Geerd Hendel
Encyclopedia
Geerd Niels Hendel was a naval architect and native of Germany
. He found success in the United States becoming a prominent yacht designer who had a hand in an America's Cup
victory in 1937. Born in Hamburg
, Hendel apprenticed for two years at Deutsche Werft
shipyard in Hamburg before attending the Higher Technical Institute at Bremen where he specialized in naval architecture. Following graduation in 1925, he spent over two years in the design office of Nobiskrug
shipyard in Rendsburg
in Northern Germany.
Hendel came to the USA in November 1928 with a visa and worked in New York City in the office of Theodore Wells, naval architect.
In 1935, Hendel became chief draftsman for the legendary naval architect Starling Burgess, who at the time was living in Wiscasset, Maine, and working on various projects for the Bath Iron Works
, in Bath, Maine
.
In 1936, Harold Stirling Vanderbilt
engaged the Bath Iron Works to build the America’s Cup Defender Ranger
, the greatest of all J-class yacht
s. Geerd Hendel worked with Starling Burgess and a young Olin Stephens
on putting together the working drawings (see Olin Stephens’s book, All This and Sailing Too). From his work on Ranger’s aluminum masts, Hendel became one of the early advocates of the use of aluminum in yacht building. That summer, Hendel became a US citizen.
In 1938, Hendel designed the 21-foot fin keel sloop known as the Boothbay Harbor One Design, the culmination of almost a decade’s work of designing, building, and then testing his ideas for fast racing sloops. Geerd Hendel and Starling Burgess actively raced the Hendel Racing Sloop during the years leading up to World War II.
In 1939, Hendel designed Whistler, one of the first aluminum alloy vessels ever built in the United States. It was an experimental yacht for Alcoa
, built at Rice Brothers in East Boothbay, Maine. The following year he worked for Sparkman & Stephens
for a short time.
Post WWII, Hendel established his own independent design firm in 1945 in Camden, Maine
. He gained fame as a naval architect both in the United States and Europe for his many innovative designs of luxury yachts, fishing vessels, tugboats, launches, and sailboats. He spent well over 60 years behind the drawing board and the last 30 managing his own firm. His accomplishments were documented over the years in numerous trade magazines and books on boat building.
Most of Hendel’s drawings and work are located in the Hendel Collection at the Maine Maritime Museum, 243 Washington St., Bath, ME 04530 USA.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. He found success in the United States becoming a prominent yacht designer who had a hand in an America's Cup
America's Cup
The America’s Cup is a trophy awarded to the winner of the America's Cup match races between two yachts. One yacht, known as the defender, represents the yacht club that currently holds the America's Cup and the second yacht, known as the challenger, represents the yacht club that is challenging...
victory in 1937. Born in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, Hendel apprenticed for two years at Deutsche Werft
Deutsche Werft
Deutsche Werft was a German shipbuilding company, located in Hamburg, Germany. It was founded in 1918 on initiative by Albert Ballin and with Gutehoffnungshütte , Allgemeine Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft and Hamburg Amerikanische Packetfahrt Actien Gesellschaft as investors.During World War II...
shipyard in Hamburg before attending the Higher Technical Institute at Bremen where he specialized in naval architecture. Following graduation in 1925, he spent over two years in the design office of Nobiskrug
Nobiskrug
Nobiskrug Ltd. is a shipbuilding company located on the Eider River in Rendsburg, Germany, specializing in building luxury yachts. It is now a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi MAR. The shipyard currently employs some 400 people....
shipyard in Rendsburg
Rendsburg
Rendsburg is a town on the River Eider and the Kiel Canal in the northeastern part of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is the capital of the Kreis of Rendsburg-Eckernförde. As of 2006, it had a population of 28,476.-History:...
in Northern Germany.
Hendel came to the USA in November 1928 with a visa and worked in New York City in the office of Theodore Wells, naval architect.
In 1935, Hendel became chief draftsman for the legendary naval architect Starling Burgess, who at the time was living in Wiscasset, Maine, and working on various projects for the Bath Iron Works
Bath Iron Works
Bath Iron Works is a major American shipyard located on the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine, United States. Since its founding in 1884 , BIW has built private, commercial and military vessels, most of which have been ordered by the United States Navy...
, in Bath, Maine
Bath, Maine
Bath is a city in Sagadahoc County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 9,266. It is the county seat of Sagadahoc County. Located on the Kennebec River, Bath is a port of entry with a good harbor. The city is popular with tourists, many drawn by its...
.
In 1936, Harold Stirling Vanderbilt
Harold Stirling Vanderbilt
Harold Stirling Vanderbilt was an American railroad executive, a champion yachtsman, a champion bridge player and a member of the Vanderbilt family.-Background:...
engaged the Bath Iron Works to build the America’s Cup Defender Ranger
Ranger (yacht)
The J-class yacht Ranger successfully defended the 1937 America's Cup, defeating the British challenger Endeavour II 4-0 at Newport, Rhode Island. It was the last time J-class yachts would race for the America's Cup.-Construction:...
, the greatest of all J-class yacht
J-class yacht
The J-Class serves as a rating for large sailing yachts designed between 1930 and 1937. Reserved for a wealthy elite of yachtsmen, these boats were used to compete with the best sailing talents in three races of the America's Cup.-The 1930s:...
s. Geerd Hendel worked with Starling Burgess and a young Olin Stephens
Olin Stephens
Olin James Stephens II was an American yacht designer of the 20th century. Stephens was born in New York, but spent his summers with his brother Rod, learning to sail on the New England coast. He also attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for a term.Stephens' name had a long history...
on putting together the working drawings (see Olin Stephens’s book, All This and Sailing Too). From his work on Ranger’s aluminum masts, Hendel became one of the early advocates of the use of aluminum in yacht building. That summer, Hendel became a US citizen.
In 1938, Hendel designed the 21-foot fin keel sloop known as the Boothbay Harbor One Design, the culmination of almost a decade’s work of designing, building, and then testing his ideas for fast racing sloops. Geerd Hendel and Starling Burgess actively raced the Hendel Racing Sloop during the years leading up to World War II.
In 1939, Hendel designed Whistler, one of the first aluminum alloy vessels ever built in the United States. It was an experimental yacht for Alcoa
Alcoa
Alcoa Inc. is the world's third largest producer of aluminum, behind Rio Tinto Alcan and Rusal. From its operational headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Alcoa conducts operations in 31 countries...
, built at Rice Brothers in East Boothbay, Maine. The following year he worked for Sparkman & Stephens
Sparkman & Stephens
Sparkman & Stephens is a naval architecture and yacht brokerage firm with main offices on 5th Avenue in New York City, USA and offices in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and Newport, Rhode Island, USA. The firm performs design and engineering of new vessels for pleasure, commercial, and military use....
for a short time.
Post WWII, Hendel established his own independent design firm in 1945 in Camden, Maine
Camden, Maine
Camden is a town in Knox County, Maine, United States. The population was 5,254 at the 2000 census. The population of the town more than triples during the summer months, due to tourists and summer residents. Camden is a famous summer colony in the Mid-Coast region of Maine...
. He gained fame as a naval architect both in the United States and Europe for his many innovative designs of luxury yachts, fishing vessels, tugboats, launches, and sailboats. He spent well over 60 years behind the drawing board and the last 30 managing his own firm. His accomplishments were documented over the years in numerous trade magazines and books on boat building.
Most of Hendel’s drawings and work are located in the Hendel Collection at the Maine Maritime Museum, 243 Washington St., Bath, ME 04530 USA.
Further reading
- Bray, Maynard. "Vacuum-Bagging EIGHT BELLS, Tools and procedures for effective cold-molding." WoodenBoat, Nov./Dec. 2007, #199, pp. 62–67. (Cold-molding a Boothbay 21-footer.)