BURMA
Early in his career, R.O. Davis worked as a draftsman for William Hand. Davis’s later designs continued to evolve Hand-type motorsailers which culminated in the design of BURMA in 1950—lighter and more yachtlike than her predecessors. He combined a wooden hull shaped to achieve a smooth, stable ride with a moderate-sized sailing rig that would assist the engine and dampen the roll of the vessel in rough seas. BURMA’S deckhouse gives perfect shelter yet with its big windows, provides full visibility. At 58', she has plenty of room below decks to comfortably accommodate six passengers with two toilet rooms, a generous galley and fullsized engine room. Cruising speed under power is 7–9 knots. In a breeze, the sails add another knot or so. Ease of handling was another important criterion: her first owner, Frank Bissell, sailed BURMA by himself some 30,000 miles.