In This Issue: Two Book Reviews • Letters to the Editor A Walk

Transcription

The
Ash Breeze
Journal of the Traditional Small Craft Association, Inc.
Vol. 29 No. 2
Summer 2008 – $4.00
In This Issue:
Two Book Reviews • Letters to the Editor
A Walk Through the Shops At the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding
CABBS Boat Building Project: A Tribute to Don Bailey
Musings on a Mud Flat • The Bordertown Skiff • Feather’s Crossing
Whitehall Spirit Classics Travel the World
Launchings
The Ash Breeze
The Ash Breeze (ISSN 1554-5016) 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.
www.tsca.net
Volume 29 Number 2
Editor
Dan Drath
[email protected]
Copy Editors
Hobey DeStaebler
Cricket Evans
Charles Judson
Jim Lawson
Charles Ratcliffe
Editor for Advertising
Pete Evans
Editors Emeriti
Richard S. Kolin
Sam & Marty King
David & Katherine Cockey
Ralph Notaristefano
Ken Steinmetz
John Stratton
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 2008 by The Traditional Small
Craft Association, Inc.
Editor’s Column
Shaw & Tenney has been a friend to TSCA since our very beginning. TSCA is incorporated in the State of Maine, Shaw & Tenney
provide our corporate home.
Congratulations to them on turning 150 years.
Shaw & Tenney Turns 150
By Steve Holt
Shaw & Tenney, the oldest manufacturer of oars and paddles in the U.S. and the
third oldest manufacturer of marine products, turns 150 this year. Started in 1858 as
a water-powered manufacturer on the Stillwater River in Orono, Maine, the company
has moved twice within the same town and changed owners only three times. Shaw
& Tenney has remained much the same business, and is renowned for its quality. In
addition to the manufacture of traditionally handcrafted solid wooden oars, paddles,
wooden masts, spars, and flagpoles have been recently introduced.
I credit the company’s longevity to the employees, whose quality, craftsmanship,
consistency, and commitment to the customer are first-class: “We’re a manufacturer,
not a production company, and making these products takes a lot of hand/eye coordination—the key is wood, but the craftsmen need to know how to respond to wood.
The entire Shaw & Tenney product
line
is
on
display
at
www.shawandtenney.com.
Shaw & Tenney
20 Water Street
PO Box 20
Orono, Maine 04473
1-800-240-4867
www.shawandtenney.com
Front Cover
Activities at the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding. This boat is the 16-1/2
foot-long Sunray, a 1932 Edwin Monk lake runabout design. Edwin Monk, the noted
Seattle designer, was just stepping out on his own when he published this design in his
1934 book Small Boat Building for the Amateur, since republished by Dover Press in
1992 as How to Build Wooden Boats.
In this picture, we're looking at Sunray's stem while the boat's bottom was being
sanded and the sides planked. The green tape on the stem is there to protect it from
stray nicks and scratches while we sanded the bottom since the stem will be finished
"bright."
Although not visible in this picture, Sunray has a dip, or inverse curve in the aft one
third of the bottom of the boat, with which Monk intended to keep the bow down at
speed.
Sunray is being traditionally constructed of mahogany and meranti planking over
white oak frames, with a mahogany stem, keel and transom and Alaskan Yellow Cedar
deck beams. She was designed for a 25 or 30 hp outboard engine, which is what she'll
carry in this incarnation. Photo by Pete Leenhouts.
Address Changes: We instruct the Postal Service to forward the journal to your
new address, but if it is not forwardable, we are charged the full third-class fee (not
the less expensive bulk rate fee) for its return, along with the address correction fee.
To help us reduce postage costs and ensure that you don’t miss an issue, kindly
send your new address to TSCA Secretary, P. O. Box 350, Mystic, CT 06355.
2 ______________________________________________________ The Ash Breeze – Summer 2008
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.
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 available for projects is 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
Benefactors
Samuel E. Johnson
Life Members
Jean Gardner Bob Hicks Paul Reagan Sidney S. Whelan, Jr.
Generous Patrons
Ned Asplundh Howard Benedict Kim Bottles Willard A. Bradley Lee Caldwell
Stanley R. Dickstein
Richard S. Kolin Zach Stewart Richard B. Weir Capt C. S. Wetherell Joel Zackin
...and Individual Sponsor Members
Jon Lovell
David Epner
Rodney & Julie Agar
The Mariners Museum,
Edna Erven
Captain James Alderman
Newport News, VA
Tom Etherington
Roger Allen
Charles H. Meyer, Jr.
Richard & Susan Geiger
C. Joseph Barnette
Alfred P. Minnervini
John M. Gerty
Ellen & Gary Barrett
Howard Mittleman
Gerald W. Gibbs
Bruce Beglin
Raymond Glover
John S. Montague
Charles Benedict
Les Gunther
King Mud & Queen Tule
Robert C. Briscoe
Mr. & Mrs. R. Bruce Hammatt, Jr.
Mason C. Myers
Richard A. Butz
John A. Hawkinson
David J. Pape
Capt John & Charlotte
Peter Healey
W. Lee & Sibyl A. Pellum
Calhoun
Colin O. Hermans
Robert Pitt
Charles Canniff
Steve Hirsch
Michael Porter
Dick Christie
Stuart K. Hopkins
Ron Render
David Cockey
Peter A Jay
Don Rich
James & Lloyd Crocket
John M. Karbott
Karen S & Bill Rutherford
Dusty & Linda Dillion
Terry & Erika Downes
Phillip Kasten
Richard Schubert
Paul A. Schwartz
Dan & Eileen Drath
Carl B. & Ruth W. Kaufmann
Karen Seo
Frank C. Durham
Stephen Kessler
Michael O. Severance
Albert Eatock
Thomas E. King
Austin Shiels
Michael Ellis
Arthur B. Lawrence, III
Gary & Diane Shirley
John D. England
Chelcie Liu
Charles D. Siferd
Walter J. Simmons
Leslie Smith
John P. Stratton, III
Robert E. (Bub) Sullivan
George Surgent
Benjamin B. Swan
Joshua Swan
John E. Symons
James Thorington
Joel Tobias
Peter T. Vermilya
Dick Wagner
Tom Walz
John & Ellen Weiss
Stephen M. Weld
Michael D. Wick
Hank & Hazel Will
Chip Wilson
Robert & Judith Yorke
J. Myron Young
The Ash Breeze – Summer 2008_________________________________________________________ 3
PINE ISLAND CAMP
Founded in 1902, Pine Island is a boy’s
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:
benswan@pine island.org.
TSCA Chapters
Adirondack Chapter TSCA
Mary Brown, 18 Hemlock Lane, Saranac
Lake, New York 12983, 518-891-2709,
[email protected]
Annapolis Chapter TSCA
Sigrid Trumpy, P.O. Box 2054, Annapolis,
MD 21404, [email protected]
Barnegat Bay TSCA
Patricia H. Burke, Director, Toms River
Seaport Society, PO Box 1111, Toms River,
NJ 08754, 732-349-9209,
www.tomsriverseaport.com
Cape Cod
Don Chapin, PO Box 634, Pocasset, MA
02559, 774-392-1833 or
[email protected]
Cleveland Amateur
Boatbuilding and Boating
Society
Hank Vincenti, 7562 Brinmore Rd,
Sagamore Hills, OH 44067, 330-467-6601,
[email protected]
Connecticut River
Oar and Paddle Club
Jon Persson, 17 Industrial Park Road, Suite
5, Centerbrook, CT 06409, 860-767-3303,
[email protected]
Delaware River TSCA
Tom Shephard, 482 Almond Rd,
Pittsgrove, NJ 08318,
[email protected]
Down East Chapter
John Silverio, 105 Proctor Rd,
Lincolnville, ME 04849, work 207-7633885, home 207-763-4652, camp: 207-7634671, [email protected]
Floating the Apple
Mike Davis, 400 West 43rd St., 32R, New
York, NY 10036, 212-564-5412,
[email protected]
Florida Gulf Coast TSCA
Roger B. Allen, Florida Maritime Museum, PO Box 100, 4415 119th St W,
Cortez, FL 34215, 941-708-4935 or Cell 941704-8598, [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,
[email protected]
Pine Lake Small Craft Assoc.
Sandy Bryson, Sec., 333 Whitehills Dr,
East Lansing, MI 48823, 517-351-5976,
[email protected]
Puget Sound TSCA
Gary Powell, 15805 140th Ct. SE, Renton,
WA 98058, 425-255-5067,
[email protected]
Sacramento TSCA
Todd Bloch, 122 Bemis Street,
San Francisco, CA 94131, 415-971-2844,
[email protected]
Lone Star Chapter
Scajaquada TSCA
Howard Gmelch, The Scow Schooner Project,
PO Box 1509, Anahuac, TX 77514, 409-2674402, [email protected]
Charles H. Meyer, 5405 East River, Grand
Island, NY 14072, 716-773-2515,
[email protected]
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, Secretary, PO Box 100,
Gobles, MI 49055, 269-628-4396,
[email protected]
North Idaho
Joe Cathey, 15922 W. Hollister Hills Drive,
Hauser, ID 83854, [email protected]
North Shore TSCA
Dave Morrow, 63 Lynnfield St, Lynn, MA
01904, 781-598-6163
Oregon Coots
John Kohnen, PO Box 24341, Eugene, OR
97402, 541-688-2826,
[email protected]
Patuxent Small Craft Guild
William Lake, 11740 Asbury Circle, Apt
1301, Solomons, MD 20688, 410-394-3382,
[email protected]
SE Michigan
Merged into the Pine Lake Chapter as of
May 1, 2008
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
TSCA of Wisconsin
James R. Kowall, c/o Door County
Maritime Museum, 120 N Madison Ave,
Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235, 920-743-4631
Organizing
Eastern Shore Chapter
Mike Moore,5220 Wilson Road, Cambridge, MD 21613, [email protected]
St. Augustine Lighthouse
and Museum Chapter
Maury Keiser,329 Valverde Lane, St
Augustine, FL 32086, 904-797-1508,
[email protected]
Book Review
The Rangeley and Its
Region: The Famous
Boats and Lakes of
Western Maine
By Stephen A. Cole. Tilbury
House, 2007,160pp.
Illustrated
Reviewed by Ben Fuller
About twenty years ago, the Rockland
Apprenticeshop got interested in Rangeley
Lake boats. As part of building a Rangeley,
they commissioned Stephen Cole to research and produce a manuscript about
them and David Dillion to measure and
produce plans. The boat got built, the plans
drawn, but the book was never published
until now. Now, thanks to Tilbury House,
it is in print in a handsome production. It
is well reviewed by Mike O’Brien in
WoodenBoat #199. I can’t really improve
on his review, so I thought it would be interesting to give TSCA members something about the first research, revival and
replication of the Rangeley thirty years
ago.
When I first went to work for Mystic
Seaport in 1978, a new project was just
starting in the Boat Shop. John Gardner
and Barry Thomas were interested in investigating wood production boat techniques, and
wanted always to have a boat
under construction in the Shop.
Boat sales would cover material
costs as well as costs of any assistants needed. Projects chosen
would be boats that were not in
commercial production but for
which John and Barry saw might
be commercially viable if Mystic did the basic research.
The project chosen was replication of Mystic Seaport’s 14' 7"
Charles Barrett Rangeley boat.
John and Barry knew that these
boats were production boats that
Herb Ellis who had bought
Barrett’s shop was still building
but likely would not be much
longer ( Herb shuttered his shop
in 1981) and that the smaller model would
likely suit the needs of potential buyers
more than the standard 17-foot guides
model.
Led by Barry Thomas, the Shop built
two runs of them, 21 in all. The first boat
was a one off, built from measuring and
lofting the Barrett. The prototype was
bought by then chair Clifford Mallory, and
since has been given back to the Museum’s
boat livery. After building the first one,
Barry and Ed McClave, who had come to
work at Mystic, went to Rangeley to study
Herb’s patterns and ask about things like
why our boat had some hog in its keel.
(You needed to set the molds with a little
rocker which came out when the boat came
off the molds.) Armed with that knowledge, the second boat was patterned, and
the third built with patterns. While never
achieving the production of Barrett and
Ellis shops…up to thirty a winter, with a
crew, perhaps twenty solo…we learned a
lot about use of patterns, and followed this
up with production runs of Rushton 14foot rowboats, some Seaford skiffs and
some tuckups.
Ed McClave did a seminal article on
compression bending published in WoodenBoat #36 and drew up a really nice set
of plans, and of course went on to found a
major yacht restoration business. Clark
Poston worked with Barry on these boats
and went on to become the Program Di-
rector at the International Yacht Restoration School.
For some reason, the story of Mystic’s
research into the Rangeley did not make
it into Cole’s book. For those interested in
more material, there are interview materials and photographs in the Seaport Library. Personally, having rowed both the
14 and 17, the 14 is a better choice if going solo is your habit. It can be car topped,
and works well with a passenger. If you
usually are out with a party or row with a
partner, the 17 would be better.
If we had Cole’s book, interpretation
would have been much easier. Cole shows
how the Rangeley model migrated from
the St. Lawrence area via a boat from
Ogdensburg. This model was brought over
by anglers who formed the Oquossoc Angling Association. These men were well
familiar with angling in the Adirondacks
and the St. Lawrence, both areas that preceded Western Maine in tourist interest
and accessibility by decades. For them the
Rangeley Lakes were new fresh fishing
grounds, and there was no suitable local
boat for guided fishing.
Cole emphasizes how Rangeleys were
production boats. Building these was an
industry, a vital component of a tourist
driven economy. Well built, these were not
the pampered pets of wooden boat hobbyists. These boats were built on the run,
were built to work and work hard. They
evolved from the double enders to a fine
low power outboard driven boat, the kind
of boat that might again be popular as
gasoline prices climb. Traditional boats
were not traditional boats to those that
built them.
Accompanying his manuscript is a terrific selection of photographs. Historic
ones gleaned from the archives of the
Rangeley Historical Society, along with
those from the Maine Historic Preservation Commission and from the Maine
Folklife Survey show how it was. Herb
Ellis, Skeet Davenport and others who
provided interviews to Stephen Cole and
earlier researchers are now gone. A builder
in Rangeley, Richard Woodward, has
picked up the Rangeley. Dozens are still
preserved in sporting camps of the region.
And with this book, the story of the
Rangeley has been beautifully presented.
Letters to the Editor
signed up over 150 members.
sional boat builders like John, Pete
At the same time we had started to
Comments on the 30-Years Ago piece,
Culler, Weston Farmer, eloquent writers
organize rowing and sailing regattas.
Spring 2008 Ash Breeze
such as Waldo Howland, or environmenAfter the first two, the whole idea
Dear Editor:
tal leaders like Pete Seegar. All of these
The Traditional Small Craft Associa- caught fire and soon there were a
people shared a kinship in their love of
growing number of groups organizing
tion was founded by John Gardner at
small craft and the preservation of the
Mystic Seaport in about 1974 or so after events open to all comers in Central
skills and yes the hardnosed ethics of the
he had contacted the Coast Guard about California including Sacramento,
working man which made the whole
the problems he had with their new boat Sausalito, Redwood City, Davenport
concept of craftsmanship possible.
(Bill Grunwald), Santa Cruz, Monterey
building regulations. They had been
Both John and Pete Culler, another
and the San Francisco rowing clubs.
written by industry lobbyists and
correspondent and friend, agreed to
One of the core groups was customers
exempted sailboats, kayaks and canoes.
support my efforts. I gave the name “The
Rowboats were counted as outboard craft and friends of Bill Grunwald.
Ash Breeze” to the Journal because as a
These were heady days for what John member of Mystic Seaport, I had just
and were given floatation requirements
called the small craft revival and there
that were impossible for our type of
received their journal in which there was
was pent up demand that exploded as
wooden small craft.
a photograph of a becalmed Gloucester
each new opportunity beckoned to learn
The Coast Guard said that unless
fishing schooner being towed from the
there was a lobbying group representing and do more with traditional small craft. harbor by her dories, powered by an
John Gardner was excited about what
our interests, no input would be re“Ash Breeze.” This photo and the
was happening and sent us some money
spected by Congress. So John called on
caption are on the front page of the first
from the TSCA treasury to publish a
his friends to meet and see what was
issue of the Ash Breeze (Volume 1, No. 1
schedule of events and a brief newsletpossible. He also had several meetings
January 1978).
with the Coast Guard and offered to test ter. After a year of this John asked me to
Publishing this newsletter was
develop a national newsletter for the
examples of traditional craft from the
primitive by today’s standards as
TSCA as interest in the TSCA was
Mystic Seaport collection.
copying centers were in their infancy. I
waning. The Mystic group was not
John was a man of many parts. Most
tried to find a printer. The man printing
really capable of starting a lobbying
people do not know that John had
a local newspaper said that I would have
earned a Masters degree from Columbia. organization and the Coast Guard did
to print at least 2500 copies and allow
not seem to be particularly enthusiastic
He was a lifelong advocate of social
for 1/3 loss in the printing process. I had
about enforcing the regulations on every a few hundred dollars and that would
justice and as a young man participated
small boat builder (defined as anyone
in the WWI Veteran’s Bonus March on
not work for us.
who builds a boat and then sells it).
Washington in 1932. So if you needed
What we ended up with was an
I proposed a change for the newsletsomeone to take on the Coast Guard,
extremely labor intensive process. I was
ter. I thought that the newsletter should
John was the right man.
the editor, proof reading copy and
The first newsletters were typewritten be more of a journal including the
choosing the order. I accepted all comers
thoughts of all of the membership. Each and only rejected two articles; one by a
and mimeographed (does anyone
would be given equal value whether it
remember what a mimeograph was?)
commercial purveyor of epoxy who was
was an enthusiastic amateur or profesand were published at Mystic after the
making impossible claims and another
original meetings and
by someone who must
were basically meeting
have had a mental
minutes.
problem as his text was
I had been correspondunintelligible.
ing with John for some
Laura (my first wife)
years by then, and he
had the hard job. She did
asked me to see what
the layout work. The text
support there was in the
had to be taken to a typist
Santa Cruz, California
with an electric typearea for the TSCA.
writer, photos had to go
Thanks to John’s
the newspaper printer to
mentions of my shop in
be photo copied with dots
his articles, many small
(a half tone, Ed). Then all
craft enthusiasts both
of this was pasted onto 8local and around the
From the Mystic Seaport collection, a Gloucester fishing schooner 1/2 by 11 sheets and titles
country at some time
being towed from the harbor by her dories, powered by an “Ash Breeze.” were added using transfer
dropped by the shop. In a This photo and the caption are on the front page of the first issue of the letters. Then to the copy
little over a year we
center for printing and
Ash Breeze (Volume 1, No. 1 January 1978).
stapling. We also had the mailing list
copied to stickers. When this was done
we had a volunteer party at our apartment overlooking Santa Cruz harbor.
There we folded, pasted a dot to hold the
fold, attached the address sticker and the
stamp. A lot of work went into it all.
John told me to spend all I needed for
the project and I always printed up
several hundred extra copies for promotion. One issue which included an
article about St Lawrence Skiffs by
Harold Herrick went to 1000 copies.
Harold sent us extra money to cover the
extra copies. It cost about $300 to $400
to print each issue in those days. I had
the suspicion that John would not have
minded if we had spent all of the money
in the TSCA treasury as many of the
early East Coast supporters apparently
felt that there was no longer a need for
the TSCA. I argued for the need to
connect the enthusiasts across the
country, boat builders and boat users.
The upshot of all of this is that as the
Ash Breeze brought in more money than
it spent and the dream stayed alive.
Then the time came for us to pack up
the shop and move to the Northwest. We
not rich people and were just hanging
on so (the marriage was
beginning to look that
way too) it was impossible for us to continue,
so we offered the Ash
Breeze to anyone who
would take it on.
Fortunately for all of us
Sam and Marty King
did so and cleaned up
and professionalized the
Just before the annual TSCA meet and row to Capitola
process. We should all
from Santa Cruz in 1975. Over 70 people attended from
be thankful to the
Los Angeles to Puget Sound. The pictures show the boats
succession of editors
on the Capitola beach.
who have taken on the
shop. On small craft: with a expressive
hard work of turning out what has
shrug, a twist of his face, and a slow
become a real jewel.
shaking of his head tempered by obvious
Best regards, Rich Kolin
disallusionment: “They are not for the
PS: Say Dan, can we still print an
working class.” On boats neglected:
issue for $400? (Today the cost is about
Hands in the air! Excited expression! “It
$1700 per 1000 copy issue. Ed.)
must have got into the hands of the
ignorant!”
Comments on Remembering Bill
Bill had many followers and I was one
Grunwald
of them. I built my first boat in his shop
Dear Editor:
in the late 1960s, an 8 foot lapstrake
Bill Stoye’s article brought back
dinghy which I had designed. I had
memories of my early days in Santa
spent the last year or so lofting small
Cruz, California. I had moved there to
boats on a half sheet of plywood on my
attend the University of California at
kitchen table and at last had got up the
Santa Cruz after three years in the US
guts to built it. Bill said that I could
Army. School was my
build it in his shop and that he would
third occupation, My
help me with materials. He built his
first was sailing and my
lapstrake boats with Philippine masecond was boat
hogany and that’s what I used.
building. Boat building
Bill’s shop was in Davenport, a little
soon became my
town dominated by a cement plant, just
obsession and I read
up the coast from Santa Cruz. He always
every book, surveyed
had some young men building boats for
every wooden boat and
him with various states of expertise and
visited every boat shop.
every now and then someone building
Bill Grunwald’s shop
an independent project. All in all a great
was a regular stop.
What a character. When place to hang out and learn. By the time
I met him, Bill had decided that he
he talked his face was
didn’t have the patience for the fine
like rubber, reflecting
work and left that for the young fellers.
and projecting his
As I set up my boat I realized that the
emotion in a voice that
beam was excessive, my design stank
was a combination of
and my lofting was for naught. One of
WC Fields and James
Stewart. His arms would the guys working there, Robert, helped
me to redesign the center station and I
wave and his shoulders
ended up removing the other molds and
would
shrug
as
he
Capitola to Santa Cruz showing four of Bill Grunwald’s
building the boat by the shadow method
proclaimed
his
distain
stock boats; two semi dorys and two Higgins and Gifford
which turned out to be a great introducfor
the
waywardness
of
Grand Banks dorys from Howard Chapelle’s American
tion to lapstrake planking that I would
the
people
who
by
Small Sailing Craft. That was the small craft bible in
never recommend. I named the boat
mistake
entered
his
those days.
Comments regarding
oar leathers, Spring
2008 Ash Breeze
Dear Editor:
I saw Tad Lyford’s
letter on oar leathers and
I offer the following
comments:
A good, and economic,
source
are “belly strips”
Two boats at what I believe is the launch ramp at Elhorn
that
are
available from
Slough located at Moss Landing half way between Santa
leather
suppliers,
you
Cruz and Monterey. The boat on the left is one of Bill
generally
have
to
ask as
Grunwald’s stock boats and the one on the left is my first
they
are
a
bin
somewhere
custom built Whitehall, the Stella.
—these are the strips left
Pequod and later, when I opened my
over after they have cut a skin and there
shop in the early 70s, I put a showboat
is usually enough to get at least couple
gaff rig on her and John Gardner
of sets of oar leathers at a price much
published a picture in the National
less than buying first quality skins. The
Fisherman. Bill Grunwald throughout
leather is between 1/8" to 3/16" thick
this just shook his head. But I know that and are a reddish brown colour.
I was just one of many young fledglings
Getting a tight fit comes from cutting
that he gave the chance to fly.
the oar leather so you have about a 3/16"
These were just a few of my memories gap when the leather is dry, soak it
of Bill. He was one of those quiet people overnight and sew it on wet. A trick here
that blazed a wide trail.
is to leave the skin to fully dry before
Best regards, Rich Kolin
trimming the ends and if you slip a
small piece of mylar sheet under the
Comments on the Incidential Intelli- leather before cutting it with a sharp
knife, the oar doesn’t get damaged…and
gence, Spring 2008 Ash Breeze
when everything is finished rub a piece
Dear Sir:
of smooth hardwood round and away
I was greatly disappointed that you,
from the edge of the leather and it will
of all people, should forget the most
leave a nice rounded edge rather than a
important Mole of all. Your Incidental
cut end.
Intelligence, page 17 of the Spring
A note on sewing—DO NOT punch
Issue, has a list of mole (moles). The
holes, use a sailmaker’s needle (it has a
mole I refer to is, he of The Wind in the
triangular point) and have 6 or more feet
Willows. The Tales therein were thorof thread, sew very loose stitches and
oughly enjoyed by my children, and
tighten it down after—I prefer to use
Barbara and I never tired of reading the
waxed linen thread rather than polyester
story to them.
and if you maintain the leathers there is
The only other mole I am familiar
no risk of the thread rotting out.
with was called the Oakland Mole,
The herringbone stitching is a locking
where steam powered car ferries
stitch, details can be found in the Ashley
discharged their cargo from San
Book of Knots No.3538.
Francisco, which may be before your
Cheers,
time. The Overland Limited discharged
Terry Ridings <[email protected]>
its passengers on the mole before the
Salt Spring Island, BC, Canada
bridge was built. They then rode the
ferry to San Francisco.
Dear Editor:
Very truly yours,
Most of the wear on the oar occurs
I remain, Queen Tule
where the oar rests on the oarlock not
where it bears rowing thrust. As the oar
is lowered into the water, the button
bears against the top of the oarlock and
forces the bottom of the leather to tear
across the bottom of the oarlock. This
problem can be obviated somewhat by
angling the oarlocks out to the same
angle that the oar makes going into the
water. It is a problem I have dealt with
in the design of the Gaco oarlock which
I have successfully used without leathers. (see video on www.gacooarlocks
.com)
John Murray
Comments regarding Stand On or
Give Way, Spring 2008 Ash Breeze
Dear Editor:
As a member of the TSCA, I enjoy
reading the Ash Breeze journal. But to
set readers straight on the little quiz on
page 14 of the Spring 2008 issue—Stand
On or Give Way—I would like to offer a
comment. If the vessel that has the wind
on the starboard beam is a power vessel,
then the answer to the question is
correct. However, it would appear from
the context of the question that it is
talking about two sailboats approaching
each other.
The International Rules for the
Prevention of Collisions at Sea (commonly called ‘ColRegs’) has only three
rules under Rule 12, Sailing Vessels. In
summary,
(a)(i) When each has the wind on a
different side, the port tack boat shall
keep out of the way of the other;
(a)(ii) When each has the wind on
the same side, the vessel to windward
shall keep out of the way of the vessel to
leeward;
(a)(iii) A port tack vessel that sees
another to windward and cannot
determine which tack she is on shall
keep out of the way of the other.
In your little quiz, the sailboat on the
starboard tack (wind on the starboard
beam) has the right-of-way. I hope this
clarifies the situation.
Frank White
Dear Editor:
In the Spring 2008 issue, you printed
the following question and answer:
Q: Your wind is on the starboard
beam. You see two colored lights
two points on the lee bow. What
do you do?
A: You keep clear; the other ship
is close hauled on port tack.
There are a lot of unstated facts
embedded in the question. The answer
makes it plain that there is an assumption that the lights are green and red,
and that the lights are at the same
height, the lights are on a single vessel,
that you AND the other vessel are
sailing vessels, that both of you are
under way, that neither of you is constrained by draft, that neither of you is
engaged in fishing, dragging, towing, or
any other commercial operation that
limits your maneuverability.
Once you told me this question comes
from Reed’s Seamanship and Nautical
Knowledge, 26th edition. The question
can be found on page 117. It's part of
series of questions on the rules of the
road, the series runs from page 109 to
page 125. When you read the entire
series of questions, and see the headings
of the sections into which they are
grouped, all these assumptions are made
clear.
But even with all of those facts made
clear, the answer is still wrong. Because
as everyone who sails knows, if two
sailboats are on different tacks, the
starboard boat has right-of-way. (Technically, it's the stand-on vessel, and the
port-tacker is the ‘give-way’ vessel). You
can look it up, it's in the COLREGS,
Rule 12 on the web at the US Coast
Guard COLREGS site: <http://
www.navcen.uscg.gov/mwv/navrules/
rules/Rule1112.htm>
The COLREGS have been around
since 1972, and that set of rules hasn't
changed in all those years. We would
like to think that the 26th edition of any
book has had enough time to work out
the kinks, and publishing obviously
wrong answers is a bit of a kink, so how
did this mistake slip through?
The answer lies in the date of printing. The 26th edition of Reed's was
printed sometime around 1931.
COLREGS was 40 years in the future
and the world was operating under a set
of rules that were very similar to
COLREGS Rule 12, but with one
important distinction. There was a
clause that took precedence over 12.a.i,
that stated that ships running free (off
General Rules of Sailing
It is an acknowledged rule of sailing,
and one which, although General rules
originally suggested by convenience
only, has been often recognized by
Courts of law, that if a vessel is going
close hauled to the wind, and another,
meeting her, is going free, the latter
must go to leeward; for otherwise the
vessel going to windward would lose her
position (b). On the same principle, vessels having the wind fair must give way
to those sailing by or against the wind
(c). It is also a rule, that when both ships
are going by the wind, the vessel on the
starboard tack must keep her wind, and
the one on the larboard tack bear up,
thereby passing each other on the larboard hand; and that when both vessels
have the wind large or a-beam, and
meet, they must pass each other in the
same way on the larboard hand (d). For
a vessel on her port tack is bound to give
way to a vessel on her starboard tack,
and if there is any danger of collision to
port her helm and go to leeward of the
other ship, which should keep her
course.
the wind) were required to give way to
those that were close-hauled.
The sidebar can be found in A Compendium of the Law of Merchant
Shipping, by Maude and Pollock,
published in 1861.
It is an acknowledged rule of sailing,
and one which, although originally
suggested by convenience only, has been
often recognized by Courts of law, that if
a vessel is going close hauled to the
wind, and another, meeting her, is going
free, the latter must go to leeward; for
otherwise the vessel going to windward
would lose her position (b). On the same
principle, vessels having the wind fair
must give way to those sailing by or
against the wind (c).
So there you have it. The answer was
right, but hasn't been for 36 years. We
all have such answers rattling around in
our heads, things that were correct when
we learned them, but are no longer. The
prudent mariner, when faced with
possible collision, will not rely on the
Spring 2008 issue of Ash Breeze, or any
single reference for that matter. Even if
you do know the right answer, don't
assume that the other skipper agrees
with you, or even sees you. Darkness
changes things. I remember well a
frightening situation where I first saw a
red light, then a green, then a red. I
thought the other skipper was weaving
towards me, until I realized I was seeing
a traffic semaphore on shore on a really
clear night.
Eric Slosser
Northwest School of
Wooden
Boatbuilding
Summer Project
Submitted by Kendra Seaman
The School is running a workshop series this summer on building a sixteen foot
Whitehall. The workshops begin on June
21 and run through Aug 23 and are broken down into weekends on: Lofting,
Molds & Backbone, Framing,
Steambending & Ribband Construction,
Planking (Line Out and Garboard), Planking (Carvel & Lapstrake), Caulking, Setting Risers, Thwarts, Gunwales, Knees
and Breast Hook, Finish Work, & Oar
Making. We thought the courses may be
of interest to your readers. Is there a section we could fit the information in? What
format would be best?
Northwest School of
Wooden Boatbuilding
Phone 360-385-4948
Toms River Seaport
Society & Maritime
Museum Annual Wooden
Boat Show
Saturday, July 19th, 2008 at Huddy
Park, Toms River, NJ, Admission is Free
The feature boat this year will be Tom
Heckman's 1929 50' Elco, Liberte. We will
have boat rides this year on the Black
Eagle, owned by the NJ Museum of Boating.
Our Seaport Museum will be open to
visitors all day.
Phone 732-349-9209
A Walk Through
the Shops At the
Northwest School
of Wooden
Boatbuilding
By Peter M. Leenhouts
The Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding in Port Hadlock, WA, at the
water’s edge on Port Townsend Bay, an
arm of the Puget Sound northwest of Seattle on the Olympic Peninsula, is well into
its 27th year of instruction.
The Boat School, as it is locally known,
is committed to providing to men and
women of all ages and backgrounds a quality education in traditional wooden
boatbuilding and fine woodworking.
Founded by master shipwright Bob
Prothero in 1983, the School strives to impart a sound, practical knowledge in traditional maritime skills, using wooden
boats as the training medium, and works
to imbue students with the pride and satisfaction that comes from skillful work
joyfully executed.
Join me for a walk through the school’s
three main shops to see the nine boats
under construction this semester.
We’ll start in the Large Boat Shop which
is under the direction of Instructor Richard Wilmore, with help from Shop Assistant Jeff Covert.
The 12 students in the Traditional Large
Craft class are building two boats this year:
a 20-foot Crosby catboat to plans provided
by Mystic Seaport for a client in the Seattle area, and a 16-foot mahogany runabout designed in 1932 by Seattle designer
Edwin Monk as a boat to be sold upon
completion of the course.
This catboat was built with a purpleheart
stem, stem knee and keel, and a mahogany
transom. It is being planked with 7/8-inch
red cedar over stem-bent white oak frame.
The Mystic Seaport book Building the
Crosby Catboat by Barry Thomas (1989),
addressing their experience constructing
the Breck Marshall, has been of significant help, as we have focused on building
the cat using the construction methods
detailed in the book. Once the cat is
planked, we’ll begin caulking the hull.
Traditional Large Craft students have
gained a first hand appreciation for lofting and constructing a classic boat of this
size under Rich Wilmore’s exacting instruction.
The 16-foot lake runabout Sunray was
designed by noted Seattle designer Edwin
Monk in the early 1930s; its plans appear
in Monk’s 1934 book republished in 1992
as How to Build Wooden Boats by Dover
Publications Inc. The runabout was designed to be powered by a 25 or 30 horsepower outboard engine. Under Jeff
Covert’s careful direction, Sunray is shaping up to be a beautiful boat with that classic 1930s look exemplified by a refined
bow flare and slight barrelback aft of the
open cockpit. Its white oak frames also
served as the boat’s molds, so it was relatively easy to plank, though students
learned a great deal about making perfect
wood-to-wood joints in those yards of
Crosby Cape Cod Catboat—Instructor Rich Wilmore
checks frame bevels. All photos by the author.
highly visible mahogany seams. Sunray
also has a reverse curve in its bottom aft
of the cockpit, a feature which Monk employed to keep the bow down at speed.
Deck beams and shelf are of Alaskan Yellow Cedar, and the boat will have a mahogany deck.
Walking down the hill under the newly
budded trees to the shops on the water, we
step into instructor Bruce Blatchley’s
sunny Contemporary shop, where the nine
students enrolled in the Contemporary
composite boatbuilding course are building three completely different boats.
Carpenter, featured recently by another
builder in WoodenBoat’s annual magazine
Small Boats, is a plywood lapstrake boat
built to designer L.F. Herreshoff’s 1929
lines published in his book Sensible Cruising Designs (reprinted in 1973 by International Marine and many times
thereafter). It will be sold by the School
when it is completed. According to the
book, the Carpenter was designed as a tender to the much larger Walrus, and, in the
designer’s words, “…is sort of a cross between a whaleboat and a dory…an admirable sea boat…(and) would obviously
carry quite a load through rough water
with considerable ease.” Today, it’s envisioned that the 18-foot Carpenter would
make a great Raid boat with her excellent
carrying capacity, ability to be easily
beached, and simple two-masted rig.
The two-masted Sailing Canoe Excelsior, designed by William Atkin in the
1920s as a 21-foot flat-bottomed cruising
canoe, was converted to contemporary
construction and lofted by Bruce
Blatchely’s 2007 class, which also built
The Monk Runabout—planking nearly complete
460
420
Nubbin dinghy – cutting veneers
Planking in progress on Carpenter
hull in two successive
vacuum baggings, and
are fairing it smooth before turning it over to begin work on the interior.
The School will list this
boat for sale when it is
completed.
Nubbin dinghy—fairing hull
Walking next door to
Senior Instructor Tim Lee’s Small Craft the Davis family built small boats in
Workshop in the Westrem building in Metlakatla, Alaska from 1900 through the
which Instructor Ben Kahn is working as middle years of the 20th century. Their rugwell, we will find four boats under con- ged, seaworthy boats are very highly restruction. Tim’s 16 students are enjoying garded by builders up and down the West
the boatbuilding challenges inherent in Coast. Dick Wagner, founder of the nathis number and variety tionally-known The Center For Wooden
of boats.
Boats (CWB) in Seattle, took the lines off
The Traditional Small one of the few remaining Davis Boats and
Craft class is building published them in a CWB monograph in
two Davis Boats, a trim 1981. The boats have proven to be an ideal
14-footer that will be carvel planking project for this year’s Trasold by the School upon ditional Small Craft class, and by the
completion, and a longer boats’ lines, it is expected they will be fast
16-footer for a Seattle- and able small craft for area waters.
area client. Both boats
The lapstrake Grandy skiffs, this year
are planked in red cedar being built in both the 12-foot and 9-foot
over white oak frames models, were quite a popular model for
and a mahogany back- the Grandy boat Company of Seattle, and
bone.
they’ve proven to be an excellent boat for
Atkin Canoe Excelsior—decking in progress
Three generations of the Northwest School of Wooden Boat-
the red cedar strip hull. With a beam of 5
feet 4 inches, Excelsior promises to be a
fast yet burdensome canoe that will be relatively easy to keep on a trailer. Students
in this year’s class finished framing the
hull, built the deck beams and plywood
deck, and are constructing the keel, rudder, masts, blocking and rigging for an
owner in the Southwest.
The little 6 foot 8-inch foot Nubbin dinghy was designed by local Port Townsend
designer Ed Louchard as a four-layer red
cedar veneer hull to be cold-molded over
a purpose-built mold. Students in this
year’s class built the mold, glued up the
c
440
Visitors are always
welcomed at the school
for shop tours. While I
personally enjoy Monday mornings at the
School with the promise
of a new week in the
shops, there’s much to
be said about the opportunity to walk through
the shops on a Friday afternoon as work is wrap14-foot Davis Boat has been turned over for interior work ping up for the week to
see all that has been acwhile planking is in progress on the 16-foot Davis.
complished.
The Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding as well. The School usually sells
those they’ve built well before the end of building is accredited by the Accrediting
the class in June each year. These boats Commission of Career Schools and Colare built with a mahogany backbone and leges of Technology (ACCST), which is
transom, red cedar planking, and white listed by the U.S. Department of Educaoak frames. Two Grandy skiffs were built tion as a nationally recognized accreditlast year with locally-harvested black lo- ing agency.
Accredited degree programs at the boat
cust frames. They make an especially beauschool include six-month and nine-month
tiful yet tough small boat.
The Fishing Skiff is an early design diploma programs and a twelve-month defrom the boards of noted Seattle-area degree program for an Associate Degree of
signer Edwin Monk. This design also ap- Occupational Studies. Degree programs
pears in Monk’s 1934 book cited above. include the Traditional Small Craft, Large
These boats are built by Beginning Boat- Vessel, and Contemporary Wooden Boats
building students in the fall semester, and programs.
Accredited summer courses at the school
sold by the school. The 14-foot model has
proven to be a popular size, and it is easy include Yacht Interior Joinery and Wooden
to see why – not only is it an eye-catching Boat Repair and Restoration courses.
Additional courses at the Northwest
boat built of long-lasting red and yellow
cedar , it is easily trailered and handled. School of Wooden Boatbuilding include
Students build the oars and rig the boats weekday evening courses in conjunction
as well. This boat is the last of the Monk with experts in related maritime trades,
Fishing Skiffs remaining at the school (al- evening and weekend supplemental
though more will be built during the fall courses and a number of workshops vary2008 session) and is waiting to be crated ing in length from one day to several
and shipped to its new owner in Califor- weeks. Supplemental courses include a
maritime craft design course, a three
nia.
month course in sail design and construction,
week-long short courses
in basic lofting, sail design and blacksmithing,
and short weekend
workshop courses in
wooden plane making;
sharpening, tuning and
using hand planes; making half models, and
other marine skills and
trades items of interest.
For further informaPlanking is nearly complete on the 9-foot Grandy skiff.
tion, visit the school’s extensive website
at www.nwboatschool.org, call the school
at 360-385-4948, or write The Northwest
School of Wooden Boatbuilding, 42 North
Water Street, Port Hadlock,WA 98339.
About the Author
Pete Leenhouts is a retired Navy officer
and current student in the Traditional
Large Craft class at the Northwest School
of Wooden Boatbuilding in Port Hadlock,
WA. He previously completed the Contemporary and Traditional Small Craft courses
as well. In addition to woodworking, he
enjoys researching, photographing and
The remaining 14-foot Monk Fishing
Skiff waits for delivery.
writing about boat construction and history. Pete is looking forward to building
and repairing wooden boats of all sizes
upon his completion of the school this fall,
and
can
be
reached
at
[email protected]. “Have adz will
travel.”
The Traditional Small Craft Association
PO Box 350
Mystic, CT 06355
The 2008 Annual Meeting of The Traditional Small Craft Association (TSCA) will be held
on Sunday, October 5, during the Mid Atlantic Small Craft Festival, St. Michael’s, MD,
at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. The new Council will meet following the general meeting.
Please vote for THREE candidates for the TSCA National Council for terms June 2008 - June 2011.
Deadline for receipt of ballots is June 1, 2008, via mail or e-mail.
TSCA National Council – vote for no more than THREE (3) candidates:
ROGER ALLEN, Florida Gulf Coast Chapter
CRICKET (ELIZABETH) EVANS, Sacramento (River) Chapter
PETE MATHEWS, Michigan Maritime Museum Chapter
JOHN WEISS, Puget Sound Chapter
Write-in Candidate ____________________________________________
TSCA National Council – vote for no more than THREE (3) candidates
(see reverse for voting instructions)
ROGER ALLEN, Florida Gulf Coast Chapter - Roger has been instrumental in starting three Chapters of
the TSCA: the Delaware Valley, North Carolina, and Florida Gulf Coast Chapters. He has also started and
run three traditional boat building programs: at the Independence Seaport in Philadelphia, at the North
Carolina Maritime Museum, and most recently the Florida Maritime Museum in Cortez, Florida. He is
dedicated to the preservation of regional traditional watercraft and the skills required to build them.
CRICKET (Elizabeth) EVANS, Sacramento (River) Chapter - Cricket is a rower, mainly in San
Francisco Bay and the Sacramento Delta. She has served on the Council several times, and was President
from 2005 to 2007. She is currently the National Secretary of TSCA.
PETE MATHEWS, Michigan Maritime Museum Chapter - Pete has retired after nearly 40 years in the
Recreational Marine Industry working in various capacities for manufacturers and distributors. His interest
in small boats dates back to his father’s sailboat when he was a very small child, and has never been far from
them since. He has built several small boats but is primarily involved in Wood Canvas Canoes. He runs a
hobby shop called Crescent Pond Canoes where he builds and repairs these boats and some small wooden
boats. He is active in the Michigan Maritime Museum in South Haven, Michigan and is a charter member of
that chapter of TSCA, currently serving as Secretary.
JOHN WEISS, Puget Sound Chapter - John is a founding member of the Puget Sound Chapter and has
been chapter Secretary and Webmaster since 1997. He served on the TSCA Council in the 2000-03 and 0407 terms, and as President from June 01 to June 03. He is currently the national Chapter Coordinator,
Membership Coordinator, and Webmaster. John is a retired US Navy officer, currently works as a 747
Captain, and messes about the Seattle area in his kayak, sailboat, and Adirondack Guideboat.
SECRETARY
Traditional Small Craft Association
PO Box 350
Mystic, CT 03655
Fold here, tape edges, affix First Class Postage
VOTING INSTRUCTIONS
Ensure your membership is current through April 2008 or later (date on Ash Breeze label)! If not, mail your renewal
with your ballot, or note on e-mail that renewal has been sent.
You can vote by e-mail or mail.
To vote by e-mail, send message to [email protected]
Subject line: 2008 Council Ballot, Your Name, Your Member Number (from Ash Breeze address label)
In the body of the message, repeat your name and member number, and list the names of your 3 choices for Council
membership, one name per line.
To vote by mail, fill out ballot on back, cut top half, fold and tape for mailing. Affix First Class postage and return address.
— or —
Photocopy or hand-write your ballot, name, and member number, and place on post card or in envelope.
Mail to
TSCA Secretary
PO Box 350
MYSTIC CT 06355
The Spring issue of the Ash Breeze
carried an update of the Project #
One in the CABBS chapter. Your
Editor was somehow musically
carried away and referred to Don
Bailey as Bill Bailey. My apologies.
CABBS Boat
Building Project:
A Tribute to
Don Bailey
By Hank Vincenti
Since the untimely death of our dear
friend Don Bailey, in July 2007, your
Board of Governors has sought a fitting
tribute to his memory. As it sometimes
happens in this world of human uncertainty, the answers we seek are handed to
us and we only need to recognize and act
upon them. I believe this is such a case.
Marlene Bailey has donated all the materials, parts and plans for the Green Island 15 sailboat that Don had started.
Paula and I have picked up all the material and I proposed that CABBS complete
the boat as a club project, sell it and have
the proceeds go to a charity in memory of
Don. Marlene was delighted with this idea
and was sure this would have pleased Don.
What better way to honor and remember
our friend.
The Green Island 15 sailboat is a design from Headland Boats of Australia.
Check out www.headlandboats.com for
photos. It is a flat bottom and sides design of panel on frames, screw and glue
construction. It is sort of like a CABBS
Optimist dinghy on steroids.
The finished hull is 15'-6" long, 5'-6"
wide, and 2'-8" high. Don had purchased
the Okoume ply, mahogany dimensional
lumber and the epoxy for the boat. The
bottom 4' x 16' panel has been scarfed and
glued, the two side panels are cut to shape,
butt blocked and glued and the chine logs
are attached. The five frames and the stem
section are assembled. There are 5 full
ply panels and one partial in appropriate
thickness to complete the boat.
The spar materials, fasteners, fittings,
rigging, sails and other items will need to
be purchased. Again the answer has been
handed to us in the form of a $500 check
from the Wendy Park Foundation to
CABBS in appreciation for our efforts in
initiating and supporting their WHISTLE
Youth Sailboat Program for inner city children.
I don’t need anymore convincing; this
is a project that should be done.
Our only need is a location to build the
boat. So lets put our collective thoughts
together and I am sure we will have an
answer. Please contact me with your suggestions and comments.
Musings on
a Mud Flat
By Pete Evans
So many of the worries in this life are
about what you should be doing or what
you might have done. When you are stuck
on a mud flat in a rowboat, you can’t do
anything. You just wait. And this can have
a wonderfully soothing effect. The rowboat is important, preferably a flat-bottomed one. A large boat or a sailboat with
a keel creates worries of its own when
aground, but the simplicity of a flat-bottomed rowboat allows relaxation.
When you are stuck on a mud flat and
the water is off in one direction and the
dry land is off in another with about a hundred feet of deep, warm, black, viscous
mud between you and them, you just wait.
Gradually, in God’s good time, the water
will return. Eventually it will lift you free.
In the meantime, you can sleep or read,
or, if you have a relatively big boat like a
Grand Banks dory and have brought supplies with you, you can walk about a little
in the boat, maybe cook something to eat,
or shift gear, neaten up a little. When you
are on the mud, these activities are easier
to perform because the boat doesn’t rock.
Also, you can just sit and watch the mud
flat.
A mud flat is very much alive. In a civilized country, it is populated with rusty
cans, broken bottles, abandoned tires,
three- legged chairs, plastic bottles—a
large catalog worth examining, if you’ve
nothing else to do. Also, birds love mud
flats—willets, curlews, ducks, sanderlings,
egrets, and of course, seagulls. They nod
and scurry about, stand on one leg or stalk
sedately, make abrupt jabs into the mud
to snag a meal. Seagulls establish and reestablish territory, sleep or stare about arrogantly. I was once stuck on a mud flat
off the Foster City Sewer Plant for about
four hours. A flock of sanderlings apparently thought the dory was a log, for they
had no fear—well over a hundred of them.
I sat very still. They scampered around the
boat for 15-20 minutes, running, feeding,
piping in small, shrill voices, filling the
mud flat with life in the late afternoon sun.
Then, with one motion, they were gone.
That wasn’t a log after all!
On a mud flat, there are splashes, pops,
small geysers, sudden slushings, movement all about. Water is always draining
somewhere across a mud flat and seaweed
vibrates in the tiny current of the channels. If pickleweed is present, so too are
small crabs. Under the surface, the mud
crawls with clams, shrimp, worms, protozoa, algae, bacteria—all manner of living
things that thrive in a warm, salty, soft,
shifting mix of soil and vegetable matter.
As sun warms the flat, it steams and mist
drifts low over the mud.
The water returns. Watch a rock , a rusty
can, any convenient marker. Look away.
Read a paragraph or two. Look back. The
water has touched your object. Look away.
Look back again. It is gone, beneath the
water. The water covers all, washes all.
The mud flat? The primordial ooze from
which we all came. Unless, of course, you
are a Creationist.
Festival of the Sea
San Francisco Bay
This festival will be held July 23-28,
2008 on San Francisco Bay with headquarters at the SF Maritime National Historic Park, Hyde Street Pier.
On Wednesday, July 23 there will be a
Parade of Sail as part of event. Master
Mariners vessels are invited to participate.
w w w. m a s t e r m a r i n e r s . o rg /
RegistrationParadeofSail2008.pdf
w w w. m a s t e r m a r i n e r s . o rg /
ParadeofSailOrder2008.doc
George C. Knies
2333 Lariat Lane Walnut Creek CA
94596-6518
Tel 925-939-0230
E-mail: [email protected]
TSCA Annual
Meeting
Mid-Atlantic Small
Craft Festival
October 3-5
St. Michaels, Maryland
Submitted by David Cockey
The 2008 TSCA Annual Meeting will
be held on Saturday, October 4 in St.
Michaels, Maryland during the Mid-Atlantic Small Craft Festival. MASCF is
held on the grounds of the Chesapeake Bay
Maritime Museum (www.cbmm.org). It
starts Friday, October 3 and concludes
Sunday, October 5. The TSCA Annual
Meeting will be on Saturday afternoon at
4 PM. (Time is tentative, please contact
David Cockey for confirmation if you will
be traveling to attend only the meeting.)
The Council will meet on Sunday morning at 10 AM.
This year’s Mid-Atlantic Small Craft
Festival will be the twenty-sixth. There are
typically 350 participants from around the
country, and over 200 small boats including traditional small craft of numerous
types: rowboats, canoes, kayaks, sailboats,
electric boats, the occasional vintage motorboat, and sometimes craft which defy
conventional classification. But you don’t
need to bring a boat to participate. Activities include workshops, boatbuilding demonstrations, sailing, rowing, and paddling
races (with classes for children), judging,
and cardboard boatbuilding and trials for
teenagers. Children’s activities include toy
boatbuilding with a pond in which to sail
the completed boats, and a scavenger hunt
on Sunday morning. And there’s always
lots of messing-about on the water.
MASCF is a true family event, with participants ranging from toddlers to seniors.
Parents report that their children insist on
returning every year.
You can attend the festival as a museum
visitor during the day on Saturday, or as a
registered participant for the entire weekend. Registration includes camping on the
grounds, participation in the workshops
(including toy boatbuilding for children),
races, a seafood sampler on Friday evening
with music, light breakfast on Saturday
and Sunday, and dinner on Saturday
evening. If you’d like to receive a registration application contact the museum.
St. Michaels is an historic small town
on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, and is a
popular weekend destination with a number of interesting shops. Many MASCF
participants camp at the museum on the
grass and under the trees in tents, vans
and small trailers (no hook-ups). St
Michaels has one motel and several inns
and bed & breakfasts. Numerous other
accommodations are about 10 miles away
in Easton. The closest major airports are
Baltimore-Washington International (70
miles) and Reagan (Washington) National
(85 miles).
For more information about MASCF
contact:
Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum
213 N. Talbot Street
P.O. Box 636
St. Michaels, MD 21663
410-745-2916
If you have questions about the TSCA
Annual Meeting contact:
David Cockey
248-651-2744
[email protected]
The Bordertown
Skiff
By Barbara Ohler
I grew up in a small town on the border
of Washington State and British Columbia called “Blaine.” At that time it was a
fishing community and my dad was a fisherman and my uncle “Thane” was a fisherman and my Grandma and Grandpa had
a boarding house for single fishermen
where we all hung out.
As a little girl, I heard a lot of wonderful stories told in front of Grandma’s wood
cooking stove, Grandpa’s home brew and
a deck of cards. That’s probably where my
fertile imagination came from.
Anyway, later in life, I came to love little
wood rowboats and I found a group of
people who also loved them. I got a nice
little wood skiff from Bill Grunwald and
joined the club these people had formed
in California.
I don’t remember much about the skiffs
and dories that the fishermen had. My
mom said that she liked a lapstrake boat
because she thought they were tough and
my dad said they used a kind of skiff for
Alaska that launched stern first. I know
that I could row a skiff when I was five
years old and that I found my five yearold self again when I was 40 and bought
my Grunwald dory.
I still have and love that boat and I have
several other boats too and a husband and
a house and my own stories of adventure,
mostly true. But, I am a vastly more complex person than I was at five and my vision of the perfect boat of my early
childhood has changed and become as
complicated as I have.
The Bordertown Skiff is a small heavily
built dory. It is about 10 feet long and has
a narrow beam. It’s lapstrake cedar on bent
oak frames and has straight blade spruce
oars.
It’s a beautiful boat from all angles and
can be easily launched stern first in a seaway. This boat will hold eight people comfortably and has a stowable gaff schooner
rig with topsails, three jibs and a square
running sail. She can take on the most vicious seas from the Bering Sea to the
Southern Ocean. She sleeps six in the
fo’c’s’le, with cabins for Captain, mate,
bosun and cook. The rigging is all served
and parceled, tarred and laid with all kinds
of fancy work. The masts are tall as skyscrapers and varnished to the bottom of
the white tops. The decks are all teak with
prisms, butterfly hatches and deckhouses
where appropriate. The bow boasts a hood
ornament of a jet plane polished to a high
degree of shine. She is fast enough to compete with most world-class catamarans.
She has twin 671 diesels with a bow
thruster for maneuverability. There is air
conditioning, central heat, a heliport and
hot tub on deck. The Bordertown Skiff is
available through brokers in all major international cities where mega yacht excellence is appreciated.
Vote in the Council
Election
Ballot in this Issue
The Journals of
Constant Waterman—
Paddling, Poling, and Sailing
for the Love of It
by Matthew Goldman
Breakaway Books, 2007
ISBN 978-1-891369-73-5
Reviewed by John Weiss
How did one person come to be marooned TWICE on not-so-tropical islands,
and how did he escape? Who was Arthur
Finkeldey, and how was he related to the
ferryman? What did Grampy keep in the
glove box of his blue pickup truck? Why
was Aunt Deborah gazing into the fire
“with distant eyes”? I won’t tell you here,
but it will be worth looking for the answers yourself…
Matthew Goldman is not a “waterman”
in the sense of a more common use of the
term–the professional fishermen and crabbers of the Chesapeake or elsewhere who
ply the water day after day as their life’s
work. Rather, he is a self-described “water rat” who would just rather be on the
water than anywhere else, whether the
pond or river or sound, on punt or kayak
or sailboat. He served in the Navy and
currently spends many of his days in a boat
shop repairing others’ boats, but I get the
sense that he does that just to facilitate an
easy escape to his sloop or Whitehall.
Goldman’s “Journals” are actually a collection of trip logs, musings, and reminiscences as well as diaries and personal
journals. While he tries to set a theme for
each of the three major sections, the individual entries, each of only 2-4 pages, do
not follow any recognizable pattern. He
may take you through 3 consecutive days
of a solo sailboat delivery trip, or jump
from a Navy submarine tender to beachcombing in Florida to swimming in Ireland. You will read a tidbit about his first
little pram right at the beginning, but will
have to wait quite a while before you get
to “the rest of the story.” The water, in
several of its many forms, is the single apparent thread tying them all together.
Those of you who subscribe to Messing
About in Boats are likely familiar with
“Constant Waterman.” Indeed, about half
of the 90 essays in this volume have been
published in MAIB in the past 3 years. I
would consider that just one more reason
to buy the book–to re-read some of those
forgotten tales as well as to read the additional musings…
For those of you not familiar, this
is not a book to speed-read or to attempt to finish in a single sitting.
Rather, the next time the weather,
the kids, the job jar, or whatever else
has you tied to the house instead of
out on the boat, pick it up and refresh your memory on why you really SHOULD be on the boat instead.
If you’re easily distracted, that’s not
a problem. Just read a few pages,
and then go out for an hour’s paddle.
Chapter News
The Southeast Michigan Chapter
merged into the Pine Lake Chapter,
effective May 1, 2008. The Pine
Lake Chapter officers and contact information will remain the same until their next regular elections.
John Gardner
Fund
Calendar Year 2007
Year End Report
January 1
Beginning Balance:
Contributions
Investment Activity
Interest & Dividends
Growth
Disbursements
Grants & Scholarships
MCF Fees
December 31
Ending Balance (2)
Grant Budget for:
2007
2008
Grant Budget Available
$62,495
100
1,332
7,574
none
(562)
$70,939
2,660
2,960
$5,620
Notes:
1 No grants issued in 2007.
2 Before 4Q07 investment results
3 Report presented in round numbers
and text edited for clarity.
Wooden Boat
Center Offers
Course for Youth
Submitted by Lee Caldwell
The nonprofit Spaulding Wooden Boat
Center in Sausalito is offering a free
boatbuilding and sailing program for students 12 to 18 years old.
Students will help build a 12-foot Norwegian pram—a lightweight wooden
boat—and then use it to learn basic sailing skills.
The program is divided into three
phases, basic woodworking, building and
sailing, beginning in April and ending in
November.
For more information, call 415-3323179, or visit the Spaulding Wooden Boat
Center at the foot of Gate 5 Road,
Sausalito, CA.
This is a forward of what
Glenn Woodbury wrote for
the Sucia group (at
YahooGroups.com) about
crossing the straits under sail
and oars from Marrowstone
Island to Sucia and back.
Visit YahooGroups for the
complete story. Ed.
Feather’s Crossing
By Glenn Woodbury
Northbound — The beginning was a fiasco.
Feather had been out of the water for a
couple of years after a borrowed mooring
parted, she went on the beach in the winter of 2004, tearing off her skeg. I did
recover all the bits at low tide, including
the keel band, rudder and attendant hardware. I’m homesteading on Marrowstone
Island on the earn-as-you-learn finance
plan; so it was a while before I got our
cabin to a point where my wife was willing to let me spend some boat time. I spent
the month before Sucia 2007 with a good
deal of help from Alan building a new skeg
and performing various other repairs, deferred maintenance and minor improvements. Alan built a “rowing seat” to
mount on the aft end of the centerboard
case. I’m still not sure if it was a good
idea or not.
Our plan was to launch Wednesday afternoon (before Sucia), load up, let the boat
soak overnight (I’d been soaking the bilge
with a hose for 3 days), and leave on the
dawn ebb Thursday morning. Wednesday
evening found me frantically varnishing
spars and oars and leathering the oars.
We launched at dawn Thursday. By the
time we loaded and cleared the dock at Ft.
Flagler at the North end of Marrowstone
it was almost the end of the ebb... We
tried anyway. Sailed across to Keystone
on Whidbey. It was obvious we had totally blown the tide. If it wasn’t for the
back eddy in Admiralty Bay, we’d have
wound up in Seattle. We worked the back
eddy as far West as Admiralty Head, where
it peters out against the Whidbey shore.
Spent the rest of the flood tacking on and
off the head until it eased enough to put
our tail between our legs and reach off to
the State Park moorings at Ft. Worden in
Port Townsend. Also found the boat making more water than I was comfortable
with, but hourly pumping kept up with it.
It was never a hazard, but stayed a worry
for the whole cruise.
Lesson: when you blow a tide by six
hours, you’ve lost 24 hours. Hit the next
cycle.
We spent the night at Alan’s and left
promptly, rowing on the dawn ebb Friday,
got the tide perfectly. And cut Pt. Wilson
too close, actually passing inside the buoy.
Had a miserable time trying to row in the
rips. It was so rough I was afraid we’d
lose the boat. Thank Pete Culler for a
damned sea worthy design. The water
would just come to the deck edge, and that
beautiful bow would rise over the sea. It
was all I could do to keep one end to the
seas (I swear they were six feet high and
three feet apart), either bow or stern first,
like a MacKenzie River driftboat. Between rips we tried for all the Northing
we could. My eight year old daughter was
promptly scared and seasick. I was terrified; my biggest worry that my daughter
was going to either drown or die of hypothermia from the sea sickness. It was bad.
Somewhere around the “SA” buoy we got
enough wind to set sail, which steadied
us out a lot, and relieved us of rowing.
Lesson: check your charts for topography liable to cause rips or overfalls. Bad
ones are usually labelled as such on the
chart. It’s obvious that an ebb coming
around Pt. Wilson will be forced up by the
rapid shoaling there and raise a huge rip.
We should have headed well EAST from
Ft. Worden and not gone North until we
had enough offing to keep the ebb from
setting us through the shoals.
Before we left, Alan had checked with
Lynn Watson, who usually passes West of
Smith Island and into Cattle Pass. We
went East of Smith, which was a mistake.
The tide turns in Admiralty inlet an hour
before it does in Rosario Strait. So when
the wind died (of course) we had the remains of the ebb setting us South again.
We were afraid if we got too far South we
wouldn’t get the flood up Rosario. So we
rowed for three hours to hold the same
position, actually losing ground from being just at the North end of Smith, to a
little bit South of Smith before the tide
turned.
Lesson: Northbound, go West of Smith,
the worst is that we would have been set a
little bit further West; the incoming flood
would have taken care of that though.
We still had to row. My daughter was
still sea sick, and getting colder, despite
polar fleece and full rain gear. She
couldn’t keep down soda crackers or even
plain water. I called my wife on the cell
and asked her to meet us at Flounder Bay
to take Ælfhild (our daughter) home.
About the latitude of Deception Pass the
seas calmed and Ælf decided she wanted
to make the whole rest of the voyage with
us. I said only if she could keep crackers
and water down. Around the South end
of Flounder Bay we got a little breeze and
were able to sail North through the bay
and into the marina there. It was after
closing hours, but we got through on their
after hours number and got permission to
tie up behind the fuel dock. Ælf was feeling fine, my wife met us, and we arranged
to spend the night with Alan’s friends in
Anacortes.
We bought some mechlazine for Ælf and
arranged for Dianna (my wife) to meet us
in Friday Harbor on the way home to pick
up Ælf so she wouldn’t have to cross the
straits the other way.
Lazy Saturday morning, since the tide
wouldn’t flood until afternoon. Underway
on the first of the flood. Sailed for less
than an hour until the wind dropped
enough for us to row. Rowed up Rosario,
cursing the steady stream of overloaded
south bound power cruisers and their obscene wakes. The captain wanted a cannon; or at least a potato gun. Got a little
wind off the East corner of Orcas and was
able to lay on one long tack with the tide
holding us up to the wind. Back to rowing off Barnes and Clark. Near dark, a
countercurrent against us on the south side
of Matia Island which wasn’t shown on
the current print out Alan had downloaded
from the Sucia website. But, cursing and
rowing, we made it into Fossil Bay just
after dark to the music of Jamie’s pipes.
Lesson: Check the full sized tide charts.
When we looked at the book in camp, we
saw our countercurrent. If we’d gone
North of Matia, or closer to Orcas we’d
have avoided it.
Southbound—
Heading down President’s Channel to
Jones Island, the wind was light. Everyone else was being sporting, using sails
only, and edging towards Waldron Island
to get a little more wind. We edged closer
to Orcas to get a better current; whenever
the boom swung inboard we’d top it up
and row. It worked, we were first to Jones,
beating in on the last mile against a brisk
Southerly.
Tuesday it rained. I had not packed rain
gear. My rain suit lives behind the seat in
my truck. I knew that, and in the rush of
packing the first (Thursday) morning, I
forgot it. I put on a lightweight pullover
windbreaker I keep in my day pack. It
was calm. I swallowed my pride and let
Jamie tow us to Spencer Spit via Friday
Harbor. Alan and Ælf on Wayward Lass
with Jamie, so Ælf could stay dry in the
cabin. I sat in the rain and steered Feather,
slowly getting soaked to the bone. Rendezvous accomplished, and Ælf headed
home on the ferry with her mother.
Lesson: Always bring rain gear and one
or two dry changes of clothes.
Jamie lent us his cruiser suits (insulated
coveralls) for the return crossing.
We parted from the flotilla the following morning (Wednesday) at Spencer Spit
with a light SE wind and drizzle. We
rowed most of the day. No problems with
the tides or rips, we nailed everything.
Most of the time the wind was too light to
be worth tacking against, so perforce, we
rowed. Going through the channel to the
West of James Island we had enough wind
to sail as the following current pushed us
South. By now the drizzle had soaked us
thoroughly, and whichever of us had the
helm was getting hypothermic. Rowing
kept the other one warm.
We put on the cruiser suits and blessed
Jamie Orr.
Lousy visibility with drizzle, mist and
fog off Smith. No steering compass. We
used my hockey puck hand bearing compass, sighting on our own bow, and periodically wiping off the rain drops. We
rowed South past Smith. Southbound the
difference in current change worked in our
favor, so passing East of Smith again
wasn’t a problem. Actually hugging the
Whidbey shore would have worked too.
South of the “SA” buoy we got enough
wind to sail, but still a headwind from the
SE. We made one long tack from there to
Pt. Wilson, the flood being strong enough
to lay the point. Some light rips, but not
so bad on the flood and we stayed outside
the buoy. Lost the wind off Fort Worden
and had to row up Port Townsend Bay.
Just before we got to Pt. Hudson the long
forecasted West wind finally showed up.
At my demand, we sailed the last 1/4 mile
after rowing most of the day. We couldn’t
lay the marina entrance of course, and had
to row in to the guest dock.
The next day I took Feather home across
the bay to Marrowstone Island. It was one
of the worst and best sailing days of my
life, and my wife will probably never forgive me. But this has been a long post,
and that story can wait for someone with
a sufficient quantity of single malt to lubricate me properly.
Lesson: We rowed three fourths of the
trip. Our rowing seat was too high up,
being on the centerboard case. Also, the
leathers should have been further up the
oars. We were constantly topping up the
main boom to clear our heads when rowing. We couldn’t row from the forward
thwart without hitting the mast with our
backs at the end of the stroke. No good
solutions. I want to change the rig to lug
yawl to get rid of the boom. Having another person to steer so two rowers can sit
on either side of the centerboard case, and
not hit the mast either might also work.
As she is, Feather is a great daysailor. As
a camp cruiser she leaves a lot to be desired. But, by heaven she’s beautiful.
This year, I want to bring my wife. I’d
like to stay married too. So we’ll drive
around to Bellingham. I won’t take the
ferry. If you’ve been following our news,
the replacement boats just won’t have the
capacity in the summer.
Glenn Woodbury aka Black Douglas,
Master of the Sloop-Boat Feather and
the Terror Scow Bay
About the Author
Glenn Woodbury was born in 1957 and
has been sailing, rowing and paddling on
and off since 1959 when his father built a
Sabot dinghy in the garage. In 2003 he
retired from the U.S. Coast Guard as a
Chief Boatswain's Mate after a 20 year
career. He lives on a small homestead near
the south end of Marrowstone Island, in
Washington state with his wife and youngest daughter, who is learning to sail the
Sabot.
On this voyage he was accompanied
by his younger brother, Alan, a stripling
of 48 years and his daughter, who was a
month shy of her 8th birthday.
About Feather
Feather is a Concordia Sloop Boat designed by Pete Culler in 1964. She is
rigged as a gaff knockabout sloop with
auxiliary oars. She was built by John Graham in Sausalito, California in 1983 for
his own use. He wanted her very light, so
she is planked with 3/8" glued lapstrake
Bruynzeel plywood over steamed oak
frames, with a hollow free flooding
“Bolger” style skeg and only 300 lbs inside ballast vs. the designed 400 lbs.
She is 17' 8" long, 5' wide, draws 18"
with the centerboard up and about 3' with
it down.
Bill Doll Named New
Gardner Grant Chairman
Truly good news was announced in April
with Bill’s appointment to this important
TSCA position. Bill will bring enthusiasm
and action to this committee.
His first communication to the applicants is printed below.
Dear Gardner Grant Applicants:
I just wanted to introduce myself to you
and say that your applications have not
been forgotten. David Cockey has stepped
down as Chairman of the Gardner Grant
committee and I have taken over as chairman and will continue the process. David
is still on the committee and he will continue on to help with the review process.
I would like to tell you a little bit about
myself. I have been in the small boat world
since 1975 professionally working at four
major maritime museums. Presently I am
at the San Francisco Maritime Museum
as Curator of Small Craft. I have been on
the board of the Museum Small Craft Association from 1988 to 1995 and presently
my wife Wendy and I are membership and
treasurer for the Sacramento chapter of the
TSCA.
I will be assembling some folks to help
with the grant application review. Once
the committee is formed we will review
your applications and notify you.
Whitehall Spirit
Classics Travel the
World
By Harold Aune
A number of boats left for worldwide
destinations recently. An Expedition 17
model went to Warren Lowery in Lane
Cove NSW Australia. The boat arrived unscathed even though the crate had been
abused. He states, “The total lack of dam-
age attributes to the strength and design
of the frame within the crate! She is as
beautiful as I imagined. Many thanks to
all involved in the magic.”
Rob Coull also in New South Wales received both a classic Whitehall Spirit 14
and a Solo 14 which we shipped together
in the same crate. One was for him and
one for his wife. We await to hear who got
what.
A pair of Classic Whitehall Spirit 14
slide seat models were recently shipped
to Rune Selmar in Oppegard Norway and
another to his friend Einar Rasmussen who
will be keeping his boat in Denmark. The
boats were crated and shipped by ocean
cargo and are now en route.
Closer to home a Classic 17 double slide
just went out to Kent Fleming in Eugene
Oregon. Kent is 6'4" and so is his son. He
bought one of the first Solo 14s but found
it a little small for the two of them so
traded it in on a classic double slide 17.
Both he and his son now both slide seat
row together and Kent reports he thoroughly enjoys it.
Many more boats are in build right now
including a Sailing Tyee Spirit 14 for a
client in Italy. Classic Whitehall Spirit
models are world travelers to be sure.
“We deliver through rain, sleet, snow
or gloom of night,” just like the postal service used to do. Wilf Lewis is shown here
with a full load of Solo 14s as he drops
one off at Eric Dieter’s lakeside home in
P a r r y
S o u n d
about 75
m i l e s
north of
To r o n t o .
This
is
Eric’s third
Whitehall
Spirit. His
first was a
Whitehall
14 several
years back
then a 17
sail slide in
2004. Last
year an accident left
his right
hand in a
damaged state and he decided the lighter
Solo 14 equipped with light weight (3 lb.
each) carbon fiber sculls would be better
suited for rowing and easier to handle.
When the
snow melts
– sometime soon Eric
is
willing to
show the
Solo
to
anyone in
the area
who wants
to check it
out. Contact us and
we will get
you the details.
The next snowy stop was near Ottawa
at Gatineau in Cantley, Quebec where
Renaud Venne Landry who is opening a
Solo dealership. He took delivery of 6
shiny new Solo 14s. The name of his company is ‘Les Embarcations L’Harfang’
which in English means ‘The Snowy Owl
of Quebec.’ Another place to check out the
Solo or even buy one! Renaud has a dock
and showroom in this beautiful country
location and is just a few minutes from
Ottawa.
Saline Solution in Sausalito
Back on the West coast avid rower Douglas Gilmore took delivery of his Solo 14,
Saline Solution, in Sausalito, California.
Doug is outfitting the boat with the latest
Speedcoach electronic speed and stroke
rate tracking equipment. We are also fitting these electronics to a demo model here
in Victoria, and combined with Doug’s
input, will be able to learn lots more about
the most efficient way to row a Solo. Doug
is also in the process of starting the Either
Oar Rowing Club. More details on this
soon.
Whitehall Reproductions Canada Ltd.
905 Ellery St.
Victoria, BC, Canada
V9A 4R9
Mailing Address
Box 8850
Victoria, BC, Canada
V8W 3Z1
Sales: 1-800-663-7481
A new column to appear
from time to time. Members
are invited to submit news of
their latest constructions.
Launchings
Leaps and Bounds
By Bill Stoye
Design: A John Atkin George. The last
boat he designed and his wife Pat says,
“their favorite.”
Built by Ed Foster, Tzabaco Creek
Boats, in Geyserville, CA.
She is 16 feet overall, 15 feet at the
waterline, 4 feet on the beam and draws
3-7/8 in.
Launched at the Petaluma Marina,
Petaluma River, on April 5, 2008.
Conceived with one eye on the San
Mega Melon
Launched
By Dave Lucas
Bill Stoye in Leaps and Bounds
Francisco Maritime Museum’s Annual
Gunkhole and the other on day trips on
our Northern and mid state California.
She will live on a trailer, will travel anywhere a boat trailer with inspiration can
go. My dreams drag her to New Jersey.
Gardner Grant
Committee
Newly formed, Rejuvinated
Bill Doll, Chairman
Sandy Bryson
David Cockey
Dana Hewson
Jim Lawson
Hake Roulstone
Dick Wagner-Emeritus
Sid Whalen
We
launched
Howard Heimbrock’s
20 foot Melon Seed today for its shake down.
You can see from the
picture how she went.
There are a few bugs to
iron out but it’s a super
boat. It’s easy to launch
and load, and rigging
is not too bad if you
know what all of the
lines go to. I wasn’t sure but Howard has
it all figured out. The pivoting mast works
fine. We launched and motored out against
a 10 kt breeze to anchor and adjust things.
Yes, motored. She has a 40 pound thrust
trolling motor built in that pushed it along
nicely. She handled really well, and best
of all, she is fast. I had my GPS and she
did 5.9 kts in about a 10–12 kt breeze.
Since she’s pretty light she accelerates
rapidly and with a 6-1/2 foot bean is easy
to hold down, even with this large sail
plan. I couldn’t resist since we were in his
neighborhood so I called Roger Allen at
the Cortez Maritime Museum to see if he
wanted to come down for a ride. He came
down to the dock in a flash for a quick
turn around the bay. Roger is the godfather of this design. He took the Joe Leiner
13 foot melon and blew it up 10% to get
the 15-1/2 foot Cortez melon and Howard
took the 15 and blew it up another 25 %
to get this 20 footer. 5.9 kts must be her
hull speed in calm water because she
would shoot right up to that but even Capt
Rog couldn’t get her to 6, in spite of all of
my noisy encouragement.
St. Augustine
Lighthouse
and Museum
Chapter Forming
Submitted by John Weiss
Maury Keiser of St. Augustine, FL, has
contacted TSCA to express interested in
starting a TSCA chapter there. Maury is
part of a group that builds small boats at
the Lighthouse Museum in St. Augustine,
and the chapter will be affiliated with the
museum.
Contact: Maury Keiser
329 Valverde Lane
St Augustine, FL 32086
904-797-1508
[email protected]
Mystic Seaport
Cancels
Small Craft Weekend
As we go to press, Mystic Seaport has
announced they will not hold the Small
Craft Weekend in 2008.
Editor’s note: I found the
web notice of this event
really special in its flavor and
technique. This is a chapter I
wish were closer in miles to
Friday Harbor.
Caterpillar Island
Western Oregon Messabouts
COOTS Chapter TSCA
No fees, No prizes, No rules
Quinn’s Cove
Summer
Solstice
Messabout
Messabout
Camping Area
Parking Entrance for
Quinn’s Cove
Where:
Quinn’s Cove, 10000 NW Lower River
Road, Vancouver, WA
Caterpillar Island - 45.42.02N
122.45.38W — on your GPS
When: June 22, 23, 24
Fees, Prizes, and Rules
None, none, and none. (Subject to local
availability.)
Dock
Frenchman’s
Bar
Regional
Park
Quinn’s Cove is just
east of the south
end of Caterpillar
Island. Caterpillar
Island is on the
wash side of the
Columbia River.
The Constrictor
Knot
By Hank Vincenti
This knot is probably the world’s best
temporary seizing. It was invented by the
late Clifford Ashley, whose lifetime of research in knots resulted in his publication
of the Ashley Book of Knots. Whenever a
seizing or whipping of a temporary nature is desired this is the answer.
The harder you pull it the tighter it grips.
In fact, once set up really tight, it is almost impossible to untie. It is quicker to
cut it.
The Constrictor knot is simplicity itself,
just a right hand overhand knot with a
riding turn added.
(An overhand knot is the one you use to
start your shoe tying.) As shown in the
illustration, you start with a round turn
about the rope, held with the thumb and
second finger, then a second turn is taken
around the raised index finger and the
rope. Now bring the working end up over
and under the standing end, in other
words, the overhand knot as shown in the
second illustration. Pull it up carefully and
as tight as the twine will stand. Note how
the riding turn bisects the overhand knot
and keeps it from slipping. Kind of like
that extra index finger of a friend while
tying a parcel knot.
With two riding turns the knot makes a
pretty good whipping, although it will not
last as long as a properly done orthodox
whipping. It may seem awkward at first,
but a few practice ties and it soon becomes
a no-brainer. It is very handy when doing
line splicing instead of using some kind
of sticky tape. Larger size cord can be used
to hold a temporary splint for a cracked
spar, paddle, fishing rod, etc. For more
strength it can be done with soft wire using some type of attached handles to pull
it tight. Think about using it as a temporary clamp for a work shop glue up.
Once you get used to this knot it is amazing how many uses you will find for it.
Lost Coast Chapter
Community Boat
Building Event
By Bob Treaster
On Saturday, February 2nd, we began
the first of what will, hopefully, be many
more “Community Boat Building” sessions. The space, tools and hospitality
were all generously donated by Linda and
Dusty Dillion. We also had assistance and
advice on the prototype, the San Juan Jr,
from Jim Swallow, Stan Halvorsen, Al
Holston, Tatanica Russell and Jim
McDannold.
In attendance were approximately 20
parents, children, and other interested parties; all of whom expressed a high degree
of enthusiasm and desire to learn more
about the program and the end product.
During the day on Saturday, we began
construction of “The Weekend Skiff” by
demonstrating, with the help of the participants, the method of gluing up the side
panels, constructing the frames and other
pre-building necessities (most accomplished by Dusty D)! By noon we had succeeded in putting together what was
largely a recognizable boat.
On Sunday the 3rd, the group furthered
construction on a previously started boat,
and also began construction on the boat
for Tatanica Russell and his children.
Tatanica had donated cypress which was
used for the seats, floor boards and the bow
and stern thwarts. He also funded the
purchase of several The Weekend Skiff
books to be placed in the Fort Bragg Library for the general public.
On the 12th of February the first boat
finished under the program was launched
at the World’s End Rowing Club dock. On
hand for this auspicious occasion were
Selby Drew, Stan Halvorsen, the boat’s
owner Bruce Abernathy, Bob Treaster and
a bottle of beer (a micro-brew I believe)
for the ever important christening.
I, for one, was thrilled at the idea of
launching and rowing a boat in which we
had all participated. From a novice’s point
of view, I felt it rowed well and, most importantly, it didn’t leak, nor did it sink!
If you or anyone you know are interested in joining the boat building program,
particularly if it involves kids of the junior high ages of 12-15 yrs., please contact
Bob at 937-3976 or P.O. Box 691,
Mendocino, CA 95460.
The cost of the basic hull kit Weekend
Skiff is $350. The plans for building this
boat are from The Weekend Skiff by Richard Butz and John Montague.
Delaware Chapter
Events
Submitted by Mike Wick
May 16, 17, 18 is a sleep-aboard cruise
of the lower Chesapeake for catboats and
similar craft. This event is called the
Southern Chesapeake Cruise.
June 14, 15, 16 The chapter is coordinating with John Brady of Independence
Seaport Museum for a gathering of small
craft on the Delaware to celebrate the relaunching of Elf, an 1888 Lawley built
thirty-five foot racing sloop that has just
completed a 17-year total restoration.
There will be a fleet of museum and member boats as well as Bull and Bear to welcome her return. A summer-long tour of
classic yacht regattas is planned for Elf.
Oarmaster III
Drop in rowing unit
• Converts any boat to sliding seat rowing
• As used in the Alden Shells 10 + yrs.
• Made of marine aluminum and stainless steel
Dimensions: LOA 56", Width 13", Seat height 8",
Rigger height 8", Rigger width 65", 20 Lbs. $699
Rowing Sport * 978 356-3623 * rowingsport.com
Small Craft Events
Puget Sound
Sacramento-SF Bay TSCA
June 28 Weekend: Blake Island
Campout
Jul 12: Grapeview Point, North Bay,
South Sound
Sep 6 or Oct 4: TBA: Skagit River
Delta
Oct 5: TSCA National Annual
Meeting, St. Michael's, MD
This year's TSCA annual meeting
will be held in St. Michael's along
with the annual Mid-Atlantic Small
Craft Festival.
Oct 11: Curry & Oars, Lake Forest
Park Civic Club, John Weiss, 206368-7354.
Dec TBA: Annual Meeting, Gary
Powell, 425-255-5067
June16-20: SFMNHP Gunkhole into the
Delta. Lucas Lineback, 415-561-6662
x30
July 13: Master Mariners Wooden Boat
Show, Corinthian Yacht Club
Aug 2: Big River Row
Aug 10: Petaluma River Festival
Aug 23: China Camp heritage Days, an
MMBA and TSCA joint event
Sep 13–14: Marshall Beach and Annual
Meeting
Oct 4: Napa River Row
Nov (tbd): Delta Meadows Row
Nov 29: Wet Turkey on Brannan Island
Jan 1, 2009: Hair of the Dog on Tomales
Bay
Jan 10, 2009: Planning Meeting,
Aeolian Yacht Club, Alameda
Other Pacific Northwest Events
4th of July Weekend: 31st Annual
Lake Union Wooden Boat Festival
and Classic Speedboat Show
June: Salt Spring Island Classic Boat
Show, Ganges, Salt Spring Island,
BC, Canada
August: Portland Wooden Boat
Show, hosted by Riverswest Small
Craft Center. Contact Bob Elden at
503-281-6825 or [email protected]
August 24-27: 20th Annual
Vancouver Wooden Boat Festival,
Vancouver Wooden Boat Society,
Granville Island, Vancouver, B.C.
August 25: Gig Harbor Heritage
Row, from the Gig Harbor Jerisich
City Park
Aug 31–Sep 6: The Shipyard School
Raid— Silva Bay to Port Townsend
Sep 7-9: 31st Annual Wooden Boat
Festival, Wooden Boat Foundation &
Northwest Maritime Center. Cupola
House, Point Hudson, WA
[email protected]
Lake Champlain
Maritime Museum
4472 Basin Harbor Rd.
Vergennes, VT 05491
802-475-2022
WoodenBoat Show at
Mystic Seaport Museum
June 27-29
TSCA will have a booth at the WoodenBoat Show at Mystic, CT. More than
13,000 people visited the show last year.
TSCA will have brochures available and
will encourage many interested people to
join TSCA. If you are already a member,
stop by and look over the TSCA wares.
It’s a good time to buy a TSCA hat, a Tshirt, a patch. Recent and older copies of
the Ash Breeze will be available. Great
time to fill in your collection. It’s also a
good way to renew your TSCA membership. On the other hand, feel free to just
stop by to talk about small wooden boats
and TSCA.
Friends of NCMM
July 6: Crab Cake Cook-Off. Amateur
chefs compete in the Watercraft Center
of the museum. Contact 252-728-1638
Oct 25: Fall In The Water Meet. A
celebration of small craft and check out
the new facilities. The museum will
have the fleet of Spritsail skiffs there for
TSCA members to sail. Friends office
252-728-1638
No-Octane Regatta
June 14, 2008: Bring your own
wooden canoe, kayak, guideboat, or
rowboat for a day of fun!
Adirondack Museum
P.O. Box 99
Blue Mountain Lake, NY 12812
Mystic Small Craft Weekend
June 7-8: The 38th year in a row
running of this event has been
cancelled.
Mystic Seaport
75 Greenmanville Avenue
Mystic, CT 06355-0990
860-572-5315
Florida Gulf Coast
June 21 & 22: 2nd Manatee Outdoor
Festival, Coquina Beach, FL. Think
Kayak Worlds.
July 12: Youth Sailing Program at
Sarasota Sailing Squadron
Kids in Boats! Come and take a kid
sailing with crew from the Sailing
Squadron
John Gardner Chapter
June 13-15: Sea Music Festival Mystic Seaport
June 14: JGTSCA Nautical Tag Sale,
Boathouse, Avery Point, CT
June 27-29: Wooden Boat Show Mystic Seaport,Mystic, CT
July 6, 1:30PM: Monthly Meeting,
Boathouse, Avery Point Campus,
Groton, CT
Friday Meetings, 6:30PM: Boat
building, Avery Point Campus,
Groton, CT (weekly)
July 12, 7AM: The Blackburn
Challenge, Gloucester, MA
August 23: Celts & Currachs 2008
New London, CT
August 30-31: Gloucester Schooner
Festival, Gloucester, MA
S
P
O
N
S
O
R
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, 211 Bonnell Rd.
Bracebridge, ONT. CANADA P1L 1W9
705-645-7494 [email protected]
Museum Quality
Wherries, Canoes and Cabin Cruisers
54442 Pinetree Lane, North Fork, CA 93643
559-877-8879 [email protected]
Richard Kolin
M
E
M
B
E
R
S
Custom wooden traditional small craft
designed and built
Boatbuilding and maritime skills instruction
Oars and marine carving
360-659-5591
4107-77th Place NW
Marysville, WA 98271
[email protected]
ROB BARKER
Wooden Boat Building
and Repair
615 MOYERS LANE
EASTON, PA 18042
26
We thank our Sponsor Members for their support and urge all members to consider using their services.
SPECIALIZING IN
SMALL-CRAFT
SAILS
Fine Traditional Rowing
& Sailing Craft
www.dabblersails.com
S
P
O
N
S
O
R
NORTH
RIVER
BOATWORKS
RESTORATIONS
[email protected]
Ph/fax 804-580-8723
PO Box 235, Wicomico Church, VA 22579
741 Hampton Ave.
Schenectady, NY 12309
518-377-9882
Stuart K. Hopkins, Sole Prop
GACO oarlock snaps onto the oar for
semi permanent capture. Made from
hardened 316 stainless and UV proof
polypropylene. Kind to oars, it is
carefully angled shape cuts out friction
and wear. Cost: $35 for two oarlocks,
two sockets and sleeves from
Jamestown Distributors.
M
E
M
B
E
R
S
BOATS PLANS BOOKS TOOLS
Specializing in traditional small craft since 1970.
Duck Trap Woodworking
www.duck-trap.com
27
S
P
O
N
S
O
R
MIKE WICK
BASEMENT BOATYARD
Duck Soup Inn
50 Duck Soup Lane
Friday Harbor, WA 98250
134 E Main Str
Moorestown, NJ 08057
360-378-4878
856-222-1216
Fine Dining for Sailors
Email: [email protected]
Les Gunther
Redd’s Pond Boatworks
Thad Danielson
1 Norman Street
Marblehead, MA 01945
[email protected]
781-631-3443—888-686-3443
www.reddspondboatworks.com
M
E
M
B
E
R
S
The Design Wor
ks
orks
9101 Eton Road, Silver Spring MD 20901
301-589-9391 or toll free 877- 637-7464
www.messingabout.com
R. K. Payne Boats
http://homepage.mac.com/
rkpayneboats
LARS NIELSEN 361-8547C
656-0848/1-800-667-2275 P
28
Rex & Kathie Payne
3494 SR 135 North
Nashville, IN
47448
Ph 812-988-0427
P.O.Box 2250, Sidney
BC Canada V8L 3S8
EZ-Row, Inc
Forward Facing Rowing
System,with Sliding Seat
S
P
O
N
S
O
R
John Bargess
Linda Bargess
1315 Atlantic Highway
Northport, ME 04849
Tel: 207-338-0009
Fax: 207-338-9603
[email protected]
www.camdenhillsrealty.com
Comes Complete
Nothing else to buy
EZ-ROW INC.
www.ez-row.com
877-620-1921
M
E
M
B
E
R
S
29
Now in Our
25th Year!
Monthly we arrive in your mail with interesting articles from our readers about
dreaming of, designing, building or restoring, sailing, rowing, paddling and
adventuring in small boats. Plus readers’ letters, Bolger on Design, featured
columnists, advertising from boatbuilders, restorers, and suppliers of plans and
material for small boating, and free subscriber classified ads.
68 Pages
Pages —12
— 12Issues/Year
Issues/Year
68
$8
Trial
Subscription
(3
Issues)
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$32Subscription
Subscription(12
(12Issues)
Issues)
$8 Trial Subscription (3 Issues) — $32
SEND FOR FREE SAMPLE COPY
Seaworthy Small Ships
Dept A, POBox 2863
Prince Frederick, MD 20678
800-533-9030
Catalog Available $1.00
www.seaworthysmallships.com
Messing About in Boats, 29 Burley St., Wenham, MA 01984
Damaged Journal?
If your Ash Breeze is missing pages or gets beaten up in the mail, let
the editor know. Email: [email protected]
ROB BARKER
Wooden Boat Building
and Repair
615 MOYERS LANE
EASTON, PA 18042
Copy Deadline,
Format, and Ads
Deadlines
v29#3, Fall 2008, July1
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 email message or, alternatively,
as MSWord attachments. Send photos by
US mail or as email 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. Email to:
[email protected]
Advertising Rates
Effective March 1, 2006
Yearly rates, 4 issues/year
Sponsor - No Ad $50
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Corporate Sponsor - 1 page $350
Corporate Sponsors with 1 page ads
will be named as sponsors of a TSCA
related event and will be mentioned in
the ad for that event.
Members’ Exchange
50 words or less. Free to members except
$10 if photo is included.
TSCA WARES
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Original or duplicated back issues are
available for $4 each plus postage.
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1
Contact Flat Hammock Press for ordering details.
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.
Burgees
12" x 18" pennant with royal blue field
and TSCA logo sewn in white and gold.
Finest construction. $30 postpaid.
Visit: www.tsca.net/wares
for ordering information.
TSCA MEMBERSHIP FORM
I wish to:
Join
Renew
Change my address
Individual/Family ($20 annually)
Patron ($100 annually)
Sponsor ($50 annually)
Canadian with Airmail Mailing ($25 annually)
Sponsor with 1/8 page ad ($60 annually)
Other foreign with Airmail Mailing ($30 annually)
Enclosed is my check for $____________________________________ made payable to TSCA.
Chapter member? Yes No (circle)
Which Chapter? _________________________________
Name
Address
Town
Email
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
______________________________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.
At the finish of the annual TSCA meet and row to Capitola from Santa Cruz in the year TSCA organized, 1975. Over 70
people attended from Los Angeles to Puget Sound. Here the boats are shown tied up at the docks at Santa Cruz. This annual
row in Monterey Bay, CA, was approximately 6 miles in length.
The Traditional Small
Craft Association
The Ash Breeze
PO Box 350
Mystic, CT 06355
Non-Profit Org.
US Postage
PAID
Providence, RI
Permit No. 1899
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.

In This Issue: Two Book Reviews • Letters to the Editor A Walk

Transcription

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