MacLear & Harris, Yacht Designers

[Tad]

Someone mentioned they could find nothing on MacLear & Harris, here's a bit.

From 1959 to 1967 Frank MacLear and Robert Harris operated as partners in the New York yacht design firm of MacLear & Harris. The firm specialized in multihulls and had a number of successes in this field, but they also did other diverse projects.

Frank Reynolds MacLear, (Born Denver Colorado1920- D. 2004) graduated from the University of Michagan in 1943 with a BS degree in naval architecture and marine engineering. He first worked at Ingalls Shipbuilding and in the US Navy at Norfolk and in Great Britain overseeing construction and repair. After the war he undertook graduate studies at the University of Geneva. He worked briefly at Sparkman & Stephens in 1948. He then went sailing, racing and passagemaking aboard a great variety of yachts until the late 1950’s. In 1959 with Robert Harris he co-founded MacLear & Harris. Though “Bob” Harris left the partnership in 1967, MacLear carried on under the MacLear & Harris name in New York until he retired sometime in the 90’s. He died in 2004. Notably Dave Gerr worked under MacLear from 79 until 1983.

Robert Buckman Harris, (Born New Hampshire 1922-) Best known as a long term employee at Sparkman & Stephens, a multihull pioneer, and designer of the Vancouver series of cruising yachts. After being appointed a cadet at the US Merchant Marine Accademy in 1942, Harris saw wartime service in the Merchant Marine. In 1945, with a mate’s certificate, he sailed aboard the Wood’s Hole Oceanographic Society’s big ketch Atlantis. He then moved into a four year apprenticeship ashore at the Crosby Yacht Building Yard in Oyster Bay, NY. I believe he completed the Westlawn Yacht Design Course during this time. Also he designed and built his first catamaran (Naramatac) in 1948. In 1950 he joined Sparkman & Stephens where he stayed until 1957, working closely with Al Mason among others. In his spare time he was designing and building early catamaran’s, notably the cold-molded Tiger Cat, which won Yachting Magazine’s one of a kind race in 1959.

In 1957 Harris moved to Grumman Aircraft and then joined designer/builder Robert Derecktor for a short time before forming MacLear & Harris to specialize in Multihull Design. His two books on multihulls, Modern Sailing Catamarans, 1960, and Racing and Cruising Trimarans, 1970, were recognized as pioneering work in the field. He left M&H in 1967 to rejoin Sparkman & Stephens for several years before going back into multihulls in the early 70’s. In 1972 he moved to Vancouver BC and set up a small office. Output at this time included commercial naval architecture, multihull design, and a great deal of production monohull yacht design, mostly for Taiwanese Yacht Builders, Jefferson (motoryachts) and Tayana (sailing yachts). Still living in Vancouver, at 85 Bob is a few years into so-called retirement, but he still draws and is involved in various small local design projects. I believe he has completed a Biography and I hope to see it published before too long.

The design output of MacLear & Harris was varied, but one of the boats that Bob worked on while at S&S was the Johnson’s last Yankee, a steel ketch with twin centerboards. At M&H Frank and Bob coupled the double-ended canoe stern with twin centerboards and a single stick almost midships, thus creating one the great ocean cruising yachts, Angantyr. She was built for Jim Crawford, who had a great deal of experience having circumnavigated in the 60’ Alden schooner Dirigo. With her mast almost midships, Angantyr was referred to as a “one masted schooner”. Bob Harris was to use this hull form, with the cutter rig, and sometimes with the twin centerboards, in the much later Vancouver series of sailing yachts. MacLear was to move on to fewer, but much grander projects including Aria, (87’ cutter) built by Palmer Johnson in the mid 70’s. MacLear more or less led the way to the giant cutter/sloops of today; he was a first adapter of electric sheet winches and furlers to handle huge rigs with short crew.

Aria

[RHP]

Tad, many thanks the Maclear post, personally I find every M+H design fascinating and imaginative. There's one hidden away at the moment on Yacht World I came across by chnance and what a beauty she is.

http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listi...tor&slim=quick

Are there any books or websites dedicated to their work?

PS What a great rig on the first yacht featured in your post!

[Tad]

RHP, if you google you find a few boats for sale but that's about it. The powerboat you found was originally called Lucky Pierre and she had twin 300 HP Cummins engines and cruised at 12 knots. She could use a spray knocker at 17!!


Heres another, the 73' ketch Jubilee at the start of the 1970 Bermuda Race.

[MarkC]

Is there any more info on those 52' motorsailors by MacLear? I've googled and only found a text reference that one was launched in 1971.

[Tad]

Mark,

I have a feeling at least two 52' hulls were built, Halmatic (England) molded the hulls and Berthon finished out the first one, called Delfina. An artical in Sail Magazine named HOBCO Marine Systems as the owner and manufacturer of the electric furlers on the main and two headsails. She had a 130 HP Perkins running a 30" three-bladed controllable pitch prop through a 3:1 reduction gear.

[MarkC]

Thank you Tad!

The 52' Delfin is a different take on the motor-sailor theme. A very interesting look. Seems to be an expedition yacht with good space inside and not a lot of deck-entertainment space.

I wonder if the design was successful? - with only two boats made I fear not? Maybe it is only me that finds this design striking. I like the mix.

I don't know which sail-plan I would choose and I would probably like the boat better in a metal rather than glass.

[RHP]

Hi Mark,

M&H´s designs are all well thought through which is what makes them so interesting. Modern boats in comparison have become so bland.

I recall reading last year that one of the Delfins was basically completed but unused for 30 years. A fellow then bought it and restored her just recently but maintained all the original spec kit and described it himself as a floating museum! The yacht is now used regularly.

I guess the other hull passed through a few hands as she was featured in the UK brokerage press quite regularly in the 1980-1990´s but I havent seen her advertised for at least 10 years.

Anyone have any updated info on wheraebouts of this yacht or anyother M&H?

Good day and weekend to all,
Richard

[RHP]

Mark, Tad,

Tell me, whisper it real low.... am I Sherlock or what:

Enjoy.......

http://www.yachtknighthawk.com/

http://www.hyc.ie/news/newsview.asp?newsid=368

Now then , get yer money out because she is for sale !!!!!

[MarkC]

Good find!

Sounds like one loved little ship that has been places.

I wonder if it was ever fitted with the original rig? It seems also that a few changes to the sheer - and deck have been made.

[lazeyjack]

yes long been a knowing follower of M and H
Take look here, at another direktor alloy classic, I think the descprition is unbelievably honest and open
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Spark...em250224299313