1965 Custom-Craft Friendship Sloop

Originally built by the Lash Brothers of Friendship, Maine, Amicitia is carvel planked with cedar over white oak frames and bronze screw fastened. The keel is white oak with the 3000 lb lead is bolted on. The additional interior ballast is removable 2000 lbs of lead pigs in the bilge. The decks and cabin top are made with marine-grade plywood, covered with Dynel or fiberglass cloth--all of which is trimmed with varnished mahogany, including the coaming, companionway sliding cover, and cabintop handrails. The deck hardware is bronze. The current owner has kept up the boat with replacing the cabin top, toe rails. Underwater planks replaced as needed, including garboards, keel bolt inspections, a new stern tube installed. The aft deck was rebuilt with clamp upgrades. In 2017 additional fastenings were added under the waterline with water stops upgraded. Six Spartan Marine opening bronze port lights were installed in 2016. Her hull topsides are dark green, white waterline, and red bottom. Her decks are white and beige.

1995 Yanmar 3GM30F 3-cylinder diesel, 24HP @ 3400 RPS. No hour meter but the owner estimates only 2500, as the boat was out of the water from 2006-2016. Fresh water cooled. Kanzaki transmission, KM3p with a 2.61:1 ratio, S/N 25732. New water pump 2024. Racor 500MA filter. Perko bronze strainer with internal basket - 2016. The exhaust is raw-water cooled through the riser, hose and muffler. The stainless steel shaft with rope cutter leads to the 3-blade Ellis bronze propeller, 15"x14.5". Worm steering gear by the Lunenburg NS Foundry.

Fuel: 25 gallons in a Monel tank

Water: 20 gallons in a fiberglass tank

Main sail, roller furled jib, and staysail all built by Ernie Smith's loft in Fairhaven, MA.

Spars: The mast is hollow Sitka spruce, and built and finished bright by Jim Elk of the Elk Spar & Boat Shop, Bar Harbor. The original boom, gaff, and staysail club were built by Pigeon Hollow Spar Co, in Cape Ann MA. The mast is rigged with stainless steel standing rigging and bronze turnbuckles. The running rigging consists of halyards, lazyjacks, tonning lift that are all in good condition with wood blocks finished bright, and a new main sheet. The bowsprit is Douglas Fir, built in 2022. Jay Hanna built the carved eagle billethead that is followed by the carved trailboards. The 28" steering wheel is bright mahogany and built by South Shore Boatworks.

Batteries: Two 12V, 2014

Blue Sea Systems electrical panel, 2016

Blue Sea Systems vapor proof On/Off parallel switch

Blue Sea Systems SI-ACR (start isolator automatic charging relay)

Wiring: all new in 2016

Electrical masthead light and stern light.

In the forward stateroom is the double vee berth with cushions and lockers below. Two opening bronze ports, port and starboard, an opening hatch overhead, and two forward round ports--all provide good natural light and ventilation for the cabin. Two reading lights on the bulkhead and book shelves outboard. Next aft to starboard is a hanging locker with a door. To port is the enclosed head with a manual Groco flush, model HF, with O/B discharge. Next aft port is a cushioned settee/berth with a shelf outboard, lockers below. A kerosene lamp is mounted on the forward bulkhead. To starboard is a settee/berth with outboard shelf. Between the two settees is a mahogany pedestal table with folding leaves. In the aft cabin port and starboard is the galley, consisting of the stainless steel sink with cold water set into the Formica coated counter. A large locker is below. On the aft bulkhead is the electrical panel, VHF radio, and fire extinguisher. Outboard is shelving, an electric light, and opening port. Overhead is a paper towel holder. To port on the aft bulkhead is a second electric light in the main cabin. Mounted on the counter is the Origo 4000 two-burner alcohol stove. Outboard shelving with sliding enclosures, and an ice cooler below the port counter. A storage locker is below the starboard counter. The headroom throughout the cabin is 6 feet. The entire cabin is painted white with varnished mahogany trim. The sole is varnished teak and holly. This is a traditional and very attractive cabin.

Up three steps through the companionway to the cockpit. There is cushioned seating for about 8 and the person at the helm. The coaming is painted white and capped with varnished mahogany trim. On the stern deck are the main sheet traveler, cleats, and stern light. The wide side decks with handrails on the cabintop lead to the foredeck where the mooring bit is centerline, behind which is the self-tending staysail traveler and opening hatch for the forward cabin. The bowsprit is secured by the bit, a bronze band, and stainless steel wires below with bronze turnbuckles. The anchor/mooring line rollers are port and starboard, and a Danforth anchor is mounted on the starboard side.

R.W. White Compass, original. Adjusted in 2024 with night light on the cockpit pedestal

Raymarine Fathometer

West Marine VHF Radio, Model 580BK, 2016, plus handheld

Bilge Pump: Rule 1500 w/Rulematic float switch. (Amicitia is wired for a second pump) Backup pump is included

Ground tackle: Danforth 14 lbs. Lunch hook carried on the foredeck.

Storm anchor: Danforth 40 lbs w/trip line. New anchor rode in 2024

Anchor Windless: Bronze horizontal, manual (currently removed for repair, cleaning, and lubrication

Search Light: 12v portable plug in

Running rigging blocks

Jensen Phase Linear Stereo, Model UMP401, AM/FM/CD/MP3 with 4 speakers in cabin and cockpit, 2016

Stern-mounted Ensign staff staff, stern mounted, brightly finished. Also ensign line on the leach of the main sail

Life Sling with 5-part block & tackle for passenger overboard retrieval, 2024

Jim Buoy Life Ring

Flares, 2024

Air horns, bronze/brass ship's bell, whistle

PFDs, several

Boat hook, bright with bronze hook

Interior cushions for berths/settees in good condition

Cockpit cushions in good condition

Amicitia, Friendship Sloop Society Sail No. 64, was built by the Lash Brothers yard in Friendship, Maine, in 1965 to a design by John Alden, one of the most prominent naval architects of his time. She was built for Dr. Francis Colpoys of Milton, Massachusetts, and finished by the Sims Yacht Yard in Scituate, Massachusetts. She was built alongside Voyager II for Bernie MacKenzie, founder of the Friendship Sloop Society and a marine surveyor who had owned the original Voyager, Sail No. 1 built in 1906.

I purchased Amicitia in 1975 from Emerson Stone, second owner, who at the time was the vice president of CBS News. "Amicitia" is Latin for 'friendship,' and normally pronounced with a soft 'c'; however, I pronounce it with a hard 'c' 'Amikitia' as did both Mr. Stone and Mr. MacKenzie.

She is traditionally built with cedar planking over white oak frames. In 2014 I hired Jim Elk of the Elk Spar and Boat Shop in Bar Harbor, Maine to built a Sitka spruce, hollow mast. Pleased with his work and work ethic, I gave him the boat for a major refit and upgrade, mostly topside and interior work, including a new cabintop, toe rails, etc. In the ensuing years, she has had additional structural upkeep including some below the waterline plank replacements, such as garboards, keel bolt inspections, a new stern tube and aft deck, beam and clamp upgrades by Triad Boatworks and myself. In 2017 a good portion of the bottom was additionally fastened and water stops replaced by Wooden Tangent. For the past eight years her winter storage has been inside at Triad in Mattapoisett, Massachusetts.

Amicitia is a beautiful Friendship Sloop built by a reknown builder with pure Friendship lines and well found. She is in her prime at 60 years of age and ready for the next caretaker. Included in the sale is much of the original correspondence between Dr. Colpoys and the Lash Brothers as well as the John Alden plans. Also included are my invoices, records, and letters accumulated during my fifty years of ownership, giving the vessel great provenance.

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