We Sand. You Sail.

Nuada Classic Yachting operates the 46’ K. Aage Nielsen-designed sloop ELSKOV from the Castine, Maine, region. We offer custom sailing vacations on the beautiful waters of Penobscot Bay. Our cruises typically originate from Castine.

Matt and Holly Murphy own ELSKOV, and they enjoy sharing their passion for sailing, wooden boats, and the Maine Coast. Classic wooden yachts offer a unique cruising experience. But they also require a maintenance regimen unrealistic for many busy people and families. At Nuada Classic Yachting, we do the sanding. You do the sailing. We make it easy for you to enjoy a unique cruise experiences in a bespoke wooden yacht.

Matt has been the editor of WoodenBoat magazine in Brooklin, Maine, for the past 31 years—and an owner of the magazine’s parent company, WoodenBoat Publications, since January 2022. He grew up in Salem, Massachusetts, and sailed in numerous one-design classes in neighboring Marblehead as a kid. But he was bitten early by the wooden-boat bug, and by age 15 was crewing aboard several large classic yachts. Over the past two decades, he has raced New York 32-class sloops, and until recently he and his wife, Holly, owned the K. Aage Nielsen-designed yawl NAVIGATRIX (now ANNIE). For WoodenBoat, Matt has guided or developed itineraries for tours of Maritime sites in Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and Antigua.

Matt and Holly have sailed the Maine coast every summer for the past fourteen years, first with one, then two, and now three young children. They love to share the hidden gems of the coast, and are eager to help you develop your own unique cruise plan.