Clementine was the first “Belhaven 19” to be built back in 2006. She was discovered by her current owner for sale in North Carolina in 2014, purchased “sight unseen”, then towed back to Seattle via a 6,000-mile road trip to her new home in Seattle. She now trailer sails Puget Sound, Hood Canal, Lake Washington and the Suan Juan Islands.
Construction is “stitch and glue” plywood covered with fiberglass. The 300 lb lead keel is shallow and flat on the bottom and the center board is offset to port allowing the boat to draw just 10 inches of water and sit flat when beached. A 3.5 hp outboard motor hung off the transom moves the boat along at 5.3 knots at about 26 mpg.
The position of the centerboard off to the side and the lack of a mast compression post in the cabin results in a clear cabin and full double berth. Clementine’s framed cabin top was replaced with a laminated roof at the Port Townsend Maritime Center in 2017 to create sitting head room for her tall Owner.
Both masts are on tabernacles and unstayed which simplifies set up. Main and mizzen sails are “leg o mutton with sprit boom” totaling 164 square feet and a mizzen staysail can be added for reaching or downwind sailing in light wind. She is typically limited to hull speed but will plane on a reach or downwind to about 7 knots in ideal conditions.