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.