Venice, Italy - NorseBoat Heaven

In May 2008 French NorseBoat agent Nicolas Galais and his wife took part in the Vogalonga rowing event in Venice, Italy. This event has been described as "a protest, a get-together and non-competitive race rolled into one." They also had some time to sail while they were there. This photo shows Nicolas setting a course for the famous Plaza San Marcos.

New NorseBoat Production Facility and Showroom in Lunenburg, NS

In January 2008 we opened the doors on our new NorseBoat production facility in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, a renowned boatbuilding town and World Heritage Site. The 8000 sq.ft. facility is located at 151 Montague St., one block from the waterfront andhome berth for the Bluenose II schooner. The facility has boatbuilding areas on two levels, offices, and a showroom and retail space. Boatbuilder Scott Dagley is the shop manager and Peter Redden oversees NorseBoat production. While NorseBoats will be the main focus of the Lunenburg shop, Scott and the NorseBoat crew are also able to build a variety of quality wooden boats including war canoes and dragon boats for club racing. Come visit us in Lunenburg this summer!

NorseBoat Limited Forms Ties With Yachtsmiths International

In March 2008 NorseBoat Limited formed a strategic business relationship with Yachtsmiths International of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. The craftsmen at Yachtsmiths International are now producing high quality fiberglass parts for the production glass and glass/wood hybrid NorseBoat 17.5, and they will be building the moulds and parts for the NorseBoat 12.5. This relationship will allow us to concentrate on construction and assembly of the wooden components for these models, and construction of complete wooden boats and kits, at our Lunenburg facility.

Mississippi NorseBoat Odyssey

From September 18 to November 4 of 2007 NorseBoat owners Gary and Connie Hoffman travelled 1130 miles from Minneapolis, Minnesota to Mobile, Alabama aboard their NorseBoat 17.5 “Tide The Knot”. They motored and sailed down the Mississippi and four other rivers, camping aboard their boat or at convenient landing spots. The Hoffmans plan to take their NorseBoat to Puget Sound and other west coast destinations during the 2008 sailing season. Read about their adventure in the May/June 2008 issue of Small Craft Advisor.

NorseBoat Goes Down Under

Ian Jackson of Sydney, Australia will be taking delivery of his first two NorseBoat 17.5 Sailing and Rowing Cruisers in July 2008. Ian is our new agent Down Under, operating under the name NorseBoat Australia. He feels there will be a strong market for NorseBoats in Australia and the Pacific Rim given the boat’s quality, performance and flexibility. Ian already has a number of demo sails lined up for when the boats arrives. Best wishes, mate! norseboataustralia@aanet.com.au

Québec Agent Builds NorseBoat 17.5 Hybrid

Louis Ducharme, the NorseBoat agent for Québec, is nearing completion of a NorseBoat 17.5 hybrid kit he has been building with local shipwright Gaëtan Pilon. When completed, the boat will serve as Louis’ demonstration model. Louis is based near Montreal and operates under the business name Richelieu Boat Works. ducharme.louis@sympatico.ca

Wooden NorseBoat to be on display in Mystic, CT

A fine example of a wooden NorseBoat 17.5 will be on display at the Wooden Boat Show in Mystic, CT June 27-29. This year’s display model, to be completed mid-June, belongs to classic boat enthusiast Jim Cassidy of Brooklin, Maine. Jim will be serving as a NorseBoat owner-agent for midcoast Maine. The completed boat will have a black hull, mahogany floorboards, and a full range of optional gear.

NorseBoat 12.5 Update

The NorseBoat 12.5 is due to be launched mid-summer 2008, and customers are anxiously awaiting delivery of their boats. The 12.5 is a sassy version of the 17.5. With a sleek traditional hull shape and distinctly NorseBoat innovations this boat promises to be a winner. Stay tuned for photos of her launching.

2008 Summer/Fall Shows & Events

NorseBoats will be on display at the following shows in 2008:

NorseBoat Sailing Tips

More and more NorseBoat owners are going boomless, and new boats are now supplied without a boom. The fully battened mainsail combined with the traveller in the aft part of the cockpit allow the boat to sail well without a boom. This rig is simpler, and makes it easier to reef, furl and stow the mainsail. With the mainsheet connected to the block on the aft traveller the helmsman has good control of tiller and mainsheet. For rowing in the aft station, the mainsail can be furled and the lower end of the mainsheet clipped to hardware on the centerboard trunk.

We hope you find this newsletter interesting and informative. Please tell us if you know other boaters who would be interested in receiving it. If you would like us to remove your name from our newsletter email list, please send this request to info@norseboat.com.

Fair winds,

Kevin Jeffrey, President
NorseBoat Limited
RR1, #241 Point Prim Rd.
Belfast, PEI COA1A0 Canada