BoatsHerreshoff Mfg. Co. Marlin

Herreshoff Mfg. Co. Marlin

Fractional Sloop · Long Keel · 1937–1938

A rare four-boat production run featuring the Fish class hull modified with a cuddy cabin for coastal cruising

Designed by Herreshoff & Nathanael G. Herreshoff.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Long Keel

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

TrailerableBeam 2.16 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 1,293 kg of hull, so roughly 1,900 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Shoal draughtDraws 0.94 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
LivelySea-kindly

Her heavy displacement on a moderate beam gives 19 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 19
CoastalBluewater

2.01 — right around the 2.0 line, the edge between coastal and offshore.

Capsize screening 2.01
LightHeavy

311 — heavy for her waterline, built to carry stores and ride steadily.

Displacement / length 311
EasygoingPowered-up

18.8 — plenty of sail for her weight; lively and quick to respond.

Sail area / displacement 18.8
TenderStiff

49% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 49%

Powered-up and quick to accelerate — this one likes to sail.

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
49.1%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
18.8
Displacement / length
310.6
Comfort ratio
18.6
Capsize screening
2.01
Hull speed
5.4 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
406
Hull
Hull type
Long Keel
Construction
Wood
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1937–1938
Units built
4
Designer
Herreshoff, Nathanael G. Herreshoff
Builder
Herreshoff Mfg. Co

Boats like this, on the water

Nobody has filmed this one — but these are close.

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Pearson Yachts Ensign6.86 mSame hull family0.5 m longerA Carl Alberg-designed fractional day sailor and one-design racer built on the proven Electra hull for active club fleets
EP#337 Spring is in the Air! Boat Prep9:57from Sailing Into Oblivion
Contessa 267.77 mSame hull family1.5 m longerA David Sadler-designed long-keel masthead sloop, built in both England and Canada with a 25-year production run
CYCLONE ALERT - will we lose EVERYTHING? | Ep.5330:14from Sailing NV
Flicka 207.32 mSame hull family1.0 m longerA Bruce Bingham-designed cutter with a long keel, originally offered as amateur plans before becoming a production classic
TOP 3 TINY Sailboats You Can Live On! - Ep 346 Lady K Sailing1:41from Lady K Sailing
Bristol Yachts 247.49 mSame hull family1.2 m longerA Paul Coble-designed masthead sloop with a long keel and over 50% ballast ratio for stable coastal cruising
Learning to Cross the Atlantic With Nothing but a Sextant — Sailing Yabá 2939:33from Sailing Yabá
Jeanneau Cap 5405.40 mSame hull family0.9 m shorterA 1986 fractional sloop with a long keel and shallow draft, designed for stable, shoal-water coastal cruising
Delivery and tour, before and after ⛵️ Jeanneau 54 sailboat3:11from Allende los Mares · Vuelta Vertical

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Marlin Heritage 23A Herreshoff-designed masthead sloop with a long keel, evolved from the Fish class and refined for fiberglass buildMarlin 18 (Rhodes)Commissioned by Bill Dyer as a junior trainer, this 1937 long-keeled fractional sloop established active racing fleetsHerreshoff Manufacturing Co. SeafarerA 1937 fractional sloop from Herreshoff Manufacturing, featuring a long keel and a high sail area for spirited performanceHerreshoff Manufacturing Co. FishA classic gaff-rigged one-design racer commissioned by Seawanhaka Corinthian YC and built by Herreshoff since 1916Herreshoff Manufacturing Co. AlerionDesigned by Nathanael G. Herreshoff in 1912 for his personal use, this keel-centerboard sloop remains a classic daysailer

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

Two ways to keep looking — both search what the fleet has actually recorded.

Search the fleet for boats like thisAsk the fleet about the Herreshoff Mfg. Co. Marlin

The newsletter

New boats, new stories. Every week, everywhere.

One email from the fleet — boats newly added, videos newly analysed. No noise.

Report an issue