ThinkSail bought Sorca as her main asset with plans of developing a sail training program. In the winter of 2015 ThinkSail was purchased by the Welsford Family with ideas of continuing everything Lizzy Belle has built up over the past 7 years. We like to think big!
Sorca had been sitting on the hard at the Lunenburg Foundry for almost 18 months. It took Sarah and I, being overseen by the family and many boatbuilding friends, an exhausting yet impressive 2 months to get her in shape and ready to splash. We set our "Splash Date Goal" for June 1st and up to the very last minute we found ourselves deep in the engine room and putting finishing touches on the hull... and we did it! Once in the water, the upkeep is continuous. There was electrical work, plumbing, sail repair, woodwork, deckwork, metal work and a never ending list of tasks to be completed. Absolutely perfect! This is why we love wooden boats!