ROCKPORT — Following three years of careful design and construction, Rockport Marine launched Ouzel, a 95-foot sloop, November 9 into the cold waters of Rockport Harbor.

It was a painstaking set of precise maneuvers, as the large sailboat was safely and competently lowered from the yard and into water. 

The quality of the yacht's construction earned high praise from the team designers. 

“We’re seeing consistently brilliant work by the team at Rockport to blend ageless boatbuilding skills with modern techniques and materials to create such a strong and graceful yacht," said Tom Degremont, of Langan Design Partners, in a news release. "My partner Sam Howell and I are excited to see the whole package come together as Ouzel touches the water for the first time.”

Designed by Langan Design Partners, of Newport, R.I., with interior design and exterior styling assistance by Mark Whiteley Design, of Lymington, UK, Ouzel was built using Rockport Marine’s wood-composite construction technique, which combines an engineered blend of cold-molded wood (Douglas fir and western red cedar), carbon fiber, E-glass, and foam coring. 

“There’s a common perception that you can’t build a yacht like this in the United States any longer," said Peter Wilson, president of MCM Newport, a Rhode Island firm that lead the project.

"When the world finally gets to see what this team has created, they’ll quickly realize that you can build a world class superyacht that stands shoulder to shoulder with European builds, if not even higher, right here at Rockport Marine in Rockport, Maine," he said. "She’s going to turn a few heads for sure.”

The design and build partners met weekly via video call through all phases of Ouzel’s construction, problem solving and smoothing the process, always anticipating next steps.

“It’s satisfying to bring a project of this quality from raw materials to this moment," said Rockport Marine President Sam Temple. "Of course, it has also been a challenge, but we have had a strong team in MWD, LDP, MCM, and wise clients. The people have been as much a joy as seeing this yacht take shape.

"Looking at the longer term, I’m pleased but not surprised that we are seeing increased acceptance of wood-composite building, which requires as little maintenance as any other composite vessel, yet has all the technical and aesthetic advantages of wood." 

Mark Whiteley of Mark Whiteley Design said, “The quality of craftsmanship achieved by Sam Temple and his team here in Maine ranks right alongside the world’s best, and Rockport’s wood-composite build technique enhances the aesthetic, acoustic, and even aromatic ambiance of the interior. At this stage, we still have a few systems to test out, but we are very pleased to see the boat afloat in such fine shape.”