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BRIAR
PATCH
 It
is a pleasure to introduce our friends to BRIAR PATCH
and Dean and Kathy Mendenhall. She's a McIntosh
34, and indeed one of the finest examples of the line of
McIntosh cutters. Sitting peacefully at anchor she
is the perfect picture of how cruising Maine "should
be!"
Dean
and Kathy have been sailing BRIAR PATCH for 19 years.
Dean built the boat from the keel up over a seven year
period, and has cared for her meticulously ever since.
You would never know she is "home built," as that
moniker defies the true quality and integrity of the
boat. I'll get the facts on this and update this
page, buy my understanding is that not only did Dean
build her, but he felled the trees for her from a
neighbor's property.
 We
keep running into Dean and Kathy in Merchant's Row--in
the exact same spot, two years running.
We first met them in 2003 when we were on the original ESMERALDE, and we were towing a 7' nutshell pram that
was almost identical to their nutshell, except that
theirs was a 9' version.
One of
the finest aspects of BRIAR PATCH is that Dean and Kathy
haves taken great care to respect the simplicity of the
design and intent of the McIntosh, foregoing the
creature comforts that so many of us have succumbed to.
It was only last year they finally installed a radar,
which we certainly sympathize with, as their primary
cruising ground is foggy Down East!
All at
once, BRIAR PATCH is solid, graceful, purposeful, and
somehow calming, especially in this fast-paced age of
instant gratification.
Our
hats off to Dean and Kathy for their appreciation for
the joy of traditional beauty and simplicity. We
are delighted they have shared it with us.
And we
hope they will still know us when we appear around a
headland in our new ESMERALDE, hopefully this summer...
The shot
on the left was taken in '03 (the others, same place in
'04). I can actually smell the fog and the pine
forest!
We have no
photos of Dean and Kathy, but they did share this photo
of the three of us aboard BRIAR
PATCH in '04. Thank you, Dean and Kathy! |
s/v
Esmeralde
