To best view this website please make sure your browser is updated. Firefox is recommended.

Brion Rieff started sailing on Long Island Sound at the early age of five, and began a successful racing career at fourteen. His experience racing big sail boats has given him a unique perspective in the boat building business as he enjoys the sailing almost as much as design and building.

The current shop was built in 2001 in Brooklin Maine. The 4,000 square foot facility allows simultaneous construction of several boats. We build cold molded boats using the latest in vacuum bagging and infusion technology. We also do restorations of classic wooden boats using traditional methods.

The Maine Experience

Intuition
Maine Experience
Wind Rose
En Charrett
Truth
Arrow
Rieff Runner

Herreshoff Designs
Iolanthe
Annie
Alera

6 Metre Restorations
Totem
Flapper
Alana
Lucie

Restorations
Curley
Chris-Craft Runabout
Caprice

Our Boats
Whether you are looking to build or restore- power or sail, Brion Rieff Boatbuilder can provide the perfect boat for you. From six feet to sixty, BRBB is capable. We are experiences in plank-on-frame construction, custom spars, and interiors. Over 45 years of experience in cold-molding and high-tech wood composite construction makes us a leader in our field. Many customers are so satisfied with our work that they have returned for new boats.

Herreshoff Designs
For many years we have been involved with restoring and building designs in the Herreshoff tradition. For more information visit Herreshoff Designs.

6 Metre Restorations
We have been involved in restoring 4 6 metre boats. 6 meters were the original Olympic racing boat, they were used until 1954. Original design concept is from 1908 meter rule developed. It developed a resurgence in Europe and the Northwest coast, and more recently in New England. In September 2009 there were North American and World Championships; 3 BRBB boats competed

Restorations
BRBB is competent in restorations of classic Chris-Craft or 6 meter We have done total keel-up to just interiors. We are experienced in steam-bent, plank on frame, and double laminated frames. We are proficient in all phases of traditional design and construction.


Wind Rose

Intuition
This daysailor, designed by Brion Rieff in the Spirit of Tradition, combines classic looks with a thoroughly modern underbody and rig. Hull and deck are cold molded wood over a foam core. With carbon fiber spars, rudder and keel she can race competitively in the Spirit of Tradition Class and PHRF as well as be a beautiful daysailer.

LOA: 42'
Beam: 9'
Draft: 6' 3"

Iolanthe
Iolanthe is a beautiful classic, built in cold-molded construction, launched in August 2008. She is the latest in the Herreshoff Newport 29 Class which started in 1914. Nathaniel Herreshoff designed and built his own boat, Alerion, then by stretching out her lines by 33% and adding a deeper fixed keel the Newport 29 was created. There were three boats built in 1914 and a fourth built in 1926, all by the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company. Three of these boats continue to sail and race in the Northeast US and abroad. Iolanthe, true to her heritage, has won or placed in the top three in several races. Her interior was built in a traditional Herreshoff manner with painted raised paneling and mahogany trim.

LWL: 29'
LOA: 36' 8"
Beam: 10' 4"
Draft: 5' 4"
Displacement: 15,400lbs

Maine Experience
This modern cold-molded schooner was launched in the summer of 2007 for a repeat customer. Drawn by Niels Helleberg, chief designer at the John G. Alden office in Boston, she incorporates many modern materials and construction methods while keeping with John Aldens ideals of a good cruising schooner. She has two state rooms, two heads with showers, a full galley and a salon. The salon sits in a dog house with full panoramic views. All carvings, inlays and joining work done in-house. Teak, mahogany, lacewood, and oak were all used in the interior.

LOA: 50' 4"
Beam: 14' 5"
Draft: 6' 9"
Displacement: 50,000 lbs.
Sail Area: 1500 sq. ft.
Engine: 75 hp diesel

Wind Rose
Launched June 2006, Wind Rose is a Bruce King designed cruising sloop styled after Agea Neilson's classic double enders. The hull is cold-molded with four layers of white cedar and the deck is marine plywood with fiberglass sheathing. The boat has proven to be successful as a long-range cruiser and fast on the race course. She was designed for a retired couple to sail with their family. Forward cabin v-birth with lockers port and starboard. Main cabin has table that turns into a double birth. Mid-ship there is a full galley with a 3-burner stove and microwave to starboard and a navigation area and table to port. After the navigation area is a head with shower with quarter berth to starboard.

LOA: 42'
Beam: 13'
Draft: Board Up 4.5', Board Down: 10'

Annie
Nathaniel Herreshoff made slight modifications his personal boat, Alerion III, and built "Sadie" in 1914. We built Annie to the same lines in the traditional manner; plank on frame with a canvas covered cedar deck and hollow spruce spars. Annie now sails in Eggemoggin Reach. We have also built a cold-molded hull to this design.

LOA: 26'
Beam: 7' 7"
Draft: 2' 6"

En Charrett
Designed by Ron Noe in Essex, Conn. for his own use. She was launched in 1984. She was raced in PHRF for 20 years bring lots of silver hitting speeds of 18 knots. Now owned by Brion Rieff.

LOA: 36'
Beam: 10'
Draft: 6'
Displacement: 8,500
Waterline: 30'

Caprice
A 16' 1946 Chris-Craft Runabout. Caprice came to us as a basket case. Her deck was redesigned as a two seater gentlemen's runabout. Re-powered with a 3.8L V6 gas engine, she is fast with speeds in excess of 45 mph.

Arrow
Designed by Brion Rieff as a daysailor in the Spirit of Tradition, this clipper 32 yawl has proven to be a fast daysailor and weekender. She is very easily single handed. Launched in 1999, she now sails Eggemoggin Reach. There is a quarter berth port and starboard, a small galley with a sink to port and a stove to starboard, and a forward v-berth with a head underneath. Construction: 5 layers of 1/8 inch veneer with a layer of fiberglass sheathing. Deck is 1/2 inch plywood with fiberglass sheathing.

LOD: 32'
Beam: 8' 9"
Draft: 5' 6"
Displacement: 8200 lbs.
Sail Area: 600 sq. ft.
Power: Westerbeke 12hp diesel

Rieff Runner
Designed by Brion Rieff. A fast efficient center console runabout. She's able to handle rough weather and sea conditions. Construction: glued plywood lapstrake.

LOA: 24'
Beam: 7' 6"
Draft: 12"

Totem
Totem was designed by Bill Luders Sr. in 1930. She is a very fast 6, winning much silverware on Long Island Sound. Restored, she won the B&K trophy at the worlds in Newport, RI.

LOA: 24'
Beam: 7' 6"
Draft: 10"
Dsplacemnt: 2500 lbs.
Power: 115 Yamaha Outboard
Speed: 35 mph

Flapper
Designed by Christian Jensen and built in Norway in 1938. She enjoyed a successful racing career and after a complete rebuild she was launched again in the summer of 2006 to once again compete on the classic circuit.

LOA: 36' 6"
Beam: 6'
Draft: 5' 3"

Alana
Alana was designed by William Fife III, and built at the Fife yard in Farlie Scotland in 1930. She arrived at our shop in 2002 in sad shape without her lead keel. Working with Pedrick Yacht Design of Newport Rhode Island, Alana has been completely rebuilt and is now racing competitively on the classic yacht circuit.

LOA: 36' 6"
Beam: 6' 8"
Draft: 5' 3"

Lucie
Designed by Clinton Crane and built at the Nevin's Yard on City Island in New York in 1931. After a successful racing career over 75 years, she was rebuilt in the exact manner of her original construction, including shellac between her double planked hull.

Length: 36' 6"
Beam: 6' 4"
Draft: 5' 3"

Curley
First built by Dodge Motor Company in 1932, totally rebuilt at our shop. New deck, engine and structural members. Power is a 292 straight six, speed 25 mph. Re-launched in 2000.

LOA: 26'
Beam: 7'

Alera
The latest version of Alerion 26. This new Alerion was built as a semi-custom boat for ideal sailing pleasure.

LOA: 25' 4"
LWL: 20'
Beam: 7' 2"
Draft: 3' 7"
Displacement: 4,800lbs
Sail Area: 315 sq ft

Truth
Designed by Antonio Dias. Whether you're out for a day sail, coastal cruising, or off shore voyaging, Truth has proven easy to sail and comfortable in a blow. Construction: Cold Molded hull, hollow fir spars, 3/4 inch plywood deck.

LOD: 30' 6"
Beam: 9' 6"
Draft: 4' 8"
Sail area: 736 sq. ft.
Displacement: 14,000 lbs.
Power: Westerbeke12 hp Diesel


For the past 10 years we've been involved in designing our own boats. We have the ability to design and build to your specific boating pleasure. From daysailors, off shore boats, to power boats we bring innovation by design.

Alera is hull #1 of the latest version of the Herreshoff Alerion 26. Hulls #2 and #3 are under construction.


Arrow

Please contact us:

Brion Rieff Boat Builder
76 Flye Point Road
Brooklin, ME 04616
207.359.4455

Or use the form below:

Your Contact Details

Comments