Tag Archives: Kay Harley

Jan C. Gougeon in the boat shop

Jan C. Gougeon

August 7, 1945 – December 18, 2012

Jan Gougeon was a visionary, ingenious, and a great innovator who could see beyond boundaries, one of a few people to really have changed the boatbuilding game in his lifelong quest for speed. This is how boat builders, designers, sailors, and iceboaters recall Jan. A natural engineer, Jan became an accomplished boat designer and builder who was always thinking about his next boat. His vibrant, boyish enthusiasm lit up the room. Jan was a fierce competitor who shared tips and technology openly, offering astute and encouraging advice to novice and veteran sailors and builders alike. Continue reading →

There Will Be a Test

by Kay Harley

A research mentality and ongoing epoxy testing permeate all levels of Gougeon Brothers, Inc. We are committed to rigorous, long-term research on WEST SYSTEM products and their uses with other materials in wide-ranging applications. Studies include the basic chemistry involved, safety for users and the environment, formulation changes, product modifications such as adding pigments or UV additives, panel strength and stiffness with varying composite lay-ups, and the strengths of epoxy bonds, including hardware bonding. GBI commits capital investments to improve its testing capability and supports active ASTM involvement.

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ARION

Damian McLaughlin Rebuilds ARION

By Kay Harley

Above: ARION as she looked in 2001.

Damian McLaughlin, a custom boatbuilder from North Falmouth, Massachusetts, has been designing, repairing, and building boats for more than thirty years. Recently, he finished the reconstruction of Arion, heralded at its launch in 1951 as “The first auxiliary sailboat built with fiberglass,” and “The largest one-piece hull of reinforced plastic in the world.” In 1950, Sidney Herreshoff, son of the famous Nathaniel, designed the 42′ Arion to be built using what was then an innovative new material: plastic resin reinforced with glass fibers, otherwise known as fiberglass. Continue reading →

Tenacious, a Look Back

A Wood and Epoxy 3-Masted Barque

by Kay Harley
Epoxyworks 17

Cover Photo: After four years of construction, TENACIOUS began sea trials in June of 2000.

Tenacious, the Jubilee Sailing Trust’s (JST) new wood/WEST SYSTEM Epoxy, 3-masted barque, underwent sea trials that began in June 2000. It offered a full schedule of tall ship voyages to Spain and the Canary Islands over the winter, with spring and summer trips to Brittany, Ireland, and Scotland. JST is a British charitable organization formed in 1978 with the aim of promoting the integration of able-bodied and physically disabled people through tall ship sailing. Tenacious now joins their other tall ship, Lord Nelson, which was built in 1986 and has carried over 6,500 disabled sailors, including 2,687 wheelchair users. Continue reading →