We are halfway through the Annapolis Boat Shows and are thrilled by the turn out so far. The first official brokerage show was a great success- a little warm, but rewarding. Thank you to all who stopped by to say hello.Next up, Sailboat Show....

The fourth of July brings many things to the Chesapeake bay maritime industry.  Visitors flock to Annapolis to enjoy the sights and to eat blue crabs at exorbitant prices.  Wayward yachters often take the opportunity to casually inspect a few boats while in town and in the right hands can become owners by the 5th (they should have gone for the crab...

If Nat Herreshoff had designed the Laser this is what it would have looked like. The Melonseed is one of the most handsome day sailors and they sail as good as they look. The boat’s sheer line is subtly springy and her low freeboard and deck camber contribute to the elusiveness of her lines. Her work boat origins dictated her low profile, wide side...

Showing boats in January is about as much fun as doing it in August.  When the humidity peaks and the thermometer hits 90 you can only imagine what it is like on inside of a boat that has been baking on the hard.  The same holds true for midwinter. Icy decks and ladders buried in snow are just two of the perks.  When the Mid-Atlantic summer is in f...

When I was growing up the Maine license plates all used to say“Vacationland”.  Those of us that lived there knew the truth and that for 6 weeks of the year that statement was absolutely correct.  Sometime in my early adolescence, the slogan changed to “the way life should be”.   For six fleeting weeks, life along the coast of Maine exemplifies thes...

The FHY team had a great time at the Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show last weekend.  We had a strong presence and some might say we are a force to be reckoned with when it comes to selling powerful, capable, blue water sailboats.  For those of you interested in selling your sailboat and moving into a powerboat, we are well versed in helping sailors t...

A caption from "The Golden Century" by Ross MacTaggart about Gem, a 164 ft motor yacht built in 1913,After a very difficult week, you're lying in a chaise on the aft deck of you 50-foot yacht. The stress you've felt all week is slowly draining from your face. Suddenly, a shadow blocks the warm, invigorating sun from your face. Opening your eyes, yo...

The New England winters play tricks on the mind and cause residents to hatch and execute ideas that the less vernalized folks of the Mid – Atlantic would only dream of.  My father decided one winter that SKATER, his beloved Norseman 400, would look and sail better if she had a sugar scoop.  Sounds simple right?  It is not.   After  calling West Mar...

Our March designer of the month is Thomas Gillmer, Maryland’s adoptive son. The following biography was taken from sailboatdata.com:“Thomas Gillmer was born in 1911 in Warren, Ohio and became interested in ships at an early age. After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1935 he served on light cruisers in the Pacific and Mediterranean. He bec...

We can be sure that warm weather is heading our way soon, though it may not feel like it. We woke up to piles of snow yesterday morning all across Maryland.A client of FHY found this lovely scene on the way to his Bowman 48 in Oxford.However, just a few hundred miles south, the flowers are blooming.Scott Taylor spent the weekend in Oriental, NC, wh...

This shot was taken by my wife, Jamie, on Shinbone Alley while we were waiting for a weather window for the next leg of our journey south.  One of things I like most about the photo is the way our shadows were cast against the pink building on the right.  You can clearly see by the giant lopsided silhouette of my head that I was overdue for a trim....

UNCAS named for the last sachem of the Mohegan tribe is a N. G. Herreshoff designed Buzzards Bay 18 and is the first one to be built since 1904!  There were 5 boats built originally during the winter of 1903/1904 and construction details are scant.  The wizards of wood at Artisan Boat Works in Rockport, Maine built UNCAS for her new owners in Booth...

The new owner of this Pacific Seacraft 44 is working with Diversified Marine to put the boats bottom back to factory spec. The light grey material is the remnants (after sanding) of a factory installed barrier coat installed over the beige gel-coat.The vinyl ester resins used by PS, have served extremely well to protect the boats laminate, even aft...

With modern yacht designers catering to the ever important trend of efficient powerboats the Energy 48 has to be one of my all-time favorites.  Her exquisite sheer and her brightly finished house would lead one to believe that she is descendant of the venerable Jonesport line of lobster boats made so popular by the great Will Frost.  For the oarsme...

A client of Scott Taylor, cruising off the coast of the Bahamas, took this beautiful shot from a paddle board.

FHY broker, Bill Day recently heard back from some very happy and well traveled clients to whom he sold this 1985 Wauquiez 42.The buyers report they…"...have traveled over 7,000 miles since we last saw you.  We spent the winter of 2011-2012 in the Caribbean and went as far south as Dominica.  The following spring we crossed the Atlantic with stops ...

Forbes' son, Hendrix, hard at work."At FHY we pride ourselves as being  innovative and forward thinking with an eye towards harnessing new talent.  Our brokers are of the highest caliber and make excellence a habit."- FHY Owner, Forbes Horton 

"One of the things I remember about the large steam yachts was their characteristic and delightful odor. If you passed under the stern or close to leeward of one of them you smelled the combined odor of the new varnish, linseed oil, brass polish, Havana cigars and champagne, all mingled with engine room smells and the slight odor of teak and other ...

When we go for a sail, our first concern is which way is the wind blowing...and how hard? OK, maybe we look for a SUNNY, 80 degree day first-then worry about the wind. We might be on a power yacht...When I plan an offshore passage of 8-10 days duration, I can generally anticipate the first 2-3 days with some confidence but after that, where do I tu...

One of our all time favorite builds/designs is Tom Gilmer’s 35 Southern Cross Cutter. “Prudence”, has been cruising in the Bahamas this winter and has nestled right up close to the flats to allow for some world-class Bone fishing. Congrats to Mike Stone (Captain of Pru) and to Kirk the first mate and angler! Sailing photo is from a Chesapeake Bay s...