BORN TO BUILD BOOK SERIES
By Andrew C. Vavolotis
James L. Nelson and the many Managers of Cape Dory who bring the story to life
Explore THE ADVENTURES OF THE BORN TO BUILD STORY...
BORN TO BUILD CAPE DORY - VOLUME 1
Born to Build Cape Dory
In Born to Build Andy Vavolotis has invited the reader right into the Cape Dory production shop, to experience first hand how this storied boatbuilding company grew from a one car garage operation to a major builder of one of the finest lines of yachts ever built. One quickly becomes aware of all that was involved in creating the Cape Dory Company, and the dedication to quality, durability and function that was the driving force behind Andy and the entire boat-building team that he assembled. The individual contributions to the chapters of Born to Build by many on this team bring to the forefront the dedication each one had to Andy Vavolotis, and to his work ethic and dis drive for perfection, something quite refreshing yet so rare in today's business world. The beautiful yachts designed by Carl Alberg, Clive Dent, and Andy himself will grace the waters of the world for years to come because of, what the reader will learn, went into every yacht produced by Cape Dory and Andy.
David Perry, Cape Cod
cape dory - THE EARLY YEARS
The Birth of Cape Dory
The Birth of Cape Dory
The Birth of Cape Dory
With the sailing rig in hand and my prototype fifteen-footer done, it was time for sea trials. I hauled the boat up to "The Nip" and took her for a shake-down cruise. This was the first boat I had ever created from concept through design and construction, and I was very pleased with the results. The boat rowed easily and was lively and re
With the sailing rig in hand and my prototype fifteen-footer done, it was time for sea trials. I hauled the boat up to "The Nip" and took her for a shake-down cruise. This was the first boat I had ever created from concept through design and construction, and I was very pleased with the results. The boat rowed easily and was lively and responsive under sail. It looked like I had a winner. But I was still lacking one thing - a company name.
I wanted something that reflected my association with Cape Cod, near which I was born and raised and where I had spent a considerable amount of time. Thus the name of my newly-fledged company: Cape Dory
The Cape Dory Typhoon
The Birth of Cape Dory
The Birth of Cape Dory
The eighteen-footer, a lovely little boat called the Typhoon, was designed by naval architect Carl Alberg. With its smaller size, and both hull and deck molds, it was much simpler to put into production than the Hood 30, and we started building them soon after I acquired the tooling.
As it turned out, the boat which I had initially decide
The eighteen-footer, a lovely little boat called the Typhoon, was designed by naval architect Carl Alberg. With its smaller size, and both hull and deck molds, it was much simpler to put into production than the Hood 30, and we started building them soon after I acquired the tooling.
As it turned out, the boat which I had initially decided against bidding on would be the boat that sent Cape Dory off on a bold and wildly successful new course.
Further Expansion
The Birth of Cape Dory
Further Expansion
The five-thousand-square-foot building we had built behind the original freight station was ready to go by then, and that gave us the space to start producing the larger, more complicated boats. Initially, we had two or three people working on the Typhoon, but soon we had to get more crew in the molding shop, and then more for assembly, a
The five-thousand-square-foot building we had built behind the original freight station was ready to go by then, and that gave us the space to start producing the larger, more complicated boats. Initially, we had two or three people working on the Typhoon, but soon we had to get more crew in the molding shop, and then more for assembly, and then one thing led to another.
Typhoon production went from one boat every two weeks to one boat a week and finally one boat or more per day. By the time we were really going full steam, we must have had ten or twelve people just building Typhoons, while others were still working on the smaller boats.
cape dory - THE LATER YEARS
Cape Dory 28 Fly Bridge Trawler
Cape Dory 28 Fly Bridge Trawler
Cape Dory 28 Fly Bridge Trawler
The Cape Dory 28 Trawler was something entirely new for the Cape Dory line. At that point, we had around sixty Cape Dory dealers, but most of them were not interested in power boats, for one reason or another. Only twenty or so were willing to take on the new boats, so we started shipping Cape Dory 28 Trawlers out to them. And right off t
The Cape Dory 28 Trawler was something entirely new for the Cape Dory line. At that point, we had around sixty Cape Dory dealers, but most of them were not interested in power boats, for one reason or another. Only twenty or so were willing to take on the new boats, so we started shipping Cape Dory 28 Trawlers out to them. And right off the bat, those dealers were able to start turning boats over to their customers.
From the get-go, the Cape Dory 28T was a popular boat.
We built 223 CD 28Ts and were still building them right up to the end. It was by far our most popular powerboat, and one of our most popular boats overall. Even as the market for sailboats was sinking around us, the Cape Dory 28 Trawler kept us afloat.
Cape Dory 300 MotorSailer
Cape Dory 28 Fly Bridge Trawler
Cape Dory 28 Fly Bridge Trawler
The 300 MS, was designed as a proper motorsailer, a boat that could move very nicely under a tall, well-proportioned rig as well as with her forty-six-horsepower Westerbeke diesel. This was a boat built for comfort, with an older buyer in mind, one who was done with bashing along in an open cockpit sailboat. She had a full keel like a sai
The 300 MS, was designed as a proper motorsailer, a boat that could move very nicely under a tall, well-proportioned rig as well as with her forty-six-horsepower Westerbeke diesel. This was a boat built for comfort, with an older buyer in mind, one who was done with bashing along in an open cockpit sailboat. She had a full keel like a sailboat, and more than eleven feet of beam, a lot for a thirty-foot boat. Even under a press of sail, she stood up pretty well and did not heel excessively.
The pilot house featured seats with the ever-important arm rests, sliding windows, and vents for all the breeze you could want. There was a wide cockpit aft with seats that folded down, and an opening transom with an optional swim platform. With that platform, it was a cinch to bring a boat up to the stern and let the passengers board the boat.
CD 33 PowerYacht
Cape Dory 28 Fly Bridge Trawler
CD 33 PowerYacht
As a smaller sister to the now established 36 PowerYacht the overall hull characteristics followed the same theme. Modern but with homage to traditional New England boats. The 33, as the 36, was to be a rugged well-built seaworthy powerboat that could be handled by a couple and provide years of enjoyment to a family.
The CD 33 PY proved to
As a smaller sister to the now established 36 PowerYacht the overall hull characteristics followed the same theme. Modern but with homage to traditional New England boats. The 33, as the 36, was to be a rugged well-built seaworthy powerboat that could be handled by a couple and provide years of enjoyment to a family.
The CD 33 PY proved to be a popular boat. It was introduced in 1988 and we sold twenty-two of them, almost twice as many as the CD 36 PY. Now we seemed to be on a roll. Our strategy for our sailboat line had been to offer a wide variety of sizes so that Cape Dory customers could get in where they were comfortable and have some place to move up to when they were ready for a larger boat. There was no reason that that would not work with powerboats as well, so we continued to expand our line.
ALL NEW! BORN TO BUILD - ROBINHOOD VOLUME II
Born to Build Robinhood - A Maine Boatyard
Just finished Andy Vavolotis' Born to Build Robinhood and I have to say as a boat guy, sailor, retired builder and old building enthusiast, I can assure you that there is something for everyone in this thoroughly enjoyable read: Boat building of course (rowing craft, sailing craft, single, multihull, a small schooner, a custom built power boat for his own use, a small tugboat, floating rental homes and their attendant launches all featured). Then there is the history of the small marina acquired in the 80's that he completely rehabbed over the years. Now we have: The appreciation and preservation of historically significant architecture using antique method timber framing (combining old ways with modern technology), sensitivity to local history, and the building for his family a beautiful, and wonderfully landscaped home which he did for the first time (he was busy boatbuilding).
Andy is a man of many talents. In addition to his decades as a builder of fine boats, he is also an inventor, an engineer, a craftsman, an artist, a collaborator, an innovator and a damn good author and photographer. Here's hoping he keeps writing too!
Tom Witt, Boothbay Harbor, Maine
Chief Robinhood
Georgetown Island, on which Robinhood Marine Center is located, was originally called Erascohegan by the Abenaki people who first lived there. In 1649, an English fisherman, John Parker, purchased the island from Chief Mowhotiwormet, for a hogshead of rum and some pumpkins. Since the English could not be bothered to learn how to pronounce the chief's name, they called him Chief Robinhood.
BORN TO BUILD ROBINHOOD - A MAINE BOATYARD
Sasanoa
Yellow Jacket
Maid Marion
Searching for a small down east lobster boat style hull for my next personal project led me to a Webbers Cove build Webco 22 bare hull, in Brooklin Maine. The boat was designed by Spencer Lincoln of Lobsterboat Workboat fame, and it suited me just fine.
I visualized buying a bare hull and custom building it as a Chris Craft style runabout
Searching for a small down east lobster boat style hull for my next personal project led me to a Webbers Cove build Webco 22 bare hull, in Brooklin Maine. The boat was designed by Spencer Lincoln of Lobsterboat Workboat fame, and it suited me just fine.
I visualized buying a bare hull and custom building it as a Chris Craft style runabout with varnished teak decks and a small cuddy forward. Inboard diesel and positive foam flotation completed the must have elements.
Maid Marion
Yellow Jacket
Maid Marion
As I settled into my routine at Robinhood, I began thinking of an excercise regime that I could do after work, and rowing seemed like a natural. Robinhood Cove, where the boatyard is located, is a beautiful and well protected waterway, perfect for small boats. In Wooden Boat's Book of Plans, I found a sixteen foot double ender, designed b
As I settled into my routine at Robinhood, I began thinking of an excercise regime that I could do after work, and rowing seemed like a natural. Robinhood Cove, where the boatyard is located, is a beautiful and well protected waterway, perfect for small boats. In Wooden Boat's Book of Plans, I found a sixteen foot double ender, designed by the famed boat designer and buiilder Joel White, of Brooklin Maine, and drawn along the lines of a Norwegian watercraft called Shearwater.
I was building the powerboat Sasanoa in my Lakeville garage on the weekends, and once I was done, I set to work building the Joel White boat in the same space. This project was my first exposure to glued lap construction, using 9mm Okume marine plywood hull planking. The hull was completed with laminated fir stem and stem posts, keel, and transverse frames. West System Expoxy was used as the adhesive to glue everything together.
Yellow Jacket
Yellow Jacket
Yellow Jacket
During my early morning or late afternoon rowing workouts on Robinhood Cove, I often marveled at the serenity and calmness of the scene. Usually there would be little to no wind in the morning, and perhaps a light breeze late in the day: ideal conditions for a pulling boat. On bright or sunny days, however, the wind would often come up by
During my early morning or late afternoon rowing workouts on Robinhood Cove, I often marveled at the serenity and calmness of the scene. Usually there would be little to no wind in the morning, and perhaps a light breeze late in the day: ideal conditions for a pulling boat. On bright or sunny days, however, the wind would often come up by late morning and would blow fresh and steady all afternoon. The prevailing winds were usually from the south, and they came right up over the cove along its north/south axis.
It occurred to me that I should builld a one-man sailboat that could take advantage of this steady sea breeze. I looked around for the right design, and came across a fifteen-foot trimaran with a windsurfer sail rig that could potentially sail at more than twenty knots. That I knew, was the boat for me.
1820 Riggs General Store Full Restoration
1820 Riggs General Store Full Restoration
1820 Riggs General Store Full Restoration
Of the several historic buildings that were part of Robinhood Marine Center, the largest and most significant was the old Riggs General Store. At one time, the General Store was the center of activity in the Village of Riggsville. The store onv=ce housed the post office and the steamship office, and steamships would make daily stops there
Of the several historic buildings that were part of Robinhood Marine Center, the largest and most significant was the old Riggs General Store. At one time, the General Store was the center of activity in the Village of Riggsville. The store onv=ce housed the post office and the steamship office, and steamships would make daily stops there. The General Store also handled cargo from any number of trading vessels, and the catches coming in on fishing schooners. There was a lot of history in the General Store and Riggsville, which I appreciated, and hoped to do my part to preserve.
My plan was to completely rebuild the old post and beam store and turn it into the new home of Spartan Marine.
Houseboat - Tessie Ann
1820 Riggs General Store Full Restoration
1820 Riggs General Store Full Restoration
Building sea-going houseboats that could operate as a charter fleet would be expensive, and would require a dedicated service group that could be deployed at a moment’s notice if a houseboat was disabled in a far-off Harbor, or out to sea. Insurance would be high, and we would have to carefully screen renters to be sure they were qualif
Building sea-going houseboats that could operate as a charter fleet would be expensive, and would require a dedicated service group that could be deployed at a moment’s notice if a houseboat was disabled in a far-off Harbor, or out to sea. Insurance would be high, and we would have to carefully screen renters to be sure they were qualified to operate the houseboats. I quickly realized that the risk and expense far outweighed any possible benefit.
Still, I couldn’t shake the idea and after much thought I hit on another plan. Instead of a sea-going houseboat, how about a houseboat that was permanently moored? A floating summer cottage essentially? It would be far less costly to build and manage and entailed a fraction of the risk. We could offer this new concept to non-boaters, so they, too, could enjoy the beautiful Robinhood Cove. That was the driving force of the concept, and I was ready to give it a shot.
Triton Tug
1820 Riggs General Store Full Restoration
Triton Tug
The all new pilothouse was built with 5/8th Divinycell foam panels fiberglassed inside and out using west epoxy to complete the lamination. In the end light and strong!
As the many detail photos attest to the design and execution of this great little tug, she was truly a joy to command. For a few years the Triton Tug was part of the Robinh
The all new pilothouse was built with 5/8th Divinycell foam panels fiberglassed inside and out using west epoxy to complete the lamination. In the end light and strong!
As the many detail photos attest to the design and execution of this great little tug, she was truly a joy to command. For a few years the Triton Tug was part of the Robinhood Houseboat Fleet and was available to qualified skippers for daily rentals.
Benjamin Riggs Schooner
Robinhood 36 Sailing Auxiliary
Robinhood 36 Sailing Auxiliary
The Robinhood 25 Schooner finally named "The Benjamin Riggs" after the original developer of the boatyard site. History records that at one time over 100 small 50' to 60' fishing schooners were tied up in Riggs Cove. In the early 1800's Benjamin Riggs ran a general store on the waterfront and owned a number of 80 to 90 foot coastal schoon
The Robinhood 25 Schooner finally named "The Benjamin Riggs" after the original developer of the boatyard site. History records that at one time over 100 small 50' to 60' fishing schooners were tied up in Riggs Cove. In the early 1800's Benjamin Riggs ran a general store on the waterfront and owned a number of 80 to 90 foot coastal schooners that regularly traded with the West Indies. It's only appropriate that we continue that tradition by building a schooner "The Benjamin Riggs" to add to the heritage of the site.
Robinhood 36 Sailing Auxiliary
Robinhood 36 Sailing Auxiliary
Robinhood 36 Sailing Auxiliary
As the Robinhood 36 sailing auxiliaries started coming off the line, I began looking at building powerboats as well. Phil DesChamps of Nauset Marine had purchased the tooling for the Cape Dory 33 power yacht, and I entered into a deal with him: Robinhood would pay a royalty fee for each hull molded as a Robinhood power yacht. This was a g
As the Robinhood 36 sailing auxiliaries started coming off the line, I began looking at building powerboats as well. Phil DesChamps of Nauset Marine had purchased the tooling for the Cape Dory 33 power yacht, and I entered into a deal with him: Robinhood would pay a royalty fee for each hull molded as a Robinhood power yacht. This was a good deal for Robinhood, since we only used Nauset's hull mold. Robinhood built a new deck mold that was more trawler type and Downeast style.
I contacted Clive Dent, a former Cape Dory naval architect, to design the new deck. I was pleased with the final design, and with that we pulled up and began building Robin Hood 33 power yachts.
Robinhood 33 Power Yacht
Robinhood 36 Sailing Auxiliary
Robinhood 33 Power Yacht
At Robinhood, we chose to feature a single screw design.
A skeg-attached propeller shaft affords the best protection and grounding, which is why that design was typical of many hundreds of Maine Coast lobster boats. Our 33 incorporated a unique and effective "vented skeg" (pictured above) design, built of carbon fiber, that was permanently
At Robinhood, we chose to feature a single screw design.
A skeg-attached propeller shaft affords the best protection and grounding, which is why that design was typical of many hundreds of Maine Coast lobster boats. Our 33 incorporated a unique and effective "vented skeg" (pictured above) design, built of carbon fiber, that was permanently attached to the hull, and supported a prop shaft cutlass bearing and large fiberglass rudder. This assemly was strong and enabled a little more maneuverability. For that reason, and the efficiency of the single engine drive system, we continued promoting this concept for the Robinhood 33 power yachts.