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ince 1984, Scarano Boat Building, Inc. has built passenger vessels that often have a traditional appearance. Many of these vessels are close copies of historical sailing vessels, certied to modern United States Coast Guard (USCG) standards for structure and stability. Scaranos roots are in high-per- formance sail racing craft and, although clients may want the classic look above the waterline, generally free rein is given below the waterline. This is one place where every opportunity for speed, stiness, efficiency, and tank storage is taken. Other opportunities lie in modern lightweight materials, and reduced maintenance approaches are always sought. Over the years, in addition to providing design and con- struction to a wide variety of outside customers, the yard has designed and built a number of vessels for Classic Harbor Lines, where the design mandate was formulated to a stan- dard that took greater advantage of a tighter designer, builder, certifying authority, and customer interaction. In other words, there were fewer restrictions to trying new concepts. Scaranos latest adventure in trying something new derived from the need to design and build a new day-sailing passenger vessel for Classic Harbor Lines. e vessel would be in service at their New York City (summer) and Key West (winter) locations. In these locations, Classic Harbor Lines had used modern 65-ft. interpretations of classic Pilot style schooner designs. When demand called for additional capac- ity, the decision was made to build an 85-ft. version of the most famous schooner of all, America .e new boat was given the name America 2.0 . e boat was to be a high-performance sailer and include innovations that Scaranos engineers looked forward to implementing. At the top of this list was a state-of-the-art electric propul- sion system. Sailing is a special high-performance category. While sail- ing may appear to be a traditional propulsion method, the ever-increasing pressure to reduce combustion emissions has meant that sail has returned as the cutting edge in achieving high-sustainability marine transportation. e relevance of employing sailing cannot be ov erestimated when marketing to sophisticated customers such as New York City residents, who live in the most energy ecient city in North America. Vessel requirements addressed in the design were pri- oritized as follows: ? Satisfy all regulatory standards and practical requirements to safely carry 75 passengers for hire in New England and Key West waters ? Achieve sailing performance to provide lively and respon- sive experience for passengers with good speed ? Present an aesthetic that refers to classic American schoo- ner yachts and pilot schooners of the late 19th century, and the famous 1851 New York Yacht Club yacht America in particular ? Provide owners and operators with an ecient and eec- tive maintenance regimen that will provide convenience, long life, and accessibility for inspection ? Incorporate ecient operational features for tankage, stor- age, and systems ? Enable the ability to operate in electric-only mode to pro- vide passengers a sailing experience free of engine noise, vibration, and exhaust as well as a net decrease in fuel con- sumption with associated environmental benets. Structural considerations e primary regulatory standards aecting the design of a vessel such as America 2.0 are the USCG Structural and www.sname.org/sname/mt April 2013 LEFT: Composite planking for America 2.0 was developed and ?exural strength was con?rmed by stressing to failure on a four-point test stand. RIGHT: A 2-in. G-10 tube is potted 6 in. deep into the laminated wood hull framing ends with a calculated withdrawal strength (from the frame end) of at least 9,000 lbs. per tube reinforced connection.