From the Merry Maiden to an Unfinished Dream—Seeking a Team to Restore a Family Legacy
My father had his big adventure on the Merry Maiden—a Philip L. Rhodes design from 1946, a classic yacht with its own 4,000-year lineage of design excellence. That adventure cascaded into everything he became: an engineer, a designer, a builder of community.
But there was another boat. A smaller one. One that my father began—and never finished. That unfinished project carries something precious: the dreams he had, the adventure he imagined, the continuation of a legacy that started on the water.
Now, decades later, those boat parts are arriving. And we're seeking a team—builders, dreamers, craftspeople—to finish what he started.
A sailing experience that opened possibilities, shaped values, and set the direction for a life of creation and community.
Translating the rigor of nautical design into innovative solutions: solar houses for harsh climates, systems thinking, precision craftsmanship.
Co-founding Brown's Wood, an utopian community in Lincoln, Massachusetts—proof that bold ideas about how humans should live together are possible.
A small wooden boat, started with intention, set aside for the work of living. Now waiting for a team to carry it forward.
The boat was the beginning. Everything else cascaded from that spirit of adventure and creation. Now we're seeking to honor that legacy by finishing what was started—not because my family has time or space or tools, but because the story deserves to be completed. And because some boats are meant to be restored by teams that will love them as much as the originator did.
This isn't just any boat. It's part of a family story rooted in the Merry Maiden—a yacht whose design lineage traces back 4,000 years through stone circles, Victorian maritime culture, and modern yacht excellence. That legacy of thoughtful design, adventurous spirit, and engineering precision runs through everything my father created—and through this unfinished boat project.
A wooden vessel with decades of history and authentic craftsmanship. Never launched, but preserved intact. The hull, structural components, original hardware, and mechanical systems all survive.
Condition: Sound hull structure; weathered exterior; original systems intact but requiring restoration.
Arriving September 10th from Albany to Sequim: wooden structural components, original brass fittings, mechanical systems, and specialized boat-building hardware. Everything documented and photographed.
Status: In transit and ready for assessment and work.
This boat carries three generations of connection to the water, design, and creation. It's not just wood and hardware; it's a family legacy—the thread connecting a sailing adventure to a life of building, designing, and dreaming. A story worth telling. A project worth doing right.
This could be a boat school, a heritage organization, a group of amateur builders, a maritime collective, or a professional restoration yard. The right match is more important than the traditional fit. But whoever takes this on should understand: they're not just restoring a boat. They're completing a family legacy.
Most boats either get used or get scrapped. Rarely do you find one that's survived intact, carrying decades of unfulfilled potential. This boat is unusual. And the story behind it—anchored in the Merry Maiden adventure, cascading through a lifetime of creation—is even more so.
The restoration of Tally Ho—a 1910 gaff-rigged cutter purchased for £1 as a derelict hull—was rebuilt over 6 years (2017–2023) and launched in 2023. Leo Goolden plans to race her in the 2027 Fastnet Race, 100 years after her original victory. English fishing smacks like Excelsior (1921) have been restored to operating condition and now serve as sail-training vessels, proof that historical wooden boats can live again and continue their purpose.
Your boat can too.
A restoration like this is a story worth telling—in publications like WoodenBoat Magazine, in documentary form, as it unfolds. It's a narrative about craftsmanship, legacy, dreams, and second chances. A team that takes this on isn't just restoring a boat; they're creating a living story that honors a family's contribution to design, engineering, and community.
If you or your organization have the space, expertise, and passion to restore this boat—and to honor the legacy it represents—we'd like to hear from you.
Send an inquiry to: seaton@surfincubator.com
Include: your restoration experience, available workspace, team composition, your vision for the boat's future, and why this project resonates with you.
This project is rooted in a larger story of design excellence spanning millennia:
A single name bridges 4,000 years of design philosophy, maritime tradition, and human aspiration.