Frank C. Paine

[dinnie]

I'm looking for any information about my grandfather, the designer Frank C. Paine, who was most active in the Boston area in the 20s and 30s and produced such boats as the J-boat Yankee, the Bermuda Race record-holder Highland Light, and the fishing schooner Gertrude Thebaud, along with a number of Meter boats and Universal Rule yachts. I would love to uncover someone who sailed with him, but it would be great simply to discover the locations of his boats still extant.

My nephew is hoping to write about him, and we search out info for that reason.

[John Gearing]

Check the Woodenboat index at this site and you'll see that there have been a few articles about Frank Paine. That's a good starting point for finding references to those who knew him. Also, you might try writing to Mr. Llewellyn Howland in the Boston area (sorry, don't have his address handy but if you have the articles he wrote about W.Starling Burgess, who, incidentally, had a connection with Frank Paine, it's included at the end of the second article I believe and also appears from time to time in the classifieds as Mr. Howland sells rare books on nautical topics) as I believe that he may have quite a bit of knowledge on the Massachusetts yachting scene. You may also wish to contact someone like Phil Bolger (see his post under "Building/Repair") who is a designer and who has been in the same general area for quite some years. Also try Mystic Seaport as they have an extensive collection of plans from various designers. I don't know whether Frank Paine's are there or not, but it's worth asking for any information they may have. Other ideas: contact one of the old-line design firms like John Alden or C. Raymond Hunt and see if there is anyone there who might have had a personal interest in Frank Paine and who might have some information for you.

Just some thoughts.....off the cuff, as it were....