Mussel Ridge lobster yachts are a fan favorite among commercial fishermen, who appreciate their wide beams, quality construction and proven seagoing performance. These boats hail from Hutchinson Composites in Cushing, Maine, where Albert Hutchinson has carved out a niche for himself building bare hulls and decks for commercial fishing. They are then finished by other boatyards around Maine. Not all are built for fishing, though. Consider Pretti Rose, a Mussel Ridge 54. The massive, open cockpit reflects her commercial lineage, but this Downeaster is anything but a rugged fishing boat. She is a trimmed-out recreational vessel with a comfortable interior designed by Newport Yacht Builders in Newport, Rhode Island.
The boat’s owner, Eli Dana, calls his “brainchild.” Having grown up on his family’s two wooden lobster boats, he has always had an affinity for Downeast designs. He owned a Holland
