“SHADOW”
A 1926 Alden Designed R-Class Sloop.
Shadow was an old wooden boat in deep need of repair. Her owner, who sails on Lake Ontario in New York, turned to E.M. Crosby Boatworks for help. Shop owner, Ned, decided it more practical to build an entirely new hull than to wrangle with the removal of epoxy and resin from rotted wood. The hull of 90 years had been repaired over time and was totally epoxied over. A decision was made to cold-mold the hull and Brion Reiff, who did the hull for the Crosby 38’ Custom Express Cruiser, was contracted to construct it.
The crew at E.M.Crosby Boatworks disassembled Shadow, documenting and salvaging what they could, including 10,000 lbs. of lead, selected pieces of hardware and her tiller. The original hull, what was left of it, was destroyed ensuring that there would not be two Shadow’s in existence.
Shadow’s hull consists of two layers of planking (interior is cedar, exterior mahogany) that is essentially traditionally planked fore and aft, with her seams staggered, thus the exterior mahogany layer covers the seams of the interior cedar. The two layers were sealed with epoxy, and the mahogany then epoxied to the cedar. The result is a stiff and very strong, lightweight hull, that will not have the traditional planked hull characteristic of shrinking and swelling.
Her interior structure is basically consistent with how she was originally constructed. The bilge stringers and sheer clamps are yellow pine. The deck beams are sawn of white oak. The 3/8” okoume plywood deck underlayment has a “V” groove routed in it, spaced and sprung to look like a traditionally laid deck. Over the plywood is 3/8” sprung teak which has been epoxied down with TDS two-part epoxy. There are no fasteners.
Shadow’s covering boards, toe rails, cockpit molding, house sides, house top, mast partner, and other assorted trim pieces are all varnished teak.
Her spars, built by Brion, are constructed of sitka spruce. Much of her custom and beautiful bronze hardware was, also, designed and fashioned by Brion.
Shadow was built for racing, and one of the biggest challenges was engineering and literally squeezing all of her backing blocks, control lines, and fair leads below decks. With her narrow beam, fine ends, heavy construction, engine and related gear, this was a very difficult task; however, the result is a stunningly beautiful, original looking masterpiece, that is a modern racer, yet with a clean, uncluttered 1926 look.
