Fantasy Builder

Fairy tales can come true... It can happen to you...If you're young at heart.

Those song lyrics, performed by crooner Jimmy Durante in the 1960's, could have been written about Larry Mahan. The 58 year old Marstons Mills resident has spent half his life making a fairy tale he read in the fourth grade come true.

That childhood dream became a reality two years ago when Mahan launched the Larinda, an 85-foot schooner he was inspired to build after reading the British fairy tale, " Little Grey Men " .

"There were four gnomes in the story, " Mahan recalls. "Three lived together, but one brother gnome had disappeared. The others decided to build a boat and go up the river to find him. That sparked the whole thing.

True to it's fairy tale heritage, the Larinda is no ordinary sailboat. The modified replica of a Boston schooner built in 1767 is, indeed, a little boy's dream come true. From stem to stern, a walk through the Larinda is like stepping smack-dab into the middle of a Brothers Grimm folk story. Hand -carved treasures are everywhere. Whimsical sea horses serve as stair rails. Graceful dolphins cavort at the end of benches. A dapper frog decked out in a three-corner hat and waistcoat stands lookout on the bow.

Based on plans Mahan purchased in 1970 for $1.50, the Larinda was 26 years in the making and is the result of a combined effort by Mahan, his wife Marlene, and the more than 1,000 volunteers who donated time and talent over the years to create the lightsome sailing ship.

While Marlene Mahan may not have expected a schooner under construction next to her home for 26 years, she knew about her husband's dream right from the start of their relationship.

"Marlene and I were high school sweethearts," Mahan says. "It flowed together really well. She helped me, not in the sense of actual building, but she was the moral booster when things got tough."

The Larinda became a family affair in more ways than one. Its name is derived form a combination of the Mahans' children's names - Larry and Linda.

Mahan was so intent on building a unique vessel, he cannot estimate the money that went into the project.

"I really don't care about the money, because in the end it's not important,"Mahan says. "It's what it does for people that's important. We call it a magic boat because it makes people feel good. This boat has its own personality."

Larinda's singular character began to develop in Mahan's backyard one day in the early 1970s when he set the staging that served as her home until she was ready for launching more than 20 years later.

Curiosity seekers began to stop by as the Larinda started to take shape. By the late 1970s the Mahans's yard was a regular stop on the tour bus routes.

Shipbuilding aside, Mahan's voracious interest in historical research-from the original fairy tale that captivated his childhood imagination to the inner workings of the Wolverine motor-have taken him to such faraway places as Cuba, Central America and England. Spurred on by the research, he was also concerned with recreating the sense of enchantment that inspired his dream. "I had to keep that vision," he says, "To recall a child's imagination so that I could recreate that sense of magic and fantasy as an adult."

As the project progressed, Mahan hired Centerville resident Thomas White to help with the woodwork. White's wife, Susan, an artist by trade, had never before tried her hand at woodcarving but was intent on creating something special to grace Mahan's fairy tale boat.

Perhaps bolstered by Larinda's purported mystical powers, Susan White's initial foray into woodsculpting produced many of the fanciful figures that give the boat its unique personality. In addition to the sea horse hand-rails, dolphin armrests, and dandy frog figurehead, Susan White's handiwork is evident in the smiling Orca whales and golden scallop shell on Larinda's transom.

Susan White was not the only artisan to leave her mark on the Larinda. Mahan encouraged all volunteers to leave a bit of themselves behind. "I was never in a hurry, I just wanted it to look right."

It appears Mahan has accomplished his goal. It takes more than one visit to realize the many secrets hidden aboard the dream boat. A stained glass window in the galley represents the story of the brother gnomes who inspired Mahan all those years ago. Dodder, Mahan's favorite character in " Little Grey Men, "is depicted as a one-legged fellow who walks with the help of a peg-leg created from a piece of bone and an acorn.

" He was my favorite, so I gave him a special place, " Mahan says of the fairy tale character portrayed in glass by West Barnstable resident Trudy Grinsell.

Other secrets include the door to the main stateroom which was made from the cypresswood bottom of a beer vat used at the Narragansett Brewery more than 100 years ago; a hidden seat for extra guests which is concealed in a stairway; the pilot house bell that once rang from atop a fire engine; the old crank phone which now serves as an on-board intercom, and the clutch wheel which was on a fishing boat winch in the 1930s.

And the magic continues as Mahan prepares to place hand-carved gnomes around the 1928 Wolverine diesel engine he spent 10 years restoring. The 2,200-cubic engine sits in powerful grandeur under a magnificent skylight right in the middle of the Larinda's main salon. Surrounded by a polished brass railing, the engine's mighty cylinders are painted a rich dark green.

Current plans call for the gnomes to look like they are "winding the motor up." That, too, follows the story line of "Little Grey Men." "In the story, the gnomes were stranded on an island until they found a wind-up toy boat," Mahan explains.

Not long ago, Mahan decided to sell the business that helped support his family over the years - an alignment shop in Hyannis - to devote his full attention to Larinda. Launched in Falmouth in September 1996, before a crowd of 3,200, Larinda was an honored guest at last summer's commemorative sailing of the U.S.S. Constitution and received an award for " Best Use of Recycled Wood" at the Wooden Boat Show in Connecticut's Mystic's Seaport.

Future plans call for Mahan to share his fairy tale boat with charter guests as a site for weddings, special events or group cruises.

As he looks toward the future, Mahan remains keenly aware of the powerful message of perseverance he represents as one person who made his childhood dream come true. While he charges a nominal fee for boat tours, Mahan often hosts school groups at no charge.

"It's good for kids to learn they can do anything," he says.

- Lisa Matte
(Used with Permission of the Cape Cod Travel Guide)


				Builder of Fantasy Larry Mahan of Marstons Mills
	Fairy tales can come true... It can happen to you...If you're young at heart. Those song lyrics, performed by crooner Jimmy Durante in the 1960's, could have been written about Larry Mahan. The 58 year old Marstons Mills resident has spent half his life making a fairy tale he read in the fourth grade come true. That childhood dream became a reality two years ago when Mahan launched the Larinda, an 85-foot schooner he was inspired to build after reading the British fairy tale, " Little Grey Men " . "There were four gnomes in the story, " Mahan recalls. "Three lived together, but one brother gnome had disappeared. The others decided to build a boat and go up the river to find him. That sparked the whole thing. True to it's fairy tale heritage, the Larinda is no ordinary sailboat. The modified replica of a Boston schooner built in 1767 is, indeed, a little boy's dream come true. From stem to stern, a walk through the Larinda is like stepping smack-dab into the middle of a Brothers Grimm folk story. Hand -carved treasures are everywhere. Whimsical sea horses serve as stair rails. Graceful dolphins cavort at the end of benches. A dapper frog decked out in a three-corner hat and waistcoat stands lookout on the bow. Based on plans Mahan purchased in 1970 for $1.50, the Larinda was 26 years in the making and is the result of a combined effort by Mahan, his wife Marlene, and the more than 1,000 volunteers who donated time and talent over the years to create the lightsome sailing ship. While Marlene Mahan may not have expected a schooner under construction next to her home for 26 years, she knew about her husband's dream right from the start of their relationship. "Marlene and I were high school sweethearts," Mahan says. "It flowed together really well. She helped me, not in the sense of actual building, but she was the moral booster when things got tough." The Larinda became a family affair in more ways than one. Its name is derived form a combination of the Mahans' children's names - Larry and Linda. Mahan was so intent on building a unique vessel, he cannot estimate the money that went into the project. "I really don't care about the money, because in the end it's not important,"Mahan says. "It's what it does for people that's important. We call it a magic boat because it makes people feel good. This boat has its own personality." Larinda's singular character began to develop in Mahan's backyard one day in the early 1970s when he set the staging that served as her home until she was ready for launching more than 20 years later. Curiosity seekers began to stop by as the Larinda started to take shape. By the late 1970s the Mahans's yard was a regular stop on the tour bus routes. Shipbuilding aside, Mahan's voracious interest in historical research-from the original fairy tale that captivated his childhood imagination to the inner workings of the Wolverine motor-have taken him to such faraway places as Cuba, Central America and England. Spurred on by the research, he was also concerned with recreating the sense of enchantment that inspired his dream. "I had to keep that vision," he says, "To recall a child's imagination so that I could recreate that sense of magic and fantasy as an adult." As the project progressed, Mahan hired Centerville resident Thomas White to help with the woodwork. White's wife, Susan, an artist by trade, had never before tried her hand at woodcarving but was intent on creating something special to grace Mahan's fairy tale boat. Perhaps bolstered by Larinda's purported mystical powers, Susan White's initial foray into woodsculpting produced many of the fanciful figures that give the boat its unique personality. In addition to the sea horse hand-rails, dolphin armrests, and dandy frog figurehead, Susan White's handiwork is evident in the smiling Orca whales and golden scallop shell on Larinda's transom. Susan White was not the only artisan to leave her mark on the Larinda. Mahan encouraged all volunteers to leave a bit of themselves behind. "I was never in a hurry, I just wanted it to look right." It appears Mahan has accomplished his goal. It takes more than one visit to realize the many secrets hidden aboard the dream boat. A stained glass window in the galley represents the story of the brother gnomes who inspired Mahan all those years ago. Dodder, Mahan's favorite character in " Little Grey Men, "is depicted as a one-legged fellow who walks with the help of a peg-leg created from a piece of bone and an acorn. " He was my favorite, so I gave him a special place, " Mahan says of the fairy tale character portrayed in glass by West Barnstable resident Trudy Grinsell. Other secrets include the door to the main stateroom which was made from the cypresswood bottom of a beer vat used at the Narragansett Brewery more than 100 years ago; a hidden seat for extra guests which is concealed in a stairway; the pilot house bell that once rang from atop a fire engine; the old crank phone which now serves as an on-board intercom, and the clutch wheel which was on a fishing boat winch in the 1930s. And the magic continues as Mahan prepares to place hand-carved gnomes around the 1928 Wolverine diesel engine he spent 10 years restoring. The 2,200-cubic engine sits in powerful grandeur under a magnificent skylight right in the middle of the Larinda's main salon. Surrounded by a polished brass railing, the engine's mighty cylinders are painted a rich dark green. Current plans call for the gnomes to look like they are "winding the motor up." That, too, follows the story line of "Little Grey Men." "In the story, the gnomes were stranded on an island until they found a wind-up toy boat," Mahan explains. Not long ago, Mahan decided to sell the business that helped support his family over the years - an alignment shop in Hyannis - to devote his full attention to Larinda. Launched in Falmouth in September 1996, before a crowd of 3,200, Larinda was an honored guest at last summer's commemorative sailing of the U.S.S. Constitution and received an award for " Best Use of Recycled Wood" at the Wooden Boat Show in Connecticut's Mystic's Seaport. Future plans call for Mahan to share his fairy tale boat with charter guests as a site for weddings, special events or group cruises. As he looks toward the future, Mahan remains keenly aware of the powerful message of perseverance he represents as one person who made his childhood dream come true. While he charges a nominal fee for boat tours, Mahan often hosts school groups at no charge. "It's good for kids to learn they can do anything," he says. - Lisa Matte (Used with Permission of the Cape Cod Travel Guide) home \| ships log \| history \| specifications \| schedule \| FAQs \| life on board\| fantasy builder \| the figurehead \| \| photo gallery \| links \| SailLarinda@AOL.com \| home \| ships log \| history \| © 2000 Wolverine Motor Works Shipyard All Rights Reserved Site Design provided by T.Trites Sirius Designs tina@greenginger.com