The Jan./Feb. edition of Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors carried a cover story by Ted Hugger offering local perspective on the build and launch of the 95′ sloop Ouzel designed by Langan Design, built by Rockport Marine. With thanks to the magazine, here’s an excerpt, with a link to the full story:
It’s not something you see every day here on Maine’s Midcoast. Strolling down the hill to Rockport Marine’s waterfront facility one Sunday morning in early November, I couldn’t help but notice the mast that towered above the yard’s rugged wood-clad buildings, providing the first inkling of the size of the sailboat suspended in slings and waiting to be launched.
For the past three years, Project Ouzel had been the talk of the area’s boatbuilding community, and rightly so. At 95 feet LOA, the superyacht tapped the skills of artisans and shops across the state and beyond, with all the parts and pieces coming together under the careful guidance of Sam Temple, third-generation boatbuilder and president of Rockport Marine.
Ouzel combines a classic sheer line, generous overhangs, and a low-profile deckhouse coupled with a performance rig, high-aspect rudder, and a modern bulb keel. The yacht blends traditional and contemporary in a modern interpretation of a classic pilothouse cutter.
“We started construction on this project almost three years ago,” Temple said. “It all began when the client approached Peter Wilson, president of yacht management company MCM Newport, and said, ‘I want to do this crazy thing.’”