SWEET CAROLINE: Golden Age Mahogany, Modern Diesel Power

The Windsor Craft story starts in Minnesota. In the late 1980s, Irwin Jacobs, the man behind Genmar, designed a line of fiberglass day cruisers with mahogany decks and interiors, built about a hundred of them in Little Falls, and then retired the name. In 2007 he brought it back with a much bolder idea: a boat built of wood from stem to stern, in the spirit of the mahogany cruisers from the golden age of American boating. Labor at home was too expensive and there were too few craftsmen left who could work wood at that level, so Jacobs took the project to Vicem in Turkey, a yard already known for its cold molded mahogany yachts. The 36 was the model Genmar chose to introduce the new line, and the company put the hull alone at about 3,800 hours of labor.

SWEET CAROLINE, a 2010 Windsor Craft 36 Hardtop, is a beautiful example of what that partnership produced. Her deep burgundy hull is set off by a varnished mahogany sheer, a cream hardtop, polished stainless rails and bright portlights. The part you can’t see matters just as much: three layers of mahogany planking laid in opposing directions and sealed in WEST System epoxy, for a hull more than an inch thick. The hardtop shelters a starboard helm with Simrad electronics set into a gleaming wood dash, a dinette to port and a galley that disappears beneath a hinged lid until it’s needed. Aft, cream cushions wrap around a table inlaid with a compass rose. Below, the cabin is varnished mahogany over a teak and holly sole, with a V berth for two and an enclosed head with a shower.

Twin 370 hp Volvo Penta D6 diesels with Duoprop sterndrives show only 450 hours each. The drives keep her draft to three feet, and joystick control makes a tight marina far less of a worry. With an Onan generator, laid teak underfoot and an opening sunroof overhead, she is just as happy on an evening cruise up the Severn as on a weekend run across the Bay to St. Michaels.

Key Features:

• Cold molded mahogany hull built by Vicem: three layers of mahogany planking in opposing directions, encapsulated in WEST System epoxy
• Twin Volvo Penta D6 370 hp diesels with Duoprop sterndrives, 450 hours each; 3' 0" draft
• Simrad navigation suite with NSS multifunction display, radar, autopilot, depth sounder and VHF
• Joystick control for close quarters maneuvering
• Onan 5 kW diesel generator
• Hardtop with opening sunroof over the helm, dinette and outdoor galley
• Outdoor galley with Kenyon electric cooktop and sink under a hinged mahogany lid, plus refrigerator, wine cooler and microwave
• Varnished mahogany joinery, teak and holly cabin sole and laid teak cockpit decking
• Forward V berth for two and enclosed head with electric toilet and shower
• Aft cockpit with wraparound cream seating around a mahogany table inlaid with a compass rose
• Fixed fire suppression system in the engine room

Rich mahogany sets the tone throughout. Deep gloss varnish brings out the warmth and grain of the wood around the helm, windows and cabinetry, and the details reward a close look, from rounded cabinet corners to carefully fitted doors and finely finished trim. Below, the joinery is paired with a teak and holly sole, dark stone counters and cream upholstery, giving the cabin the intimate feel of a traditional private yacht.

Most of the living happens under the hardtop, which shelters the helm and entertaining area and has an opening sunroof for extra light and air. The helm is to starboard, with a Simrad multifunction display set into a beautifully finished mahogany dash. Directly behind it, the outdoor galley keeps food and drinks at the center of the gathering, and a dinette sits opposite to port. Aft, cream seating wraps around a mahogany table, a fine spot for lunch at anchor or cocktails in the evening, with laid teak decking underfoot. The companionway beside the helm leads below, where the V berth in the bow sleeps two and the enclosed head is finished to the same standard as the rest of the boat. She is as well suited to an overnight trip as to an afternoon on the water.

Interior Styling and Additional Features:

• Varnished mahogany joinery throughout the cabin and helm deck
• Teak and holly cabin sole
• Forward V berth for two with removable center section
• Enclosed head with electric toilet and shower
• Dark stone countertops in the head and galley
• Mirrored mahogany cabinetry and stainless steel basin in the head
• Flat screen TV on the forward bulkhead
• Cream upholstery throughout

MASTER STATEROOM (FORWARD)

The master stateroom fills the bow. The V berth sleeps two and is framed by varnished mahogany storage cabinets on both sides, with cream cushions trimmed in red piping. It is a showpiece when guests come aboard and a comfortable cabin for overnight trips.

• V berth for two with removable center section
• Abundant mahogany storage cabinets and drawers on both sides
• Flat screen TV on the forward bulkhead
• Teak and holly sole
• Open to the main cabin

Master Head

The head is finished to the same standard as the rest of the boat, with handmade mahogany cabinetry, a teak and holly sole and a dark stone countertop. The fixtures are high quality throughout.

• Electric toilet
• Shower
• Stainless steel basin set in a dark stone countertop
• Mirrored mahogany cabinetry
• Teak and holly sole

The galley sits directly behind the helm in a varnished mahogany cabinet. A hinged lid covers the cooktop and sink, so with the lid down the galley disappears and doubles as a bar for parties.

• Kenyon single burner electric cooktop
• Microwave
• Refrigerator
• Glass front wine cooler in the port side cabinetry
• Stainless steel sink with hot and cold water
• Dark stone countertop under a hinged mahogany cover

ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS

SWEET CAROLINE has an updated Simrad navigation suite at the starboard helm, set into a varnished mahogany dash, with joystick control for close quarters maneuvering.

• Simrad NSS multifunction display/chartplotter
• Simrad radar
• Simrad autopilot
• Simrad depth sounder
• Simrad VHF radio
• Joystick control for close quarters maneuvering

ENGINE AND MECHANICAL

Vicem is known for the quality of its machinery installations. The engine room houses the twin Volvo Penta D6 diesels, the Onan generator and associated equipment, and is reached through deck hatches behind the cockpit coaming.

• Twin Volvo Penta D6 370 hp diesels, 450 hours each
• Volvo Penta Duoprop sterndrives, each with twin counter rotating stainless steel propellers, for grip, maneuverability and a 3' 0" draft
• Onan 5 kW diesel generator (model 4MDKBH)
• Fixed fire suppression system in the engine room
• Engine room access through deck hatches behind the cockpit coaming

PLUMBING AND TANKAGE

Fuel is carried in two aluminum tanks, with fresh water and holding in plastic tanks.

• Fuel: 160 US gal (606 L) in two 80 gal aluminum tanks
• Fresh water: 64 US gal (242 L) in two 32 gal plastic tanks
• Holding: 52 US gal (197 L) plastic tank
• Hot and cold water at the galley sink; shower in the head

AUDIO/VISUAL AND ENTERTAINMENT EQUIPMENT

• Fusion stereo at the helm
• Flat screen TV in the V berth

SAFETY EQUIPMENT

• Fixed fire suppression system in the engine room
• 6 adult life vests
• Portable fire extinguishers

HULL

Her distinction begins beneath the finish. Where many cold molded boats use marine plywood, the Windsor Craft 36 is built from individually fitted mahogany planks, laminated in opposing directions and bonded with WEST System epoxy. The mahogany forms the structure of the hull itself, and the epoxy bonding and encapsulation protect the wood against moisture. This painstaking process gave the builder the freedom to shape graceful curves and custom forms without relying on a production mold. Between the cost of select mahogany and the skilled labor needed to shape, fit, laminate and finish it, comparable construction would be extraordinarily expensive in the United States.

• Cold molded mahogany hull: three layers of planking laid in opposing directions, more than an inch thick
• Planking and internal framing encapsulated in WEST System epoxy
• Deep V hull form with a 3' 0" draft
• Hand built by Vicem in Turkey for the Windsor Craft line
• Burgundy topsides with a varnished mahogany sheer and polished stainless steel trim

DECK

Wide walkaround side decks lead to a large foredeck with an integrated anchor windlass. The coach roof gives you an easy handhold on the way forward, and line handlers will find the chocks and cleats easy to reach, with plenty of room to work.

• Wide walkaround side decks
• Integrated anchor windlass
• Polished stainless steel bow rail and handrails
• Chocks and cleats within easy reach
• Swim platform with stainless steel boarding ladder

COCKPIT

The cockpit is where guests spend most of their time. It is wide and deep, with a mahogany table inlaid with a compass rose at its center, and it opens straight into the helm and galley area under the hardtop.

• Hardtop over the helm deck with opening sunroof
• Starboard helm with upholstered bench seat and varnished wood wheel
• Port side dinette under the hardtop
• Outdoor galley directly behind the helm
• Wide, deep wraparound seating in cream upholstery
• Varnished mahogany table with compass rose inlay
• Laid teak decking

BROKER’S COMMENTS

Founded in Turkey in 1991, Vicem has earned an international reputation for exceptional woodworking, cold molded construction and personalized yacht building. Its mastery of traditional craft, supported by modern engineering, has established the yard among the world’s finest custom yacht builders. The Windsor Craft 36 Hardtop brings that pedigree to an elegant yacht her owner can run without crew.

For buyers seeking authentic mahogany construction, classic American style and this depth of handcrafted detail, there are few direct comparisons in the U.S. market short of a meticulously restored classic. SWEET CAROLINE offers that same sense of occasion in a modern boat built with old world craftsmanship.

The Company offers the details of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. A buyer should instruct his agents, or his surveyors, to investigate such details as the buyer desires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal without notice.