Meli-Ha-Ha

In August 2023, David O’Halloran of Sparta, NJ and Manhattan, NY, launched the Meli-Ha-Ha, a Francois Vivier deigned Morbic 11, on Lake Mohawk. Measuring 11′ LOA with a 5′ beam, this traditional French sail and oar dingy was built with a Clint Chase kit in my garage using the strip plank method. Made with western red cedar and yellow cedar for the hull, sapele for the keel, stem and transom, and spars hand-shaped from eastern white spruce, she’s light and nimble--a joy to sail. Her sail is a Gamble and Hunter and the rig is balanced lug. The herringbone hull and foredeck design were inspired by Gary Brown, Oregon. Her name combines the nick-names of my wife and daughter while giving a nod to my wife’s favorite old paddle steamer, Lake George’s Minnie-Ha-Ha.

My email: dohalloran@me.com