Naval architects collaborate with McMillen Yachts on a complete rebuild of this historic 110-foot
classic American motor yacht
There’s nothing quite so classic as the varnished gleam of a Trumpy motor yacht’s profile, and
Langan Design’s Tom Degremont has been studying one in intricate detail. Maemere, a 110-
foot yacht built in 1929, is undergoing a complete restoration at McMillen Yachts, and the builders
brought in the firm for what Tom calls “a beautiful engineering challenge: figuring out the best
way to update and improve a 100-year-old hull while respecting the historical building
techniques that have already lasted a century.”
Maemere was only a few days away from being cut up in California when Earl McMillen rescued her and shipped her back to Rhode Island. A full restoration is now in the hands of the same experienced workers who restored the slightly smaller Freedom 15 years ago.
Langan is collaborating with McMillen Yachts on the structural upgrades that will make the yacht better than new, while bringing the hull shape back to its original true lines. The owner also wants to install a gyro stabilizer, so structure will be added to properly support it and tie it into the hull. Although not original, modern gyroscopic stabilizers can drastically improve motions, and they come in relatively small packages. Had these been available when she was built, she would most likely have had one. “Stabilizers were already in use a century ago,” Tom says. “But they were too big for anything for a yacht of this size. This update is very much in character on a vessel that was built to maximize creature comfort.”
A preliminary hull scan documented the hull shape and complete exterior. “It will help us understand how the hull has changed over time, which in turn will inform how to optimize the tweaks to the structure,” Tom explains. After a careful study, Tom is working with the team at McMilllen on the plans to tie the new structure into the original steel bulkheads and wood framing, which were state of the art in 1929. As the project progresses, Langan Design will assist in the selection and placement of various equipment, including an updated shaft line, bow thruster, and other ship’s systems.
“This project requires a very different mindset from building a new boat like Project Ouzel or the NorthCoast 415HT,” Tom says. “A key objective is to respect the historical context and construction methodology that has worked well for almost 100 years, while leveraging some modern approaches where it makes sense. It is also exciting to collaborate with such a strong partner; the team at McMillen Yacht’s has already completed a very similar yacht to an extremely high standard. The refit will take several years to complete, and I’m really enjoying the challenge of helping update and improve this historic vessel and bring her back to her former glory.”
