Farnham wanted to build sailboats that the average family could afford. During the late 40's and early 50's, he developed a method of building that didn't use nearly as much wood as conventional construction.  He used marine-ply bulkheads to give the boats their shape and then built from the keelson up with cedar strips edge glued and nailed.

There were at least three advantages:  Considerably more room inside because there were no heavy knees, floors or frames;  less cost due to less wood and labor involved; and lighter weight.

More than 125 Amphibicons were built, easily the most popular of the Controversy line, and quite a large number in pre-fiberglass days.  When one considers the overall design features, it is hard to believe that this boat was created from the ground up all at once, not an evolution covering several years.

Trailerability was perhaps the biggest reason for her popularity.  The combination of light weight, shoal draft and deck-stepped mast made it possible for owners to haul, store and launch her without the services of a boatyard.  This eliminated the largest annual expense of owning any good-sized boat.  Maintenance suddenly was completely under the owner's control, in his own backyard, when he wished.
The 1950's sailor also had many new cruisinig grounds availaible to him.  Summers down East and winters in Florida were possible without long expensive trips offshore or down the ICW.   Several days of highway travel put the boat anywhere in the country, opening up vast new cruising grounds.

The simple shoal keel/centerboard design makes launching and retrieval with a trailer easy.  This also allows access to shallow-water cruising grounds and gunkholes.  The long, shallow keel (2'-4") has enough ballast to allow her to carry sail well and be self-righting.  The centerboard adds good windward performance.

Farnham's centerboard arrangement avoids the major problems with these devices.  There is no trunk stealing cabin space, since it is entirely below the sole.  The pivot pin is fitted through the cast iron keel, a very strong arrangement which cannot cause any leaks.  The centerboard stores in the keel, and is accessible through a plate on the sole.  This allows it to be removed/worked on while the boat sits on her trailer or cradle.  A small wire reel winch is mounted near the top of a pipe that extends from the top of the trunk to a position well above the waterline.  A wire rope goes round a sheave at the top of the pipe, then down the pipe to the board.  Simple, efficient and virtually trouble free.  A small table is mounted on the pipe, allowing those seated on either quarterberth to enjoy a morning coffee without mounting the larger saloon table.

The interior gives the impression that one is on a much larger boat, perhaps 30 feet.  Among her remarkable features are: four 6.5 foot berths in two separate cabins; fully enclosed head;  galley with stove, sink, icebox and good storage; standing headroom in the saloon and galley (with the "pop" top raised) room for four or more around the dinner table; sitting up room on the forward cabin berths and good ventilation and lighting through out.   Yes, I said "pop" top, probably the very first application of this idea on a sailboat.  The hardtop, more than six feet long, was fastened to pipes at each corner, and two people could easily raise it.  Pins held it down or up.  There were curtains with screens to be fitted for complete coziness.

You may have noticed the absence of an ugly appendage hanging off the transom.   The outboard is mounted in a well, a much more seaworthy, not to mention esthetic, consideration.  The motor is better protected and much less likely to be pitched out of the water in choppy seas.  Another advantage is theft:  Early one season, most of the boats at their slips lost their outboards on a weekend night.  Gypsy's was untouched!

Gypsy gave me four great years of sailing on Alum Creek Reservoir near Columbus, Ohio and Lake Erie.  The last spring, I was able to find a large warehouse near my workplace (The Ohio theatre) and spent two months completely refinishing her.  She was breathtaking.   The white bottom, Kelly green topsides with bright sheer strake, white decks and bright coachroof sides made her the queen of the lake.  We had a wonderful last summer together.  I put her on her trailer in August to take her to Lake Erie for the annual wooden sailboat show.  An 18 wheeler traveling very fast on the other side of narrow Route Four caused her to begin terminal fishtailing.  Had she not struck a telephone pole with her starboard quarter and broken up, the suburban I was towing her with would surely have rolled.  The insurance company and I went round and round, but every repair estimate we received was for much more than her value.

Farnahm's son at Mt. Desert Island Yacht Yard is keeping track of the boats, and it was a very sad call I had to make to inform him of hull number 50, Gypsy's demise.