Flying Eagle, as named originally, was launched by Vinal Beal on the Moosabec Reach of Beals Island Maine in 1963. Vinal designed & built all such lobster boats during winter when not lobstering, by means of a half-model (no plans). These stunning vessels with their low freeboard & graceful sheer are often referred to as a “Beals Islander” or “Jonesporter”.., a work boat with beauty of purpose & specifically built for their own geographic down east Maine fishing conditions. Known by historians alike as the best working form ever constructed, they were & remain so, an inspiration both visually & spiritually & without question, were the most beautiful & fastest vessels of their time. Their beauty & speed were a direct result of their legendary “skeg construction”. Skeg designs were constructed with the frames (or hull bottom) joining the keel in a flat plane nearly perpendicular to the sides of the keel, so the bottom planking at the after part of the hull meets the skeg / keel almost at right angles. In turn, they were often lighter & faster than their “built-down” construction counterparts in Southern Maine, with less holding the hull back with a very flat run aft, less wetted surface & a prop less obstructed. They were also known to be stronger where the horn timber, keel & stern post come together, were less rolly while working adrift & more stable carrying large loads.
She’s a rare breed with a rich documented history of hunting Maine lobsters for an astonishing 45 years & a rare find because most were left to rot with the advent of fiberglass. When more powerful engines & mechanized means of hauling traps became common, these graceful lines with shear & low freeboard soon vanished.
Discovered in Rockport Maine late 2014, FLYING EAGLE was promptly re-named as original when her keel was laid in 1962, then partially refit indoors at ARTISAN BOATWORKS during the worst of heavy winter weather. By spring she then endured an eleven day, 3,500 mile overland journey by flatbed truck to Anacortes Washington, arriving May 1, 2014. Following two active cruising seasons between Port Townsend, Canada & the San Juan Islands, she then completed structural restorations during the first six months of 2017 at EMERALD MARINE in Anacortes, WA. During the restoration process, the focus has always been preserving what once was & what will never be again, so generations to come will have the opportunity to appreciate her. If not for all owners over the last 54 years, which have each done their part with repair & maintenance while working her hard in the far eastern fetches of the Maine, FLYING EAGLE would not be here today.
NOTE: Other than a lighter 2013, 383 Mercruiser gas V8 motor, FLYING EAGLE is very much original including her Newport Green color, her throaty dry-stack exhaust rising up through her standing shelter & her bronze prop-cage meant to prevent fowling. SPECS: 33’ L x 9’6” B x 3’ D & she still does 21+ knots!