Bob Tiedemann has loved wooden boats since age 12, when he successfully campaigned for the Tiedemann acquisition of a Lightning-class racing sloop. It set the course for a life tied to the sea. As an adult, Bob has achieved that state of grace which occurs when professional goals converge with passion, and the "day job" becomes an extension of one's very being. For Bob, that's the rescue and renovation of exquisite vessels from a bygone time.

Today, the Tiedemann Collection of antique wooden boats - Mariner, Gleam, Northern Light, Pam and Fawan - is joined by a new compilation: prints of commuter yacht design plans by renowned naval architect Albert Crouch. Mr. Crouch, a 1903 graduate of the highly esteemed Webb Institute for Naval Architecture (now Webb Institute), is best known as the mastermind behind such famous crafts as Whim, Phantom and Avalanche.

In 1928 - the height of the commuter yacht era of the 1920's - Mr. Crouch, designing for Tams and King, Inc., broke new ground with the design of a 56-foot "Commuter." As described at the time in Yachting magazine, the boat offered a beam of 12 feet and, despite a displacement of 15 tons, met the demand for increased speed by delivering in excess of 50 mph. The design became Whim III, built for Mr. Harrison Williams for his swift and stylish commute between Glen Cove, New York and New York City.

This series of commuter boat drawings captures the elegance and the grace of another age. Originally drawn in ink on linen, they have been meticulously reproduced to capture the essence of painstaking architectural skill and the intrinsic beauty of naval design. In his typical "rescue and restore" manner, Bob acquired the original prints from the last office manager of Tams, Lemoine & Crane, the successor firm to Tams and Kings, Inc.

But for Bob's passion and foresight, this treasured piece of naval architecture would surely be lost. The newest addition to the Tiedemann Collection ensures the legacy of inspired design and the "commuter" tradition.