The 52' Yawl KAY 1

The 52' Yawl KAY 1

The 52' yawl KAY was designed by Sparkman & Stephens and built in 1978 at A. Walsted Baadevaeft in Thuro, Denmark. Seen here are Arne Frizell (l) and Rod Stephens (r) discussing KAY's rig. These photos are of the Sparkman & Stephens-designed, Walsted-built yawl KAY. She had recently arrived in Camden, sailed there single-handed by her owner Arne Frizzell from Europe-Denmark, I think. Rod Stephens was scheduled to visit, and Jon Wilson and I had been invited by Bill Cannell to attend the gathering on behalf of WoodenBoat magazine. (Jon and I picked up Rod in Bangor and drove him to Camden on the day of the meeting.) This was the second KAY that Walsted had built for Frizzell, the first having been sold unexpectedly at a price he couldn't refuse, so he immediately ordered a duplicate. We got a chance to examine KAY in her entirety that day and hear about her from both co-designer Rod Stephens and owner-sailor Arne Frizzell. She was exceptionally well thought out in terms of design and just as exceptionally built. We found her bilge totally, and I mean totally, dry despite having just sailed transatlantic. The following photos show details of her construction. Maynard Bray 2022