Our expertise with both original designs and the development of plans from existing craft (often historically significant) can bring your ideas to life.
Hylan & Brown is a custom yacht design and construction company specializing in traditionally-inspired designs created with the highest standards of craftsmanship. Whether we are building a 13′ 100 lb peapod or a 43′ 12-ton power cruiser, we are committed to producing heirloom quality watercraft that indulge one’s senses and inspire rich experiences. We offer the rare opportunity to bring your custom yacht from vision, to design, to reality, all under one roof. Our design and construction portfolio includes numerous examples of unique new construction, accurate and sensitive restoration of historically significant vessels, and tastefully customized and updated versions of classic yachts.
SPRAY is a new Albury Runabout, built to Doug’s plans for a Brooklin couple. Doug’s plans are based on lines taken from what Willard Albury considered his optimal boat.
This boat has already proven to be optimal in her home waters. Departing Benjamin River, she is rugged and capable enough for spur of the moment jaunts to Isle au Haut, Fox Island Thoroughfare, Swans Island, Stonington or any of the hundreds of hidden hike and picnic spots in between.
For this new Albury we added a pair of aft facing seats and a more comfortable aft bench seat with seat back.
After the success of VEGA’s electrification in 2023, her owner came back to us with a new project in mind. He enjoyed using VEGA for day trips with friends and family, but wanted another boat to venture further afield in, with simple overnight accommodations for up to two people. Sorrento to Isle au Haut without plugging in was the challenge he gave us – and he already had a boat in mind.
Built in 1969 by Uniflite in Bellingham, WA, this former Navy motor whaleboat was a good candidate for efficient electric cruising. With a double-ended hull designed for displacement speeds, she slips through the water with ease and can easily carry the weight of a large battery bank. The design Doug came up with called for gutting the boat and building a new superstructure, with a long hardtop for solar panels, good protection from the weather, and lots of glass for unrestricted visibility.
Photo: Nick Parson
Photo: Nick Parson
For propulsion, we installed a 15 kW pod from Rim Drive Technology, paired with a 60 kWh Victron battery bank. The result is smooth, silent operation with extremely low maintenance requirements. Six 200 W solar panels mounted on the cabin top continuously recharge the batteries while underway, enabling what we call “solar sailing”: traveling at a speed determined by available sunlight rather than by drawing down the battery bank. At modest cruising speeds, SEIWA can run comfortably all day, and under favorable conditions, with very little battery use at all.
Inside, we focused on simplicity, with accommodations tailored to her owner’s vision of minimalist coastal exploration. Two settees convert to comfortable sleeping berths, and the compact cabin includes a Laveo waterless head and a clever galley with a folding single-burner stove that reveals a sink beneath.
With planning, multi-day trips using nothing but the power of the sun are a real possibility in a boat like this. For sailors transitioning away from sail, or cruisers looking for a quieter, less demanding way to explore, SEIWA offers an effortless and environmentally responsible alternative. For us, the boat stands as a proof of concept: with the right hull, thoughtful design, and carefully-selected solar-electric systems, electric cruising isn’t just possible – it’s practical, peaceful, and deeply rewarding.
In 2018 we designed and built GATSBY for a family with a new summer home in Rockport Maine. Since then, they have loved her dearly and used her extensively for picnics and day trips around Penobscot Bay. As they discovered all the wonderful places to see and explore by boat, they began to realize they needed a boat with a bit more size, range, speed, capacity and comfort in a range of conditions.
A conversation began in 2021, and we brought in Matthew Smith, N.A. to develop the design. He worked closely with Ellery and the owners to ensure the new boat would build upon what they loved about GATSBY while also providing a whole new boating experience. Lead Builder Matthew Elwell and Designer/Systems Architect Ben Parson worked out the myriad details. Kit Macchi headed up hull and pilot house construction and Alina Johns worked tirelessly to make her shine!
Photo: Nick Parson
Photo: Nick Parson
At 31′ 6″ on deck, with a 10′ 4″ beam, and displacing approximately 10,000 lbs, GATSBY II is nearly three times larger than GATSBY. But part of the challenge was to design a boat that was easier to use and handle in all ways, despite going up substantially in size. This was achieved with thoughtful design and well-placed technology: Hull doors and a “walk around” layout for moving in/out and around the boat with ease and safety; the latest technology from Yamaha provided joystick controls with bow thruster integration for effortless and intuitive docking and in-harbor handling; a SeaKeeper gyrostabilizer for comfort and stability at anchor and low speeds; a Zipwake dynamic trim control system for comfort and efficiency at speed; autopilot; electric windlass and much more.
A pristine Maine pond + A cherished family cottage + a private floating dock in a quiet cove = a perfect opportunity to engage in low impact electric boating. More and more, we are encountering boaters for whom electric propulsion is the priority, not just a consideration. There are few existing production boat hulls that are suitable for maximizing the potential of electric propulsion, so there’s an opportunity for custom builders like us to design and build efficient displacement hulls to make the most of recent advancements in electric propulsion technology.
While we are designing and building you a boat that provides a noninvasive experience in a special place, we mustn’t pass up the opportunity to reference that place in the lines and details. Let’s draw from the natural environment with bare native cedar and dark green topsides. Let’s plan on at least three generations and guests and build in lots of seating. Let’s add a touch of elegance in a brass wheel and varnished coaming.
Photo: Nick Parson
Photo: Nick Parson @thesearesomephotos
In this busy bright buzzing world many of us are grasping for peace, quiet, immersion…authenticity. I can’t say a custom electric boat is the answer to anything, but it’s an opportunity to get closer to something we are yearning for.
For our latest electric boat ANCHOVY we found an existing garvey design from Harry Bryan that was well suited to electric power and the pristine pond she will call home. Long, low and narrow with a non-immersed transom, the hull is inherently energy efficient. Those same qualities and her honest workboat origins make for a boat that is both wholesome and striking as she makes her way quietly across the pond.
VEGA was built on Great Cranberry Island In 1936. She spent the next 84 years enjoyed by one family and stored carefully on island. She came to us in remarkably original condition by way of Maynard Bray’s “Save a Classic” Column in WoodenBoat Magazine. Her new owner was interested in perpetuating the original fabric and spirit of the classic launch, while also converting her from gasoline to electric power.
Photo: Nick Parson
Photo: Nick Parson
His intended use was well suited to electric power: regular joy rides, picnic excursions and cocktail cruises off his dock (with shore power) in Sorrento, with an occasional cruise to Stonington, Brooklin, or even western Penobscot Bay. The boat was a great candidate for electric, too: fine bow, long waterline, narrow beam and a not-quite submerged transom.
The conversion was a success. With one season under her belt, we learned a lot about her abilities: She can easily go from Brooklin to Sorrento on a single charge; She can make regular short cruises and re-charge on solar alone, and a lot more.
In early 2020 AUK’s owner asked us to propose an existing Hylan design that we felt would maximize the potential of the latest electric outboard technology. Doug offered his Point Comfort 23 as the best candidate, and with the help of Ocean Planet Energy we selected a Torqeedo Cruise 10.0 motor powered by a pair of their 48 V 5000 Wh batteries (later upgraded to a Cruise 12.0 and third battery). With access to 120 V service the batteries can be charged from flat in about 6 hours with the Torqeedo fast charger. For charging on the mooring and extending range, Ocean Planet Energy recommended (4) Solbian SR+ 116 panels.
As a platform for the latest electric propulsion system, AUK has lot to offer. With her plumb bow she has a long waterline for her size which makes for better performance at lower speeds. When speed is a must she planes easily with her shallow V back aft. In general the historically-inspired design represents a measure of balance that is often missing in the inefficient overpowered “Clorox bottles” that populate most of our harbors in 2020.
AUK’s aesthetic is also derived from a carefully struck balance. Her vernacular Chesapeake work boat roots mingle with a modern minimalism that modestly references the technology driving her. It is truly fun to watch her underway and consider how her far flung elements emulsify into something altogether new.
But the fun of watching her is nothing compared with the thrill of being aboard. As you cast off and navigate the harbor the silence slowly dawns on you. After a few minutes underway you will begin to understand that this isn’t just a new kind of boat, it’s a new kind of boating! One where we’ve regained our senses, where we can enjoy the moment not just the destination, where we can appreciate the world around us without actively degrading it. Here’s to the future of electric boating!
