The story of the Great Harbor 26
Over the years we have built a handful of Great Harbor 26’s. This lovely design drawn by Bill Cook Yacht Design has been a joy to build and sail. The first boat was Hank’s DILIGENT. It came to be after one of those notorious luncheon discussions where Bill and Hank decided the only way Hank would get a chance to sail the Bras D’or Lakes in Canada was to drive north at 55 miles an hour.
Cruising up the Canadian coast was beyond Hank’s limits during his busy and short northern boating season.
Bill got to work and the lift keel trailerable GH26 was born. Hank trailed and sailed his boat around Maine, to the Bras D’or Lakes, San Fancisco Bay, Florida, and the Chesapeake.Towed with his 1/2 ton trucks and mostly launched and rigged by the family the boat proved to be perfect for the job.
The original plan was to build only Hank’s boat as a one-off. Of course, the best laid plans are sometimes the first to change. A friend came in and said he would like one built for him to sail in San Francisco Bay so Hank’s boat was prepared and a mold was laminated on DILIGENT’s hull and a plug constructed for the deck.
The photo above shows Great Harbor 26 #1. She is a lift keel version with the “Weekender” deck. This means she has more room below which in this case means two quarter berths, a V berth, an enclosed head and a midship galley.
Later we decided to build a pure “Daysailer” and built a new deck design. This has a lot more cockpit space than the original “Weekender”. The photo below shows the first of these boats sailing in Maine.
The Great Harbor 10
Back many years the Great Harbor 10 started its life as the Laurence 10. It was a well designed rowboat that was built for function, economy and fun. The L10 became a favorite of many Maine fishermen as it was a stable dinghy with an easy motion and rowed well.
Hank had one of the original design that also had a hearty cat rig. The boat was a fun boat to sail. When building his 26, he decided to convert his L10 into more of a yacht tender. The dinghy below is an example of what became the Great Harbor 10.
Available as a rowing yacht tender, a yacht tender with a sailing rig or in the original L10 configuration.
THE GREAT HARBOR 10
The Great Harbor 10 is offered in 3 basic models. The Laurence 10 (L10), The Utility 10 (U10), and the Yacht Tender. Each Model is built upon the same hull shape, but has a different construction style to meet the needs of owners with different uses. Further, the boats can be customized to permit a match for your personal objectives. |
THE GREAT HARBOR 10 YACHT TENDER
 The Great Harbor 10 is available in either a rowing or rowing/sailing version. It is a stable boat for family fun and sail training. The mast breaks down into two sections that, along with the boom fit easily into the dinghy for storage.This lovely little tender is built to last through generations. |
 This white hull has a teak interior. The pretty sheer line and overall feel of the boat shows in this view.The design has been around for a while. Hank has one that is a sailing version. The mold for the boat was located and a plug was taken from the mold, refaired and a new mold built. |
 The built in flotation tanks under the seats provide both safety and strength to the hull. The two pictures below show the laminated bow and knee pieces that add a bit of class to the finish and make the boat easier to handle. |
 A great deal of effort goes into the details of the GH10. This shot shows the laminated bow handle on the yacht tender version. |
 The stern knee is made to use as a handle. The laminations give both beauty and strength. |
Pricing:
Yacht Tender – Call for pricing
Includes:
Hand laminated fiberglass hull
Bow eye
Teak seats and rails
White gelcoated interior finish
Fiberglass under seat tanks with foam flotation
Bronze oarlock sockets
Laminated bow and stern handles
Teak stern board
Foam and canvas gunwale guard
Some extra features:
Cove stripe in gold with logo
Contrasting bottom color with non-skid
Second set of oarlock sockets
Varnished woodwork
Varnished spruce spoon oars
Sailing rig
THE GREAT HARBOR 10 UTILITY TENDER
The Great Harbor 10 Utility model (U10) has PVC rails and molded in seats. The sheer may optionally be covered with the same canvas rub rail as the yacht tender version if desired. She has the same flotation as the other two models. The boat shown below has optional stainless steel bow and stern handles. Strong and durable synthetic handles are used on the standard boat.  |
Pricing:
Utility Tender – Call for pricing
Includes:
Hand laminated fiberglass hull
Bow eye and 30′ bowline
Fiberglass seats with foam flotation
Vinyl rails
White gelcoated interior finish
Bronze oarlock sockets
Synthetic bow and stern handles
THE GREAT HARBOR 10 LAURENCE TENDER
 The Great Harbor 10 Laurence model (L10) is built to the original design of the boat from the 70’s. Named for her original builder, she is light, strong and a great basic dinghy. She is constructed with a molded in turn to the sheer which strengthens the boat without the need for structural moldings being added. For the owner that wants the minimum in maintenance and cost, this is the boat.  |
Pricing:
Laurence 10 Model – Call for pricing
Includes:
Hand laminated fiberglass hull
Bow eye
Fiberglass seats with foam flotation
Vinyl rails
Grey gelcoated interior finish
Bronze oarlock sockets
All prices are FOB Southwest Harbor, Maine, USA. Pricing for other custom features available upon request.
Prices and specifications subject to change without notice.
The Great Harbor 12+
  The Great Harbor 12+ is the newest member of the Great Harbor Yachts family. We felt the need for a bigger version of the GH10 that would easily accommodate two rowers and have the stability to permit comfortable movement in and out of the boat. We have at the same time, come up with a super hull for a small sailboat. The first two of these boats are in construction now for delivery in the spring. The photos accompanying this layout are of the first boat which was sea trialed in the fall. As with the GH10, attention to detail is a hallmark of the boat. The built in flotation tanks under the seats provide both safety and strength to the hull. The Laminated handles in both the bow and at the corners of the transom add beautiful functionality to the boat. |
