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I asked Pat if she could provide a list of all the Spencer Vessels Produced.
She has done an excellent job in what she has provided. I have included her comments.

"While the numbers are quite well defined for the molded fiberglass sailboats, when it comes to the plywood and fiberglass power boats and sailboats, the records are not so clearly defined. Some were built from Frame Kits for both sail and power; some were built (particularly the power boats) complete, partially complete, and from Frame Kits as well as directly from plans from the Brandlmayr office. (See Below) I have some records for these as to who they were bought by and whether they were plans or Frame Kit but they are not as updated as the records maintained by Spencer on their production boats. Due to storage problems, we have not kept the files for each of the contracts in the Spencer production."

Spencer     28   - 8 boats (fiberglass Hull) + 1 plug wooden.
Spencer     31   - 24 boats + plug   (See Below) Comment 1.
Spencer     34   - 4 boats (See Below) Comment 2.
Spencer     35   - 64 boats + wooden plug
Spencer     42   - 26 boats + wooden plug
Spencer     44   - 21 - modification to mold of 42 footer and deck mold for center cockpit
Spencer 1330 - 25 boats including plug as hull #1 (Benora)
Spencer 51/53 - 31 boats plus wooden plug ("Sea Fern")
The records do not differentiate between the 51/53. The 53 has a traditional transom; the 51 has a reverse transom.
Since there were both aft cockpit and center cockpit deck configurations and many modifications on rigs (sloop, ketch {not many}, cutter, etc.) the record list has not differentiated the details. Hull Numbers are consecutive.

BUILDING THE PLUG - THE CRUCIAL PART
The term "Plug" is a word that is not used much unless you are talking about boats from earlier days, or
boats that are built with the same values and traditions as those earlier days. In a discussion with our
Patricia Brandlmayr, this topic came up. She explained the procedure in an understated way, but you
can imagine the meaning of the term "quality control" when you think about the procedure.
Here is Pat's explanation to a comment I made to her via email.

Yes, it is difficult to use precise terminology in the development of a product from concept, to finished product - partly because there are different ways of approaching the project. In the case of Spencer Boats the process was initially a 3-step process to reach the molded fiberglass hull.

1) To build a wooden structure the exact shape of the finished product using wooden construction materials (which varied over the years) in an upside down position - as you would to build a one-off wooden boat. This object would be faired, and then coated with fiberglass/resins, which in turn were sanded, sanded, and sanded again, as the applications progressed to produce an object which would replicate the final product;

2) The mold would be produced by means of suitable overlays on the plug, reinforced by means of a structure to keep its shape and to stand the production methods for the fiberglass hulls.

3) The mold is then lifted from the plug, turned over or upright and the inside of it fine tuned for the production of the first fiberglass hull. The condition of the mold will, of course, reflect how good the final product or fiberglass hull is. The fiberglass hull for the first boat is then laid up for production. In the case of Spencer Boats, the bulkheads, tanks, longitudinals and the deck were all installed prior to lifting the hull from the mold. Although this tied up the mold in production longer than for most production boats, it also insured that the product would not warp and get out of alignment.

It was only the 1330 where the plug was constructed using "one-off fiberglass construction methods" to build the plug from which the mold was taken. The technologies had changed in the interim years and this was a logical way to go at the time. This "plug" was highly finished on the outside and it was completed as a boat for Harry Herlihy and became Hull #1 - Benora 111. (Now named "Seaway" (2004) (REB)

In the case of the 42/44's the mold was built with the topside extended to the sheer height of the 44 in order to accommodate the requirements for the center cockpit configuration and layout. The mold, in other words, had the option of the 42 lower sheerline or the 44 higher freeboard and sheerline.

In all cases the deck molds were made starting with a separate wooden plug from which the mold was prepared for the molding of the decks. Prior to designing the 42 footer, John did a good deal of preparation. He studied the lines and performance of the Annapolis 44 which was a popular classic boat at the time. Prior to production of the boat, tank tests were performed at a testing tank in the States. I don't know if this helps clarify terminology and production sequences that apply to the way things were done at the Spencer yard at the time. Since all the boats at the time were laid up by hand, I am sure current technology and high production has changed many things.

.................. Cheers - Pat Brandlmayr
The information was provided to me on Nov 3, 2004 by email from Patricia Brandlmayr - Spencer.

Comment 1 - Re: S-31 Spencer was the record keeper of the hull numbers and we kept a record of owners, etc.
I am certain that all the S-31s indicated in the quantity noted above also include those produced by Philbrooks.

Comment 2 - Re: S-34 Vladimir Plavsic designed the 34 - which was after John's death

24 footer - 15 recorded The plywood & fiberglass sailboats were, in some cases, supplied as a
Frame Kit from Spencer and in some instances, built from plans supplied by Brandlmayr.
The 24 and 32 were nice sailing boats and Frame Kits were supplied for several areas in the world.

41 footer - 7 recorded The 41 was a ketch and some used for offshore work.
Not many were Frame Kits.

46 footer - 3 recorded. The 46 - I believe only one was a Frame Kit completed by Bill Rudolf in Seattle.
He chartered her in the Caribbean for years as "Queen of Sheba", sold her to a couple from Vancouver (Sidney-Smith) who continued sailing her offshore; now she is owned by a fellow who worked for Spencer for years and who has used her as a liveaboard with his family. I don't know the current name of the boat but the family are active sailors in small boats.
To see the procedure in Building a Spencer 35 from a Hull and Deck Kit, see Building Your Own Spencer

The Sunstar
The Sunstar was built to order for Specialty Yachts and Spencer did not interface with the owners.
The Sunstar was produced from molds which Specialty Yachts purchased from an American builder.
I have even forgotten how many we built. But they were quite a nice little boat for the size and cost. (P.Brandlmayr)

Other Spencer Built Vessels
I might mention that the design office included the design of commercial fishing boats, rowboats, dredges,
and a wide variety of marine designs over the years. Since John was a Professional Engineer, some of
the work/designs were associated with commercial activities as well as the pleasure boats.

HULL: The hulls are hand laid-up in a one-piece female mold. The sandwich construction in the hull uses "Airex" PVC core for maximum stiffness and for both acoustic and thermal insulation. The "Airex" is started approximately 6" below the sheer and is carried below the turn of the bilge but not into the keel area. In this way, through-hulls and fittings can be installed easily in the solid glass areas in the bilges.

DECK: The deck, cabin and cockpit are also laid-up in a one-piece female mold. Sandwich for the deck is end-grain Balsa for maximum stiffness and insulation. Use of Balsa in the deck permits ease of installation of deck hardware to suit owner requirements at the time of construction and in the future. The Spencer hull and deck are joined while the hull is still in the mold to maximize fairness. The toerail is incorporated into the deck/hull joint which is achieved by means of successive layers of internal fiberglass bonds. The non-skid deck surface is an integral part of the deck mold.

BULKHEADS: are of plywood and glassed to the hull to contribute to the transverse stiffness and to hull integrity. Longitudinal stiffness is achieved by glassing the various structural interior components to the hull.

BALLAST: The lead ballast in each case is precast in a cast iron mold to give precise control of the weight and shape. The center of gravity is kept effectively as low as possible by bolting the lead ballast along the bottom of the hull. (In the case of the S-35 the lead ballast is pre-molded pigs, placed in the cavity of the hull and glassed in place.) The stainless steel bolts are preset in the lead prior to pouring and extend into the bilge area after mounting so that they are accessible and visible for checking in the future.

The foundation for Spencer Boats was laid in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan where John Brandlmayr grew up, went to University, and developed his interest and skills in the design and building of things such as boats and aircraft. It was here that lasting friendships were formed such as the one with Phil Hantke who, many years late after the war, became a partner in Spencer Boats Ltd.

The following is an excerpt from tapes and notes left by John and which outline the philosophy which he brought to his designs and to their fruition:

"For me the principal interest of boats has always been design. As a youngster building model airplanes, I worked out designs that could be built from the materials readily at hand. I found a particular satisfaction in applying scientific principles and art to the design and construction of a sailplane and enjoyed the considerable amount of general study it required. Building some iceboats and a sailboat at that time seemed like an extremely simple proposition. An enterprise that has given me a great deal of satisfaction and invaluable understanding of boatbuilding is Spencer Boats Ltd. which, together with Phil Hantke, a very good friend, was started in 1952 to build eighteen- foot plywood cruisers and runabouts. My dear wife, Pat, bestowed her maiden name on this business
........... John Brandlmayr

One of the first products built by Spencer Boats was a "Frame Kit" for various sizes of boats, both power and sail. The "Frame Kit" consisted of pre-fabricated components for frames, stem, transom, keelson and a ‘harpin’ which permitted the builder to setup the hull immediately and thus avoid the tiresome task of ‘lofting’ prior to construction. This was prior to mass production of molded boats and at a time when many people built their own boats in order to own one.

Spencer 46 New Series
For information on the New Series of the Spencer 46 go to www.spenceryachts.com