Meet Blue Chip from Front Street Shipyard

May 09, 2023

The Front Street Shipyard in Belfast, Maine, is promoting Blue Chip, the 41-foot custom dayboat it built for a private client who will be cruising on Long Island Sound this summer.

With classic Down East lines, a low profile and a long sheer, all designed by Ray Hunt Design, Blue Chip also has the iconic deep-V hull that C. Raymond Hunt developedfor superior blue-water performance some 60 years ago. It's powered by twin 480-hp Volvo IPS650 pod drives, giving it a top speed of 38 knots. The people from Front Street delivered it to its new owner in Sag Harbor, New York, cruising offshore easily at 27 knots.

Front Street built Blue Chip with a composite hull. The topsides and deck are cored fiberglass with Vinylester resin for light weight and strength. It has utilitarian details, including readily accessible handrails and fiddles. Its varnished cherry cabinetry and trim contrast with white panels inside; there's a traditional oiled teak sole in the salon. A Seakeeper gyro will ensure a comfortable ride in various sea conditions.

Styling was by Tack Studios in Portland and was meant to provide easy entertaining or cruising comfort for a family or a small number of guests. The open cockpit is designed for socializing, with an aft seat running across the transom and individual aft-facing seats placed forward; they’re protected by a short overhang from the cabin top. There are also a hidden fish box and recessed rod holders.

A large front windshield and side windows provide visibility all around. A sliding door next to the helm opens to the starboard side deck for docking or line handling. On the foredeck, a two-person seat is just under the windshield, while an aft-facing seat is up on the bow.

Below, Blue Chip has a cabin with a V-berth and a head with an enclosed shower for overnights.

Specs.: LOA: 41’6"; Beam: 13’6"; Draft: 3’4"; Disp.: 30,000 lbs.; Fuel: 420 gals; Water: 120 gals.; Power: 2×480-hp Volvo IPS650 pod drives. Read more:

http://frontstreetshipyard.com

http://rayhuntdesign.com