Half Moon at Jamestown Boatyard. Notice the snow on the ground and the tugboat in the background

Half Moon 4 jan 2010

BOAT: Half Moon
OWNER: Gibson Hammond, Duxbury, MA
DESIGNER: Ron Holland, Kinsale, Irelandhttp://www.ronhollanddesign.com/
BUILDER: Nautor Swan, Pietarsaari, Finlandhttp://www.nautorswan.com/en/
LENGTH: 40 feet [12.2 meters]
YEAR: 1983
HULL: Solid fiberglass
HISTORY:
Born in Auckland, New Zealand, Ron Holland came to prominence as a yacht designer during the 1970s. After a brief spell in the U.S., Holland relocated to Ireland where his career took off. After a number of winning designs for some of Europe’s most prestigious builders, Holland designed a series of boats for Nautor.
 At almost 64 degrees north, Pietarsaari, is situated well north of Anchorage, Alaska. It seems an odd place for a world famous yacht builder, but in Finland, Pietarsaari is relatively south. Known for quality that is second to none, Nautor Swans are the Mercedes Benz of the yacht world.
Half Moon is one of 52 Swan 391s built between the years of 1981 and 1987- all at the Pietarsaari facility.
Half Moon’s hull, joinery, and rigging are rugged and competitive –even today. The weakest point on these classic stalwarts is usually the teak decks. Intentionally thin upon construction to save weight, the decks are known to wear out after a few decades. Coincidentally, Jamestown Boat Yard – the premier destination for Swan Yachts in the U.S. – is known for replacing them, hence the reason for Half Moon’s visit to our waters.