Restoration and modernization of historic schooner BRILLIANT
Mystic Seaport Museum selected JMS Naval Architects to provide the complete engineering design package for the repowering of the 61.5-foot wooden schooner S/V BRILLIANT, supporting the most extensive restoration and modernization efforts in this historic 1932 sailing vessel’s history. In addition to extensive structural restoration, the project included replacement of the 42 year old Detroit 3-53 propulsion engine and Velvet Drive transmission with a new Yanmar 4JH engine and ZF marine gear, along with a redesigned custom chain drive reduction system to optimize shaft speed and align the machinery within the existing hull configuration. JMS developed detailed engineering drawings and calculations encompassing machinery arrangement, shaft line modifications, exhaust, cooling systems and structural foundations. The scope also included upgrading the propeller, replacing the propulsion shaft, and integrating updated control, fuel, and exhaust arrangements to suit the new powertrain. The design adhered to modern standards and was submitted to the U.S. Coast Guard for regulatory review and approval as a Subchapter R/T vessel. At the same time, all of these modernizations were designed so that the historic character of the vessel was preserved. The completed design work provides better efficiency, increased speed and improved reliability.
You can read more about the project in the November/December 2025 issue of WoodenBoat Magazine.
