Maynard BraySIREN, a sister to RAGAMUFFIN, is one of the much-admired Sparkman & Stephens–designed New York 32s that has been fully restored. She is hull No. 20, owned by Peter Cassidy, who is the contact for queries about RAGAMUFFIN.
Of the 20 identical New York 32s ordered for the 1936 season, this one never left the shop that year. She was finally launched in 1937, but even before the launching her first owner had decided to sell. He did so in the fall, resulting in a name change from NEPSI to the under-the-circumstances-appropriate name of RAGAMUFFIN. She’s had that name ever since, despite many new owners and home ports on the East, Gulf, and West Coasts. The name fits her now more than ever, because she’s virtually derelict.
Restoring her, to me, just doesn’t make sense. She’s not a one-of-a-kind, and as current owner Toby Rodes put it when he agreed to rescue her from the chainsaw, “the iron rot was so evident that a survey was not needed.” He promised to store the boat with the hope of getting to a restoration down the road. Thus, what’s left of her has benefited from inside storage for the past 16 years in Blue Hill, Maine.
Mystic Seaport Museum and Sparkman & Stephens LLCSparkman & Stephens designed the New York 32s as seaworthy racer-cruisers in 1936. RAGAMUFFIN’s layout reflects her times: the galley is forward, and the forepeak has a separate cabin with a pipe berth for a paid hand. Belowdeck access is via a sliding hatch mounted atop the trunk cabin, which allows for an owner’s private stateroom aft of it.
Particulars
- LOA: 45′4″
- LWL: 32′
- Beam: 10′7″
- Draft: 6′6″
- Sail area: 960 sq ft
- Displacement: 27,000 lbs
- Power: 30-hp Yanmar diesel
- Doc. No.: 289493
- Designer: Sparkman & Stephens, Inc.
- Builder: Henry B. Nevins, City Island, New York, 1936
Building a brand-new hull for this boat, then recycling the ballast keel, joinery, hardware, and whatever else can be saved would be my approach here. An article in this issue shows how this was done for another New York 32 by Pieter van der Aa in the Netherlands. It wouldn’t be a restoration by the current accepted definition but would amount to another boat being added to the class. Sparkman & Stephens assigned No. 21 to Van der Aa’s MASQUERADE, which he built in 2010 using No. 13’s ballast keel. RAGAMUFFIN’s reincarnation could be No. 22.
Maynard BrayIron sickness from refastenings has long been evident in RAGAMUFFIN; this photo was taken 16 years ago when she first arrived in Blue Hill, Maine, before she was moved to a storage shed. Using what is salvageable as the basis for a new construction would likely be the best option.
Whether you took a new-hull approach or went for a full-blown restoration of the existing one, you’d get an exceptional yacht. The design topped a contest among leading designers; the boat is happy either cruising or racing, no matter the weather; she’s beautiful to look at; and two people can handle her in most conditions. You’d have plenty of good company, for more than a dozen New York 32s still sail despite being nearly 90 years old.
There’s been a ton of stuff published about these boats. For starters, don’t miss the class’s website (www.newyork32.org), where Debbie Rogers has posted individual histories of all 21 boats. Also, WB No. 73 carries a good deal of background in an article I wrote celebrating the class’s 50th anniversary. (By the way, email Debbie at rogsmu@gmail.com about another derelict New York 32 that’s looking for a new owner: MEHITIBEL, No. 11, which lies in Rhode Island.)
Peter Cassidy, the contact for RAGAMUFFIN, is familiar with the needs of New York 32s, having restored both his own SIREN (No. 20) and also ISLA (No. 10). He also rebuilt the interior of GENTIAN (No. 18). Bob Scott (bscott@aerotropic.com), who owns and cares for FALCON (No. 6), is another source of information and inspiration. 
For information about RAGAMUFFIN and the class, contact Peter Cassidy, peter@newyork32.org.
Maynard Bray is WoodenBoat’s technical editor.