Down East Yacht Fan

I hope you are having a good summer thus far. Wanted to drop you a note showing my appreciation for your foreword/letter in the August edition of Yachting. I too grew up in coastal New England, year-round, and gained an affinity for the Down East hull design from a very early age. Watching them come and go on a daily basis out of Cape Cod harbors in the dead of winter will do that to you! ¶ I have been lucky enough to fish on a few such boats that were finished out as sport-fishermen, and am always interested to see or hear about another one, especially that can move. I am continually bemused by the folks I encounter on the docks or online who insist that Down East boats can only comfortably run at 18 knots (or lower) and that it’s a fool’s errand to put big power into them. That may have been true 25 years ago, but many of the newer designs have broken ground regarding how fast these boats can cruise in comfort and style. ¶ All that said, can you divulge the model of Down East vessel you wrote about in your August letter? I’m always collecting mental notes about Down East boats I’ve seen or heard about that are finished to fish and can show a good turn of speed.

—john drummey, via email