The boat Passing Wind has been called the life’s work of boatbuilder and designer Vic Carpenter. The 62-foot custom cruiser, entirely built of wood with a one-inch-thick deck constructed from three layers of laminated red cedar and mahogany, was launched in 1992. She has a beam of 15 feet, 6 inches and was recently listed on the used boat market.
Built over a 6-year period, she was designed for Carpenter’s personal use. He sailed her on Lake Huron following her launch in 1992 and enjoyed the boat until 1999, when he was no longer able to use it. The boat made its way to Newport, Rhode Island, where it sat under wraps for about six years. A local discovered the vessel (with only its 90-foot spruce spar visible) and fell in love. Much of the yacht had been preserved, from the woodwork and finish to the suite of sails and lines. She was updated with electronics and went on to win her class in the 2006 Newport Bermuda Race and also won the 2022 Classic Yacht Challenge Series in New England.
Carpenter was born in Canada and became renowned for his racing sailboats. He was the great nephew of the Newfoundland sailor and Arctic explorer Bob Bartlett. By the age of 17 he had built his first cabin cruiser. A year later, Carpenter met his wife, Hazel, who he taught to sail, race and build boats. They fell in love with Georgian Bay in Ontario, Cana- da, and ended up moving from Michigan to the Parry Sound area, where they opened a boat shop, building sailboats and motor cruisers to high standards.
Carpenter died in 2012 at the age of 82. He was survived by Hazel, their daughter, and the couple’s legacy of excellence in boatbuilding. “Some people con- tend [Vic and Hazel’s] work is the best in the world,” said Marianne King-Wilson, the past president of the nonprofit Sail Parry Sound. “A boat from Vic Carpenter never leaked, and a wooden boat that never leaked is a miracle. The inlay, finish and design were unparalleled. People came from everywhere and all fields to search out the best boat they could have— and it had to be Vic Carpenter who made it.”
This story was originally published in the June 2024 issue.
