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Nereia is a sailing
yacht of style and distinction. Although designed in 1947, her lines
recall a much earlier tradition that dates back to the Golden Age
of Yachting. With her clipper bow, wineglass stern, and clean sweeping
sheer, Nereia is one of L. Francis Herreshoff's most beautiful and
best known designs.
Middleton Marine is
proud to offer this great classic in high quality fiberglass construction.
Our goal is to carefully maintain Nereia's traditional elegance
while building a truly modern vessel using the best of contemporary
materials and technology.
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Nereia is
the union of power with comfort, style and grace. She is everything
you would expect from the master designer. Her hollow bow seems to
fold back the water, in a way that is beautiful to see, as she slips
easily along in the light morning air. A full-bodied mid section and
11,000 pound lead keel provide easy motion and the muscle to carry
full sail as the breeze picks up. The full length keel-outboard rudder
design is "sure footed" and tracks well, even in a large
following sea. |
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(Click
picture to enlarge)
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Stepping aboard, you
immediately sense something really solid beneath your feet. The
wide, clear side decks, high bulwarks and ample weight lend a sense
of security and give Nereia the feeling of a larger boat. This must
be what Herreshoff meant when he referred to Nereia as "A real
little ship".
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Below decks, Nereia's
cabin radiates old-fashioned charm and hand crafted quality. Our traditionally
styled furniture and cabinet work are built with hand selected solid
mahogany stock and finished with deep glistening coats of varnish.
No plywood or wood veneer is used as a finished surface. Of white
"V" groove paneling on major bulkheads brightens the cabin
and provides rich contrast with the deep red mahogany. |
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Middleton Marine does
not use a fiberglass liner or any type of "drop in" interior.
Basic structural components are built in place using high quality
plywood. Bulkheads,
bunktops and shelves, etc., are cleated, glued, and screwed together.
The assembly is then bonded to the hull and deck with double diagonal
fiberglass strips. This unified structure acts like a honeycomb,
adding strength and rigidity to the final product.
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Herreshoff's original
lines have been faithfully reproduced in our exceptionally fair
hull mold. Middleton Marine hulls are a single piece solid fiberglass
laminate using premium gel coats and resins with alternating layers
of 1 - 1/2 oz matt and 24 oz woven roving. A total of six pairs
above the waterline, and eight pairs below, produces a strong and
rigid hull. These layers are overlapped at the centerline, doubling
the thickness of the stem, keel, and deadwood areas. If a light
color is selected, the gel coat will be backed up with a dark color
so that any air trapped in the matt layers can be easily seen and
removed. This work is all carefully done by hand.
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Nereia's deck, designed
by naval architect Chuck Paine, is properly traditional in style
and has wide and unobstructed side decks and foredeck. The single
piece molded structure includes the cabin, cockpit well and cockpit
coaming, but is free of other molded features. This permits flexibility
in locating hatches and hardware and avoids a "stamped out"
appearance. The laminate of four layers of 18 oz. biaxial stitched
roving, cored with 3/4" edge grain balsa, produces a deck which
is strong and rigid but not overweight. The hull and deck are fiberglassed
together, inside and outside, with a total of six pairs of 3/4 oz.
matt and 18 oz. double diagonal roving. This time consuming method
assures a permanent and leakproof connection.
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