Welcome Aboard This is the sailing vessel Whipray. She is a 37' Herreshoff Meadow Lark, gaff rigged, leeboard ketch, built in 1976 by Allan H. Vaitses of New England Boat Builders, Inc., in the old southeastern Massachusetts whaling community of Mattapoisett, located on Buzzards Bay.

Homeward bound, sailing to Matecumbe July 2004

The Meadow Lark was designed by L. Francis Herreshoff in 1948. His design goal was to create a cruising length sailboat with the least possible draft for the purpose of sailing the waters of Florida and the Bahama Islands. The Meadow Lark was considered by many, at the time, to be the ultimate shoal draft cruising sailboat.

"On the hard" at Outta' the Blue Marina, Marathon, FL Spring 2007

Whipray features a very shallow 2 foot draft and a narrow 8 1/2 foot beam. Her rig employs a short gaff for both the main and the mizzen. Her most distinguishing characteristic are her leeboards. Each leeboard is 8 foot in length and weigh over 200 lbs. The leeboards are raised and lowered by means of a four purchase block and tackle.

Her hull is that of a sharpie with simple but elegant lines. Her 36 feet of radius bottom along with a beam/length ratio of nearly 5 to 1, is her guarantee of respectable speeds.

Whipray serving as backdrop for a "Lands' End" catalog photo shoot at the Moorings of Islamorada. November, 2008

SPECIFICATIONS Construction.......................Airex foam cored GRP Length overall..............................................37'0" Beam............................................................8'5" Draft.............................................................2.0' Displacement......................................14,500 lbs Ballast...................................................3500 lbs Rig.........................tabernacle-stepped/gaff-ketch Sail area...............................................456 sq ft Auxiliary....................26 hp Farymann P-30 diesel Fuel capacity.......................................44 gal US Range under power................................600 n/m Water capacity.....................................84 gal US

Geo and Patty Captain and First Mate, s/v "Whipray" email us at herreshoffmeadowlarks@yahoo.com