Welcome Aboard Patrician.

The Herreshoff’s Newly Acquired Daysailer Yacht

55’ 4” | launch year 1988 | 13'4" Beam | 

Patrician was the result of a client’s search for the perfect daysailer. He wanted her to display the traditional lines and beauty of sailing yachts of the past but with the performance of a modern design. He also wanted it to be sailable by one person. To assure the required performance, Henry Scheel developed the lines and used his patented keel on her underbody. Van Dam Custom Boats was asked to build Patrician, giving Steve Van Dam the opportunity to demonstrate all the skill and craftsmanship he had developed in his twenty plus years of boat building.

This cold-molded vessel displays the flawless joinery and finish for which Van Dam is well known. In use year round, she is a testament to the durability of Van Dam’s approach to wooden boat building. To satisfy the requirements of single-handed sailing, Van Dam engineered and constructed a complete electrical and hydraulic system so one person could handle all systems from the helm. Van Dam worked very closely with the owner to ensure that all the details that make a custom yacht special were exactly the right blend of aesthetics and function.