Ed wrote in March 2007:
This boat was designed by Mark Ellis, designer of the entire Nonsuch line. Gordon Fisher, father emeritus of the whole Nonsuch she-bang, had been fighting cancer for a while by the time this boat was finished. He had visualized his NAIAD as a self bailing and simple daysailor to keep docked at his summer home in Knowlton, Quebec (south of Montreal).

The day of the launching, we appeared with the sail I had built. My wife Garlyne (in blue) was with me, and we all knew this could all to easily be the last time we would see Gordon. When the time came to pour the champagne, Gordon asked Gar to do the honours. She held together long enough to christen NAIAD, asked me to then drive us home, and she cried the whole way. The three photos below are of that day.

Gordon died several months later. Sadly, Garlyne also died of cancer about 4 years ago. And ironically, I am having supper with Alison, Gordon's widow, and some Nonsuch friends, this evening.


Mark wrote in June 2007:
Further to our conversation re your nice NAIAD history Ed:
- the photos were taken in May or June of 1985 at Metro Marine in Bronte, Ontario (west of Toronto)
- Gordon died in early August just after the 1985 Nonsuch Worlds at the Royal Canadian Yacht Club (Toronto)
- NAIAD was a cold moulded one-off, built in Burlington ON by Brion Jorgensen.
- several production Naiad 18s were built in FRP by Luna Yachts by Gilles Sijpestijn.
- Hinterhoeller Yachts went into receivership in 1990 and re-emerged in two incarnations under Messrs. Stewart & Poole.

Please know that these facts are stated for clarity, not as criticism........ :)


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