Aboard: KISMET

More than 30 years ago, in WB No. 119, I wrote a review of a design called Pollywog. That piece was illustrated entirely with designer Bill Garden’s evocative drawings. I subsequently became Bill’s agent for selling the package of drawings for this boat, and probably sold close to 50 sets. KISMET is one of several Pollywogs that have since been built, and her recent relaunching, after a major refit, provides an opportunity to finally show photos of this fine design.

Bill drew the plans for his lawyer friend Laurie “Loophole” Armstrong, who built BLACK DAVE from them in 1995. Another friend of Bill’s, a retired boatbuilder named George Fryatt, jumped right in and also built a couple of these boats—one of them for himself (also launched in 1995), which found its way to Maine in 2005. Others were also built from the plans that I sold.

Fryatt’s boat was shipped east from Vancouver around 2005 for Dale Turic, and I first came across her 10 years later, when Jim and Lolly Mitchell bought the boat and renamed her KISMET. In 2019, she went briefly to Bruce Fowler, who made the two-month voyage from Brooklin, Maine, down the coast, up the Hudson, through the Erie Canal and returned home via Lake Champlain and the Hudson. “A one-adventure boat,” he called her. Bob and Suzie Yaro purchased her afterward, in 2022, and immediately had her moved to Brion Rieff ’s Brooklin shop for repair and refit.

The Yaros’ idea was to modify her for comfortable afternoon runs near their Connecticut home and perhaps take a few short cruises. The refurbishing took longer (two and a half years) and went deeper than originally planned and consisted of frame repairs as well as many alterations. Launching was in early spring this year, and after trials in Brooklin, she headed west with Bob at the wheel and his friend Peter as crew. In five days at 5 knots, they made Noank, Connecticut, which will be her home port for the summer. She was on display at the 2025 WoodenBoat Show at Mystic Seaport, just upriver from Noank.

Reports from Bob Yaro that I’ve received so far are glowing.

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