Wasque 32: The Classic Martha’s Vineyard Fishing Boat

When fishermen aren’t trading stories about fish, they usually talk about boats — the gear, the design and what works best for the local water. That was especially true in the 1960s on Martha’s Vineyard, where David Thompson and his fishing companions spent as much time discussing ideal boat layouts as they did hauling in stripers and bluefish. Thompson’s conversations evolved into action: he turned the ideas shared on the docks into a distinct, purpose-built boat that reflected the demands of island fishing.

In 1969 Thompson launched his 32-foot fishing boat with a cuddy cabin, a design that combined traditional seaworthiness with then-modern materials. Built in fiberglass — still a relatively new construction method at the time — the boat used a lobster-boat style hull from Maine designer Jarvis Newman as its starting point. Thompson and the builders tweaked the hull form and outfitting to suit Vineyard conditions, resulting in a boat that offered rugged displacement-hull stability along with a shallow, shore-hugging draft.

Vineyard Yachts produced the original Wasque 32 commercially. The design rode a displacement hull with a 10-foot beam and a draft of under 2 feet, making it well suited for working around shallows and inlets. Standard propulsion was a 280-horsepower diesel engine, which provided a reliable cruise and a stated top speed near 20 mph — a useful balance of efficiency and power for inshore and nearshore fishing.

The cockpit layout emphasized utility and simplicity. A self-bailing cockpit kept the working area dry and clear, while the engine box doubled as a practical work surface. Gunwale-mounted rod holders ran along both sides to keep lines organized, and owners could opt for on-deck tackle stations, bait wells and insulated fishboxes to support serious angling. Up front, a raised double helm seat offered good visibility, set behind a characteristic wood-framed windscreen that blended traditional aesthetics with functionality.

The Wasque 32’s practical platform inspired a small family of related boats. Vineyard Yachts introduced a 26-footer and a 21-footer based on the same design principles, and over the years some 50 Wasque 32s were built. The smaller 26-foot model saw production of more than 30 examples, and about half a dozen of the 21-foot versions were completed. When the original builders stepped away from the business, C.W. Hood took over production in 1995 and kept the Wasque 26 in the line.

There was an attempt to establish production on the West Coast, but that project was undone when the mold for the 32 was destroyed in a trucking accident. Despite that setback, the Wasque design survived: C.W. Hood later offered a redesigned Wasque 32 built in Marblehead, Massachusetts, carrying on the lineage of the original Vineyard concept with contemporary construction methods and refinements.

What has kept the Wasque name respected is its focus on what fishermen value most: a sturdy hull that tracks well, a shallow draft for working close to shore, sensible deck ergonomics for handling gear, and straightforward systems that are easy to maintain. The blend of traditional lobster-boat form and fiberglass construction made the Wasque 32 an attractive choice for anglers who wanted a reliable, no-nonsense platform for the varied fishing grounds around Martha’s Vineyard and beyond.

This article originally appeared in the May 2017 issue.