Step in. Push away from shore.
Center yourself. Settle into the familiar stance, take a bearing over your shoulder...and pull.

Here to sail today instead? Just as well - the breeze is steady, you've got her rigged in about a minute and a half, and pretty soon you're tacking toward the point, and away from the telephone.

       The good news is that we at Modern Classic Craft build quality rowing and sailing craft and offer them at affordable prices.

       The bad news is that you don't have yours yet.

       So take a deep breath, picture yourself gliding across the water, and when you're ready...slow down. All B&S Whitehall Boats have a story - and if it's the right boat for you, then yours will too.

That story starts here.

       Whitehall boats have plied the New England waters since the 1700s. Favored by merchants in Boston and New York harbors for ferrying cargo, people and wares to and from the offshore shipping fleets, these hardy boats have proven their speed, agility and seaworthiness as yacht tenders, dinghies and day sailers for more than two centuries, and have long ago earned the title "classic" boats.

       Today, this classic design is a mainstay at several boat-building schools, providing students with practice and training in so many of the skills needed in wooden boat construction, as well as a beautiful and valuable product.

       But these wooden boats are expensive. They are also heavy to handle, and need frequent maintenance. In short, they are inaccessible to most first-time boat owners, and impractical for most veterans with precious little leisure time.

       Thirty years ago, Harry Sylvester found the perfect solution. He wanted a boat with the classic lines, beauty and craftsmanship of the Whitehall, yet he needed one that he could easily trailer single-handedly, and that he wouldn't need to haul out and strip, caulk and paint each season. Harry reasoned it was time to marry the Whitehall design with more modern construction methods. The resulting union -- based on the original Whitehall design -- has been proudly offered by B&S Whitehall Boats since 1972. Nor have we been idle since then -- we have refined and expanded the line to include five hull lengths -- 10', 12', 14',16' and 22' -- all available in either rowing or sailing-and-rowing models, all with fiberglass hulls finished in mahogany, and all striking both in beauty and function.

10' Rowing Boat        This is the ideal yacht tender - designed for hauling behind a larger boat, the 10' Whitehall can handle the surf, rows like a thoroughbred, and is surprisingly stable.

10' Sailing Boat        It's hard to conceive of a finer craft for getting ashore, or getting about. Go gunkholing in the 10' Whitehall with sprits'l rig, and forget the stress of your life at the helm, or at the office.

12' Rowing Boat        Taken from an antique wooden Whitehall, this boat has some of the most pleasing lines of anything on the water. Stable enough for lake or river fishing, or for ship-to-shore duty.

12' Sailing Boat        This sprits'l daysailer slides off her trailer and is ready to sail in about five minutes. Perfect for learning to sail, she still has plenty of moves to satisfy the weathered mariner.

14' Rowing Boat        This is our newest model, developed at your request. Lots more room than our 12', tracks like a Whitehall, and as stable as the 16'.

14' Sailing Boat        We're going to offer this with a lateen rig, still getting fitted at the sailmaker's. This rig is simple, and performs better than the sprit, but is much easier to rig than the gaff. We think you're gonna like this.

16' Rowing Boat        Whitehalls this size row best in tandem. There is a harmony - a zen, even - to the synchronous rhythm of two scullers pulling in concert. This is the New England boating experience.

16' Sailing Boat        Available in sprit or gaff rigged models, this Whitehall is the most versatile craft going, with room for six adults, and a whole world to explore.

       It was 1972 when Brown and Sylvester built the first mold for a 12' Whitehall from an authentic wooden original, kicking off B&S Whitehall Boats. Since then, they have built a full line of Whitehalls, from a 10' sailing or rowing dinghy to the Custom 22' motor launch or gaff sailer.

       During this 30-plus year ride, Harry Sylvester bought out the company and moved home to Central Maine, to work his Albion farm, build fine Whitehalls, and confront a few demons. With the bedrock support of his wife Janet, and the independence he earned as a lone craftsman, Harry finally learned what set him apart from "normal" people.

       It is called dyslexia, and after he faced it -- and discovered what a monumental feat he had accomplished by triumphing over it without ever knowing what it was -- Harry has turned his recent efforts to sharing his skills -- and his story. Thanks in no small part to Harry and Janet, today's generation knows that a learning disability need not be a sentence to a life of diminished expectations.

       I met Harry in 1996, while I was studying to become a teacher. I asked him about a sailing rig I wanted to build - my plan was to build boats in the summers and teach the rest of the year. Harry showed me his operation, and I soon went to work with him as an apprentice, taking over the company about a year later.

       In those ten years or so of experience I have learned a few things about myself and about the company I have taken over. I learned, for instance, that the product I offer has a market far larger than what a single person can put out during the summer months.

       This means that I have had to reach out to find quality fabricators to help me with the hull work and part of the bright work, in order to try to meet demand. Our pricing, regrettably, reflects the increased overhead involved in this new approach, but we believe we are still the best deal you will find.

       I have learned, too, that my need to provide financial security for my family outweighs my desire to teach -- though I do make it a point to sub in my kids' schools from time to time, just to keep them on their toes. Today I practice as a commercial insurance broker, and I do only the finer finishing work on the Whitehalls, though I continue to oversee and vouch for their quality.

       In 2007, we will offer the first 22' Casco Bay Whitehall, a new picnic boat designed specifically to enjoy day trips out among the islands. We also continue to offer our full line of smaller Whitehalls, with several in inventory, and a short lead time for the rest. To reserve your place in the schedule, we require a 50% advance deposit.

       Both rowing and sailing models of our 10', 12', 14' and 16' Whitehalls are available, either in stock or with short lead times. On receipt of your deposit we can deliver any of these boats in four to five weeks for row boats, slightly more for a sailing model.

       In 2007, we will offer the first 22' Casco Bay Whitehall, a new picnic boat designed specifically to enjoy day trips out among the islands. It will have some very special features and late in the year we will have some photos of the first one (earlier if the right customer comes along).

       To reserve your B&S Whitehall, we require a 50% advance deposit. This is refundable if you decide not to buy the boat - we don't want to steal your money, or make you take home a boat you don't love, or decide you cannot afford. But we often must "clear the decks" to finish a boat for delivery, and we must turn down other customers once you have reserved your boat. A significant deposit is a measure of your commitment to your purchase, and allows us to commit the resources to its completion.

JANUARY 2007 PRICE LIST

10' ROW BOAT $2,450
10' SAIL BOAT $3,700
12' ROW BOAT $3,600
12' SAIL BOAT $5,400
14' ROW BOAT $4,200
14' SAIL BOAT (Lateen) $6,300
16' ROW BOAT $4,800
16' SAIL BOAT (Sprit) $7,200
16' SAIL BOAT (Gaff) $8,400
22' ROW BOAT (Basic) $12,000
22' SAIL BOAT (Gaff) $19,500
22' CASCO BAY WHITEHALL (Picnic) $24,500

ACCESSORIES:
Oars - Flat and Spoon Blade
Leathers and Buttons
Trailers
Covers
Bilge Bags
Fenders
Sail Rigs
Gear Hammocks

22' ACCESSORIES:
Motor bracket
Bilge pump
Spray dodger
Transport cover
Oars
Trailer

Prices are subject to change without notice. All prices F.O.B.
Yarmouth, Maine. Delivery and shipping arrangements available.

Ready to order? Really? That's fantastic! When you order your boat, I ask for a 50% deposit, and will have your rowboat ready in four to five weeks, sailboats possibly a bit more.Send me a check for half the listed price, and we'll get your boat ready.

But I have taken pains over the years to make sure each boat is a good fit for the buyer. These are great boats, but they aren't right for everyone, or every situation. So while I am happy to have your order and will accept your deposit by check, along with it I need your phone number and convenient times to call. The deposit will ensure your place in line, but I still have to make sure this is the boat you'll be happy with.

Snail Mail:

Modern Classic Craft
Attn: Pat O'Toole
31 Stockbridge Drive
Yarmouth, ME 04096

Telephone: 207-712-3312

Reaching me by phone is a hit-or-miss proposition, and though I make sure I chat with every purchasing customer, I have office hours at my regular place of employment, and family time that I need to respect. And I am very responsive to email inquiries.

Email: potoole@maine.rr.com

I love email. And I hate it. Responding to every email inquiry takes time. Time that would otherwise be productive. Yet every sale begins with a question, which deserves to get an answer, so I do.

       ATFAQ stands for Answers to Frequently Asked Questions. An FAQ would be just the questions themselves, wouldn't it? We are already online, sending messages at the speed of light. Do we really need to move so fast that we have to drop the words "Answers to", as well as the central meaning and purpose, from the phrase?

       Leaving my pet peeves behind, here is my start at answering the questions my customers most frequently ask:

       Let's go backwards - the last question everyone asks me is whether boats are available right now. Please see the Schedule. The answer, briefly, is no, but for all the smaller boats, we can deliver them in about four to eight weeks (less for rowboats, more for sailboats). Sometimes we have them finished and in stock immediately, but those go right out to customers who have paid a deposit, so a real conversation about immediate delivery cannot begin until you are one of those customers. Deposits, though, are refundable if you change your mind.

       Next, yes, we can ship your boat anywhere in the country. In 2007, Yarmouth ME to California cost just over $500 for a 10' boat. This price (which is highly variable with fuel prices and unfilled capacity) was from Navis, a nationally franchised freight forwarder.

       A great alternative to common carrier delivery is to come and get your boat -- maybe make a vacation out of it. Maine is great, Yarmouth is on the coast, and LL Bean is about five minutes up the road. I can put up to a 16' boat on top of most cars. I am currently exploring a relationship with a local B&B with a beach or dock, so you can combine a stay on the Maine coast with a sea trial of either your new boat or a demonstrator.

If you live in New England or Quebec, I might be able to deliver it for you. I charge $1.25 per loaded mile, if I can schedule a personal trip around it, or sometimes just because I want to help you out.

       Now the frequently requested specifications:

16' Rowboat: 200lbs, 16'LWL & LOA, 57" Beam
14' Rowboat: 180 lbs, 14'LWL & LOA, 55" Beam
12' Rowboat: 155lbs, 12'LWL & LOA, 51" Beam
10' Rowboat: 100lbs, 10'LWL & LOA, 48" Beam

       No, you don't want to car-top the sixteen. It's definitely not like a canoe. (Although it can be done for a one-way trip home if you want to pick yours up.)

       No, I will not sell a bare hull so you can finish it yourself. That leaves me doing the thing I like least, and making less money doing it. Doesn't sound like a good deal to me. Actually, now that I think about it, I will sell you a bare hull. The price is exactly the same as for a finished boat.

       No, I don't offer a sliding seat. If you decide you want a boat and want to put one in, I can work with you on that project. There are a couple of products out there that can be adapted.

       Yes, we sell trailers. But if you are shipping by common carrier out of state, you might as well buy one near home. Any 800lb capacity bunk-type trailer will do for up to the 16' model.

       Yeah, the spoon blade oars are worth it if you are serious at all about rowing.

       Yes, all the boats can carry an outboard motor. They are displacement hulls, so they can't go much faster than 8 or 9 knots, plus a heavy motor will weigh down the stern and pop the bow up - very unstable, unsafe things to do with a light-weight thoroughbred rowboat. But a 2 ½ horse, long shaft on the 10' is workable, up to maybe a 5 on the 16'.

       Sorry, as pretty as it looks, the 12' foot rowboat is really not ideal for rowing with 2 people on a regular basis. (See below.) It is, however, the perfect one-man ocean or lake rower.

       And...we are now offering a 14' model, in rowing and sailing versions. Pictures will be taken this summer.

       The Sprit Sail rig is being phased out, and will be replaced with the new Lateen rig. Our Sprit didn't have a boom, and got lousy downwind performance. We always wanted a rig that would fold down inside the hull for travel. The lateen still does that, but it flies. Huge improvement, better overall performance and more sail area, and it uses the same mast as the Sprit, so if you have an older one and want to really sail, we can fix you up. It has taken me a little while to come up with a gooseneck that worked and didn't cost an arm and a leg, but we have it now. Pictures to come.

       Oh, and here's my favorite Frequently Asked Question: "How come those guys out in Canada that make Whitehalls sell them for so much more money than you do?" Good question. Call and ask them.

       This is a traditional looking boat and its going to stay that way. You can have a hull in any color you want as long as its white. We don't do Kevlar or Pre-preg carbon: the light weight might make it easy to carry and quick to row, but it will also catch the wind and flip the boat over in a choppy gail, and these boats go to sea!

       Now, if I have not answered your particular question, and you are interested in a high quality, hand-built boat at a reasonable price, please feel free to email me your additional questions. Well, maybe free isn't the right word. In the past I have found that freely answering email inquiries can take a lot of production time away from me, and so from my customers' boats. If you have a simple question to help you decide about a purchase, I'll answer you as best I can. If what you ask requires research to answer, and you are not a likely customer, my time has value.

       Thank you very much for your interest in B&S. Good luck in your search for the right boat. I hope to see you on the water!

       Pat O'Toole
       B&S Whitehall Boats