Custom Uffa Fox

WILD ROOSTER — 25’ Cold-Molded Uffa Fox Launch (2023)

WILD ROOSTER is a brand-new, cold-molded interpretation of ANKLE DEEP — the last design ever drawn by the legendary British naval architect Uffa Fox in 1969–70. Built in 2023 by Old Town Boatworks in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, and commissioned by Carl Cramer, former publisher of WoodenBoat and Professional BoatBuilder magazines, this exquisite launch represents both a faithful homage to Fox’s genius and a testament to Cramer’s lifelong dedication to wooden boats and the craftsmen who build them.

Carl Cramer’s name is synonymous with the modern wooden boat revival. For twenty-five years, through his stewardship of WoodenBoat and Professional BoatBuilder, he helped sustain and grow the global community of wooden boatbuilders, restorers, and dreamers. WILD ROOSTER was his personal project — a culmination of that lifetime in boats — and an opportunity to bring Uffa Fox’s elegant design into the twenty-first century using the best of modern materials and methods.

Built by Paul Baskett and his talented team at Old Town Boatworks, WILD ROOSTER was cold-molded from two layers of ⅛" western red cedar set in epoxy over mahogany frames and Douglas-fir stringers, creating a light, strong, and enduring hull. Her transom, beautifully varnished mahogany over a marine plywood core, was reinforced to carry a 20-hp Honda outboard. The foredeck and seating layout were redesigned for comfort and practicality, with integrated storage lockers and buoyancy compartments that enhance usability without disturbing Fox’s famously fine lines. The hull was sheathed in 8oz fiberglass cloth set in epoxy for abrasion resistance and an impeccably fair finish.

Sea trials in Lunenburg and later in Casco Bay proved her to be everything Fox promised: fast, dry, and remarkably steady. She takes a four-foot sea in stride, tracks beautifully, and runs level and quiet. Her sweet spot is around 7–10 knots, though she’s capable of twice that. Simple, graceful, and sociable, WILD ROOSTER captures the essence of adventure that inspired both Uffa Fox and Carl Cramer.

With a construction cost exceeding $150,000, WILD ROOSTER represents extraordinary value for a discerning buyer seeking a new wooden boat of impeccable pedigree. She’s elegant, efficient, and utterly unique — a living link between two of the wooden boat world’s most respected figures.

WILD ROOSTER comes with a galvanized trailer and is currently located in Portland, Maine.  Please reach out for a copy of the full article about WILD ROOSTER that appeared in the May/June 2024 issue of WoodenBoat Magazine.   

Specifications

• Designer: Uffa Fox

• Builder: Old Town Boatworks (Lunenburg, Nova Scotia)

• Commissioned by: Carl Cramer (WoodenBoat / Professional BoatBuilder)

• Year Launched: 2023

• LOA: 25’

• Beam: 6’ 8”

• Draft: 1’ 4”

• Construction: Cold-molded western red cedar and mahogany, epoxy laminated

• Power: 20-hp Honda outboard

• Condition: New

• Location: Portland, Maine