Alec Brainerd of Artisan Boatworks talks about Uncas, the Nathanael Herreshoff-designed Buzzards Bay 18 - the first BB18 to have been built in over a hundred years, and the only one of this design in existence.

Artisan Boatworks in Rockport, Maine builds some of the most beautiful small wooden boats in the world. This past autumn, we shot the Uncas launch at Rockport Marine, and I subsequently headed out from Camden Harbor into Penobscot Bay to capture video of her first sail. Alec and Erin Brainerd of Artisan Boatworks are at the tiller.

This boat is a sweet daysailer and a true heirloom crafted by some of the best talents in the wooden boat world. Uncas' sails are by Nathaniel S. Wilson, Sailmaker, of Boothbay Harbor, Maine.

My passion for photographing wooden boats jumps yet another level when a boatyard like Artisan continues to provide such great works of art.

Enjoy!

Rockport Marine's restoration of “Adventuress”, an 83 foot William Fife designed yacht built in Scotland, 1924.

"Most of the visuals you see on the screen in this video are the work of Alison Langley.  Her video and stills are breathtaking. We've been lucky to get to work with her on this project." Steve Stone, Off Center Harbor

I was hired by Rockport Marine to photograph the full restoration of Adventuress in early Spring of 2010. At that time, I was also finishing the project of photographing the three year restoration of Trade Wind, a 1938 Alden motor sailer, for her owners Michael and Marcy Brenner. I love making images of boat building and had started this as a personal project in 2006, so I had a rhythm going, to say the least, and it certainly helped that the crew at Rockport Marine were used to me sticking my camera in their business on a regular basis.

Around this time, I had also started shooting video for clients, using a Sony HD camcorder on the water, and then quickly turning to my DSLR Canon 5DII for a more superior quality and creativeness. Attending a Final Cut Pro editing course from instructor Chi Ho Lee at the Maine Media Workshops, I had learned enough to begin my journey of cinema graphic storytelling and a new world opened to me. I was hooked.

As many of you know, the cinema quality of video that comes from the high end DSLR cameras is amazing. I started to play with lenses, selective focus, and focus pulling. I learned a great deal from working with local talented filmmakers such as David Berez, and Geoff Parker, and I took inspiration from the footage Amory Ross was making for Puma Ocean Racing. I practiced and honed my skills at hand held versus tripod shooting. I purchased extra attachments for the 5DII, which enabled me to fine tune the focus pulling, changing the focus for example, from the boat builder’s hands to a detail in the hatch he was building. All the while, the crew at Rockport Marine had the patience to let me into their world of boat building. Then it got even better. Steve Stone came on the wooden boat scene with OffCenterHarbor.com, a subscription-based web site that delivers informational stories about boating, wooden boats and the lifestyle it embodies. I was an instant fan of their site and signed up immediately. Little did I realize then that I would soon have the fortune of collaborating with Steve. Taylor Allen had hired us independently but in the Spring of 2012, he asked us to combine efforts on a 3-part video Steve was producing for them.

Steve is a gifted storyteller with a passion for making films about wooden boats. With his relaxed disposition and keen interest, he was able to interview the people of Rockport Marine in a way that would draw out the very best. As Steve worked with his hand held camcorder, I worked with the DSLR, and together we combined talents that made for a rich product.

A special thanks goes to my studio manager, Jane Kurko, for filling in the gaps as a second shooter during the process. It was a relief to know that as I concentrated on the video, she was catching some great still shots to add to the mix. Her creative eye and dedication has been a great asset to the project and to Langley Photography.

Another word of recognition goes to Kevin Ross of Off Center Harbor. Kevin's editing skills are amazing. He sorted through hours and hours of footage to put together three videos that are themselves, each a work of art.

Lastly, without Rockport Marine's yard manager, Maria Simpson, Steve and I could not have produced such rich content. Thank you Maria for making it all possible.

What you see in these three videos tells the story of a unique boatyard; filled with the finest artisans and workers that one can find in the boat building business. Rockport Marine is a family. I’m proud to have been let into their world to help tell their story.

To view the first two videos we made for Rockport Marine, visit my vimeo site, Langley Photography.

Artisan Boatworks has just launched Uncas, a brand-new Buzzards Bay 18, a Herreshoff sloop. Alec Brainerd and his crew have built another beautiful boat and Alison had the chance to shoot her maiden voyage out of Rockport, Maine and around Camden Harbor. Click on this short multimedia piece that Alison put together for Alec's presentation at Camden Yacht Club. A longer video will be launched soon to include footage of the construction, launch, sailing, and interviews.

Or, you can also click here to view it on Alison's Vimeo page.

Alec Brainerd talks about the design in this excerpt from his builder's blog:

"The Buzzards Bay 18 is yet another design, of which no original example survives. Herreshoff designed the 18 in 1903, just a few years after the Buzzards Bay 15. She is 29’ on deck, 18’ on the waterline, displaces 4430 lbs, and has 472 square feet of sail. Similarly to the Belfast Lough One Design, the Buzzards Bay 18 captures the spirit of the “Big Boats” in a captivating way. She would be a good intermediate boat between the Buzzards Bay 15 and larger Buzzards Bay 25, and I would be tempted to lower the ballast keel and eliminate the centerboard in the same way Herreshoff did with the Buzzards Bay 15 when designing Flicker.

The Buzzards Bay 18 is one of the smallest designs of this type that have ample cabin space for occasional overnight use, and adequate displacement to accommodate either diesel or electric propulsion. She is very similar in size and shape to Sparkman and Stephens Dark Harbor 20, but her increased beam adds considerably to the available interior and cockpit space.

To me, the Buzzards Bay 18 is one of the most beautiful of all the Herreshoff designs, and she intrigues me because here is an opportunity to reintroduce the world to something that has been otherwise lost forever. I’m not even aware of any photos of original Buzzards Bay 18’s. To build a new replica of Herreshoff’s Buzzards Bay 18 would be a truly noble endeavor, and one that would have considerable lasting value to both the classic yachting community, and those who revere the Herreshoff legacy."

Check out the Artisan Boatworks' builders blog to read more: http://www.artisanboatworks.com/about/builders-blog

Sincerity is an 88 foot ketch, designed and built by Baglietto of Italy in 1928. This video was shot off the coast of St. Lucia, with the dramatic Pitons as the backdrop. Sincerity provides comfortable accommodation for 5 to 7 guests in 3 well appointed cabins. For more information go to http://www.sailingyachtsincerity.com

Sincerity is an 88 ft. classic ketch designed and built by Cantieri Baglietto in Italy.

This year she saw a mini upgrade at Lyman-Morse Boatbuilding Co. in Thomaston, Maine, where among other things her topsides were painted from dark blue to white (her original color).

This made all previous images of her visually "out of date," so we spent the holidays shooting her in the Caribbean, where she is available this winter for charter, with St. Lucia's dramatic Pitons as a backdrop. Sincerity will rejoin the New England charter fleet this summer, and this short video proves that she will undoubtedly turn heads in whatever harbor she enters. For more information visit: www.sailingyachtsincerity.com

Music supplied by Music For Productions Inc. | www.musicforproductions.com

Alec Brainerd of Artisan Boatworks catches a late season sail in Camden Harbor on PUMPKIN, a 12-1/2 Herreshoff replica.

This video showcases Stephens Waring-designed luxury sailing yacht "Isobel" with interior and running images I shot for the November Boat International Magazine spread.

Designed by Stephens & Waring, built by Brooklin Boatyard, interior by Martha Coolidge.

1938 Alden Motorsailer "Trade Wind" relaunches after a complete restoration by Rockport Marine, Rockport, Maine.

Rockport Marine commissioned this 90-second multimedia piece to debut at the Wooden Boat Show in Mystic, CT. Trade Wind won the "Judge's Choice" in the Concours d'Elegance at the Wooden Boat Show. Congratulations to Trade Wind owners Michael, Marcy and the crew at Rockport Marine!