KATY, No. 104
KATY on launch day, 2019.
Concordia Yawl #104 (39'10"), Built from 1990-2019 by owner and experienced shipwright Mark Webby in New Zealand, with special permission from Waldo Howland.
Current Status:
Active - Cruising in New Zealand
Ownership Log: Purchased, Name of Boat, Owner, Port
1990-Present, KATY (after Mrs. Howland), Mark Webby, Whangarei, New Zealand
If the above information on this yacht is inaccurate or incomplete, please contact us.
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Expanded Yacht History:
From the Fall 2019 issue of The Concordian:
For a very long while, word had been circulating about a Concordia 39 yawl being constructed in Whangarei, New Zealand. The reports were indeed correct, the builder/owner being a highly talented shipwright named Mark Webby. In the mid-1980s, Mark had the opportunity
to apprentice in New Hampshire with both Gordon Swift and Bud McIntosh. During a weekend visit to Boothbay Harbor, Mark watched an older gent sail his Concordia singlehanded into the inner harbor. The skipper dropped the jib and proceeded toward a mooring. As the boat came head to wind and stopped, the fellow calmly walked forward and released the main halyard, then picked up the pennant without fuss. Mark was profoundly impressed by the entire tableau, and he promptly informed Bud that he wanted to build one of those lovely yawls with a star at the bow and a crescent moon at the stern. Bud pleaded Mark’s case to Waldo Howland, and in due course he was able to convince Waldo to turn over a full set of plans to Mark— who eventually returned home and began work on Concordia #104.
In 1989, Waldo was asked whether he thought any further Concordias might be built to the original design. He replied as follows: “It would not make sense to me to put out a boat of poor quality. For this reason I do not feel it would be wise to sell plans of the yawls to other boat builders or individuals. Mark Webby, however, was a special deal of mine. A very special friend, who had done a lot for me in the early days of my boat business, spoke to me on behalf of Webby’s longtime wish and his unique abilities.”
The “very special friend” was surely Bud McIntosh, who had expertly constructed several of the Concordia 31s. Mark was in fact the only individual ever to have received permission from Waldo to use the Concordia lines for new construction. In response, and as a gesture of respect, #104 was given the name Katy, in honor of Waldo’s wife. Building began in the early 1990s, with Mark said to be energetically felling trees, milling his own stock, and creating patterns for bronze castings. READ ON for incredible photos and details.
