Herreshoff Nereia Sailboats for Sale & Market Overview

Drawing Diagram

Builder drawing

Hull type

Monohull · full

Rig

Ketch

LOA

36.5' · 11.13 m

Displ.

23,000 lbs · 10,433 kg

First year

1947

The Herreshoff Nereia represents a pinnacle of midcentury American yacht design, conceived by L. Francis Herreshoff as a robust, clipperbowed cruising ketch. First introduced in 1947 through a series of articles in The Rudder magazine, the Nereia was designed specifically for the experienced amateur builder or small professional yard. Unlike many of the more clinical, racingoriented designs of the postwar era, the Nereia was a romantic throwback, blending the aesthetic of 19thcentury pilot boats with the hydrodynamic refinements developed by the Herreshoff family. The design is characterized by its significant displacement, a long full keel, and a traditional ketch rig that prioritizes manageable sail areas for a shorthanded crew. While the Herreshoff Marine Museum primarily chronicles the work of L. Francis’s father, Nathanael, the Nereia stands as a testament to the son’s distinct philosophy that a yacht should be as beautiful to look at as it is capable at sea.