Sailing Yacht EROS is on the big railway at Bristol Marine!  

After significant cruising, S/Y EROS returned to Boothbay Harbor and Bristol Marine for some updates and repairs. The very substantial railway at Bristol Marine is ideal for ships the size of this remarkable vessel, with a tonnage of 185 tons! Some EROS dimensions include 103 feet length overall, (79’ on the waterline), a beam of 21’ 9 inches and draft of 12’ 3 inches with a working sail area of 3,800 square feet. EROS has a 40-plus ton lead ballast keel and composite construction with steel frames and beam stringers. Burma teak was used for sternpost, keel and all planking. This is a vessel of exceptional strength, capable of sustaining challenging conditions. EROS was launched in 1939.  

The original owner, Mr. H. S. Vom Berge, was a skilled sailor. He wanted to build a vessel for deep sea cruising and stipulated that she should be of “exceptional strength, capable of taking care of herself and her crew in really heavy weather.” Additionally, Vom Berge wanted a ship that could sail fast. The design ultimately, interestingly, pointed in one direction, the Grand Banks schooners. William Meek and colleague Mr. Sidney Graham held the Banks’ fishermen-type vessel in high regard. Mr. Meek admitted that he was greatly impressed by the beauty and proportions of the Banks fisherman yacht Mabel Taylor, built in Nova Scotia in 1931. 

EROS was built by Brooke Motor Craft Company in Lowestoft, England. She was the largest ship built at the yard at the time and the first of composite construction. For an added measure of safety and endurance, EROS was equipped with substantial fuel capacity capable of close to 7,000 miles under power only. Another special feature of the EROS and Grand Banks design is the ability to sail with a small but efficient crew. Original specifications mention that two men on deck were able to get the ship underway. 

In today’s world, the EROS crew consists of five crew members, who include the captain, Colin Horton, chef, first mate, chief stew and deckhand/stew. All crew members are licensed full-time professionals, certified by the U.S. Coast Guard. 

Captain Horton began his sailing career in the Pacific Northwest while he was in college. He has spent the last 10-plus years working on a variety of vessels all over the world. His experience includes multiple Caribbean and Mediterranean sailing seasons, three transatlantic voyages and many super yacht regattas. Colin holds his 200-ton Near Coastal USCG Captain’s license. While at the Bristol Marine yard, Colin oversees and helps to manage and coordinate the work being done on EROS. The ship is scheduled to depart the yard mid-June and charter out of a homeport in Newport, Rhode Island. For the summer sailing season, EROS will charter between Newport and Bar Harbor, then in the fall return to the Caribbean. The last time I photographed EROS, she was departing from Boothbay Harbor in a snow squall, hardly visible off Tumbler Island.