Spindrift is being restored by the community, for the community.
Be part of Spindrift’s story! Contribute to her restoration, discover the craft of wooden boatbuilding, and celebrate with us when she sets sail again.
Spindrift is currently housed in Greenport, NY, where she is undergoing restoration. Once complete, she will return to the waters of the North Fork to sail and race once again.
A History of Spindrift
Spindrift, born out of the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company in 1927, is hull number 3 of 14 of the Fishers Island 31 Class. Although the design is attributed to Nathanael Herreshoff, it was in fact his son, Sidney DeWolf that penned the class. Like many of Nat Herreshoff’s designs, the Fisher’s Island 31 is a stretched-out version of his personal boat Alerion. From that one design, he shrank it to produce the 12 ½, and stretched it again for the Buzzard’s Bay 25, and Newport 29 (Dolphin and Mischief). In the mid 1920’s Mr. W Barklie Henry, then the owner of Dolphin, thought the design might be improved upon. In conference with Nathanael Herreshoff, they created the Fishers Island Sound One-Design Class. In general, the boats follow the lines of the Newport 29, with the bow and stern drawn out a bit, sheer straightened, and with an increase of draft to six feet.
​Sprindrift 1927
Herreshoff Fishers Island 31
Hull #: 1059
LOA: 43’6”
LWL: 31’6”
Beam: 10’8”
Draft: 6’
From the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company:
“These boats are the result of years of careful study to develop a model which is
exceptionally sturdy and seaworthy and dry in rough going, without sacrificing the
element of speed which is so much to be desired in a sailboat.
The forward section is sharp enough to prevent pounding under any condition and is sufficiently flaring to prevent the boat from throwing water even when being driven hard to windward in rough weather.
They are large enough to give head room and elbow room and plenty of storage space for cruising equipment and accommodation. And yet, are rigged with a conservative sail plan so that one man can get the boat under way and put it up under any weather conditions without it being a hardship. The sail plan is large enough to make the boat fast in anything above a drifting breeze, it being considered that in calm and very light airs the boats will normally be under power.
If no power had been provided, the boats would have been given a little more sail, but in that case it would have been necessary to reef them in all strong breezes.”
In 1940 Spindrift, then Chance was purchased by the Rich family of Orient and Cutchogue from Arthur Whitney. Having been raced almost continuously by four generations of the Rich family, she is considered the queen of the Off Soundings Fleet.
In 1989, Spindrift underwent a full restoration to include changing the rig to aluminum and altering the cockpit to a double cockpit with wheel steering. That restoration included a new keel timber, replacement of all floor timbers, and frames, new keel bolts, new planking, and fully refastened new decks (double layer of plywood). Interior and majority of hardware is in place and mostly original.
After nearly 85 years, the Rich Family donated Spindrift to the Stirling Harbor Foundation in 2025. In October of 2025 Spindrift will embark on her second major restoration. It will include restoration of all cosmetics, bottom refastening, new mast step, deck repairs, full system upgrades, and modifications to the sail plan.
