Anybody writing about the history of Maine’s Down East boatbuilding culture would have to include the name Jarvis Newman and at least a few of the vessels that his yard produced. Born in 1935, he spent his teenage years lobstering and fishing in Long Island Sound, then worked at a variety of jobs before moving to Southwest Harbor to work in the fiberglass department at what would go on to become Hinckley Yachts. Newman realized that sailboat owners needed a rowboat or tender, so he started building them. In 1970, Jarvis Newman Boats was formed, and its powerboats and Friendship Sloops started to dot Maine’s harbors.
Today, it’s increasingly unusual to see any of the 90 boats that Jarvis Newman built come up on the brokerage market. About half of the original builds went to commercial fishermen, with the other half going to recreational boaters—meaning there were only ever about 45 of the classics available for cruising yachtsmen at all. Some have undergone restorations or refits, and those that present in top condition are especially precious when they show up for sale in the marketplace.
Hence the $375,000 asking price on Bounder, whose hull was built by Jarvis Newman and then shipped to Lyman-Morse for custom-built interiors and systems. Ever since this boat’s finishing in 1988, it’s had just one owner, and it has been stored as well as maintained at Lyman-Morse.
Some of the more recent work includes stripping and revarnishing in 2019, the addition of a new flybridge enclosure that same year, and the addition of new house and starter 8D Lifeline AGM batteries in 2021.
Earlier, in 2008, the boat underwent a repower with an 800-horsepower Caterpillar 3406E. According to the team at Lyman-Morse, the engine gives Bounder a top speed of 20 knots and a cruising speed of 17 knots.
The boat has a classic feel in just about every respect, inside and out. Its solid fiberglass hull is painted with Awlgrip’s flag blue, along with a red and white boot stripe. The house is Awlgrip’s Matterhorn white, and inside, the Herreshoff aesthetic includes a varnished teak and holly sole. Furniture and cabinetry is white, with varnished raised mahogany trim and doors. Overheads are white with laminated mahogany beams and trim. All the thru-hulls are bronze.
What features are in the owner’s stateroom on Bounder for comfortable overnights? It has heat as well as air conditioning, and an opening portlight for fresh air.
Take the next step: contact a sales broker at lymanmorse.com
Quick Specifications
- Length Overall: 46’2″
- Maximum Beam: 15′
- Fuel Capacity: 1,400 Gal.
- Freshwater Capacity: 600 Gal.
