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1959 Amphibicon 26’ cedar on oak sailboat project with trailer NR

  • Condition: Used
  • Make: Amphibicon
  • Year: 1959
  • Location: Eustis, Florida, United States

Description

1959 Amphibicon sailboat 26' cedar on oak w/trailer. Needs work!
Designed by E. Farnham Butler, the owner of the Mount Desert Yacht Yard in Maine and Cyrus Hamlin, Naval Architect, in the early 1950s, this boat was in many ways ahead of its time. 123 Amphibicons were built, most directly at the Mount Desert Yacht Yard, either by the boatyard itself or by owners as kits. Some were built by other yards. This particular boat was built by Vator in Helsinki.The Amphibicon features relatively simple construction of a cedar strip planked hull over oak frames. It is small enough to be launched from a trailer, but large enough to sleep four adults and have stand-up headroom (when the pop-up roof is raised). All of the oak members are built up of 2" planks with only the edges beveled or shaped, so repair will be relatively easy, as boat repairs go, as long as you have the tools/lifts/cradles, etc. to work under a big boat. Being strip planked, there are no ribs to speak of. Only the cedar is bent, and that is all ok, so no steam bending will be required for repairs.
Length: 25'-5"Width: 7'-9"Draft (Centerboard up): 2'-4"Draft (Centerboard down): 4'Displacement: 3900#.Keel ballast: cast iron.Keel bolts are all stainless steel and are in good condition.
This Amphibicon comes with:Custom trailer, with extendable tongue, surge brakes, spare tireSet of sailsSet of heavy weather sailsSpare (older, but usable) sailsI believe there is a spinnaker in there as wellHonda BF15A outboard gas motor (in motor well), w/both electric and pull start. 15hp.Head is a (like-new, barely used) portable toilet as you might use in a small camperTwo tanks for potable water and a foot pump that were purchased and never installed (currently has a stainless steel sink basin and water supply was via a jug of water that sits next to the sink)Stove is a two burner propane Coleman camp stoveI have several pages of the original plans for construction.Automatic electric bilge pumpI am not sure what I still have in terms of paint, varnish, epoxy, strippers and other repair and refurbishment materials, but you are welcome to all of it.

Condition:Oak components are in need of replacement: centerboard trunk, deadwood, stem, sternCedar is generally good. Some a bit rough but serviceable.One fiberglass patch to cedar hull, which is not noticeable and is in good condition.Decks are good, with non-slip grit embedded in the paint. I believe there is a layer of fiberglass protecting the decks as well.Exterior brightwork is no longer bright.Needs paint, varnish & polish.Pop-up/dog house portion of roof has degraded beyond what is shown here. This was a replacement construction from somewhere in the past, and they didn't get the proportions right or build to the same quality, so this is no great loss. You'll have to build a new one, but it's just a big box. If you're going to tackle the hull issues, this doghouse will be a piece of cake.Aluminum and steel portions of rigging are in good condition with the exception of one bar anchoring the stern stay that broke, but it would be easy to fabricate.Rope portions of rigging will need cleaning or replacement.
Some things have been dismantled to begin the centerboard trunk repair: floor boards up, keel bolts loosened, quite a lot of epoxy removed from the junction of trunk and hull (still some remaining)Plugs over screws in transom have been removed in preparation for stern repair.A fair amount of hardware has been removed in preparation for wood repair & painting. All is present. Most of the hardware, especially the castings, are brass. Some of the newer additions are stainless steel.
She'll need some elbow grease to get back in shape, but it will be well worth it.The schematic pictures above I got from the Amphibicon owners group. These are not the plans. The plans do contain much more information than this.I was ambitious when I took on this project. However, finances, health and free time have all deteriorated since then, and there is just no way that I will be able to restore her to her rightful glory. As much as I hate to part with her, she deserves to go to someone who can. Yes, there's a lot of work here, but there's a lot of good, sound stuff here as well. For someone experienced with wooden boats, it will be relatively simple work. There's no reason she can't go for another 59 years.
For what it's worth, the asking price is less than half of what we originally paid for boat and trailer and all equipment. Just the trailer alone is worth more than that. Not looking to get rich off the sale. Mostly, I want her to go to someone who is going to fix her up and give her the care that I was unable to.
Come on out and see her. I want you to know what you are considering, and get any questions you have answered. She is just north of Orlando.
Edit: We recently took down three good-sized live oaks. If you have a way to move and mill the trunks, you are welcome to them. They could go a long way to providing the oak necessary for the hull repairs. We do have a sawmill around the corner, but haven't had a chance to talk to them about this possibility, yet.

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