Dock Buzz

Hodgdon Steps Out

Infusing a 100-foot carbon fiber hull places this renowned boat builder in rarefied air.

By Capt. Ken Kreisler

If you’ve been keeping up with my DOCK BUZZ postings, you will recall the 26Feb article on revered boat builder Hodgdon Yachts’ winning a prestigious and well-deserved Showboats Design Award for Fledgling, a limo tender to the 203’/63m, Feadship-built Sea Owl.

The Hodgdon legacy began in 1816 and has continued through five generations of the family launching their prized vessels into the waters of the Damariscotta River on the shore of East Boothbay, Maine.  Through two turns of centuries, world wars and conflict, economic booms and downturns, the name Hodgdon has been associated with visionary and cutting edge boat building.

The 1999 launch of Liberty, a Bruce King design featuring an interior by Allan Walton, harkens back to the commuter express yachts of the 1900’s used by Wall Street financiers. She is just one of the many exciting and unique projects Hodgdon Yachts has accomplished in its amazing career.

 

Infusing a 100-foot hull mold is a complicated process and involves careful monitoring of the resin flow and pressure.

In yet another move forward, Hodgdon has announced the successful infusion of a 100-foot, carbon fiber hull mold making it one of the USA’s largest, single hull infusions and only one of a few done a worldwide scale. “The amount of planning, organization and coordination required to effect this successful work is formidable,” said Tim Hodgdon, President of Hodgdon Yachts. “Our talented team along with the vast experience and leadership of our project partners Tim Hacket and Brandon Linton continues to strengthen our core competence in advanced composites.”

This ‘interior’ view shows the scope of the project.

Hodgdon’s success with infusing large composite parts, such as this 100-foot hull, and along with other boat builders doing the same, will only serve to increase the interest to designers all over the world on the advantages of using advanced composites in their projects as well. “We are pleased to be one of a handful of shipyards in the world capable of executing projects like this, and to be a leader in this technology in the USA”, Hodgdon added.

The Boat & Yacht Report will be keeping tabs on this project as it moves forward. If you would like any further information about this particular topic, or any of the other designs and builds from Hodgdon Yachts, please visit the company Website at http://www.hodgdonyachts.com