Friendship Sloop

Description

The Friendship Sloop by McKie Roth Jr., a noted Maine boat designer and builder, refers to a series of modern, smaller-scale Friendship Sloop designs created by McKie W. Roth, Jr. in Edgecomb, Maine. Roth adapted the classic Friendship Sloop form—traditional gaff-rigged, clipper-bowed, elliptical-stern wooden working sloops from Muscongus Bay—for contemporary use, starting with a 22-foot version in 1966 (revised in 1968 and 1977). These are not strict historic reconstructions, but updated interpretations suited to recreational sailing, day use, or small cruising, often built in wood with simpler accommodations (e.g., sleeping 2 in basic layouts). Roth built several wooden examples himself (e.g., Galatea #47 in 1964, Philia #84 in 1969, and others like Avior or Eagle), and his designs influenced fiberglass reproductions (e.g., the "Quoddy" 22-footers by Passamaquoddy Yachts using his lines as a plug, with hulls like Magic #107, Ellen Anne #215, and more built by George/Chester Harris or later Patrick Ahern and Henry Grew). Registered with the Friendship Sloop Society, these smaller Roth designs are prized for capturing the iconic Downeast charm—seaworthy, elegant, and easy to handle—while being more trailerable or affordable than larger traditional sloops.