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I fell in love with the Haven 12 1/2 the first time I saw the plans described in the Woodenboat Magazine Catalog. I had always had an urge to build a boat, but not just any boat. It had to look "classic" and it had to be seaworthy ... one that I could enjoy sailing. I've had my fill of racing dingies, Hobie Cats, and hanging over the side at the end of a telescoping tiller extension. Those boats are fun for the first 15 minutes and then it starts to feel like "work".
I think if I knew then (when I bought the plans) what work and time it took to build, I may have never started. Luckily, I was "ignorant" enough to just go ahead and do it. I bought the book by Woodenboat "How to Build the Haven 12 1/2" and Joel White's plans from WoodenBoat. I first studied the book and looked at every step. I felt that I had the wood working and tool handling skills (learned from my Dad). I already had the saws and my Dad gave me some old planes and spokeshaves from my Grandfather. I measured my garage and saw that the project would just fit. I started in 1991. The project became a Saturday hobby that progressed slowly but surely to the boat you see in these pages.
Status: .... GONE SAILING.
The Haven 12 1/2 is finished! I've been sailing quite a lot on Galveston Bay in the past year. This bay gets quite choppy when the wind picks up. The Haven has proven itself to be quite seaworthy and is no slouch either. No leaks, it's holding up very well. I really enjoy sailing this boat.
A few notes for boatbuilders who may be reading this:
The Hereshoff "egg" tipped tiller (my tiller shown above) is made of ash. The floor boards were made of some extra 1/2 inch mahogany that I had. I thought about eventually replacing the mahogany floor with teak but I now think the varnished floor looks and feels good. Generally, all materials are exactly as specified in the plans: White oak, white cedar (shipped from an East Coast mill), mahogany, ash for tiller, douglas fir for the mast, and marine (ShellMarine) mahogany plywood.
Bristol Bronze supplied all my fittings. With varnishing nearing completion, the fun stuff is installing all the bronze. Roger Winiarski, owner of Bristol Bronze, has been very helpful in answering questions about the rigging, fittings, and is a wealth of knowledge on Herreshoff hardware for the 12 1/2's. He makes all of it to original specifications. The fittings he has supplied to me have all been nicely made.
Bronze bolts and screws are from Jamestown Distributors. The sails are from Center Harbor Sails in Brooklin, Maine. They are made of the new Oceanus Cloth from North Sails (see WoodenBoat Jan/Feb98). The sails turned out beautiful in the cream colored dacron and workmanship was excellent.
I use a Nissan 3.5 hp outboard on a bronze bracket to get in and out of the marina, having to make my way through a busy channel. This sailing area has a high concentration of yachts, shrimp boats, etc. At the end of the day, it's like rush hour with boats lined up down the channel extending out into the bay. I call it the "parade".
If you're out sailing on Galveston Bay, you might see the BIENVENIDO .... seas 1-3, winds from southeast 10-15 knots, temperature 90 degrees .... perfect. Of course there's only about 9 good sailing months a year on the Texas Gulf Coast ....