Oh Joy's restoration, bringing a 1961 Pilot Yawl back to life.
Sparkman & Stephens unveiled the design for the first Pilot class in Yachting's October 1945 issue, well before plans were purchased by Henry Hinckley in 1955. Aage Neilson, a freelance designer working with S&S at the time, drew the first Pilot class lines. The boats were constructed in wood by Fisher Boatworks in Detroit, Michigan until production was moved to Thomas Knutson Shipbuilding Co. in Huntington, Long Island, NY when Fisher shut down. The originals specs were 32'11" LOA, 24'DWL, 9'6" Beam and 4'9" Draft.
Oh Joy is a 1961 Knutson 35 Yawl built by the Thomas Knutson Shipyard in Halesite, NY. back in 1961. She was derived from Sparkman & Stephens design # 539, the very same design that the Hinckley Pilot was built from. Matter of fact, she was built as a "New Pilot" with an LOA of 35'6", Beam of 9'10" and Draft of 5'6" as well as a bowsprit and staysail stay. While there were five K-35 yawls built, Oh Joy was the only one equipped with a sprit and almost 200 sq ft more sail area that a stock K-35 or Hinckley Pilot. This is the story of her refit which turned into a restoration.



