Vol. 32, No. 2 -- Summer - Traditional Small Craft Association

Ash Breeze
The
Journal of The Traditional Small Craft Association, Inc.
Volume 32, Number 2, Summer 2011, $4.00
“Art is all of a ship but the wood, and yet the wood alone will rudely serve the purpose...
so our boat being of wood gladly availed itself of the old law that the heavier shall float the
lighter, and though a dull water fowl, proved a sufficient buoy for our purpose.”
— Henry David Thoreau, A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers
Ash
Breeze
The
Editor’s Column
The Ash Breeze (ISSN 1554-5016) is
the quarterly journal of the Traditional
Small Craft Association, Inc. It is published at 134 E. Main St., Moorestown,
NJ 08057.
Communications concerning membership or mailings should be addressed
to: PO Box 350, Mystic, CT 06355
www.tsca.net
Volume 32, Number 2
Co-Editors:
Mike Wick
[email protected]
Ned Asplundh
[email protected]
Advertising Editor:
Mike Wick
Editors Emeriti:
Richard S. Kolin
Sam & Marty King
David & Katherine Cockey
Ralph Notaristefano
Ken Steinmetz
John Stratton
Dan Drath
The Traditional Small Craft Association, Inc. is a nonprofit, tax-exempt
educational organization that works
to preserve and continue the living
traditions, skills, lore, and legends
surrounding working and pleasure
watercraft with origins that 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.
©2011 by The Traditional Small Craft
Association, Inc.
2
Doug Oeller, his dog Jack Tar, and I
trailered Doug’s catboat to Florida to
attend the annual Cortez Festival. The
drive took two full days each way, but it
was worth it. We camped in the glorious
Florida spring weather and visited with
our friends from two years ago, as well
as other friends from other festivals.
Cortez is the first festival of the year;
after a long hard winter, it is the first sign
that the long wait is over and that better
sailing weather is finally on the way. The
misery of January always persuades me
to commit to the long drive. When I am
driving in the darkness in South Carolina, the land of “South of the Border,” it
seems like too much, but we stick to our
resolve and are glad that we did.
Friday night was a potluck supper and
an informal gathering. Early Saturday
morning there was a breakfast gathering. We launched the boat, at Coquina
Beach launch ramp, and sailed to Cortez
in the clear warm water.
This year we were greeted by a flock of
pink flamingoes. The F.I.S.H. wildlife
refuge surrounds the Maritime Museum
property and attracts much wildlife.
The morning festivities started with
judging of the registered boats. They
were homebuilt beauties, large and small,
and plenty of fine boatbuilding to make
the judges earn their keep.
Then there was the rowing and paddling
race. Smart racing sailors use this time to
check on navigation of the race course.
Even for shallow draft boats, it is easy to
run aground, and to watch your neighbors sail around you. Locals know the
shallows, know how close they can pass
to the island as they round it twice. The
rest of us have to learn quickly where not
(continued on the next page)
On the Cover: Council nominee Kim Apel’s stunning restoration of a Chestnut freighter
canoe prompted this sunlit shot by Annie Holmes, as well as the just-as-applicable-now-asthen quote from the 19th Century pen of Henry David Thoreau. Remember that voting for
Kim and the other Council nominees — John Kohnen and David Wyman — closes
June 1, 2011! For details and a ballot, see the Spring 2011 issue.
The Ash Breeze, Summer 2011
From the President
Editor’s Column, cont’d.
by Michael Bogoger
to go. We swing a paddle instead of a
lead line; much faster.
It is mid-April, as I sit at my desk composing this address; by the time you read
this my term as President of the national
TSCA will be nearly over. This has been
a yearlong volunteer obligation and sitting in this seat has been a pleasure and
an education.
School boat building project, with a grant
through the Penobscot Marine Museum,
and also the San Francisco Maritime
National Park Association’s Youth Boat
Building Program. Look for reports from
each of these programs in the next issue
of Ash Breeze.
My focus has been to facilitate the
growth and significance of this useful
resource we have created together. There
are some good indicators to report. Association income is up approximately
10%, while our expenses remain stable.
Our total assets are also up as a result.
National membership increased almost
5% (from766 to 803). While this may seem
modest, it is the most significant increase
in five years. Sponsorship has increased
and even foreign membership is on the
rise.
Application for the John Gardner Grant
is available on-line at the TSCA web site:
www.tsca.net. You will find the link at the
bottom of the home page. You can also
find information about the JG grant in
the Ash Breeze in your hands (see page 7).
Applications can be submitted electronically or by mail. Donations to the John
Gardner Fund are also welcome. Thanks
to Sid Whelan, we present a report in
this issue on the Fund itself (see pages 8
and 9).
Sadly, we seem to have lost a chapter
entirely, and three chapters are inactive,
but four new chapters are under development in Cape Cod, Massachusetts;
North Idaho; Apalachicola, FL; and Saint
Augustine, FL.
We have three new Council-elect and
they are a dynamic trio. (You did remember to vote, didn’t you? Polls are open
until June 1st, check the Spring issue of
The Ash Breeze in case you missed the
ballot). I urge you to support your new
Council members and officers in the
coming year. Your TSCA is a vital community and member input is essential.
Council members and officers can be
contacted through the national TSCA
web site; www.tsca.net/ under Organization
/ Structure.
Congratulations go out to recent recipients of the John Garner Grant offered
biannually by the TSCA. We are proud
to support the Searsport District High
Volume 32, Number 2
I have two years left of my commitment, as an elected Council member,
and I pledge to continue striving for
more membership participation and
healthy growth for our organization. The
Traditional Small Craft Association has
multiple facets. We are more than the
sum of our parts.
Fair winds,
Michael
This year brought a fine racing fleet,
a bright Catspaw Dinghy, a Cedar Island 15, a Penobscot Dinghy, sharpies,
a Sea Pearl, a Bufflehead, and a schooner rigged sailing canoe, a Phoenix
III, and a nine-foot hard cabin dinghy.
Many were hand built and sailed by
their owners. The race had a Bahama
start on a long sandbar, with two laps
around a mangrove island.
After a long day in the sun, we had
the annual banquet with lots of good
fresh flounder. After the speeches,
Roger Allen read the reports of the
Annual Meeting of the TSCA, and
assured us of the strength of our
national club.
And that is the point of my essay:
cross-pollination. I have made three
Cortez trips in the last few years; each
time I have been overwhelmed by the
welcome from a brother Chapter. By
the time I got home again, I suppose
that I swore that it was just too far,
and this would be my last visit, but
I go back. There are plenty of good
reasons to keep our sailing at a local
level, but it isn’t always a good idea.
We are a national organization of
local clubs. Going further afield for
our pleasures brings many benefits,
and encourages fellow club members
to reciprocate. One Delaware River
stalwart, Ron Gryn, had moved south
with his retirement, and he stopped
by for the day to see the action. He
asked to be remembered to all his
Philadelphia friends. Don’t you have
someone down in Florida that wants
to see you and be remembered to all
his or her friends?
3
4
The Ash Breeze, Summer 2011
Active
TSCA
Chapters
Adirondack Chapter
Mary Brown, 18 Hemlock Lane, Saranac
Lake, New York 12983, 518-891-2709,
[email protected]
Annapolis Chapter
Sigrid Trumpy, P.O. Box 2054, Annapolis,
MD 21404, [email protected]
Buffalo Maritime Center
Charles H. Meyer, 5405 East River, Grand
Island, NY 14072, 716-773-2515,
[email protected]
Cleveland Amateur Boatbuilding
and Boating Society (CABBS)
Hank Vincenti, 7562 Brinmore Rd.,
Sagamore Hills, OH 44067, 330-467-6601,
[email protected], www.cabbs.org
Connecticut River Oar
and Paddle Club
Jon Persson, 17 Industrial Park Road,
Suite 5, Centerbrook, CT 06409, 860-7673303, [email protected]
Florida Gulf Coast TSCA
Doug Calhoun, PO Box 237, Cortez FL,
34215, 941-795-4363, [email protected]
Friends of the North Carolina
Maritime Museum TSCA
Brent Creelman, 315 Front Street,
Beaufort, NC 28516, 252-728-7317
[email protected]
John Gardner Chapter
Russ Smith, U of Connecticut, Avery
Point Campus, 1084 Shennecossett Road,
Groton, CT 06340, 860-536-1113, fruzzy@
hotmail.com
Long Island TSCA
Myron Young, PO Box 635, Laurel, NY
11948, 631-298-4512
Lost Coast Chapter—Mendocino
Stan Halvorsen, 31051 Gibney Lane,
Fort Bragg, CA 95437, 707-964-8342,
[email protected], www.tsca.net/LostCoast
Michigan Maritime Museum Chapter
Pete Mathews, Sec’y, PO Box 100,
Gobles, MI 49055, 269-628-4396,
[email protected]
North Shore TSCA
Richard Koolish, 212 Park Ave, Arlington, MA 02476, [email protected]
Crystal River Boat Builders (CRBB)
Bill Whalen, 4539 N Grass Island Ter.,
Hernando, FL 34442, 352-344-5482,
[email protected]
Oregon Coots
John Kohnen, PO Box 24341, Eugene, OR
97402, 541-688-2826,
[email protected]
Delaware River TSCA
Tom Shephard, 482 Almond Rd., Pittsgrove, NJ 08318, tsshep41556 @aol.com,
www.tsca.net/delriver
Patuxent Small Craft Guild
William Lake, 11740 Asbury Circle, Apt.
1301, Solomons, MD 20688, 410-394-3382,
[email protected]
Down East Chapter
John Silverio, 105 Proctor Rd., Lincolnville, ME 04849, work 207-763-3885, home
207-763-4652, camp: 207-763-4671, jsarch@
midcoast.com
Pine Lake Small Craft Association
Sandy Bryson, Sec’y., 333 Whitehills Dr.,
East Lansing, MI 48823, 517-351-5976,
[email protected]
Floating the Apple
Adina Taylor, Pres., 1225 Park Ave., Ste.
C 10, New York, NY 10128, 212-564-5412,
[email protected]
Volume 32, Number 2
South Jersey TSCA
George Loos, 53 Beaver Dam Rd., Cape
May Courthouse, NJ 08210, 609-861-0018,
[email protected]
South Street Seaport Museum
John B. Putnam, 207 Front Street, New
York, NY 10038, 212-748-8600, Ext. 663
(days), www.southstseaport.org
Southern California Small Boat
Messabout Society (Scuzbums)
Annie Holmes, San Diego, CA
[email protected]
TSCA of Wisconsin
James R. Kowall, c/o Door County
Maritime Museum, 120 N Madison Ave.,
Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235, 920-743-4631
Chapters Organizing
Cape Cod
Don Chapin, PO Box 634, Pocasset, MA
02559 (Currently deployed to Afghanistan) [email protected]
North Idaho
Joe Cathey, 15922 W. Hollister Hills
Drive, Hauser, ID 83854,
[email protected]
St. Augustine Lighthouse
and Museum Chapter
Maury Keiser, 329 Valverde Lane, St.
Augustine, FL 32086, 904-797-1508,
[email protected]
Puget Sound TSCA
Lyndon Greene, Sec’y. , PO Box 1834,
Anacortes, WA 98221, 360-299-9075,
[email protected]
Sacramento TSCA
Todd Bloch, 122 Bemis Street, San
Francisco, CA 94131, 415-971-2844,
[email protected]
5
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The Ash Breeze, Summer 2011
John Gardner Grant
“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
(including their construction and uses) and the skills
of those who built and used
them. Youth involvement is
encouraged.
Proposals for projects ranging
from $200 to $2000 are invited
for consideration. Grants are
awarded competitively and
reviewed semiannually by
the John Gardner Memorial
Fund Committee of TSCA,
typically in May and October. The source of funding is
the John Gardner Memorial
Endowment Fund. Funding
availability is determined
annually.
Eligible applicants include
anyone who can demon-
strate 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.
Program details, applications
and additional information:
www.tsca.net/gardner.html
Life Members
Dan & Eileen Drath • Jean Gardner • Bob Hicks • Paul Reagan • Peter T. Vermilya • Sidney S. Whelan, Jr.
Benefactors
Samuel E. Johnson
Generous Patrons
Ned & Neva Asplundh • Howard Benedict • Willard A. Bradley • Richard A. Butz • Lee Caldwell • John S. Montague
Richard B. Weir • John Weiss
Sponsor Members *
Rodney & Julie Agar • Douglas Aikins • Capt. James Alderman • C. Joseph Barnette • Ellen & Gary Barrett • Ken
Bassett • Bruce Beglin • Dr. Llewellyn Bigelow • Kent & Barbara Bleakley • Todd Bloch • Robert C. Briscoe • Capt. John
Calhoun • Charles Canniff • Dick Christie • David & Katherine Cockey • James & Lloyd Crocket • Stanley R. Dickstein
William Dodge • Dick Dodson • Bill Doll • Thomas Dugan • William Edwards • Tom Etherington • Huw Goronwy
Evans • Dr. Lawrence O. Garber • John M. Gerty • Gerald W. Gibbs • Paul Gray • Dick Hamly • Mr. & Mrs. R. Bruce
Hammatt, Jr. • John A. Hawkinson • Peter Healey • Colin O. Hermans • Dean Herring • Kevin W. Holmes • Peter A. Jay
John M. Karbott • Phillip Kasten • Thomas E. King • John M. Latta • Penny A. Lavin • Arthur (Sandy) Lawrence III
Chelcie Liu • Jon Lovell • Capt. John Lubbehusen • The Mariners Museum, Newport News, VA • Pete & Susan Mathews
D. Turner Matthews • Michael McClure • Charles H. Meyer, Jr. • Alfred P. Minervini • Howard Mittleman • King Mud
& Queen Tule • Michael Porter • Ron Render • Don Rich & Sheryl Speck • Bill & Karen Rutherford • Richard Schubert
Paul A. Schwartz • Austin Shiels • Gary & Diane Shirley • John Silverio • Leslie Smith • Zach Stewart & Anne
Somerville • John R. Stilgoe • John P. Stratton, III • Robert E. (Bub) Sullivan • Chuck Sutherland & Marilyn Vogel
Tom Walz • Stephen M. Weld • Capt. C. S. Wetherell • Andrew P. (Andy) Wolfe • Robert & Judith Yorke • J. Myron
Young • Joel Zackin • Bob Zolli
* Please join these and other Sponsor Members and Advertisers (shown throughout this issue) in supporting TSCA! Details, pg. 31.
Volume 32, Number 2
7
Gardner Grant Fund Report
by Sid Whelan
Our endowment has grown in the past
seven years from $53,479 to $73,671, so
we’re climbing toward our minimum
goal of $100,000.
Additions to the fund have totaled
$20,389—$13,989 of which is due to the
generosity of John Weiss, as described on
page 11 of the Winter 2010 issue, The Ash
Breeze.
Gardner Grant recipients received a total
of $19,520 during the past seven years.
In two of those years (2007 and 2008) no
grants were awarded. Since then, the
number of qualified applications has
increased, and we hope it will continue
to do so. In 2011, two grants totaling
$2,200 have been approved by the Grants
Committee.
The annual administrative fee of the
Maine Community Foundation (MCF) is
.85% of the Gardner Grand Fund Assets,
taken quarterly and based on the fund’s
assets at the end of the prior quarter.
Over the past seven years the MCF’s
annual administrative fees have ranged
from $410 to $568.
In addition, our fund is charged an annual investment management fee, totaling $1,251 for the seven-year period.
The MCF portfolio was up 12% for the
year ended 12/31/10; John’s planned giving addition came in July. MCF administrative fees plus investment management
fees in 2010 totaled $701, which comes to
about 1.04% of our assets.
In the period 1/1/2004 to 12/31/2010, MCF
was able to generate $30,214 in investment earnings (interest, dividends, and
capital gains, both realized and unrealized) for our fund. So between MCF’s
management and the generosity of TSCA
members, the record is a good one.
We hope that this report will give others
an incentive to follow John’s example
to add to the Gardner Grants Fund. We
know of at least one Planned Giving
(continued on the next page)
Fund Statement by Year
For Years Ending December 31
8
The Ash Breeze, Summer 2011
as a young boy, imagining that I had just
circumnavigated the globe.
Letter to the Editors:
commitment by Will for a $10,000
addition. Any amount is most
welcome.
If you have questions about Planned
Giving, please get in touch with me
at [email protected], or 860-4343912, at 6 Laurel Drive, Old Lyme,
CT 06371-1462.
I can’t help but comment on the beautiful center page spread (above, from our
Spring issue) of the January 1, 2011 row
in Camden Harbor.
I grew up in Camden (my folks still live
in Rockport) and as an active sailor there
I know well the setting, the smells, and
the feel of floating at the mouth of the
harbor. The photographs bring back so
many rich memories, including those of
rowing and sailing around Curtis Island,
In those days there was not the fine
collection of traditional small craft we
see depicted in these photos, as the 60s
and early 70s saw easy fiberglass rowing
boats, such as the Newman dingy, begin
to proliferate the harbor. Even we had
one for our Friendship sloop.
Thanks for these great pictures, Jon
(Bahrt). I wish I had been there.
Regards,
Steve
Stephen C. White, president
Mystic Seaport
The Museum of America and the Sea
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Messing About in Boats, 29 Burley St., Wenham, MA 01984
www.messingaboutinboats.com
Volume 32, Number 2
9
Remembering
Dynamite
Payson
by Peter H. Spectre
Among the men who ply the various trades,
I have observed that the ones who work with
boats—designers, builders, and users—are
usually happier than most others, and of
these, the very happiest in my opinion are
boatbuilders who use edged tools and work
in wood. Such work makes demands on, and
seems therefore to satisfy, the whole man—
hand, eye, ear, brain, and heart.
— Dynamite Payson
I knew Harold H. “Dynamite” Payson
long before I met him. Like thousands
of other aspiring amateur boatbuilders, I had answered one of his classified
advertisements in a boating magazine.
He suggested that I, too, could build a
boat in my own backyard. For a couple
of dollars he sent me in the mail a packet
of information about the plans he offered
for various boats, as well as instructions
for building and using them. He called
his operation Downeast Dories, and
everything he wrote about it was spiced
with a compelling aura of boatiness that
promised the realization of my dreams.
Dynamite’s personality oozed from the
envelope. I knew that I must meet this
man.
Harold “Dynamite” Payson, boatbuilder, author. Photo courtesy of the Payson family.
About 40 years ago I did, and in short order we became fast friends. Think of that.
A Maine coast lobsterman-boatbuilder
who wouldn’t receive his high-school
diploma until he was 65 years old and
a college-educated writer-editor from
away who was nearly 15 years the junior.
Together we transferred our skills to the
other. He helped me build boats and boat
models, and I have had plenty of those
to show for it. I helped him become a
writer, and he wrote a shelf full of books
that made him famous—among them
Boatbuilding the Easy Way, Boat Modeling
with Dynamite Payson, How to Build the
Gloucester Light Dory, The Dory Model
Book, and several others. Together over
the years we worked in his shop, went
sailing, fished for smelts, taught boatbuilding classes, played with make-andbreak engines, dowsed for water wells,
and spent hours around the kitchen table
discussing all manner of things.
Dynamite Payson, like many Mainers,
was a curious blend of contradictions. A
traditionalist, he nevertheless built most
of his boats with plywood and had no
compunctions about gluing them with
epoxy and skinning them with fiberglass. Cautious when it came to style, he
built prototypes of some of Phil Bolger’s
most avant-garde designs, including
a sailing skiff that was steered from
the bow and a schooner that could be
folded in half for easy transport. A flinty
conservative in the yankee sense, he was
liberal in politics. An introvert, he was a
consummate conversationalist. A stay-athomer, he had incredible curiosity about
the outside world. A perfectionist, he was
artful in compromise.
(continued on the next page)
Books by Dynamite Payson.
10
The Ash Breeze, Summer 2011
“The boating angels are singing....”
(shown at right), in 1974. With the help of
his teenage sons, the boat was completed
and launched in 1977.
The boating angels are singing today,
because a great builder has joined them.
Dave Lucas passes on the sad news that
master boatbuilder, Sam Geiger, died of
natural causes, on January 22, 2011, “at
the age of really old.”
Born in Brooklyn, NY, he grew up in
Westbrook, CT. Sam enlisted in the U.S.
Navy on graduation from high school,
and served his country honorably in the
Pacific during World War II.
Sam had a passion for sailing and boat
building. After building a number of
smaller boats, he started construction
of the Rights of Man, a 42-foot ketch
Dynamite Payson passed away
on March 23, 2011. Everyone who
knew him—his family, his friends,
his readers, the thousands of people around the world he encouraged to build their own boats—all
of us mourn his passing.
After a year of shake-down cruises,
Sam and his wife, Barbara, provisioned
Rights for an extended voyage. With two
sons, daughters, a compass and a sextant,
they set out to cross the Atlantic. Departing from the mouth of the Connecticut
River in Old Saybrook, they visited
Bermuda, the Azores, Portugal, Spain,
Morocco, the Canary Islands, and many
Caribbean islands and toured the ICW as
they returned home.
Sam continued to sail, including trips to
Venezuela and the Maine Coast. After
the death of Barbara in 1988, he rekindled
an old relationship with Claire Germini,
whose husband had also passed away.
They moved to Bradenton, FL, in the
mid 1990s. Sam continued to build boats
and volunteered his skills at the Florida
Maritime Museum in Cortez.
and glue construction—and was in the
process of making Dave a 20’ double.
A kind, loving and giving man, Sam will
be sorely missed by all the people’s lives
he has touched.
Sam’s family asks that donations be sent
to the Florida Maritime Museum, PO Box
100, Cortez, FL 34215, in his memory.
Lately, Sam had been specializing in
kayaks (below) — he was skilled at stitch
Editor’s Note: This article originally
appeared on the website of Maine
Boats Homes & Harbors—http://
maineboats.com—and is reprinted with
the kind permission of the magazine as
well as the author.
Volume 32, Number 2
11
Floating the Apple Holds
16th Annual
American Star Race
by Adina Taylor
On Saturday December 4, 2010, Floating
the Apple, Inc (FTA) held its 16th Annual
American Star Invitational Rowing Race
in Manhattan.
This was the second year in a row that
the commemorative race was held at
Pier 84, in our founding director Mike
Davis’s neighborhood. The Hudson River
Park Pier 84 Boathouse was designed to
accommodate public rowing, using FTA’s
volunteer-built, American Star-style,
Whitehall racing boats (gigs). We wish to
give thanks to the NY-NJ Harbor Estuary
Program and the New England Interstate
Water Pollution Control Commission for
sponsoring this year’s race.
Our youth race commemorates a spectacular amateur two-gig rowing contest,
held in Manhattan on December 9, 1824
—186 years ago. Back then, five New York
Harbor boatmen rowed their gig, the
American Star, to victory in the highly
anticipated and well publicized race.
The original American Star was built in
Brooklyn, NY. After the 1824 race, it was
given to the Marquis de Lafayette as a
gift, representing a high point in American ingenuity and mechanics.
The FTA gig was designed by Mike
McEvoy to perform well, be safe, and to
be used for pleasure, sport, and exercise,
particularly in open-water conditions
such as the Hudson River tidewater. The
FTA gig is 25’ 10” in length, weighs 300
pounds, and is set up for four-oars plus
coxswain, with a sweep-oar for steering.
December 4 was a beautiful winter day,
with a mean temperature of 36 degrees,
variable winds at speeds of 11 to 13
mph and afternoon wind gusts of up
to 21 mph. The cove was not choppy,
and as always, was well protected from
the Hudson River current by the USS
Intrepid Museum, FTA’s magnificent
neighbor to the north. Weeks and days
before the race, the weather was mostly
rain, but the prediction called for a sunny
Saturday, and all head coaches confirmed
plans to attend. Doors opened at 8AM
and coaches and volunteers began lowering four gigs—Alex McDougal, Hoda
Jane, Rescue 1, and Kelvin Bowens—
into the river.
This year’s participants included: Hull
Life Saving Museum, MA (three crews);
Bayshore (Long Island) HS (four crews);
FTA/Brooklyn Tech HS Rowing Club
(two crews); Newburgh, NY Rowing
Club (four crews); Sound School-New
Haven, CT (four crews); Bridgeport Youth
Services-FSW, CT (one crew); Village
Community Boathouse/Stuyvesant HS
(three crews); NY Harbor HS (three
crews); BBBB Cold Spring, NY (one crew).
Twenty-one coaches were present with
over 130 youths. FTA teen interns attended from HS Environmental Studies
and Brooklyn Tech.
Most crews were able to race twice in
two rounds of timed heats, with six races
per heat, before the final races. Race
conditions were challenging for the nine
boys crews, three girls crews, and six
mixed/co-ed (two boys/two girls) crews,
plus one co-ed crew that had one girl and
three boys.
First, second and third place medals were
awarded to crew members in three categories of races. The winning crew with
overall best race time for the day—Urban
Assembly New York Harbor School boys’
crew—will be added to FTA’s American
Star trophy. First place winners were:
Boys’ Crew—NY Harbor School; Girls’
Our FTA gig combines the beautiful
lines of the traditional Whitehall design
with modern construction techniques.
12
The Ash Breeze, Summer 2011
Crew—Sound School Regional Vocational Aquaculture Center; and Mixed
Crew—Sound School. Newburgh Rowing
Club placed second in the Girls’ Final
and third in Boy’s and Mixed Final Race.
NY Harbor School placed second in the
Mixed Final Race. Stuyvesant HS placed
second in Boys’ Race and placed first in
a special Mixed Race category with three
boys and one girl.
We had a great group of adult volunteers
on hand for all the tasks, running a safe
and exciting day of races. Of note, two
Newburgh Rowing Club adult volunteers
served food all day to hungry crews and
coaches. Brendan Malone, of the NY
Harbor School (and a volunteer with FTA
since 1995), brought one of the safety
vessels and managed the race leader
board (below), recording times per boat/
crew/school or club and assigning a gig
to each crew per race. FTA volunteers
and coaches worked the floating dock all
day, with oversight from Race Committee at the head of the dock’s ramp; at the
finish line, FTA timers worked diligently
to report race results of 45 crews over 15
races.
Adina Taylor is president of FTA, as well
as the FTA/TSCA Chapter. FTA is a volunteer, tax exempt group, located at 1225
Park Avenue, Suite 10C, New York, NY
10128. Donations are welcome to fund
its community crew rowing outreach, as
well as to pay for materials and equip-
ment for free boatbuilding classes and
programs. Gigs built are loaned to other
rowing organizations to support youth
training and athletic programs. Visit us
at www.floatingtheapple.info and www.hudsonriverpark.org, or contact us at [email protected] or 212 564 5412.
Photos by Ted Littlejohn and Ross Meuer.
Dear Ms. Taylor
I just wanted to send you a note, to thank you so much for what Floating the Apple
has done for us here in Bridgeport. Your American Star Regatta was a great success
again this year. We train for this event starting in the summer, and it means a lot to
our kids to go to the big city that many of them have never visited. It is a highlight
of their year. I think this is the seventh year we have joined you for the event. It is
always nice to catch up with the other coaches on the Eastern seaboard, and up the
Hudson.
Floating the Apple has set the stage for many rowing programs up the coast.
Without you we would not be on the water. I have students from eight years ago that
remember rowing as the highlight of their time here.
Thank you, and keep up the good work!
Ted Littlejohn, Operations Manager
Youth Business Center, Bridgeport CT
Volume 32, Number 2
13
Traditional Small Craft:
A Particular Seminole Dugout
by Irwin Schuster
The back-story: I was looking for a very simple vessel to enter
into an informal club competition to build a man-powered traditional boat model. What simpler than a dugout? Most won’t
be surprised to learn that the project grew (as they are wont to
do), and became a diorama involving much more than the hull.
But that’s the fun of it.
This type, although not typical of Florida dugouts, was judged
authentic for a period in the late 1800s in this locale (Tampa).
The more-usual Florida dugouts had a flat deck at bow and
stern over spoon-shaped underbodies, while this exhibits a
European influence, particularly at the stem.
Seminole Indian Dugout (as transcribed from the Historic
American Merchant Marine Survey [HAMMS]; #8-56):
“Remarks: [the documentation includes] Inboard profile, plan, sheer,
14 sections, scaled 3/4” = 1’
“This typical Seminole Indian dugout, although built in 1937,
conforms exactly in lines and details to canoes built by the Florida
Seminoles many years ago. In olden days the making of one of these
dugouts was a very lengthy process and called for much ceremony
starting with the selection of the tree and ending with the launching of the finished canoe. This sometimes covered a period as long as
three years as the log, after being shaped on the outside, was buried
in mud for a year or two before the work of digging out or hollowing
was started. A crude iron implement resembling a short-handled ax
was the only tool used in this work and the balance and finish of these
canoes is really remarkable.
“The canoes built today do not go through the lengthy seasoning
process and the builders do not spend as much time and effort in the
finishing work but for all practical purposes the results are quite satisfactory. Some of the modern boats are painted, which seems to detract
from rather than add to their appearance.
“These boats are invariably made from cypress as that is the only variety of tree to be found in southern Florida that is adaptable.”
– H.L. Long, Regional Director (ca. 1937)
I crafted this model from poplar, finished with a gray aging
stain. It is mounted on a cypress base, engraved by a laser.
The platform under the cypress is natural travertine, conveying sedimentary limestone, the foundation rock of Florida.
The photo in the background shows native cypress trees that
commonly grow in standing water, thrusting out root growths
called “knees.” Patrolling these waters is an alligator, the alpha
predator of Florida.
The native poling this craft wears the dress of a Tocobaga,
from an area generally north of Tampa Bay, rather than the
elaborate Seminole costume often illustrated. While natives
have occupied Florida for about 12,000 years, the original tribes
were mostly wiped out by European diseases and battles, and
the Seminoles were an amalgamation formed in the 1700s
and 1800s, of the remnants of Creeks, Miccosukees, Hitchitis,
Oconees and perhaps Tocobagas. They subsisted on fish, shellfish, manatees and other sea life, turkey, deer and the abundant
small game, as well as palm cabbage, berries, nuts and later,
corn, beans and squash.
This figure is molded of polymer clay on a wire armature, and
painted with acrylics. Breechcloth, arrowheads and fletching
are kraft paper. I chose this semi-diorama in order to allow the
whole hull shape to be visible.
The background photo (right) was taken in north Tampa, about
2007, on a pond adjacent to a major thoroughfare (I see alligators of 4-7’ on about half of my walks around my developed
neighborhood).
At left, a photo of the HAMMS plate detailing the canoe. Plans of this craft
were copied from a set of plates owned by the Florida Maritime Museum at
Cortez, donated by Mr. & Mrs. Bob Pitt.
14
The Ash Breeze, Summer 2011
At left, after shaping the outside,
the canoe was wedged into a cradle
for milling a flat floor and carving
the interior. The hull is tapered as
it followed the contour of the parent
log, bow at the base. At right, the
hull, it’s “motive force” and the tools
of his trade, in process. Below, the
end result: laser etched and mounted,
with background photo. Note the
alligator just forward of the native’s
belly button.
Specifications
(from HAMMS)
RIG/TYPE:
Dugout canoe (Seminole, FL) *
YEAR BUILT:
1937
LENGTH:
21’, 11 1/2”
BEAM:
2’ 1/2”
DESIGNED BY:
Johnny Cypress
BUILT BY/PLACE:
Johnny Cypress, Tamiami
Canal, Fla.
PROVENANCE:
Lines taken from boat
SURVEYORS:
A.E. Ferdinandsen, D. Seliger
HAMMS was organized by the United States Works Progress Administration in 1936 to record, in the form of marine
* Note: this does not indicate the City of Seminole,
FL, but the provenance of
the design being a Seminole artifact.
architectural drawings, information regarding the design and development of American watercraft.
The Smithsonian was a cooperating sponsor of the project. The entire archive consists of 79 volumes and rolled
drawings of correspondence, memoranda reports, forms, and other administrative records; original tracings by
participants; drawings made from the tracings; and photocopies of the drawings. It is an invaluable resource.
Volume 32, Number 2
15
My Journey to
Traditional
Small Craft
by Gary Hirsch
I came to small boat cruising—and
especially those made of wood—via a
circuitous route, eschewing the perceived
long hours of work along the way.
I didn’t neglect the reading of those
determined souls that found pleasure in
what seemed to be torture to my mind.
Rather, I envisioned myself an “ocean
crossing wayfarer” with no time for
caulking, painting, etc. It was, however,
no coincidence that one of my early book
purchases bore that very title and was
written by Frank Dye describing the
merits of his wooden hulled Wayfarer
dinghy.
One can hardly read much about sailing
without learning about wood boats and I
was no exception, my curiosity growing
over the years.
I have owned many plastic boats and I
am certainly no purist even today.
After I had taken my 34’ sloop for a five
month cruise in 1999, I found that I did
not need the next three feet in a boat
and started down a different fork in the
road. This path would take me towards
smaller and smaller boats, eventually to
16
a Wayfarer Dinghy built in England in
1966.
Backing up a bit, my first wood boat was
a Blue Moon 23 designed by Thomas
Gillmer and built by master shipwright
John Swain in Maryland. I will admit
that the fact that it was sheathed in epoxy
encouraged the decision. When I saw the
picture on eBay, I was smitten. I could
not bring myself to place a bid, even
after sending the owner, Paul Roxin, an
inquiry.
When the winning bidder failed to
consummate the deal, I received an email
from Paul. That was the beginning; the
voyage is another story....
Suffice to say that after three years, I sold
her to a dock mate, who wanted her more
than I, at that point. (Before-and-after
pictures shown below).
The next purchase was my Wayfarer
(above left, opposite page). She had sailed
in the Detroit area for much of her early
years.
At my first meeting, I found out that
she had spent the previous 15 years in a
garage waiting for “Mr.” to get the urge
to refinish her. During this time the local
raccoon populace had enjoyed her more
than her owners. As a result, my offer
to take the scat along with the boat was
instrumental in getting a very fair price.
(Not to mention that “Mrs.” was plan-
The Ash Breeze, Summer 2011
ning to let her go in a yard sale the next
day for any reasonable offer since “Mr.”
was out of town).
It was late in the year and I didn’t want
to have the hull soak up any water before
I went to work on her. I brought her
home and put her in the garage, until I
could work out a plan for how to make
her bottom watertight.
I should say at this point that her is
called Solje—a connection to my Norwegian seafaring ancestors. “Solje” is a
word for ancient Norwegian jewelry. I
had high hopes for my efforts.
After much internet research and advice
from the Canadian and US Wayfarer Associations, I had a plan. When my boys
were home for the holidays, I had them
help me turn her over and placed her
upside down on the trailer. Then, when
weather permitted, I proceeded to use
every chemical, and other method, to get
the finish off the bottom (below).
Volume 32, Number 2
Learning that the
connection of the
centerboard trunk
and keel was an
especially vulnerable issue, I sanded
off some of the
adjoining wood
and filled the joint
in with carbon
fiber strips and epoxy.
It was well into April before I had the
new coats of epoxy and paint applied.
The problem was that I wanted desperately to join the Wayfarer Chesapeake
Cruise, held each year the week following Memorial Day. If successful, I would
be spending several days with some of
the most experienced Wayfarer sailors in
North America.
the past 20 years, or more. My first trip
across the Bay, from the ramp to our
docks, was quite an experience, since I
neglected to lower the centerboard. Later,
I was dismayed to learn that the forecast
for the next day would keep all of the big
boats in the harbor. But not the Wayfarer
fleet; and that’s yet another story.
Since that first sail, I have taken Solje to
Florida, Maine, the St. Lawrence 1,000
Islands, Kentucky Lake, Traverse Bay, MI,
and back to the Chesapeake, for three
consecutive years. I plan to go again to
Crisfield, MD this year: 2011.
It continues to be a wonderful journey,
creating many stories with this traditional small craft.
When I showed up in Crisfield, MD,
without a stroke of varnish on the decks,
“Uncle Al from Canada” remarked that I
had made the right
decision: there
would be time
later for the finish
work.
I had yet to launch
Solje and had
not been in a boat
without a keel for
17
Designing and Building a Rowing Shell
by Michael Bogoger
the Yaquina River and its basin, in western Oregon, as it empties into the Pacific
Ocean. So what we see here is the first
ever Yaquina River Guide Boat (tongue
firmly in cheek).
My friend Brandon came by on the day
I was installing inwales on the Yaquina
River Guide Boat. I was explaining to
him that I really needed to float the boat
to see how it trimmed with weight in it
before completing the oarlock design.
The paint on the bottom was mostly dry,
much of the glue had set and the entire
boat was base-coated in epoxy. So my
buddy says, “let’s do it!”
Stitch-and-glue is not my favorite building method. Though I’ve built several
boats with the quick-build method; for
me, making up molds from plan sections, and wrapping planks around
their frames, is the best way to build. I
don’t like the process of sewing boards
together with wire, either.
Some will tell you, plywood is not wood.
Epoxy-impregnated fiberglass is not a
fastener, either. Thirty-five years ago, a
friend and I built several stitch-and-glue
dories, but I’ve come to believe that gluing a boat together—without fasteners—
is not my cuppa tea.
It’s a short drive to the closest launch
ramp, and before very long we had the
boat in the water for the first time.
But just to prove I’m not a snob about tradition (and also to build a boat that could
be transported on top of a car), I glued up
a fixed seat rowing scull this last winter
in the best Instant Boat fashion.
She is very buoyant. Well... I expected
that. So I said to Brandon, “You sit on the
middle thwart and I’ll take the aft one.”
Perhaps calling this boat a rowing shell
is not quite on the mark. This is not the
first time I’ve attempted to design a fast,
lightweight, car-toppable, rowing vessel.
I love to row. So many places to visit and
explore in the backwater! Light weight,
with a long waterline, is what we are
striving for.
Since I find boat design and building
fascinating, this is one-of-a-kind. The
bottom panels are taken from kayak
design (photo at left), but since the old
body doesn’t fold into a kayak so well
any more, it will be an open boat. In addition, the boat is
designed to row,
though if a person
preferred, it could
also be paddled.
He replied hesitantly, “Ummm. Maybe
you should try it first.”
“OK, you steady her and when I step in,
let go and I’ll just push off.”
“Are you sure?”
“It’ll work, I know how to do this.”
So I stepped in, he let go, and I pushed
off. The Yaquina Guide Boat immediately
flips over and dumps me in the drink.
Blub, blub, blub....
Luckily, the water was only three feet
deep. But it’s COLD in Oregon in the
middle of winter! Now I’m drenched, but
determined — back to the shore.
What do you call
such a craft? My
local waters are
18
The Ash Breeze, Summer 2011
of them much
better than taking
another swim in
38-degree water.
The design was
not up to expectations. Back to the
drawing board....
“This time, Brandon, hold onto the boat!”
I was a bit petulant.
Whew, this is one tender boat! Brandon
thinks I’m testing just how tender it is
by rocking back and forth, but in truth I
am trying desperately to find the balance
point before I go swimming again. The
boat is rocking itself, I swear!
On the shore, Brandon keeps saying,
“She floats perfectly on her waterline”—
while I try to figure out how to drive this
thing.
We don’t have any pictures of Brandon
in the boat because he only sat in it for
one minute (with me holding the gunnel
and the stern wedged firmly against a
stump), and decided it wasn’t his day to
go swimming.
So, the verdict is, this is one light, fast
boat—if you can keep it upright. There
were many helpful suggestions; turn
her into a catamaran, a proa, a trimaran... which are all very good ideas. All
There was obviously not enough
reserve buoyancy
in this boat. I took
a long look and
decided to cut the
deep “V” out of the bottom (above left)
and add a flat, wherry-type plank.
The boat now has a flat bottom, if you
want to call it a bottom—a foot wide
amidships—which provides some stability. A plus is the reserve buoyancy of the
extra chine. Each chine edge has a very
distinct release point, though. Woe to he
who violates that boundary. Turning is
the most difficult maneuver (well, possibly in a tie with disembarking from the
darn thing!).
Following these rather dramatic design
changes, we see the designer tentatively
coaxing this sliver of a vessel to behave
like a lady. She has a temperament.
This time, the skipper stayed aboard and
the vessel shipped not a drop. The new
rowing outriggers (below left) are manufactured from a set of galvanized barn
door hinges with a mahogany overlay,
so when not in use, they hinge entirely
inside the gunwale. The overall span
of the oarlocks is
44”, which proved
adequate for a
set of lightweight
eight-foot oars.
Hopefully, using
this boat will become easier. As it
is, there will be no
Volume 32, Number 2
long distance rowing for a while. It takes
every muscle in the body to keep this
vessel upright and trim. A good workout
in a very short time!
She pulls very easily (above), and in fact
does not like aggression in any form; a
lady with a mind of her own.
John DeLapp published a great article on
making efficient oars simply, in the Winter 1990 edition of Ash Breeze. His spoonshaped design has a shaft and loom
made of spruce, with a paddle made of
4-5mm plywood—a beautiful, simple,
lightweight work of art! They seemed
perfect for the new rowing scull.
The target weight for this set is 2½
pounds, which John says coaches recommend for racing sculls; lighter for smaller
rowers. The spoon design has proven to
be the most efficient and allows the blade
of the oar to be made smaller and lighter
than a comparable flat blade.
John’s oars are specified at 7½’; I found
that increasing the span to 8½’ worked
out just fine.
I didn’t have any plywood thinner than
6mm, which resisted bending, so I put
(continued on the next page)
19
would remain in the join. Instead, polyurethane glue worked out very well.
Designing and
Building a
Rowing Shell, cont’d.
some clamping pressure on the blades
and left them out in the shed for a few
days. Ninety-five percent winter humidity did the job, as I took up a bit more
pressure each morning.
I have hand-carved many sets of oars
and this fine pair (at left and above) is
as graceful as any and much easier to
construct.
John says to glue the oars up with epoxy,
but I was concerned about the humidity
and it seemed the pressure required to
create the spoon was a bit extreme for
epoxy and not enough of the gooey stuff
By the time you read this article, I should
be up to speed with this racer.
Hope to see you on the water!
FOR SALE:
A new version of the
20’ Doghole Dory
(original pictured here)
20
If you are a rower without a boat, or looking
for an upgrade, consider this offer from Ejler
Hjorth-Westh:
Having rowed my original 20’ Doghole Dory
for over 20 years, I realize it’s time for a new
version of this good boat.
Same basic hull shape, sheerline, spoon bow,
and freeboard; LOA: 21’ - 22’; beam: 60”±;
weight: 200#; oiled inside-out; outfitted for
rowing: one rower w/wo coxswain; or two
rowers w/wo coxswain; fixed seats; includes 2
sets oars, 9’ and 9’6”; rudder; floorboards.
Using only the highest grade plywood, lumber
and hardware, I will put the boat up for sale
at $6,700 and am now soliciting a buyer. This
lucky person (persons) will get the deal of a
lifetime: 707-877-3339 or [email protected]
Seaworthy Small Ships
Dept A, POBox 2863
Prince Frederick, MD 20678
800-533-9030
Catalog Available $1.00
The Ash Breeze, Summer 2011
Lawn-Boating with the Scuzbums
Story and photos by Annie Holmes
On a perfect day, in a perfect place, we
met for sharing, conversation and inspection of small boats created or restored.
Kim’s glorious Chestnut freight canoe
was the biggest boat there. Fourteen
years ago, at a similar event, this oversize
canoe was first displayed in its pre-restored form. It’s taken awhile, but at last
it’s (almost) done.
Gorden’s stripper is still in the workshop, but looks gorgeous. He also had a
strange boat-in-two-pieces — a bar decoration — and displayed his birchbark
canoe, a rare boat, especially on the west
coast. Joe’s geodesic wherry is perfection.
Clockwise from above: dry canoeing with Kim’s
freighter (on trailer) and Gorden’s toys: a Malecite
birchbark canoe (created for Gorden by Henri
Valliancourt), a Laughing Loon Panache kayak,
an Island Falls Willow canvas canoe, and an 11’
lapstrake ply, double-ended pulling boat; Kim and
his canoe; Gorden’s stripper project; Bill Horner’s
handmade catboat-windmill; Joe’s geodesic
wherry; and Gorden’s “bar boat.”
The customary pot-luck lunch was
wonderful, with guacamole, and drinks
from fruit harvested from Gorden’s trees
the day before and prepared on the spot.
Amusing stories were shared of past
Scuzbum misadventures.
Attendees included Annie Holmes and
Dudley Elmore, Kim and Janice Apel,
Jim and Carol Mayberry, Bill and Teria
Horner, Roger Nelson, Tom Setum, John
Canning, Joe Millard, Gorden Bundy,
and several local friends. It went by all
too quickly! It was an awesome day in
an awesome place.
Volume 32, Number 2
21
Boston Family Boat Building:
A Story in Pictures
by Capt. John Rowse
Boston Family Boat Building brings together real world experiences and academic skills to excite students about learning. We
offer a year-round schedule of experiential learning opportunities. We believe that students learn best by being fully engaged
in real work about real world problems.
Our Programs
• In the Fall, we go sailing. Students learn how to chart a
course, and find their location while on the water, to practice
basic map and compass reading skills.
• In the Winter, we build boats. Students learn math, by
drawing a boat full size on the floor from a scale drawing.
Building boosts critical spatial thinking skills, as we use
a two-dimensional drawing to create a three-dimensional
object.
• In the Spring, we interview descendants of African Americans, who were involved in the maritime industry, as part of
an oral history project. Oral history interviews and primary
source research provide engaging material for reading and
writing assignments.
• In the Summer, we build boats with families, to continue our
effort to provide students and their families with new learning opportunities.
• Whenever we find exciting opportunities for students we
make the experience happen.
Summer 2008:
We built boats with families at various
locations around the Boston waterfront.
At right, the boat is half-finished. It’s ready to be
lifted off the building form and rolled over (far
right column) to complete the insides.
22
The Ash Breeze, Summer 2011
Above: installing frames, seat risers and seats.
Below, the boat is now ready for paint.
Above and below: installing inwales and rubrails.
School Year 2009-2010:
Boatbuilding with Haley School Students
in the Charlestown Navy Yard’s Building
125. Learning and working in this space
was the most amazing experience for the
kids.
School Year 2008-2009:
Boatbuilding with students from the
Dennis C. Haley School at Community
Boating.
The next three photos show the launching
sequence, through ice, into the Charles River, as
well as the students’ first row (above right).
In the next two photos below, students are lofting
the boat:, full size on the floor, from a scale
drawing.
Above, students hard at work on lofting, in a welllit space. (You might just see the masts of the USS
Constitution, through the right-hand window.)
Below, students assisting each other with a math
problem that developed as part of the process
to set boat parts down on the center line of the
building form. They were also studying equivalent
fractions at the same time in their regular
classroom.
(continued on the next page)
Volume 32, Number 2
23
A Story in Pictures, cont’d.
MCAS results, and our own testing, show that student work
in the boat shop supports and reinforces academic work in the
classroom
Three students, Captain John Rowse, and Elizabeth Redlich
spent three fabulous days of sailing and camping on the beautiful coast of Maine.
• An analysis of our own testing of 2008 and 2009 participants
showed they grew 56% more in spatial thinking skills compared to a control group.
The kids (pictured above and on the next page) were terrific
ambassadors for the school and the program. It was an experience they will never forget. No need for a lot of words! The
pictures tell it all!
• In the 2010 Math MCAS, our fifth graders showed strong
understanding in areas we can attribute to their real world
work in the boat shop using math; they scored at the 70th
percentile in the measurement/techniques and tools skills
and understanding area. This equals the statewide average and is one of only 2 sections from the total of 13 where
our students bested the statewide average. This success
also came through in the overall Student Growth Percentile
analysis. In Math our students were in the 82.5 percentile
while ELA was 58. Our real work experiences using math do
make a difference in student success.
Spring 2011:
This June we will be taking all 50 fourth graders from the Dennis Haley School for five days of exploring, sailing and environmental study in Boston Harbor aboard the historic Boston pilot
schooner, Roseway. This is a new program, in collaboration
• The Haley School was honored as a Commonwealth Commendation School by the Massachusetts DOE, for its improvement in closing the achievement gap, at a recent visit
by the State Education Commissioner.
Summer 2010:
Haley School fifth grade students spent four days at the Small
Reach Regatta, Lamoine State Park in Ellsworth Maine, July
28-August 1.
24
The Ash Breeze, Summer 2011
with the World Ocean School (www.worldoceanschool.org). We
look forward to this exciting adventure for our students.
When students engage in real work about real problems,
to create something of their own, it is a powerful learning
experience.
The links below will give you a more in- depth view of our
work to bring all kids exciting and engaging learning experiences. Our website also will offer you a detailed view of all our
programs and the curriculum: www.bostonfamilyboatbuilding.org
A video clip, from NECN-TV, shows the June 2009 launching:
www.necn.com/pages/landing?blockID=152889
Another NECN-TV piece is the final show in its year-long program on the State of Education in Massachusetts. We are at the
beginning and end: www.necn.com/pages/landing?blockID=153776
Contact Information:
Capt. John Rowse , Executive Director
Boston Family Boat Building
133 Paul Gore Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130-1814
617-595-8557
[email protected]
Volume 32, Number 2
25
female cat was “She-She.” It was just a
plywood pram, cotton spritsail-rigged,
and in good shape for her age; she just
needed a fresh coat of paint to make her
proud and snappy.
Just a Dinghy
by Jay Irwin
Down in my father’s cellar, I stripped
her down for a new finish. Owning a big
boat with matching dink completed the
picture of father and sailor. I now felt
part of the older sailing fraternity who
had taught me the ropes. It was a pleasure knowing my kids would be showing
her off. I had climbed a mountain.
This fine example of a nine-foot traditional lapstrake tender was built by Stirling and Son, Tavistock,
Devon, UK. The photo is used with their kind permission: www.stirlingandson.co.uk
Tenders, carried onboard large vessels,
were employed to supply the mother ship
with store goods, personnel, and assist
her in maneuvering in close quarters
such as docking. This is a true tender:
smaller vessels carry or tow boats which
are limited in their ability to access the
mother ship. Through evolution, the
ship’s tender or captain’s gig has now
come to be known as the dinghy, commonly known as the dink. The new kid
on the block, its role has not changed as
its main role is still the tender used as
transporter of personnel and hauling of
light supplies.
Other than the scantlings, the construction is the same: carvel, strip-planked, or
lapstrake. Many are plywood prams or
fiberglass. Dinghy design has changed
only in comparison to the size of the
mother ship, and its use mainly as a support vessel in inland or sheltered waters.
Yet the dinghy is the first to be put on a
back burner when Spring maintenance
time comes.
Modern dinks seem to have fallen into
two groups. One, they’re only a means
of transportation to and from the mother
ship, needing only to be steady and
seaworthy while being boarded and
discharged, and sea kindly when loaded
with mom, dad, beer, ice or other ship’s
stores. Always the last to be cleaned and
worked on, dragged up on the beach
tied any old way or place convenient;
left alone, till needed again, then towed
all over the bay like a sled dog in harness, with nothing to see but a stern and
exhaust pipe. Then, there are dinks that
become part of the family. Not just an
accessory to the big boat, they have personality, moods, and character all their
own.
I painted her with the newest paint,
Save-Cote. It was a plastic type for marine use. Yachting ads showed the ram,
Victory Chimes, and the Mustang (a five
logged Pungy schooner out of Annapolis) using it. The best for the best. If you
laid parts such as the rudder and dagger
board together, they would stick together
after the paint dried. Anything laid on
the seats did the same. I learned that others had done the same and had the same
end result. Well, getting that off was like
changing the diaper on a kid: stinky,
messy, and not fun.
Teaching the kids to use the dink was
easy. When they were too small to row
alone, we tied a line from the dinghy to
Mariah. At times in the evening, that
line was made of every line, string, and
I can’t remember
where or from
whom I got the
first dink. Reaching back in my
mind, it was just
in the family like
the kids. Our
first one was just
called Dink, like
our male dog was
just “Mr.” and the
At right, lines from a Chapelle dinghy.
26
The Ash Breeze, Summer 2011
rope Mariah could give up. The family
dog, “Mr.,” always standing in the bow,
looking like Washington crossing the
Delaware.
When the time came to teach sailing,
I would stand in Mariah’s cockpit and
yell, “pull” or “push” the tiller, “pull”
or “let out” the sheet. Mother would
yell, “Jay, stop!” The kids would get mad
and cry, but they’d sail. After about 20
minutes, they sailed off out of sight. and
always sailed back on their own. Once
they got with the other older kids and
got involved in water battles or just chasing each other, they forgot about how to
sail and just sailed. They sailed standing,
or laying across the gunnels, head and
shoulders out one side, long legs out the
other. At over 200 pounds, Kevin can still
sail her in this position.
Denise and Kevin took off like little
mushers, driving her with oar or sail
Volume 32, Number 2
through the anchorage, tending to her as
a pet or personal friend.
In no time, younger sister Sharon grew
to where she was rowing her heart out.
Once, in Wharton Creek, she rowed
down current to see a Chinese junk at
the far end of the creek. Her return trip
was not as easy. She returned crying
with two blistered hands and told us
how she had hung onto someone’s anchor rode to rest. One hell of a trip home,
but never a word about “never again.”
A lot of dinks are handmade; then,
there are factory made ones such as the
Dyer. About this time, Glenmar (Sailing Association) members were buying
Gay Blades out of Annapolis, ten at a
time, through a deal club member Joe
Hofmeister had made. These are molded,
as the big boats are now; their hull is a
very light fiberglass construction. They
were 9’ LOA with a 3’ fiberglass dagger
board and matching rudder, teak seats,
A Portuguese-style one-and-a-half-sheet plywood
dinghy. Free plans from Hannu’s Boatyard: htt p://
koti.kapsi.fi/hvartial/dinghy1/simboii.htm
and a 12’ aluminum, two-part stick. With
a Marconi main on a stick this size, they
sailed like hell. Hull shape is that of a
power boat: deep forefoot, hard chine,
with a fair amount of deadrise. The price
was right, but sometimes need and tim(continued on the next page)
27
they ran the dink
down, literally. The dink was
broadsided, rolled
over, and went
under Gypsy, only
to pop up astern.
Some cracks and
scratches, but no
more. Well, Joe
Old Dinghy, © DrDra, 2008-2011, www.deviantart.com
was not one to do
something only
ing outweigh the seven pieces of silver.
once and let it go. Sure enough, they
The old pram looked good and fit the bill
found another time to do the same thing
for now, but change was on the horizon.
with the same results.
Joe Hofmeister, and his wife Jerry, were
We were in St. Michaels on a summer
cruisers and racers. Mostly, it was just
cruise, hanging out at the Carpenter
the two of them, when cruising or out
Street bar, then downing crabs, clams,
for a day sail. One day someone didn’t
and buckets of beer at the Crab Claw.
tie the right knot or used too small
Finally it was time to go over to Leeds
a painter; somehow their Gay Blade
Creek, for some of Mother’s homemade
slipped her harness and went for open
crab soup and boat-made ice cream. Most
spaces. Rounding up and going in chase
of us were made fast to, or rafted off, the
aboard Gypsy, their 30’ Alberg sloop,
Just a Dinghy, cont’d.
Crab Claw docks. As I came around from
the slip parallel to the rafted boats, Joe’s
dink was outside the raft looking like a
stray pup. Mother, stood on the house
top looking aft and pointed to the dink.
“Watch out!”
Well, I knew we were not moving fast,
and our big boat, Mary G, would just
nudge the dink back in line with Gypsy,
where she belonged. Wrong! Like I tell
the kids: “listen to your mother.”
About the time my beam, the dink’s
beam and Ted Leighton-Herrmann’s
Thunder Birds’ beam all lined up, I was
much surprised to realize that Ted’s boat
was made fast against the wall. Mary G
was too heavy to move aside, and Ted’s
was not about to move, either. “Crunch!”
Joe’s dink had a new crack and markings.
Silently, I motored to Leeds Creek with
a red face, listening to Jenny’s “James
Henry, you’ve had enough.”
Great Lakes Boat Building School
485 South Meridian Road
Cedarville, MI 49719
906-484-1081
greatlakesboatbuilding.org
28
The Ash Breeze, Summer 2011
At the raft-up and over cocktails [others
drinking, that is] I told Joe that I would
buy the dink from him rather then file
an insurance claim. He agreed and set a
more than fair deal for the lame pup.
Glenmar has always been a family
organization involving the children in all
phases of the club. At one of these events,
Ted and I were on the beach at the Wilson Point Mens Club watching the dink
races. Out of the blue, he asked if I would
consider selling Joe’s old dink.
Now I knew if I fixed up the poor pup,
no way would the kids feel that it was
competitive. What with all that repaired
glass and surly, she would not be in line;
just not competitive. So the way out was
to sell the girl to Ted for what I had in
her. Done deal, as Ted gave me the check.
A couple days later, Joe called to tell me
the dink was gone.
“Hey Joe, what
do you mean the
dink’s gone?”
“Just that I had her
tied down on the
pier; line cut, dink
gone.”
“Shoot! I just sold
her to Ted.” After a
little pause, I asked
if he had filled out
a police report.
Small Dinghy, © FaierieGoodMother, 2008-2011, www.deviantart.com
“Yes I have.”
“Well, let me call my insurance
company.”
After hearing the whole story, they said
to send the police report and that I was
covered. I then called Ted that his check
was being returned. Some pups just have
a dog’s life.
Ben Markley, owner of Markley’s Marina,
heard about the dink being stolen, and
told me if I still wanted one, he had one.
It had belonged to a power boater; that’s
right, a power boater. It had not been
used much, the owner had been in a
small plane that crashed on the Eastern
shore. Ben said go up to the basement
and, if all the parts were there, it was
mine for what I had paid Joe.
(continued on the next page)
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web site: www.dhylanboats.com
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IT’S A GOOD TIME TO DO IT YOURSELF...WE CAN HELP
Volume 32, Number 2
29
Just a
Dinghy,
cont’d.
sorts of names
were discussed,
Seabiskit came
close. [Seabiscuit
was a very fast
race horse and
also a sailor’s main
food staple].
Pulled out of
storage, with
dirty, un-waxed,
What editors do in their spare time; Mike Wike takes a frosty row on Union
lines, and sails
Lake, NJ. Photo by John Guidera.
unshipped, she
Now we had a new member in the family
looked discarded.
and I knew from where and when. The
So just for the fun of it, I put the name
kids were surprised, and chomped at the Pitts on her stern. Just as I was launchbit to know her and her ways.
ing her, my number four daughter Laurie
saw the name. She just about died, “No,
Naming a boat is not that easy. Some
no, no way, please no!”
have real meanings such as daughters’
or wives’ names. Others are for fun. The
owners of Good Little Ship call their
dinghy, Bad Little Dink. Then there’s
Tipsy, with Hang Over as her dink. All
30
That weekend Pitts got a wash and wax
job. With her now shipshape and in Bristol fashion, the kids were so proud the
name stuck. Pitts became the playpen,
wading pool, fish pond and a sailing
champ. You just can’t imagine what the
kids would think of to do with her. She
had spinnakers made out of black plastic
trash bags, rigging her with more sail
area than ever intended, but never a motor. She was sailed, rowed, or towed.
It’s hard to tell of all the fun and pleasure Pitts has given. It didn’t take the
kids long to find out that she liked her
bow down when going to weather and
if all of the weight was in the stern she
made stern-way. Ask mother, once she
had to be towed back to the starting line
because she had been sitting in the stern.
Daughter Denise was on cloud nine the
first time she beat her younger cousin
racing. Kevin sailed and rowed winning
his share of races. You knew which dink
and which kid belonged together and
all of their names. Many a time, a boat
without any children would gladly gave
their dink to a child without one so he or
The Ash Breeze, Summer 2011
she could play. Once a child got the feel
for rowing they would gladly take trash
ashore or take adults from one raft to
anther for cocktails.
Kevin and Mark Roesner lived in the
damn things. Denise, and her friend Barbara, still talk about “flashlight catchers,”
and rowing from the beach in pitch black
night, looking for Mariah. Many a time
the girls had to teach their landlover boy
friends how to get in a dink, how to row,
and how to sail.
Pitts’ personality is unreal. Many a
time sailing downwind, in four to six
foot seas, we would pay out her painter,
so she would ride on the wave-top just
astern. She would haul back on her painter, sit on top of the crest, then surf off
charging at our stern, it would look like
she was going to ram us, but we never
touched. At other times she would bear
off to starboard, just off our quarter, then
stall, and seem to smile like a dolphin.
Her painter would go slack, and she
seemed to catch her breath, then jump
forward as the painter took up.
Many a night I have been awakened by
her tapping on the hull because wind
and current has swung Mariah broadside, fouling the anchor rode on the keel
and causing Pitts to lay in her lee on a
short painter; other nights by the slapping of her bottom as she hauled back
on her painter because a sea had built up
from a rising wind meaning let out more
scope on the anchor rode.
Kids grow up, pair off, and lay keels all
their own. Kevin moved into the age
where he was in his cellar with the boys
rummaging through the scrap wood to
build a pram. What else but Scrap Wood
for a name?
We grow older and become grandparents. The Pitts wins again, a whole new
generation to watch after and show
around where kids like to go. We told
our first grandson that when he was
big enough to row Pitts on his own we
would take him on vacation with us. He
asked about sailing it and like his Uncle
Kevin, he was told that first he had to
learn to swim. No trouble, off for swimming lessons. This charted the course for
all the grandchildren.
Time moves on; places, names, and lifestyles change, and then some things stay
the same. A couple of years ago Kevin
started towing Pitts to Nags Head for the
family’s two week vacation. Pitts and the
gang played on the bay side, and got a
taste of salt water. Then she was towed to
Shad Landing; camping was also part of
the family’s life style. Mother and I sat by
the fire, and watched the grandchildren,
dressed in kid-style, load up the roadworn Suburban, and with Pitts in tow,
headed for the beach.
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301-589-9391 or toll free 877-637-7464
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800.747.3810
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friction and wear. Cost: $35 for two
oarlocks, two sockets and sleeves from
Jamestown Distributors.
Volume 32, Number 2
31
ROB BARKER
Wooden Boat Building
and Repair
615 MOYERS LANE
EASTON, PA 18042
drathmarine
http://drathmarine.com
1557 Cattle Point Road
Friday Harbor, WA 98250
Mole got it right...
32
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• Double ended lapstrake
• Marine ply potted in Epoxy
• Rowboats – 15’ & fast 17’
• Electric Launches – 15’ & 18’
A. Eatock, 211 Bonnell Rd.
Bracebridge, ONT. CANADA P1L 1W9
705-645-7494 [email protected]
The Ash Breeze, Summer 2011
Mike Wick
Basement Boatyard
134 E Main St.
Moorestown, NJ 08057
Photo (and boat repairs) by Albert Eatock.
856-222-1216
[email protected]
Specializing in
Small-Craft Sails
www.dabblersails.com
[email protected]
Ph/fax 804-580-8723
PO Box 235, Wicomico Church, VA 22579
Stuart K. Hopkins, Sole Prop.
Volume 32, Number 2
33
Duck Soup Inn
50 Duck Soup Lane
Redd’s Pond Boatworks
Thad Danielson
1 Norman Street
Marblehead, MA 01945
[email protected]
781-631-3443—888-686-3443
www.reddspondboatworks.com
Friday Harbor, WA 98250
360-378-4878
Fine Dining for Sailors
Les Gunther
PINE ISLAND CAMP
Founded in 1902, Pine Island is a boys’ camp that focuses on
worthwhile outdoor activities. We have 13 wooden boats in use daily.
No electricity on our island in Belgrade Lakes, Maine. Contact Ben
Swan: [email protected]
C Fox Wood Boats:
Building Custom Wood Boats
Wooden Boatbuilding School
16320 Red Pine Drive
Kent City, MI 49330
Phone (616)675-3188
www.cfoxwoodboats.com
34
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The Ash Breeze, Summer 2011
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The Ash Breeze
Fall 2011, Volume 32, Number 3
Editorial Deadline: July 1, 2011
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Volume 32, Number 2
TSCA Wares
Back Issues: Original/duplicated at $4
each, plus postage.
Volume
Year
Issue
Newsletter ............ 1975-1977 ............1,2,3,4
1.............................. 1978 .....................1,2,3,4
2.............................. 1979 .....................1
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32............................ 2011 .....................1
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35
Ashze
Bree
The
36
The Traditional
Small Craft Association, Inc.
PO Box 350
Mystic, CT 06355
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The Ash Breeze, Summer 2011