The Boat Refit Edition: Next Season’s Upgrades

Jim Murray’s J/125 Callisto underwent a complete refit above and below deck in 2024. In the process it got lighter, faster, and much easier to sail for its intended amateur crew. Courtesy Harken WATCH THE REFIT

As sailors we all share the same fundamental belief: Do right by the boat and it will do right by you. Most of the time, routine maintenance is what’s required. But then, there are the times when we need something more…a rethink and a bigger project—The Refit. That’s what the latest issue of “At The Front” is all about.

The world may be constantly changing but one thing is certain; on our watch, this boat is going to get better—and still stay true to its Herreshoff heritage. Courtesy Harken WATCH THE REFIT

Year after year we ask…how can we make this boat easier or safer to sail? How can we keep up with the way the leaders sail them today? How can we make what’s not quite right…right? Just because it wasn’t launched that way, doesn’t mean we can’t rig it that way. This fall, we dedicate our issue of At The Front to refits. In this issue you’ll find detailed content with video about:

• Two all-out race boats
• A racer/cruiser refit while on the water
• The entire RC44 Class refit at once 
• An International 505
• A safer alternative for Warrior Sailors
• And a Herreshoff S Class design from 1926. 

Courtesy Harken

Check out At The Front—The Refit Issue

Harken’s Engineering Manager in Pewaukee, Steve Orlebeke, has this to say about the role Harken often plays in refit projects: “In my 20+ years at Harken, I’ve followed a large number of refits. I’ve helped design a lot of custom equipment fueled by the objectives of those refits to both cruising and racing boats. At Harken, some of our most successful catalog products began out of a design brief from a naval architect or project manager looking to improve ease of use or performance. New thinking regularly results in new solutions. What comes out of those refit projects is some of the most creative, most enjoyable work we do in the Harken Engineering department. Refits…I say if you’ve got a project, we’re happy to wade into it with you. Just get in touch!”

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