Vol. 24, No. 2 - Traditional Small Craft Association

Ash Breeze
The
Journal of the Traditional Small Craft Association, Inc.
Vol. 24 No. 2
Summer 2003 - $4.00
In This Issue:
A Fourteen Year-Olds First Love•Beach Cruising with Bon Appetit
How to Maintain and Preserve the Small Wood Boat
Letters to the Captain•Traditional Rowing•Small Craft Weekend
History of the Whitehall•Rowing Commands
Delaware Chapter•Book Review: Rushton's Sporting Boats
The Ash Breeze
The Ash Breeze is the quarterly journal of
the Traditional Small Craft Association,
Inc. It is published at 1557 Cattle Point
Road, Friday Harbor, WA 98250.
Communications concerning membership
or mailings should be addressed to:
P.O. Box 350, Mystic, CT 06355.
Volume 24 Number 2
Editor
Dan Drath
[email protected]
Copy Editors
Hobey DeStaebler
Charles Judson
Jim Lawson
Editors Emeriti
Richard S. Kolin
Sam & Marty King
David & Katherine Cockey
Ralph Notaristefano
Ken Steinmetz
John Stratton
Publisher
Dan Drath
Layout with the assistance of
The Messing About Foundation
The Traditional Small Craft Association,
Inc. is a nonprofit, tax-exempt educational
organization which works to preserve and
continue the living traditions, skills, lore,
and legends surrounding working and
pleasure watercraft whose origins predate
the marine gasoline engine. It encourages
the design, construction, and use of these
boats, and it embraces contemporary variants and adaptations of traditional designs.
TSCA is an enjoyable yet practical link
among users, designers, builders, restorers, historians, government, and maritime
institutions.
Copyright 2003 by The Traditional Small
Craft Association, Inc.
Editor’s Column
Occasionally I receive some
extraordinary literature describing the
activities and offerings of boat shops
around the country. This month I am
reprinting the material from two shops.
Whitehall Rowing & Sail in Victoria
Canada, and Great Lakes Boat Building
Company in South Haven, Michigan.
The literature I received was good looking, well thought out, and depicted some
gorgeous boats.
Whitehall Rowing & Sailing, also
known as Whitehall Reproductions
Canada Ltd., was founded by Harold
Aune and Marie Hutchinson. They have
been in business since 1987, and now have
6 employees building six to ten boats a
month. They may be found on the web at
www.whitehallrow.com.
Mike Kiefer, who is the prime mover in
the TSCA of West Michigan, sent two brochures of boats he builds, the South Haven Whitehall and the Superior Dinghy.
The Superior Dinghy resembles a traditional ship’s boat that is beamy and burdensome with good stability and capacity.
Mike does business as the Great Lakes
Boat Building Co.
I would welcome literature and naratives
of the activities from other fine boat shops
and will devote space to them on a regular basis.
A number of members responded to the
call for volunteers for Waresmeister.
Thank you all. We are an all volunteer
organization. You make it work.
My best to you all, Dan Drath
The two following articles about Traditional Rowing and the Whitehall were
prepared by Whitehall Rowing & Sailing.
34th Annual John Gardner
SmallCraft
Workshop
It’s time to mess about.
June 7-8, 2003
For more information:
860.572. 0711 x 5028
[email protected]
www.mysticseaport.org
MYSTIC SEAPORT
THE MUSEUM OF AMERICA AND THE SEA
Front Cover:
A summer's row with a picnic basket, gentle water, a friend, love, or intended.
Mole and Rat would have approved.
From the catalog of Whitehall Reproductions Canada Ltd. Photo by Jeff Barber.
2 _______________________________________________________ The Ash Breeze - Summer 2003
From the President
Official Announcements
Winter Council Meeting. The TSCA
Council met on March 9, 2003, at
Mystic Seaport. Preliminary Minutes
are posted on the web site at
www.tsca.net/minutes.html. Highlights
of important agenda items are below:
New Director. Phil Behney of the
John Gardner Chapter was appointed to
the vacant Council seat. Phil will serve
until the Annual Meeting in June,
2003, and may run for election to a
full, 3-year follow-on term.
Sponsor Membership Rates. New
dues rates for Sponsor Memberships
were established, with a sliding scale
reflecting the amount of ad space
available in the Ash Breeze for the
sponsor’s use. The basic Individual
Sponsor Member rate is unchanged at
$50, but no longer includes an ad.
New ad rates are effective July 1,
2003. Until then the old rates including
sponsor business card listing will be
honored. The rates are shown inside
the back cover.
Membership Renewal Reminders.
Cricket Evans of the Sacramento
Chapter is now sending renewal
reminders. We should be caught up
before you read this. However, we are
still behind in mailing of membership
cards and new member packages. Your
membership expiration date is now on
the mailing label of the magazine. If it
does not appear correct to you, please
contact the Treasurer.
Event and Liability Insurance. As of
this writing (mid-April), we have not
yet found a replacement carrier for our
event and Officers’ liability insurance.
We are still investigating options, and
will let you know when we find a
carrier. If you have any leads, please
contact the Secretary.
President's Message
THANK YOU!
Since this will be my last Ash Breeze
column as President of TSCA, I want to
thank each one of you for continuing to
count yourself among a small but
significant minority – the 0.00027% of
the US population that comprises TSCA.
TSCA is unique, as far as I know, as the
only significant, long-lived, national, notfor-profit organization of its kind that
exists and remains viable with a staff
consisting solely of volunteers. There
isn’t a single employee or paid
“consultant” in our midst! While our
formal incorporation was “only” 20 years
ago (June, 1983), the roots of TSCA
reach back into the mid 1970s when John
Gardner, Pete Culler, and others
organized to fight government
regulations that would have declared
most of our small boats as “unseaworthy.”
While our focus has shifted several times
over the years, it has always concentrated
on advocating the construction and use,
and educating people in the lore and
traditions, of small, hand-powered boats.
This is certainly a cause worthy of
supporting – and celebrating.
Before I joined TSCA six years ago, I
was one of the “unenlightened” who
thought wooden boats were too exotic to
build, too heavy to handle, and too hard
to maintain. Then at the organizing
meeting for the Puget Sound Chapter in
July, 1997, I met Larry, Bob, Al, Hugh,
and a few others, and was properly
introduced to the world of TSCA (I still
can’t figure out how they found me and
sent me an invitation to that meeting).
Now I confidently paddle the lightweight
wood kayak I built (albeit from a kit) 3
years ago. I also can look at a tree stump
and visualize a beautiful stem or knee
lurking within its dirty tangles.
My only regret is that TSCA didn’t find
me 20 (or 40) years earlier. Though I
have benefited greatly from (and given
to) the association in the past 6 years, I
can’t imagine how much more fulfilled
my life would be if I had found TSCA at a
much younger age, when I started sailing
in a friend’s wooden Snipe. Just think for
a moment about how many kids,
teenagers, and young adults would
benefit if we found THEM! Help the
new Council expand our reach and
influence. Make a midyear resolution
to find at least one person younger
than yourself to introduce to “our”
world. We’ll all be better for it.
– John Weiss
Letter to the Editor:
Dear Editor:
In an open wooden sailing boat it
would be good to have waterproof storage that doubled as flotation. In the 19th
century, sailors lashed empty wooden
casks beneath the thwarts. Today
whitewater rafters use watertight recycled olive barrels, and you could try
this too.
You will need two five gallon olive
barrels, 10" diameter by 17" long. (I got
them free from a Greek restaurant. You
can also get them cleaned from NRS at
1-800-635-5205). You will also need two
stuff sacks, 12"x22" with a webbing
strap on the bottom, from a camping supply store (I got mine from Campmor).
You may want to add webbing along one
side and more stitching all around. Place
the barrel in the bag, lash in place under
the thwarts, tuck in flares and your favorite change of clothes, and go sailing.
Duncan Wright Portland, ME
[email protected]
Barnegat Bay Chapter
Revitalized
Welcome aboard to Patricia Burke and
the revitalized Barnegat Bay Chapter of
TSCA. The Chapter is based at the Toms
River Seaport Society, Toms River, NJ.
732-349-9209
www.tomsriverseapport.com
The Ash Breeze - Summer 2003________________________________________________________ 3
The Ash Breeze Is
a Member-Supported Publication!
Your help is needed to make the Ash Breeze informative, entertaining, and worthwhile. We need articles, news items, coming events from TSCA
Chapters, photos (black-and-white or color), sketches,
etc. Copy and advertising are accepted anytime. You
can save us considerable time by sending your material electronically. Text may be sent in the body of an
e-mail message or, alternatively, you may use Word
or pdf files as attachments. Send photos by US mail
or as e-mail attachments in jpg or tif format.
Win a TSCA
T-shirt
Members whose articles are published in the Ash Breeze are awarded
a TSCA T-shirt. An article is a
complete piece of writing that
informs and educates. Anecdotes,
Chapter news and reports, etc., do
not qualify, although a T-shirt will be
awarded to regular contributors of
Chapter reports at the Editor’s
discretion. How about writing that
article for Ash Breeze? Tell me your T-shirt size when
you send in your story.
Benefactor
Life Member
Samuel E. Johnson
Sidney S. Whelan, Jr.
Generous Patrons
James W. Goodrich
Dick Wells
Clyde Wisner
...and Individual Sponsor/Members
David J. Pape
John D. England
Mr. & Mrs. Rodney W. Agar
W. Lee & Sibyl A. Pellum
Tuck Elfman
Doug Aikins
Stephen Perloff
Ben Fuller
Rob Barker
A. G. Peterson
Roy Gaines
Bruce Beglin
Erica Pickett
Gerald W. Gibbs
Ted Bender
Ron Pilling
Mr. & Mrs. R. Bruce Hammatt, Jr.
Charles Benedict
Michael Porter
Dale Harvey
Howard Benedict
Ron Rantilla
Peter Healey
Willard A. Bradley
Ronald W. Render
Colin O. Hermans
Robert C. Briscoe
Townsend Hornor
Don Rich
Edward G. Brownlee
Judy Ricketts-White
Kenneth E. Jones
Richard Butz
Steve Kaulback
John M. Karbott
Lee Caldwell
Tony Robertson
Carl B. & Ruth W. Kaufmann
Charles Canniff
Nelius N. Ronning
Stephen Kessler
Dick Christie
Karen S. Rutherford
Thomas E. King
William B. Coolidge
Philip T. Schiro
Rich Kolin
James & Lloyd Crocket
Karl Schmid
Karl T. Kristen
Richard F. Cullison
Paul A. Schwartz
Chelcie Liu
Thad Danielson
Richard Schubert
Jon Lovell
Rick Day
Michael O. Severance
James D. & Julie Maxwell
Stanley R.Dickstein
Gary L. Shirley
Alfred P. Minervini
Dan & Eileen Drath
Walter J. Simmons
Howard Mittleman
Thomas Dugan
Stephen Smith
John S. Montague
Frank C. Durham
Robert W. Sparks
Mimi Gerstell Neary
Albert Eatock
Peter H. Spectre
Tom & Bonnie Stone
John Stratton
Jackson P. Sumner
George Surgent
Benjamine B. Swan
Gary Thompson
Robert C. Thomson
Ray E. Tucker
Peter T. Vermilya
Eleanor Watson
John L. Way
Richard B. Weir
John & Ellen Weiss
Stephen M. Weld
Captain C.S. Wetherell
Leland W. Wight, Jr.
Tom Yeager
Robert & Judith Yorke
J. Myron Young
Please join them with a tax-deductible gift of $50 or more to TSCA!
4 _______________________________________________________ The Ash Breeze - Summer 2003
Gardner Grants
“To preserve, continue, and expand the achievements, vision and goals of John Gardner by enriching and disseminating
our traditional small craft heritage.” In 1999, TSCA created the John Gardner Grant program to support projects for
which sufficient funding would otherwise be unavailable. Eligible projects are those which research, document, preserve,
and replicate traditional small craft, associated skills, and those who built and used them. Youth involvement is encouraged.
Grants proposals are reviewed semiannually, typically in May and October.
The funding for projects is estimated to be $200 to $2000. The John Gardner Grants are competitive and reviewed
semiannual by the John Gardner Memorial Fund Committee of TSCA. The source of funding is the John Gardner Memorial
Endowment Fund, and funding available for projects will be determined annually.
Eligible applicants include anyone who can demonstrate serious interest in, and knowledge of, traditional small craft.
Affiliation with a museum or academic organization is not required. Projects must have tangible, enduring results which
are published, exhibited, or otherwise made available to the interested public. Projects must be reported in the Ash Breeze.
For program details, applications and additional information visit TSCA on the web at www.tsca.net
TSCA Chapters
Join or start a chapter to enjoy the fellowship and skills which can be gained around traditional small craft
Adirondack Chapter TSCA
Mary Brown, 100 Cornelia St., Apt. 205,
Plattsburgh, NY 12901, 518-561-1667
TSCA of West Michigan
Michael Kiefer, 7066 103rd Avenue, South
Haven, MI 49090, 269-637-6805
Scajaquada TSCA
Charles H. Meyer, 5405 East River, Grand
Island, NY 14072, [email protected],
716-773-2515
Annapolis Chapter TSCA
Sigrid Trumpy, 12 German St., Annapolis,
MD 21401 [email protected]
South Jersey TSCA
George Loos, 53 Beaver Dam Rd, Cape May
Courthouse, NJ 08210, 609-861-0018,
[email protected]
North Shore TSCA
Dave Morrow, 63 Lynnfield Str, Lynn, MA
01904, 781-598-6163
Barnegat Bay TSCA
Patricia H. Burke, Director,Toms River
Seaport Society,PO Box 1111, Toms River,
NJ 08754, 732-349-9209,
www.tomsriverseaport.com
Connecticut River
Oar and Paddle Club
Jon Persson, 18 Riverside Ave., Old
Saybrook, CT 06475, [email protected]
Delaware River TSCA
Tom Shepard, 482 Almond Rd, Pittsgrove,
NJ 08318, [email protected]
Floating the Apple
Mike Davis, 400 West 43rd St., 32R, New
York, NY 10036, 212-564-5412,
[email protected]
Gulf Coast Heritage Chapter
Scott M. Stroh III, PO Box 846, Osprey, FL
34229-5215, 941-966-5214, [email protected]
Patuxent Small Craft Guild
George Surgent, 5227 William’s Wharf
Road, St. Leonard, MD 20685, 410-5861893 or 410-326-2042
Long Island TSCA
Myron Young, PO Box 635, Laurel, NY
11948, 631-298-4512
Oregon TSCA
Sam Johnson, 1449 Southwest Davenport,
Portland, OR 97201, 503-223-4772, ssj@
northwest.com
South Street Seaport Museum
John B. Putnam, 207 Front Street, New
York, NY 10038, 212-748-8600, Ext. 663
days
Pine Lake Small Craft Assoc.
Sandy Bryson, Sec., 333 Whitehills Dr, E
Lansing, MI 48823, 517-351-5976,
[email protected]
Friends of the North Carolina Maritime Museum TSCA
William Prentice, 315 Front Street, Beaufort,
NC 28516, 252-728-7317
[email protected]
Puget Sound TSCA
Al Gunther, President, 34718 Pilot Point
Road NE Kingston, WA 98346,
[email protected] 360-638-1088
Maury River Chapter
Andrew Wolfe, 20 Palfrey Lane, Glasgow,
VA 24555, 540-464-3449,
[email protected]
John Gardner Chapter
Russ Smith, Univ of Connecticut, Avery
Point Campus, 1084 Shennecossett Road,
Groton, CT 06340, 860-536-1113,
[email protected]
Sacramento TSCA
Lynn DeLapp, 2315 Evenstar Lane, Davis,
CA 95616, 530-756-8543,
[email protected]
TSCA of Wisconsin
James R. Kowall, c/o Door County Maritime Museum, Box 246, Sturgeon Bay, WI
54235, 920-743-4631
Potomac TSCA
& Upper Chesapeake TSCA
Chapters are reorganizing.
The Ash Breeze - Summer 2003________________________________________________________ 5
A Fourteen Year-Olds
First Love
By Greg Grundtisch
Everyone remembers their first time.
You look back, fondly remembering the
experience. Maybe you felt a little awkward, or selfconscious. But, you never
forget.
My first time was like most fourteenyear-olds. There was the pleading and
begging, the nagging and rationalizing of
why you should, or shouldn’t. Finally that
glorious day arrived. It was going to happen at last! Dad said “YES! We should
buy a boat.”
So, we took a few of Mom’s rugs and
her clothesline, and headed off to the discount department store.
We went to the sporting goods department. There, Ed, the assistant manager,
greeted us. Dad, being one of the greatest wheeler-dealers of all time, went to
work on Ed. Dad proceeded to explain
how we wanted a good deal on a boat.
Ed’s eyes twinkled as he explained how
he had “such a deal.” “Take a look at
what I have in the storage room”, he said.
There we saw three rowboats - each
with a small hole in the bottom. Ed explained how the former manager had accidentally discharged a 22-caliber rifle
into the boats while helping a customer
“un-jamb something from the chamber”.
It turned out to be a bullet. It made these
boats rather leaky and difficult to sell...
“So, would you like a good deal on one?”
After considerable negotiations, Dad
and Ed came to an agreement, a “good
deal”, was reached, and we were bringing the car around. We had just bought a
boat - with a bullet hole in it!
I threw Mom’s rugs on the roof of the
stationwagon while Dad and Ed placed
the boat on top, securing it with the
clothesline. Down the road we went.
Dad, grinning, silently, thrilled about the
deal, having paid much less than he an-
ticipated. (This is the kinda stuff that
keeps dads going), and thinking how 15
cents worth of hardware would fix that
boat good as new. I was thinking about
how much fun my friends and I would be
having, fishing and rowing this brand new
boat.
We turned onto the expressway and
headed toward the cottage, both in quiet
fanciful thought, when suddenly we heard
a WAAHOOOP! With a wide-eyed look
Dad asked, “ What was that!!??” I looked
around only to see my new boat
“launched” 40 feet into the air, spinning
straight up like a V-2 rocket! As it reached
maximum altitude, it then dropped like a
shot goose, landing in the high-speed lane
of the expressway.
Both of us were considerably distressed.
Dad, watching his good deal come to a
crashing end, and my days of boating fun
ending before they started. There was a
certain amount of distress to the motoring public as well. Boats in the road aren’t
covered in the standard driver’s manual.
It created a bit of confusion as motorists
somehow managed to avoid hitting the
thing.
Some people expressed their concern
and amazement by gesturing that we were
number one. A few shouted words of encouragement, I believe. Others made
some disparaging remarks about our lineage.
We pulled over and I ran across the road
dragging the boat off to the side. Dad
backed up the car and picked up the scattered rugs. On examining the boat, we
found remarkably little damage, just a
small dent where the bottom meets the
stem. A near perfect landing. Not everyone can launch and land a boat that way!
A true testament to Dad’s superior boating skills!
So, with the boat back atop the car, we
decided that a few more loops of the
clothesline were in order...and definitely
an extra bow line. We knotted Mom’s
clothesline back together and tied her
down once again. (mom’s have the best
boating equipment!). With everything
double-checked and secure, we drove off
the expressway and onto the side streets.
Dad with one hand on the wheel and one
on the gunwale; myself hanging out the
window with both hands on as much boat
as I could hold. We were once again in
silent thought. Would the winds over the
bridge to Canada be light?
But, more importantly, what are we
going to tell Mom about her rugs and
clothesline?
About the Author
Greg Grundtisch is an owner operator,
OTR truck driver with a mid-life crisis.
At the young age of 41, my lovely and
talented bride, Naomi and I, purchased a
25' Friendship sloop, Seadog, and restored
it. My youthful desire to be a boatbuilder
and writer returned as a result. From that
point I have been building small kit boats,
dinghies, skiffs, and restoring various others, and writing about it. My bride and I
are coeditors of the Antique Mahogany
Newsletter. We are members of some of
the museums, Mystic, Chesapeake Maritime, Essex Peabody, Lower Lakes, to
name a few and are also members of the
Great Lakes Woodenboat Society, Friendship Sloop Society, Catboat Assoc., TSCA,
and about a dozen others. All this for the
fun of it.
Current projects are repairing two 8'
prams, refurbishing the spars for Seadog,
carving a 3' whale out of walnut, and writing articles for various boat publications.
This spring-summer we plan to get started
on a Swampscott dory; the building jig
was most generously offered to me by the
John Gardner TSCA in Groton, CT. I
would also like to get into filming traditional boat builders, boatbuilding, restoration, antique boats, various shows, etc.
Who knows; when you are having a midlife crisis, anything goes.
Editorial Help Wanted
If anyone would like to assemble and
maintain a list of web sites of interest to
TSCA members, I would welcome the help
and it would be a great contribution to the
Ash Breeze.
Ed.
6 _______________________________________________________ The Ash Breeze - Summer 2003
Beach Cruising with
Bon Appetit
By Bob Young
Whether you sail, power, paddle or row,
there will be times during your voyage
when you’ll want to eat! You can reach
down into a pocket for a smashed candy
bar or a soggy sandwich and figure that
this is as good as it gets. But with a little
planning and preparation you can put together a tasty, nourishing meal while underway or on the beach. A hot meal at
the end of a spring or fall sail can make a
difference (and get you out on the water
again and again).
When I beach cruise I depend upon a
“galley box” that is equipped with cooking utensils, spices, and a single burner
stove. All this is contained in a small,
homebuilt, plywood box that serves double
duty as a rowing seat. The galley box can
be safely used aboard or carried to the
beach. The box measures approximately
20 inches long, 16 inches high by 12
inches wide divided into two compartments. One compartment holds the stove
and its associated parts and fuel. The
other compartment holds pots, pans, and
utensils.
In a separate box of the same size, I
keep the food. Food consists of canned
and bottled items, rice, oatmeal, pasta in
covered plastic containers. A small ice
chest is also used for keeping margarine,
cheese, etc. For water, I use plastic soda
bottles as well as a five gallon water container.
For utensils I carry a non-stick frying
pan, a somewhat large pot for cooking
pasta (and washing up), a saucepan for
oatmeal and stews. A couple of cooking
spoons and a spatula along with pliers and
two hot pads are also included. A bottle
of liquid dish washing soap works well
in salt water and a scrub brush gives good
service at cleanup time. Paper towels are
useful as are plastic bags (use a trash bag
to recycle the used stuff).
The single burner stove I use is fired
with a propane gas container. Propane is
a quite safe fuel that is readily available
and provides quick heat. The stove is fitted into the galley box to make it and a
pot on top secure.
A very useful utensil is a vacuum
bottle— heat breakfast coffee water then
pour the remaining hot water into the
bottle. At noon — and even late afternoon — you can enjoy a hot beverage or
packaged soup easily.
Each of us has our own favorite foods
so I won’t offer specific menu selections
but a few suggestions may be helpful.
Soups and stews are “one pot” meals that
are easy to prepare. Take advantage of
the packaged pasta and rice items available in grocery sections. There is a good
variety and they’re much cheaper than
“backpacker” mixes. Dry salami (kept
carefully in the cold bilge). I often take
the time in the morning to make up sandwiches and snacks for quick use during
the day.
And don’t forget to bring special treats.
Chocolate gives quick energy and hard
candy offers energy and taste as well. For
desserts consider packaged puddings (use
canned milk for convenience).
It’s hoped that these suggestions and
ideas will encourage you to head out —
even on those early spring or late fall days
— and do some serious beach cruising.
In the “old days” people cruised extensively in small boats with none of the
modern equipment and convenience foods
we have now—so what’s your excuse?
Get out there, get cruising and enjoy hot,
tasty, nourishing food as you do. Bon
Appetit!
Bob’s Galley Box
Two Serving Lid Trays, ½ inch plywood.
Serving Trays have edges that hold trays
in position on top of Galley Box and then
keep stuff from sliding when as you eat.
Fold Down Front Lid (use for cutting
board), suggest ½ inch plywood.
Note: The Galley Box is an old idea
but a good one. In a small boat you can
cook aboard or carry the Galley Box up
to the beach. The Galley Box can be used
as a rowing seat.
Make the box itself from ¼ inch plywood. Probably a good idea to paint it —
helps to keep it clean. Also, it’s a good
idea to make a second box the same size
but without the stove or plastic box slot.
This box is for the extra food and stuff
that won’t fit in the galley box.
About the Author
Bob built his first boat, a kayak, at age
12. Years later, after a career path winding through Univac, Portland State University, and Tektronic, Bob started the
Rivers West Smallcraft Center in Portland,
OR 12 years ago. Patterned loosely from
the Center for Wooden Boats in Seattle,
the Portland Center has a 2500 square foot
boatshop for member use in boatbuilding,
and holds classes in boatbuilding. The
Center also has a small boat livery. Bob
is a past president of the Oregon Chapter
of TSCA.
Bob may be reached at:
16612 Maple Circle
Lake Oswego, OR 97034
E-mail: [email protected]
Rivers West Smallcraft Center may be
found on the web at:
www.riverswest.org
Feeling Philanthropic?
Why not sponsor a TSCA
membership
at your local library?
The Ash Breeze - Summer 2003________________________________________________________ 7
How to Maintain and
Preserve the Small
Wood Boat
By Mike Kiefer
Small wood boats are rare today but a
generation or two ago they were a way of
life. Small wood rowboats, sailboats,
canoes and early motorboats were
common as cottage boats, fishing boats
and workboats. Also common, and at
times not so common, was the general
knowledge of how to take care of a wood
boat to make it last and keep it from
rotting. In my 37 years of building using
and maintaining traditional small craft,
I‘ve learned a few things I’d like to share
with you about maintaining small wood
boats. Hopefully, some basic knowledge
will help avoid unnecessary repairs and
minimize maintenance.
While much has been written on
building small boats very little has been
published on proper care and preventative
maintenance.
A well-built small wood boat should last
one’s lifetime with ordinary common
sense care. It can be summed up in three
basic ideas we will explore in detail. First,
keep the boat dry. Second, keep the boat
clean. Third, keep the boat painted.
The most common deterioration in
wood boats is called dry rot. It is really a
fungus in the wood that grows when the
moisture content of the wood is above
20%, the temperature is above 45 degrees,
and is exposed to oxygen. Rot spores are
present in all wood to some degree and
the trick is to eliminate one or more of
the conditions that allow it to grow.
Enclosed, warm, damp cabins with no
ventilation, for instance, are a perfect
environment for the fungus to get started.
In contrast small open boats, where
ventilation occurs naturally are less
susceptible to rot even though the wood
may be damp and warm. Let’s explore
each of the elements in detail.
Keep it Dry.
This statement may seem strange for a
boat that is meant to live in a wet, moist
environment. Many small wood boats
spend most of their lives out of the water
on a trailer, dragged up on a beach, in a
garage, turned over in the yard or stored
in a shed or porch. With each situation
there are do’s and don’ts.
A small wood boat can be kept in the
water during the season and avoid rot.
Wood below the waterline is cut off from
air and will not rot. Water in the bilge in
an open boat is exposed to the air where
it can evaporate so it is less likely to rot.
Enclosed cabins, lockers or decks can trap
air, moisture and heat to create the perfect
place for rot to start. These areas must be
well ventilated to keep the interior dry.
Many boats rot from the inside out due to
lack of adequate interior ventilation.
Keeping water out of the bilge is one of
the most important things you can do to
stave off deterioration. Bilge water should
be removed after each sail, rain storm or
soaking up period. Water left in the bilge
will stain the wood under a varnish finish
and eventually degrade paint or oil. Water
left standing in the bilge for weeks and
months may degrade the finish enough
to allow moisture to penetrate the wood
above the 20% level. The risk of rotting
frames, floor timbers, keel, and
floorboards gets higher the longer water
stands in the bilge. These areas will be
alternately wet and dry through normal
climatic cycles creating the right
conditions for rot fungus to grow. In
northern climes water left standing in the
bilge may freeze, expand and push the
garboard planks away from the keel.
A proper summer mooring cover made
of sturdy, breathable canvas is good
insurance in keeping water out of the
bilge. (The cover also keeps the sun off
the varnish, leaves and dirt out of the
bilge.) The cover should be tight fitting
and not blow off in windstorms. A light
line from grommets in the edge of the
cover under the hull can prevent this.
Breathable canvas allows moisture to
evaporate when it is dry. When it is wet
the canvas tightens up and becomes water
repellent.
Canvas mooring covers used in the
summer are not strong enough to
withstand winter storm loads. Snow loads
require a high peaked frame over the boat
with a heavy cover to keep from
collapsing. Reinforced plastic covers are
often used successfully as long as adequate
ventilation is provided. The ends must
be kept open so air can circulate and
moisture escape. A plastic tarp pulled
airtight will create conditions for rot by
trapping moisture from the heating of the
sun or left over moisture in the bilge.
A boat that is stored upright on the
shore or trailer should be blocked up on
one end to shed rainwater better. The
tongue jack on the trailer can be raised
all the way up to achieve this. Water
should not be left in puddles on top of the
cover. A cover that is wet continually may
rot the wood underneath. The boat should
be stored in the open and not under a
shedding tree. Open sunlight will promote
evaporation better. If the boat has a drain
plug it should be pulled during long
storage periods to drain bilge water if the
cover fails. Pull the plug when trailering
to shed rainwater on long trips. A sturdy
canvas cover made to withstand trailering
can be left on to shed rain, sun and dirt
on the highway.
If the boat has a deck, care must be
taken to keep an alternately wet/dry
canvas from lying directly on the wood.
It may rot where it comes into contact with
the wet canvas. Some kind of spacer like
a post or rubber ball should be inserted
under the cover to prop it up off the deck.
During the season a boat stored on the
bare ground at the beach, yard or river
bank should be blocked up off the ground
with wood blocks or cedar logs.
Constant and prolonged contact with
the damp, wet ground may eventually rot
the bottom of the boat. Similarly, a boat
surrounded by tall, wet grass or leaves
regularly may rot where it comes into
contact with the wood. In addition, a boat
that is only partially pulled up on the
beach may rot at the transom where waves
and wet ground keep the wood damp. If
8 _______________________________________________________ The Ash Breeze - Summer 2003
it doesn’t rot, the varnish and paint will
degrade more quickly from this exposure.
Wood canoes that are turned over on
the ground will rot at the ends and
gunwale where they touch the ground.
When the wood canoe is flipped over on
sawhorses they tend to rot in the ends due
to moisture running down the decks and
collecting in a pool at the tip of the stem.
Canoe builders would do well to leave a
weep hole where the deck meets the stem
head to drain moisture.
A small boat stored upside down on
sawhorses long term can be covered with
plastic tarps as long as there is ventilation
and the tarp is not in direct contact with
the wood. A framework and spacers like
an A-frame tent will do the job.
Condensation between the tarp and hull
from the warming and cooling of the sun
can peel the paint and set up the
conditions for rot. Sometimes no cover is
better if the hull is well protected with
paint and varnish.
At the end of the season the small wood
boat should be cleaned and dried
thoroughly before winter storage. Sails,
covers and all gear should be dried and
stored in a mouse proof area. Many a good
sail or canvas cover has been ruined by
hungry mice. Storage bags made of fabric
and all lines should be hung up and away
from pests. The floorboards should be
pulled up to drain and clean the bilge area
for storage. The center floorboard at least
should be removable with turn buttons for
easy access to the bilge.
Off-season shelters can be a carport,
garage, greenhouse, barn, simple
boathouse, basement or rented storage.
Canoes and kayaks can be racked on a
garage wall or hung from the ceiling
easily. Sheds with a damp earth floor will
help keep the boat from drying
excessively. Storage in a very hot summer
garage can dry a wood boat excessively.
Some kind of ventilation in the building
to keep it cool should be provided. A
simple plastic dust cover in the garage will
keep the cleaning down over long periods.
Periodic checks to see that the boat is
kept dry will go a long way to preserving
the small wood boat.
Keep It Clean
In a nutshell, dirt attracts moisture and
moisture attracts rot. Keep dirt out of the
bilge, behind interior ceilings, off decks,
seats and gear. Keep leaves, twigs and
seedpods from falling into the boat. Boats
that become dumpsters don’t last long.
Use a shop vac, sponges and rags to get
at the bilge and other inaccessible areas
of the hull. Clean and dry the sails, canvas
covers and lines, especially anchor lines.
After the boat picnic clean out the chips,
breadcrumbs and pretzels from the bilge.
Keep the bilge and general interior of the
boat painted, varnished or oiled to repel
moisture. The finish is a moisture barrier
that keeps water from penetrating the
wood.
Clean the decks, sails, covers and bilges
after each hard use. Keep sand out of the
bilge. Sand can get trapped between
planks in a traditionally planked boat and
prevent the planks from soaking up tight.
Have access to every part of the hull
interior and inspect it periodically for
cleanliness. At the end of the season power
wash the hull if necessary. Remove
barnacles, zebra mussels or other marine
growth from the hull. A trip to the car
wash does the job as soon as the boat is
pulled. This is also the time to repairs
scratches or thin spots in the finish so it
is ready in the spring.
Keep It Painted
Bare wood absorbs moisture and
moisture attracts rot.
During the season touch up deep
scratches or scuffs if bare wood is
showing, Paint is the film that prevents
water from entering the wood. A break in
that film can spell disaster. Cracks and
chips from weathering require sanding
and repainting. Many wood boats rot from
the deck down when the finish on them
degrades. Decks take a lot of abuse from
the sun and rain and require special care.
Cracks in the wood joinery on the deck
are prone to trapping water and rotting.
Any spaces between wood joints needs to
be glued again or caulked to prevent
trapping standing water in them. Bedding
compound under deck hardware should
be inspected. Old cracked bedding
compound can allow water to seep into
the deck structure itself where rot will
spread by capillary action throughout
large sections of the deck. This is
especially true of plywood decks where
the end grain will facilitate water
traveling through the plywood panels.
Varnish is more vulnerable to
breakdown than paint and needs more
frequent inspections and renewal. There
is no need to “wood” (sand it down to bare
wood) the boat each time it is sanded.
Simply scrape and sand the thin areas and
re-varnish. Four coats of varnish is bare
minimum for UV protection while five to
eight coats would be adequate. Eight to
twelve coats of varnish will offer superior
protection from the sun and needs less
maintenance. If the varnish degrades to
the point where water is getting behind it
the varnish can lift and peel in large areas.
Water usually discolors the wood and it
is very difficult to get the stains out with
sanding and bleaching.
Canvas mooring covers are the best
insurance to keeping the small wood boat
protected and looking good indefinitely.
Covers shed rain, sun, bird droppings,
leaves, twigs, dust and dirt and take a lot
of wear in their service. Therefore it is
necessary to keep the cover in good shape
by recoating the seams with seam sealer
as needed. Tears, rips and worn spots in
the cover need immediate repairs to keep
the integrity of the cover. Frequent
replacement of the canvas cover is a lot
cheaper and less work than refinishing
the interior of the boat.
Anti-fouling paint should be renewed
annually if the boat is kept in the water
and marine growth is prevalent. Again,
there is no need to wood the hull. It is
only necessary to sand, clean and repaint.
Coamings in a small wood boat are
subject to wear and should receive extra
care. Wear spots around the oars, places
the crew step regularly, where lines chafe,
or places spars continually rub need to be
The Ash Breeze - Summer 2003________________________________________________________ 9
refinished more often. Chafing from
fenders, mooring lines or dragging on the
beach need inspection occasionally.
Color choices can affect the paint finish
also. Light colors reflect the sun and
generally have a longer lifespan. Black
or navy blue may look elegant but may
absorb a lot of heat in the summer sun
and shorten the life of the paint. Dark
color canvas covers also can build up a
lot of heat inside the boat where joints
may crack and open up. Generally, lighter
colors are preferable for a wood boat to
reflect the sun and prevent heat build up.
When it comes time to touch up or
refinish using quality finishes will save
work in the long run and give better
protection of your investment. Marine
grade paints and varnishes generally last
longer with a harder scuff resistant surface
than cheaper brands. Follow the
manufacturer’s directions and proper
paint procedures. For bare wood use an
undercoater and then three coats of top
coat. Thin according to the instructions.
Generally, four coats of paint altogether
is good protection under normal
circumstances. The paint should be a
flexible paint that will give a little with
the wood to resist cracking and peeling.
Hard, inflexible paints meant for
fiberglass boats generally are not suitable
for wood boats. The manufacturer is a
good source of product information. Most
have websites today so it is readily
available.
When the small wood boat is stored on
the beach or yard during the season it
should be propped up on blocks so it is
not in contact with the wet, damp earth.
This will eventually rot the boat that is in
constant contact with the ground
moisture. Use cedar logs, treated 2x4’s or
4x4’s to get the boat off the ground at least
a few inches. Metal rub strips on the
bottom of the keel from stem to stern take
the abrasion and save the planking from
wear. Bilge strips on each side of the keel
offer the same protection from wear and
will save maintenance.
rubber and canvas covers save wear on
the rub rails, look better longer and save
the finish. Try to prevent bumping,
grinding or chafing on rough wood docks
or unforgiving metal sea walls or jettys.
The right gunwale guards and fenders will
prevent unnecessary repairs and the
possibility of deterioration from rot.
Spars and oars can take a beating
during the season and should be inspected
for wear. Varnish worn spots and store
them in the garage for the winter and if
possible out of the sun in the summer.
Grease the leathers with Vaseline or an
oil made for leather to prolong their life.
Slippery leathers rotate in the oarlock
easier also with less wear. Check the
running rigging as well as standing
rigging during the season for chafe and
replace as needed. Blocks in the running
rigging take a lot of stress and need
constant vigilance, especially on gaff rigs
that have two halyards. Part of safety at
sea is constantly monitoring the boats gear
and hardware for structural integrity.
On the trailer the weight of the boat
should rest on the keel and not on the
planking. The trailer bunks should just
be snug under the hull to keep it steady
side to side. If the weight of the boat is on
the planking it will eventually distort the
planks permanently and possibly open up
the plank seams. Small light boats bounce
quite a bit on the rough roads. This is why
the weight should be on the strongest part
in the boat, the keel. A tie down strap
should be tight but not so tight that it puts
undue stress on the gunwales or rubs the
finish off.
Boat trailers need attention to prolong
their usefulness also. Keep up on the
painted finish to prevent rust. Spot paint
dings and nicks from road stones and
bumping into things. Rinse off salt water
with fresh water and unplug the lights
before launching the boat to prevent shorts
and blown bulbs. Check the bearings for
marine grease in the spring as well as the
light bulbs, tire pressure and the spare tire.
Also check the license plate for the current
year.
With a little common sense
maintenance your small wood boat should
last as long as your boating career.
About the Author
Master boatwright Mike Kiefer builds
boats in South Haven, MI. An example
of his Whitehall is shown above.
For more information call:
Mike J. Kiefer, 269-637-6805
or visit www.greatwoodboats.com.
Gunwales can be protected from wear
with an appropriate guard. Rope, metal,
10 _______________________________________________________ The Ash Breeze - Summer 2003
Letters to the Captain
Editor's Note
Dana Gould is an 8th grade student at
Wellwood Middle School in Syracuse,
NY. As a class project, students were
asked to invent a character and prepare
a journal of letters addressed to him.
Dana created “the Captain”, a wise and
travelled seafarer. The letters to him
were to be written by invitation in a
chain, each contributor choosing the
next. Seven months after the start, the
last writer was asked to return the
journal to Dana in New York.
Thus a remarkable collection of
personal experience letters were
assembled by authors that were essentially known only to the one before and
after themselves and who were connected by a relationship of respect to
and for the Captain.
From time to time I will bring to the
Ash Breeze a letter that I think may be
of general interest.
By the way, as we go to press, 21
journals have been returned to the
school. The teacher should be commended for such a creative project.
A September Event,
Fog — and Lights!
By Gail Ferris
I went for a very foggy paddle on my
Hawaiian outrigger canoe, Kaiwi Challenger, starting from Stony Creek, CT for
a few hours one evening. Whew, it was
interesting using my new boat, a Hawaiian outrigger canoe, because it is a 24foot long very lightly built fiberglass
weighing only 30 pounds with a rudder
projecting down another 7 inches below
the hull. The hull was essentially paper
thin and not designed to encounter granite rock…especially the razor sharp cutting edges of broken granite immersed in
water here and there through out Stony
Creek, the Thimble Islands, and Guilford.
My journey became especially challenging on the return because the fog was so
dense and it was pitch dark that everything visible became quite vague. I was
glad that people had their lights on be-
cause I literally crept along the shore from
Guilford harbor home to Stony Creek
through several very nasty “rock gardens”
at low tide.
To add to complexity of
tiptoeing through the rock gardens off
Sachems Head, Guilford (where I slightly
brushed the belly of my canoe on a granite boulder in the fog) was a most unexpected situation. This situation turned out
to be the worst imaginable when I narrowly missed passing directly in front of
a firecracker display from a barge on the
water off the Sachem Yacht Club. With
my unbelieving eyes as I was plying the
passage through the boulder fields I just
happened to notice a slowly moving motorboat going out the passage. Having no
idea what was to transpire, I was very
tempted to pass on the outside of the
barge. I couldn’t quite figure out what
they were doing except that I saw that they
were firing some Roman candles off the
bow periodically and there were a few
fireworks on shore. The thought crossed
my mind that they might double back as I
was in the process of slipping across the
harbor entrance on my unlit and unmarked canoe. Then I reconsidered my
strategy and decided to cross on the inside between the barge and land and I
continued on paddling west toward Stony
Creek. In the dim, reflected atmospheric
light, I was very worried about finding
an unexpected rock here and there. I
could only see lights a half a mile away
and the crossing of Great Harbor was two
miles if I went straight across. As I was
starting out from Sachems Head for the
crossing of Great Harbor the barge I had
just seen suddenly took on a life of its own
as the incredible explosions of a fireworks
show started! What a huge shock! I
thought to myself, am I glad I did not
choose to pass on the outside of that barge
because I would have been in direct line
of all the firecracker bombardment and
nobody would have ever known I was out
there on the receiving end! Whew…what
a scary situation I had just by luck missed
because when firecrackers and rockets go
off who knows where they land? But one
thing was for sure I would have been exactly in the area where they would be landing — here and there, everywhere. Wow,
that was close!
As I headed across I
gradually figured out where the other side
and the beginning of the Thimble Islands
was. I have on several occasions “found”
the only two rocks in the middle of Great
Harbor…amazingly. And then as I approached the Thimbles I realized that
there was another rock garden awaiting
me and I could not remember what was
the safest way to get through. I took the
north side of Bear Island where luckily
only my paddle found a couple rocks.
Once past that nasty spot I paddled where
I was sure I would be okay taking the conservative route back to Stony Creek. All
that was close...paddling at night especially on a very foggy evening with a very
delicate fiberglass hull along with its
outrigger and then finding that I am sharing the water with a firecracker show is
really pushing the envelope of probability. You just never know.
Gail Ferris
[email protected]
About the Author
Gail Ferris, a extraordinary above-Arctic Circle kayaker and New England resident. She will have an article and short
biography in the next Ash Breeze.
Ordering Back Issues
Flat Hammock Press of Mystic, CT has
taken on the job of filling orders for past
issues of the Ash Breeze.
For further information, contact:
Flat Hammock Press
5 Church Street
Mystic, CT 06355
860-572-2722
FAX 860-572-2755
www.flathammockpress.com
Stephen Jones, Publisher
[email protected]
Credit cards accepted.
The Ash Breeze - Summer 2003________________________________________________________ 11
Traditional Rowing
By Whitehall Rowing & Sail
Rowing in an easily pulled traditional
rowboat is an enjoyable and exceptionally healthy activity. In addition to
strengthening arm, leg, back and stomach muscles it increases stamina and cardiovascular endurance. It’s a smooth,
even exercise. A good, steady rower in
an efficient rowboat can maintain four or
five knots for hours at a time. You have
the option of inviting friends or family
along to share the aesthetic aspects of an
activity that doesn’t pollute and adds
nothing to the environment but peace and
natural rhythms.
Rowing a boat is as good for your mind
as it is for your waist and muscles. The
comforting rhythm of the stroke promotes
a sense of peacefulness as you explore
small creeks and islands and row past
quiet natural shorelines.
As you explore you become more fit,
more alive, more responsive to your surroundings and more a part of them. You
feel good and appreciate that your actions
do not violate the stillness of the water
environment.
Unfortunately people attempting to row
boats designed specifically for outboard
motors have developed a belief that rowing is hard work and slow going. These
boats are indeed hard to row in most conditions and difficult to dangerous under
oars in high winds and waves. Often their
oarlock sockets are insufficiently strong
or situated improperly, adding to the unpleasant experience.
Rowing is much more efficient than
paddling because all the energy is utilized
to drive the boat forward. As the oar is
pivoted on the oarlock it acts as a long,
powerful lever that wastes little energy
and allows great distances to be travelled
with little strain. Anyone who has attempted to paddle a canoe a considerable
distance against a strong wind knows how
tiring paddling can be.
A good rowboat keeps moving well between strokes. It also tracks along a
straight course when rowed evenly. A boat
from 12 to 17 feet in length is ideal, with
double positions on boats over 14 feet.
Older designs from before the age of the
internal combustion engine are excellent
rowboats. The Whitehall is probably the
best known. It is notable that the most
efficient boats are often the most attractive.
A double position craft such as the
Whitehall Spirit is ideal for tandem rowing. It’s great to be able to spell each other
off and then really put on the speed together. In tandem rowing the person sitting in the bow position copies the stroke
rate of their partner, staying carefully in
time. Think of it as a slow, rhythmic
dance for two.
Always have your personal flotation
device (PFD) in the boat if not on. In
most places this is a legal requirement.
Keep lifejackets on small children. There
are many comfortable vest style designs
now available. Have a bailer or a small
bucket aboard and a small sounding device such as an air horn or a whistle.
These may also be legally required.
If you wish to change places while rowing be sure the boat is stable enough. To
do so safely keep your weight low and
centered in the boat as much as possible.
Whitehall boats feature integral buoyancy tanks capable of keeping the boat
up with crew aboard even when the hull
is full of water. The buoyancy is positioned either in the ends of the boat or
along the sides. This insures that if the
boat is capsized it can be re-righted and
will float level and thus be capable of being bailed out.
Plan your trip and watch your weather,
particularly when rowing in an exposed
area. Know what the tide is doing and
stage your rowing so that you’re going
with the tidal flow as much as possible.
On rivers, row upstream if you are not
familiar with the area to avoid uncomfortable rapids or overfalls and make the
return trip more relaxing Always leave
word of your planned destination and time
of return with someone responsible. If
there is a chance of being out after dark
it’s a good plan to carry a waterproof
flashlight and perhaps some flares. If
possible keep these stowed in a compartment aboard or in a sealed bag tied to the
boat.
Clothing is a consideration. Wear or
bring a sun hat. Sunglasses will cut reflective glare. Long sleeves or trouser legs
can be rolled up for tanning or rolled
down to prevent burning.
Selecting your oars will depend on the
type of rowing you plan to do and the boat
used. The range of types includes everything from simple knockabouts to composite fiber sculls. A well made set of
spruce spoon oars is a good choice for an
easily pulled, classic rowboat.
The oars should be correctly fitted to
the beam and length of the boat. The required length of your oars is about twice
the beam of the boat. Smaller dinghies
and tenders have the oars set so their grips
are about 2 thumbs apart on the return
stroke. On larger craft more leverage is
gained giving a more powerful stroke by
overlapping the grips 5 inches or so.
Manoeuvering is a little easier with nonoverlapped oars, particularly for a beginner.
Using your oars correctly will make a
big difference in every respect. When
learning, simply hold the oars at the same
angle for the entire stroke. Later, when
you’re more experienced try dropping
your wrists at the end of each stroke. This
will “feather” the oars, bringing the blades
parallel to the water’s surface, reducing
windage. Carry the blade 2 or 3 inches
above the surface on the return stroke. A
foot brace or “stretcher” will allow leg
power to be used and more importantly,
anchor your position in the boat. To maximize your stroke, use your leg muscles,
your back, and finally pull by bending
your arms.
Continued on page 20
12 _______________________________________________________ The Ash Breeze - Summer 2003
New Florida TSCA
Chapter Paddles the
Myakka River
by Allan Horton
Soft breezes and warm sunshine prevailed for the “Fall back to the water” rally
held Saturday, October 19, to inaugurate
the 2002-2003 events season scheduled
by the Gulf Coast Heritage chapter of the
Traditional Small Craft Association on the
Myakka River near Venice, Florida. Fifteen small boat enthusiasts paddled or
rowed nine boats ranging in size from a
6-foot Bolger tortoise rowed by Ford
Walton of Punta Gorda, FL to a 17-foot
LOA wherry crewed by Clifford and
Marian Cain of the Sacramento, CA
TSCA chapter. Needless to say the Cains
won the award for distance traveled.
cess to the launch site
via a padlocked gate
is available during
daylight hours for
paddling enthusiasts
who call a number
posted at the gate to
receive the padlock
combination (another
good reason to carry
a charged cell
phone).
Meeting at the new river launch site
installed by Sarasota County at its T.
Mabry Carlton Jr. Memorial Reserve,
members of the club carried their vessels
about 100 yards to a muddy landing at
the foot of the blackwater river’s bluff.
Many were surprised when returning several hours later to find tidal influence from
Charlotte Harbor, about 40 miles downstream, had inundated the launch platform.
Once everyone was
The Gulf Coast Heritage Chapter, TSCA's newest chapter,
launched, the group
paddled or rowed up- at a recent event. A. Horton photo
stream past scattered
weekend camp/retreats, winding through the launch site. On the way, a 9-foot allithe series of S-bends past reclining cab- gator sunning on the bank that slowly slid
bage palms (Sabal palmetto) that flood under water as the group approached decurrents had undermined, many of which terred “Ranger Rick” from further kayak
were festooned with various bromeliads rolling demos, and offered a pointed reand ferns and being used as sunning minder of the saurian species which while
perches by ranks of slider (red-bellied) often never seen, nevertheless are a nearly
constant presence in Florida’s streams and
turtles (Pseudemys nelsoni Carr).
rivers.
Throughout its winding, 40-mile length
Those participating in the day’s event
in Sarasota County, the Myakka River is
a state-designated Wild and Scenic River, and their boats included:
a classification which coupled with
Donna Almany and Charlie Ball,
Sarasota County regulations, accords its
banks special protection. As one of the Sarasota, FL, 18-ft cedar strip canoe
Jeff Ball, 5, Sarasota, FL, cedar strip
few rivers recognized in Florida by the
U. S. Geological Survey as a zero-flow Wee Lassie canoe
Pat Ball, Sarasota, FL, cedar strip Wee
stream, the Myakka’s water is tea-colored,
stained by the tannins washed into it by Lassie canoe
Clifford and Marian Cain, Rumsey, CA,
the flanking hardwood forest that surrounds it with semi-tropical foliage, of- ply-planked wherry
Charley and Diane Canniff, Anna
fering paddlers a compelling “jungle”
Maria, FL, plywood weekend skiff and
image.
ply-lapstrake Charlotte canoe
Allan Horton, Nokomis, FL, 16-ft
After about 90 minutes of paddling and
rowing, the small flotilla hauled out on a Peterborough cedar strip canoe
Tom and Sissy Milano, Sarasota, FL,
sandy bank for lunch, small boat gossip
and a skillful demonstration by “Ranger 12-ft ply-planked Bolger car-topper
Richard Scully, Sarasota, FL,
Rick” of kayak rolling, including one parRick Stolsberg, 17-ft glass kayak
ticularly masterful roll that kept his Tilley
Ford Walton, 6-ft Bolger Tortoise
canvas hat dry. Lunch was interrupted by
the soulful begging of a verrrrry pregnant,
one-eyed feral sow who members of the
party hand-fed carrots, celery and a piece
of peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
County naturalist and site manager
Rick Stolsberg, paddling his 17-foot glass
kayak, joined the club. Stolsberg said ac-
Following lunch, members of the group
explored a bit further before turning back
for the downstream (but up-tide) run to
The only chapter of the TSCA in
Florida, the group organized November
3, 2001, with a small boat show on the
lawn and messabout activities held in the
bay at Historic Spanish Point in Osprey,
FL. Spanish Point is the 29-acre pioneer
homestead operated by the Gulf Coast
Heritage Association to interpret 5,000
years of human occupation of the region.
The GCHA conducts a community boatbuilding program and owns a replica
1884 Cedar Key sailing sharpie built by
volunteers on site which it campaigned
this summer in the Atlantic WoodenBoat
Challenge in Rockland, ME. (See
WoodenBoat magazine, Nov/Dec2002, pg
17).
TSCA on the web:
www.tsca.net
The Ash Breeze - Summer 2003________________________________________________________ 13
Annual John Gardner Small Craft
Workshop
Some of the many moods of
the Small Craft Weekend as
captured by Terry Richardson,
a master photographer.
The photographs are from the
2002 event.
14 _______________________________________________________ The Ash Breeze - Summer 2003
About the Photographer
Terry Richardson lives in North Carolina where he
grew up. He lived for 20 years in and around New York
City working as a theater technician and building radio
controlled sailboats to sail in Central Park. When he
moved to New Jersey in 1977, he built a 10 foot 2 inch
Acorn Dinghy. He first visited the Small Craft Workshop in 1998. Over the years he became interested in
digital cameras and started his quest for the sharpest
photos possible. The photos on this page were taken
with a large format (4 x 5 inch negative) camera and a
medium format (2-1/4 x 2-1/4 inch negative) camera.
The negatives were then scanned into a computer.
Terry may be reached at [email protected].
The Ash Breeze - Summer 2003________________________________________________________ 15
History of the
Whitehall
By Whitehall Rowing & Sail
Mystery surrounds the early history of
the Whitehall. The origins of this distinctively elegant and extremely practical craft are unclear. In earlier times,
however, builders were often sailors or
seafarers. Taught by the sea to be conservative, they stuck with the tried and true.
Successful designs for large and small
craft alike evolved slowly and as certain
desirable qualities were attained and perfected they rarely changed.
Some hold that the Whitehall design
was introduced from England. However
the famed nautical historian, Howard I.
Chapelle, cites the opinion of the late W.
P. Stephens that in New York City there
is a Whitehall Street and this was where
the Whitehall was first built. Chapelle,
Stephens and others agree that the design
came into existence some time in the
1820’s in New York City, having first been
built by navy yard apprentices who had
derived their model to some extent from
the old naval gig.
Quoting from Rudder magazine, August 1943, Captain Charlton L. Smith
states a somewhat contrary view, “This
delver into nautical lore has never been
able to ascertain whether the Whitehall
boat originated at Whitehall, New York
or at Whitehall, England. It is extremely
likely from the latter place. At any rate
the model of a “pure breed” Whitehall that
was so useful a rowed-on-the gunwale
workboat at Boston and at The Battery at
New York City and, later, at San Francisco, evolved from the English Wherry.”
Howard Chapelle states in his book
American Small Sailing Craft that “The
Whitehall represents a refinement in an
old type rather than a distinct and local
innovation. The boat is on the same general model that was used in very fast pulling boats, the wherry, cutter, and gig from
1690 or earlier, on to the end of the nineteenth century.” All of these boats were,
of course, constructed of wood, the only
medium used at the time. Chapelle fur-
ther states that “Originally the Whitehall
was lapstrake, but carvel had become
common in the New York boats by 1850.”
Quoting John Gardner, “The Whitehall
was not a ship’s boat, but a vehicle of
harbor and coastwise transportation. Intended primarily to be rowed, but capable
of a good showing under sail as well, it
was fast, seaworthy, and trim.”
Whitehalls were in great demand in the
days of sail on the waterfront of a big commercial port such as was New York City
in the early nineteenth century. Not only
were these boats the choice of crimps and
boarding house runners, but of nearly everyone else as well who required reliable
and expeditious transportation about the
waterfront from one part of the harbor to
another—ship chandlers, brokers, newspaper reporters, insurance agents, doctors,
pilots, ship’s officers, port officials, and
many others.”
Whitehalls ranged in size from single
rowing station 12 footers to five station
boats topping out at 26 feet overall. The
small boats were used as for-hire craft and
the transport of one or two passengers.
Larger boats, of 16 to 18 feet were used
by ship’s chandlers to carry samples or to
take out gear in an emergency. The largest were used by small groups of thugs
called press gangs, who rounded up the
often drunk and disorderly ship’s crews
and returned them to their vessels.
Colorful stories are associated with the
“runners” who under oar and sail ventured out to meet sailing ships as they
approached harbor. A salesman’s lot was
certainly adventurous in those days as this
chap was a highly competitive representative of one of several “deep water boarding houses” actively engaged in lining up
clients. Closing with the approaching
sailing ship they would swing about and,
rowing furiously, approach the larger
ship’s bow. Using a long slender pole, a
grapple hook and line would be slipped
onto the fore lee chains, line payed out to
a safe distance, and the Whitehall then
warped alongside, where one of the
runner’s crew would slip nimbly aboard.
A half pint slipped into the right hands
assured him of a welcome aboard and an
ear or two to ply.
Captain Smith, who was born in Boston in 1869, and who personally witnessed
this era tells, in the aforementioned Rudder article the story of a deep water boarding house owner by the name of Sorenson.
“Captain Alfred Sorenson usually got
what he went after, whether he was in
quest of sailors for his boardinghouse or
to pluck a fellow being from a watery
grave. He outran the fleet of Whitehalls
once. He reached a point off the tip of
Cape Cod. Came a howling winter gale.
Was Alfred fazed? He was not. Rolling,
or furling his sail tightly he bent on his
warp. With this sea anchor he lay head
to it. After thirty-six hours of exposure,
he spotted a ship and came home.” According to Captain Smith it was because
these boats rowed so easily in calms and
sailed so well in a breeze that they were
even used by the New York Harbor Police.
The Whitehall skiff was the recognized
champion in speed and it was only natural that unofficial competition led to organized racing. Many stories are told of
the intercity competition between Boston
and New York, and the large sums that
were wagered on these challenges. Rowing became the principal American competitive sport on the Eastern seaboard
from the middle to the end of the nineteenth century and it was the influence of
the Whitehall as much as anything else
that made it so.
The Whitehall represents an example of
a “golden period” of marine design and
craftsmanship. Its maritime heritage is renewed by Whitehall Reproductions’ and
many other skilled builders’. Growing
interest in marine heritage and clean,
healthy recreation is causing a rebirth of
these traditional craft which are a fusion
of the fine workmanship of the past with
the best of modern materials available
today. They embody the appearance and
beauty of a Whitehall and offer the ease
of maintenance and the durability of modern materials. This legendary classic
which reached its pinnacle over a century
ago is now increasingly popular.
16 _______________________________________________________ The Ash Breeze - Summer 2003
Deleware River Chapter
Chapter Messabouts 2002
The Deleware River Chapter held two messabouts on Union Lake near Millville in the fall of 2002.
The first gathering featured only traditional boats indigenous to the local area, Duckers, Tuckups, and Melonseeds (oh my!)
along with a Coracle and Macgregor canoe. The second gathering was the annual September Meet and Messabout, involving all
types of watercraft, and all ages and skills of sailors and paddlers. All photos by Bill Covert
Pete Peters rigs his new, glued-lap Deleware Ducker with its racing sail.
A Coracle and a Macgregor Sailing Canoe (sans rig) wait on the beach.
John Guidera sails his lapstrake-ply
Melonseed.
Pete steadies the Marion Brewington as a
foursome finishes a lively tuckup sail.
The Ash Breeze - Summer 2003________________________________________________________ 17
Book Review
Rushton's Sporting Boats
This Genteel, Rugged,
Moral Sporting Life
By John Stratton
There was a time — not a recent time,
alas — that a chap could shake off the
burdens of commerce and just head for
the woods, unfettered by the demands of
the home, the downtown club, the murmurs of the servants, and the interminable
rites of dressing for dinner.
The wilderness was near at hand, just
off the convenient rail line. And the ideal
rustic vessel as close as the nearest telegraph, and one’s bespoke side-by-side or
bamboo rod was ever at the ready to provide plump fowl or fish for a proper
woodsman’s supper. And one must not
forget the trusty guide, or the competent
engineer (when one desires powered
cruising), and pilot, of course, when you
take out the larger boat from the camp
dock after a satisfying luncheon with ten
or so friends, decorous ladies included.
One can almost smell the hemlocks, and
hear the mandolin tunes drifting across
the lake.
Such are the idle thoughts which the
latest readily available edition of
“Rushton’s Portable Sporting Boats and
Steam Launches” conjure on a
midwinter’s day. The town of Canton, St.
Lawrence County, New York, seemed to
be a busy place in 1889, on the threshold
of the Gay ’Nineties, when the canoe in
various forms was the personal vessel of
choice. And, it was clear that a host of
new designs for dude outdoors people with
some new leisure-time were emerging
from the pre-industrial era of working
boats for working people.
And what beautiful, delicate, swift,
practical craft they were.
For these rumination on the golden age
of small craft, we can thank Boat House
publishers of Portland, Oregon, who re-
created the 1889 original catalog in facsimile last year.
By 1889, if one took an interest in
“hunting, fishing, trapping, pleasure rowing and sailing” there were scores of master-craftsmen available to seek your
custom...and deliver their products by railway. J.H. Rushton was one of the best;
perhaps the very best, to hear his catalog
tell of it.
As we all know, the advent of the internal combustion engine, whether in inboard or outboard form, put a quick halt
to the evolution of designs which repaid
efficiency on the water, and portability off
it. Much later, of course, fiberglass and
related synthetics — much as they lowered maintenance requirements — also
rendered “production-boat” customization
unlikely.
A look into the 1889 Rushton catalog,
then, offers a bit of time travel. On the
one hand, it’s like looking into an old
Sears and Roebuck catalog, reacquainting oneself with the quaint manners and
avocations of the past; on the other, it’s a
very practical guide, full of “fresh” ideas
and custom variations for the modern
boatbuilder, whether amateur or professional. The catalog not only describes the
maker’s craft, it leads one to an understanding of what is desirable, to a connoisseur.
“The craft we offer,” Rushton states in
his introduction, “should please a wide
variety of tastes and meet the wants of
most people, if the experience gained in
fifteen years of constant effort to please
the public counts for anything.”
Hence, the catalog offers detailed design specifications for deck and steering
gear, centerboards, “square-stern” transoms, sail plans, paddles, and overall operability. These are all discussed frankly,
with insights into the responsibilities of
the owner, and — in the case of the following argument for electric motor/battery power — the owner’s pocketbook.
“Do you go to a summer resort and pay
$3 a day for a boat and oarsman? Take an
Electric Boat and save a man’s wages and
board. Take an Electric Boat and take your
friend along and feel free to discuss the
political situation — your oarsman will
not gossip”
“...Do you want a large craft? Take an
Electric Boat and save government inspection (if on any public waters) and
expense of engineer and pilot. You will
soon save the extra cost of your outfit.”
This is a small catalog, 88 pages, 9"x6",
full of line drawings taken, it says, from
photographs. It’s not inexpensive. But as
an idea book, it’s a great investment, especially on a winter afternoon, next to the
woodstove, planning for outings real or
imagined, far from the pressures of the
present.
J.H. Rushton, Rushton’s Sporting
Boats, originally published in Canton,
NY, 1889; reprinted 2002 in accurate facsimile replicating paper, ink, and size by
Boat House, 6744 SE 36th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97202. ISBN 0-9641204-61. For other Boat House titles, see
www.steamlaunch.com.
Do not forget to vote for
TSCA Council
Ballots have been mailed.
18 _______________________________________________________ The Ash Breeze - Summer 2003
Rowing Commands
Submitted by John Stratton
When two or more people are rowing a
boat, they can not see each others’
faces…and they can not see easily in the
direction the boat is heading. Sometimes
they do not know one another very well
either. Yet they must be able to work together as a single unit... and sometimes
deal quickly with minor emergencies, like
avoiding rocks or large waves, and handle
everyday matters like coming up smoothly
and slowly to a dock or beach.
Over many centuries, these problems
have been handled by commands that help
rowers do the right things at the right
times. The two basic command systems
and some of their commands are given
below. If you row a lot, they will become
second nature to you and others in your
boat.
Traditional Terminology — used by
Navy, Coast Guard, Merchant Marine,
and club crews who row boats on the open
water of larger rivers, harbors, and lakes,
or the ocean - moderately rough waters
of rivers, lakes, or oceans.
Pulling boat: a boat designed to be
rowed in everyday use on unprotected,
moderately rough waters of rivers, lakes,
or the ocean.
Some pulling-boat types:
gig or wherry — a lightweight, fast
boat originating for passenger carrying and general transportation
Whitehall—a wherry whose particular design — narrow, rounded
hull with a wineglass transom —
originated in lower New Yorkharbor’s Whitehall section as a fast
and seaworthy water-taxi (also “livery boat”)
pilot boat—a long, fast, narrow boat
for transporting shipping pilots to
or from seagoing ships
workboat—a sturdy boat with origins in fishing or coastal trading
skiff—a flat-bottomed, sturdy boat
with a wide transom and pointed
bow
scow—a flat-bottomed boat with a
wide transom and flat, transom like
bow
guideboat—a light, canoe like boat
used to transport fishermen or hunters on inland lakes or rivers
dory—a heavily built, wide boat
with a narrow, flat bottom and narrow transom
peapod—a round-bottom boat with
pointed ends (“double-ended”)
lifeboat/surfboat—a heavily built
double-ended boat designed for
launching, survival, or rescue in
rough seas
Oar terms: handle, leather, button,
loom, blade, collar, heel
Some Traditional Commands:
Stand by Your Oars: the oars are
securely in the boat, crossed so that
the handle is on the opposite gunwale and the loom is in the oarlock
Oars: oars are extended outward
into the oarlock in rowing position,
perpendicular to the keel, parallel to
the water surface, and the handle
held in rowing position
Stand by to Give (or Make) Way:
rowers lean forward with fully extended arms and drop the oarblades
to within a few inches of the water
Give (or Make) Way, Together:
The blades are dropped until just
below water level (the “Catch”) and
pulled in unison by the back and
arms (the “Drive”), following the
back of the person sitting in front of
the rower. At the end of the drive,
the oar blade is lifted just clear of
the water and turned parallel to the
surface (the “Feather”) as the back
and arms smoothly return to the
catch position (the “Recovery”).
Variations: Starboard Give Way;
Port Give Way
Oars: general command to stop rowing by completing the stroke and assuming the “Oars” position,
allowing the boat to coast forward
or backward
Hold Water (or Check): stop the
boat rapidly by placing the oar
blades firmly into the water at the
beam (“Oars”) position to drag in
the water. Variations to assist in
steering: Starboard Hold Water; Port
Hold Water
Stern All: row backward, following
the pace of the stroke rower Variations: Starboard Back Water; Port
Back Water
Toss Oars: make a salute by pressing the oars downward and raising
the oar to a vertical position with the
handles on the bottom of the boat
and the blades aligned with the bow
and stern
Let Fall: lower oars quickly from
the Toss position to the Oars position
Some Racing Terminology and Commands — used by crews who row racing
shells (singles, doubles, pairs, fours, quadruples/ quads, eights) on calm water
Shell: the general name for an extremely light and narrow racing vessel
Sculls (or sculling boats-singles,
doubles, quads): each rower uses two
oars about 9' 9" long
Sweeps (or pairs, fours, eights): each
rower uses one oar about 12' long
Coxswain: the boatsteerer who
controls the boat and commands the
crew
Position of rower: 1 (bow) through
8 (stroke) in an eight-person shell;
the stroke sets the consistent rhythm
required to keep the rest of the crew
in unison
Rowing station: seat, slide, tracks,
riggers, locks, stretchers
Rowing stroke: Ready, Catch,
Drive, Release, Recovery, Crab
Typical commands: Ready All, Row
(to start); Hold (or Check) (to slow
down or stop); Starboard (or Port)
Ahead (or Back) (to maneuver); Way
Enough (to stop rowing)
About the Author
John Stratton is a frequent contributor
to the Ash Breeze. A brief biography appears in volume 24#1 of the Ash Breeze.
He lives in Old Lyme, CT.
The Ash Breeze - Summer 2003________________________________________________________ 19
2003 Beetle Cat
Regatta
Continued from page 12
The Duxbury Yacht Club will host the
Beetle Cat Regatta on the weekend of July
12 & 13. This will celebrate the 50th anniversary of that event. Sailing will take
place in the waters of Duxbury Bay.
About Beetle Cats
The Beetle Cat has been sailing on the
waters of New England and beyond since
1921. This 12-1/2 foot long, 6 foot wide,
centerboard, gaff rigged cat boat was
named by its designers and builders, the
Beetle family of Clark’s Point, New
Bedford, Massachusetts.
In 1928 Miss Ruth Beetle took over the
boatyard at the death of her father, John.
In 1932 she was the only woman
boatwright in the U.S. Then came WWII
which interrupted all construction. After
the war, Ruth’s brother, Carl Beetle, sold
the right, title and interest to Concordia
Company Inc., boatbuilders in South
Darmouth, MA which was run at that time
by Waldo Howland. These wooden boats
are still crafted by hand on the same jigs
by Beetle Inc. on Smith’s Neck, South
Darmouth.
During the 1920’s and 30’s the Beetle
Cat’s popularity grew rapidly in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Its 5-inch
draft, with the board up, allowed it to
navigate in shoal waters. Its stability and
tendency to round up allowed at an extreme angle of heel along with its spacious cockpit made it an ideal boat in
which to learn the fundamentals of sailing. It was easy to maintain, transport
and store as well, so its numbers spawned
large and active racing fleets, including
one of the oldest started in Duxbury in
1923. The first Beetle Cat Championship
was held in 1937 on Narragansett Bay.
The New England Bettle Cat Boat Association was formed in 1940 for the race
management of this historic regatta.
Contact
Peter C. Clapp, Regatta Chairman, 14
Linden Lane, Duxbury, MA 02332, 781934-6063. www.beetlecat.org
June 28 – “Documenting a Small
Craft”
David Anderson of Anderson Boat Works
demonstrates the process of taking the
lines from a boat in the Museum collection. Students will learn about the table
of offsets and/or station molds, diagonals
and buttocks lines. Saturday, 9 AM - 4
PM. Class limit: 12 Members $20 Nonmembers $25
July 11 – 13 — “3rd Annual Family
Boatbuilding”
Be a part of the National Family
Boatbuilding Week and build the 11-foot
Davis Dinghy. Work side-by-side with
other families to build not just a boat, but
memories of a lifetime. Communal
launching of the boats on Sunday. Friday & Saturday, 8 AM – 5 PM, Sunday, 8
AM to 12 PM. Tuition: $825 Scholarships available.
For further information contact:
Dr. Barbara K. Kreuzer
Executive Director
Michigan Maritime Museum
260 Dyckman Ave.
South Haven, MI 49090
269-637-8078
269-637-1594 fax
www.MichiganMaritimeMuseum.org
Coming Attraction
Watch for information about a new
TSCA chapter forming in the Bradenton
area of Florida's Gulf Coast.
Roger B. Allen, Florida Gulf Coast
Maritime Museum at Cortez, PO Box 100,
Cortez, FL 34215 will be the contact.
[email protected]
Pull with your blades just under the
surface, not buried deep underwater. The
pitch or angle of the blade as it enters the
water at the beginning of the stroke is
critical to controlling the oar. If the pitch
angle is too far forward the blade will
“wash out” and splash along the surface.
If the pitch angle is too far back the blade
will want to dive deep underwater. Continue to adjust the pitch angle and you
will find it is easy to determine when you
have it right. Stroke efficiency is greatly
reduced when the blade is too deep in the
water.
Bring the boat up to an even speed
gradually and keep it steady. Sometimes
pulling too hard will actually slow the boat
by trying to force it to climb up on its own
bow wave. Row smoothly and evenly
applying comfortable power rather than
high tempo.
Because you face aft (backwards ) in a
rowboat, you observe the places you’ve
been instead of constantly watching where
you’re going, a refreshing viewpoint! A
glance ahead every few strokes is enough
to stay fully aware of your surroundings
at rowing speeds in open water. Looking
ahead is easiest at the end of the “pull”
phase of the stroke. Treat it as a gentle
stretch exercise turning your head first
one way, then the other way next time.
For added visibility and ease of handling in crowded conditions some boats
can be rowed backwards or astern. The
oarlock and seat arrangement in certain
boats enable the rower to shift position
and row facing forward.
The most common problem for novice
rowers is overdoing it. Pulling on the oars
just feels so great as the boat surges ahead
with every stroke, that people do not notice their muscles, unaccustomed to this
new activity, have been strained. Take it
easy, row gently and firmly, glance ahead
every third or fourth pull to see what’s
coming up. Relax, enjoy the fresh air,
the sounds of the water and one of the
oldest pleasurable water experiences.
20 _______________________________________________________ The Ash Breeze - Summer 2003
TSCA Chapter News & Events
Sacramento Chapter
2003 Schedule
June 9-16: Delta Gunkhole
Weekend July 12-13: Upper Sacramento River
July 26: American River
Weekend of August 8-10: Loon Lake
Weekend August 15-16: China Camp
Weekend September 13-14: Marshall
Beach Campout and Annual Meeting
Weekend September 26-28: Wooden
Boat Cruise-In at the Aeolian YC
October 12: Bodega-Tomales Open
Ocean Row
November 1: Delta Meadows Row
November 29: Wet Turkey Row
January 1, 2004: Hair of the Dog
January 10, 2004: Planning Meeting
at the Aeolian YC
For information contact:
Tom Kremer
2554 Tuscan Drive
Santa Rosa, CA 95405
[email protected]
JGTSCA Chapter
A few members of the club continue
to row each Sunday morning. Past
trips have traveled to Enders Island,
Latimer Point, around Mason’s
Island, up the Mystic River and out to
Fisher’s Island. Weather, wind and
waves will determine the route.
This is an informal activity. Plan for
a two hour row with a stop for coffee.
Bring a boat and have some fun!
Classes at the Boat
Shop San Francisco
Maritime National
Historic Park
Contact: Bill Doll at 415-561-7120
www.maritime.org
Connecticut Oar and Paddle
Club
We will continue to have an active
shop on Friday nights.
June-July: Selected weekday support of
Old Saybrook Park and Recreation
activities.
July 12: Blackburn Challenge,
Gloucester
July 18: CROPC member and vessel
support of Groton Maritime Academy,
Bluff Point; July 21-23 AM cruises for
advanced Cadets
July 26: Picnic, short cruises on Sound
at Androsko cottage, Westbrook.
August 16: XX Anniversary of CROPC
formation, picnic/outings at Persson
yard.
September 7: Sail New London BBB
Small Craft Events in Thames River;
TSCA Chapter picnic/gathering/
messabout at Mitchell College Beach,
Pequot Avenue.
September 7-8: Governor’s Cup,
Essex
September 13-14: Lighthouse to
Lighthouse race, Norwalk 9 / 13; Coast
Weeks Regatta September 14
TSCA of West Michigan
2003 Calendar
June 14: Sailabout and picnic in
Holland. 11AM.
August 16-24: TSCA-WM week in the
Les Cheneaux Islands. Rent a cabin,
camp out and see 39 beautiful lakes.
September 13: Sailabout and picnic on
White Lake
October 18: Color Row and Paddle.
11AM.
For information contact:
Mike Keifer
7066 103 Ave
South Haven, MI 49090
269-637-6805
Delaware TSCA
Monthly Meeting
The Delaware River TSCA holds a
general membership meeting on the
first Tuesday of every month. Visitors
are always welcome. Meetings are
normally held at the Red Dragon
Canoe Club mansion on the Delaware
River in Edgewater Park, NJ. During
the warm weather months, members
bring their boats to meetings for a
round robin of evening rowing and
sailing before the official meeting
starts.
June 21: Summer Solstice Sailabration, Berkley Island Park, on
Barnegat Bay, NJ
Puget Sound TSCA
Calendar
Weekend, June 20-22: Hammersley
Inlet, South Sound — Jim Callea, 360426-1012.
Weekend, July 4-6: 10 AM - 6 PM
daily: Center for Wooden Boats —
27th Annual Wooden Boat Festival.
Man the TSCA “booth” aboard Ranger
7, show & share your boat. Al
Gunther, 360-638-1088.
July 21-24, (Mon-Thu): VAISSSPR —
5th Annual International Salish Sea
SeaPearl Regatta, Lieberhaven Resort,
Obstruction Pass, Orcas Island (48 36
19.7N, 122 49 00.6W). John Weiss,
206-368-7354
Sunday, July 27: Lake Whatcom,
Bellingham.
August 23: Pickering Passage (South
Sound) row — Bob Dunshee, 206-3228846.
Saturday, September 27: Lake Forest
Park Civic Club — John Weiss, 206368-7354.
Saturday, November 22: Annual
Meeting — Center for Wooden Boats,
1010 Valley St, Seattle.
The Ash Breeze - Summer 2003________________________________________________________ 21
S
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S
drathmarine
http://drathmarine.com
1557 Cattle Point Road
Friday Harbor, WA 98250
Mole got it right...
ALBERT’S WOODEN BOATS INC.
• Double ended lapstrake
• Marine ply potted in Epoxy
• Rowboats – 15' & fast 17'
• Electric Launches – 15' & 18'
A. Eatock, RR2, 211 Bonnell Rd.
Bracebridge, Ont. CANADA PIL 1W9
705 645 7494 [email protected]
Samuel
Johnson
BOATBUILDER
1449 S.W. Davenport Street
Portland, Oregon 97201
(503) 223-4772
E-mail: [email protected]
Museum Quality
Wherries, Canoes and Cabin Cruisers
54442 Pinetree Lane, North Fork, CA 93643
559-877-8879 [email protected]
Richard Kolin
Custom wooden traditional small craft
designed and built
Boatbuilding and maritime skills instruction
Oars and marine carving
360-659-5591
[email protected]
4107-77th Place NW
Marysville, WA 98271
Welcome
Aboard
to our
Newest
TSCA
Chapter
22
We thank our Sponsor/Members for their support and urge all members to consider using their services.
Fine Traditional Rowing
& Sailing Craft
NORTH
RIVER
BOATWORKS
RESTORATIONS
741 Hampton Ave.
Schenectady, NY 12309
Builders of Traditional and
Contemporary Rowing and Sailing Craft
Richard Cullison
301-946-5002
11515 Kenton Drive
Silver Spring, MD 20902
www.CullisonSmallCraft.com
ROB BARKER
Wooden Boat Building
and Repair
615 MOYERS LANE
EASTON, PA 18042
We thank our Sponsor/Members for their support and urge all members to consider using their services.
S
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Redd’s Pond Boatworks
1 Norman Street
Marblehead, MA 01945
Thad Danielson
(781) 631-3443
“Only if our children are introduced to boats at an early age and grow
up using them on the water will what we are doing today have any
relevance for the future.”
– John Gardner (former counselor, Pine Island Camp)
Founded in 1902, Pine Island remains true to the simple, island lifestyle established by
the current director’s grandfather and committed to providing an adventurous, safe summer. No electricity, an absence of competitive sports and the island setting make Pine
Island unique. Ten in-camp activities offered daily, include rowing, canoeing, sailing,
kayaking, swimming, workshop, archery, riflery, and tennis. Over thirty camping trips
each summer, include backpacking, canoeing, kayaking and trips to the camp’s 90-acre
salt water island. Campfire every night. Write or call the director for more information.
Ben Swan, P.O. Box 242, Brunswick, Maine 04011
WALTER F. HUBNER
Cazenovia Boat Works, Unltd.
3455 RIPPLETON ROAD
CAZENOVIA, NY 13035
BUY, SELL, TRADE, BUILD AND RESTORE WOODEN BOATS
SPECIALIZING IN ROWING SHELLS
(315) 655-3223
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We thank our Sponsor/Members for their support and urge all members to consider using their services.
Faering for Sale
LOA 24’ Beam 7’ Draft 2’4" - Yellow
Cedar on White Oak
Sliding Gunter sails by Lam. E-Z
Loader galvanized trailer. Full Sunbrella
cover. Professionally built by Jay Smith
in Anacortes, WA. Eleven foot oars. All
parts new in 1993.
See at: http://mywebpages.comcast.net/
bmcewen/boat
E-mail: [email protected]. Telephone:
360.733.4548
In Bellingham, WA - Like New! $6,000
BOATS PLANS BOOKS TOOLS
Specializing in traditional small craft since 1970.
Duck Trap Woodworking
www.duck-trap.com
We thank our Sponsor/Members for their support and urge all members to consider using their services.
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JUDY
RICKETTS-WHITE
DESIGN STUDIO
$28
©
Graphic Design • Advertising
Printing • Logo Design • Illustration
Web Pages • Corporate ID
860•439•1854
103 Butlertown Road•Waterford CT 06385
[email protected]
Damaged Journal?
If your Ash Breeze is missing pages
or gets beaten up in the mail, let
the editor know.
$28
Support TSCA
Become a Sponsor/Member of TSCA and your ad will appear in four issues
of this journal for only $50 a year.
Ad size is 2-3/8"H by 3-3/8"W. Photos should be scanned at 200 dpi
grayscale, or send camera-ready copy. Ed.
26 _______________________________________________________ The Ash Breeze - Summer 2003
Copy Deadline and
Article Format
Deadlines
v24#3, Fall 2003, July 2
Articles
The Ash Breeze is a member-supported
publication. Members are welcome to contribute. We encourage you to send material electronically. Text may be sent in the
body of an e-mail message or, alternatively,
as MSWord attachments. Send photos by
US mail or as e-mail attachments in jpg
or tif format. Typewritten material or material submitted on computer disk will be
accepted too. Please give captions for photographs (naming people and places) and
photo credits. E-mail to:
[email protected]
Classified Advertisements
$.50 per line (36 characters max.); $2
minimum; photos $10 additional. Include
name, address, and phone number. Payment must accompany submission.
Display Advertisements
$4 per column inch, 2-1/4" wide. For copyonly ads, provide a sketch of your ad in
the appropriate size. Camera-ready artwork required for all others. Payment must
accompany submission.
Members’ Exchange
50 words or less. Free to members except
$10 if photo is included.
TSCA WARES
Back Issues
Burgees
Original or duplicated back issues are
available for $4 each plus postage.
Contact Flat Hammock Press for ordering details.
12" x 18" pennant with royal blue field
and TSCA logo sewn in white and gold.
Finest construction. $30 postpaid.
Volume
Newsletter
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
Year
Issue
1975-77
1978
1979
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998/99
1999/00
2001
2002
2003
1,2,3,4
1,2,3,4
1
1
2,3,4,5
6,7,8,9
1,2,3,4
1,2,3,4
1,2,4
1,2,3,4
1,2,3,4
1,2,3,4
1,2,3,4
1,2,3,4
1,2,3,4
1,2,3,4
1,2,3,4
1,2,3,4
1,2,3,4
1,2,3,4
1,2,3,4
1,2,3,4
1,2,3
1,2,3,4
1,2,3
1,2,3
1
Flat Hammock Press
5 Church Street, Mystic, CT 06355
860-572-2722
[email protected]
Caps
Pre-washed 100% cotton, slate blue with
TSCA logo in yellow and white. Adjustable leather strap and snap/buckle. $15.
($14 to members if purchased at TSCA
meets.)
T-shirts
100% cotton, light gray with the TSCA
logo. $15.00 postpaid for sizes M, L, and
XL and $16.00 for XXL.
Patches
3 inches in diameter featuring our logo
with a white sail and a golden spar and
oar on a light-blue background. Black
lettering and a dark-blue border. $3.00
Please send a SASE with your order.
Decals
Mylar-surfaced weatherproof decals
similar to the patches except the border
is black. Self-sticking back. $1. Please
send a SASE with your order.
To Order
Patience please. In response to a request
for volunteers for waresmeister, several
members have stepped forward. This
important position will be filled soon.
TSCA MEMBERSHIP FORM
I wish to:
Join
Renew
Change my address
Individual Membership ($20 annually)
Patron Membership ($100 annually)
Family Membership ($20 annually)
Overseas Membership with Surface Mailing ($25 annually)
Sponsor/Membership ($50 annually)
Overseas Membership with Airmail Mailing ($30 annually)
Enclosed is my check for $____________________________________ made payable to TSCA.
Chapter member? Yes
No (circle)
Which Chapter? _________________________________
Name
Address
Town
E-mail
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
______________________________State_______ Zip Code________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Mail to: Secretary, Traditional Small Craft Association, Inc., P. O. Box 350, Mystic, CT 06355.
Note: Individual and Family Memberships qualify for one vote and one copy of each TSCA mailing. Family Memberships
qualify all members of the immediate family to participate in all other TSCA activities.
Cormorant Rock at Bowman Bay, Fidalgo Bay, WA site of a recent Puget Sound Chapter event.
The sailor was not identified. Bob Dunshee photo
The Ash Breeze
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Providence, RI
Permit No.1899
The Secretary, TSCA
PO Box 350
Mystic, CT 06355
Address Service Requested
Time to Renew? Help us save postage by photocopying the membership form
on the inside back cover and renewing before we send you a renewal request.