WoodenBoat 230 JanFeb 2013

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heating with wood • Build a paddleboard • The vertue cutter

THE MAGAZINE FOR WOODEN BOAT OWNERS, BUILDERS, AND DESIGNERS

The Unfailing Eye of Designer Paul Gartside
Legacy of the New England Bassboat
A Surviving Eastern-Rig Dragger

www.woodenboat.com

January/February 2013
Number 230
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50 Still Fishing
The dragger RICHARD & ARNOLD
Randall Peffer
at age 89

56 Paul Gartside and the Design Spiral
Creating new boats of
timeless beauty

Michael Higgins

Page 50

Features
28 The Ohio Pound-Net Boat
A rugged tool for Lake Erie’s
William John Kohler
fishermen
Page 78

33 Revisiting the Classics
The Sea Bright skiffs

Reuel B. Parker

40 A Stand-up Paddleboard in Plywood
How to build the Kaholo,
Part 2

Geoff Kerr

64 Legends of the Rips
In search of the New England
Stan Grayson
bassboat
72 Building a Vertue Cutter
FLYING FISH is a small cruiser
Jack Bassett
with a long reach

Page 28

78 Woodstoves for Wooden Boats
Page 72

Comfortable heat for
cold-weather cruising

Brendan Riordan

2 • WoodenBoat 230

TOC230_FINAL.indd 2

11/21/12 2:22 PM

Number 230
January/February 2013

ReadeR SeRviceS
108 How to Reach Us
109 Vintage Boats and Services
111 Boatbrokers
Page 64

114 Boatbuilders
121 Kits and Plans

depaRTmenTS

125 Classified

5 Editor’s Page
The Sincerest Form of Flattery

135 Index to Advertisers

6 Letters

TeaR-ouT SupplemenT

11 Fo’c’s’le
Why Do We Do This?
15 Currents

David Kasanof

Getting Started in Boats:

edited by Tom Jackson

84 In Focus
An Irish Sailing Raid

Nic Compton

88 Wood Technology
Pressure-Treated Wood—
Update

Richard Jagels

90 Designs
The Ocracoke 20—DIY
Carolina sportfisherman

Mike O’Brien

94 Launchings…
and Relaunchings


Robin Jettinghoff

101 The WoodenBoat Review
• Working Sail
Jenny Bennett
• The Mortal Sea
Randall Peffer
• Classic Coloring
Ken Textor
• Books Received
136 Save a Classic
HEART’S DESIRE and
PENCHANT

Maynard Bray

pages 16/17

Considerations for a Dinghy—
Towing, Rowing, and Stowing
Matthew P. Murphy

Cover: SKYLARK is a
traditionally crafted 14'
lapstrake daysailer
built at WoodenBoat
School, where
her designer, Paul
Gartside, has taught.
Born in England,
Gartside now lives
in Nova Scotia.
Page 56.
Photograph by
Phil Schirmer

WoodenBoat (ISSN 0095–067X) is published bimonthly in January, March, May, July, September,
and November in Brooklin, Maine, by WoodenBoat Publications, Inc., Jonathan A. Wilson,
Chairman. Subscription offices are at P.O. Box 16958, North Hollywood, CA 91615–6958;
1–800–877–5284 for U.S. and Canada. Overseas: 1–818–487–2084.
Subscription rate is $32.00 for one year (6 issues) in the U.S. and its possessions. Canadian
subscription rate is $37.00, U.S. funds. Surface rate overseas is $45.00, U.S. funds per year.
Periodical postage paid at Brooklin, ME 04616 and additional mailing offices. In Canada,
periodical postage paid at Toronto, Ontario (Canadian periodical Agreement No. 40612608,
GST Registration No. R127081008).
U.S. Postmaster: Please send Change of Address (form 3579) to P.O. Box 16958, North
Hollywood, CA 91615–6958
Canada Postmaster: Pitney Bowes, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON, N6C 6B2, Canada.

January/February 2013 • 3

TOC230_FINAL.indd 3

11/21/12 1:14 PM

NOW
available

at a newsstand near you
(and at the WoodenBoat Store)
Only available for a limited time.
Order a copy of Small Boats at
www.woodenboatstore.com

or call 1-800-273-7447 and we can

CircSmallboats230.indd 4

ship it to you

11/24/12 12:58 PM

ed Paper

The Sincerest Form of Flattery
41 WoodenBoat Lane • P.O. Box 78
Brooklin, ME 04616–0078
tel. 207–359–4651 • fax 207–359–8920
e-mail: [email protected]
web site: www.woodenboat.com
PUBLISHER Carl Cramer
EdITORIAL
Editor Matthew P. Murphy
Senior Editor Tom Jackson
Assistant Editor Robin Jettinghoff
Technical Editor Maynard Bray
Boat design Editor Mike O’Brien
Contributing Editors Jenny Bennett,
Harry Bryan, Greg Rössel
Copy Editor Jane Crosen
ART & PROdUCTION
Art director Olga Lange
Advertising Art director Blythe Heepe
Associate Art director Phil Schirmer
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director Richard Wasowicz
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Classified Wendy E. Sewall
Sales Associates

E ast Coast & M idwEst:






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NEw ENglaNd: John K. Hanson, Jr.,
207–594–8622; [email protected]

wEst Coast aNd wEstErN CaNada:



iNtErNatioNal: 207–359–4651;



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woodENBoat M arkEtplaCE:

Tina Dunne, [email protected]

RESEARCH
director Patricia J. Lown
Associate Rosemary Poole
BUSINESS
Office Manager Tina Stephens
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THE WOOdENBOAT STORE
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Associates Jody Allen, Elaine Hutchinson,
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WOOdENBOAT BOOKS
www.woodenboatbooks.com
Book Publisher Scot Bell
WOOdENBOAT SCHOOL
director Rich Hilsinger
Business Manager Kim Patten
WEBSITE
Manager Greg Summers
Chairman & Editor-in-Chief Jonathan A. Wilson
President and general Manager James E. Miller
Copyright 2012 by WoodenBoat Publications, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reprinted without written permission from the publisher.
CONTRIBuTIONS: Address all editorial communications to Editor, WoodenBoat, P.O. Box 78, Brooklin,
ME 04616–0078. WoodenBoat is a largely reader- written
magazine. Care is taken with unsolicited contributions,
but we are not responsible for damage or loss.
PRINTED IN u.S.A.

In his profile of Paul Gartside beginning on page 56, Michael
Higgins tells of the many influences that gave rise to Gartside’s
career as one of the most prolific designers of stock plans today.
Among these influences were Gartside’s childhood in an English
boatyard, his acquaintance as a young man with John Atkin, and
his association with designer Bill Garden, for whom he worked for a
period of time after emigrating to the west coast of Canada in 1983.
It was Garden who introduced Gartside to the concept of “the design
spiral”—a method of work that allows a designer to build on the
knowledge gained through previous designs, rather than starting
from zero with each new boat. Here’s how Higgins describes the
process:
“Gartside’s so-called design spiral is a means of revisiting
old designs and applying their characteristics to a new design. As a
designer creates the designs for several boats of a similar type, he or
she will see that their parameters are similar. For example, cruising
cutters will have similar displacements, sail areas, and prismatic
coefficients. With each new design, Gartside can go back to his
previous hulls with similar characteristics and use their numbers
as a starting point for the new boat, saving the time and trouble of
computing those numbers from scratch each time.”
The design-spiral concept has played out on a larger stage
throughout the history of boats. Take, for example, the bassboats
that developed on the Massachusetts island of Cuttyhunk (page 64).
This distinctive hull style evolved quickly from a single boat by a
builder named Enoch Winslow for a guide named Lloyd Bosworth.
“You could tell right away that Lloyd had something special,” author
Stan Grayson quotes one present-day guide as saying. Other builders
took note of this: The basic hull form evolved in the ensuing decades
into distinctive boats by a number of builders, but the common
ancestor remains evident in all of these interpretations of the nowclassic bassboat.
Consider, too, the Sea Bright skiff. Beginning on page 33, Reuel
Parker profiles this legendary beach-launched skiff in the final
installment of his yearlong series of articles on classic workboat types
that he’s interpreted for recreational use. The opening photographs
of that article shows a recent New Jersey life-saving boat next to an
1872 skiff being launched into the surf. The differences between the
two boats are abundantly clear, but so is the newer boat’s lineage: Its
lapstrake planking and box keel are ideas a century-and-a-half old,
and they’re still relevant today.
And finally, consider the Eastern-rig dragger RICHARD & ARNOLD
profiled on page 50. This tough little fishing boat has survived 89
years of work so far—not to mention the rocky economics of the
New England fishing industry. She carries distinctive elements of
the Gloucester fishing schooners that preceded her—including the
shape of her bow and the mast. While just a vestige of the towering
rigs of her predecessors, RICHARD & ARNOLD’s spar is the result of
fishermen simply appreciating the utility of a mast over a century
ago.
It’s a fascinating thing to watch the Darwinian progression of
boat design—to see the fishing schooner type morph into the New
England dragger as a result of economic and environmental triggers.
And it’s equally fascinating to watch a designer of Paul Gartside’s
towering talent critique and adapt his previous work in the quest for
a more perfect boat.

January/February 2013 • 5

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11/21/12 8:25 AM





A Stand-up Canoeist
Friends,
The article in the December issue (WBNo.
229) about building a stand-up paddleboard
prompted me to share this idea with
your readers. The summer before last, I
was offered an old wood-and-canvas canoe by a neighbor. After assuring myself
that the wood was sound and locating a
local craftsman who could replace the
damaged canvas skin, I bought the boat,
a 16' copy of an Old Town–style canoe
built by a skilled amateur somewhere in
upstate New York. Meanwhile, a house
guest at our summer place had given us
a stand-up board paddle, thinking we
could use it while standing on one of the
old sailboards we had lying on the smallboat rack. It turns out that old sailboards
are not ideal for stand-up paddling.  
The stand-up paddle got stored with
the other paddles, and one day I got the
idea to try using it in my canoe.  I am
now an advocate of stand-up paddling
by canoe.  It’s good exercise, it provides

a great view of the gleaming interior of
my canoe contrasted against the water
or lake bottom when I’m in the shallows,
and it gets both me and the boat out on
the water more often.
Tom Darnton
Ann Arbor and Charlevoix, Michigan

Memories of Lake Titicaca
Dear Editor,
As a former Lake Titicaca sailor, I enjoyed and was brought up to date by Ben
Brouwer’s “Boatbuilders on Bolivia’s Inland Sea,” appearing in your November/
December issue (Currents, WB No. 229).
I spent a lot of my free time from my job
at the U.S. Embassy in La Paz in 1980–81
knocking about the lake in a weatherbeaten 1958-vintage 24' German-built
sloop, which I had as security for a oneyear loan of $2,000 to a hard-currencystarved small businessman.
Since I berthed it at the hovercraft port
at Cupancara, the nearest town to Suriqui—
and to La Paz—on the Bolivian side of the

lake, I made several 12-mile crossings to
the island and spent considerable time
watching the boatbuilders at work and getting to know the people. One of those was
Señor Limachi, who had worked for Thor
Heyerdahl on the RA II project and had a
small museum dedicated to that experience and the lake’s reed boats. He sold
scale models of these boats as souvenirs, in
the anteroom of his house.
I take issue with one of Mr. Brouwer’s
word choices, however: Like everyone else
who writes about Lake Titicaca, or at least
the altiplano, or high plains, upon which
it lies, he seems to find it necessary to describe it as “windswept.” In my experience,
it was anything but that. Indeed, much of
the time it was as glassy as it appears in the
photo above Ben’s article. I spent far more
time on the lake in a flat calm than I have
during many Chesapeake summers, going
nowhere at all or somewhere at about 2
knots, when I could get the balky and overtaxed sea-level–carbureted two-cylinder
gas Volvo started.

From the WoodenBoat Forum

COURTESY OF NATIONAL ARCHIVES

Alex C
WoodenBoat No. 228 has an article by Reuel Parker on his
San Juan Sharpie designs that makes a few references to
a historical sharpie type from Washington State. That got
me intrigued, but a little poking around got me confused.
Other than the brief mention by Chapelle in American Small
Sailing Craft, I haven’t found any references to the type. The
photo in the article calls OLYMPIC a San Juan schooner,
but the attribution makes clear she is a Willapa Bay oyster
schooner. There are some references to, and a few photos
of, similar “scow schooners” that look like square-sterned
sharpies. Looking at the photo in WB No. 228, I’d say the
aftermost crew are sitting in a nice broad stern. So does
anyone know more about either the original double-ended
San Juan sharpies (a surprising type to me, because it just
doesn’t seem like sharpie country) or the Willapa sharpie

schooners (seems like sharpies would have just risen up
from the mud there, it’s such natural sharpie country)?
Dave Wright
I just reread Reuel Parker’s Woodenboat article. I notice Mr.
Parker comments that little seems to be known about the
San Juan Island sharpies (which is true), and he guesses
that Chapelle might have been misinformed about the
halibut-fishing function of these schooners, and that they
might have been oyster boats.
I believe the picture at left is a San Juan Island sharpie.
You’ll note that the boat is rigged as a schooner, and resembles
Chapelle’s drawing. The small house, its trim details, and the
deck coamings are also quite similar.
Looking at the physical sizes of the crew standing by in
a related photo (not shown here), the boat scales quite
similarly to Chapelle’s depiction. The photo is dated 1895
which puts it in line with Chapelle’s date for his example.
The photo clearly states that the boat was used for halibut
and herring.
Based on these photos, I believe Chapelle reported
accurately, that the pictured boat is very close to the example
he presented, and the boat served the halibut fishery. Whether
or not these vessels were numerous still remains to be seen.
I must note that I own two of Reuel Parker’s books, have
always admired and enjoyed his work and writings, and
mean no criticism. I think the posted pictures just add
more evidence in support of the vessel type.
Read the full discussion of San Juan sharpies, and see more images
of them, on the WoodenBoat Forum at www.woodenboat.com, in
the “WoodenBoat Magazine” subforum.
This photo and others may be viewed in the fisheries section
of the NOAA Photo Library, www.photolib.noaa.gov.

6 • WoodenBoat 230

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11/21/12 3:43 PM

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“Summer begins at The WoodenBoat Show!”
Sign-up for our e-newsletter

www.TheWoodenBoatShow.com
Produced and Presented by WoodenBoat Magazine

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TM

11/20/12 4:01 PM

On the lake, it is almost always windless
between midnight and mid-morning. An
onshore breeze typically begins to build
toward midday as the sun warms the surrounding land, strengthens to about 10
knots by sunset, then begins to weaken,
finally reversing direction to become a
gentle offshore when the lake’s 50-degree
water becomes warmer than the land. I
have also observed that the sailing lanchas
were not much good to windward, but
they didn’t have to be. The boats were

handy on a broad reach or off the wind,
however, and the suriqueños would sail
them downwind toward the mainland in
the afternoon and return to the island
when the wind direction shifted. I was
chased down by one whose skipper and
crew wanted me to make good the damage I had done to one of their bottomanchored gill nets with my 4' of draft in
the shallows off Cupancara.
Bob Austin
Williamsburg, Virginia

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Credit Is Due
Dear Matthew,
There was no mention of the Tom Wylie–
designed Wyliecats (17'–65') in your
review of the Marblehead 22. Wyliecats share many features in common
with the Marblehead 22: Narrow hull,
check.  Elliptical rudder, check. Fairly
long fin keel with semi-elliptical shape,
check. Lots of weight in the “torpedo,”
check. Wishbone boom with two “hangers” for support, check.  Unstayed carbon mast designed to fall off to leeward
and open up the leech in puffs and high
winds, check. Flat top sail, partial check
(not all Wyliecats have elected that option).  Simple sail controls (choker/
snotter,
mainsheet,
Cunningham),
check.  Roomy cockpit, check.  Simple
construction, check. Small crew requirements, check. Easy tacking, check. Even
easier jibing, check. Fast, check. Expensive, you bet! All new boats are.
Although only the Wyliecat 30 prototype, MUSTANG SALLY, was wood, I think
Tom Wylie deserves a mention in an
article citing several previous designs—
including the traditional New England
catboat and the Nonsuch line of boats—
as precedents. The newer boat shows almost all the features Wylie designed into
his Wyliecats starting in the early 1990s.
By the way, Wyliecat 30s have a reef,
but it is almost never used, even in the
winds that San Francisco Bay can provide. I don’t even bother to rig mine
most of the time (less windage) unless
I’m sailing an ocean race.
Pat Broderick 
San Francisco, California

Beware of Vinylester
Gentle persons,
David Soule’s article on sheathing CARIB
II in fiberglass (WB No. 228) was excellent. But, while polyester is safe, vinylester is toxic. This was not mentioned,
and none of the pictures showed safety
equipment. Enough griping; I particularly
enjoyed this issue.
Albert Eatock
Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada

Buffing Your Brightwork
Greetings!
The article on varnishing (Getting Started
in Boats, WB No. 229) was very nicely and
clearly written for the average reader.
One trick that makes the varnish look
“bright,” especially interior finishes, is to
buff it with a brown paper bag from the
grocery store. Fold it up into a pad and
then rub over the varnish lightly. It does
a wonderful job!
C. Henry Depew
Tallahassee, Florida

Typographical errors are unintentional and subject to correction.

8 • WoodenBoat 230

Letters230_FINAL_ADS.indd 8

11/21/12 11:36 AM

The

Jack van Ommen

Maritime Tour of the
Netherlands

E

mbark with us for ten incredible
days of exploration of the maritime
heritage of the Netherlands. Peter Neill,
president emeritus of New York’s South
Street Seaport Museum, will host this
adventure, a portion of which will be spent
traveling and living aboard the opulent
Dutch passenger schooner WAPEN FRA FRYSLAN. Join us
as we explore the canals and inland maritime heritage sites,
along with:

JuNe

16–26

Jack van Ommen

2013

n Amsterdam, and its famous National Maritime Museum
n A working shipyard for the country’s famed botters (see

WoodenBoat No. 228).
n Enkhuizen, and its Zuiderzee Museum
n Den Helder, home of the National Lifeboat Museum
and The Dutch Navy Museum
For information please visit

www.woodenboat.com
For full details, price, and itinerary, and to reserve your space,
contact Linda at Borton Overseas, 1–800–843–0602, ext 112.

Brought to you by WoodenBoat

WBTravelHolland230.indd 9

11/24/12 12:56 PM

Northwest Maritime Center
Home of the Wooden Boat Foundation

© Mark Saran

© Robin Moore

•Annual Wooden Boat Festival
•Navigation Simulator Training
•Anti-Piracy Summit
•Boating & Cruising Symposia
•Sailing Regattas
•Wooden Boat Chandlery
•Learn-to-Sail Programs
•Boat Building Classes

Port Townsend, Washington
www.nwmaritime.org

431 Water Street           Port Townsend, WA 98368            360.385.3628           
AdOutput.indd 10

11/21/12 7:22 AM

Why Do We Do This?
by David Kasanof

M

y reply to anyone who asked me
about getting a wooden boat would
be, “Are you sure you want to do that to
yourself?” Obviously, my own answer
to that question has been yes, but that
means I have said “yes” to a boat made
of vegetable matter that has been stuck
together with metal pins and some glue.
This vegetable matter is susceptible to
worms and rot. Under sail, boats made
of this material may leak in places that
have not leaked in the past or in places
that cannot be located easily. This
usually occurs during foul weather and
at night. Such boats require periodic
maintenance, which may require the
spaces between the vegetable matter to
be cleaned out and stuffed with a different type of vegetable matter. This is a
tricky process and is best done by someone from New England named “Seth.”
I wouldn’t argue with anyone who
decided not to take on the challenge of
a wooden boat, but at the same time, I
feel that they would be missing something. What exactly is that “something”?
Beats the hell out of me. Maybe the following will help to explain it.
Years ago, an old sailing buddy of
mine invited me to go for an afternoon
sail in his 18' Bahamian dinghy. This
took place in Florida’s Biscayne Bay,
which can put up a nasty little chop if
someone sneezes. On this day, a multitude must have sneezed all together
because a strong southeasterly had put
up a 2'–3' chop, the white tops of which
were scudding off downwind in streaks
over the gray water. We could have
eased sheets a bit and made a little better weather out of it, but we elected to
haul in tight, sit up on the weather rail,
and go bashing into the chop, which
drenched us every few seconds as our
bow smashed into the oncoming waves.
Our fun was enhanced when we sprang
a leak in one of the windward seams.
I could see it making a little Niagara
every time we plunged into a wave. Naturally, we kept on sailing closehauled.
We simply took turns bailing and sailing. This procedure kept us afloat and
prevented the one not sailing from
getting bored. After about a half-hour
of this, my friend looked up from the
bilge, where he had been bailing, and
said with a calm, grave, and thoughtful
demeanor, “Why...why do we do this to
ourselves?”
Of course the question was half in

PETE GOrSKI

jest, but to this day I do not have an
answer for it. I do know that when we
got back, soaked to the skin, we both
had had a hell of a good time. The
dockmaster asked if we’d had a good
sail, and my friend replied that we had
indeed, except for “all that wind and
the lumpy water.”
Clearly, we had long ago made the
unspoken decision that it was worth it
“to do this to ourselves.” That decision
applies generally, not just when a boat
is in the water. Hull shape, for instance,
gets much attention from designers
because it’s a significant factor in sailing qualities. Forgotten is the important
matter of how much squatting versus
crawling will be required when the boat
is hauled out for maintenance. Boats
with little deadrise or flat bottoms need
a great deal of crawling on one’s back,
while boats with a “wineglass” section
require more squatting. Squatters must
avoid falling backwards. Crawlers must
avoid eating too much bottom paint.
On CONTENT, I was mainly a squatter,
but I did do a lot of crawling while working on her worm shoe (riddled with the
critters). I know I should have worn a
mask, but that would have made it virtually impossible to squeeze into the tight
space I was dealing with. Though careful as I could be, I must have ingested
quite a bit of bottom paint. For taste I
would recommend Interlux. It had a
fruity bouquet with a hint of zinc oxide
and a long finish.

Those of us who have chosen, beyond
all dictates of good sense, boats made
of pinned-together vegetation (instead of
what some yacht designer once described
as boats of “frozen snot”) must deal with
dry rot and worms. What’s special about
these scourges is that unlike broken
frames or hardware, which are injuries,
rot and worms are diseases. In fact, they
are the leprosy of wooden boats. An
extensive case of rot can make you wish
you had gone for the frozen-snot alternative. But remember the venerable
maxim, “If God had wanted us to have
fiberglass boats, he would have created
fiberglass trees!”
So you must perform surgery. But be
resigned to this: You do not have enough
C-clamps. What right have I to say this?
I have never met you. Where do I get off
telling you such a thing? You’re absolutely right to bristle at my presumption. Nevertheless, you do not have
enough C-clamps. No non-professional
ever has. It’s a fundamental law of
nature. And that’s not the end of it.
Nothing works right on the improvised
wobbly work table made of staging
planks and sawhorses. And if you take
the weekend off, someone will make off
with your “table.” Maybe the sawhorses,
too. Never mind. It’s all part of “doing
this to ourselves.” I’m glad that you,
like me, have decided that we are willing to “do this to ourselves.” I’m sure it’s
the right decision, but I can’t, for the
life of me, tell why.

January/February 2013 • 11

Focsle230_FINAL.indd 11

11/20/12 9:33 AM

Wo o d e n Bo a t Sc h o o l
2013 Schedule at a Glance
MAY

JUNE

AluMni WORK WEEK

AluMni WORK WEEK

19–25 / 26–1

2–8

JULY
9 – 15

16 – 22

Fundamentals of Boatbuilding
with Greg Rössel

23 – 29

30 – 6

Fundamentals of Boatbuilding
with Wade Smith

Fundamentals of Boatbuilding
with Greg Rössel

Making Friends with
Your Marine Diesel
Engine with Jon Bardo

Glued-Lapstrake
Plywood Construction
with John Brooks

Finishing Out
Small Boats
with John Brooks

Build Your Own
Greenland-Style Kayak
with Mark Kaufman

Traditional Wood-andCanvas Canoe Construction
with Rollin Thurlow

Stitch-and-Glue
Boatbuilding
with John Harris

Carving Waterfowl
with Jerry Cumbo

Boatbuilder’s
Hand Tools
with Harry Bryan

Introduction to
Boatbuilding
with Bill Thomas

Marine Painting &
Varnishing
with Gary Lowell

Making Wood Tools
with John Wilson

Fine Strip-Planked
Boat Construction
with Nick Schade

What Shape Is She In
with David Wyman

Inspecting
Fiberglass Boats
with Sue Canfield

Bronze Casting for
Boatbuilders
with Sam Johnson

Lofting
with Greg Rössel

Blacksmithing for
Boatbuilders
with Doug Wilson

Elements of Seamanship
with Jane Ahlfeld &
Annie Nixon

tes
Gift certifica
all
r
fo
e
bl
availa
urses!
co
t
oa
B
en
Wood

Fundamentals of Boatbuilding
with Warren Barker
Build Your Own
Build Your Own Shellback
Shearwater Sport Kayak Dinghy or Nutshell Pram
with Eric Schade
with Jeremy Gage
The Art of Woodcuts
with Gene Shaw

Building Half Models
with Mark Sutherland

Metal Working for the
Elements of Seamanship
The Marlinespike Sailor
Boatbuilder & Woodworker
with Jane Ahlfeld &
with Tim Whitten
with Erica Moody
Annie Nixon

Painting the Downeast
Coast in Oils
with Jerry Rose

Elements of Seamanship Elements of Seamanship Elements of Seamanship II
with Martin Gardner &
with Martin Gardner &
with Martin Gardner &
Sue LaVoie
Sue LaVoie
Robin Lincoln
Craft of Sail
on TAMMY NOIRE
with Joel Roland

Coastwise Navigation
with Jane Ahlfeld

21 – 27

14 – 20

7 – 13

Craft of Sail
on TAMMY NOIRE
with Joel Roland

Island Exploration &
Seamanship
with Andy Oldman

Coastal Cruising
Craft of Sail on ABIGAIL
Seamanship on ABIGAIL
with Hans Vierthaler
with Hans Veirthaler
Elements of
Coastal Kayaking
with Bill Thomas

Can’t make it to Brooklin, Maine?
Try our courses at Chesapeake Light Craft Shop in Annapolis, Maryland:
We’re very excited to be working
with John Harris and the good folks
at CHESAPEAKE LIGHT CRAFT in
Annapolis, Maryland, and, once
again, to be able to offer courses
at their excellent facility.

WBSchool230-4A.indd 12

MARCH 25-30 BUILD YOUR OWN WOOD DUCK KAYAK
With Eric Schade
APRIL 8-13

BUILD YOUR OWN ANNAPOLIS WHERRY
With Geoff Kerr

APRIL 22-27

BUILD YOUR OWN STAND-UP
PADDLEBOARD With Bill Cave

MAY 6-11

BUILD YOUR OWN NORTHEASTER DORY
With David Fawley

11/26/12 8:33 AM

Acc e s s to e x p e r i e n c e
The finest instructors available and a beautiful location on the coast of Maine make
WoodenBoat School an exciting learning experience for amateurs and professionals alike.
This season, our 33rd, we are offering over 90 one- and two-week courses in
various facets of boatbuilding, as well as, seamanship and related crafts.

SEPTEMBER

AUGUST
28 – 3

4 – 10

Wooden Boat Restoration Methods
with Walt Ansel
Build Your Own Bronze Salute
Cannon with Duke McGuiggan
& Michael Caldwell

11 – 17
Build Your Own
Northeaster Dory
with David Fawley

Building the Penobscot 13
with Arch Davis

Building the Arctic Tern
with Geoff Kerr

18 – 24

25 – 31

Building the Adirondack Guideboat
with Geoff Burke
Build Your Own
Sassafras Canoe
with John Harris

1–7

8 – 14

Advanced Fundamentals of Boatbuilding
with Greg Rössel

Small Boat Repairs
with Eric Blake

15 – 21

Fundamentals of Boatbuilding
with Wade Smith

Build Your Own Willow/
Quickbeam Sea Kayak
with Bill Thomas

Build Your Own
Annapolis Wherry
with Geoff Kerr

Making Friends with
Your Marine Diesel
Engine with Jon Bardo
Building Half Models
with Eric Dow

Essentials of Fine
Woodworking
with Janet Collins

Introduction to
Boatbuilding
with John Karbott

Fine Strip-Planked
Boat Construction
with Nick Schade

Build Your Own Plank
Constructed Pond Yachts
with Thom McLaughlin

Building a Dory
with Walt Ansel

Boatbuilding &
Woodworking Jigs
with John Brooks

Boat Cabinetry
with Dave Merrifield

Woodcarving
with Reed Hayden

Elements of
Boat Design
with John Brooks

Marine Electrics
with Patrick Dole

Lofting
with Greg Rössel

Coastal Maine in
Watercolor
with Amy Hosa

Vintage Pond Yachts
Part II
with Thom McLaughlin

Introduction to
Canvas Work
with Ann Brayton

The Art of Scrimshaw
with Ron Newton

Rigging
with Myles Thurlow

Elements of Seamanship
with David Bill &
Dave Gentry

Island Magic
with Ruth Hill &
Judy Mathewson

Marine Photography II
with Jon Strout &
Jane Peterson

Small Boat Voyaging
with Jane Ahlfeld &
Bill Thomas

Marine Photography
with Jon Strout &
Jane Peterson

Sea Sense Under Sail
with Havilah Hawkins

Sailing Traditional Daysailers
& Beach Cruisers with
Al Fletcher & Mike O’Brien

Seascape/Landscape
in Watercolor
with Phil Steel

The Catboat
with Martin Gardner

Elements of Seamanship II
with Martin Gardner &
Dave Gentry

Craft of Sail on MISTY
with Queene Foster

Craft of Sail on SOPHIA
with Phillip LaFrance

Sea Sense Under Sail
with Havilah Hawkins

Craft of Sail on MISTY
with Queene Foster

Elements of Coastal
Kayaking (age 50 or older)
with Mike O’Brien

Advanced Coastal
Kayaking
with Stan Wass

Craft of Sail
on BELFORD GRAY
with David Bill

Elements of Seamanship
Craft of Sail on SOPHIA
for Women with Jane
with Phillip LaFrance
Ahlfeld & Gretchen Snyder

Coastal Touring &
Camping
with Bill Thomas

Craft of Sail II
with David Bill

Recreational Paddling
with Mike O’Brien

Sailing Downeast
with Andy Oldman

Elements of
Coastal Kayaking
with Bill Thomas

Knowing Your Boat
with Hans Vierthaler

Cruising through the
Watches on ABIGAIL
with Hans Vierthaler

Tallship Sailing and
Seamanship with Capt.
Barry King & Jane Ahlfeld

22 – 28

Coastal Cruising
Seamanship on ABIGAIL
with Hans Veirthaler

For additional information
Check our website for our entire 2013 program:

www.woodenboat.com

SEPT. 9-14

BUILD YOUR OWN SASSAFRAS CANOE
With David Fawley

SEPT. 23-38

BUILD YOUR OWN SHEARWATER SPORT
KAYAK With Eric Schade

OCT. 14-19

BUILD YOUR OWN PETREL OR PETREL PLAY
With Nick Schade

OCT. 21-26

BUILD YOUR OWN SKERRY DAYSAILER
With Geoff Kerr

WBSchool230-4A.indd 13

or call Kim or Rich at

207–359–4651

To order a complete course catalog,
call toll-free

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Wo o d e n Bo a t Sc h o o l

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Participants will spend each night ashore, in their choice of one of several lodging options.
For further details, please visit www.woodenboat.com or call 800-273-7447

14 • WoodenBoat 230

WB230_Pg14Fracts.indd 14

11/20/12 4:09 PM

Edited by Tom Jackson

ROSEMARY W YMAN

CURRENTS

Seventh- and eighth-graders at Adams School in Castine, Maine, made a fine job of design and construction of their own
dory, with guidance from David Wyman (fourth from right), Don Small (fifth from right, in back), Cameron Frothingham (third
from right), and others.

Keeping up with
young boatbuilders
by Tom Jackson

I

t makes all the sense in the world to
learn skills through a particular task,
and in the realm of all such possibilities
none is better than building a boat. In
the drive to complete something tangible, functional, and gorgeous, a wide
variety of learned skills reinforce one
another. This kind of learning is valuable
for anyone, but it is especially valuable for
young people. Many, many a boatbuilder,
probably wishing such things had been
around in their own youth, has worked
with local schools and maritime centers
to get programs started. Periodically,
we’ve included their stories here in Currents. We hear regularly about interesting variations on the theme, and every
once in a while we like to gather up a
group of their stories. Here, without
further ado, are four that especially
caught our attention in recent months:

■ In Castine, Maine, David Wyman, a
naval architect friend of mine and a fellow collaborator in planning the annual
Small Reach Regatta, led a program at
the Adams School to guide middleschool students in not only building a

boat but in first designing it.
Wyman and volunteer Don Small, both
of whom have had children or grandchildren at the school, were joined by
others from the community as 17 seventhand eighth-graders designed and built
a 15' 6" × 5' 2" dory—christened DORY
OF GLORY. Each Friday, nine eighthgrade students worked on the project for
an hour and a half in the morning and
the eight seventh-graders worked during an afternoon session. The boat was
launched in Wadsworth Cove in Castine
at the end of the 2011–12 school year.
For their design inspiration, the students looked to a Maine coast fishing dory
design by Sam Manning, who lives in
nearby Camden. “The design was based
on a typical dory that would have been
used by a fisherman from the town a hundred or more years ago,” Wyman said,
“with the design modified to accommodate six students with four rowing, one
steering, and one passenger in the bow. A
decision was made to make the dory wider
than a typical dory, both so that two rowers could sit side-by-side on each of the
middle seats and also to provide better stability,” seeing that working dories were
typically ballasted with a cargo of fish.
“Another critical element of the design
was that the boat had to be able to fit
through the door in the basement of the
Town Hall, where the building took place.

“We started ‘Dory Class’ in September
by first building sawhorses on which to
work, then we proceeded to the design
and building of the dory. The design process started with the students measuring
each other—as well as the door. Students
then worked out an arrangement on
the basement floor with them assuming positions in an imagined boat.”
Wyman drew out the resulting hull on
paper, then the students proceeded to
construction. “The dory was framed in
Port Orford cedar, planked with four
1× 8 white pine planks per side, and
the bottom was made of plywood. All
of the student work in making the dory
was done using hand tools: saws, planes,
spokeshaves, mallets and chisels, hand
drills, and screwdrivers. The students
made tholepins and carved oars out of
spruce stock. The woodworking was
completed in late May, and students
then voted on a multicolored paint
scheme and the name, DORY OF GLORY.
The boat was used this fall for rowing by
this year’s Adams School seventh- and
eighth-grade students.”
The project was documented by photographer Rosemary Wyman, resulting in
the publication of a book, We Build a Dory,
which each student received at the end
of the school year.
For more information, contact Wyman at
[email protected].
January/February 2013 • 15

Currents230_FINAL_ADS.indd 15

11/20/12 3:17 PM

■ Elsewhere in this issue of WoodenBoat
(page 28), William John Kohler tells the
tale of Ohio pound-net boats, tough
boats for net fishermen working Lake Erie
in the 19th and early 20th centuries. In
Erie, Pennsylvania, young people at the
Bayfront Maritime Center use a similar
boat in their programs for sailing and
historical and environmental studies of
their Presque Isle Bay surroundings.
Not only that, but the boatbuilding
students there built the 28'-long boat
over the course of three years, starting
in 1999 and launching in 2001, to
plans from Howard I. Chapelle’s, American Small Sailing Craft.
“We chose to build the Erie Boat,”
executive director Richard Eisenberg
writes, “because it was the boat that
built Erie, quite literally. Fishing built
this town; Erie was the freshwater fishing capital of the world from 1880 to
1920, and a fleet of more than 130 Erie
Boats was in use. This added the real,
historic, local connection and educational component to the construction
project.
“Literally every plank was milled and
installed by more than 1,000 school
kids, fourth- through twelfth-graders.
The planks are 1 1 ⁄8"-square Spanish
cedar, with splines in grooves top and
bottom,” epoxied to the frames.
“The project started on BMC’s first
campus incarnation with pouring a
concrete floor and insulating a section

PIM VAN HEMMEN / H2OPHOTO.CO

BAYFRONT MARITIME CENTER

At the Bayfront Maritime Center in
Erie, Pennsylvania, students regularly
sail a replica pound-net boat that
was built at the center itself over the
course of three years.

of an exposed shed. We heated with a and their, expectations and more,
donated woodstove to at least 50 degrees almost every day!”
during the winter months so the epoxy Bayfront Maritime Center, 40 Holland
would cure properly. The kids split St., Erie, PA 16507; 814–456–4077;
wood for the stove and tended the fire. www.bayfrontcenter.org.
The student boatbuilders were a true
cross-section of Erie kids: gifted kids, ■ The Navesink Maritime Heritage
National Honor Society kids, adjudi- Association in New Jersey (www.
cated kids from all across Pennsylvania, navesinkmaritime.org) knows how
intensive residential treatment facility rewarding building Six-Hour Canoes
kids, blind kids, special-education kids, with young boatbuilders can be—
every kind of student. Most groups also they’ve done so for a decade now. But
built a smaller boat, usually a Six-Hour somewhere along the line, people
Canoe or a kayak, one they took with there concluded that something more
them upon completion. This way, they was needed. So for the past five of
all worked on a boat from start to finish those years, the solution has been to
and also were part of significantly get the students to really use the boats
they have built—and that they have
larger, historic project.”
Most recently, young boatbuilders painted in quite a wild array of colors
have been working on the Center’s hull and inventive themes. “River RangNo. 92. Under the direction of Jodi Car- ers” is an annual exploration of the
penter, the boat is the first of two Iain Navesink River, in conjunction with
Oughtred–designed St. Ayles Skiffs local schools. Hendrik F. van Hemmen
that will serve as the backbone of Erie’s wrote a chapter about the program in
first-ever community rowing program, his book, A Chronology of Boating on the
to be directed by Lauren Moss, an Navesink River, published by the assoAmeriCorps/Vista volunteer. “The Bay- ciation. “To promote the use of the
front Alternative Education Program is Six-Hour Canoes,” van Hemmen said,
underway here for the fourth year, pro- “NMHA developed the River Rangers
viding a group of high school students program in 2005.... The program is a
for the build,” Eisenberg writes. “I just weeklong exploration that covers the
recently completed Joe Youcha’s Build- upper reaches of the Swimming River
ing 2 Teach—Train the Trainer work- and the Navesink down to Hartshorne
shop [see Getting Started in Boats, WB Woods at the beginning of Sea Bright
No. 224] in Mystic, and we are already Reach.... Whether playing on the rope
implementing the math component in swing or exploring Fourth Creek,
the boatshop.” Funding is also coming Fisher Stern, or Dorns Island, everyin for an after-school workforce skills where there is something to see. But
development program, Project SAIL , to most of all, everywhere there is a place
bring more high school students in to to get feet wet, to swim a little, and to
build, row, and maintain the St. Ayles pick through the sand, the bushes, the
shells, and the seine net to experience
Skiffs.
“The focus at BMC is to empower nature....”
The association is also always lookkids with a positive sense of future and
a personal toolbox full of skills, like ing for ways to expand the expeditions.
critical thinking, effective communica- “Central to these discussions is the realtion, teamwork, and perseverance, that ization that growth into responsible
they need to successfully navigate through adulthood is related to a youth’s ability
the rough passages most
of them face on a daily
basis. We are not trying to
crank out boatbuilders or
yachtsmen and yachtswomen. We use boatbuilding, sailing, rowing and
paddling, and navigation,
to teach the practical application of science, technology, engineering, and
math, in nontraditional
classrooms. It works because
these are the things the
staff here are passionate
about. That passion canStudent boatbuilders venture forth on the
not be faked; it’s real, and
Navesink River in New Jersey each summer as
the kids sense that. We set
“River Rangers,” to explore their environment in
the bar high, and we see
Six-Hour Canoes they built themselves.
these kids achieve our,

16 • WoodenBoat 230

Currents230_FINAL_ADS.indd 16

11/20/12 3:17 PM

GETTING STARTED IN BOATS
from the Editors of

Volume 38

GS_Vol38_Dinghy_FINAL.indd 1

Magazine

Considerations for a Dinghy—
Towing, Rowing, and Stowing

11/21/12 1:57 PM

— Considerations for a

Dinghy —

Towing, Rowing, and Stowing
by Matthew P. Murphy

Amy Ballentine Stevens

T

ender, dinghy, dink—call it what you
will. The small boat that carries people,
gear, and supplies to and from a larger
one performs a basic but vital function. That
function is so basic, in fact, that these boats
are often an afterthought—cobbled-together
beaters or toy-like affairs obtained only for
their ability to float a load. There are, how­
ever, factors other than mere buoyancy to
consider when selecting a dinghy. Some careful attention to these factors can turn a potentially mundane or frustrating experience into
a rewarding one.
What makes a good dinghy? There’s no
single answer, for the ideal varies depending
upon the size and type of the mothership,
the shoreside situation, and the recreational
inclinations of the owners. Will you carry the
boat on deck, or tow it? Will you go from a
beach or from a dinghy dock? Do you want to
spend hours in your dinghy exploring your
destination once you arrive?
I’ve distilled the basic characteristics of a
dinghy into three features which, conveniently,
rhyme: rowability, towability, and stowability.
You’ll note that I’ve omitted “motorability.”
I’ve done so not just because it doesn’t rhyme
with the other three, but because I have a personal bias against outboard-motor-powered
dinghies. For general use, I think they’re overrated: They require additional storage for
the motor and gasoline; if they’re good motorboats, they probably aren’t good rowboats
(more on this shortly); and modestly powered
ones travel about as fast as a good rowboat,
which I reckon to be about 2–4 knots—close

A well designed dinghy, such as this Shellback
properly outfitted with rubrail and oar leathers, is
a satisfying rowboat with a capacity similar to a
standard inflatable. (Boat built by Ballentine’s Boat
Shop, www.ballentinesboatshop.com).

to the speed limit in most anchorages. Plus, I
spent a fair amount of time in my youth pulling the starting cord of a 1970s-vintage 3.5hp Eska motor, burning time and energy that
could have been otherwise spent at the oars.
Discovering good rowing dinghies was a liberating thing for me, and I hope I can convince
you of this, too.
I do acknowledge that for long distances
or for people with physical disabilities, a
small outboard can be a godsend. So can a
sailing rig. But for this basic discussion of
the elements of a good dinghy, we’ll deal
only with rowboats—good, old-fashioned,
rigid rowboats.

WOODENBOAT PUBLICATIONS, INC.
P.O. Box 78 (41 WoodenBoat Ln.), Brooklin, ME 04616 • Tel. 207–359–4651
www.GettingStartedinBoats.com • www.WoodenBoat.com
1–800–274–4936 (U.S. and Canada)

Subscribe to WoodenBoat Magazine: 1–800–274–4936
2 • Dinghy Considerations

(Supplement to WoodenBoat No.230)

—What Makes a Good Towing Dinghy? —

T

o understand the characteristics of a
good towing dinghy, it’s first helpful to
consider what makes a poor one. A badly
behaved dinghy under tow will track poorly, will
bury its bow in waves, and will drag water behind it. Let’s consider each of these vices, and
how to overcome them.
A poor-tracking boat will steer a sinuous
path behind the mothership. In snotty conditions and a following sea, it might even turn
sideways, roll over, and swamp. What makes
for poor tracking? The first culprit is often the
lack of an adequate skeg—that long, keel-like
protrusion on the bottom, aft. This so called
“lateral plane” keeps the after portion of the
boat going straight as it follows the lead of a
somewhat steerable bow. And what makes the
bow steerable? The absence of lateral plane.
Thus, we don’t want our dinghy to have a long,
straight, deep keel that runs forward to a deep
forefoot. This steerable bow will be tugged
along by the bow line—called the “painter”—
and should generally stay pointed at the stern
of the mothership.
The dinghy under tow will bury its bow in
cases where the bow is too fine or the “chin” of

the stem profile too deep in the water. Prambowed boats—those with transoms forward
as well as aft—will plow up more water than a
bow that comes to a point, and even take water aboard if the forward transom is not well
clear of the water when the boat is under tow.
If the boat has adequate curvature to its keel
profile—or “rocker”—then the bow transom
will clear the water and the boat under tow will,
appropriately, rock back onto its after sections
when it’s tugged along by its nose, lifting the
bow even higher. The shape I’m describing here
is yet another strike against outboard-powered
dinghies, which generally work best if they have
broad, buoyant sterns and straight runs aft—
just the opposite of what makes a boat tow well.
A rugged towing eye is important. Many boats
forgo the hardware, and employ a pair of holes
drilled through the sheerstrake to accommodate a line passed through them and encircling
the stem. That’s a good way to go and requires
no hardware. Although having the towline attached down low on the stem helps lift the bow
for improved tracking, this isn’t usually necessary. The motion of the boat through the water
should be enough to lift the bow.

Benjamin Mendlowitz

This gaggle of peapods—two plywood Doug Hylan-designed Beach Peas (see page 7) flanking a plank-onframe Jimmy Steele model (www.downeastpeapods.com)—display the good towing manners described
above.

Dinghy Considerations

(Supplement to WoodenBoat No.230)



3

Woodenboat

—What Makes a Good Rowing Dinghy? —

A good rowing dinghy is easy under oars and stable.

T

he first consideration for a good rowing
dinghy is its geometry. Do your hands hit
your knees on the recovery portion of
your stroke, when your blades are out of the water and moving forward to get another bite of it?
If so, that’s poor geometry: Your seat is too high
or your oarlocks too low.
Corollary to the geometry question is oar length
and style. All oars are not created equal; in fact,
most mass-produced, store-bought oars have
chunky, untapered looms (shafts), and clunky,
unrefined blades. They’ll turn you off from rowing almost as quickly as will rowing an inflatable
(see below). Do your hands cross when you pull
on the oars? Although that’s typical of competitive rowing craft, it’s overkill and awkward for a
simple dinghy. (For guidance on choosing oars of
the appropriate length, visit the Bonus Content
section of our website, www.woodenboat.com,
under “WoodenBoat Magazine.”)
Proper fore-and-aft trim is also very important to good rowing. The boat’s designed waterline should remain more or less level—even if
its painted waterline is submerged by the weight
of a load of gear and passengers. To remain level in various loading configurations, a dinghy
usually requires two rowing stations: a ’midship
station for a rower carrying either no passengers
or two passengers, one forward and one aft; and
a forward station for a rower who’s carrying a
passenger in the stern.
Perhaps the best way to understand what
makes a good rowing boat is to consider a famously poor-performing rower: the ubiquitous
inflatable, the most fashionable dinghy today.
4 • Dinghy Considerations

(Supplement to WoodenBoat No.230)

Visit almost any yacht club, marina, or municipal waterfront, and chances are that most of the
tenders will be inflatables—some with rigid bottoms, some not. Why is this? I credit the wildlife
documentaries of the 1970s and ’80s, in which
teams of cetacean researchers would observe
whales from inflatable Avon boats. Indeed, for a
brief time, before a host of other companies began manufacturing these craft, they were often
simply called “Avons.”
Inflatable dinghies have good qualities, but
these, I believe, are often outweighed by negative qualities that make them poor tenders:
They all have pitiful “oars” made of aluminum
tubing and plastic blades; they have a flat, shallow bottoms and no skegs to keep them tracking
straight, so in a crosswind they’d just as quickly
blow sideways as row forward; and they have
broad wooden transoms that tend to be immersed when the boat is under tow, and so they
tend to drag the harbor along with them. They
will move forward when you pull on the oars,
but when you stop pulling, they stop. A good
rowboat will continue gliding, or will “carry.”
Outboard power is really the only option for
moving an inflatable, and you already know how
I feel about that. Maneuvering an inflatable in
close quarters is almost always just an approximation of a good boat handling—especially if
there’s a crosswind.
This isn’t a polemic against inflatables. In fact,
I’ve been rather smitten with some of the larger,
faster rigid-bottom inflatables I’ve seen. To their
credit, the dinghy-style inflatables do have some
good qualities: They are self-fendering, so your

topsides are safe from poor landings—a good
thing, because that’s about the only type of land­
ing you can make with them; they can be de­
flated and then rolled up and stowed in a locker
for offshore voyaging; and they are extremely
buoyant.
There are three other seemingly contradic­
tory requirements for a good rowing dinghy:
bow and stern sections that are relatively fine
below the waterline and full above it; a bottom
profile that rises aft so the transom clears the
water; and broad, firm sections for stability. You
can have all of these things, as we’ll see in the

gallery of good designs on pages 6 and 7.
One other observation about rowability:
There are many boats that row well but don’t
make good dinghies. Consider that icon of the
Wooden Boat Revival, the Whitehall pulling
boat. Historically, they were meant to go fast
and straight under oars. But an authentic one
has a long, straight keel and a deeply immersed
forefoot, or chin, and this makes it a bear to
turn in tight quarters as well as dicey for towing.
Likewise, a long, narrow recreational wherry is a
joy to row, but not much of a boat for carrying
gear and passengers.

—What Makes a Good Stowing Dinghy? —

Dinghy Considerations

(Supplement to WoodenBoat No.230)

Amy Ballentine Stevens

B

y stowability, I mean both on the mother­
ship and on shore. If your expeditions be­
gin or end from a beach, is your dinghy
light enough to be carried above the high-water
mark by your crew—or can it be easily loaded
onto a cart? Or, as with the example on page 6,
does it have a wheel built into it, so it functions
like a wheelbarrow once beached? Is it built to
resist drying out during long stretches on deck,
as are the glued-lap plywood models such as the
Nutshell (page 6) and the Shellback (page 8)?
If you’re going offshore, you shouldn’t tow
your dinghy: Average bluewater conditions will
likely swamp it, and you’ll then have no choice
but to abandon it. That’s why offshore cruisers
carry their dinghies on deck. Can you easily get
your dinghy aboard and upside down on deck, if
that’s how you’re going to carry it? Larger boats
have davits—hoisting apparatus for their ten­
ders—located either on the stern or at the rail
amidships. On smaller boats without davits, a
halyard can come in handy for the lifting por­
tion of the operation. Once the boat is aboard,
is there space on deck to stow it? Do you have
chocks built into your deck to keep the dinghy
secure, and to serve as lashing points? Some din­
ghies are built to be broken apart into two piec­
es—a forward one and an after one—that can
be “nested” together as a single unit for stowing.
Early versions of nesting dinghies were a com­
promise on performance, but some recent ex­
amples—one of which is shown on page 7— If the size and style of the boat allow them, davits
have all but eliminated the compromise: You are an excellent means of carrying a dinghy aboard a
can now have your nice dinghy, and nest it, too. larger boat.



5

— A Gallery of Dinghy Designs

A Good All-around Dinghy
Joel White designed the Nutshell Pram in the
early 1980s in two sizes, 7' 7" and 9' 6". Both
boats have become quite popular as tenders, for
they have wide ’midship sections that allow
them to carry a load, and they have fine underwater sections forward and aft for good towing
and rowing. There’s ample buoyancy above the
waterline to keep them from settling too deep
in the water as they’re loaded down. At first
glance, they may appear to be simple prambowed boats, but one of the secrets to their
good manners is that they have a partial stem at
waterline level, giving them a sharp but shallow
entry. Rather than carry this stem out to a
pointed bow, White truncated the boat with a
forward transom to give it a manageable overall
length. An optional rig expands the boat’s
range for exploration and recreation in port.
The photo showing the yellow boat on deck is of
Jack Bassett’s 25' Vertue cutter (see page 72 of
this issue of WB). This Nutshell has been carried from Maine to the Azores and back.
The Nutshell Pram, under sail (right) and on the
deck of the Vertue cutter FLYING FISH approaching
the Azores (plans from The WoodenBoat Store,
www.woodenboatstore.com).
6 • Dinghy Considerations

(SUPPLEMENT TO WOODENBOAT NO.230)

WOODENBOAT SCHOOL

Ladybug Pram makes easy work of getting off
the beach (plans and finished boats from Bryan
Boatbuilding, www.harrybryan.com).

Harry Bryan designed this wheelbarrow boat
in two sizes (6' and 7') as an easily beachlaunched tender. While her wheel adds a bit
of drag when under tow, this is minimal, as
the wheel turns as water flows over it. The boat
will carry two average-sized people in calm
waters and one in a chop; thus, a larger dinghy tied astern of the mothership might be required in some cases, to return to the beach
to pick up the coolers and cousins. The oars
slide through holes in the transom to become
the wheelbarrow’s handles. Ladybug’s rails are
closer to the water than other dinghies such
as the Nutshell Pram (below), and her seats
are lower accordingly. She’s not meant to carry
much of a load of gear or people, or to sail, but
when there’s a long carry down the beach, the
Ladybug is a great friend.

JACK BASSETT

BRYAN GAGNER

A Wheelbarrow Boat

Different Boats for Different Situations—

AMY BALLENTINE STEVENS

Beach Pea

While too large to carry aboard most cruising boats,
Beach Pea has excellent towing characteristics and can
heft a load of gear and people (built by Ballentine’s
Boat Shop; plans and finished boats from D.N. Hylan
& Associates, www.dnhylanboats.com).

Doug Hylan’s Beach Pea is based on the working peapods of the Maine coat. But, built of
glued lapstrake plywood, it’s much lighter than
the carvel-planked originals, so is easily hauled
above the high tide mark by two people. With
its relatively broad ’midship section and firm
bilges, the boat carries a load of gear or people.
Because of its fine ends, it tows and rows beautifully; in fact, it needs no skeg to track straight,
because its fine stern settles into the water a bit
under tow, and a straight keel aids its tracking.
It has only one rowing station; with a passenger
on board, the rower simply reverses direction,
so the bow effectively becomes the stern. The
boat’s size, however, precludes it from being carried aboard most boats. This boat is available
from various builders, including designer Doug
Hylan.

The PT 11

PT WATERCRAFT (BOTH)

This 11'-long dinghy designed by Russell Brown
divides into two pieces to form a bundle measuring only 5' 10" in length, 4' 2" wide, and 1' 8"
high—an easily stowed package on the decks
of most cruising boats. The boat reportedly
rows very well, accelerating quickly, tracking
straight, and having good rowing geometry.
Sophisticated hardware allows for precise and
secure alignment of the halves—an operation
that can be conducted when the boat is afloat.
She’s been subjected to rigorous towing tests,
too—some at high speed—and has proven to
be a good follower behind the mothership.

The PT 11 is both a tender and an exciting daysailer
that can be reduced to a small bundle for stowing (kits
available from PT Watercraft, www.ptwatercraft.com.)
Dinghy Considerations

(SUPPLEMENT TO WOODENBOAT NO.230)



7

Amy Ballentine Stevens

— Protecting Your Investment —

This Joel White-designed Shellback dinghy has a nicely fitted and fastened rubrail on its gunwale; the boat
will be a good neighbor at the dinghy dock, and will be kind to the topsides of the mothership. (Plans for the
Shellback, which is also featured on the cover of this edition of Getting Started in Boats, are available from
The WoodenBoat Store, www.woodenboatstore.com.)

I

Gunwale Guard, Bow Pudding,
and Oar Leathers

f your own boat, or any of those you’ll be
visiting, has nicely finished topsides, then
you need gunwale guard. This stuff is essentially a long rod of dense foam rubber covered in canvas or heavy synthetic cloth. A pieshaped quarter of the section of the tube is cut
away along its length, so the gunwale guard
may be fitted to the top outboard corner of a
dinghy’s gunwale and fastened.
A little extra padding is sometimes required
at the bow. You can get fancy and make a nice

rope bow pudding (see WB No. 109), or you
can tack the heel of a non-marking rubbersoled boot (an L.L. Bean duck-hunting boot is
the standard for this) on your stemhead.
Finally, if you have a nice set of oars, they’ll
need a nice set of leathers to keep them from
getting chewed up by your oarlocks. They
should be stitched in place, and not tacked.
Instructions on how to do this appeared in
WB No. 127, and are reprinted on our website (www.woodenboat.com) under the Bonus
Content section.
Matthew P. Murphy is editor of WoodenBoat.

Getting Started in Boats is dedicated to those who are new to boats and boatbuilding.
Please tear out and pass along your copy to someone you know who will be interested.
Earlier volumes of Getting Started are available in past issues of WoodenBoat, and as PDF (electronic) files, from
The WoodenBoat Store. Please refer to the web pages, at: www.woodenboat.com/wbmag/getting-started

8 • Dinghy Considerations

(Supplement to WoodenBoat No.230)

WoodenBoat’s Boatbuilding & Rowing Challenge (BARC) is a grassroots effort to involve communities and,
in our specific case, high school programs, in the team-building aspects of boatbuilding and then
competitively rowing one specific boat: Iain Oughtred's 22', 330 pound St. Ayles Skiff,
with a crew of four rowers and one helmsperson (coxswain).

North American Championship

JuNe 28–30, 2013

at the WoodenBoat Show, Mystic , CT
For further information, please see our website: http://BARC.woodenboat.com

chris perkins

peter nisbet

The Goal — Bring new people to wooden boats!

The Solution —
GETTING STARTED

IN

BOATS,

a removable supplement included in
every issue of WoodenBoat.

This publication is produced for the
absolute beginner; for your family,
friends, and neighbors, members of local
community groups, colleagues at work—
the people you know who should be
inspired into boats and boating.
Share your passion!
To download previous issues of Getting Started that you might
have missed, please visit www.woodenboatstore.com.

WoodenBoat Publications
41 WoodenBoat Lane, Brooklin, ME 04616
207–359–4651 • www.woodenboat.com

January/February 2013 • 17

WB230_Pg17Fracts.indd 17

11/20/12 4:14 PM

FRANCES BUERKEN

■ “When Chewonki Camp
for Girls opened for 2012,
few of the arriving campers
knew much about wood-andcanvas canoes—much less
how to build them,” writes
Abby Burbank, the Girls
Camp Director at the
Chewonki Foundation based
in Wiscasset, Maine (www.
chewonki.org). “By the time
they went home, these same
girls had developed a new
vocabulary, new skills, and
made a new boat. Today,
they can speak eloquently
Girls at a Chewonki wilderness camp at
about ribs, rails, and thwarts
Fourth Debsconeag Lake, Maine, build
and the woods used for
traditional wood-and-canvas canoes over the
them. What is the difference
summer.
between white cedar and
to plan, discover, and act both indepen- red cedar? They now know how to
dently and as a team in an unpredict- steam and bend ribs, how to cut and
able environment. In today’s society that fit planking, how to carve and cane a
so deeply favors predictability, the marine seat, how to stretch and fill the canvas.
environment and River Rangers offers Best of all, they know what it feels like
one of the few settings where young to launch a boat they’ve built with
adults are exposed to conditions that their own hands and paddle it across a
are unpredictable and thereby require lake.”
Girls have long made paddles at the
planning, experimentation, and teamwork, but at the same time do not camp, which is in a wilderness setting at
Fourth Debsconeag Lake. But Burbank,
expose them to unmanageable risks.”

herself an avid paddler and canoe builder,
saw no reason why they couldn’t build
an entire wood-and-canvas canoe. “They
just belong naturally in this pristine
wilderness,” she wrote.
“Since there is limited time, the girls
begin with precut ribs and planking so
they may have the satisfaction of seeing
their boats completed during the summer. I enjoy watching the participants’
eyes open as they learn. They start with
new skills, such as learning to use a
hammer, block plane, rabbet plane, and
spokeshave. In addition, they learn
about the properties of wood. Once
past that, they use these skills and
knowledge to build the boat. Bending
ribs around the form, fitting the planking to get tight joints, taking the boat
off the form, and stretching the canvas
are all exciting steps to complete the
process. When these canoe builders
come back to Chewonki with their
daughters in 30 years, they can say, ‘I
built that.’
“Part of the reason it has taken hold
is because so many people at Chewonki
have a passion for woodworking and for
wooden boats. There’s a great history
here, and now Girls Camp has created
a new chapter in it.”

Great Lakes Boat Building School

Here today.

A job tomorrow.
“It blew my mind to see the skills a couple students brought to my
business after only one year at the school. I immediately hired them
both, full-time.” Brad Koster, owner Mertaugh Boat Works
“I took the full 2-year program and it was outstanding. I credit GLBBS
for my being where I am today, which is working for one of the leading
custom boat builders in the world.” Brock Tyner, Class of 2012
“Attending GLBBS allowed me to develop the necessary skills. Started
working the Monday after graduation.” Geoffrey Hamilton, Class of 2011
“GLBBS provides a high quality of education in wooden boat building, demonstrating superior craftsmanship.”
Thomas M. Mertaugh, owner Classic and Antique Boats, Ltd.

CLASSIC WOODWORKING
TRADITIONAL & COMPOSITE
WOODEN BOAT BUILDING DEGREE PROGRAMS
YACHT JOINERY

“I was offered an apprenticeship at Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum prior to graduating. My education and training at GLBBS were
an excellent foundation for working on historic, large boats. The
smaller class size and highly personal instruction have proven to be
great advantages.” Bud McIntire, Class of 2011
“Excellent instruction fosters excellent students and GLBBS delivers
on both, graduating the kind of students we look to hire.”
Steve Van Dam, Van Dam Boats

Les Cheneaux Islands, Michigan 906.484.1081

www.glbbs.org

18 • WoodenBoat 230

Currents230_FINAL_ADS.indd 18

11/20/12 3:48 PM

■ The name “Beetle” was nearly synonymous with whaleboats in New Bedford, Massachusetts, in the late 19th
century, before the company turned its
methods to the production of catboats
bearing the same famous name. Today,
however, the Beetle Boat Shop—at least
for a time—is back in the whaleboat
business. “The Beetle Shop was excited
to begin work on a new Beetle whaleboat for the New Bedford Whaling
Museum, one of several being built for
the relaunching of the whaleship
CHARLES W. MORGAN at Mystic Seaport,” Michelle Buoniconto writes from
the yard. “A historically significant partnership was formed, with the New Bedford Whaling Museum seeking to
preserve the history of New Bedford as
the 19th-century whaling capital of the
world, and the Beetle shop seeking to preserve its history of being world renowned
for building whaleboats.
“With the whaling industry dying
out, it was in 1921 that the CHARLES W.
MORGAN went on her last voyage. At the
same time, the Beetle family had turned
to building pleasure craft, namely the

12' Beetle Cat sailboat. The
construction methods and
materials used to build the
Beetle Cat evolved from years
of building the Beetle whaleboats.
“Lofting began in early
September 2012. The backbone
setup progressed quickly, with
the steam-bent white oak stem
and sternpost being attached
to the rabbeted keel and then
placed on the strongback.
Planking has been finished for a 28’ whale boat
Molds and ribbands were then
under construction at Beetle Boat Shop—the first
put in place to obtain the
time since 1933 that the company has built one.
lines and shape of the hull.
The boat will be on exhibit at the New Bedford
The made-to-order clench
Whaling Museum.
nails arrived just in time to
begin planking in early October. The gar- New Bedford museum, where she’ll be
boards and top two cedar planks were used, among other things, for whalelapstrake; the rest of the planks were boat races.
‘wumped’ (cupped) and installed with Beetle Boat Shop, 3 Thatcher Ln., Wareham,
batten-seams,” to create a smooth hull MA 02571; 508–295–8585; www.beetlecat.
that would not startle the prey. “As of com. New Bedford Whaling Museum, 18
this writing, the oak inwales and guard- Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA 02740;
rail were being made. This Beetle 508–997–0046; www.whalingmuseum.org.
whaleboat is scheduled to be on display
at the New Bedford Whaling Museum ■ Jack McCarthy has sold his Wooden
in June, 2013.” She is expected to be Boat Shop, Inc., which he founded in
aboard the MORGAN for the ship’s sail- 1979 in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Butch Davis
ing voyage of 2014, then return to the of Cincinnati. Davis has experience

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January/February 2013 • 19

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11/20/12 3:33 PM

restoring classic runabouts of the type
the shop has made a specialty, plus he has
20 years of management and manufacturing experience. According to a press
release, McCarthy and his wife, Tina,
will continue to be a part of the business. The shop also specializes in stocking parts and products needed by those
restoring wooden boats, and provides
technical assistance to its clients.
The Wooden Boat Shop, 6569 Gracely Dr.,
Cincinnati, OH, 45233; 513–941–7281;
www.woodenboatshop.com.

Her reconstruction was complete. even
down to the gold-rimmed plates in the
officers’ mess. The navy even recommissioned her. The International Register of Historic Ships considers her
the fourth-oldest armed frigate, after

WILLIAM C. WINSLOW

COURTESY BUTCH DAVIS

Butch Davis has purchased the
Wooden Boat Shop in Cincinnati,
Ohio, which specializes in classic
wooden runabouts.

■ “In 1998, Lisbon’s harbor sported
what appeared to be a brand-new sailing ship to remind citizens of the
country’s glorious maritime history,”
William C. Winslow of New York writes
after a visit to Portugal. “But DOM FERNANDO was not brand-new; she was
launched in 1843, and after a 1963 fire
lay in the mud for decades before she
was raised. Built almost entirely of teak,
she was launched at the Portuguese
colony of Goa in India. Although the
ship carried 60 cannons, she spent most
of her time transporting military units,
settlers, and colonial administrators to
Portugal’s far-flung but steadily shrinking colonies. She made her last voyage
in 1878, then became a floating gunnery school until 1940, then a seamanship school for poor teenagers until the
1963 fire.
“In 1990, a group of patriotic citizens
convinced the navy and the National
Commission of the Portuguese Discoveries that the country’s pride rested
in the old ship’s bones. With government money and public help, funds
were raised and so was the ship. When
Expo Lisbon opened its gates in 1998,
the DOM FERNANDO, the country’s last
wooden warship, became an instant hit.

DOM FERNANDO, an 1843 Portuguese
warship that was raised and restored
in time for Expo Lisbon in 1998, has
been undergoing a round of work.

NEW on
WoodenBoat.com

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www.woodenboat.com/build-boat
Become a WoodenBoat.com community member today, for free.

20 • WoodenBoat 230

Currents230_FINAL_ADS.indd 20

11/20/12 3:34 PM

■ “In October 2011, the shipwrights of
North Atlantic Shipbuilding & Repair
of Montville, Maine, migrated to Oyster Bay, New York, to begin construction of the IDA MAY,” writes Kimberly
Reed of Boothbay, Maine, who has been
volunteering on the project. “She will
be a replica of the original IDA MAY, an
oyster dragger built by Frank M. Flower
& Sons in the 1920s. The Flowers fished
the original boat for 75 years, then
donated her to Oyster Bay’s Waterfront
Center. Inspired by the CHRISTEEN
Oyster Sloop Preservation Corp., which
10 years earlier enlisted North Atlantic
Shipbuilding to reconstruct the 1883
traditional oyster sloop of that name,
the IDA MAY Project was started as a
partner organization.
“The IDA MAY Project’s mission is to
help preserve and share the maritime
heritage traditions of the Oyster Bay

region, one of the most influential sailing ports on the East
Coast. CHRISTEEN and IDA MAY
represent the progression of both
shipbuilding and the oyster industry and will offer immeasurable
opportunities for youth, community members, and visitors to
understand local aquaculture
ecosystems via educational sailing excursions.
“Shipwright David Short,
owner of North Atlantic Shipbuilding & Repair, along with
shipwright Andrew Nencheck of
Boothbay, are captaining the creation of the new IDA MAY. David
and Andrew have extensive shipbuilding experience on construction and
restoration projects around the country. Their work on IDA MAY has been
assisted by apprentice Levi Johnston,
along with a crew of local volunteers
mustered by the Project’s President,
Clint Smith.
“McCurdy & Rhodes Naval Architects of Oyster Bay designed the dragger, closely replicating the original
Flower design while adhering to U.S.
Coast Guard specifications. In less than
four months’ time, the shipwrights and

A replica of
a 50', 1920s
oyster dragger
is under
construction
in Oyster Bay,
New York.

KIMBERLY REED

USS CONSTITUTION, USS CONSTELLATION, and HMS VICTORY.
“When I was there in 2012, the vessel
was dry-docked for another upgrade,
which involved recaulking plank seams,
replacing rotten timbers, rerigging, and
repainting. There’s even talk about her
sailing again.”

their crew lofted the vessel, laid the
keel, and erected all the frames. At
present, she has 3" double-sawn white
oak frames fastened with Long Island
black locust trunnels and iron bolts to
a 10" × 10" × 43' white oak backbone.
Upon completion, she will be 50' long,
18' wide, and displace 83,000 lbs.” Reed
says the project has slowed while waiting for fundraising to catch up—about
$500,000 is still needed.
The IDA MAY Project, c/o The CHRISTEEN Preservation Corp., P.O. Box 386,
Oyster Bay, NY 11771; idamayproject@
gmail.com.

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PETER HIGGS

“was built at Sandy Bay, Tasmania, Australia, in 1880 by local
boatbuilder George Luckman
for H.W. Knight to compete in
the 28' class,” in active local sail
racing. “She was the ninth yacht
registered with the Derwent
Sailing Club, which became
the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania. The hull shape of TERRA
LINNA is derived from the Tasmanian whaleboat, which was
developed from the American
whaleboat. Built of Huon pine
to a length of 28' to 32' feet,
TERRA LINNA , a 28’ whaleboat-inspired racing
the Tasmanian whaleboats were
yacht from 1880, has been fully restored in
more lightly constructed than
Tasmania.
the American vessels, splendid
sea boats under sail and swift when
rowed. TERRA LINNA is one of a very
small number, and possibly the only
t’s a small world, we know, but as surviving example, of a pleasure yacht
we’re often reminded, mariners have of this design.”
The boat is built with batten-seam
always known that. One example comes
from Peter Higgs of Tasmania, who saw planking, in which the seams are
similarities between a boat the Wooden backed with an inside batten to which
Boat Guild of Tasmania is restoring and the planks are fastened. However, the
the CHARLES W. MORGAN whaleboats uppermost two of the nine strakes per
written up in WB No. 226 and seen side are lapstrake—or “clinker-built”
above in the Beetle Boat Shop whale- in the Australian parlance. That, Higgs
boat. “ TERRA LINNA ,” Higgs writes, observed, is a construction feature

Offcuts

I

shared with the American whaleboats
being built for Mystic Seaport’s 1841
whaleship. The intent was to add longitudinal strength up high but leave a
smooth hull below the waterline so that
water purling in the plank laps would
not alert a whale of a boat’s approach.
“The use of the clinker planks is significant in that it has helped the lightly
built Huon pine hull retain its shape,
despite the deterioration of the blackwood frames,” Higgs said. The boat has
been in restoration since 2003, starting with lines-taking and stabilizing
the hull. By 2008, the restoration had
begun in earnest. In 2010, the boat
was added to the Australian Register
of Historic Vessels. As much original
material as possible has been retained.
All of her planking had to be replaced,
though pieces were recycled as seam
battens. She was reframed with fresh
Huon pine, too, but her original floor
timbers, bilge stringers, seat risers, keel,
stem, and sternpost were retained. All
the restoration work matched original
specifications and techniques, and the
work was done mainly by volunteers,
under the guidance of lead boatbuilder
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22 • WoodenBoat 230

Currents230_FINAL_ADS_rev1.indd 22

11/21/12 11:09 AM

MATTHEW P. MuRPHY (BOTH)

Above­— Boats line the docks at the Georgetown, South Carolina,
Wooden Boat Festival. Left—Under the event’s big tent, teams compete
to build high-quality skiffs in short time.

23 at the Bellerive Yacht Club in Tasmania. We are now proceeding with stepping
the mast and completing the rigging.
TERRA LINNA , circa 1880, will sail again
at the 2013 Australian Wooden Boat
Festival,” Higgs promises. For information,
see www.woodenboatguildtas.org.au.

W

hich reminds us: The Australian
Wooden Boat Festival is coming
up shortly, on February 8–11 in Hobart,
Tasmania. For full information, see www.
australianwoodenboatfestival.com.au.

O

n the third weekend of October,
WoodenBoat editor Matt Murphy

attended the Georgetown (South Carolina) Wooden Boat Show. “It was a
supernova of a festival,” Matt reports.
“There was a week’s worth of energy
packed into one day. Georgetown is an
idyllic waterfront town, and its main
street is closed to car traffic on the
morning of the show. Then the boats
take over: Classic powerboats, performance rowing craft, daysailers, a steamboat, and other interesting watercraft
line the sidewalks. On the waterfront,
a host of larger craft gather; this year’s
fleet included an Atkin Ninigret, a
Chris-Craft Sea Skiff, a Chesapeake Bay
buyboat, a vintage 36' wooden Grand

Banks trawler, a Simmons Sea Skiff,
and even a Maine-built Bunker & Ellis
lobsterboat that’s used for cruising.
“Among the highlights of the Show
is the Boatbuilding Challenge, in which
teams of two race the clock to build a
rowing skiff, and then launch and race
it at the end of the day. This is serious
business to these teams; because points
are awarded for craftsmanship and onwater performance, and not just for
speed of construction, the boats are
‘keepers,’ and not dumpster-bound
concoctions. Skip White and Dave Lowe
won the challenge overall this year (second in time, first in quality, and third

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11/20/12 3:34 PM

A

tip of the hat and a raise of the pint,
if you please, for the Old Gaffers
Association, an English-born landmark
of passion for traditional rigs and historic boats. When the OGA started in
1963, it gathered together like-minded
people who were devoted to the proposition that interesting boats should not
perish from this Earth, which at the
time seemed like a distinct possibility.
This year, with a round of celebratory
activities that will include a regatta with
a 2,000-mile course circumnavigating
Great Britain, the OGA will mark 50 years
as a guardian of maritime heritage.
The Round Britain Challenge will
start April 20 with the fleet gathering
in Essex, in the port of Maldon, which
is where the organization was founded.

The course is clockwise with stops on
the south coast and in Wales, Ireland,
and Scotland before returning to Essex
for the annual East Coast Race out of
Brightlingsea.
Apparently, that won’t be quite enough
to satisfy the gaff sailors, though. Many
boats of the fleet will continue on to
Cowes on the Isle of Wight for an August
15–18 “Gathering of Gaffers,” which
promises to be the largest-ever event of
its type, with more than 200 boats
expected to attend. What the boats have
in common is traditional rig—not just
gaff rig but luggers and sprit-rigged
boats, as well, ranging in size from Optimist dinghies to the largest pilot boats
and in finish from workboats to finely
finished yachts.
In addition, a commemorative book,
Sailing Gaffers by Viv Head, is being
published this year to tell the tale of the
association. A compilation of gaff-rig
owners’ stories and photos of their boats,
the book covers the OGA in Britain and
beyond; the association has 11 regional
chapters all over the British Isles and
affiliated chapters in The Netherlands,
France, Western Australia, and British
Columbia.
The OGA has an informative website,

www.oldgaffersassociation, and an associated site, www.oga50.org, specifying
details of the year’s events and listing
boats expected to participate in each of
the events (with computer tracking set
up for the regatta).

SUE LEWIS/OLD GAFFERS ASSOCIATION

in rowing), with a time of 3 hours, 3
minutes, and 49 seconds. The record
of 2 hours, 44 minutes, and 41 seconds
was set by Dan Sherman and John Lammonds in 2011. With sister events in
Southport North Carolina; Beaufort,
North Carolina; and midcoast Maine,
the Georgetown Challenge is part of a
growing national series of such events.
See www.woodenboatshow.com for more
information.

TRANSCUR will be among the boats
sailing in the 2013 Round Britain
Challenge sponsored by the Old
Gaffers Association. An Essex fishing
smack built in 1889, she has been
restored by Peter and Clare Thomas
and sails extensively on the east coast
of England and across the North Sea to
The Netherlands for family holidays.

Talk directly with the builder
of your next boat

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24 • WoodenBoat 230

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11/21/12 11:10 AM

peaking of worthy English efforts
to preserve maritime heritage, the
Albert Strange Association, which is
devoted to boats designed by its name­
sake, has taken an extraordinary step to
try to save one of its own. The ASA is
forming, and funding, a limited liability company in England to take owner­
ship of the 1910 gaff-topsail cutter
BETTY, which lies in Brookings, Oregon. At 47' 5", she is one of Strange’s
largest yachts. Renamed TALLY HO in
1913, she went on to win the 1927 Fast­
net Race, and after many years of racing
and decades of ocean cruising, she
ended up in Hawaii, where a fisherman
from Brookings bought her.
“She fished out of Brookings from
1978 into the 1990s,” ASA member
Thad Danielson of Massachusetts
writes, “repeatedly sailing to the South
Pacific, before being abandoned in
her Brookings berth when her owner
moved to Hawaii. By 2006, the ASA
knew TALLY HO, known as ESCAPE in
the Pacific fishery, was in trouble. In
2008, the Port of Brookings sold her
at auction to local artist, fisherman,
and shipwright Manuel Lopez, who
undertook to restore her with the idea
of making her a showpiece for Brook­

HUGH BROWTON/
ALBERT STRANGE ASSC.

S

To save TALLY HO, ex– BETTY, the
Albert Strange Association formed
a company to take charge of the
yacht and search for a new owner.
A volunteer with the association
braced and covered the hull in
Brookings, Oregon.

ings. He did extensive work on the
hull, but he died in early 2010 with­
out having got her back in the water.
Yard fees to the Port of Brookings have
been accumulating, with no one step­
ping forward to continue Mr. Lopez’s
effort. Last fall, the port was preparing
to foreclose on her again.
“It seemed to be in the nick of time
that we contacted the manager of the
Port of Brookings, who generously agreed

to move her to a less­expensive location,
waive past­due fees, and arrange for
transfer of title,” provided the new com­
pany could pay storage fees going for­
ward. “A member in nearby Gold Beach
has emerged as our spokesman with the
port, has taken pictures of TALLY HO
showing her condition in new detail,
and has undertaken construction of a
cover to protect her from the winter
rain.
“Now, the real work begins, to find
someone interested in undertaking the
restoration of TALLY HO. The 90th­
anniversary Fastnet comes up in 2015,
which should raise interest in this boat,
so important in the early years of that
race and in the history of small yacht
ocean racing generally.”
Contact the ASA, Sun House, Hall Farm
Ln., Aldeburgh, Suffolk 1P15 5GY, U.K., or
email [email protected].

A

1914 canal boat that served first as a
coal and salt carrier on the canals
of northwest England, then was recon­
figured in the early 1950s as a liveaboard
boat for an orchestra musician and his
wife, is now entering a new phase of life.
HAZEL is going through an extensive
reconstruction in Stalybridge, Greater

January/February 2013 • 25

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11/21/12 11:10 AM

HAZEL was donated to the Wooden
Canal Boat Society, which recognized
the need for a total rebuild but nursed
the boat along as best it could. “The
WCBS has a policy of putting restored
boats to work on projects that benefit
the community, rather than just having
them as museum exhibits,” Leah said.
“As some members had personal experience of depression, and canal boating is
known to lift the spirits, HAZEL was earmarked as a boat to help people recover

The

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Thirteen for 2013: the 46’-9” cruising sloop NELLIE
is on the cover, and there’s a different shot of her inside.
You’ll see the stunning SPIRIT OF BERMUDA, an 86’
schooner basking in the sunlight and a dark, threatening sky.
There’s a pair of 12-½’s (one Herreshoff, one Haven), plus a
beautiful peapod, a Baybird, and the year ends at the
Crosby yard with a Wianno Senior. Photos by Benjamin
Mendlowitz, captions by Maynard Bray. Opens to 12˝ x 24˝.

CHRIS LEAH

Manchester, with a November launching
anticipated.
“The craft of wooden boat building,
canal history, and looking after people’s
mental well-being are not obvious bedfellows,” Chris Leah writes, “but the
restoration brings all these elements
together in an innovative project to
restore the old boat and put her to work
providing waterway holidays for people
under stress or recovering from stressrelated illness.” Some 20 years ago,

A humble coal-carrying canal boat
from 1914 that later served as a
liveaboard will see new duty,
traversing canals, sometimes drawn
by horse, to calm people suffering
from stress. HAZEL is being restored
in Stalybridge, England.

from depression,” but the funding fell
short. By broadening the mission, a collaboration between Tameside’s Health
and Social Well Being Commissioners
and the canal boat enthusiasts put the
project back on track.
“In July 2011, HAZEL was dragged
from the Huddersfield Narrow Canal,
and a combination of professional boatbuilders and volunteers set to work to
carefully dismantle, then faithfully reconstruct the old boat, now the last of her
type.” HAZEL will start transiting the
canal and its 74 locks in spring 2013,
sometimes horse-drawn as she was orginally. In the off-season, she’ll provide “long
and short breaks at as low a price as possible for local people identified as being
in need of an opportunity to unwind.”
Couldn’t we all use a little of that?
See www.wcbs.org.uk for additional
information.

P

ast crew members of REGINA
MARIS (see WB No. 149) are plan-

ning a reunion for those who served
during any stage of the globe-girdling
barkentine’s career. Built in 1908 by
Ring-Andersen in Denmark (see WB
No. 150), she had a varied career as a
cargo-carrier before being converted
by Norwegian circumnavigators in the
1960s, followed by charter service in the
early ’70s. She is arguably most noted
for her 1976–87 high-profile voyages for
the Ocean Research Education Society
to call attention to the plight of whales.
She limped through the ’90s as a deteriorating shoreside attraction before
being broken up in 2002 in Glen Cove,
New York. The crew reunion will be
September 6–8, 2013, at the Gloucester (Massachusetts) Maritime Heritage
Center.
For more information, contact Regina
Maris c/o 3151 Troy Ave., Cincinnati, OH
45213; [email protected].

I

t will not come as news to anyone as
these words are published in January

26 • WoodenBoat 230
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Currents230_FINAL_ADS.indd 26

11/14/12 9:57:49 AM

11/20/12 3:35 PM

2013 that on October 29, 2012, the replica ship BOUNTY foundered during
Hurricane Sandy off Cape Hatteras.
Two lives were lost. One was Claudene
Christian, coincidentally a descendant
of Fletcher Christian of the original
BOUNTY ’s famous 1789 mutiny; the
other was Capt. Robin Walbridge,
whose body was not recovered. Fourteen other crew were saved. The ship,
120' on deck, was launched in 1961 at
Smith & Rhuland in Lunenburg, Nova
Scotia, for the film Mutiny on the BOUNTY
starring Marlon Brando.
The Internet—including our own
WoodenBoat Forum—was alive with news
as the tragedy unfolded. As is usual with
the Internet, there is much dross with the
alloy, but one video stood out above all
others. Posted on the U.S. Coast Guard
website (see it at www.woodenboat.com/
bonus-content), the video constituted
11 minutes and 24 seconds of the most
compelling rescue footage seen anywhere, anytime. It was recorded by a
fixed camera on a helicopter’s cable
hoist housing. Time and again the rescue swimmer helps a survivor into a
hoisting basket as 18' waves pass by, and
time and again he is hoisted partway
aloft to drag him back within swimming
range of the life raft. The pilot kept the
craft remarkably steady in 40 knots of
wind, with the co-pilot calling out the
seconds available until the next wave,
and watching for rogues.
Many words will be spoken and written
in the months and years to come about
the BOUNTY tragedy, but not one will
cast anything but the highest praise on
the Coast Guard rescue, one of the most
impressive displays of professionalism I
can recall ever having seen.

in the 1970s he also took to traditional
boatbuilding, starting off with an Asa
Thomson skiff. Even though his only
boatbuilding education was a weekend
lofting course with John Gardner at Mystic Seaport, he went on to build many
other boats. Among these were LILY, an
L. Francis Herreshoff–designed Prudence 22' cruising sloop that became
a regular sight on Lake Champlain,
and IRIS, a Joel White–designed double-ender. “He delighted in learning,

always ready to pick up another trade
or new technique,” his friend Georg
Hinteregger writes. “Whatever the technical challenges, he welcomed them.”
Along the way, he taught himself bird’smouth sparmaking, vacuum-bagging,
bronze casting, sailmaking, and other
skills. He never lost his passion for it;
when he died, he left unfinished his last
hull, a double-ender designed by Joel
White after Aage Nielsen’s NORTHERN
CROWN design.

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Across the bar
■ James McGuiggan, 92, October 4,
2012, Bath, Maine. A machinist, Mr.
McGuiggan served in the U.S. Army
during World War II, after which he
worked at Bath Iron Works until retiring in 1988. For 30 years, he was a volunteer boatbuilding instructor for
eighth-graders at Maine Maritime
Museum, and at WoodenBoat School he
taught courses in making black-powder
salute cannons. (A clamp he developed
was portrayed in WB No. 193.)
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learned in his youth with him to Vermont in the 1960s, when he became part
of the “hippie invasion” of the state. He
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January/February 2013 • 27

Currents230_FINAL_ADS.indd 27

11/20/12 3:36 PM

RUTHERFORD B. HAYES PRESIDENTIAL CENTER

The Ohio Pound-Net Boat

A rugged tool for Lake Erie’s fishermen
by William John Kohler
“Early some Summer morning, after the ice has floated away
on the current and dashed itself in a thousand fragments over
the Niagara precipice, if one chances to be in a hamlet upon
the shores of Lake Erie, an early riser and fond of marine
scenery, a walk to the shore will be well worth the trouble. A
fleet of white-winged boats, too wide of beam to be yachts, and
lacking sail measurement for purely pleasure craft, will spread
their canvas to the first puffs of the off-dash shore breeze and
glide away in company till they are grey specks upon a sharplydefined horizon. The shimmer of the blue and green as varying
depths of water define themselves, the curling and foaming of
white caps, the jerky dip of the rather uncouth fishing boats
as they make their way over the tiny swells are sure to arouse
whatever latent sentiment may exist in the beholder for ‘a life
on the ocean wave.’ ”
——◆——
uch were the Ohio pound-net boats, on a good day,
as they made their way in numbers to the many
nets set up throughout southwest Lake Erie during the last half of the 1800s and into the early 1900s.
Sturdy, open, flat-bottomed working ketches, the
pound-net boats were built expressly for their purpose.
Although their use was locally prolific, not a single
example is known to have survived. The type would be

S

lost to history but for scattered descriptions, like the
almost poetic lines above published without a byline
in The New York Times in 1892. These descriptions,
together with illustrations, photographs, and models,
compose a rich picture of a local boat type used in a
backbreaking trade.
Pound-net fishing was not unique to Lake Erie, but
by 1850 the method had become widespread in the
lake’s southwestern shoal waters, having been introduced there by two Connecticut men. In the spring
of 1855, Lorenzo Anthony, a successful fisherman
and the first commodore of the Sandusky Yacht Club,
became the first to adapt pound-netting for deeper
water. Pound-net fishing then spread quickly over
the succeeding several years, to Lake Michigan, Lake
Superior, and Lake Huron.

F

or those who do not appreciate the wickedness
of weather and waves on the Great Lakes, tying
immensely heavy nets to stakes driven into the
lakebed may seem to be no exceptional feat. But those
waters can most certainly kick up dangerous conditions. Although Lake Erie would never see waves of
the height seen in the ocean or in much larger Lake

Above—Fishermen transported nets aboard their boats to set them up seasonally on Lake Erie. Here, a crew loads a net at
Kelleys Island, a center of pound-net fishing about 12 miles due north of Sandusky, Ohio. The ketch-rigged boats ranged from
24’ to 42' long.

28 • WoodenBoat 230

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11/16/12 1:19 PM

RUTHERFORD B. HAYES PRESIDENTIAL CENTER

Michigan, Erie’s relatively shallow depth and east–west
fetch frequently cause sudden, extreme wave conditions. Undoubtedly, pound-net fishermen faced peril
on turbulent waters, and damage to nets and stakes
must have been commonplace.
Nonetheless, pound-net fishing, and fishing in general, became big business. Sandusky, Ohio, became the
world’s largest market for freshwater fish, and other
towns that dotted the shores of southwest Lake Erie,
such as Kelleys Island, Vermilion, and Huron, also
played a part. The growth of these fisheries was fueled
by a simple innovation: frozen fish. By his own account,
Lorenzo Anthony in 1854 was the first to freeze his
catch for market.
Throughout the Great Lakes, commercial fishing
was in full swing by 1870 and continued to intensify.

RUTHERFORD B. HAYES PRESIDENTIAL CENTER

SANDUSKY LIBRARY

Right—The
entrepreneur Lorenzo
Dow Anthony, a
native of Watertown,
New York, who
moved to Sandusky
with his family as
a child, is credited
with introducing
frozen fish to the
market. Also the
first commodore of
the Sandusky Yacht
Club, he’s seen here
at the wheel of his
yacht. Far right—In
1898, the Sandusky
Fish Company at
Kosters Dock had a
fleet of piledrivers
used in setting poles
on which pound nets
were hung.

Between 1869 and 1884, the Great Lakes produced an
average of 1,000 tons of frozen fish per year—or about
12,000,000 fish. Yet that sum composed only one-fifth
of the total Great Lakes catch; the rest of the fish were
marketed fresh.
Although many types of sailing craft served the Great
Lakes fisheries during the last half of the 19th century,
in southwest Lake Erie the pound-net boat was predominant. Simple in design and function, it was rugged, utilitarian, and honest, without pretense or embellishment.
Form most definitely followed function.
In addition to photographs and illustrations, general dimensions and other attributes were recorded in
Henry Hall’s 1880s report on the country’s shipbuilding. His original handwritten notes are archived at the
Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport, Maine. Hall’s
“Report on the Ship-Building Industry of the United
States,” published in 1884 by the U.S. Department of
the Interior, is an astoundingly detailed and rich depiction of the era’s boats, among them the “Ohio sharpie,”
as he called it:
“Along the Ohio coast the sharpie...is the favorite of the
fisherman. This fashion came from Connecticut along
with the large percentage of the population of that state.
The mouths of the Huron, Black, and other rivers are
full of this class of boats, which are pulled up into the
bulrushes on the flats when not in use. They are large,
open boats, each carrying an anchor and often a chain.
The average size of a sharpie is 36 feet long, 10½ feet
wide, and 3 feet deep, being thus a fuller, heavier, and
more capacious boat than a Connecticut sharpie of the
same length. It takes two men 17 days to build one, and
its value, when finished, is about $225. While 36 feet is
the average and popular length, the boats vary in size,

Left—The Ohio sharpies had a simply handled two-mast rig,
and they could be rowed or towed when the wind failed.
January/February 2013 • 29

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11/16/12 1:19 PM

ommercial fishing on the Great Lakes
began in a relatively small way around
the time of the War of 1812, on Lake Ontario’s Chaumont Bay, in the Maumee River that
flows into Lake Erie, and on the Detroit River.
Significant growth occurred in the 1830s and
1840s due to a variety of factors, including the
movement of settlers into the region, evolving entrepreneurship, and the development
of railroad lines by which fish could be trans- The Jarecki Chemical Company of Sandusky in 1894 documented Lake
ported to distant markets. Growth continued Erie pound-net fishermen offloading their catch to be processed into
until the depression of the late 1850s, then fertilizer, and in that year the company sent its largest single shipment—
resumed in the 1860s, in part due to civilian a “solid train of 41 cars loaded with fertilizers” bound for Indiana.
demand resulting from the diversion of meat to
the Union Army. Growth then continued until
its zenith toward the end of the century.
dealer A. Alfred Booth said of the Great Lakes fisherThe pound net fishery of western Lake Erie—run- ies: “It did not take long for capital to see the rewards
ning from Cleveland to the mouth of the Detroit River— which might be gained by reaping the fields which
was the most extensive fishery of the Great Lakes due Nature had so abundantly supplied with a crop that
to the relative shallowness of its waters. Pound nets, cost nothing for the sowing or raising, and but little
sometimes as many as 30 of them, were linked together for the reaping.” But as overfishing diminished stocks,
to form extraordinarily long strings. As of 1885, nearly new technologies were nonetheless introduced to sus900 pound nets were set. Central to this fishery was tain the catch, further depleting populations. As overSandusky, Ohio, which became the largest market for fishing continued unabated, pollution began taking its
freshwater fish in the world, followed by Erie, Buffalo, toll on the fish stocks, and efforts to establish meaningCleveland, Toledo, Port Clinton, and Huron. The spring ful government policy were ineffective. The end of the
catch primarily consisted of pickerel, herring, saugers, fishing boom on the Great Lakes was eventually sigblack bass, perch, rock bass, sturgeon, and catfish; the naled, in the 1920s, by the invasion of the sea lamprey,
fall catch was chiefly herring and whitefish.
which further devastated fish populations during the
In 1885, the eminently successful Chicago fish 1930s and 1940s.
—WJK
some being not over 24 feet in length and others as high
as 42 feet, and cost from $275 to $300 each. The bilgelog, top timbers, stern, and center-board of an Ohio
sharpie are made of oak; the planking and flooring are
white pine. About 800 feet of pine and 200 feet of oak are
cut up in building a boat. The stem rakes a few inches;
the sides flare from 10 to 12 inches.
The greatest beam is forward of amidships. Right in
the bow there is a stout breast hook, supporting a bit of
“ekeing,” or short deck, which in its turn supports the foremast and allows room for working the sail and anchor. A
few feet from the bow there is a stout thwart, with a parting board or bulkhead underneath to prevent the fish
from sliding about. The center-board is nearly amidships.
A strong thwart just aft of the board supports the mizzenmast and a few feet farther aft occurs a low thwart with
parting-board. The stern is broad and overhanging and
there is a stern seat for the steersman, with a raised platform for his feet. As a rule, the boat has no washboard.
There are two masts; no bowsprits. A 32-sharpie is fitted
with 36- and 34-foot masts; a 36-foot boat with masts 48
and 46 feet long. The masts rake considerably, and carry
the same style of sail as the Erie boats.”

Hall praised the type’s carrying capacity. Depending on its size, a pound-net boat could haul 7 1/2 to 12

RUTHERFORD B. HAYES PRESIDENTIAL CENTER

A productive trade—
while it lasted
C

tons of nets, fish, and equipment. A 36-footer with a
beam of 10 1/2' would weigh 3,500 lbs, unloaded, and
carry up to 8 tons and still draw only 18". Nevertheless,
Hall noted, they were fast and manageable, no doubt a
result of their sail-carrying ability. Ketch-rigged, they
appeared to set topsails above their gaffs; in fact, the
sails extended seamlessly above the spars, the head of
each raised nearly to the masthead. What appeared to
be gaffs were in fact paired battens fitted on both sides
of each sail. Whether this was an innovation of the fishermen of southwest Lake Erie is an open question, but
no doubt the work of setting maximum sail was reduced
with this sail plan, which provided the power of topsails
without the complexity.

A

lthough speed was not essential to pound-net
fishing, stability most certainly was. Pound nets
were enormous, made of heavy cotton line and
set up on stakes driven into the lakebed in a pattern
that divided the net into three components: the lead,
the heart, and the pot. The lead was a very long net
set in a line, forming a barrier sometimes a thousand
feet long. Upon meeting it, fish would turn toward
deeper water and swim along the lead until they found
themselves corralled in the heart. From there, the fish

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NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC
ADMINISTRATION/HISTORIC FISHERIES COLLECTION

Above—A straight section of net, abbreviated at right in this contemporary drawing by Ludwig Kumlein, led fish into the
net’s “heart,” which in turn guided them to a square “pound” closed off at the sides and bottom. The boat then came
alongside the pound to haul the fish aboard. A net setup like this one could stretch a quarter-mile or more in length, and
often nets were linked in series. Below—As three crewmen haul a pound to force the fish into a constricted area, a fourth
uses a dip net to bring the catch aboard.

At first, they were largely settlers from the east coast or
their descendants. Later, they came from the waves of
European immigrants.
Despite their difficult work and the utilitarian nature
of their boats, the crews also held a yearly regatta at
the conclusion of each season. The Pound Boat Regatta
began in 1867 and for many years attracted boats with
wonderful names— OLD SAM, BLACK CLOUD, CARRIE
BELL , LINKENBACH, MYSTIC among them. They raced
more than 20 miles for cash prizes that started off at
$115 the first year. And the day concluded with a fisherman’s ball. These were times of pleasure and sport for
the fishermen; nevertheless, the Ohio pound-net boat
is best remembered for serving its hardworking crews
well before they and their boats faded into history.
William John Kohler, a traditional boat enthusiast, is an attorney
practicing in Detroit, Michigan. He is also the author of A
Guide to the International and Inland Navigation Rules,
www.safewatersmaritimetraining.com. He owned a boat built to
Commodore Ralph Munroe’s sharpie Egret design, until recently
donating it to the Great Lakes Boat Building School.
The Great Lakes Boat Building School is interested in building a
pound-net boat replica for use and display on western Lake Erie.
Interested supporters can contact the author at [email protected].

RUTHERFORD B. HAYES PRESIDENTIAL CENTER

eventually made their way through a tunnel into the
pot—sometimes called the crib or the pound—which
was a box-shaped net, with a bottom as well as sides. Frequently, several pound nets were set in a series extending tremendous lengths out into the lake.
Where the lakebed was mud, clay, or sand, pile drivers
on so-called “stake boats” were used to drive the stakes
onto which the nets would be hung. Where the lakebed
was soft and stakes were small, a man suspended from a
sling worked a stake into the lakebed by hand. Throughout many square miles, southwest Lake Erie became a
forest of stakes.
No less strenuous than driving stakes was the task of
emptying the pots of their catch, which occupied a crew
of three or four men each weekday, and sometimes
twice a day. Their catch consisted of lake herring, yellow perch, pike, whitefish, and bass. The sturgeon, too,
taken on Lake Erie made Sandusky one of the world’s
largest sources of caviar. To empty the pot, the crew
would haul the net by hand, crowding the fish into a
portion of the net called the “bunt,” which was typically
made of the stoutest twine in order to withstand the
weight it carried. Then, the crew used dip nets to lift
fish into the boat, or into a second boat.
The men who worked as pound-net fishermen, and
the businesses for which they worked, made up an
expansive, tight-knit community along the lakeshore.

January/February 2013 • 31

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11/26/12 10:03 AM

ABOVE: FROM The Sea BrighT Skiff, By PeTer J. guThorn/
COuRTESY OF HAROLd A. SEAMAN

Revisiting the
Classics
by Reuel B. Parker

S

ometime in the second quarter of the 19th
century, a unique form of small boat appeared on
the beaches of the New Jersey shore. While small
in size—around 15'—the type was remarkably seaworthy
and could be launched and retrieved through breaking
surf. The original boats probably came from north Mon­
mouth County, but the type spread rapidly all along the
New Jersey coastline. The northern boats were event­
ually called “Sea Bright skiffs,” although they originated
at a time when the local shore­fishing communities still
went by the names Nauvoo and Galilee.
The coasts of New Jersey and southern Long Island
nearly meet at a right angle to each other, separated
only by the entrance to New York Harbor. Both shores
consist of hundreds of miles of wide sand beaches
and dunes, with low vegetation and almost no distin­
guishing features. The New Jersey coast has very few
widely separated inlets, and much of the shore con­
sists of barrier islands backed by extensive wetlands,
bays, and sounds. In winter, violent gales blow onto
this shore, obscuring its low­lying features. Ships
seeking entry to New York Harbor in poor visibility
often made landfall off the New Jersey beach and, in

REuEL PARkER

The Sea Bright skiffs
Top—The Sea Bright skiff, a remarkably seaworthy boat that
could be launched and retrieved through surf, evolved in
the early 1800s in New Jersey. Here, we see the skiff LIZZIE
circa 1872. Above—A modern Sea Bright life-saving surfboat.
The bottom portion is sealed and foam-filled for positive
flotation, with numerous freeing ports cut right through
the sides and transom to allow unimpeded water flow. A
rescue victim can be pulled from the water through the open
transom. The boat is a direct descendant of the early Sea
Bright skiff, and retains the earlier type’s lapstrake hull and
traditional box keel.

a northeaster, were unable to claw their way off. Such
inlets as did exist were not navigable in storm condi­
tions, and were also too shallow to admit large ships.
To make matters worse, there was an infamous outer
bar of hard sand, 300–800 yards offshore, over which
huge waves would break, rapidly smashing grounded
ships to splinters. The gap between bar and beach
was impassable to every known type of lifeboat or
small craft. It is said that this coastline has had more
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shipwrecks than any in the world—certainly any in
North America. In 1848 Congressman William A.
Newell reported that in the previous decade, 158 vessels had been wrecked on the Jersey shore between
Sandy Hook and Little Egg Harbor.
The necessity of extremely seaworthy small boats
that could be launched from the beach to rescue the
crews and passengers and salvage shipwrecks was evident even from colonial times. Later, the rapidly growing population of the greater New York area needed
food, and the New Jersey coast was rich in bluefish,
mackerel, striped bass, codfish, weakfish, lobster, small
tuna, and more. The Sea Bright skiff evolved to service
fishermen as well as life-saving stations and wrecking
and salvaging crews.
The original boats were about 15' in length with a
beam of about 5', giving a beam-to-length ratio of 1:3.
The hulls were lapstrake, planked with local white
cedar over sawn or steam-bent white oak frames. There
was a bottom plank about one-third of the boat’s beam
in width, or about 20" wide, and about three times
thicker than the side planking—if sides were ½" or 5 ⁄8"
thick, the bottom thickness might be 1 5 ⁄8". The plank
was tapered in width to a point at each end, and gently rockered or curved so that the boat could be easily turned end-for-end while resting on the beach or
maneuvered under oars when afloat. The wide, flat
bottom plank also allowed the skiffs to be easily pulled

up the beach by two men. The laps of the side planking were fastened to the frames with copper rivets, with
screws in the plank-ends at the stem and transom. The
raked transoms were of shiplap construction. The hulls
were open, with neither decks nor washboards. They
had thwarts for two oarsmen, and sternsheets from
which a coxswain could steer using a sweep set in a
deep notch in the transom (there were originally no
rudders). Skiffs meant to sail had a small centerboard
and a spritsail with jib.
There were several qualities that made the Sea
Bright skiffs unique, but the most notable was the “hollow box keel,” which can be thought of as “planked-up
deadwood.” It was formed either by twisting the aft
ends of the garboard strakes until they were vertical
and fastening them to a sternpost that extended below
the transom, or by the more common method of adding tapered strakes below the garboards, as in my Sea
Bright 14. The box keel advantages are several: Without
the usual plank-on-edge skeg, the stern does not dig
into the sand, making hauling and turning the boat
much easier. The box keel creates a natural sump in
the lowest part of the interior where bilgewater can be
easily and rapidly bailed by the coxswain sitting in the
sternsheets. The extra buoyancy created in such a stern
allows heavy loads to be carried there. The skiffs were
said to steer more easily and more steadily than boats
with an outside skeg.

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34 • WoodenBoat 230

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11/21/12 11:17 AM

ReueL PARkeR

Lines of the author’s 14’ Sea Bright skiff as adapted for plywood-and-epoxy
construction. The sail plan shows the traditional sprit rig with jib.

A

fter the early Sea Bright skiffs proved their worth,
they were rapidly adapted for different purposes.
On the north Jersey shore, the fishing boats
became numerous and slightly larger at around 17'.
After 1845, at Nauvoo, Galilee, and Long Branch, fishermen’s shacks appeared with icehouses and fishing gear,

and each community had between 50 and 75 boats.
Catches were sent to Fulton Street in New York by sloop
or steamer. In around 1855, the skiffs were adapted to
the pound-net fisheries all along this part of the coast,
and by 1900 had grown to about 20' to 24'; they still ran
the surf. When marine engines were introduced around

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1907, the boats increased again—this time to 30'—and
became inlet-based. The hollow box keels allowed the
early “splash-lubricated” motors and their propeller
shafts to be horizontal instead of sloped toward the
stern. Eventually, rudders were employed, hung from
struts behind the propellers. Then the sterns were
lengthened to overhang the props. After World War I,
the pound skiffs gradually grew as large as 54', retaining the same general proportions as the original surf
boats. They even retained the thwarts, now huge and 6'
above the boat’s bottom!
Other fisheries suited to the power-driven Sea
Brights included lobstering, gillnetting, and seine netting. I was fascinated to learn that in the early 20th
century some of the New Jersey fishermen began to
migrate seasonally to Fort Pierce, Florida—where I
work in the winter—and had their gillnet boats shipped
south by Mallory steamer and even by railroad. When
I first came to Fort Pierce in 1980, gillnetting was still
popular there; it is now virtually defunct.
Evolving concurrently with the fishing skiffs were
the lifesaving/rescue and salvage/wrecking boats. The
surfboats of these trades are among the most seaworthy of all small craft. The early versions had a crew of
four oarsmen plus a coxswain. The surfboats grew to
the mid-20' range, and were carried on four-wheel,
horse-drawn trailers. They weighed less than 1,000
lbs, and had “great buoyancy, lightness and strength,”

according to a study done in 1858. The Life Saving Service was established in about 1848, and the New Jersey
coast was subsequently divided into 10 districts, each
having a surfboat and life-saving station. The 1876
Report on the Operations of the United States Life Saving Service confirmed that the Sea Bright surfboat model was
an “unparalleled success by means of which thousands
of lives were saved.”
The introduction of the marine motor compromised
the lovely Sea Bright hull shape, as it did most traditional craft. But it is interesting that the basic lapstrake
form, including the box keel, prevailed for more than
a half a century. Freeboard increased, sheers flattened,
sterns elongated, transoms raked less, and bottoms
became flatter as the boats grew in size and diversified
in function. The larger boats necessarily shifted from
the beaches to inlets, which were improved with boat
basins, harbors, and facilities of all kinds.
Perhaps the most radical change came after 1920,
during Prohibition. “Rum row” was quickly established off New York Harbor beyond the three-mile
limit. Ships full of booze waited for large motorized
Sea Bright skiffs to pick up their cargoes, and an
intense competition began between these rumrunners and Coast Guard chasers. Maritime historian
Peter Guthorn states: “Both rumrunner and Coast
Guard were competing for the construction of faster
boats, often in the same shop.” Both sides could see

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36 • WoodenBoat 230

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FroM The Sea BrighT Skiff, BY PETEr J. GuTHorN/
CourTESY oF JoSEPH A. BANFIELD

what the other side was doing, and the rumrunners would make last-minute modifications to
gain the edge over the Coast Guard. War-surplus
Liberty airplane engines were marinized, souped
up, and bolted to massive oak stringers running
nearly the length of the boats. Some developed
450 hp and were used in both rumrunners and
chasers, achieving speeds of over 40 mph by 1925.
By the 1930s, a 50' hull might have as many as
four eight-cylinder, 565-hp engines! After Prohibition ended, Sea Bright rumrunners evolved
into the pleasure boats of the 1940s and ’50s.
As recreational powerboats, the Sea Bright
skiffs had qualities of seaworthiness, sea- A circa-1928 Banfield 34—the Sea Bright skiff that made the type
kindliness, durability of lapstrake construction, known beyond New Jersey. The author calls this “one of the most
and light weight. They maintained the one-third beautiful powerboats I have ever seen.”
beam-to-length ratio, and ranged in length
from 20' to 36' in the ir early permutations. In
1928, a 32' Banfield skiff voyaged from New York to Proal, Seaman, Wulf, Campbell, Pearce, Johnson, and
Bermuda. The 20' Sea Bird—designed and built by Hawkins. In the late 1990s a broker in Northport,
Holger Kofoed, and described by Guthorn as “the Maine, offered to give me a Zobel sea skiff if I would
development of a 20' skiff with raised forward deck…a restore it properly. I deeply regret that I had to turn it
happy combination of good construction, serviceabil- down due to lack of funds.
ity, and performance”—could, in 1938, reach 38 mph
Around World War II, the skiffs increased to 42',
with a 150-hp motor. The Sea Brights were superior to with twin screws, more comfortable interior accomcontemporary powerboats in seaworthiness, and their modations, and flying bridges. After the war greater
builders seemed to maintain a higher degree of crafts- demand brought in new builders including Bay Head
manship. These builders included Luhrs, Zobel, King, Skiffs, Clayton, Delaney, Eastern, Galbraith, Sica and
“Victory Tug“ • James Backus • Westlawn Alumnus

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January/February 2013 • 37

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11/21/12 11:17 AM

Silverton, Ulrichson, and Zuback. Throughout the
1950s, ’60s, and ’70s, freeboard became higher, superstructure rose, construction techniques evolved, and
suddenly we had fiberglass boats that no longer had
box keels and had lost seaworthiness and beauty. The
safe, pragmatic Sea Bright skiff had succumbed to
“progress.” In Peter Guthorn’s words (1971): “Today
there are few men with the experience, training, skill
and self-discipline needed to construct a sea skiff to the
old standards.”

H

aving briefly lived on the New Jersey coast in
my youth, and having sailed along it dozens
of times on my migratory voyages between
Florida/Bahamas and New England, I have developed an appreciation for the numerous unique small
craft that developed there during the 19th century. In
1995, when sailing south in my schooner LEOPARD, I
entered Barnegat Bay to escape a strong northeaster.
We anchored off a village called Surf City, and during
a stroll ashore I came across a derelict lapstrake skiff
about 16' long. Upon examination, I was fascinated by

REUEL PARkER

A Sea Bright 14 being covered with epoxy-saturated
4-oz, Xynole-polyester cloth; note the box keel,
or planked-up deadwood.

the hollow box keel and had one of those “why didn’t I
think of that” moments. I then tried to find out everything I could about the type—which I learned was a
Sea Bright skiff—and years later discovered Guthorn’s
excellent book, The Sea Bright Skiff and Other Shore Boats.
I designed my first Sea Bright skiff in 1995 and
initially called it a “Microcruiser 18.” I had recently
read Web Chiles’s book The Ocean Waits, in which he
attempts a circumnavigation in an 18' open boat. I felt
his boat had numerous shortcomings that I could correct with a design of my own, and so was attempting
to design a small cruiser that could voyage at sea in all
conditions.

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38 • WoodenBoat 230

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11/21/12 11:17 AM

The author’s Sea Bright 14, JERSEY GIRL , nearing completion.

REUEl PARkER

on-frame lapstrake construction, the skill required is
sadly beyond the vast majority of home builders, and the
quality of wood necessary would be extremely expensive
today. (Builders of the original Sea Bright skiffs dried
their wood for two years!) Hence I simplified the hulls to
be built of marine plywood and epoxy, using either batten-seam, stitch-and-glue, or plywood lapstrake construction. I use fiberglass tape to reinforce the seams
and attach bulkheads, and Xynole-polyester cloth saturated with epoxy for exterior surfaces.
I gave my 18-footer a partial deck, anchor well,
platform berth, and watertight box thwarts and stern
sheets. A closed-cell foam mattress over the platform
created a double bed, with a hinged “pop-top” canvas
shelter including weather curtains, wind scoop, and
screens. I subsequently designed variations that were
13' 6", 14', 15', 23', 40', and 50'. The 50' version was my
liveaboard cruising home T’IEN HOU, which I launched
in 2001. It was not uncommon for Sea Brights to be big;
many of those developed for the pound-net fisheries,
rumrunning trade, and pleasure-boat industry also
reached 50'.
While I am very much in favor of traditional plank-

Reuel Parker (profiled in WB No. 224) is a writer, designer, and
builder of boats. He divides his time between Florida, Maine, and the
Bahamas. This is the last in his current series, “Revisiting the Classics,” which began in WB No. 225.

Further Reading
The Sea Bright Skiff and Other Shore Boats, by Peter J. Guthorn,
Schiffer Publishing ltd., 1971, second edition, 2004.

Plans for Parker’s Sea Bright series of designs, and others,
are available from Parker Marine Enterprises, P.O. Box 651429,
Vero Beach, FL 32965; www.parker-marine.com.

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11/21/12 11:17 AM

How to build Kaholo, Part 2

Harrison Precourt

A Stand-up
Paddleboard in Plywood
text and construction photographs by Geoff Kerr

in the first installment of this two-part series, which included a comprehensive set of
drawings, Geoff Kerr showed us how to lay out and assemble the board’s framework
and planking. Here, he’ll install the deck, sheathe the board in fiberglass, and
—Eds.
decorate and paint it. He’ll also give us a short paddling lesson.
Above­—With a sharp bow and an underwater shape derived from kayaks, the Kaholo 12-6 is a fast stand-up paddleboard
that’s stable enough for beginners.

40 • WoodenBoat 230

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11/21/12 9:49 AM

14

14

If you’ve completed the steps in Part 1, then the
board is ready for the deck. But before it is glued
in place, the deck must have its underside sheathed in
4-oz fiberglass cloth. Choose the less-beautiful face of
the deck panel as the underside, and lay out a continuous length of cloth on it. Roughly trim it to about a 1"
overhang; this will make the cloth easier to work, and it
will preserve the excess for future use.
Bond the ’glass to the plywood with well-mixed,
unthickened epoxy. Some builders spread epoxy with
a plastic squeegee, others with disposable brushes. I
prefer disposable yellow foam rollers as the best way to
control the application. (Gray foam rollers and brushes
disintegrate in epoxy.) Use just enough epoxy to saturate the fabric—that is, to turn the ’glass transparent.
You should still see the texture of the weave; any more
than this will pool and puddle, making the deck heavier
than necessary. After an overnight cure, the epoxy will
be at the “green” stage, and you’ll be able to easily trim
the ’glass to the edges of the wood with a sharp utility
knife.
Now we can glue the deck to the boat. Spread all
the mating surfaces on the hull (sheer clamps, transom
top, breasthook, frame and stringer tops) with thickened epoxy (peanut butter consistency), and have an
assistant help you set the deck in place with an even
overhang of approximately 3/4" all around. A few wraps
with packing tape will keep the deck panel from sliding
out of place; don’t apply too much tension to the tape,
for this could deflect the deck. The key to clamping it
well is to use gravity clamps like the ones we used in
Part 1 to clamp the hull-panel scarfs. Use scrap boards
to spread the load of the clamps on each frame. My
arsenal of weights includes concrete blocks, lead ingots,
cans of paint, and the ever-handy 5-gallon bucket full
of clamps. Once you are happy and have a good tight
joint, clean away the still-soft squeeze-out with a putty
knife.

or handsaw followed by a block plane. If you use a saw,
I suggest you mark the cut on the deck top rather than
rely only on the board’s side as a guide. It is important
that the deck edge be true and fair before you proceed
to the next step of rounding-over its corner.
The sheer, the chines, the centerline, and the transom must be rounded-over to allow the exterior fiberglass sheathing to conform to these corners, because
fiberglass doesn’t like to bend around a sharp angle.
With 4-oz cloth, the radius need not be huge, but it
must be smooth, fair, and consistent. This work can be
done with a plane, but I’ve found in classes that a power
sander (5" random-orbit loaded with 80-grit paper) and
a deliberate system is the safest and most predictable
method. First make a few passes bisecting the angle
formed by the joint (imagine a 45-degree cut on a section of the chine). Passes should be made using long
strokes back and forth while moving your feet along the
length of the hull. Work the opposite side of the hull to
the same degree before progressing. With the first cut
complete, you should see three facets and two new “corners.” The next series of passes should be aimed at cutting away these two new ridges, and after these passes
the round-over will be, essentially, complete. Feel along
your work with your fingers to sense any unfair bumps
or missed areas. Then use 80-grit paper, as I’m doing
in the photo, until you just can’t stand it anymore; that’s
when you know you are done.

15

15

After the epoxy has cured overnight, it’s time
to trim the deck overhangs clean and flush with
the sides. This step is most easily accomplished with a
router and flush-trimming bit, but it can also be carried
out with a jigsaw (carefully, so as not to nick the sides!)
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16

16

A layer of fiberglass on the hull is our next
adventure. Set the boat upside down and give it
a good vacuum cleanup, paying particular attention to
any gaps in the newly rounded-over hull seams. These
aren’t a worry, as we’re about to fill them. But first, lay
out a length of the 4-oz cloth so it reaches from end to
end and drapes over evenly on both sides. Rough-cut it
to length and preserve the balance for the deck. Organize the workspace, table, hull supports, and whatever
is in the way of the cloth draping cleanly, then fold the
cloth and lay it aside temporarily. Next, mix up a small
batch of epoxy, thicken it to ketchup consistency, load
it into a pastry bag with a 1 ⁄8" cut end, and shoot just

enough of a small bead to fill any seams that have a
gap. Smooth the beads with a finger or putty knife, and
knife-up any squeezed-out excess. Be deliberate here,
and don’t rush. Any gaps you miss will become air-filled
voids under the ’glass.
When the putty work is done you can re-deploy the
fiberglass, smoothing it out from the center toward the
ends and edges with your hands; these few moments
spent smoothing it while dry will save a lot of wet sticky
fussing later on. We’ll spread it with unthickened epoxy,
mixing well and using small batches as always. I again
suggest a yellow foam roller, working it from amidships
out. Every stroke should be aimed at “moving” any slack
in the cloth toward an edge where it can “escape.” Roll
gently, in one direction, not back and forth. If you apply
too much pressure, you will slide the cloth around and
create bubbles and buckles—and a real mess. Use a disposable brush if it’s helpful, especially along the sides.
Remember: Apply just enough epoxy to saturate the
cloth; any excess will sag and drip, and you’ll have an
unnecessary sanding ordeal. We’ll eventually recoat
the ’glass several times to fill the weave for a smooth
surface. Relax; these subsequent coats take about three
minutes each to apply.
The ends of the hull are a little tricky. When you are
about 18" from the bow, set the roller aside and with
gloved hands caress the remaining dry ’glass diagonally
back and down so that it conforms to the contours of

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42 • WoodenBoat 230

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the hull. Imagine stroking a dog from its head back,
with the lower portion of the bow being the head. With
some patience and good karma you should be able to
wiggle things a bit and get it to all lie nicely. In the off
chance that there is too much fabric, as a last resort you
can cut a dart with your scissors, overlap the flaps, and
sand it smooth later. The hem of the cloth at the sheer
and at the transom are left wild, to be trimmed tomorrow with a knife. Don’t worry about trying to wrap any
of the cloth around the deck round-over. Wet out the
cloth as gravity drapes it on the flats of the side; we’ll
trim it where it lies happily. The deck ’glass will overlap
the round-over and take care of the sheer seam.

17

Now is a convenient time to mount the skegs to
the bottom. Their locations are well defined in
the plans and manual, with both a distance from the
stern (11" for this board) and an offset from the centerline (7 ½") specified. I penciled in the centerline and
the aft index marks right on the boat to remove any
doubts. The kit skegs are pretty slick, cut and shaped
from laid-up cedar strips, then ’glassed with a solidepoxy leading edge for durability. Home builders can
cut them to shape either from plywood or from a
strip layup similar to that of the kits. Spend some time
fairing them, and sheathe both faces in fiberglass.
Mounting them vertical and parallel to each other and

17

to the centerline is highly recommended. While I doubt
any of us would ever sense the loss of performance if
they were skewed, it will sure look awful on the roof
rack if they are not true. Chesapeake Light Craft developed an easily duplicated jig to aid the skeg placement,
and I’ve pictured it here. It is simply a chunk of 2×6 cut
square at the prescribed spacing, elevated with a matching pair of scrap sticks to keep it out of the glue, and set
in place on your layout marks. Note the matching centerlines. If it looks good, it is good. Rather than spending a lot of time trying to glue and fillet and ’glass and
clamp them true with the jig in the way, I tack-welded
the skegs with rapid-cure (five-minute) epoxy, holding

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January/February 2013 • 43

11/21/12 10:13 AM

them in place for one song on the radio. When the
epoxy cured, I removed the jig and gave each fin a
lovely, hydrodynamically slippery fillet with peanut-butter-thick epoxy. The fin-to-board joint is reinforced
with 2" × 12" strips of scrap fiberglass cloth. Saturate the
’glass per usual and let it cure. This is an excellent time
to roll a second coat of unthickened epoxy on the hull,
so all can cure simultaneously.

18

18

Now here’s where we earn the big money:
laying the deck cloth. If you are one of those so
enamored of wood grain and varnish that you plan a
clean and simple finish, please help yourself to a cup
of coffee and join us again at the bottom of the next
paragraph. Likewise, if you just want to paint the whole
thing red and go paddling, then more power to you for
being decisive. However, the cool kids have a really fun
opportunity here to lay a dazzling top sheet of decorative fabric on our decks, under the fiberglass. I’ve chosen a piece of Hawaiian shirt fabric from a Web vendor.
Five yards of this stuff cost about $30, and for $15 more
it was delivered to my Vermont shop in three days. I also
chose to lay a full sheet, but many choose smaller panels, strips, borders, or cut-out figures as accents. This
fabric is a lightweight poly/cotton blend, and I imagine as long as you stay lightweight and in the cottonto-polyester world you could use just about anything,

GET A GRIP.

including Spiderman bedsheets. I suggest gluing a
sample to a scrap piece of ply just to check. Some colors
bleed, some turn transparent, and while I’ve had great
luck that I happily claim as wizardry, you’ll want to be
sure of your results.
Decide on your scheme, lay out the fabric, and cut
it to size and shape. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just

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44 • WoodenBoat 230

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good, but that said I scribed mine to within a consistent
½" of the deck edge with a compass, and then cut to
that line with a fine knife. Later on in the project we
can visually “trim” that edge to perfection with paint or
automotive trim tape. Smooth the fabric out if necessary (I ironed mine), fold the aft half over the fore, then
roll a coat of unthickened epoxy onto the after deck.
Lay the aft half of cloth back in place, fold the forward
portion back, and wet out the forward half of the deck.
Replace the cloth and smooth it by hand as needed.
Now you can roll and squeegee a coat of epoxy onto
the fabric (still just the decorative fabric, no fiberglass
yet). This takes some time; thank heavens for slow-cure
epoxy! Pay particular attention to air bubbles under
the tightly woven cloth; squeegee them aside, and avoid
such a heavy hand with the epoxy that the fabric floats,
for this will end up as ripples in your finished deck.
When the top sheet is wet and smooth, we, and the
traditionalists who have returned from their coffee, can
lay on a length of 4-oz fiberglass cloth. Smooth it by
hand to drape over the deck edge and overhang both
the bow and stern. Wet it out with a roller, gently, from
amidships out in all directions. Once the top of the
deck is saturated, trim the overhang along the sheer to
a consistent 1 ½" (or so), then saturate this wraparound
overlap. A brush will be handy here. Again, use just
enough epoxy to saturate the cloth; runs and drips and
pools will break your spirit come sanding time. I treat

the transom as just more deck; that is, I let the deck
cloth wrap right around it and onto the bottom, and
then trim it. That aft bottom corner on both sides will
need a dart (sort of a triangle) cut out so the ’glass can
conform to it; the resulting tabs should overlap slightly.
The tip of the bow is anybody’s guess. A clever trim
and two flaps wrapped around the stem is the best I
can offer; anything that won’t lie down can be cut off
tomorrow.

19

Here are my crusty opinions about the finish
scheme: My mother told me never to varnish a
stitch-and-glue boat. Rotary-cut plywood grain is crazy
and unnatural, the joints are severe however nicely
done, and exposed plywood edge-grain is just homely.
The shapes of these boards are graceful and dramatic,
and under varnish all that exposed techno-detail just
distracts from their beauty. Why not paint the hull and
revel in the glory of its shape, and varnish the deck to
shout to the world that you built a wooden boat? If we
deftly lay out and mask the break between paint and
varnish, we can hide all (well, 96 percent) of the ugly
structural truth. That is what I have done in the photo.
I have first applied a couple more coats of epoxy and
sanded smooth and clean to 180-grit. I then applied
five coats of spar varnish to the deck, letting each dry,
and lightly sanded between coats. For all its magic,
epoxy is unfortunately not stable in ultraviolet light, so

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January/February 2013 • 45

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19

19a

20

it must be protected with paint or varnish. A minimum
of three coats of varnish is required for protection, and
five before it begins to look good. More than seven,
and you need an intervention.
Luckily for me (or was it the careful laboratory testing?), the background on my top sheet fabric turned
translucent when coated with epoxy, so the wood grain
shows through it. My layout scheme is to have the paint
wrap around onto the deck about 1". This covers the
edge-grain of the deck and any blemishes in the glue
joint, and cleans up the edge of the decorative fabric
where my cut wandered. It also slims the board visually.
I scribed this line into the varnish with a homemade
scribing tool (photo 19A), then masked it with a longlife tape; the tape will be on for a while, and it must peel
cleanly (the best tapes for this are 3M No. 2090, 2080,
or Fine Line; accept no substitutes). I masked a radius
at the bow and the transom corners by laying several
overlapping strips of tape on a clean surface, drawing
and cutting the appropriate circle with a utility knife, and
transferring those circles to the boat. Once I was happy
with my masked line (feel free to try again; your second
effort will be better), I doubled up the tape to better
protect my lovely scarlet macaws (no, they’re not native
to Hawaii, thank you).
Remember, I readily admit to my paint-scheme prejudices. One of the joys of building your own boat is that
you can finish it however you want, and enjoy it with
impunity.

Now for an important incidental step—one
that will make a glorious difference in your
finished project. When you have sanded until you can’t
stand it anymore with 80-grit and then 180-grit paper,
by machine and then by hand, you should apply a coat of
primer to the painted areas. Tint the primer with your
finish paint, and apply an even coat of it, with no runs
or drips. Let it dry overnight, and then sand it smooth
with 180-grit paper by hand, using fore-and-aft strokes.
This will produce an unbelievably smooth surface, and
is a real secret to professional paint finishes. Don’t be
afraid to sand until the primer is translucent. Besides
smoothing your hull, the primer will expose the ugly
truth about your fiberglass work and sanding skills; but
take heart, for now that we can see the blemishes we
can do a round of remedial bodywork. I use our same
old epoxy, thickened this time with microballoons to a
non-sagging consistency. A diligent session with a clean
putty knife gives you the opportunity to fill any divots
or boo-boos you might have created with the sander,
any unfilled weave, and especially any bumps where
the edge of the deck ’glass lapped over the sides of the
hull. That is what I’m attending to in the photo. When
cured, this waterproof putty sands very easily, so don’t
be afraid of it. But do work as cleanly and smoothly as
you can. Don’t create bumps from the potholes. Any
excess will take time to sand.

20

46 • WoodenBoat 230

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11/21/12 9:50 AM

21

21

On to the painting. This style of construction
provides a really stable surface for finishing, and
your boards will be used and maybe abused, so I recommend using a one-part, polyurethane-reinforced paint.
This paint technology is the hardest, glossiest finish you
can easily apply at home; just about the last thing short
of the spray booth and respirator. I apply it with the
same yellow foam rollers we’ve been using for the epoxy
to achieve the thinnest, most uniform coats possible,
then tip the paint with a foam brush, smoothing out
the roller marks and bubbles. You need to work briskly
(don’t panic) with this paint and tip each section as you
apply it. For better or worse, painting is also a multicoat task; expect to need two or three coats for dark
colors, and perhaps five for light ones. These paints are
wicked glossy, so you must let them dry overnight and
sand lightly between coats so the next coat will bond.

22

You will absolutely need nonskid foot pads on
your deck, both for comfort and for traction.
There may be alternatives, but the best material going
seems to be the self-adhesive, ¼"-thick, pebbly finish,
dense foam from SEADEK (www.seadek.com). CLC supplies these with their kits. As specified they are around
39" long, and I have found that length perfectly adequate. CLC offers the option of a longer pair that would
allow more tail-of-the-board maneuvering. Both sizes
are supplied in light gray, beautifully CNC -cut to fit the
shape of your decks. I pushed the party line a bit for my
two Kaholos and ordered my own color choices from
SEADEK, in rectangular blanks, cutting my own pads using
scissors and a knife. Wherever you get your pads, it is
imperative that you carefully lay out and mark their
locations. Get it right before peeling the backing,
because there are no do-overs with this adhesive. In the
photo, I’ve stretched a centerline string and laid adhesive tape to indicate the spacing at the center, and measured from the bow the 62" or so indicated in the plans
to the fronts of the pads. A strip of tape there as well
gives me alignment points for laying down the material.
Once committed, press firmly with your hands and
milk any air bubbles to the edge. The material handles
very nicely; you just have to be sure of where you want to
put it.

23

22

23

Just a bit more fitting out, and we can go for a
paddle! We need to mount a carrying handle.
Evolution has determined that a single, mid-deck handle
is the most convenient system; with it, you can carry the
board down the beach under one arm as you merrily
hum the theme from Hawaii Five-O. My older board has
a grip on each rail, and they are pretty useless; one is too
high, one too low. You’ll remember that we put a solidwood reinforcement under the deck to receive the screws
for this handle, and have 1" in width centered between
frames 5 and 6 to shoot for. Mercifully the plans and
manual both offer a specific measurement from the bow
for the center of the handle (78 7 ⁄8" i n the case of thi s
model). The handle supplied is quite deluxe. To prepare
it for mounting, it is very helpful to melt a hole through
the webbing for the screws using a hot awl or nail. I then
lay the handle in place, “bunched up” to create as much
room for my hand as I can, and mark for the screws in the
deck. Drill appropriate pilot holes (Photo 23), seal them
with epoxy or a dab of silicone caulking, and drive in the
January/February 2013 • 47

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11/21/12 9:50 AM

24

screws, trimmed with finish washers for appearance and
to spread the load. I again went a bit off script and doubled the screws at each end.

24

The vent fitting allows the board’s internal air
pressure to equalize with the ambient air as temperatures change. It keeps the board from collapsing in
cold water or exploding on a hot summer drive—as might
have happened to prototypes.... It is a simple ¾" rubber
plug from the hardware store, with an 10" length of ¼"
tube threaded through it. It fits in a ¾" hole drilled in the
deck up forward, 8" aft of the tip of the board. I drilled
mine back before varnishing, so its edges were well sealed.

25

Finally, I chose to mount some eye-straps aft to
rig a bungee tie-down. This is a bit tricky, as
there is very little to fasten to; 3mm of okoume won’t
hold much, but a prudent builder should be able to mount
hardware through the deck into the sheer clamps. No.
8 screws, ¾" long, would be about right for this. You’ll
note in the photo that I’ve upgraded to carbon-fiber
eye-straps that can be bonded to the deck with epoxy
once the varnish has been delicately scraped off. As

25

unlikely as it seems, these little fittings have secured
shoes, PFDs, and even a cooler on my 14-footer for two
years now. Some folks also mount a 6" inspection port
up forward, for ventilation during storage and, with a
handy accessory bag, for dry storage of goodies like
keys and wallets. I’m sure it is convenient, but I’ve not
felt the need for it.

26

Here is our brand-new Kaholo 12-6, just
launched into Lake Champlain for her first
outing. That’s her 14' older sister alongside, with a lovely
hibiscus-red deck. First impressions: The smaller board
is quicker to turn and accelerate, seems a little more
tender than the bigger board, but has just as much secondary stability as the larger one. She definitely tracks
better. I sensed that a 6', 210-lb paddler is pushing the
upper edge of the envelope on the smaller board, but
not to extremes. It’s hard to say which one I’ll keep on
the truck next season.

For a list of the tools Geoff used to build Kaholo, please visit
www.woodenboat.com, and click the “Bonus Content” tab
under “WoodenBoat magazine.”

GeoFF Kerr

26

48 • WoodenBoat 230

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11/21/12 9:50 AM

How to Paddle a Stand-up Paddleboard

HARRISoN PRECoURT

The author (background) and his
daughter Glynna enjoy an outing on Lake
Champlain. Glynna is paddling the 14’
Kaholo.

S

tand-up paddleboarding is simple and
instinctive. Somewhere deep in our lizard
brain lurks the desire to not fall into the
water. These boards are stable enough that those
primal synapses and an average level of physical
fitness will suffice. The techniques one needs to
actually get somewhere are so simple that you’ll
be fine even if summer camp was many decades
ago. Basic paddling, alternate sides, maybe a
sweep turn around a corner…we can all do them
even if we don’t know what they are called.
Grab a board and a paddle—and a PFD,
since the Coast Guard classes SUPs as a “vessel.” The paddle is generally sized at 10" taller
than the paddler. Launch the board in a foot
or so of water, to keep from abusing the finishwork and skegs. Hold the paddle with both
hands in front of you, and place it across the
forward edge of the foot pads, then mount
with both knees, kneeling on all fours. Place
your feet about shoulder width apart, centered

fore-and-aft on the footpads (the carrying handle is the center of buoyancy), and stand up, imagining your
paddle as a tightrope walker’s balance
pole. Keep your knees flexed, weight
a bit forward on the balls of your feet,
and look ahead, not down at your feet.
With one hand on the paddle knob,
one down the shaft halfway or so, try
a gentle forward stroke. Don’t overreach with long strokes; keep them
compact and comfortable. You will
quickly feel more stable than you had
imagined possible: The paddle blade
in the water is a great brace, and the
board underway is more stable than
the board at rest. Don’t paddle backwards, for nothing good will come of
it. Never look behind you.
Advanced paddling consists of speed,
tight turns, and handling rough water.
Speed and power come from torso
rotation, with strokes that brace and
lock the arms and shoulders to transfer
the strength of your body. I happily
paddled for nearly two seasons before
beginning to experiment with such strokes. A
couple of short online videos clued me in, and I
have discovered that I can go fast if I want to,
which is cool. Rapid turns are accomplished by
moving your weight back on the board to sink
the stern so that sweep strokes spin the board
quickly. Rougher water is best managed by working up to it in baby steps. In the event of a fall, it’s
really easy to climb back aboard. When you start
to feel cocky, go find some reflected waves.
Every outing should consider conditions:
water temperature, wind, tide, and currents. It
is really hard to paddle an SUP into the wind.
Beware and be ready to drop to your knees to
reduce windage, or perhaps even lie down and
surfer-stroke it home. In some cases, discretion
would dictate landing somewhere other than
home and walking from there. Work on your
skills in a protected area, be realistic about your
interests and endurance, and remember to grin
and giggle.
—GK

January/February 2013 • 49

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11/21/12 9:50 AM

Still FiShing

The dragger RICHARD & ARNOLD at age 89
by Randall Peffer
Photographs by Peter McGowan

T

he clock in the wheelhouse of the Eastern-rig
dragger RICHARD & ARNOLD is no fancy, brass
Chelsea model. It’s no clock at all, really. It’s just
a single, 6" plastic needle used for mending squid nets,
and it’s tacked up inside like a spinner on a board game
just below the port-side window. This jury-rigged timer
shares the cramped wheelhouse with a dirt-stained collection of fishfinders, electronic navigation devices,
and communications radios that more or less document the evolution of these instruments over the past
30 years. You need not look any farther to grasp that
the skipper of this fishing vessel is a resourceful man
and an inveterate collector.
Capt. Dave Dutra stands in the wheelhouse doorway
and unconsciously sets the needle on his “clock,” as
he does every day when he’s fishing, to mark the time
when he’ll glance at his watch and, if the hour matches
the one he’s recorded with the squid needle, haul
back his net. But today he’s not fishing. Adjusting the

needle is just a habit, and Dutra’s a restless guy—a man
accustomed to being in constant motion fishing this
60' dragger, mostly solo or with wife, Judy, and their
two boys, for the past three decades. When you look at
his face from a distance—the full white beard, the 7"
ponytail flowing from beneath the wrinkled blue ball
cap—you might mistake him for the singer Willie Nelson. But when you’re closer to this mariner, you can’t
miss the twinkling, brown eyes of a Huckleberry Finn.
That body in the waffle shirt, black jeans, and sea boots
could be the body of a middleweight boxer a third of
Dutra’s 67 years.
The fisherman’s a little out of his element on this
misty late-September day. His wooden dragger is
berthed among a gaggle of much larger, modern steel
trawlers at the State Pier in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The summer fluke season is over, but before he
ties up RICHARD & ARNOLD for the winter at his homeport of Provincetown on the tip of Cape Cod, Dutra

Above—The 89-year-old RICHARD & ARNOLD, built by the Casey Boat Building Co. of Fairhaven, Massachusetts, is one of the
last surviving wooden Eastern-rig draggers. The vessel fishes from Provincetown, Massachusetts.

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Capt. Dave Dutra, seen here at the wheel of RICHARD &
ARNOLD, has owned and fished the vessel for 30 years—
often alone, though at times with his family. The dragger
has been altered from her original side-hauling configuration
to handle her bag over the stern—making her, technically, a
Western-rigged Eastern-rig (see sidebar, following page).

and Judy, a perky blond woman with a ready smile, have
brought their fishing boat to the Whaling City’s waterfront festival. By the constant parade of festival patrons
and old friends surrounding RICHARD & ARNOLD and
chatting up the Dutras, you can see that they are VIPs
here.
Their boat is on exhibit. It is one of the oldest remaining Eastern-rig draggers. One of the last still fishing.
One of the last still in existence outside a museum (see
sidebar, page 52). One of the last of the family-ownedand-operated fishing boats that once dominated the
New England fisheries during much of the 20th century. Today Dutra will speak to the crowd about the
immense changes he has seen in boats and government
regulations during his six decades as a fisherman. His
wife is promoting her book Nautical Twilight, signing
copies for fans and well-wishers.
Billed as the “Story of a Cape Cod Fishing Family,”
Judy Dutra’s memoir is a love story on multiple levels. It’s
the tale of her romance with the fisherman that began
during her summer waitress job at a Provincetown restaurant where a lot of local fishermen and women came
to unwind after a day on the water. Her book is also
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The Rise and Fall of the Eastern-Rig Dragger

F

irst appearing in the 1920s, Eastern-rig draggers
(wheelhouse aft over the engine, and the doubledrum winch just forward of it) dominated the
New England fisheries from 1940 to 1970.
With their beefy hulls, Eastern-rig draggers could
carry just about as many fish as a schooner in a vessel
half the schooner’s length. The Eastern-rigs couldn’t
match the schooner’s speeds of 12–14 knots when racing back from the Grand Banks under a full press of
canvas, but the draggers required a much smaller crew
and could steam at 8 knots for a week at a time.
Eastern-rigs were fuller forward than schooners,
allowing builders to push the living space of the forecastle and galley deep into the bow and make more
room for the fishhold amidships and the engine and
fuel tanks aft. Also, the high bow helped to shield the
working deck from spray and boarding seas. The result
of these high bows was a graceful sheer running aft to
a small, raised pilothouse built over the engineroom.
Many of these changes made Eastern-rigs extremely
cost-effective. They were also safer and more efficient
fishers than the schooners. With a crew of just three,
an Eastern-rig could land fish twice as fast as a gang of

A Question of usAge
What’s the difference between an “Eastern-rigged”
fishing boat and an “Eastern-rig” dragger?
In the parlance of New England fisheries,
“Eastern-rigged” is an adjective identifying a vessel
as a side or “beam” trawler. Any type of fishing boat
can be Eastern-rigged. If you have a lobsterboat hull
or a sloop that hauls its squid or shrimp bag over the
side using tackle hung from a mast, the boats are
Eastern-rigged. “Eastern-rig” is a noun. It denotes
a vessel class based on hull shape, construction,
size, and function (discussed further in the sidebar
above).
Since the dragger RICHARD & ARNOLD has been
converted to haul her bag over the stern, she is now
technically a Western-rigged Eastern-rig. 

about her family’s love affair with this antique dragger
as well as commercial fishing—despite depleted fishing stocks and federal regulations that have driven well
over half of Dutra’s New England peers ashore.
“I told a fellow I bought a 50-year-old fishing boat 30
years ago.” Dutra smiles at a clutch of folks gathered
to take pictures of him, Judy, and the boat. “Man
says you’re not an old fisherman; you’re a longtime
fisherman. This isn’t an old fishing boat; it’s a longtime
fishing boat.”
Longtime, indeed. According to Dutra, the RICHARD & ARNOLD came to life in 1924, and she’s having
a bit of a homecoming at this festival in New Bedford.
Shipwrights framed and planked this dragger right

dorymen from a schooner jigging or setting longlines.
And the draggers were versatile. Not only could they
maneuver their trawl nets in ways schooners could not,
but they could also tow for various species of bottom
fish by changing their fishing grounds and net sizes.
They could also tow dredges for scallops and harvest
vast quantities of squid during the spring off the south
coast of Cape Cod.
As these vessels developed, many adopted a round
stern for seakindliness when steaming before the wind.
Like schooners, Eastern-rigs usually carried two masts,
mainly for hoisting the nets over the side. But Easternrigs were generally ketch-rigged and carried only a couple of riding sails. As the vessels aged, short steel masts
often replaced taller wooden ones.
Draggers built during the early days of the type often
were trunnel-fastened and built by the schooner builders of Essex, Massachusetts, as well as by yards around
other fishing ports in New England, such as New Bedford, Gloucester, and along mid-coast Maine. By the
late 1950s, there were about 500 Eastern-rig draggers
fishing New England waters.
The widespread development of welded steel construction during WWII forecast an end to the Easternrig’s popularity, and by the 1960s many offshore fishermen
were choosing larger, Western-rig stern-trawlers. During the 1960s and ’70s, the Newbert & Wallace yard in
Thomaston, Maine, and a few other Downeast builders
like Harvey Gamage produced the last of the Easternrigs. One Newbert & Wallace Eastern-rig, the 60' ROANN,
has been restored as a floating exhibit at Mystic Seaport.
The 83' EVELINA M. GOULART, an auxiliary schooner
built by the A.D. Story yard at Essex in 1927, carried an
Eastern rig for much of her life. She’s displayed in deteriorating condition beneath a shed roof at the Essex
Shipbuilding Museum.
—RP
Learn more about ROANN at www.mysticseaport.org.
Learn more about the EVELINA M. GOULART at
www.essexshipbuildingmuseum.org.

across the harbor from her festival berth at the Casey
Boat Building Company in Fairhaven, Massachusetts.
Before a fire destroyed the Casey operation in the mid1950s, the famous yard occupied blocks of the Fairhaven
waterfront and turned out hundreds of yachts, including the first of the famous Concordia yawls. They also
built quite a few wooden fishing boats—and rumrunners, too, during Prohibition when the south coast of
New England was a hotbed of smuggling activity.
“I heard from the Parsons, the first family that fished
this boat, that she was built as a rumrunner for the
gangster Dutch Shultz,” says Dutra. “But he never came
to pick up the vessel, and she sat in a shed for years
until Frank Parsons bought her. He named her after

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“She’s what some fishermen call ‘finest kind,’” says Dave Dutra.

his two sons and rigged her for fishing out of Province­
town.” That was about 80 years ago, and the RICHARD
& ARNOLD has hailed from Provincetown ever since.
“When I bought her, Capt. Parsons told me she was
a good sea boat, fast and built to last. I guess she has
proved him right. She’s what we fishermen call ‘finest
kind.’”

S

ometimes dubbed the “fisherman’s tractor,”
Eastern­rig draggers brought the final advance
from sail to engine, and from hooks to nets, in

New England fisheries. They began evolving in the
1920s with the development of powerful marine diesel
engines, from auxiliary­powered schooners and short­
rigged schooner draggers. Adopting a large conical
fishnet called an otter trawl used by English steam trawl­
ers of the 1900s, the draggers towed their nets, spread
open by wing­like “doors,” along the seabed to scoop up
groundfish such as cod, haddock, and flounder. Accus­
tomed to schooners and their sail­carrying masts, New
England fishermen fitted their new draggers with masts
to haul their “bags,” the trawl nets, over the side. This
hauling of the bag over the side, as opposed to haul­
ing it over the transom, is one of the things that distin­
guishes the Eastern­rig from the modern stern trawler
and the so­called Western­rig.
In the face of the increasing dominance of the
Western­rig during the past 40 years, RICHARD &
ARNOLD no doubt owes some of her longevity to her
small size. At 60' on deck, with a 15' 6" beam and a draft
of 6' 7", this vessel of 33 gross tons can be hauled on
a small railway or with a 50­ton Travelift. She doesn’t
need a shipyard. Nor does she need a giant Caterpillar
diesel to drive her. Powered by a classic GM 8­71, she
steams at 8 knots and burns only 5 gallons per hour.
She’s small enough to fish solo, saving the expense
RICHARD & ARNOLD’s wheelhouse reveals the tastes and
inclinations of her owner—a resourceful collector.

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of paying a crew. Small enough to be largely ownermaintained, if the owner is handy.
The Dutra’s boat is on the short end of the scale for
Eastern-rig draggers, many of which ran to over 80' and
close to 100 tons. These big wooden draggers often
came from yards previously building fishing schooners
for New England’s offshore fishery, and the Easternrigs were built to replace those schooners. The brutal
conditions of the North Atlantic and long, offshore
trips shortened the lives of these draggers. But because
of her relatively small size, RICHARD & ARNOLD has
always worked as an inshore boat, towing her nets
around the outer edge of the Cape or in the sheltered
waters of Cape Cod Bay, Nantucket Sound, and Vineyard Sound. “When the weather gets dirty, we can run
for home and save the wear and tear,” says her captain.
Unlike many of her sister draggers, RICHARD &
ARNOLD was not built “quick-and-dirty” with sawn
frames and green wood, and her construction has no
doubt contributed to her long working life. Casey used
fully seasoned, steam-bent, 3" × 3 ½" oak frames and
yacht-quality, 2 ½" longleaf pine for planking. Fastenings were of heavy galvanized steel. Still, no boat, especially a workboat, can survive 89 years without a lot of
TLC , and luckily she found Dave Dutra in her middle
age to take care of her.

Growing up as the son of a son of a fisherman in
Provincetown’s vibrant Portuguese fishing community of the 1950s, Dutra started fishing before middle
school. Shortly after high school, he wanted to learn
boat carpentry, so he took an adult education course,
learned to read offsets, and built a dory. “After that it
was just cutting wood.” Lots of wood.
In his 30 years of ownership, Dutra has seen his fishing boat through a stem replacement, plank renewals, refastening, and new ceiling. Twenty years ago he
reframed her while afloat, making a steambox in the
fishhold from a scavenged tank and driving the hot,
new frames down between planking and ceiling with a
sledge while standing in a skiff tied alongside. Last winter, after RICHARD & ARNOLD got crushed against a
wharf by a steel dragger, Dutra hauled his boat, jacked
the stern back into place, beefed it up structurally, and
worked with a “hell of a wizard” to sheathe the hull in
fiberglass, using the Vaitses method (see WB No. 228)
and 15 lbs of stainless-steel deck nails to fasten the
’glass exoskeleton to the hull.
The worst job was reframing and replacing the deck.
“I was down in the forecastle one day while towing when
I looked up and saw the deck flex 6". I knew there must
be rot, and when I got home, I went after a suspicious
spot with a chainsaw. Three hours later, I had cut away

New England Fisheries: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly

I

n the most recent year for data analysis, 2011, U.S.
seafood landings reached a 17-year high, thanks
in part to rebuilding fish populations. The value
of landings also increased. According to the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
which oversees U.S. fisheries, commercial fishermen
landed 10.1 billion lbs of fish and shellfish in 2011, valued at $5.3 billion, an increase over 2010 of 1.9 billion
lbs and more than $784 million.
For the 12th consecutive year, New Bedford, Masschusetts,
had the highest-valued catch, due mostly to the sea scallop
fishery. Scallops are one of the bright spots in the New
England fisheries, along with rebounds in the haddock
and pollock stocks and strong dogfish, monkfish, skate,
redfish, and lobster landings. But despite fishermen
staying within very restrictive catch limits, several key
stocks of groundfish, especially what fishermen once
called “king cod,” have declined unexpectedly.
In September 2012, the Department of Commerce
declared a disaster  for the New England groundfish
industry. NOAA believes that further cuts to catch limits
may be necessary in the 2013 fishing season. The disaster declaration makes it possible for Congress to appropriate money toward alleviating the financial hardship
to fishermen caused by the fishery disaster. But how
much money in aid Congress will appropriate, and who
will receive that aid, remains uncertain.
Speaking about the groundfish disaster in New

England, NOAA administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco says,
“Fishing is the lifeblood of many coastal communities,
providing jobs, a continuation of an historic tradition
and culture, recreational opportunities for millions
of anglers, and contributing to food security for the
nation. Finding solutions will not be easy....”
In recent decades NOAA has tried to limit catches
and restore stocks in the New England fisheries by
imposing area closures and restricting each licensed
fishing boat’s days at sea, as well as by setting trip limits. Recently, NOAA has broadened its approach in New
England to rebuilding fish stocks and improving equitable distribution of resources among the fishing fleet
by allowing fishing boats to join sectors and share their
individual vessel allocations with a pool of other boats.
Still, since the precipitous shrinkage in groundfish
stocks in the 1990s and increasingly strict regulations,
the number of boats dragging for groundfish out of
New England has declined drastically. NOAA data for
just the years 2007 to 2010 shows a nearly 18 percent
reduction in the number of boats making groundfishing trips. Many draggers remain tied to the wharves.
More than a few of the old Eastern-rigs have sunk mysteriously at their moorings or have been abandoned with
unstoppable leaks at sea. At the present time 91 percent
of all seafood consumed in the U.S. is imported. Given
the current state of the New England ground fisheries,
that percentage seems unlikely to change.

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RICHARD & ARNOLD steams past Race Point Lighthouse, icon of her home port.

the entire work deck and pushed it out the scuppers. I
sat there and cried,” says the fisherman. Then he went
home to dinner. Judy told him not to worry. God had a
plan. Get back to work tomorrow. “If it weren’t for her,
all of this would be gone,” he says. He loves that she
fishes with him sometimes (as she had in their youth)
now that their boys are grown and she no longer works
as a school nurse.
Clearly, Judy Dutra’s intrinsic optimism and her
husband’s resilience and energy have played an
important role in keeping RICHARD & ARNOLD
afloat and fishing. “When I started there were 60
boats like this one fishing out of Provincetown. Now
there are only four boats with federal licenses,” Dutra
says. He’s a man with a boundless supply of stories,
many about surviving all kinds of natural and metaphorical storms, including the loss of a cruising yawl
off Cape Hatteras, monster manta rays in his net, a
treasure-hunting expedition gone sour off Wellfleet,
throat cancer, the immense decline of fishing stocks,
and the resulting barrage of fisheries closures and
restrictions leveled by the National Marine Fisheries
Service.
“But it hasn’t all been black,” Dutra says. He has
found a way to make a living fishing four months
a year, focusing on the lucrative squid run in Nantucket Sound each spring and dragging for fluke out
of Menemsha Harbor on Martha’s Vineyard during
the summer. “The government only lets us take 300
lbs a day. But we have been getting $4 a pound, sometimes $7. That’s not a bad payday when you can catch
your limit. Anyway, breaking even is the new ‘profit.’”
While Dutra can get “pretty fired up” about all the
government regulations in his industry today, he agrees
with the required increase in the mesh size of nets from

2" to 6 ½" to save juvenile fish. “It’s helped to rebuild
some of the fish stocks and given the vendor and shopper a better product,” he says. “But the one thing that
puts a stick in my heart is that I had to drive my two boys
away from fishing.” The economics of contemporary
fishing have forced most surviving New England fishermen toward massive, corporate-owned steel trawlers
and discouraged young men from the industry. Dutra
shakes his head. “A man can’t get into the business without investing $300–$500K at the outset for a license,
a boat down payment, and vouchers from the government to catch the quota.”
Is the future all doom and gloom for the Dutras and
RICHARD & ARNOLD? Hardly. To make the boat easier
for singlehanded fishing, Dutra has rigged her for stern
trawling. During this winter’s layup, he plans to expand
the forecastle and “build a nice living space for Judy
and me. Maybe room for the grandkids, too.” He also
intends to replace his steel mast with a 44' aluminum
spar he has scavenged. Then he wants to rig two jibs
and a mainsail for “a little sail-assisted fishing…and
cruising off-season.
“People tell me I am a stubborn old bastard. But fishing’s a pretty serious disease, and I got it bad,” Dutra
says. “We’re going to keep this boat going. Fish her until
the end. They’ll drag me off her. We’ve had the best
life. We’re a team. Me, the boat, and Judy.”
Randy Peffer is the former Chesapeake editor of WoodenBoat. He is
the captain of the research schooner SARAH ABBOT, and the author
of 17 books, including 9 novels. His most recent novel is SEAHAWK
Burning, about the Confederate raider Raphael Semmes.
Order copies of Judy Dutra’s memoir, Nautical Twilight, by
e-mailing her at [email protected].
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Paul Gartside
and the Design Spiral
Creating new boats of timeless beauty
by Michael Higgins

T

here’s a certain quality to a boat designed by
Paul Gartside—a sense of timeless style and a
permeating beauty. Gartside has dozens of plans
to his credit, from steam launches to lobsterboats, sailing dinghies to cruising cutters. Some of his boats are
innovative and others traditional. But whatever the
design brief, this style is a constant.
I was so moved the first time I saw Gartside’s work that
I eventually asked him to design for me a 38' cutter,
which I spent 10 years building (see WB No. 225). That
project revealed the depth and quality of his work and
was a perfect example of his skill in translating what at
times seemed to be contradictory ideas into a coherent and sensible boat. It showcased his sensibility as a
builder as well as a designer, for Gartside is an accomplished practitioner of both skills, and the construction details of his drawings are thus particularly well
thought out.
Last summer, sharing a pot of tea at the kitchen
table of his Nova Scotia home while his two young
children created their own works of art nearby, I had
the opportunity to learn more about Gartside and his

work. He was born in 1953 in North Wales, but from
the age of five he lived on the Tresillian River about
10 miles upstream from Falmouth in Cornwall, England, where his family had a boatyard. The boatyard,
Bar Creek Yacht Station, did a variety of service and
repair work; new construction was rare. It was a challenging business, for it operated before there was any
significant revival of interest in wooden boats. Even so,
Gartside recalls the area as “the most beautiful place
in the world to me still, and between the boatyard, and
the river, and the woods, a magical place to grow up.”
This was his family’s home until Gartside and much of
the rest of his family emigrated to Canada in 1983.
As a young student, Gartside spent a lot of time in
the boatshop after school, and there he discovered the
designs of William and John Atkin. “We had a number
of the bound volumes of the Ideal Series, which Bill Atkin
did for Motor Boating. Naturally I grew up an Atkin fan,
and as a boy I devoured those plan collections. I can
smell the pages of the books now...pure romance.”
Gartside built several small boats as a boy, including canoes and punts from plans in Popular Mechanics,
PHOTO ABOVE: DAN PEACOCk

Above—Paul Gartside has been designing and building boats for over 30 years. He just built this 20' cutter at his shop in
Shelburne, Nova Scotia. The design is a refinement of a cutter he first developed several years ago.

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and a few Atkin skiffs from their Ideal Series. His father
was also a fan of the Atkins, and developed a working
relationship with them. John and Pat Atkin visited Bar
Creek in the mid-1960s. A few years later when Gartside
turned 16, he was looking for a bigger boat to build, and
John Atkin handed him the plans for a 22' schooner,
his Florence Oakland design. Gartside was captivated
by it, and it became his escape project during his last
years of secondary school, which he says he “loathed
from start to finish.” He called the boat MARIE SOPHIE,
and launched her in 1973. That accomplishment is all
the more impressive when you understand that Gartside also earned money for the materials while he was
building the boat as well as going to school. Sailing on
the River Fal, young Gartside no doubt experienced the
joys and rewards of building and sailing his own boat.

G

artside particularly wanted to build boats to
his own designs. Encouraged by his parents
to pursue a formal education in the field, he
chose to study yacht design at the Southampton College of Technology. This gave him a strong foundation
in the elements of design, but he was frustrated by the
segmented, theoretical, academic way in which it was
taught. He wanted a more pragmatic approach. He
didn’t think any of the teachers at the college had actually practiced cranking out a design a month as he’d
seen the Atkins do, and he aspired to do the same himself. Despite this dissatisfaction, he graduated with a
diploma in Yacht and Boat Design in 1974.
Each summer, Southampton College sent their students

out to work in the industry, and that experience was a
bright spot in Gartside’s schooling. In 1973, he worked
for McGruer & Co. in Argyll, Scotland, for five months.
He described the place as “pure gold.” Gartside had
built a few boats before then, but he knew he didn’t
know very much about boat construction. The yard was
full of talented, skilled craftsmen who were generous
with their knowledge, and Gartside soaked it all up. He
very nearly returned to Scotland when he finished
school, but instead headed back home to the family’s
boatyard.
By the early 1980s, England was in a deep economic
recession, and running the boatyard was becoming
increasingly difficult. Gartside had some independent
work, including a commercial fishing-boat project that
he enjoyed, but new work was scarce. His sister had
married a Canadian, moved to Canada, and sent word
back that there were job opportunities for boatbuilders
in British Columbia. That news, along with the mild
climate of the province’s coast, drew most of the Gartside family across an ocean and a continent. In 1983, at
age 30, Gartside found himself on Vancouver Island in
the town of Sidney, building boats with his father in a
rented shop.
Through his brother-in-law, Paul and his father met
designer Bill Garden, who very quickly began sending
the Gartsides work. Paul built models for Garden,
and the Gartsides built a number of his boats. Like
many a father-and-son team, the Gartsides had their
differences. Eventually Paul sought independent design
work, and found some in commercial fishing boats. He

CInDY LEE

Gartside’s spectrum of designs includes power and rowing boats as well as sailboats. This 21’ launch is an early design of his,
one that he built himself and cruised in all over Canada’s west coast.

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—— The

Designer as Boatbuilder ——
Left—Gartside’s drawings
are rich in detail, with
plenty of assistance for
the builder. Here, we see
the stem sections for an
outboard skiff lofted at
half-scale.

Below—This plan detail shows a portable skiff loader
that assists a single person trying to load a boat on
the roof of a vehicle.

D

esign for Gartside is not separate from building;
it’s merely the logical first step in creating a new
boat. The rich detailing in his drawings, he says,
is simply the result of working out the methods for
building the boat while he is designing it. The next step
of his process is to build it.
Gartside reckons he’s built several dozen boats over
the years, if you count the small ones. He told me
about an early design of his that he built in 1978, the
Oysterman 16. He called this boat a miniature cutter,
as it was small but heavily ballasted, with a full traditional rig. He said it was too small to be very practical,
but it sailed and raced well, and has become a stock
fiberglass boat.
He also mentioned the Flashboat (see sidebar, page
63) and a 21' plywood motorboat (design No. 74) with
an enclosed wheelhouse that he took all over Canada’s
western coast. “That boat made me realize the value of
keeping the crew warm and dry. [There’s] so much less
fatigue and higher morale all round even in the most
miserable weather. That got me thinking about the
value of a good motorsailer, and I have done a cluster
of designs of that type.”
His compulsion to build has its limits, of course. Gartside acknowledges that if he were to devote a lifetime to
building every boat he designed, he might have time
for only 30 or 40 boats. By designing boats for others to
build, he has the privilege of creating perhaps hundreds
of boats during his lifetime. He says he would choose

building if he could pursue only one discipline; he
simply loves the physical aspect of it.
Gartside is a strong advocate of full-sized lofting,
believing that this is a much underrated, but critical, step that many people wish they could skip. Seeing at full scale how all of the components are to be
shaped and fit together is invaluable. Lofting also is
the source of countless patterns. Gartside says it’s simply the logical step between design and construction.
(For a detailed description of lofting, see WB Nos.
110 and 111.)
—MH

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The Design Spiral

W

hat Gartside calls the design spiral is
a means of revisiting old designs and
applying their characteristics to a new
design. As a designer creates the designs for several boats of a similar type, he or she will see that
their parameters are similar. For example, cruising cutters will have similar displacements, sail
areas, and prismatic coefficients.* With each new
design, Gartside can go back to his previous hulls
with similar characteristics and use their numbers
as a starting point for the new boat, saving the
time and trouble of computing those numbers
from scratch. Based on the known performance
of previous designs, he can then adjust the characteristics of the newer designs to better achieve
the goals of the design brief.
Learning how best to apply this spiral does not
come easily. While working for Bill Garden, Gartside asked how he had so quickly determined the
vertical center of gravity (VCG)* on a particular
design. Garden responded, “If you can tell me
where it is, I will give you fifty grand under the
counter right now.” Apparently the issue remained
a challenge even for Garden well into his career.
Extrapolating and applying the pertinent information from previous designs is a means by which
a designer can determine parameters such as VCG
with relative accuracy and in a timely fashion.
With each design, the spiral becomes more useful
in helping the designer home in on the particulars of the yacht that’s currently on his drawing
board.
—MH
designed several steel boats before the demand for new
fishing boats slowed, then he returned to his first love:
designing and building pleasure boats.
Garden became a huge influence on him, sometimes
too huge. Gartside said, “The problem with Bill was
always that he was too big an influence. A talent of that
breadth and scale is hard to be around if you have committed yourself to the same endeavor. You either have
to throw your pencil away and go do something else or
keep enough distance to be able to see your own way
forward. He was an extraordinary man and, of course,
you will see his influence in many of my boats…. However, for me, the most important thing I got from Bill
you won’t see in the drawings themselves, and that
was the confirmation that boat design is all about the
empirical method.
“I was 30 when I met him, and I’d designed and
built a bunch of boats by then, but never felt I fully
understood what I was doing. What becomes clear as
soon as you start designing for real is that it is very
difficult to establish certainty in almost any aspect of
a new design.” He notes that theory is important to
the process but the answers one needs aren’t in textbooks. The problems are just too complex and interrelated.  “So you end up falling back on comparative

methods to make all the basic decisions around weight
and center of gravity, power and speed, balance,
strength, and so on.*  For a long time, I felt that was
somehow dodging the issue, and that a trained naval
architect should be able to exert more control over the
situation. So when I met Bill Garden, a colossus striding across the whole spectrum of boat design, turning
out completed designs at high speed apparently with
complete confidence, the question that plagued me
was, how was he able to do that? What was the method
that allowed for such confidence? 
“It took some time to tease it out of him, but it
became clear that for the most part he was using the
very simplest of empirical methods, establishing a
basis of comparison, taking known data from previous
boats and plugging that in to predict where the next
one would land. The knowledge that it was possible to
work that way at the highest level—indeed, that it was
essential given the constraints of time and money—was
a huge reassurance to me. I wish I had grasped that
fully when I was 21 instead of 31.” Gartside calls this
method “the design spiral (see sidebar, left). It was the
sort of strategy he hadn’t learned in school, but one
that would be tremendous help in designing boats efficiently enough to make a living.

O

ne could roughly divide most yacht designers into
two categories. First, there are designers who,
although they might produce beautiful boats,
are always looking at the numbers and the associated
math. Gartside remembers Olin Stephens visiting a
design class that Gartside was teaching at WoodenBoat
School in Brooklin, Maine. Stephens went around to all
of the students, looked at the boats they were designing,
and asked questions to which the answers could only be
numbers. He was concerned about things like ratios,
stability, wetted surface, and balance.* On the other
hand, someone like Garden started a design from an
aesthetic perspective, drawing rich romantic images
of boats, and often including a gentleman smoking a
pipe somewhere onboard. Obviously, Garden looked at
the numbers too, and in the end Stephens produced
some of the most beautiful boats of the 20th century,
but they approached the challenge from very different
perspectives.
Gartside, too, starts out from an aesthetic sensibility.
For example, in speaking about his design No. 160—a
40' double-ended yawl recently built by Jespersen Boatbuilders in British Columbia—he described the process
of developing that design. “I started with the size and
the client’s affection for a canoe yawl. So with that in
mind, I sketched and doodled until I found something
that excited me. First impressions are important and
often the most honest. I will draw a lot and later come
back to look at the sketches a second time, with fresh
eyes to get that first impression that works for me.”
After Gartside and the client agree on a sketch they
both like, then the real analytical work of yacht design
Continues on page 62

* Visit the Bonus Content section of our website,

www.woodenboat.com, for explanations of the design
terms noted by asterisks throughout this article.
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T

—— The

Evolution of the Gartside Cutter ——

o make a relatively small boat seaworthy, spacious,
and beautiful, and still keep its performance lively,
is a challenge. Gartside is well known for his small
gaff-rigged cutters. With their strong plumb stems, beautiful transoms, and bold, sweeping sheerlines, these boats
inspire a sense of seaworthiness and competency. Each
new incarnation has benefited from the knowledge gained
from the previous designs. Let’s look at four, starting with
The 16’ Oysterman is
fast, but several feet
shorter than the others.
SURPRISE, and her
more recent namesake,
SURPRISE II, are similar
in profile with the newer
hull having a slightly
shallower forefoot.
Design No. 101 (revised
in 2010), which Gartside
recently built, carries a
bowsprit. She is a couple
of feet shorter, a foot
wider, and about 500 to
800 lbs lighter than the
two SURPRISE designs.
Each boat carries a
mainsail, jib, staysail, and
topsail. Their sail areas
range from 307 sq ft to
392 sq ft.

the Oysterman, designed in 1978. At 16', this boat is a
small cutter, but a remarkably successful design; Riverside
Products Ltd. of Penryn, Cornwall, reproduced her in
fiberglass. Her beam of 6' 4" gives her a length-to-beam
ratio* of 2.52. Based on the Falmouth working cutters of
the Fal River, she is fast despite her 2,750 lbs of ballast.
The 22' SURPRISE of 1995 is also very much inspired
by the working sailboats of Falmouth. With a beam of

No. 20, Oysterman
Particulars
LOA
16' 0"
Beam
6'4"
Draft
3'0"
Displ.
3,861 lbs
Sail area
307 sq ft
Length-to-beam ratio 2.52

No. 95, SURPRISE
Particulars
LOA
22' 3"
Beam
7'
Draft
4'1"
Displ.
6,578 lbs
Sail area
374 sq ft
Length-to-beam ratio 3.18

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7', she has a length-to-beam ratio of 3.18. Gartside built
and cruised this boat himself up the Pacific coast to
Alaska. When asked to revisit the design for a client
in 2002, he made a few slight alterations and improvements, resulting in SURPRISE II. This boat is a bit longer at 22'4", and with a beam of 7' 10" has a slightly
fuller beam on the waterline, resulting in a length-tobeam ratio of 2.85. This gave the newer boat a little
more stability and interior room.

In 2010, Gartside revised his design No. 101 of an
Itchen Ferry Cutter. The result is a little shorter at 20', and
her beam is 8' 3", which gives the boat a length-to-beam
ratio of 2.44. Gartside notes that “Throughout this evolution, the center of effort’s position has also moved forward of the center of lateral resistance* to keep the helm
balanced.” So far these changes have produced boats that
stand up to their sails more efficiently than the original
SURPRISE, and have more room inside.
—MH

No. 131, SURPRISE II
Particulars
LOA
22' 4"
Beam
7' 10"
Draft
4' 0"
Displ.
6,282 lbs
Sail area
388 sq ft
Length-to-beam ratio 2.85

No. 101, 20' Cutter

Particulars

LOA
20' 0"
Beam
8' 3"
Draft
4' 1"
Displ.
5,750 lbs
Sail area
392 sq ft
Length-to-beam ratio 2.44

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In 2010, Gartside designed this 15’2” Shelburne dory,
a modern refinement of the fishing dories built by the
hundreds in Shelburne starting in the 19th century. A friend
of the family built this boat, SHEBA, for Paul’s two children.
Continues from page 59

starts. Among other things, Gartside must figure out
the best construction method, the boat’s displacement,
and its sail area or engine size. He must locate the
necessary cabin furniture in a way that suits the client
both aesthetically and ergonomically, but also results
in a stable and attractive boat. All of these issues, and
many more, are interdependent in a design. For example, if one wishes to add more ballast to a sailboat to
increase stability, the hull will weigh more, requiring
more power to move it. So the sails get bigger. This
additional power will also add more weight to the boat,
so the sails need to be even bigger. The designer’s job is
to determine the correct amount of ballast desired for
stability, and balance that with correct amount of sail
area needed to drive that ballast—in short, to find the
perfect balance of displacement and power—of stability and speed.* Add the comfort of the passengers and
economic considerations of the client to the puzzle,
and one can understand why a designer will appreciate the lessons his or her previous designs can offer.
Making use of the design spiral by extrapolating from
the performance of previous designs helps the designer
refine the new design to the most suitable combination
of comfort, speed, safety, and cost desired by the client.

A

s important as the aesthetic issues are in yacht
design, boats are not static sculptures. A yacht is
a complicated object that must perform in the
ever-changing environment of two adjacent fluids,
while keeping those aboard safe and comfortable. To
be able to take a client’s ideas, which often conflict
with each other, and distill a single, beautiful, and wellbehaved boat from them, is a complicated task. It might
be simpler to dictate a boat’s features to a client, but
this is not Gartside’s way. To listen, respect, and collaborate requires the designer to bend and stretch in
unforeseen ways. This is what Gartside does, and it is
one of the reasons why his catalog is so varied.
Gartside has made a decision not to chase the latest fad or trend, primarily because he wants his designs
to withstand the test of time. But this imperative
does not exclude anything modern; Gartside is not
dogmatic about design or construction. “The Pacific
Northwest has its own culture of both design and construction, and I’ve gained much from being in and
around that. One of the valuable things about emigration is that it forces you to look afresh at preconceived
notions.  I think that’s particularly true about emigration to the New World and perhaps the west coast more
than the east. In B.C., just about everyone is from somewhere else, so the boats there have German and Danish
influences as well as Scots and English, and the fishing
fleet has significant input from the Japanese culture of
craftsmanship. That changes the way one thinks. It can
be unsettling but liberating, too, when there is no right

way to do anything.” It is perhaps this “liberation” that
has kept Gartside from getting stuck in a particular way
of thinking and designing.
A few years ago Gartside and his wife, Bess, moved
east to Shelburne, Nova Scotia, looking for a maritime
community where they could raise their two young
children, Nettie and Teddy, next to the water, thus
beginning another chapter in his life. Gartside wanted
to find a place where he could recapture some of the
magic he remembered from his own childhood home,
and Shelburne offered waterfront property that a boatbuilder/designer could still afford. “When I look at the
property we have in Shelburne Harbour and our plans
to build a house there next to the boatshop with our
feet in the water, I know in some ways I am still trying to
get back to Bar Creek, or at least give my own children
a taste of that richness.” Thinking some more about the
motivations and passions that influence his life, Gartside summed it up: “What you are dealing with here is
a 10-year-old’s passion for building boats and having
adventures.” With two children now in the mix, Gartside has found himself spending more time designing
than building. Although building still is an ongoing
part of the operation, it now must fit around the needs
of the whole family.
So how do we define the essence of Gartside’s
designs? His boats have a fundamental handsomeness,
with a balanced and well-proportioned profile. Their
lines are bold, but also have a classical, traditional
look and feel. The boats invite us aboard—they facilitate and enhance our notions of ocean passages and
snug anchorages. Fundamentally, you can see the elements of Gartside’s life reflected in his boats. His early
years in Britain are evident in the English plumb stems
and the gaff rigs of his cutters. The influence of the
Atkins and their desire to design boats for the common
folk is a central theme to Gartside’s life and work. His
versatility and diversity has been influenced by Garden
as well as other designers and builders in his life. But
when it comes right down to it, Gartside, like most artists, is simply exploring the things that first interested
him—his own passion for boats and adventures.
Michael Higgins is a boatbuilder and writer who recently worked
for Covey Island Boat Works in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, as they
rebuilt the schooner BLUENOSE II. He is currently sailing his
Gartside cutter, SAMARA T, in the Caribbean.
You can find out more about Paul Gartside’s work at
www.gartsideboats.com.

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—— Gartside
Particulars
No. 38 Flashboat

LOA
Beam
Weight

Pulling Boats——

Flashboat

15' 0"
4' 6"
90 lbs

No. 115 Bob
LOA
Beam
Weight

15' 11"
4' 9"
135 lbs

No. 179 coastal skiff

LOA
Beam
Weight
Sail area

17' 0"
4' 9"
140 lbs
63 sq ft

Bob

coastal skiff

Gartside’s Flashboat, designed in 1984, was light enough to cartop, but large enough for Gartside to take on a 1,000-mile row
along the Alaska coast. Flashboat has a small transom and a vertical stem. The later designs, Bob and the Coastal Rowing Skiff,
are both double-enders and a bit longer. The hull sections flatten out through the three iterations, flaring at the ends, though
the sheerline stays much the same. The latest design includes a downwind sail.

G

artside is fond of rowing. “I find a good pulling
boat a very pleasant way to be on the water. It’s
peaceful, and the rhythm is conducive to contemplation—at least until you run into a lump of driftwood.” Let’s look at a few of Gartside’s pulling boats
and see how the designs have changed as he makes
multiple trips around the design spiral.
In 1984, Gartside designed Flashboat, his design
No. 38. It was the first boat he built in Canada—back
when he had very little money but needed to get on
the water in the worst way. His original intent was to
create a cheap and simple racing skiff, for fixed-seat
rowing races. The boat became much more, though.
“It is a development of a Cornish racing skiff, but we
found it to be useful way beyond competitive rowing,”
said Gartside. “A skiff that’s light enough to load on
a roof rack but big enough to carry camping supplies
opens all kinds of possibilities and access to some of
the wildest country.” He built the prototype in 1984 for
about $100 from 1/8" lauan doorskin. He didn’t expect
it to last, but in the summer of 1998 he spent a couple
of months rowing that same Flashboat from the mouth

of the Yukon River through the Bering Strait to Point
Barrow, Alaska—a distance of 1,000 miles. From that
experience evolved a number of designs for open-water
rowing boats.
Gartside describes design No. 115, which he created a couple of years later, as “a lovely boat, a
double-ender with flare in the ends for beaching in
surf.” More recently, design No. 179 came as a result
of daydreaming about rowing along the coast of Labrador. “It has a little more length and carrying capacity and a midsection aimed at minimizing resistance.”
He kept the lightness and capacity of the Flashboat in
the two later designs, but made modifications, such as
flaring the ends to make beach landings and launchings easier.
Once a design is built, Gartside compares its actual
performance to the theoretical performance. “It takes
years of practice and close attention to gain the skills
of judgment, to know what is a valid comparison and
what’s not. It is a method that favors the prolific—
the more you do, the more you know—provided you
remember.”
—MH
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Legends of the Rips
In search of the New England bassboat
by Stan Grayson
“Coot throttled down for trolling and the Sea Coot moved
into the rip…the evil churning of the rip over huge sub“The Striped Bass, a Detective Story,”
merged rocks.”
Gerald Holland, Sports Illustrated, August 27, 1956

O

n August 17, 1913, a one-time New Bedford policeofficer-turned-businessman named Charles
Benjamin Church sailed out of Cuttyhunk Pond
in pursuit of striped bass. Church and his brother-inlaw, Carl Kraut, battled through big swells in Canapitsit
Channel, and once in Vineyard Sound they turned
east. When Church reached a spot he reckoned promising, he lifted out the boat’s sprit rig and Kraut took the
oars, skillfully backing stern-first through surf to within
just 2' of the Nashawena shore.
The shallow water beneath them was full of big,
seaweed-covered rocks, the tide ebbing hard against
the wind. “It was awfully rough…I could hardly keep
my feet,” Church wrote later. Using a century-old German silver reel, Church began casting his live-eelbaited hook and soon snagged a fish so heavy that he
feared his 11-oz bamboo rod might break. The 60" bass
weighed 73 lbs, a record that stood for some 69 years.

Church referred to his craft only as “a 13 foot smack
boat,” the term then generically applied to fishing craft
of many types. However, the fact that this boat was 13'
long, had a quickly removable sprit rig, and was able
enough to carry two full-grown men in potentially
dangerous conditions, suggests it was a Woods Hole
spritsail boat. Such “big little boats”—generally a bit
over 13' long and approximately 6' in beam—were well
adapted to those who wanted to go beyond surf-casting
and hunt striped bass among the Elizabeth Islands.
The eventual development of small powerboats
allowed fishermen to pursue stripers with significantly
less labor than in Church’s day. Now, fishermen could
rather quickly reach promising spots including the tiderips around Cape Cod, Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard,
and off the western end of Cuttyhunk. There, Sow and
Pigs reef—“the Pigs”—became as famed for stripers
as it was for shipwrecks. While powerboats in a wider
variety were initially used for bass fishing, quite specialized versions began emerging during the late 1940s,
boats born of their unique environment and the habits
of their quarry. This was the evolution of the purposebuilt New England bassboat.
PHOTO ABOVE: BENJAMIN MENDLOWITZ

Above—BEVIE C., a MacKenzie Cuttyhunk bass boat, in her element near Cuttyhunk Island, Massachusetts. Her high
freeboard, hard-chines, modest deadrise aft, twin tillers, gasoline engine, and foredeck spray coaming are signature features
of the classic New England bassboat as evolved for Cuttyhunk fishing guides.

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RUDY J:

“A Real Bassboat”

“There are always waves in Buzzards Bay,” said the
recorded announcement aboard the Cuttyhunk ferry
as we headed toward the hurricane barrier that protects New Bedford Harbor. But on this August day last
summer, almost exactly 99 years after Charles Church
caught his famous fish, the bay lay smooth beneath a
gray and windless sky. For months, I had been poking
into what initially seemed a reasonably straightforward
project of researching the origins of the New England
bassboat. But as time passed, the essence of the subject occasionally seemed as elusive as a wary fish. Soon
enough, the question popped to the surface: Exactly
what is a New England bassboat anyway?
Capt. Jim Nunes was waiting for me at the ferry dock
in his green golf cart. The 79-year-old guide is tall—as a
young man, he’d been scouted by the Boston Celtics—
and sturdy, toughened by years fishing in an open boat.
Often his customers kept him so busy that he fished a
161-day season without time off, yet he never grew tired
of the chase. “Bass,” Nunes said, “they’re one fish that
every time you think you know something about them,
you learn different.”
Soon enough, we arrived at the docks where Cuttyhunkers keep their boats. Once, a long time ago now, these
slips were home to all the great bassboats: the Ballentines
and Brownells, the Winslows and MacKenzies. Now,
though, they’re all gone, all save one. Jimmy Nunes’s
RUDY J is the last wooden bassboat at Cuttyhunk.
Lying in her slip, the 24 ½' RUDY J gives an impression of power and heft, displacing some 5,500 lbs or
more. She also has a sense of purpose. One gets the

feeling this boat could handle the very worst Buzzards
Bay can dish out. This, it turns out, is a good thing,
for Nunes allowed that he fished “regardless of weather.
No matter how bad, there’s always a place to fish. The
customers would go if I would.”
RUDY J has generous flare forward, contributing to
a comparatively dry ride and the buoyancy needed
to resist plunging too deep in heavy seas. The hull is
hard-chined with very modest deadrise aft resulting
in a stable platform when trolling. “A round bottom
rolls like hell, and that makes for tough fishing when
you’re going slow,” Nunes learned. The gray painted
decks have been fiberglassed, so fish blood is easily
washed off. The stern cleats are mounted out of the
way beneath the gunwale. There’s no windshield, just a
V-shaped spray coaming. “I didn’t want or need a windshield,” Nunes said. “At night, especially, it hurts your
ability to see all around the boat and it can get in the
way. No real bassboat had a windshield.”
There was that term: “real bassboat.”
The only significant projection on RUDY J is the
antenna, something added in the late 1960s when
there was spare cash for a radio. Out of Nunes’ memory
bank, an anecdote surfaced regarding a self-sufficient
Cuttyhunk fisherman who wouldn’t have a radio. “Bob
Tilton and I were in our boats fishing at night at Devils
Bridge off Gay Head. I headed home and so did Bob,
but unknown to me, he ran out of gas. He had with him
two Boston doctors who were his customers. He raised
the engine box and used that like a sail and came
across Vineyard Sound. He got through Canapitsit that
way, too, and Coot [Irwin Winslow “Coot” Hall] went
out and got him.”
Like a real bassboat, RUDY J, named for Jim’s father

STAN GRAYSON

Heading home, Capt. Jim Nunes steers RUDY J. toward Canapitsit Channel. Designed and built by Enoch Winslow, the boat
measures 24' 6" × 8 ’ 6" × 18”.

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STAN GRAYSoN

RUDY J., seen here off the east side of Cuttyhunk Island, provides a stable platform for trolling—a key bassboat attribute

whether in calm or rough seas.

and mentor Rudolph Joseph Nunes, has forward and
aft tillers and throttles, giving a fisherman maximum
flexibility. Nunes, however, uses only the forward tiller
when his back is bothering him; from that position, he
can perch on the engine box and steer. Aft, he is in
perfect harmony with the boat’s Chevy V-8, knowing
the rpm instinctively from engine sound. Some years
earlier, he was using the aft tiller and crossing Buzzards
Bay with an eager fisherman aboard when RUDY J was
overtaken by a black sky and northerly winds exceeding
50 knots. “It was all white water and foam,” Nunes said.
“The seas were 8' or 9' high. Well, when you’re running
the boat in conditions like that, you don’t have time to
be scared.”

Enoch WinsloW:
“It Was All in His Head”
RUDY J was designed and built by a Mattapoisett man

named Enoch Winslow. Jim Nunes had seen Winslow’s
first bassboat, a teak-decked beauty owned by Cuttyhunk guide Lloyd Bosworth. “You could tell right away
that Lloyd had something special,” said Nunes, who at
the time was running a Luhrs-designed Jersey sea skiff,
an able boat planked lapstrake-style with plywood. “It
had a windshield. It was a good boat to start with, but
Buzzards Bay is a tough place and that boat was light
and took a beatin’.”
Winslow’s son-in-law, Roger Thompson, remembers
Enoch as “naturally gifted, a self-taught master carpenter,

just a genius.” Winslow built a catboat in 1903 when he was
15 years old, and after service in the field artillery in World
War I, he began building boats in a shop on Barstow
Street. “He’d design using half models built of unfinished
pine scaled 1" to the foot,” Thompson said, “and would
build carvel, lapstrake, or other methods.” RUDY J is of
batten-seam construction, the 1"-thick mahogany planks
bronze-fastened to closely spaced white-oak frames. There
is a 4"-wide oak keel with a substantial skeg.
By the mid-’60s, when Nunes met Enoch Winslow,
the boatbuilder was in his late 70s and still spent every
Monday working as assessor for the town of Mattapoisett, a post he held for 60 years. Nunes and Winslow shook hands on a $5,500 price, but Winslow later
reduced that amount by $500, saying he’d finished the
boat—“the best one I’ve built”—more quickly than
expected. “There were no plans,” said Nunes. “It was
all in his head.” The original engine was a six-cylinder,
165-hp Crusader.
The number of bassboats built by Enoch Winslow is
unknown, but it was a relatively small part—perhaps a
half-dozen—of his total production, which included
cruisers of various sizes and dozens of skiffs. This figure is a fraction of the number of bassboats built by
another nearby builder—a man whose career began
in earnest about 5 miles northeast of Mattapoisett
in Marion in 1947 and would continue with singleminded purpose for some two decades. The emblem
on Ernest J. MacKenzie’s transoms left no doubt about
their purpose. It said “Cuttyhunk.”

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GEORGE DOW PHOTO/COuRTESY Of JEff RuTLEDGE
COuRTESY Of HOWARD BENASSI

Above—This 26’ MacKenzie (26’ 3”× 9’× 2’) awaits delivery
at Moss Marine in Fall River, Massachusetts, in 1957 or ’58.
The dark-blue boat was ordered by James “Art” Dow and
was powered by a Graymarine 225-hp V-8. The windshield
configuration—the side framing extends forward of the
windshield itself—is believed unique to the Moss-built
boats and was later eliminated. The substantial oak keel,
hard chines, and bottom configuration are all evident here.
“The boat always behaved very well,” said Art’s son, Jim.
Left—Ernest J. MacKenzie, circa early 1960s. “His hobby
was work,” said his one-time partner at Kingston, Thomas
Stott, Jr.

ErnEst J. MacKEnziE:
“His Whole Life Was Boats”
One early November day in 1968, a bass-obsessed writer
for Sports Illustrated named Dan Levin drove from Boston to Harwich on Cape Cod to go fishing with famed
guide Irving “Bud” Henderson. The temperature was
in the high 30s and a 25–35 mph northeast wind was
blowing. While others remained in port, Henderson,
who apparently graduated from the same guide school
as Jim Nunes, headed out with Levin and two other
striper zealots. At 6:15, in a rip off Monomoy, a wave
broke completely over L’IL DARLIN’, Henderson’s 30'
MacKenzie. Henderson warned the fishermen not to
look aft as it would be too frightening, and continued
the 30-mile journey toward a hotspot for migrating
stripers southeast of Nantucket.
Levin’s “Rough Day Off Old Man Shoals” gives an
unusually dramatic picture of an able skipper handling
a big, able bassboat offshore. “The wind was blowing
the tops off the waves and filling and refilling the cockpit with foam. Now there were 10-foot swells…at the
bottom of each one we lurched to a dead stop.... Bud
Henderson stood at the wheel, operating the manual
windshield wipers, speeding up or swerving to avoid a
breaking comber and eating apples.”
Born September 12, 1902 in Noel, Nova Scotia,
Ernest J. MacKenzie went to sea at age 12, and eventually
became a captain under sail. But it was MacKenzie’s fascination with the challenge of improving the boats used
by Cuttyhunk fishing guides that defined his life. In the
early 1940s, Mac was living in Marion, Massachusetts,

and working on the 312-acre Stone Estate. The circumstances that prompted the building of his first boat in
1944 (the year he became an American citizen) are now
unknown, but changes in his employer’s affairs were
likely involved. By 1948 or ’49, MacKenzie was on his
own, building seven stout-looking lapstrake 16-footers
in a barn on Hiller Street in Marion. As a young teenager, Bill MacDougall watched MacKenzie at work. “He
was a short man,” said MacDougall, “perhaps 5' 6", and
I remember him standing in wood shavings up to his
knees.”
MacKenzie soon relocated 2 miles away to Marion
Boat Works where he built a series of 22-footers. Some
years later, a brief photo caption in the local newspaper
read, “The Cuttyhunk style bass boat was developed at
the Marion boat yard.” MacKenzie left Marion with an
engine mechanic friend named Charlie Picket to set
up shop as the Cuttyhunk Boat Yard in nearby South
Dartmouth. There, MacDougall and Picket’s son had
the job of ferrying boats stored or repaired to and
from Cuttyhunk. There, too, according to author Steve
Purdy’s WoodenBoat article (WB No. 197), Mac’s friend,
boatbuilder Al Gray, lofted out the MacKenzie 26 while
“Mac sat on a bench with a half model in his hands
shouting dimensions.”
The South Dartmouth venture was brief. Ernest
MacKenzie was a boatbuilder rather than a businessman, a reality that shaped his career. In July 1951, he
found a partner in Plymouth physician Herbert Lotz,
who purchased the Kingston boatyard once owned by
George Shiverick and set up The MacKenzie Boat Shop,
Inc. The flyer headline was “The Original Bass Boat.”
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The shop offered sizes ranging from 18' to 28'. This
promising business arrangement ended prematurely
when Lotz died and businessman Thomas Stott, Jr. purchased the yard in May 1953. Unhappy with aspects of
the new arrangement, Mac moved on.
Sometime in 1955, MacKenzie partnered with fellow
Nova Scotian Al Moss, a contractor who’d had much
success building A&P markets, as Moss Marine in Fall
River. “MacKenzie was a good boatbuilder,” said Joseph
Richard Cottreau, a fellow “Bluenose” who worked with
Mac. “But Al footed the money.” Cottreau reported that
before he moved to the United States in 1956, he had
worked on about a dozen MacKenzie 22' bassboats in
Wedgeport, Nova Scotia. “MacKenzie came and showed
us what he wanted,” Cottreau said. “The boats were
shipped out to Fall River, in primer and without engines,
for completion.” During this period, Mac lived weekdays
in a trailer at Moss, returning to his Kingston home on
weekends. There, the boatbuilder and his son-in-law,
Howard Benassi, machined and polished all the boats’
bronze hardware, which was cast from Mac’s patterns.
While the Moss Marine years were productive, it was
not until 1960 and a move to Al Gray’s yard on the Taunton
River that MacKenzie’s business affairs and boat production were put on a truly solid footing. Businessman
Paul McCusker, who’d bought a large sportfisherman
from Gray and who owned Fab-Ri-Kona, a company
that manufactured Dexolium, a composite decking
material, saw to that. It was McCusker who funded what
was now known as MacKenzie-Gray. “That’s when the
MacKenzie really turned into a production boat,” said
Paul’s son Peter McCusker.
The decision was now made to focus initially on the
23' and 26' models, the sweet spot in the market. “Al

Gray and Mac got in touch with customers to find out
what they liked and didn’t like,” said Pete McCusker.
“They lofted out the hull and then made changes. They
gave the stern more flare, opening space in the cockpit. They raised the chine forward. They added a bit of
deadrise aft. The changes were very successful.”
Al Gray’s son, Chris, went to work at the yard when
he completed high school. “My father thought through
boat production to the limit,” he said. “There were patterns for frames, floor timbers, stems, and planks, and
a jig for the windshield. A boat could be completed in
two weeks.”
The classic MacKenzie was mahogany planked over
sawn oak frames, with copper-riveted laps, and bronze
screws and keelbolts. (At some point, galvanized steel
was used, apparently for cost reasons, in floor timbers
and chine logs.) The substantial oak keel has a cut-away
deadwood, contributing to maneuverability. Longtime
enthusiast and co-founder of the MacKenzie Boat Club,
Jeff Rutledge, said a 22' MacKenzie was “the best boat
I ever ran. It would zip around like a fish.” Directional
stability, lift, ride quality, and strength were enhanced
by the signature reverse lapstrake bottom. (The bottom-plank edges face away from the keel rather than
toward it.) Guideboats like Nunes’ Winslow had only
splash coamings, but graceful windshields were a prominent feature of the other models.
Cuttyhunk guide Bob Smith was a friend of MacKenzie’s whose SUSAN B was a fire-engine-red 23-footer,
a size Jim Nunes called “the best Mac for fishing. You
could get very close to the beach. She was wet, but
she could take a pounding if you could. The feeling
here was if you had one, you had arrived.”
In 1967, when Paul McCusker moved the facility to

CoURTeSY oF JeFF RUTLeDGe

This shot of a MacKenzie 23-footer (23’2” x 8’4” x 22”), probably taken on the Taunton River, was included in the 1967
brochure of the Cuttyhunk Boat Co. located in Hyannis, Massachusetts. “This is a great boat for the family or fisherman…”
said the brochure. Each year, MacKenzies were displayed at the big boat shows. Often painted dark green, dark blue, or
white, and with a varnished windshield frame and transom, the boats were eye-catchers.

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TyLER FIELDS

HOOLIGAN, a Ballentine 22, was built by George Ballentine. The builder’s grand-daughter, Amy Ballentine-Stevens, reports
“this style boat is making a comeback as people who are downsizing realize that a day boat might be used more than their
bigger boats.”

Falmouth Road in Hyannis, MacKenzie himself was no
longer involved, having suffered a serious eye injury
while working in Taunton. At Hyannis, much of the
production involved the 30-footer, which, like the 26,
was also available in trunk-cabin versions. “I thought
the trunk cabin was a much better setup for most people than the flush deck because there was a lot more
light and room below,” said Pete McCusker.
By the late ’60s, a 26' MacKenzie with a 265-hp Palmer
V-8 listed at $11,855 (about twice the price of a Cadillac
Sedan deVille) before options. Then “materials prices
quadrupled in the early ’70s,” said Pete McCusker, “and
the energy crisis hit in ’74 and ’75. My dad was never
going to lessen the spec or build a fiberglass boat, but
costs were increasing as customers decreased. Dad
waited until everyone had jobs and closed the doors.”
MacKenzie left no record of how many boats he
built—200 to 250 seems a reasonable guess—or what
the many changes were, especially in pre-Taunton days,
that now fascinate or perplex MacKenzie enthusiasts.
“Very early boats had fewer side strakes,” Rutledge
noted. Pre-Taunton boats had caulked decks while Dexoleum was introduced at MacKenzie-Gray. Windshield
framing evolved. “He kept changing the rudder design
ever so slightly for maximum performance [on the 26],”
said Benassi. But the bassboats’ basics were constant
and listed in the Kingston-era flyer: “Lap Strake…Vee
Bottom…Outside Keel...Dual Control.”
Ernest J. MacKenzie died on February 22, 1995, at
age 93. Howard Benassi remembers his father-in-law as
a man who often worked 14-hour days, perhaps taking
a Sunday afternoon off. “Once in a while,” Benassi said,
“he’d take his Jeep and dog and the family [Mac and
his wife Lulu had three daughters] to Saquish Beach.
We’d go fishing sometimes in Mac’s 15' plywood skiff.
His whole life was boats.”

GeorGe Ballentine:
“He Drew on the Floor”
“Now,” said Jim Nunes, “I’ll mention another of the real
bassboats we used to have here, the Ballentine. Coot
had one. In fact, he had two of them. They were seaworthy.”
Among Cuttyhunk’s best-known guides, “Coot” Hall
was a slender man, shorter even than Ernie MacKenzie, who wore glasses and a long-billed fisherman’s cap.
When reporters visited Cuttyhunk to write stories about
bass fishing, it was often Coot who they asked for first.
“He was,” Jim Nunes said, “a nice guy who could sell ice
cubes in Alaska.”
The Ballentine bassboats—22- and 24-footers—were
the distinctive creation of George Ballentine of North
Falmouth, Massachusetts. According to his son, Steve,
George designed by eye. “He drew conceptual sketches
and would sell potential customers on the look. Then
he drew it all out on the shop floor.”
By the late 1940s, the features most associated with
a Ballentine had been finalized. The hull had a rather
fine V-shaped entry. Early versions had straight stems,
but this soon gave way to a stem profile with a projecting ”beak” or “knuckle” at its top. The knuckle combined with reversing sheer in the forward portion of
the hull—the severity of which varied from boat to
boat—and generously flared forward sections. The hull
had hard chines and a big spray rail that swept from the
waterline well up the side of the bow.
Although these boats were initially built of plywood
over oak frames, by the late 1940s the planking was
mahogany. “Most,” said Steve Ballentine, “had windshields, but not the Cuttyhunk guideboats.” The Ballentines had the requisite tiller aft, but the forward
steering station was fitted with a small bronze wheel.
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COUrTESy OF LINDA BrOWNELL (BOTH)

HATCHET II is a 26’ bassboat

built by Fred Brownell
(above) and designed by
Eldredge-McInnis. Brownell
built a range of boats, from
24’ to 52’; the 26-footer was
the most popular.

Power was gasoline, not diesel, generally a Chrysler
Crown or Ace, but the quest for more torque saw the
introduction of Chris-Craft conversions of the Chevrolet 283-cubic-inch V-8 for the 24-footers.
When Sports Illustrated writer Gerald Holland visited
Cuttyhunk in 1956, he sounded out Coot over dinner
at the Bosworth House where the guide lived summers
with his dog, Cutty. In answer to Holland’s question
about the nature of a bass fisherman, Coot replied:
“Once a striper fisherman is hooked, he’s hooked for
life…men and women come here to Cuttyhunk from
all over.”
For years, Coot took them fishing in his Ballentines.
When he moved on, it was to a marvelous boat built by
an inventive man known to all as “Fred.”

Fred Brownell:
“He Was Always Thinking”
On June 16, 1967, Jim Nunes was trolling the Pigs
alongside his friend and fellow guide Frank Sabatowski. Although based in Fairhaven at an old tackle
shop named The Outdoorsman, Frank frequently took
his parties to Cuttyhunk and on this particular trip, he
had aboard an experienced fisherman named Charlie
Cinto. From the cockpit of Sabatowski’s gray-painted
Brownell 26, Cinto cast a blue-and-white Big Daddy
Goo-Goo Eyes plug with yellow glass eyes into the rips.
He snagged a bass that equaled the weight of Charles
Church’s 73-pounder.
Sabatowski’s JUNE BUG was the first of 18 Brownell

Bassboats
for a Broader Market

A

ny story of the Cuttyhunk guides and their
specialized boats must note other hard-chined
designs directed at the broader market. Ernest
MacKenzie and his various partners understood the
obvious need to reach beyond the professional fishing
guide and stressed the “family” appeal of the boats.
The popular Crosby Striper was based on a cypressbuilt 24-footer originally developed in Fort Myers by
Henry and Frank Daniels for guides in southwest Florida. Wonderfully versatile, the Striper was available as
both an open boat and a cabin model. Production transitioned to fiberglass. After MacKenzie parted ways
with Moss Marine, the latter built the Sakonnet 26, an
Eldredge-McInnis design that reflected features of a
number of boats including the Brownell. This boat gave
rise to the well-regarded fiberglass Fortier 26. On Cape

Cod, Spaulding Dunbar (WB No.161) developed his
Bristol series of boats—including the 21' Bonito Bass
Boat—for the Allen Quimby Veneer Co. of Bingham,
Maine. These were attractive boats, built of mahogany
plywood over oak frames with Everdur fastenings. Elsewhere, capable builders produced a number of hardchined bassboats that, in some cases, achieved local
popularity. Today, elements of bass boat “style” may be
found in several fiberglass designs.
—SG

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26-footers built between 1966 and 1977 by David Frederick “Fred” Brownell in a barn-turned-boatshop in
Mattapoisett. Before buying the 26, Sabatowski had
owned a Brownell 24—but the 26 was significantly
larger and could handle the torque of a bigger engine.
“A handful of guides used the boats,” Brownell’s
daughter, Linda, said. “But most were used as pleasure
boats by avid people.”
The Brownell bassboats were designed by Walter
McInnis, who based the lines on those of his existing
Marblehead 25. “The design had a narrow entry, deep
keel, and hard chines to keep them from rolling,” Linda
said. “My father added a spray rail he developed that
ran from under the waterline aft and swept up to the
bow.” To produce this spray rail, Brownell made his own
shaper. The boats had the usual tillers both forward
and aft. Initially, the small cabin first had only a single
porthole, but Brownell later lengthened the cabin and
added the now-familiar three-portlight arrangement.
The construction method evolved. “Our first were
carvel-planked over sawn frames like the Marblehead 25,”
said Ronnie Lima, who worked at Brownell’s for some 45
years. “Then we did batten-seam for increased strength.
Then Fred built a few that were diagonally planked inside
and carvel-planked outside using full-length, scarfed, 26'
planks, which resulted in a very fair hull.”
Eventually though, Brownell settled on two layers of
diagonally planked 3 ⁄8" mahogany epoxied together
and bronze-screw-fastened from the inside. The hulls
were then sheathed in fiberglass cloth set in epoxy
resin. “Fred,” said Lima, “found a machine that would
allow him to tongue-and-groove the planks and we’d
epoxy the joints.” Cabintops were made of two or three
layers of plywood laminated together with epoxy, a
process that eliminated the need for roof beams. At
some point, Brownell determined that the boat
should have a larger rudder, and he adapted the deeper
keel from one of his 32' sportfishing models. This
increased the boat’s draft by a few inches, permitted a
larger propeller, and improved overall performance.
“From the time he got up until he went to bed,” said
Linda Brownell, “my father always wore a sharpened
pencil behind his ear. He never knew when he’d need
to do some designing.” Besides building sportfishing
boats as large as 52', Brownell diversified his business
by turning the area around the barn into Brownell’s
Boat Yard. That prompted his invention of the highly
successful adjustable boat stands and the renowned
Brownell hydraulic boat trailer. Said Ronnie Lima,
“Fred was a genius. He was always thinking.”

The New England Bassboat
“Most people,” Jim Nunes said, “never have a boat that
will fulfill all their needs. But I do.”
Like a Maine lobsterboat, a Florida flats boat, a Jersey

STAN GRAYSON

Jim Nunes, owner of RUDY J. (pages 65 and 66), says,
“Most people will never have a boat that will fulfill
all their needs. But I do.”

sea skiff, or others intended to pursue specific quarry
in specific waters, the real New England bassboat was
developed to meet the specialized needs of the professional fishing guide. Those needs were best fulfilled
with a solidly built, hard-chined 22- to 26-footer. Whoever the builder, the boats possessed shared attributes
that included a substantial oak keel to protect a rugged bottom, the rudder, and propeller. They had nearly
vertical topsides in the cockpit area—about waist high
in some cases and comfortable for the fisherman—two
tillers (again, one forward and another aft), an open
cockpit with no windshield, and the most powerful
gasoline engine practical. These boats could venture
into tiderips or the shallow water between surf and
shore where bass lurk among unyielding rocks. They
provided the necessary stable platform while trolling,
responded instantly to the throttle, and could turn on
a dime.
Ultimately, most people who bought bassboats or
their derivatives were not the legendary guides who
made them famous, but sportfishermen attracted by
the boats’ performance and functional beauty.
Despite their specialized nature, the true bassboat—
the MacKenzie in particular—has provided contentment for weekend fishing, as a family runabout, or as a
no-frills cruiser. The last time I talked to Jim Nunes,
though, he was awaiting the arrival of his next fishing
party on the Cuttyhunk ferry. As always, he was thinking about tide and wind.
“You want to go when the full tide is starting to
drop,” he said. “It’s nice if that’s around evening when
it’s just getting dark.”
Standing aft in RUDY J, the guide will know just
where to head and where, down in the dark water, the
hungry fish will be waiting. Even when the light fades,
he’ll be able to see all around him.
Stan Grayson is a regular contributor to WoodenBoat. He sends his
thanks to Jeff Pierce, Charles Robert Smith, Bill Pappas, Ron Fortier,
Jonathan Fowler, and the reference desks at the Fall River Public
Library and the Kingston Public Library.
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Building a Vertue Cutter

Jack Bassett

FLYING FISH is a small cruiser with a long reach

Above— Flying Fish is a 25’ Vertue cutter that the author spent eight years building. since launching, he’s cruised the boat from
Maine to the Azores and the Caribbean, and along the East Coast. here, Flying Fish lies at the Portuguese island of Madeira.

by Jack Bassett

“Y

ou came all the way here in that?” My mate carolyn and I were never quite sure if we should be
proud or offended by this persistent greeting we
would receive in distant ports aboard FLYING FIsH, our
Laurent Giles–designed Vertue-class cutter. We hoped
these remarks were directed only toward the diminutive size of our oceangoing vessel, and not her seaworthiness. at 25' on deck, our boat was typically the runt
of the litter in many of the harbors we visited. I would
have to agree that her size is minimal for extensive offshore voyaging for two, but she took us far on our first
cruise and has the potential to take us much farther.
I built FLYING FIsH after selling my previous boat
of long standing, a 32' Norman-class sloop designed
by englishman alan Buchanan. that boat was built in
1962 and called sea saUNteReR . I’d sailed this good
old boat for 17 years in the caribbean, through the
Panama canal, out to Hawaii, and then to the Pacific
Northwest, and sold her in a moment of weakness in
Port townsend, Washington. I then moved to Maine
more than 12 years ago to find work in traditional boatbuilding. sea saUNteReR’s British styling and 1960s
construction set a compelling standard of style for me.
Once settled in Maine, I resolved to build myself a new
boat of similar origins.
the Vertue design (see sidebar, page 66) evolved
from the British pilot cutter, a vessel designed to sail
off into any weather and to heave-to on station for an
extended period of time. the boats had to be fast, since
the first pilot to board an incoming vessel got the job.
In the Vertue class, Laurent Giles created a miniature

of this hull type, which has been tinkered with since
its inception in 1935. the design has a unique combination of toughness and elegance of line. Vertues have
proven themselves to be accomplished bluewater vessels for the past 77 years, having made a number of circumnavigations and long-distance voyages (see sidebar,
page 77). to my knowledge at least three have rounded
cape Horn. Most were built by small yards or ownerbuilders like me.
In considering this project, it was necessary to create
the illusion that I could build a small and well-found
craft in a short amount of time, and that it would probably not cost too much. Indeed, if I embarked fully aware
of the effort and cost of such an undertaking, I most
likely never would have started. But I have no regrets:
after eight years of predominantly part-time labor, FLYING FIsH slid into the water at the P.e. Luke yard in
east Boothbay, Maine. the cost of construction was well
above what I had anticipated, partly due to the rise in
cost of materials, and partly because I had resolved to
build my boat with the best materials available.
Boatbuilding in wood has been my profession in one
way or another for 30 years; I’ve worked in numerous
locations around the country and in the caribbean.
But, although I’ve contributed to the construction of
many boats over the years, FLYING FIsH is the first of
any size that I have built entirely on my own. a previous
background in boat repair has given me a sense of what
works and does not work in construction, what is strong
enough, and where to look for trouble. I brought those
lessons to bear in the building of this boat.

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Planking
In building FLYING FISH, I tried to stick closely to the
style of most Vertues, which were mostly built in Britain
in the 1950s’ and ’60s. In a notable departure, however, I
cold-molded my hull. To shelter the project, I set up a
bow-framed structure of spruce strapping covered in
shrink-wrap. The hull was constructed upside down with
a temporary station mold or bulkhead placed every 2',
then laminated mahogany frames were set to the molds.
Four husky floor timbers were laminated from rot-resistant
iroko and fit to the iroko backbone in way of the ballast
keel. Numerous smaller laminated floors were fit to the
heels of the frames and underneath the engine beds.
With the addition of a transom, stem, deadwood, and
sheer clamps, I had a shape that I could begin to plank.
The first course of planking was of 9 ⁄16" Alaska
yellow cedar. The planks above the waterline were
2"-wide tongue-and-groove with veed edges. All the
planks composing this first layer were quarter-sawn
and full-length, since they’d show on the inside of the
boat. They were edge-glued to each other and bronzescrewed to the frames, floors, and bulkhead cleats. To
accommodate the tighter curves below the waterline, I
switched to 1"-wide planks with bead-and-cove edges,
glued and edge-fastened with ring-shank bronze nails.
With the first course of planking complete, I had an
airtight form to work with that allowed me to fit, glue,
and vacuum-bag two diagonal layers of 1 ⁄8" western
red cedar veneer, and a final layer of diagonal Spanish
cedar of the same thickness.

Working by myself, I could vacuum-bag only a single layer over a quarter of the hull at any given time,
necessitating 12 separate operations. Having planked
the hull four times over, this is likely one of the slowest
ways I could possibly have built the boat, but the result
is a hull that is relatively light, strong, and watertight.
With the addition of a layer of biaxial fiberglass cloth
to provide a hard shell of protection, the hull measured
1" thick. Along with robust framing, this might seem
to be a bit of overkill, but I was reminded of the Maine
adage “nothing too strong ever broke.” In fact, all of
FLYING FISH’s scantlings were increased from the original—from the handrails and hardware to the spars and
rigging. This would likely explain why she rides an inch
lower in the water than the designer intended.

Rollover

JAck ALLeN (BoTH)

With the hull more or less complete, I was ready for the
first surefire sign of progress: the rollover. I fitted two
semicircular plywood rings to the hull that could be
rolled on planks set on pipe rollers; because I was working on a dirt floor, I placed the pipe rollers on railroad
ties. This setup allowed me to move the boat laterally in
increments, while fully rolling over the hull within the
limited confines of my boat shed. A block-and-tackle
anchored to a deadman set in granite supplied the
power—as did many willing hands encouraged by the
promise of free pizza and beer.

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House Sides

JACk BASSETT (ThIS PAgE)

Over the course of two winters I was fortunate to be
able to build the cabin trunk and Sitka spruce mast in
a heated shop. The cabin sides of five layers of veneer
were vacuum-bagged over a 19' form to create the
house sides and cockpit coamings. The outside surfaces are of iroko, the core laminates Alaska yellow
cedar, and the inside surface is cherry. Cherry also was
my choice for the bulk of interior joinery.
The nearly complete trunk cabin was fitted to a deck
of the same 2"-wide Alaska yellow cedar used for the
hull overlain with two layers of 4mm sapele plywood
epoxied down. This laminated deck was then fiberglass
sheathed. Perhaps getting a little carried away, I fabricated 26 laminated hanging and lodging knees to
ensure a stiff deck.

Engine Beds
Mahogany engine beds carry the 15-hp Yanmar diesel.
I used a variety of other woods from a stack collected
over the years. Port Orford cedar formed the core of the
laminated main hatches and bulkheads. The berths are
of Spanish cedar, and the toe, cap, and grab rails are of
teak—as are the cockpit sole and seats.

Hardware
Much of the bronze hardware was unavailable offthe-shelf, so I had rough castings made from my
wooden foundry patterns, and I filed, drilled, and
sanded these to their final shapes. These pieces
included the rudder gudgeon, pintle and heel fittings, mainsheet traveler, portlight rings, boom
bail, and portions of the gooseneck. I cut additional pieces from bronze plate and had them
welded. Much of the remaining bronze hardware
I purchased from overseas suppliers.

Keel
The last major addition was the 4,300-lb lead ballast keel, cast in Rhode Island. This was fastened
with ¾" silicon-bronze bolts. Equaling nearly the
weight of the rest of the hull, the ballast keel has
made this little boat very stiff. The water and fuel
tanks were fabricated by the Luke yard, and the
sails were made by the Nathaniel S. Wilson loft,
also of East Boothbay.

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CAROLYN SHUBERT

Launching
The mast is hollow and oval in cross-section, and
has two pairs of spreaders. I was a little leery of
stepping this mast on deck, but given the confined
interior space of a small cruising boat, I relented
and followed the plans. Having now fully tested
this rig, I have no reservations about its integrity.
It is stiff and heavily stayed, having a headstay,
forestay, split standing backstay, and a pair of running backstays. Peter Kopetzky, a longtime sailing chum in Port Townsend, Washington, made
the bronze chainplates and maststep; Bill Lowe
of Owls Head, Maine, made the masthead fitting
and tangs.
I had much left to attend to when FLYING FISH
slid into the water with little fanfare on a rainy
morning in May 2010. Being much too exhausted
by last-minute preparations, I couldn’t consider
any sort of revelry. But she floated nicely in
Linekin Bay.

African coast to the Cape Verde Islands. From there
we would cross the Atlantic again, land in Grenada,
sail up through the Caribbean, and return to the
U.S. to follow the Eastern Seaboard back home. The
sails of FLYING FISH still bear the red stain of Sahara
dust—a token of our voyage.
I am quite pleased with the boat. She is a stout little
vessel that in her short career has proven herself quite
able and dependable. Her size has a few drawbacks.
Stowage for all of the stuff one needs for an extended
trip can be a little tight. Water tankage is too small for
warm, dry climates and often leads to the stashing of
bottled water throughout the boat. Going to windward
in a stiff chop can be challenging because a Vertue is
too short to cut through short steep seas and has to
climb over them, often stalling progress.
On the plus side, FLYING FISH is nicely balanced,
forgiving, and easy to handle for a small crew. She is
less expensive to dock and less costly overall, as her
gear is smaller than that of most cruisers: smaller sails,
engine, lines, and ground tackle. Her 4 ½' draft allows
her to go where larger craft cannot.
Currently we are back in Maine, biding our time and
working toward another long voyage.
For the past 10 years, Jack Bassett has worked for Hodgdon Yachts
of East Boothbay, Maine. It was there that he first encountered coldmolded boatbuilding. Contact him at [email protected].
For more about the Vertue cutters, see the following two pages.

D

FLYING FISH sails in the wake of a number of other Vertue

cutters that have made great voyages all over the world.

JACK BASSETT

espite the lack of an extensive shakedown,
and with the hurricane season just beginning,
Carolyn and I departed on our first cruise on
the July 4, 2010—our Independence Day. It seemed
like a proper send-off that evening, pointing her bow
east into the open Atlantic with 1,800 miles ahead
to our first landfall. Fireworks lit up the night from
Portland to Camden in our wake. We’d embarked
on a 14-month, 12,000-mile adventure to the Azores,
then along the south coast of Portugal to the Spanish
border and up the Rio Guadiana, then to Porto Santo
and Madeira, the Canary Islands, and down the West

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The Vertue Cutters
Vertue
Particulars
LOA
Beam
Draft
Displ.
Sail area

25' 3"
7' 2"
4' 5"
4.5 tons
380 sq ft

These lines are for ANDRILLOT, the first
of what would become the VERTUE class.
Subsequent Vertues have a flatter sheerline
than their forebear.
BEST OF UFFA

J

ohn (Jack) Laurent Giles  (1901–1969)  established
his British yacht design firm, Laurent Giles & Partners, Ltd., with the belief that a small boat could be
as seaworthy, or even more so, than a large one. By 1935
he had designed and launched the gaff cutter ANDRILLOT, which soon excited the yachting world with her
long passages. This design was modeled after the Bristol Channel pilot cutters, being similarly beautiful, but
smaller and more modern. ANDRILLOT was the precursor to the now-famous, heavy-displacement, narrow
and long-keeled 25-footer known as the Vertue.
Giles’s partner, Humphrey Barton, promoted the
design along the English Channel with a 20-port, 21-day
cruise in ANDRILLOT. Barton also delivered MONIE,
Vertue No. 3, from Lymington to North Wales, sailing
counterclockwise around Britain (just to do it that way),
1,056 miles in 25 days. Giles was the designer while
Barton became the marketing department, sailing
more of the Giles designs to great acclaim. This
included a famous transatlantic voyage to New York
against the prevailing westerlies in VERTUE XXXV,
proving that this boat was a serious seagoing vessel; easy to build, while being fast, weatherly, and
well balanced.
Ten of these five-tonners were built before World
War II, before the class actually became known as the
Vertue. The class name came about when the fifth
boat of this design, named EPENETTA , entered the
1939 Poole, England, to Cherbourg, France, race on
her maiden voyage as the smallest boat in the fleet and
won the Vertue Cup—an award donated by Michael B.
Vertue, librarian of the Little Ship Club. With that win,
the name of the class was born.
The class grew in numbers and reputation after the
war, when yachtsmen wanted superior, smaller boats.
Giles made some improvements for comfort with the
addition of a doghouse for standing headroom and a
straighter sheer for more sitting headroom over the
berths. Yet the original underwater lines were never

altered. Since SALLY, Vertue No. 2, the Bermudan
rig has had a double-spreader arrangement with hollow spruce mast and ash spreaders; this has remained
mostly unchanged. Giles kept to his idea of designing
“...a straightforward little boat with a modest forward
overhang, full displacement, outside ballast, moderate
beam and a reasonably cut away profile.”
Giles also designed WANDERER III, the 30' 3" sloop
in which Eric and Susan Hiscock led their legendary
voyaging life. That boat is today owned by Thies Matzen and Kicki Ericson, who continue the Hiscock voyaging tradition. The revolutionary light-displacement
MYTH OF MALHAM, winner of the Fastnet Race in
1947, also came from Giles’s drawing board. Another
successful racing yacht, MIRANDA IV of 1951, featured
a very early spade-type rudder. Then there was John
Guzzwell’s TREKKA of 1955,  at 20' 6" an even smaller
globe-girdling craft than the Vertue. Many later production yachts, such as the Westerlys, were designed by
Laurent Giles & Partners. Giles himself was awarded
the honor of Royal Designer for Industry, a distinction
established by the British Royal Society of Arts in 1951.
Approximately 230 Vertues have been built since
1935, and three yards fabricated about half of them:
E.F. Elkins and Sons of Christchurch, England; R.A.
Newman and Sons of Poole, England; and the Cheoy
Lee Shipyard in Hong Kong. There have been other
professional and nonprofessional builders who have
constructed and sailed these rugged little boats.
Even though Vertues became celebrated for longdistance sailing, they have long been admired for their
elegant combination of form and function. Jack Giles
was satisfied with the success of his design and never
saw a reason to alter her lines. “I had not found a way
to better them,” he wrote. Those who are fortunate
enough to sail them agree.
—Carolyn Shubert
Plans for the Vertue cutter are available from the Laurent
Giles Archive at www.laurentgilesarchive.com.

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Vertue Voyages

T

he Vertue class is well known for long-distance
sailing. Over 130 Vertues have made extensive
ocean voyages, including circumnavigations and
solo Atlantic crossings. Many of the boats have weathered hurricanes and severe storms. At least two Vertues
have rounded Cape Horn. There have been many more
undocumented voyages of these rugged cruisers so that
the total remains unknown by the general public. Here
are some examples of ones we do know about:

eileeN rAMSAY/PPl

• VerTue XXXV, Humphrey Barton. Falmouth, england,
to New York, 1950. The first east–west crossing by a small
yacht having the mast stepped on deck. This boat also
made four circumnavigations under different owners.
• MArgueriTe OF POOle, Norman Ash. england to
the eastern Mediterranean, 1950–51.
• iCeBirD, Joe Cunningham (singlehanded). england,
West indies, Newfoundland, 1952–53.
• SPeeDWell OF HONg KONg, A.g. (Peter) Hamilton.
Hong Kong to england, 1953.
• eASY VerTue, Dan robertson (singlehanded). england to the Bahamas, 1954.
• MONie, J. Bolingbroke. england to gibraltar, 1955.
• SPeeDWell OF HONg KONg, John goodwin. gibraltar, West indies, South Africa, 1955–56 .
• SAlMO, Jill and Peter Hamilton. Scotland, Canada,
Panama, Tahiti, California, 1956.
• BeSTiNDA , Charles Freeman. england to Cadiz, Spain,
and return, 1956.
.
• MeA , Brian Bleasdale (singlehanded). Hong Kong to
North Borneo, 1959; Ceylon, South Africa, to england,
1961–62.
• CArDiNAl VerTue , David lewis (singlehanded). england to New York; return to Scotland, 1960.
• CArDiNAl VerTue, Bill Nance (singlehanded). england, Madeira, Argentina, 1962; New Zealand to Argentina around Cape Horn, 1964–65.
• SiMO, Philip Oliver (singlehanded). Casablanca to england, 1963.
• KiTTiWAKe, ed Bowden (singlehanded). england,
France, Madeira, Canary islands, West indies, Panama,
galapágos, Marquesas, 1963–66; New Zealand, Australia, cruising Pacific 1966–68, Australia to Singapore,
1973–74.
• FiAlAr , l.e.l. Sills. Scotland to iceland and return,
1964.
• CAriNA , Bruce Dalling. Singapore to South Africa,
1966.
• AOTeA , r.H. Montgomery. Singapore, Ceylon, Aden,
Suez, Cyprus, Malta, italy, Midi Canal in France, england, 1966.
• iCe BirD, Brian Cunningham. ireland to iceland and
return, 1967.
• MeluSiNe, robert Stigell. england to Finland and
cruising Pacific, 1968–69.
• KOTiMu, Billie and Neils Powell. New Zealand, Australia, New guinea, 1969.
• STelDA, Peter Woolass (singlehanded). england, Madeira,
Canary islands, West indies, 1969.

Cardinal
Vertue, the

Vertue in which
david lewis
singlehanded
across the
atlantic. Bill
nance later
singlehanded
her from england
to argentina,
and then to new
Zealand.

• SeKYD, John ryley. england, Mediterranean, South
Africa (part over land), 1969.
• Blue JeNNY, Dan Bowen (singlehanded). england,
Canary islands, West indies, 1970.
• BONAVeNTure De lYS, John Struchinsky. New Zealand to South Africa and West indies, 1971–72; West
indies, Panama, Tahiti, Fiji, New Zealand, 1974.
• AuSTrAl VerTue, Mick McKeon. Australia (Melbourne to Sydney) to New Zealand, Fiji, gilbert islands,
1970–71.
• KAWAN, Donald Nealey (singlehanded). england,
Madeira, West indies, Panama, galápagos, Marquesas,
Tahiti, 1970–71.
• CAriNA , Karen and John Cross. england, Brazil, South
Africa, 1972; england to Finland and return, 1973 .
• CHAriS, Peter Pike (singlehanded). england, Canary
islands, West indies, 1972.
• WeSTerlY, Fred Boynton (singlehanded). Singapore to
South Africa, 1972–73.
• AOTeA , Penny and Douglas Tiffin. Singapore to South
Africa, 1973.
• KAWAN, gildas le guen. Papeete to France, 1973–74.
• SAlMO, Alan Brown. los Angeles to Hawaii and return,
1974.
• SPArrOW, David and Daniel Hays. u.S. to Jamaica, Panama, galápagos, easter island, Cape Horn, Falkland
islands, South America, Antigua, 1984–86.
• CHiNiTA , Matthew Power (singlehanded). england to
West indies, 1991–92.
• MArY, James Burdett. england to Biscay, 1993.

… and many more.

—Carolyn Shubert

Many accounts of Vertue voyages have been published, the most
famous being that of Humphrey Barton’s VERTUE XXXV. Other
books include The restless Wind, by A.G. (Peter) Hamilton; The
Ship Would Not Travel West, by David Lewis; Stelda, george
and i, by Peter Woolass; Vertue, by Peter Woolass; and My Old
Man and The Sea, by David and Daniel Hays.
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woodstoves

for wooden boats

BeNjAMIN MeNDlOWITz

Comfortable heat
for cold-weather
cruising

O

ne of the most compelling reasons to go cruising
is to experience spectacularly beautiful coastal
surroundings. When the return of seasonal cold
weather drives most people away, you may have these
rugged playgrounds almost entirely to yourself.
Where I live in Maine, for example, anyone with a
small cruising boat, some free time, and roughly equal
parts gumption and experience can access more than
4,600 islands and innumerable miles of coastline that
just can’t be reached any other way. Distant anchorages
are somehow more alluring for their remoteness. Their
vast beauty quietly communicates our smallness and

by

Brendan
Riordan
insignificance by comparison, a phenomenon best experienced without a crowd. Happily, many an anchorage
that feels pedestrian in the first week of August will feel
beyond civilization and wild the last weekend in October.
And to ward off the cold toward the end of the season, there is nothing like a woodstove. There are those
who will say, “Nonsense! Heat is heat. Who cares where
it comes from?” Of course, there are other forms of
heat on board boats, and to the hypothermic individual with survival in mind, the naysayers have a point.
But there is a difference between survival and contentment, and isn’t it the latter we are after?

In the words of woodstove designer John Gulland, heating with wood is “a tangible expression of self-reliance, of the courage
to buck the trends and to resist the appeal of sedentary, push-button convenience. Heating with wood reinforces links to the
land and is a willing submission to the cycle of the seasons.” The same could be said of cruising to remote places in a wooden
boat, like the Concordia yawl STARLIGHT, whose woodstove is shown above.

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A secure mount. When it comes to install-

ing a woodstove on a boat, you must factor the hull’s motion into the equation.
A woodstove, like a cookstove, should be
one with the boat. It should be able to
withstand all that the crew can withstand
and more. If planning for a full rollover
strikes you as excessive, and it probably
is, being prepared for a 90-degree knockdown is not. If the stove you are planning
to install is manufactured expressly for marine use, you
can expect it to be made to be bolted to the sole or to a
bulkhead. But there’s no reason to assume that a small
residential stove couldn’t be used aboard, as long as you
realize that the engineers at places like Vermont Castings counted on the living room floor to stay put and
gravity to take care of the rest. If you use a residential
stove, make certain you can find a secure way to install it.
On TRADE WIND, a 1938 Alden motorsailer restored
at Rockport Marine, where I work, we found that the
legs of the woodstove in the main saloon were securely
bolted to the firebox, but there was no provision for
securing the legs themselves to the cabin sole. We
decided to replace the machine screws that attached
the legs to the stove with threaded rod that not only
secured the legs to the firebox but also passed through
the sole at the lower end to be secured by heavy washers
and nuts beneath the sole’s supporting structure.

Lock it down. Take a good look at the stove doors and
any other openings. Can they be dogged down or otherwise secured? If not, it’s probably best to either replace
the stove or brainstorm a modification. The little stove
we had aboard EIDER , the George Stadel–designed 26'
pilot sloop we used to own, served us well, but I’m certain the round lid that served as a kind of a burner
beneath our teakettle would have come free in a knockdown. I never used the stove when we were under way,
because although ashes scattered about the boat would
be a hassle, hot coals tossed across the boat would be
a serious problem. If a stove modification eludes you,
have a boatyard with a fabrication shop take a look at
the situation. At Rockport Marine, master fabricator
Joel Cox tackles problems like this every day, and if
he can’t execute a modification, then using that stove
probably wasn’t a good idea to begin with.

BRENDAN RIORDAN (ThIS PAGE)

Practical Considerations

Installing a wood-burning heater need
not be a complicated job, but it is one
that deserves careful thought. Like most
other proposed upgrades, careful planning about the installation, operation,
and maintenance of this new piece of
equipment will yield dividends. If you
are installing a new stove, you will almost
certainly have the benefit of an installation and operation manual to guide
you. As you contemplate the installation,
your stove manufacturer’s requirements
must take precedence, but here are a few
things to consider:

Above—A Concordia yawl’s deck iron
cools the stovepipe by holding rainwater
against it, and the conical smokehead
keeps rain out and can be rotated to
improve draft. Above left—A stovepipe
penetrates a bulkhead but is nicely
installed using gradual bends, heat
shields, and appropriate clearances.
Left—Screws holding a brass plate shield
to a bulkhead run through simple spacers
made of copper tubing.

Damp it down. The best woodstove installations include
a damper. Small-boat cabins heat up quickly, and once
the wood is in there burning, there’s really no safe way to
put it out until it has burned down to ashes. If you want
to reduce the heat of the stove, you need a way to control
airflow. Some stoves have a “hit-or-miss” vent over the
air intake; others have a damper in the flue. Creosote
buildup in woodstoves on small boats is almost always an
issue because they suffer from relatively inefficient combustion, so it’s important to disassemble, inspect, and
clean the stovepipe regularly. Flue dampers can cause
increased buildup of creosote, so cleaning is especially
important if a flue damper is used.
Let it out, let it in. The quality of a woodstove’s combus-

tion is related to draft. The easiest way to increase draft
is to increase stack height, but that can rarely be
achieved in the confined spaces of a small boat. With
no standing headroom, EIDER , our Stadel cutter, had
only a scant few feet between the stovetop and the cabin
roof. If you don’t have much height to play with, the
best you can do is provide the combustion gases as
straight an exit as possible. One way to improve the draft
of the stove is to fit an extra-long stack above the deck.
These draft improvers will undoubtedly be in the way
and may look somewhat awkward on small boats, but
they need not be permanently fitted. When the boat is
safely on the hook for the night, it is a simple matter to
retrieve the fixture from a locker or cabinet, secure it in
place, and fire up the stove.
I’ve seen some pretty outrageous stovepipe installations in some of the boats we’ve worked on. One had five
90-degree elbows between the stove and the cabin roof,
each of which added a little resistance that not only made
it harder for combustion gases to exit but also provided
a prime place for creosote buildup. A single elbow, or

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BENJAMIN MENDlOWITz

R

Here we have a true hearth—faced with masonry no less—
aboard ROSALIND OF ST. IVES, a converted 1903 Cornish
lugger.

even two, is usually fine. If you need to lead the stovepipe
through a bulkhead to exit the cabintop, go ahead—but
be reasonable. Reduce hard turns where you can.
Fresh air intake is also important when using a woodstove. Manuals for diesel and propane heaters always
make mention of the dangers of operating a combustion
appliance in an enclosed space, and the same consideration should be given when contemplating a woodstove
installation. Your stove will consume oxygen as it burns,
and in an especially tight cabin the oxygen could be
depleted pretty quickly. So make sure that openings to
the exterior allow fresh air into the living space. The safest precaution might just be the same as for a campfire:
let it go out before you turn in for the night.

Give it space. Keep in mind that even a small stove can
get very hot. Be mindful of what’s nearby. Heat shields
for both the stove and the flue may be necessary, especially if they are in an area where they can be touched
accidentally. Keep them away from combustible materials. The flue can be wrapped in the same way as
an engine exhaust, but this is difficult to do without
detracting from the cabin’s appearance and losing heat
that radiates from the stack. Double-wall or insulated
stovepipe of the type used in residential applications
isn’t readily available in the small diameters typical of
boat installations. The most common solution is a heat
shield made of thin-gauge sheet metal affixed to the
stove, the flue, or nearby structure. Often the offset is
minimal, just an inch or so, allowing air to circulate
around and behind the shield and thereby dissipate
the heat radiating from the stove.
Set back, insulate, and cool penetrations. In a wooden boat,
at some point, stovepipes are going to come near combustible structure, most often when penetrating a bulkhead
or cabintop. The most common way to address concerns
about excess heat in a cabintop penetration is to fit a water
well, also called a deck iron. This flanged fitting employs
a moat that fills naturally with rainwater and isolates the
hot portion of the stovepipe from adjoining woodwork.

Insurance Considerations. Residential building codes
often specify setback and other requirements for safe
woodstove installation and operation. Even in areas
where municipal building codes do not apply, you’re not
off the hook. By way of example, I have firsthand experience negotiating with an insurance provider about
a woodstove installation in our home. Under threat
of policy termination, we modified the installation to
comply with our insurance provider’s requirements. I
have been unable to locate a definitive explanation of
the insurance implications of installing a woodstove
in a boat. Although I have not made an exhaustive
study of the matter, I did contact two marine insurance
agencies to inquire whether they had specific policies
regarding woodstove installations. The first agent I
spoke with declined to provide a response that I could
publish. The second explained that although the company did not have a blanket policy prohibiting woodstoves, it requires a survey in order to write a policy.
For the determination of a safe woodstove installation,
like heaters using diesel or other fuel, the company
relies on the surveyor’s judgment. She also pointed out
that many policies (at least in New England) specify a
spring-through-early-fall duration of coverage, meaning that individuals wishing to cover woodstove installations should begin by making sure their policies extend
to cold-weather months.

The Hearth Makes the Home

There’s something universal in the enjoyment you get
from firing up the woodstove first thing in the morning. There is something primal to the satisfaction of
a warm stove, a good meal, and the snug shelter of a
well-kept boat in a remote anchorage. And as Richard
Jagels, author of WoodenBoat’s “Wood Technology” column, pointed out way back in WB No. 31, in 1979, the
bold heat of the woodstove is ideal for heating drafty
spaces, plus it is exceedingly simple to operate, uses a
readily available fuel source, and can work with a variety of substitutes in a pinch. I’m not old enough to
remember the energy crisis of the 1970s, but those who
are know their little woodstove will keep them warm
at a fraction of the cost of a bulkhead-mounted diesel
heater if and when oil prices shoot up again.
I remember one evening several years ago, we lay
on the anchor in Pulpit Harbor aboard EIDER , watching the sun set over the Camden Hills. It was late in
the season, and there was a pronounced chill to the
air as the sun descended. I went below as the sun
dipped behind the hills, and while Heather was zipping our two sleeping bags together I took a special
satisfaction in lighting the stove and the oil lamp
with a single match. By the time we’d curled up with
our books, the stove was cranking away and our little
cabin was already beginning to warm up nicely. It was
chilly enough that I would skip my customary morning swim, but thanks to that little stove, it would still
be several weeks before the cold weather put an end to
our sailing season.
Brendan Riordan is a yacht designer working in the design office of
Rockport Marine in Rockport, Maine.

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R

A Gallery of Woodstove Installations
O

homas Siske’s pinky schooner PROPHET (see
WB No. 219) carries a handsome installation of a
Shipmate stove, comparable to the company’s current
model 211. The stove combines the functions of cabin
heater and galley cook stove, described as appropriate for boats between 30' and 65' long. Siske’s
pinky is 40' LOA, and he lives aboard in Camden even
through the Maine winter. At 22" × 15 1/2" × 20 5 ⁄8"
and weighing 135 lbs, the model 211 is a substantial
addition to a small cruising boat. This stove puts out
a lot of heat—up to 24,000 to 36,000 Btus, according
to the maker. By way of comparison, the Vermont
Castings Company recommends a similar number
of Btus to heat a 1,200- to 1,600-sq-ft residence.
That’s a lot of heat in close proximity to cabinetry
and joinery, although I notice a perfectly configured
heat shield with spacers between the stove and the
adjacent bulkhead. This stove looks securely fastened,
albeit to what appears to be combustible material.
These stoves are also configured with stainless-steel
tie-down rings for secure installation. I also see camstyle dogs for securing doors in the closed position,
a rugged sea rail, and a butterfly damper. Shipmate
makes a smaller unit without an oven, called the
Skippy, which is still robust at 9,000 to 28,000 Btus.

ALISON LANGLEy

T

RuSS MANNHEIMER

ne of German architect Gottfried Semper’s
four theoretical elements of architecture was
the hearth, which he described as “the first and most
important, the moral element of architecture.” In
practice, if there is a protected anchorage to be had
there are few experiences more pleasant than passing a spell of unfavorable weather in a small and tidy
boat, like Russ Mannheimer’s 24' Danish doubleended sloop SJOGIN, with a cup of tea, a good book,
and a warm stove.

ichael Brenner’s TRADE WIND, a 1938 ketchrigged motorsailer, carries a woodstove built
with castings from the famous Lange iron foundry of
Svendborg, Denmark. This beautiful solid-fuel castiron stove, available through Toplicht of Hamburg,
Germany, is securely mounted on a bronze-plate
base and directly in front of a soapstone panel that
serves as a heat sink. The flue exits the rear of the
stove, passes through the soapstone panel, and then
up through the deck adjacent to the mainmast. The
high aspect ratio and freestanding configuration of
this particular stove is reminiscent of Victorian-era
parlor stoves. If there is room for improvement in this
installation, it lies in the fact that an errant coal or
ember does not have very far to fall before it comes in
contact with the oiled cabin sole.

ALISON LANGLEy

M

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T

SAM DEVLIN

he Pacific Northwest’s frequent misty and rainy
conditions are held at bay by the drying effect
of wood heat. Here, aboard a Sam Devlin–designed
Scout 20, is a well-executed installation of the same
model stove we saw in SJOGIN. This stove has ample
clearance, no combustibles nearby, a heat shield
spaced away from the bulkhead, a flue damper, a
tiled base, and a heavy-duty flue. A stainless-steel
fiddle rail to keep that kettle captive would be nice,
but there is a lot to like about this installation.

F

ALISON LANGLEy

SAM DEVLIN

atsco Stoves of Mesick, Michigan, makes a pair
of smart little stoves. The Tiny Tot, pictured
here aboard MALLARD, a Devlin-designed Winter
Wren sloop, is the larger of the two. Isn’t that diamond pattern in the bulkhead’s copper heat shield
lovely? The shadow line around the perimeter tells
me it is properly spaced off the wood behind it. I
don’t know where or whether you can buy this copper, but I can say from experience that it can be
a challenge to keep light-gauge sheet metals like
this flat as you cut, deburr, and drill them. I’ll bet
in this case the pattern helps prevent the metal
from puckering as you work it. Clearly, the owner
of this little gem has taken precautions against legs
and sleeping bags coming too near the sides of the
stove. The stove has a hit-or-miss vent and a flue
damper. Despite the low headroom, the installer
has maintained gentle turns in the flue on its way
from stove to cabintop.

A

DVENTURESS, a 1924 Fife schooner restored by

Rockport Marine, has perhaps more of a fireplace than a stove, but all of the usual installation
considerations still apply. The noncombustible surfaces are white marble. The assembly is ruggedly
built and securely installed but also removable. Care
must be taken to ensure that coals don’t find their
way to the teak sole.
Our greatest installation challenge was the proximity of joinery. The stove is recessed inside an elaborately constructed cabinet of walnut panels, with
only an inch of clearance in places. To top things
off, the flue vents through the spine of a skylight.
We brought in thermal engineers who specified an
appropriate insulation material to be applied to the
stove and the pipe to reduce surface temperatures.
The through-skylight fitting, modeled on a computer, was custom cast by Edson Corp. Although
complex, the installation shows that the principles
are the same for every boat.

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everal Maine windjammers carry the largest
solid-fuel stoves you’re ever likely to find in a
boat. Here, the crew of the 1871 schooner LEWIS
R. FRENCH are heating a whole row of coffee pots
for breakfast. I’ve never seen a more robust sea rail
than the one around the perimeter of this stove.
Nothing can slide off that stove unless you lift it
off. That’s just the way it should be. The stove also
appears to heat water for the copper tank adjacent
to the stove itself. These are truly the commercial
stoves of another era. If you’re not cooking for dozens and sailing a boat with an immersion rate of
several thousand pounds per inch, this is probably
more stove than you need.

BENJAMIN MENDLOWITz

S

n 1741, Ben Franklin invented a fireplace that
made use of an innovation called an inverted
siphon to produce more heat and less smoke than
the ordinary open fireplaces of the era. Although
this is the first time I’ve come across one installed
on a boat—in this case the schooner ADVENTURE,
currently undergoing restoration in Gloucester,
Massachusetts—there is a lot to recommend this
installation. The elevated burn chamber keeps the
most intense heat up off the sole, though I’d prefer
to see a non-combustible material under the stove. I
see good clearances, a secure-looking ember screen,
and a nice straight stovepipe for optimum draft. As
long as the legs are well secured to the sole, I can’t
see much to improve here.

BENJAMIN MENDLOWITz

I

A

lex Spear’s VITO DUMAS, a Manuel Campos
double-ended cutter of 1933 homeported in
Port Townsend, Washington (see WB No. 196),
carries a tidy little cast-iron stove coated in royal
blue enamel and completely surrounded in noncombustible stainless steel. There is also ample
clearance. Experienced metalworkers will recognize something special in the large-diameter stovepipe conducting smoke from stove to smoke head.
No factory elbows here. Seamless, round in section
at the deck penetration, oval in section at the stove,
with a smooth transition between the two, this is
the work of an expert showing his or her skill. The
damper is clearly visible in the stovepipe. A brass
rod and counter edges that are higher than the
stovetop keep pots and pans contained.

ALEx SPEAR

Resources
• Navigator Stove Works, Orcas Island, Washington;
360–566–2418; www.marinestove.com.
• Shipmate Stove Company, Box 52, Bedminster, PA
18910; 888–835–4722; www.shipmatestove.com.
• J&B Yeomans, Fatsco, 5660 N. 7 Rd., Mesick, MI
49668; 231–885–3288; www.fatscostoves.com.
• Ignition Handbook: Principles and Applications to
Fire Safety Engineering, Fire Investigation, Risk Management and Forensic Science, Fire Science Publishers, Issaquah, Washington, 2003. 1,116 pages, $265.

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IN FOCUS

Iain Oughtred steers his Ness Yawl, AlbANNAgh, through the Jamestown Canal—one of many such offshoots of the Shannon.

An Irish Sailing Raid
Photographs by Nic Compton

W

riter-photographer Nic Compton grew up living on
a succession of wooden boats on the Mediterranean
Sea. After sailing his 32' William Atkin–designed
cutter back to his native England for the birth of his first
child, he worked for several years as deputy editor and then
editor of the English magazine Classic Boat. During his stint
there, he was mentored by the magazine’s art editor,
Stephen Philp, and he studied the technique of one of
the magazine’s leading photographers, Gary John Norman.
“I shadowed him at Falmouth Classics,” says Nic, “trying to
figure out how he got so much better pictures than I did.”
In addition to learning some valuable lessons in photographic
technique from Gary, the experience also motivated Nic
to “upgrade my equipment.”
Nic got a chance to try out his new camera kit—a Nikon
F801 with an 80–200, F2.8 zoom lens, and autofocus—at the
1994 La Nioulargue race for classic yachts. “The difference
was dramatic,” he says, “and it inspired me to keep going
with it.” And keep going he has. Since leaving Classic Boat
in 2000, Nic has traveled the world writing about and
photographing yachts and boats. He has also written 14
books, including a biography of the Scotland-based boat
designer Iain Oughtred.

The switch to digital photography was a “big change” for
Nic’s work. “The market got flooded with images,” he says,
and the large yachting events he once covered as a freelancer
were now hiring their own photographers, making it difficult
for a freelance photographer to speculate on an event. “I
retrenched a little bit and focused on writing,” he says. Then
he discovered the concept of “Raids,” or point-to-point races
for small, traditional sail-and-oar boats in company.
Following his successful first event in Portugal, CharlesHenri le Moing held a series of raid-style events in Scotland
from 2000 through 2002 and then Sweden in 2003–05 (see
WB No. 187). That was a turning point for Nic’s career, for
it was then that he decided to focus on his now-established
niche: “more traditional, less mainstream, less commercial,
less yachty” subjects. He has shot numerous raids for CharlesHenri, including a recent one on the Shannon River, Ireland,
called the Lakelands & Inland Waterways Ireland Sailing Raid;
the photographs on the following pages are from that event.
Nic cites his “aesthetic appreciation from growing up in
classic wooden boats” as the source of his inspiration for his
work. But the thing that enables him to do it? That also goes
“back to my childhood in boats,” he said. “I’ve got a steady pair
of legs. I’m comfortable standing in a bouncing RIB.” — MPM

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Patrick Morvab’s 1938 Solent sloop GARS DU LIN impresses a flock of birds sailing up Lough Erne. While the upper
portion of this lake is dotted with sheltering islands, the lower portion has a reputation for boisterous, ocean-like waves.

Cathy MacAleavey’s Shannon One-Design roars down Lough Ree, the Shannon’s second largest lake, in 25 knots of
wind. The crew appears to be enjoying the ride. The class, conceived in 1920 for racing among three clubs on the
Shannon River, was well represented at the Lakelands & Inland Waterways Ireland Sailing Raid.

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IN FOCUS

Below—Sylvie Viant’s Water Wag heads toward
Tarmonbarry, with Martine Gahinet-Charrier at the helm.

Above—Lars Palm and crew paddle
their Shannon One-Design up Lough
Erne during the first leg of the Raid.

Three Water Wags negotiate the upper reaches of Lough Erne, Northern Ireland. Conceived in 1886 and established as a class
a year later, the Water Wag lays claim to being the oldest one-design dinghy in the world.

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IN FOCUS

Shannon One-Design class winners Jochen Krauth and Koji Akeda start the first race off Lough Erne Yacht Club, Loch
Erne, Northern Ireland.

Ian Malcolm’s Water Wag blasts down Lough Ree in 25 knots of wind.

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Pressure Treated Wood—Update
by Richard Jagels

I

t’s been 10 years since I last discussed
preservatives used in pressure-treated
wood, and a lot has changed in the
interim. In WB No. 164 in 2002, I introduced some new copper-based wood
preservatives, although field-testing was
not yet complete on some. Soon after,
wood preservatives containing arsenic
salts came under scrutiny by health and
environmental groups—primarily as an
offshoot of a report on arsenic in the
nation’s drinking water. Arsenic can be
a carcinogen, although it naturally occurs in foods we eat such as shellfish and
mushrooms, and even rice, I have recently learned. Wood that is pressure-treated
with CCA, containing chrome, copper,
and arsenic salts; ACZA, containing ammonium, copper, zinc, and arsenic salts;
and ACA, containing ammonium, copper, and arsenic salts, has the potential for arsenic leaching into sensitive

aquatic environments and can expose
children to arsenic in home decks and
playground equipment. After considerable public pressure, the American
Wood Protection Association (AWPA) in
late 2003 decided to ask its members to
replace CCA, ACA, and ACZA treatments
with chemicals free of arsenic salts.
I should note that under Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules,
preservative-treated woods are not considered a toxic substance and also are
not products controlled under pesticide
regulations. However, EPA can regulate
the preservatives used to treat wood and
has classified some of these as “restricteduse” chemicals. Restricted-use preservatives can only be applied by certified pesticide applicators, and the products can
only be used in restricted applications.
EPA does not evaluate the effectiveness of wood preservatives in protecting wood from insect attack or decay.
This role has been adopted by AWPA, a

Preservative-Treated Woods
Beginning to Reach the Marketplace
Preservative Name and
and

Ingredients

Abbreviations
Abbreviations and
(Trade Names)
(Trade Names)

Alkaline copper quat
(copper oxide, quaternary
ammonium compound)

ACQ-B, ACQ-C, ACQ-D
(Nature wood,
Micropro/Smart, Sense,
ACQ Preserve,
ACQ Preserve Plus)

Alkaline copper DCOI (alkaline copper ethanolamine,
and 4, 5-di-chloro-2-N-octyl4-isothiazollin-3-one, abbreviated as DCOI)

ACD
(Wolmanized Outdoor)

Copper azole (amine copper
and tebuconazole)

CA-B, CA-C
(Wolmanized Outdoor)

Copper oxide, and polymeric
KDS, KDS-B (Rutgers
betaine; with or without
Impralit KDS, and KDS-B)
boron

ICC-ES
Report Number
Report Number

ESR-1980
ESR-2644

ESR-2711

ESR-1721

ESR-2500

Micronized (finely ground)
copper and tebuconazole

(MicroPro/Lifewood,
Sustain)

ESR-2240

DCOI with insecticide (DCOI,
imidacloprid and moisture
control stabilizer)

EL2

no report
(for above ground
use only)

Disodium octaborate
tetrahydrate

TIMBOR, WoodBor
(Advance Guard/Hi-Bor,
PACBOR, ES+Wood)

ESR-2667
ESR-3038
ESR-1081

voluntary industry association that carries out testing and evaluation through
a two-step process. Based on preliminary
information, AWPA first decides on the
appropriateness of a new wood treatment and at that time lists it as a potential preservative. Following this preliminary screening, a second review establishes appropriate commodities—for
example, types of wood—and whether
they are appropriate for “above-ground
use” or “below-ground use.” Then, it sets
required treatment levels.
Currently, wood treated with CCA,
ACZA, creosote, and pentachlorophenol
contains “restricted-use” chemicals and
must be accompanied by EPA-approved
consumer information sheets.
Treated Wood for Boats
Pressure-treated wood containing arsenic salts (CCA or ACZA) is still produced
but is aimed primarily at commercial applications such as utility poles, marine
pilings, and permanent wood foundations. Arsenic is particularly effective in
thwarting marine borer attack.
However, subsequent to the voluntary label changes implemented in 2004,
CCA and ACZA have generally not been
available at retail lumberyards because
treated wood containing arsenic can no
longer be used for residential decks or
playground equipment. (Existing structures are not affected by the labeling
change.) A number of alternative preservatives for pressure-treating wood are in
various stages of testing or are currently
in the marketplace.
Alkaline copper quat (ACQ) has been
used for a number of years to treat Douglas-fir in the western United States and is
now one of the most common substitutes
for CCA in the East. Different formulations (ACQ-B, ACQ-C, and ACQ-D) are
used, depending on how resistant a wood
species is to preservative penetration.
In addition, a bewildering array of
preservatives is now being tested. Unfortunately, field trials using soil-stake
tests require decades before results are
revealed (WB No. 173, page 91). But I
thought it might be informative to list
some of the new preservatives that are
just beginning to reach the market. Adding to the confusion, another agency has
appeared on the scene producing evaluation reports on wood preservatives: the
International Code Council–Evaluation
Service. The ICC–ES, unlike AWPA, does
not set standards for wood preservation, but rather issues evaluation reports

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assessing whether a product complies
with building codes. The advantage of
ICC–ES for consumers is the availability of
free reports. AWPA issues an annual book
of standards, but the cost of the 2012
standards book is $275.
The table shown on the facing page
lists seven relatively new, commercially
available wood treatments. The first five
all contain copper in various formulations. Copper is a very effective fungicide, but a few fungi are copper resistant,
so some of these formulations include
ammonium, DCOI, tebuconazole, betaine, or boron. The last two treatments
listed in the table lack copper and are
designed primarily for “above-ground”
use. For many parts of a boat, where
paint or varnish can reduce leaching,
these treatments may be viable alternatives. For more on borates, the last treatment shown in the table, see WB Nos.
149 and 152.
In the table, I have provided an ICC–
ES report number, if available. On the
ICC–ES website, www.icc-es.org, type in
the report number in the “search” box
on the upper right of the home page
to find detailed report information, including the date the report was issued,
the date of any expected revision, the
manufacturer of product, preservative
ingredients, trade names, applicable
wood species, minimum preservative
retention for different applications, and
conditions of use.
The good old days of just picking up
some CCA- or ACA-treated wood at the
lumberyard are over. With the restrictions
placed on arsenic, we are in a rapidly
changing transition period where we are
confronted with excessively lengthy chemical formulas that have unpronounceable

names. Nanotechnology has also entered
the scene with “micronized” copper (see
No. 5 in the table). I expect we will see
more of this nanotechnology with other
micronized particles.
On the plus side, pressure-treated
wood is now safer than it once was as an
alternative to naturally decay-resistant
woods, which are becoming scarcer. We
just need to stay informed. And those
with failing eyesight, like me, may need

to take a magnifying lens to the lumberyard in order to read the fine print on the
end-grain labels, as shown in the photo.
Dr. Richard Jagels is an emeritus professor
of forest biology at the University of Maine,
Orono. Please send correspondence to Dr. Jagels by mail to the care of WoodenBoat, or via
e-mail to Assistant Editor Robin Jettinghoff,
[email protected].

The Return of
The
WOOD
Regatta
Spring, 2013

Rock Hall Yacht Club,
Rock Hall, MD

The WOOD (Wooden Open One-Design) Regatta
was established by WoodenBoat magazine in 1991,
and won U.S. Sailing’s One-Design Creativity award
in 1992. It’s a sailing contest in which wooden sailboats less than 30' in length race against other, with
handicapping under Portsmouth Yardstick.
Please join us in this event for one-design and
custom wooden sailboats of all ages.

rIChArD JAgElS

For more information, go to www.woodenboat.com/
wooden-open-one-design-wood-regatta

Of the new technologies for pressuretreating wood against fungi,
nanotechnology has introduced
“micronized copper azole compounds,”
like those itemized on these lumber
store labels.

41 WoodenBoat Lane
Brooklin, ME 04616
207.359.4651
[email protected]

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DESIGNS

DESIGNS

The Ocracoke 20

Ocracoke 20
Particulars

DIY Carolina sportfisherman

LOA
LWL
Beam
Draft
Displacement
Power

20' 0"
16' 4"
7' 10"
9"
2,000 lbs
70–115 hp

Commentary by
Robert W. Stephens
Design by
Graham Byrnes

F

WWW.WAvECREStIMAGES.COM

or flat-out sex appeal, there’s
not much in the boating
world that beats a classic
sportfisherman. Maybe it’s the history: today’s deep-sea gamefishing boats, while larger and glitzier,
clearly share their bloodline with
the earlier sportfishing boats that

inspired Ernest Hemingway, so are
imbued with the same ethos of big
men, big fish, and big water. Maybe
it’s the mission: the boats are created with but one aim—to take us
where the epic battle between man
and fish can take place. Or maybe
it’s just plain looks: the boats are

simply gorgeous, with sweeping
sheer and outrageous flare, Rubenesque tumblehome, and striking
rake in the superstructure that’s often highlighted by a tall, tapering
tuna tower.
Wouldn’t it be nice to enjoy this
sex appeal without plunking down
six or seven figures for a classic Rybovich, Whiticar, or Buddy Davis?
Or worrying about mortgaging the
house each time we come alongside the fuel dock after running
out to the Gulf Stream at 100-plus
gallons per hour? And do we really
need those big, gorgeous wraparound tinted windows and the
accommodations they surround?
Isn’t our main objective to be out
in the air, watching the weather,
the sea, and the fish?
The Ocracoke 20, influenced by larger
classic sportfishermen, displays striking
curves and spectacular flare…yet we
can build it in the backyard. Pushed by a
70- to 115-hp outboard, the efficient hull
runs flat and fast.

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The Ocracoke’s hull lines show a fine entry with steep deadrise forward, which decreases smoothly to 13 degrees at the
transom. Compared to the heavier deep-V hulls often found in production boats, this shallow modified V-bottomed hull
should run faster with less power.

Graham Byrnes of B&B Yacht
Designs has the answer for those
of us with the taste for a spectacular Carolina-style sportfisherman
but the budget for an off-the-shelf
runabout. His Ocracoke 20 satisfies
our longing for the shapeliness of
her larger sisters, delivers truly sparkling performance worthy of her
lineage, and keeps the cost within
the reach of the ordinary mortal.
Of course, some compromises must
be made: we won’t feel comfortable
asking this pocket version to blast
four hours offshore to the canyons,
but she’ll be more than willing and
able to run her share of nasty inlets.
Carolina boats have evolved a
dramatic, almost unbelievable flare
in the bow sections. Due to what
influence? The particularly challenging circumstance of the Gulf

Stream piling up on the shallows of
the Outer Banks after an unfettered
run of several hundred miles from
the Straits of Florida? Or a particular cultural aesthetic bias refined
and reinforced by crossbreeding
and inbreeding in isolation among
the builders of the remote islands
and inlets? Whatever its genesis, it’s
a striking look, and easily identifiable. Also hard for the imitator to
pull off: the combination of a strong
broken sheer in profile and very
full deck line in plan view requires
a deft touch to avoid ridiculous
humps and bumps in 3D as our eye
moves around the boat.
Byrnes, originally of Australia and
now living in North Carolina, has
the eye and the knack. The Ocracoke
20’s bow flare is so extreme that,
with the boat upside-down in build,

and with a good pair of boat shoes
on your feet, you could feel comfortable walking along the first several
feet of the bow planking. At Station
1, the planking forms an angle with
the horizontal of about 20 degrees,
yet photos prove that, extreme or
not, it’s really attractive. Whether it
provides any performance advantage is open to debate. Never having
experienced the ride of a Carolina
boat, I can’t vouch for its effectiveness, and it seems to me that the extreme flare is too far forward to suppress spray and too high to add any
useful reserve buoyancy. But it does
look great!
The flare dictates a clipper bow;
its clean reverse curve is a strong
complement to the other powerful
curves of the forebody. The chine
rises constantly from the transom as
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DESIGNS

The Ocracoke 20’s layout: a center console and lots of clear, open deck space. We’ll find it easy to fish and easy to clean.

it sweeps forward, indicating good
running lines in the bottom: all
buttock lines will have a positive
angle of attack, keeping the boat
from trimming bow-up dramatically
as she comes up on plane. The chine
meets the stem well clear of the

waterline, delivering a fine entry
and steep deadrise in the forebody,
moderating to a relatively shallow 13
degrees at the transom. This is also
in keeping with her heritage: as with
her larger sisters, her laminated
plywood construction keeps her

all-up running weight light enough
so she uses a more efficient shallow
modified-V bottom rather than the
heavier-displacement deep-V more
commonly found in production
cabin cruisers. The lighter weight
and the flatter bottom both mean

B&B YachT Designs (This group)

Building the OC-20 hull
The first and third molds are temporary (upper
left), but much of the building jig remains in the
boat (left). We’ll plank the after bottom (above)
with a single layer of ½” plywood. The more
curvaceous forward bottom gets two layers of ¼”
plywood. For the sides, two layers of 3⁄16” plywood
are cut into planks and applied Ashcroft fashion.
That is, they run diagonally and in the same
direction. Everything will be sheathed with 1208
biaxial ’glass cloth set in epoxy.

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DESIGNS

This isometric drawing gives a
clear picture of the Ocracoke’s hull
form and structure. The owner
of the first OC-20 has praised his
boat’s speed, “48 mph” when
powered by a 115-hp outboard,
and the “very smooth” ride.

she’ll run fast with much less power—
and much lower fuel consumption—
than her beefier cousins. Meanwhile,
the deadrise in the forward sections
means she gives up little rough-water
performance. A constant-deadrise
deep-V can be just the thing if you
are committed to running really
fast in big seas—but about the only
folks who do this in the real world
are serious offshore racers who get
paid big money for bashing their
teeth together. A modified-V hull is
much more efficient for the other
90-plus percent of us.
The Ocracoke 20’s construction is
standard Carolina style—skins of laminated plywood over a stringer/frame
system, lightly sheathed in fiberglass
on the exterior for protection and a
bit of additional stiffness. The stringer
system consists of deep plywood
girders in the bottom, laid parallel
to centerline and supporting the
cockpit sole, in addition to sweeping
solid-wood stringers in the topsides
and a laminated sheer clamp. The
sheer clamps will be the most challenging pieces in the boat, as they
need to wrap around the station

molds to approach the stem at nearly
a perpendicular angle, while at the
same time twisting through about
60 degrees. They’ll be made up of
three pieces of limber ¾" × ¾" stock,
though, so will come out all right.
Byrnes calls for using the Ashcroft
system of planking: two layers of
6mm mahogany plywood laid diagonally over the stringers, with
their seams parallel and staggered
in each of the layers. This makes
good sense when using plywood
for the layers—the cross-grain in
each layer provides the necessary
strength on the bias. An alternative
would be using four layers of 1⁄8"
solid wood veneers, with layers laid
more or less perpendicular to each
other—a more conventional but
labor-intensive cold-molding technique. The only advantages would
be slightly less expense compared to
the pricey plywood, and slightly easier to fair without cutting through
the thin top veneer of the ply.
How does the Ocracoke 20 perform? Let’s listen to a happy (and
fortunate) owner: “Went out for the
maiden voyage tonight—48 mph

at 5,700 and was still winding out.
Very happy indeed. Not bad figures
for a 20' boat with only a 115 [-hp
outboard]. At 4,200 rpm it’s sitting
real nice at 34 mph burning 7 gallons per hour. The ride was beautiful, very smooth...rides up onto the
plane easily while hull remains fairly
level, very impressed...it just hung
on like on rails. All up I was bloody
happy. Have been in a lot of boats
over the years, and this was right up
with the best of them.”
So—what’s holding us back? Let’s
clean up the garage, order a set of
plans and a stack of plywood. Fishing
or just scooting around, in the Carolinas or the Pacific Northwest—this
boat will be a blast no matter where
or why we are on the water.
Bob Stephens is a principal at Stephens Waring Yacht Design, in Belfast, Maine, where
he gets to design some powerboats—but not
enough.
For information on the Ocracoke 20,
contact B & B Yacht Designs, 196 Elm
St., Vandemere, NC 28587; 252-7454793; www.bandbyachtdesigns.com.

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LAUNCHINGS
Edited by Robin Jettinghoff
hese pages are dedicated to sharing news of recently
launched new boats and “relaunched” (that is,
restored or substantially rebuilt) craft. Please send
color photographs of your projects to: Launchings,
WoodenBoat, P.O. Box 78, Brooklin, ME 04616, or
e-mail us at [email protected].
Include the following information: (1) length on
deck; (2) beam; (3) type, class, or rig; (4) boat’s name;
(5) names and contact information (include e-mail or
phone) of designer, builder, photographer, and owner;
(6) port or place of intended use; (7) date of launching
(should be within the past year); (8) brief description of
construction or restoration.

STUDIO 6/RYAN DUCLOS

T

Above—Warner Scheyer of Langley, Washington, built this 15' 6"
dory, TAG , from okoume plywood on yellow cedar frames.
Joanne and Eric Breeze launched the dory and their wedding at
Admiralty Inlet on Puget Sound last year. Scheyer relied on
Dynamite Payson’s book, How to Build the Gloucester Light Dory,
available from www.woodenboatstore.com.

RON WILCOx

Right—Bob Patterson spent nine
weeks building MYSTERY, a Nick
Schade–designed 20' open-water
racing kayak. Bob strip-planked the
hull with sapele, Alaska yellow cedar,
and wenge. He paddles around
Newport Harbor, California, doing
speed workouts where he makes up
to 7 knots in short bursts. Plans are
available from Guillemot Kayaks,
www.guillemot-kayaks.com.

Above—Rex and Kathie Payne of Spring Hill, Florida, built
this 13' 6" Melonseed skiff, BABS, with plans available from
the Smithsonian Institution, www.si.edu. They made the
hull from cypress strips and fashioned the stem, coaming,
and rudder from sapele. Richard and Barbara Schramm of
Middleton, Wisconsin, are the proud owners of BABS, and
will sail her on Wisconsin’s lakes.

KRISTIN J. HAMILTON

BARBARA SCHRAMM

Below—Rory Hamilton of Newnan, Georgia, spent two years building this 17' Glen-L Sea Knight runabout with help from his wife,
Kristin, and his uncle, Luke Hargenrader. Rory’s grandfather built
the same boat, with some modifications, in 1966. Rory put all of
his grandfather’s modifications into his boat, BETTY LOU, and
launched her in early 2012. Plans are available at www.glen-l.com.

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MARK LEPAGE

Below—In June 2012, Grace Eileen Davis and her father, Arch,
launched a 30' cruising sloop, the GRACE EILEEN, designed by
Arch. The 7,000-lb, glued-lapstrake hull has no engine. The Davis
family plans to sail her along the Maine coast. Plans are available
from Arch Davis at www.archdavisdesigns.com.

JEFFREY MABEE

DAvID KREuTz

Above—Henry LePage, age seven and a WoodenBoat subscriber, built an 11' 6" × 42" Poorboy Skiff from Gavin Atkin’s
book, Ultrasimple Boatbuilding. With help building from his
parents, hardware from his friend Mark Hobaica, oars from
Grandfather Papa, and help painting from Grandfather Pata,
he launched MISS ARCADIA II at Arcadia Park in Fishers
Landing, New York, last summer. Get Atkin’s book at The
WoodenBoat Store, www.woodenboatstore.com.

JOHN WELSFORD

PAuL FITHIAN

Below—Richard Rasmussen of Brookings, Oregon, started
building 12' SAS’e AMANDA at The WoodenBoat Show in Mystic,
Connecticut, in 2011. He finished her with help from designer
Graham Byrnes and Graham’s daughter, Beth Bucksot, at their
yard in North Carolina. SAS’e AMANDA stands for Solar Assist
Sail Electric. She has multiple power sources with a flexible solar
panel, two Torqeedo engines, and a sail. Plans and boats are
available from www.bandbyachtdesigns.com.

Above—Howard Chapelle documented the lines of the
Mississippi River Skiff in his 1951 book American Small Sailing
Craft (www.woodenboatstore.com). David Kreutz of Elsah, Illinois,
used those lines to build ELSAH, 18' 7" × 4' 8", which he stripplanked from poplar, cherry, and black oak. ELSAH and David
can be found rowing on the Mississippi River near their home.

Above—Paul Fithian of Long Beach, Indiana, built this 25'
Tolman Jumbo Skiff, MADE IT, and has already explored the
Florida Keys and the Manitou Islands of Lake Michigan with
her. The hull is made from marine plywood and epoxy. Paul
slightly modified Renn Tolman’s design with a stepped transom
for easier boarding over the stern. Contact the designer at www.
alaska.net/~tolmanskiffs.

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LAUNCHINGS

oliVeR ilg

Below—nicky Bastisdas, an exchange student from ecuador,
and Doug Roberts, her host father in Moundsville, West
Virginia, spent the winter of 2012 building a solo carry canoe,
(see WB nos. 205-206) nicKy B. the hull is made from white
cedar frames and honey pine stringers, covered with a skin of
polyester. nicky paddles nicKy B on Fish creek near their home.
you can buy plans at www.berkshireboatbuildingschool.org.

Doug RoBeRts

Above—Marco iatauro is the proud owner of this new 13' 8"
catspaw dinghy, PoRtoFino, built for him by sterling yachts
of Jaguari˙na, sao Paulo, Brazil. the glued-lapstrake hull is
built from Paraguayan cedar and cedar plywood. PoRtoFino
will act as tender to Marco’s 45' catamaran, sailing out of
ilhabela, Brazil. Plans for this Joel White design are available at
the WoodenBoat store, www.woodenboatstore.com.

MaRy Vincent

Below—in the summer of 2011, brothers Fred, sam (both age 12), and
Joe (age 10) Vincent learned to sail. inspired to design their own boat
over the winter, the boys drew it on paper, built a model, scaled it up
to full size, cut the shapes from plywood, and fit it together. grandpa
Fred helped as needed. after nine months of work, the boys launched
their 11' sloop, BlacK PeaRl , in april 2012.

gloRia thiBoDeaux

BRuce Von BoRstel

Below—Joe and gloria thibodeaux of Prairieville, louisiana, finally
finished this 18' lake skiff, enFin, started two years ago in a class at
the lake Pontchartrain Maritime Museum in Madisonville, louisiana.
Built from marine plywood over spanish cedar frames, enFin has
visited several boat shows and won three firsts and a Best in show so
far. see more at the museum’s website at www.lpbmm.org.

Above—Jim conachen of sequim, Washington, built
two 14' hadron dinghies (hull nos. 4 and 5) last
spring. these were designed by Keith callaghan
(www.bluelightning.co.uk) as a new class of racing
dinghy intended for experienced dinghy sailors who
desire high performance with low gymnastics. Made
from okoume plywood, with sapele and madrona
veneers, the hulls weigh 180 lbs. Jim hopes to start a
fleet in the Pacific northwest.

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...AND RELAUNCHINGS

Below—In 1925, Johan Anker designed the Six-Meter sloop, OSLO, for
Prince Olav of Norway. John Mitchell of Escanaba, Michigan, bought
the 36' OSLO in 1936 and sold her in 1948. In 2009, Mitchell’s grandson, Chris Schram, located and bought her. He had her restored by
J.W. Swan Boatworks of Ashland, Wisconsin, and relaunched her in
July 2012. See www.oslo6mr.com for more information.

JACQUELINE KLEEN

MARC RONET

MICHAEL STRONG

JOHN COLE

Below—In 1932, the Peterborough (Ontario) Boat Company
launched this 19' Peterborough Admiral runabout (No. 3562). The
Reed/Cole family bought it new and has kept it for five generations. Recently, Millar Potter Boat Restorations of Manotick,
Ontario, replaced the frames, keel, and rails, and completely refinished her. The family runs the Admiral in the waters of Québec.

Above—In 2012, naval architect Marc Ronet bought this 21'
Belouga-class sloop designed by Eugene Cornu and originally launched in 1958. Marc fixed the transom, replaced
the bottom planks and some floors, refit the spars and rudder, and much more in his 800 hours of work. He launched
SPOUTNIK last summer and now sails her on the west coast
of France. See marc.ronet.free.fr for more pictures.

DANIEL MARyLAND

Hints for taking good photos of your boat:

Above—DANCING DAN is a 35' Chris-Craft Corinthian Sea
Skiff recently restored by Daniel Maryland of Duluth, Minnesota. The ten-year restoration of the nearly destroyed hull
included installation of wiring and other systems. He also
added cabin doors, a swim platform, 1⁄2" teak decks, then
completely rebuilt the interior and refinished the entire
boat. DANCING DAN and her captain can be seen capering
about Lake Superior.

1. Please shoot to the highest resolution and largest size
possible. Send no more than five unretouched images on a
CD, and include rough prints of all images. We also accept
transparencies and high-quality prints.
2. Clean the boat. Stow fenders and extraneous gear below.
Properly ship or stow oars, and give the sails a good harbor
furl if you’re at anchor.
3.  Schedule the photo session for early, or late, in the day to
take advantage of low-angle sunlight. Avoid shooting at high
noon and on overcast days.
4. Be certain that the horizon appears level in your viewfinder.
5.  Keep the background simple and/or scenic. On a flat page,
objects in the middle distance can appear to become part of
your boat. Take care that it doesn’t sprout trees, flagpoles,
smokestacks, or additional masts and crew members.
6. Take many photos, and send us several. Include some action
shots and some of the boat at rest. For a few of the pictures,
turn the camera on its side to create a vertical format.

We enjoy learning of your work—it affirms the vitality of the wooden
boat community. Unfortunately, a lack of space prevents our publishing
all the material submitted. If you wish to have your photos returned,
please include appropriate postage.

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WoodenBoat
Order On-Line Anytime: www.woodenboatstore.com

STORE

www.woodenboatstore.com
Mail Order Since 1975 • Web Orders Since 1994

Sewing Palm
Ideal for leather work, rope work, or sail
repairs. Perfect for keeping those pesky
needles from piercing your hand.
Right #835-035R Left #835-035L
$16.95 each
Sailmaker’s Needles
Set of five, stainless, #13-#17. (Not
pictured) #835-038 $7.50

Colonial Rigger’s Knives
We’re so pleased to bring you knives from
Colonial–the Rhode Island knifemaker
since the 1920s. The upper knife
has a non-slip Zytel handle,
and is US Navy issue. The
lower knife is the dressier
version with brass rivets and
cocobolo wood handle. Blades are
440 stainless, 3” long. Locking
marlin spike is 2-1/2” long.
Comes with nylon sheath.
Zytel handle: #835-003 $29.95
Cocobolo handle: #835-004 $49.95
Captain’s Pro Rigger’s Knife
Beyond nice, blades are 440 high carbon stainless
steel, individually numbered, with
70/30 serrated/standard edge, and
built-in shackle key. Blade and/
or spike can be locked independently. Black micarta handles
and nylon sheath, 4¾˝ overall
length (closed). Blade: 3¼˝
Spike: 3˝ #835-087 $89.95

Bickmore Pine Tar
Ideal for finishing pine,
oak, cedar, spruce, plus your
traditional rigging.
Pint #832-005P $9.00
Quart #832-005Q $12.00
Gallon #832-005G $34.00

Sailmaker’s Twine
and Tarred Marlin
Pre-waxed poly twine for
whippings, stitching, and
repairs. Twine (233 yrds)
comes with one #15 needle.
White: #835-036W
Brown: #835-036B
Tarred Marlin: 1/8˝,
weatherproof, approx
13 yards. #835-037
$10.95 each

Grommet Kits
Set your own grommets with these professional-grade kits, which
include two-piece inserting die, punch, hardwood block (base), 3
dozen solid brass grommets, and instructions.
3/8˝ Kit #835-083 $29.95
Dozen Extra Grommets: #835-083G $2.00
1/2˝ Kit #835-084 $32.95
Dozen Extra Grommets:
#835-084G $3.00

Kirby’s Pine Tar
This is the GOOD smelling stuff.
Size: 1 Pint #832-008 $16.00

We fulfill orders within 24 hours, and ship from our Maine WoodenBoat campus.
WBStore_WBMag230.indd
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Duosharp Bench Stone
Fine on one side, coarse on the
other. Made with micro-diamonds. 8˝ long, 2⅝˝ wide.
#835-018 $109.00
Schröder Heavy-Duty Hand Drill
Two speeds (swap handle/shaft to
change gearing), breast plate, enclosed
gears, and 1/2” chuck. 13-1/2” long.
#835-161
$66.95

Flexcut Boxed
Carving Set
16 interchangeable blades,
cutting knife, quick connect handle and a mallet
power handle. There’s also
a SlipStrop and their Gold
Compound for sharpening.
Plus the boxed set includes
a 16 page tool use guide,
PLUS a DVD, titled “Relief Carving in a Different
Light”. #835-149
$179.00
Carvin’ Jack
Take the pocket knife concept, load it
with high-quality carving tools, and
you have a unique multi-tool sure
to please your favorite hand-carver.
Includes 6 locking blades, leather
sheath, Flexcut slipstrop and gold polishing compound. 4¼˝ closed length.
Right (toward) handed #835-104R $139.95
Left (toward) handed #835-104L $139.95

Schröder
Egg-Beater
Hand Drill
Nicely machined,
smooth action,
1/4” chuck. About
12” long. #835-160
$34.95
Japanese Cabinetmaker’s Chisels
Nice set of laminated steel, hollow-ground
sole. Japanese red oak handles + steel end
ring. Sizes: 6mm (1/4”), 12mm (5/8”),
18mm (3/4”), and 24mm (1”). Chisels are
9” overall. #835-093 $85.00

12-Piece Carving Set
If you’re starting out, and not sure how into
carving you’ll get, this is a good starter set.
7¾˝ long, each has a different shape.
#835-134 $56.00
Draw Knives
Both are quite sharp, ideal for
removing large amounts of wood
quickly. The 5˝ version is actually flexible
to allow not only flat work but also
concave or convex shapes. The
3˝ version is ideal for smaller/
tighter work. Made by Flexcut in Erie, PA.
3˝ #835-105 $35.95
5˝ #835-106 $43.95

Call Toll-Free 1.800.273.7447 Shipping is Charged When You Order

Dia-Sharp 3 Stone
Boxed Set
Three grits: coarse,
fine, extra fine. Made
with micro diamonds,
you can use these
dry, or lubricate with
water. Stone measures
6" x 2". #835-122
$110.00

Turn the page for MORE tools

The WoodenBoat Store, Naskeag Road, PO Box 78, Brooklin, Maine 04616 USA
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11/19/12
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PM

Kunz Tools Direct From Germany
The
Kunz Palm Plane with Handle

Order On-Line Anytime: www.woodenboatstore.com

“Handy” size, 3-5/16” long, 1” iron,
fits in your apron pocket.
#835-152 $19.95

WoodenBoat

STORE

www.woodenboatstore.com
Mail Order Since 1975 • Web Orders Since 1994

Kunz Palm Plane
Same as above, sans handle. ALSO
fits in your shop apron
pocket.
#835-153 $18.95

Kunz Flat Face
Spokeshave
#835-156 $23.95

Kunz Round Face Spokeshave
Gull-wing handles help save your
knuckles. 9-1/2” long, 2” iron.
#835-157 $23.95

Order the Pair
of Spokeshaves
for $44.00
#835-156-57K

Kunz Rabbet Plane
Great value. 4” long, 1” wide blade.
#835-154 $34.95

Kunz No. 220 Block Plane
General trimming/finishing,
6-7/8” long. 22 degree bed.
#835-155 $59.95
Kunz Cabinet Scrapers
Set of four, .5mm, .8, 1., and the
curvy is .7mm thick. They’re 6” x
2-3/8 (curvy is shorter).
#835-170 $29.95
Kunz No. 4 Plus Smoothing Plane
You’ll be pleased with the Kunz foray into
the higher-end planes. 9-3/4” long,
2” iron. #835-158 $199.95

Kunz Scraper Burnisher
Round shaft so it works on
curved scrapers, too.
#835-165 $23.95

Kunz No.5 Plus Jack Plane
13-1’/2” long, 2” wide iron
#835-159 $229.95

Call Toll-Free 1.800.273.SHIP (7447)
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11/15/12
11/20/12
9:10:03
4:37 AM
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REVIEW

PRODUCTS • BOOKS • VIDEOS • STUFF

Working Sail

A Life in Wooden Boats
Working Sail, A Life in Wooden Boats, by Luke
Powell. The Dovecote Press Ltd., Stanbridge,
Wimborne Minster, Dorset BH21 4JD, U.K.
240 pp., £30. Available from the WoodenBoat Store,
www.woodenboatstore.com.

Reviewed by Jenny Bennett

“A

ll of my life I have been totally wrapped
up in the world of wooden boats, enthusiastically raking through the dying embers of a great age that has passed into
history. There is little residue of all that once
was, only a few photos, some scraps of paper
and the odd gravestone—all their fine ships
are no more. But reading the autobiography
of a bygone schooner captain opens a window
onto a lost world, giving an insight into the
ways of the past and illuminating the people
that stood here before us. Unfortunately, few
wrote of their lives, leaving nothing of themselves to pass on. When researching the pilot
cutters from the Isles of Scilly, I would have
given my left leg to have read something written by the men who built them, thus opening
a door for me to peer through. Yet there is
nothing.
“Maybe some time in the future a young lad
attempting to restore an old boat will want to
reflect on the lives of those who preceded him
but shared his enthusiasm. Hopefully, I may, in a little
way, help fuel his passion for the wooden boat. If so, this
book will have served its purpose.”
So writes Luke Powell on the opening page of his
introduction to Working Sail. In simple terms, this is the
autobiography of the first 50 years of one of Britain’s

unsung but leading traditional wooden boat builders.
In more complex terms, this is a book of self-discovery,
of philosophy, of hope. It is also a book of beauty, both
in its own right—thanks to an abundance of pictures
and the unmistakable talents of book designer Christian
Topf—and in the boats that it celebrates.

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Shaping the cutter EZRA’s keel. Luke Powell is at the far end of
the timber.

Luke Powell was nine years old when his parents decided to pool their resources, buy a boat, and up sticks
to the Aegean Sea. Had they known what a profound
effect the move would have on their son, one wonders
if they would have been so swift to act. One suspects
they would, for in truth, the seeds had been sown long
before the family’s exodus. Before Luke’s birth his father had been a fisherman working out of Newhaven
on England’s south coast, and although he had stepped
ashore as his family had grown, his “respect for the sea
and boats never left him...on my father’s knee the tide
was set and I was hooked.” But it was in 1967 that a 40'
fishing boat built in the 1920s was bought and turned
into a good home, and in the spring of 1969 that the
family, complete with pets, set sail for the Greek Islands,
retracing the voyage of Ulysses. They settled, that winter, on Spetses. And it was here that Luke had his first
taste of commercial wooden boat building in one of the
still active “slipyards.” It was here, too, that he witnessed
firsthand a world of coastal shipping, of small wooden
vessels plying their trade through the islands, of a vibrant boatbuilding industry from an era that, in the rest

The cutter AGNES at anchor in Bread and Cheese Cove, Scilly Isles.

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The brand new Luke Powell–
built cutter AGNES, fresh from
the yard, wood shavings swept
from her deck, is seen here at
her sea trials in Falmouth Bay.

of the western world was, most
definitely, bygone. By age 17,
he was skipper of a 60' ketch
traveling the islands. By 18, he
had hitch-hiked home across
the Alps and shipped aboard
a Thames sailing barge bound
for Scotland. His first “proper
job as a shipwright” would be
for barge master Alan Reekie
rebuilding a Baltic trader.
And so begins a life of dark
mornings, cold damp winds,
great balks of timber, and endless cups of tea. Unschooled in
either boatbuilding or naval architecture, Luke Powell has the
kind of experience and learning for which most of his generation would, I imagine,
sacrifice plenty. He learned from example, from making
mistakes, from “being left alone.” In Faversham, working
on the Baltic trader, he was placed under the wing of one
Donald Grover, “a dour old so and so” who would head
out every lunchtime to fetch a pork pie and never make
it past The Anchor pub. “Many a time we would shape a
plank, thirty odd feet long by 2½ inches thick, staggering from the weight as we offered it up. After clamping
the butt, Donald would stand back and with a knowing
‘That’ll fit’, disappear off for his pork pie leaving me
bewildered and still holding the far end. Determined to
show him, I would have it all wrapped round and spiked
in before he got back, when, without any acknowledgment, he murmured ‘Kettle on boy’ and settled down to
stoke his pipe.”
Before long, Luke had found his own old boat to fall
in love with—CHARMIAN, built in 1914 and bought by
Luke for £3,000 earned in exchange for 50 boat portraits he would paint “to a certain standard” and finish within two years. It was, he writes, “a tall order, as I
would have to earn money to live on and fix the boat,
whilst finding the time to do the paintings. But I had
no choice....” And there it is, the essence of a man so
passionate about the boats he loves that he will make
seemingly impossible bargains, bargains that he honors,
never once missing a deadline.
In time, his debts were paid, but after several years
of working as a journeyman shipwright, Luke knew that
“the party was over, it was time to grow up.... Fixing old
boats is good but not enough for me, as it does not add
to the ranks.” Bucking all the trends, looking beyond national attitudes and cultural prejudices that universally
claimed that no new “plank-on-frame traditional wooden
yacht would ever go down a slip again,” he commenced

building an updated version of a Scillonian pilot cutter,
38' on deck, 51' over spars. He had no money and built
her on spec. He finished her in three years, found a
buyer just weeks before completion, and launched her
in 1997. EVE OF ST. MAWES has been in full-time use in
the charter business ever since.
EVE was the first of eight plank-on-frame cutters Powell has built to date. She was followed by the 42' LIZZIE MAY in 1998 and, most recently, by FREJA, launched
in 2012. EVE remains the smallest of Luke’s creations;
AGNES (2003), built to the lines of an original Scillonian
pilot cutter, is the largest at 46' on deck. Their building
stories form the bulk of this book, and while many pages
are devoted to the art of plank-on-frame boatbuilding,
this is not, per se, a technical book—there are few technical terms, and even fewer specific dimensions. Rather,
this is the autobiography of an interesting man of opinion, a man of little monetary wealth, but who is perhaps
as rich as any of us will ever be. After the launching of
his seventh boat, AMELIE ROSE, he writes, “I went back
to the shed to put away the tools and tins of paint and
close up the doors. It was time to spend a quiet moment reflecting on all we had achieved over the years.
Standing there in the twilight listening to the evening
silence, the rooks roosting in the high trees up the valley
and the far off sound of laughter around the beer barrels as those gathered for the launch drained the last
drop, the stillness was golden. I turned the key in the
lock and placed it in my pocket, it was done.”
If you curl up by the fire with a book this Christmas,
let it be this one.
Jenny Bennett is a contributing editor for WoodenBoat. In 1998,
shortly after the cutter’s launching, she sailed aboard LIZZIE MAY with
Luke Powell and the new owners. Her impressions were later published
in Maritime Life & Traditions.

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The Mortal Sea
Yacht Sails
Rigging
BUILDERS OF HIGH-QUALITY HAND-FINISHED SAILS
Full-service sail and rigging loft
P.O. Box 71, Lincoln St., East Boothbay, Maine 04544
(207) 633-5071
Custom Woodworking for Marine Applications
Exotics and Domestics
Cove & Bead in Atlantic White Cedar, Mahogany and Cypress
Marine Grade Plywood BS1088 – Fir, Sapele, Mahogany,
Teak, Okoume, Meranti and Teak & Holly

The Mortal Sea, by Jeffrey Bolster. The Belknap Press
of Harvard University, 79 Garden St., Cambridge, MA
02138; 419 pp, 59 halftones, 7 line illustrations, 2 maps.
$29.95.

Reviewed by Randall Peffer

R

eading Jeffrey Bolster’s The Mortal Sea was flatout painful for me, but not because Bolster has
written a bad book; rather, the exact opposite.
Bolster has done a fine job documenting how human
greed and cavalier applications of new technology
(along with climate changes) have plunged many key
fisheries of the North Atlantic into an ever-accelerating
cycle of devastation.
The pain comes from Bolster’s book reminding me
that as a man who loves catching things, a mariner and
a writer, I have stood in a lot of wooden boats and borne
witness to the near collapse of fishery after fishery. What
memories, what nightmares, The Mortal Sea stirs in me.
There was a day in the early 1980s when I was part of
the deck crew on a hundred-year-old Chesapeake Bay
skipjack, dredging oysters off Tilghman Island. Just

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Woodenboat RevieW

COuRTESy OF NAvAL HISTORy ANd HERITAGE COMMANd,
WASHINGTON, d.C.

three years before we had caught our limit under sail
almost every day. Now the oysters were so scarce we could
only fish on Mondays and Tuesdays when state fishing
regulations allowed us to use our yawlboat to push our
skipjack in tight circles over the few remaining “lumps”
that still had oysters not yet caught by a fleet of automated
patent-tonging boats or killed by a mysterious parasite.
On this day we made lick after lick and dredged up
fewer than six bushels of oysters amid heaps of empty
shells. The most interesting things we had caught all
morning were a couple of sunken outboard engines.
Then, as the afternoon wore on, we hauled up a pair
of spectacles and a set of false teeth in one dredge. I
called Capt. Bart Murphy forward onto the work deck to
show him this human paraphernalia. “Where’s the rest
of him?” asked the captain. “Looks we done killed right
much ever thing in this bay now.” Three years later, Bart
hauled his skipjack ashore and made a bonfire of her.
Folks said it was the end of an era.
While I have sometimes thought that the heartbreak
of declining fish stocks and a struggling American
fishing industry have been a tragedy largely unfolding
during my 50 years of going to sea, Bolster’s book
makes it clear that commercial fishing in the North
Atlantic has been spinning toward disaster for 400 years.
“Here today, gone tomorrow” has been the story of the
inshore cod fishery, the menhaden fishery, the mackerel
fishery, the halibut fishery, the oyster and clam fisheries,
the sturgeon fishery, the harpoon sword fishery, the
southern New England lobster fishery. Some species like
the North Atlantic right whale have been driven to the
brink of extinction. Even the once notoriously popular
sightings, in the early 19th century, of the sea serpent
Scoliophis atlanticus are things of the past as well.
Rife with statistics and quotes from observers and
historical documents, as well as depressing graphs of
declining fish stocks, The Mortal Sea reminds readers
that the first Europeans to arrive on the shores of North
America were fishers looking for virgin ocean because
they had overfished the stocks closer to home. “In
the summer of 1578…Englishman Anthony Parkhurt
tallied about 350 vessels in Newfoundland and the Gulf

The trawlers FOAM, RIPPLE, and SPRAY, shown here ca. 1918,
were part of a fleet of only six such vessels in 1911.

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Woodenboat RevieW

of St. Lawrence, including French, Spanish, Basque,
Portuguese and English ones,” writes Bolster. “Most
were fishing for cod, although twenty or thirty Basque
ships were whaling.”
Since those days the competition to harvest the
bounty of the North Atlantic has only intensified.
Sometimes I can hardly believe the madness that I’ve
seen. I was on a Novi-built longliner out of Chatham,
Massachusetts, in 1975. We were tub-trawling for cod
and haddock in the canyons an eight-hour steam
southeast of Cape Cod. We had set out our trawls about
sunrise and had been waiting all morning for the turn
of the tide before hauling back. Out of the fog came
a pair of East German team trawlers, each about 200'
long, dragging a mammoth otter trawl between them,
right through our gear. Our skipper was so angry he
steamed alongside one of the East German boats,
grabbed the shotgun we kept aboard, and unloaded a
whole box of 12-gauge shells at the wheelhouse of the
trawler. “Another busted trip,” he cursed.
A year later, according to The Mortal Sea, Congress
passed what is commonly called the Magnuson Act,
which—among other things—established a 200-mile
territorial fishing limit for the United States and regional
councils to manage sustainable fishing stocks. But the
damage was done. And compounding the assault on
King Cod was the replacement of the aging wooden
Eastern-rig draggers (see page 50) in the fishing fleet
with larger, steel Western-rigs, tricked out with a new
generation of fishfinders and video feeds from their
nets. Cod stocks, overfished for four centuries, totally
collapsed in the early 1990s. Canada closed the Grand
Banks to cod fishing and the New England Fishery
Management Council shut down ground-fishing on vast
areas of Georges Banks and in the Gulf of Maine.
If you’re in the mood to get angry at human avarice
and the thoughtless application of technological
improvements, or you’re curious about the breadth and
depth of the natural destruction that has occurred in the
North Atlantic fisheries, then The Mortal Sea is for you.
Personally, I wish that, along with all of the statistical
evidence, Bolster had included a more complete picture
of the humans and vessels that go with “fishing fever.”
At one point he notes, “In the twenty-four years
between 1866 and 1890 more than 380 schooners and
2,450 men from Gloucester were lost at sea.” That’s a
mind-boggling human tragedy. To some degree the
stories of these lost mariners and their fishing boats
have come to us through works like Captains Courageous
and The Perfect Storm. But Jeffrey Bolster has been a
professional schooner captain, a history professor at the
University of New Hampshire, and author of another
book, Black Jacks, on the history of black sailors. He
knows the North Atlantic, its vessels, and its mariners.
Perhaps in another volume he will bring his considerable
experience at sea to bear as he unearths more stories of
the humans and the historic watercraft that have shared
in this oceanic catastrophe.
Randall Peffer’s article on the Eastern-rig dragger RICHARD & ARNOLD
begins on page 50.

Classic Coloring 
by Ken Textor

P

ainters of classic wooden boats are meticulous,
demanding, and sometimes just downright fussy.
A sag in a coaming’s varnish is exasperating;
mismatched stains in a repaired gunwale strake, an
outrage. And often, even the bilge paint or the bottom
paint primer coat must be exactly right, or else.
“That’s why we use their paints,” says Mitch LaPointe,
longtime operator of LaPointe’s Classic Wooden Boats
of Spring Park, Minnesota, referring to Sandusky Paint
products. “You just can’t get paints and stains like that
anymore.” 
The paints and stains in question come from a small—
make that, micro—operation on the shores of Lake Erie
in Sandusky, Ohio. Started in 1927, the Sandusky Paint
Co. has survived economic calamities, a devastating
fire, and a complete shift in market preferences to
emerge today as a lynchpin for dozens of wooden boat
restoration shops across the country. 
“We feel fortunate we can still do this,” says Paul Wilke,
company vice president and one of the formulators of
items such as Chris-Craft Cordova Filler Stain, Lyman
Sand Tan paint, and an old favorite that you might
have thought had been outlawed: Red Lead. “It’s been
a family tradition for a long time, so we’re happy to be
here.”
Wilke attributes the company’s survival to the ongoing
interest in wooden boats in general and some local
favorite boat brands in particular. And while Sandusky
Paint is wedded closely to the old line of Lyman
runabouts (also once produced in Ohio) and the oncedominant Chris-Craft powerboats, Wilke says restorers
of other brands of boats use their products too. “They
like our Spar Varnish, and we can formulate almost
anything people want,” he says, noting the company’s
only limitations would be due to raw material scarcity
and the price restorers are willing to pay. For instance, if
you needed a pure tung oil–based varnish formulated, it
could take weeks for Wilke and company to switch from

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Woodenboat RevieW

the normal linseed base and gear up for the imported
oil, which can cost three times what suppliers get for
domestic oils. Thus, there isn’t much call for tung oil–
based products.
Color matching, either in stains or paints, accounts
for most of the specialty work that the four-man crew
at Sandusky undertakes, says Wilke, who counts himself
as one of the hands-on crew of formulators, along with
the company president, his brother, Robert Wilke. They
are the grandsons of company founder Robert Wilke, Sr.   
A quick survey of some restorers who use Sandusky
products confirmed that the matching process is almost
foolproof.  “It couldn’t have been a better match,” says
Jonathan Taggart, a Maine-based Lyman enthusiast
who also has spent a lifetime as a fine-arts conservator.
Taggart had to match the stain on his 1958 runabout’s
stern after he raised the mahogany transom a few
inches to accommodate a heavier engine. “You can’t
even see the line,” he says of the point at which the old
transom meets the addition.
Minnesota-based professional restorer Mitch
LaPointe agrees, noting Sandusky Paint products also
have the durability that his customers want. “These
can be expensive boats, and people want (the finish)
to hold up,” LaPointe says of Chris-Craft powerboats
in which he has specialized for the last 30 years or
so. “Their Red Lead is the best bottom paint primer
available,” LaPointe says, noting many customers
prefer Sandusky’s almost golden-looking Copper
Bronze bottom paint as a topcoat over the Red Lead,
both of which contain healthy doses of what their
names imply. 
“We’re makers of traditional paint products, not
modern paint products,” says Paul Wilke, noting it
would be impossible for Sandusky to compete directly
with giant international paint producers such as Pettit
and Interlux. “They make fine products, but our
customers really like ours,” he says. And although Wilke
declines to discuss the exact formulations (“We don’t
want somebody to copy us!”), he does concede that
large doses of old-time linseed oil do find their way into
many of the company’s products.   
Sandusky Paint offers 25 off-the-shelf products for
restorers and do-it-yourself boat enthusiasts, ranging
from various fillers, stains, varnishes, and paints to a
complete line of camouflage paints designed to help
duck boats and other floating hunting platforms blend
in with their surroundings.  
Now in their early 50s, the Wilke brothers plan to
continue producing Sandusky products until retirement,
although Paul does worry about keeping the operation
going beyond his tenure. “Our customers really like us,
so I hope someone wants to continue this,” he says,
noting interest in wooden boats has continued beyond
what he expected. But as long as products like Sandusky
Paints continue to be available, why would interest
diminish?
Sandusky Paint Co. products are available online at www.sanpaco.
com, or via the company’s storefront retail outlet at 1401 Sycamore
Line, Sandusky, OH 44870.

Purveyors of
Quality
Shipwright
Products
oakum, pine tar
traditional rope
& Hemp
Handforged
sHipwrigHt tools

Bronze Hardware
Copper nails
Best Quality wood
BloCks
tufnol BloCks
ports & ligHts

Distributor for
shipmate stoves
davey & Company
Clipper Canvas

Volume disCounts

www.woodenboatchandlery.org
360.385.3628 X101

Shipmate Stoves
“Always Reliable...
fair weather
or foul.”
Several model & color choices
Hand-built in the USA

DOMESTIC FASTENERS

C C FA S T E N E R S
ReliaBle Quality FaSteneRS

BOLTS – Our Silicon Bronze Carriage Bolts
and Slotted Flat Head Machine Bolts are
domestic made from 655 alloy, all full
body, cut thread, partially threaded for
that tight seal.

SCREWS – Our Silicon Bronze wood

screws are full body, cut thread for that
tight seal. Domestic made wood screws
are available.
Material:
Silicon Bronze 651, 655 Stainless 304, 316
Monel 400, K500
Brass
inconel 600, 625
Chrome Plated

T: 800–315–8808
T: 716–873–2640
F: 716–873–2651
Online Store: www.ccfasteners.com
Email: [email protected]

…the World’s Finest Oars and Paddles, since 1858.
Handcrafted in Maine, used all over the world.
• Oars and Paddles
• Wooden Masts and Spars
• Bronze Rowing Hardware
• Adirondack Guide Boat Oars and Hardware
• Boat Hooks
• Wooden Flagpoles
• The Shaw & Tenney Whitehall

www.shawandtenney.com
PO Box 213, Orono, Maine 04473 – 800-240-4867
January/February 2013 • 107

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HOW TO
REACH US

Woodenboat RevieW

books Received

TO ORDER FROM OUR STORE:

To order back issues, books, plans, model kits, clothing, or our
catalog, call The WoodenBoat Store, Toll-Free, Monday through
Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST (Saturdays, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00
p.m. EST.)

1-800-273-SHIP (7447) (U.S. & CANADA)
207-359-4647 (Overseas)
24-Hour FAX 207-359-2058
Internet: http://www.woodenboatstore.com
Email: [email protected]

ON-LINE SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES:
Internet: http://www.woodenboat.com
At www.woodenboat.com follow the link to WoodenBoat Subscriptions to order, give a gift, renew, change address, or check
your subscription status (payment, expiration date).

TO ORDER A SUBSCRIPTION:
To order a subscription (new, renewal,
gift) call Toll-Free, Monday through
Friday, 5:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., PT:

1-800-877-5284 (U.S. and Canada)
1-818-487-2084 (Overseas)
Internet: http://www.woodenboat.com

WoodenBoat is now
available in digital format.
Go to
www.woodenboat.com

The Statenjacht UTRECHT,
edited by Ab Hoving, plans
by Cor Emke, translated
by Harry Kosat and Paul
Fontenoy. Published by Sea­
WatchBooks, 19 SeaWatch
Pl., Florence, OR 97439,
www.seawatchbooks.com. 176 pp., hardcover, $62.
ISBN: 978–0–9837532–1–6. A The story of the construction
of a replica of the 1746 States Yacht UTRECHT based on
plans found in the archives of the Rijksmuseum in Rotterdam,
The Netherlands. A pocket in the back of the book holds 13
sheets of plans.

TO CALL ABOUT YOUR SUBSCRIPTION:

If you have a question about your subscription, an address
change, or a missing or damaged issue, call Toll-Free,
Monday through Friday, 5:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., PT:

1-800-877-5284 (U.S. & CANADA)
1-818-487-2084 (Overseas)

TO CHANGE YOUR ADDRESS:
Either call 1-800-877-5284 or write to our subscription department (address below) AS SOON AS YOU KNOW YOUR NEW
ADDRESS. Please don’t depend on your post office to notify
us. Please give us your old address as well as your new when you
notify us, and the date your new address becomes effective.

TO CALL OUR EDITORIAL, ADVERTISING,
AND BOAT SCHOOL OFFICES:

*Great American Schooner
Yachts, by Rudolph Arp.
Published by Schiffer
Publishing Ltd, 4880
Lower Valley Rd./Rte.
372, Atglen, PA 19310,
www.schifferbooks. com. 232 pp., hardcover, $49.99.
ISBN: 978–0–7643–4089–5. A pictorial review of the
schooners of John Alden, Starling Burgess, Samuel Crocker,
B.B. Crowninshield, William Hand, Ted Geary, and many
more eminent designers.

Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., EST:
207-359-4651; FAX 207-359-8920

TO WRITE:
For subscriptions:

For anything else:

WoodenBoat
Subscription Dept.
P.O. Box 16958
N. Hollywood, CA 91615-6958

WoodenBoat
P.O. Box 78, 41 WoodenBoat Lane
Brooklin, ME 04616
<[email protected]>

OVERSEAS SUBSCRIPTION OFFICES:
Australia and New Zealand

Australia New Zealand
Boat Books
Dollars
Dollars
31 Albany Street
1 yr
$55.00
$57.50
Crows Nest 2065 NSW
2 yrs
$110.00
$115.00
Australia
3 yrs
$150.00
$156.82
Telephone: (02) 9439 1133
Fax: (02) 9439 8517 · Email: [email protected]
Website: www.boatbooks-aust.com.au

Europe

Evecom bv
Postbox 19
9216 ZH Oudega (Sm)
The Netherlands
Telephone: (0) 512 371999
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.evecom.eu

1 yr
2 yrs
3 yrs

Holland/
Germany
EUR 39.50
EUR 75.00
EUR 107.50

United
Kingdom
GBP 35.50
GBP 66.00
GBP 96.50

(CE tax included)

One Place in Time, by Ginger
Marshall Martus. Published by
Trafford Publishing, 1663
Liberty Dr., Bloomington,  IN
47403, www.trafford.com. 36
pp., paperback, $10. ISBN: 978–
1–4269–7528–8. The author is
the granddaughter and daughter of the founders of A. & R.
Marshall, Inc., a marine service and supply business. She
tells the story of that shipyard located in Port Washington,
New York.
* Available from The WoodenBoat Store,
www.woodenboatstore.com.

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Vintage Boats

and serVices

January/February 2013 • 109

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11/21/12 7:45 AM

Chris-Craft 26´ SPL Racer

K-Class Raceboat V12 Packard

Lockpat II - 1931 40’ Hacker Custom Runabout V12 Packard 2025 cu.in.

Miss Crude - Gold Cup Hisso V8

New Build: Amy Ann - 2011 30’ Morin Custom V12 BPM

S

ince 1971, we have offered complete restorations of vintage runabouts
and new boat construction. We have been selected by top boat collectors
around the world to restore and maintain some of the most sought-after boats in
existence. For those interested in buying or selling rare and collectible runabouts
and race boats, we now offer a brokerage service.

989-686-7353

www.morinboats.com

Reproductions of the finest
watercraft ever produced.

New Build: 28´ Electric Racing Launch

[email protected]

Traditional construction with modern materials.
Exact detailing in all aspects, steering wheels,
controls, instrumentation, etc. Small family shop
ensures superb quality control. No fluff, no dreams,
just beautiful, faithfully reproduced boats at an
attractive price. Many models from 20 to 30 feet.

ish ros

F
B
MaRiNE SERvicE

6 Newcomb Street, Queensbury, NY 12804
518–798–4769 • [email protected]
www.fishcustomboats.com

Employment
The Antique & Classic Boat Society founded in 1975
seeks to fill the position of Executive Director. This
person will assume leadership of the Administrative
Staff and will report directly to the Society President.
The ACBS vision is to provide an organization
wherein people with a common interest in and love
of historic antique and classic boats can come together with friends and
colleagues in a spirit of fellowship and fun to share dreams, adventures,
knowledge, history and experiences.
ACBS is a 501c3 corporation with 7500 members and 58 Chapters in
North America and Europe, The $500,000 annual operating budget is
funded primarily by membership dues. ACBS is an equal opportunity
employer offering a full range of employee benefits with offices located
in Clayton, NY. The Board meets off-site four times a year.
For a complete Position Summary with desired qualifications visit
http://www.acbs.org/employment.html

Now
taking
orders
for
delivery
in 2014

The wooden runabout co.
Building and restoring fine wooden boats.
www.woodenrunabout.com

616-396-7248
4261 Blue Star Highway, Holland, MI

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BOATBROKERS
1964 Bartender
built by
George Calkins,
Calkins Craft.
Immaculate, kept
inside. $33,000
‘Seagoin’ - Custom 1939
Ferdinand Boch design.
Extensive restoration
in 2000 – 2001. Carbon
fiber reinforced mast.
Mahogany over oak.
Very well kept. $28,000

C U S TO M BU I L D I N G

DESIGN

R E S TO R AT I O N

Eric Schouten, Broker:
360–385–4000
[email protected]
www.seamarineco.com

B RO K E R AG E

2010, W-Class W-37, 37'

1996, Center Harbor 31, 31'

2007, Ultimate Daysailer, 50'

1968, Tripp/DeDood One-Tonner, 37'

1999, Handy Billy Launch, 21'

1964, Derecktor K/CB Cutter, 45'

1963, Concordia Yawl, 41'

1964, Albury Brothers Runabout, 19'

Built by Brooklin Boat Yard
Located: Newport, RI. Asking: $599,000

Designed and built by Harry Bryan
Located: Blue Hill, ME. Asking: $23,500

Joel White design built by Brooklin Boat Yard Built by Brooklin Boat Yard
On-going Brooklin Boat Yard restoration project
Located: Brooklin, ME. Asking: $140,000 Located: Brooklin, ME. Asking: $375,000 Located: Brooklin, ME. Call for asking price

Designed and built by Bob Derecktor
Located: Brooklin, ME. Asking: $83,000

1965, Concordia Yawl, 41' (ME) Asking $120,000
1970, Crocker Cutter, 33' (ME) Asking $15,000

SERVICE

207-359-2236
[email protected]

Beautiful varnished topsides.
Located Brooklin, ME. Asking: $125,000

1971, Crocker Ketch, 36' (MA) Asking $125,000
1948, Aage Nielsen Sloop, 18' (ME) Asking $12,000

1996, Haven 12 1/2 w/trailer 16' (ME) Asking $33,000
1990, Goeller/Dow Tender w/trailer, 12' (ME) Asking $7,500

NEW CONSTRUCTION, DESIGN & RESTORATION
207-359-2236
[email protected]

New boat condition, includes trailer
Located: Brooklin, ME. Asking: $15,500

BROKERAGE

207-359-2193
[email protected]

P.O. Box 143, Center Harbor • Brooklin, ME 04616 USA • www.brooklinboatyard.com
January/February 2013 • 111

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BOATBROKERS

FREE

E-Newsletter!
1. Go to

woodenboat.com
DaviD EtniEr Boat BrokEragE
1994 John G. Hanna
GULFWEED 34
$37,500
1971 Clifford Alley lobster/picnic
boat, completely restored and very
handsome $39,900

2. Click

www.etnierboats.com

Stay in touch
with ALL we do!

We welcome well-maintained, quality boats for our listings.
Contact David directly at: 207-522-7572
or [email protected] to discuss your buying or selling needs.

Buzzards Bay 25

Say When
HMCo Design 733: Mink, Bagatelle, Aria
Cold-molded 1996 by Brooklin Boat Yard • Mint Condition

~ Winner 2012 WoodenBoat Show Concours d’Élegance ~
32' 3" LOA • 25' 4" LWL • 8' 9" Beam • 3' 1" Draft • Displ. 7,386 # • Yanmar 9hp

FOR SALE $159,000
Please contact Bruce Avery at 860–235–5035 or Dana Avery at [email protected]
112 • WoodenBoat 230

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BOATBROKERS

Metinic
Yacht
Brokers
124 Horseshoe Cove Rd., Harborside, Maine 04642
207–326–4411 • [email protected]
—Located at Seal Cove Boatyard—

Whimbrel—Buzzards Bay 14, cedar on oak.
Built in Lubec, Me. $14,000

Boss Almighty—center console motor launch.
Designed by arno Day, built by Benjamin river Marine.
Powered by Yanmar4Jh3. $44,000

Xandy Billy—Designed by harry Bryan
based on early 1900s designs of William hand.
Built by eric Dow. remarkably quiet,
exceptionally seaworthy. $24,000

David Jones Yacht Brokerage

Classic Wooden Boats
P.O. Box 898, Rockport, ME 04856
207-236-7048 Fax 207-230-0177 Email: [email protected]

www.davidjonesclassics.com

FIFI—1925 FIFE “R” class sloop 40'. This William Fife sloop
has been carefully restored to superb condition. We can highly
recommend her as a fast and responsive racer that will keep her
value as well as give unforgettable days on the water. (ME)
January/February 2013 • 113

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BOATBUILDERS
Rumery’s Boat Yard
Biddeford, Maine 04005
(207)282-0408
www.rumerys.com

Elegant & fast – no wake
Your choice of deck and cabin layout

Rumery’s 38

A full service boatyard
Heated storage, custom construction
Repairs & restoration of wooden &
composite boats to 60 feet

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P

E N D L E T O

YACHT•YARD

N

On Portage Bay since 1927

Jensen
Motorboat Corp.

1417 NE Boat St.
Seattle, WA 98105

R e b u i l d e r s o f C l a s s i c Ya c h t s

525 Pendleton Point Rd. • Islesboro, ME 04848
(207) 734-6728 • www.pendletonyachtyard.com
www.quicksilvermaine.com

a gateway to wooden boat
building, traditions, &
seamanship for people from
all walks of life

www.spauldingcenter.org

(415) 332-3179 [email protected]
SAUSALITO - CALIFORNIA










Hull & cabin repair, refit & restoration
electrical & systems repair & installation
Interior joinery & custom cabinetry
Mast & rigging installation & repair
Complete painting & varnish work
structural & finish woodworking
Fiberglass & gel coat repair
Welding & metal fabrication

BOATBUILDERS

Freda Restoration
Arques School of Traditional
Boatbuilding
Youth Boatbuilding Program
Community Sails

Phone: 206-632-7888

e-mail: [email protected]

TRADITIONAL
BOAT WORKS, INC.
New construction & repairs on wooden boats only
Masts and spars a specialty
Superb craftsmanship by skilled professionals, at 
reasonable rates, in one of the few quality West Coast 
wooden boat yards. Fully insured, references.
ALTAMAR California 32 #2

CURRENT PROJECTS:
• Rhodes 33’ THERAPY
•  Knud Reimers 30 Square 
Meter VANJA VI
•  Luders designed/built 
commuter LAUGHING  
LADY                                                     
•  Nick Potter California 32
#2 ALTAMAR
ALTAMAR and LAUGHING
LADY are available as 
projects; ask for details and 
estimates

Douglas Jones, 3665 Hancock Street, San Diego, CA 92110 USA
Phone or Fax: 619 542 1229 • [email protected]

www.traditionalboatworks.net

Every Detail in a Custom Van Dam is
Handcrafted to be as Unique as its Owner.
~ Unlike Any Other ~
www.vandamboats.com

January/February 2013 • 115

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Celebrating 65 Years

Celebrating 65 Years

Seal Cove Boatyard, Inc.
BOX 99 / HARBORSIDE, MAINE 04642

TEL: 207-326-4422 / FAX 207-326-4411
Storage
available for the upcoming winter

You Will Find Us
Personable, Knowledgeable
and Skilled in a Broad
Range of Services

Celebrating 65 Years

BOATBUILDERS

Same
Folks...It’s the
That’s Right,
Railway
She’s Off the

Boat.

Offering a full range of services since 1946.
Storage available for this winter.
Register your Crocker Design at

www.CrockersBoatYard.com
Manchester, Massachusetts



888-332-6004

DESPERATE LARK - Herreshoff, 1903.
In Our Care for Over 40 Years
E-mail: [email protected] • www.sealcoveboatyard.com

“ YAC H T I N G A S I T WA S I N T EN D ED TO B E ”

Please Visit Our Website to
Register Your Crocker
www.crockersboatyard.com
MATHIS

&

MCMILLEN

MATHIS
YACHT BUILDING COMP
ANY, LLC
Manchester, Massachusetts
• 888–332–6004
YACHT BUILDING
YACHTS, INC.
COMPANY, LLC
FRACTIONAL YACHT OWNERSHIP

CLASSIC WOODEN NEW BUILDS
CONTEMPORARY COMPOSITE HULLS
www.mathisyachts.com

Lowell

Order Gary Lowell’s
award-winning DVD
on “Finishing
Techniques for
Wooden Boats” from
The WoodenBoat
Renovation & Refinishing
Store, and for a more
hands-on experience,
join Gary at the WoodenBoat School in Brooklin, ME for his
class on “Marine Painting and
Varnishing” June 23-29, 2013.

Boats

The WoodenBoat Store: 800-273-SHIP
www.woodenboatstore.com
WoodenBoat School: 207-359-4651
www.thewoodenboatschool.com

RESTORATIONS & MANAGEMENT
www.woodenyachts.com

Photos: Alison Langley

Beaufort, SC (Main Office) • 843.524.8925
Newport, RI 401.846.5557 • [email protected]

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H I S T O R I C

C R A F T S M A N S H I P

Introducing Reuben Smith’s Tumblehome Boatshop

Don’t Be Afraid

To Put It In The Water

Handmade Small Boats by Nick Schade
www.WoodenKayaks.com

BOATBUILDERS

RESTORING AND CONSTRUCTING
HISTORIC AND CLASSIC WOODEN BOATS

www.tumblehomeboats.com
518.623.5050
6,000 Sq Ft Boatshop • Route 28, Southern Adirondacks

32' Noank Schooner Restoration

Beetle Cat® Boat Shop
Traditional wooden boat building and restoration
from skiffs to 50' power and sailboats.

Sole Builder of the Beetle Cat Boat
LLC

MP&G

WOOD BOATBUILDING
YACHT RESTORATION

RECENTLY COMPLETED
Cabin, rig and rudder work on
N.Y. 32 SALTY

New 12' Onset Island Skiff

AMORITA
NY-30

We offer
New Boats • Used Boats
• Storage • Parts
• repairs • Maintenance

Beetle, Inc.

SallyAnne Santos

CURRENT PROJECTS
Restoration of
Buzzard’s Bay 25 MINK #733
Restoration of
Buzzard’s Bay 15 MARIBEE #731
Structural work on
Watch Hill 15 VIKING #885

929 FLANDERS ROAD, MYSTIC CT 06355
TEL

860–572–7710

www.mpgboats.com

Beetle Cat — Celebrating 91 Years

3 Thatcher Lane
Wareham, MA 02571
Tel 508.295.8585
fax 508.295.8949
www.beetlecat.com

January/February 2013 • 117

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Traditional Boat, LLC
Wooden Yacht Construction ~ Restoration ~ Repair

BOATBUILDERS

www.mainetraditionalboat.com

Undergoing major refit

207-322-0157 • Unity, Maine • ABYC Certified Marine Systems

C UTTS & C ASE
S HIPYARD
a full-service boatyard

DESIGNERS & BUILDERS
OF
FINE WOODEN YACHTS
SINCE

381 Enfield Main Rd.
Ithaca, NY 14850 607.272.1581
www.cwbw.com
www.facebook.com/CayugaWoodenBoatworks

1927

P.O. BOX 9
TOWN CREEK
OXFORD, MD 21654
410-226-5416
www.cuttsandcase.com
[email protected]

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Custom designs, traditional construction, repair,
restoration, custom bronze hardware

Maine’s Premier Wooden Boat
pulsiferhampton.com
Classic Cat

HAzel 18
Baybird Sloop

Already successful on the race course in the 2012 Vineyard Cup.

P lea s a nt B a y B o a t a nd Spa r C o m pa ny
P o B o x 1 1 7 4 8 0 R a yber R o a d
O rlea ns , M A 0 2 6 5 3
508-240-0058

P.O. Box 1095 • Vineyard Haven, MA 02568 • (508) 693–4658

[email protected]

~ Beta Marine engine dealer ~

Come sailing with us aboard our new 18' design.

www.gannonandbenjamin.com

BOATBUILDERS

C us to m B o a t B uilding a nd D es ign
R es to ra tio n a nd R epa ir
H o llo w Wo o den Spa rs
R igging

Restoration
and Preservation of
Antique and Classic
Wooden Boats
207.882.5038
edgecombboatworks.net

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Giesler Boat Builders
Builders of finely-crafted traditional wood boats

18 models to
choose from
– starting at
$2,000
B. Giesler & sons

BOATBUILDERS

705.724.2648
www.gieslerboats.ca
[email protected]

YNOT YACHTS

CUSTOM BUILDS, DESIGN, REFIT & RESTORATION

www.ynotyachts.com

PH OT O: © BI LL Y BL ACK

TIMELESS BEAUTY & CLASSIC STYLE
T 412.337.2191

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KITS & PLANS
Chesapeake Light Craft

1.

4.

2.

5.

3.

6.

Build your own wooden boat! Award-winning kits for kayaks, rowing boats, and smallcraft. Choose from 90 models!
1805 GeorGe Ave. AnnApoLis, MAryLAnd | 21401 | 410.267.0137 | CLCboAts.CoM
January/February 2013 • 121

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www.woodenboatstore.com

Thirty-five pages of plans
included in this book!

Gifford Jackson’s 12’6” rugged daysailer has a
plethora of exceptionally detailed and interesting
drawings, including a two-part trailer for easy
launching. Measured metrically, she’s a v-bottomed
dagger-boarder, glued-lapstrake plywood hull,
with sawn frames.

WoodenBoat

BOOKS

Naskeag Rd, PO Box 78
Brooklin, Maine 04616

Your complete source for
cedar strip building
Plans • Strips • Epoxy • Seats
Fiberglass • Varnish or COMPLETE KITS!

88 pages, hardcover
#325-135 $19.95
add $5.00 shipping in the US.

Call 1.800.273.7447

Oughtred
Skiff Kits

Okoume plywood
planking with
traditional precut
scarfs and hull molds
CNC machined by

Blue
Hill,
Maine

KITS & PLANS

For pricing & ordering: [email protected] • 1-207-460-1178
www.cnc-marine-hewesco.com For kit details: www.jordanboats.co.uk

Bristol, New Hampshire

603-744-6872
www.newfound.com
122 • WoodenBoat 230

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KITS & PLANS
January/February 2013 • 123

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FiberglassSupply.com

Materials:
Kits and Plans:
• Vacuum Bagging Supplies
• 11’ Hollow Wooden Stand Up
• Epoxies
Paddleboard, Kit Only

System Three®
• 18’ Hollow Wooden Unlimited
Paddleboard, Kit or Plans

WEST System®

MAS® Epoxies
• Surfboard Frame Kits for Strip
• Reinforcements
Plank Surfboard Building

Fiberglass Cloths
• And More!!!

Carbon Fiber
Check us out at:

Aramids
www.fiberglasssupply.com
• See our Full Catalog Online
Burlington, Washington - www.fiberglasssupply.com - Toll Free 877.493.5333 - Fax 360.757.8284

S

KITS & PLANS

am Devlin’s “Stitch-and-Glue” boat designs bring
together the beauty of wood and the durability of
composites. An already easy construction method is
made easier with the help of Devlin’s Wooden Boat
Building book and Wooden Boat Building video.

“Dunlin 22”

We offer a full line of plans: dinghies, daysailers,
pocket cruisers, motorsailers, powerboats 8-45 ft.

www.DevlinBoat.com
Devlin Designing Boatbuilders
3010 37th Ave., SW
Tumwater, WA 98512
Phone: (360) 866-0164

124 • WoodenBoat 230

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CLASSIFIED

To place a Classified Ad: visit our website www.woodenboat.com; email [email protected];
or call our Classified Ad Manager at (207) 359–7714.

Deadline for the March/April issue: January 7, 2013

A career path is a journey
of many steps.
Take your first one here.

NORTH BROOK LIN BOATS —
“Sunshine,” 10'6" or 12'6" dinghy/
yacht tenders. Cold-molded or traditional lapstrake construction. Rowing and sailing models. Visit website
for more information. www.north
brooklinboats.com, 207–610–9526.
SATTER’S RESTORATION—Traditional wooden canoes and boats
restored. Quality woodwork, brightwork, repairs. Branchville, NJ, 973–
948–5242, www.sattersrestoration.
com.
mI A mI, FORT L AUDER DA L E ,
FLORIDA KEYS—30+ years experience building, repairing, and restoring boats. Quality workmanship, with
composite construction expertise.
References. Call 305 – 634 – 4263,
LOW ELL BOATS — COmPLETE 305–498–1049. rmiller35@bellsouth.
wooden boat restoration services and net, www.millermarinesystems.com.
marine surveying. GARY LOWELL,
Greensboro, NC, 336 –274 – 0892. REPAIR, RESTORATION, STORAGE,
and SURVEYS. Low overhead and
www.lowell.to/boats.
low rates, 35 years exper ience.
mICHAEL WARR BOATWORKS,
A
L
MC UGHL
Stonington, mE, 207–367–2360.
AN
IN
I
M
EST.

CO

1970

School
SAIL mAINE ABOARD mAINE’S
oldest windjammer, “Lewis R. French.”
Enjoy great sailing, lobsters, new
friends, and fresh air (no smoking).
Sailing from Camden, 3-, 4-, and 6day cruises with only 22 guests, may–
October. Capt. Garth Wells, P.O. Box
992 W, Camden, mE 04843. 800–
469–4635. www.schoonerfrench.com.

RPORATIO N

.

one- and Two-week courses in
Boatbuilding, Seamanship, and
Related crafts

June–September

—Offsite winter courses also offered—
For a complete catalog:
WoodenBoat School, P.o. Box 78,
Brooklin, ME 04616, Tel: 207–359–4651

or view the online catalog at

www.woodenboat.com

NAVTECH mARINE SURVEYORS’
Course—Surveying recreational/
commercial vessels. U.S. Surveyors
Association, master marine Surveyor
program. FL, 800–245–4425.

.
JR

DA

THE DORY SHOP—Custom-built
small boats and Lunenburg dories
since 1917. Oars and paddles too.
Call 902– 640 –3005 or visit w w w.
doryshop.com.

www.themichiganschool.org

.

Custom Cold-Molded Boats and Yachts to 40'
41 years of experience DMCBoats.CoM

D&H FINISH CARPENTRY AND
Wooden Boats. Traditional styles
cold-molded for efficient ownership.
mI, 810–287–0745.
JOHN m. KARBOTT BOATBUILDING.
Custom wooden boat building and
repair. Lobsterboat styles a speciality.
WoodenBoat School instructor. member massachusetts marine Trades
Association. 789 Rocky Hill Rd, Plymouth, mA 02360. Phone/fax 508–
224 –3709, w w w.by-the-sea.com/
karbottboatbuilding.
HADDEN BOAT CO.—WOODEN
boat construction and repair to any
size; sail and power. 11 Tibbetts Lane,
Georgetown, mE 04548, 207–371–
2662.

RATTY’S CELEBRATED QUOTATION
with original illustrations featured
on our shirts and bags. 301–589–9391,
www.messingAbout.com.
S.N. SmITH & SON, boatwright/
timber framer. Annual maintenance,
restoration, and building to 45'. Our
goal is to make wooden boat ownership predictable and enjoyable. P.O.
Box 724, Eastham, mA 02642, 978–
290–3957, www.snsmithandson.com.

JUNE 28-30, 2013
Myst ic sea po r t, Myst ic , c o nnec t ic ut

Produced and Presented by
WoodenBoat Magazine

www.thewoodenboatshow.com

January/February 2013 •

WBClass230_FINAL.indd 125

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CLASSIFIEDS
BOAT KITS—PLANS—PATTERNS.
World’s best selection of 200+ designs
on our web site. Boatbuilding supplies—easy-to-use 50/50 epoxy resins/
glues, fasteners, and much more.
Free supplies catalog. Clark Craft,
716–873–2640, www.clarkcraft.com.

NORTH SHORE WOOD & BOATS—
Traditional cabinetry, furnishings
and repairs, custom mouldings and
turnings. Specializing in using
reclaimed documented boat wood.
For info: 919–697–1273, stevensbuild@
embarqmail.com.
OUR FRIENDSHIP SLOOP MODELS
are accurate replicas of the elegant,
seaworthy crafts built in Friendship,
Maine. Based on a 1900 design, our
kits are available in two sizes. Both
kits are plank on bulkhead, and
contain many laser-cut parts. BlueJacket Shipcrafters, 160 E. Main St.,
Searsport, ME 04974. 800–448–5567,
28 DESIGNS IN OUR $12 BROCHURE,
www.bluejacketinc.com.
includes: rowing and sailing skiffs,
dories, prams, lake and river boats.
Plans and instructions for 13'6"x4'11"
Nez Perce outboard (above)–$50.
Ken Swan, P.O. Box 6647, San Jose,
CA 95150. 408–300–1903, www.swan
boatdesign.com.
TWO STRAND TURK’S-HEAD RING
—Like-new condition. $750 or make RESCUE MINOR 20' MOLD with
COMMISSION WATERCOLOR OR offer; agacorrea.com design. Call plywood stations on excellent strongback. Ready for boat construction,
Oil Portrait of your treasured boat 989–280–0395.
$3,000. [email protected].
by D.Hellums, classically trained,
award-winning artist. Submit photograph or on location. Any size, framed,
ready to hang. 713–443–0962, dale_
[email protected].
THE BOAT INSURANCE STORE.
Insurance program for wooden boats.
LAWRENCE FOX AGENCY, 1–800–
553–7661. Our 50th year. www.boat
insurancestore.com.

REBUILT CHRIS-CRAFT 6-cylinder
engines: K, KL, KBL, KFL, KLC, M,
ML, MBL, MCL. Assorted V8s. Mitch
LaPointe’s, www.classicboat.com.
952–471–3300.

DREAMS DO COME TRUE with
Glen-L Boat Designs! 286-page catalog of 300 designs for amateurs, 5'
to 55'. Includes FREE dinghy plans.
Send $9.95 to Glen-L Marine, 9152
Rosecrans Ave./WB, Bellflower, CA
90706. 888–700–5007, www.Glen-L.
com/WBC (online catalog).

HERCULES ENGINE PARTS
Model M, ML, MBL, K, KL

HERCANO PROPULSION, LLC
Business Hours: M-F 8:30-4:30 EST
Phone: 740-745-1475
Fax: 740-745-2475

GR AY MARINE, CHRIS - CR A FT,
Chrysler engines remanufactured to
the highest standards. All engines are
test run at our facility and come with
a written warranty. We stock many
models including the Gray 4–112 and
the Sea Scout 91. We also have a large
parts department with parts for above
engines, also Zenith carburetors,
Paragon, Borg Warner, AC and Carter
fuel pumps. Van Ness Engineering,
252 Lincoln Ave., Ridgewood, NJ 07450,
201–445–8685, fax 201–445–3099.
18-HP SABB DIESEL ENGINE WITH
feathering prop. New in crate from
factory. Circa mid-’80s. Located in
Northern MI. $5,500. 906–322–4828,
or [email protected].

THE FINEST wooden pond sailers.
Free brochure: 1–800–206 –0006.
www.modelsailboat.com.
ELEGANT SCALE MODELS. Individually handcrafted custom scale
model boats. JEAN PRECKEL, www.
preckelboats.com, 304–432–7202.

GEODESIC AIROLITE DESIGNS—
Westport Dinghy, 8'10"; beam 431⁄2";
weight 29 lbs. Stow-aboard yacht
tender. Forget outboard, rows easily!
Monfort Associates. 207–882–5504,
www.gaboats.com.

SMITHSONI AN INSTITUTION
PLANS from the National Watercraft
Collection, H.I. Chapelle drawings,
Historic American Merchant Marine
Survey, etc. Send $20 check to Smithsonian Institution for 250 -page
catalog to: Smithsonian Ship Plans,
P.O. Box 37012, NMAH-5004/MRC
628, Washington, DC 20013-7012.
www.americanhistory.si.edu/csr/
shipplan.htm.

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CLASSIFIEDS

Jordan Wood Boats

P.O. Box 194, South Beach, OR 97366
541–867–3141

www.jordanwoodboats.com
******************

Distinctive Boat Designs
Meticulously Developed and Drawn
For the Amateur Builder

CRADle BOAt
BABy tenDeR

BeACh CRuiSeR
FOOtlOOSe

LEARN HOW TO BUILD your own
cedar-stripped boat. Plans for dinghies, canoes, row, sail, paddle, outboard. www.compumarine.com. AZ,
520–604–6700.

CATALOG OF 40 SIMPLE PLYWOOD
boats, $4. JIM MICHALAK, 118 E.
Randle, Lebanon, IL 62254. www.
jimsboats.com.

DOUGLAS FOWLER SAILMAKER—
Highest-quality, full-seam curved
sails since 1977. Traditional sails a
specialty. White, colors, and Egyptian Dacron in stock. 1182 East
WOODENBOAT SCHOOL STAFF— Shore Dr., Ithaca, NY 14850. 607–
Currently accepting resumes from 277–0041.
individuals interested in joining our
2013 staff. Shop, waterfront, and
kitchen positions available. Season
extends from May to early October.
Looking for individuals with experience, dedication, strong people skills,
and enthusiasm. EOE. Contact: Director, WoodenBoat School, P.O. Box
78, Brooklin, ME 04616 or school@
woodenboat.com.

FINELY CRAFTED WOODEN SPARS;
hollow or solid. Any type of construction. ELK SPARS, 577 Norway
Drive, Bar Harbor, ME, 04609, 207–
288–9045.
SHAW & TENNEY, Orono, Maine—
Traditionally handcrafted spruce
masts and spars since 1858. 1–800–
240–4867, www.shawandtenney.com.

W W W.DA BBL ER SA ILS.COM—
Traditional small-craft sails. P.O.
Box 235, Wicomico Church, VA,
22 579. Ph/f a x 8 0 4 – 5 8 0 – 8723,
[email protected].
JAMES WHARRAM DESIGNS—Worldrenowned, safe, seaworthy catamarans,
14'–63' to self-build in ply/epoxy/’glass,
from plans that are “a course in boatbuilding.” [email protected],
webshop: www.wharram.com.

ATKIN ILLUSTRATED CATALOG—
135 pages, with more than 300 Atkin
designs. Famed Atkin double-enders,
rowing/sailing dinghies, houseboats,
and more. $15 U.S. and Canada ($22
US for overseas orders). Payment:
U.S. dollars payable through a U.S.
bank. ATKIN BOAT PLANS, P.O.
Box 3005WB, Noroton, CT 06820.
[email protected], www.atkinboat
plans.com.

THOMSON WOOD SPARS—Formerly Randolph Boatworks, has
opened a new spar shop in South
Dartmouth, M A. 508 –317–3944,
[email protected].

CLASSIC BOATING MAGAZINE—
The most popular and complete
publication on antique and classic
boats. Subscription $28, Canada $36
USD, overseas $78. Samples $5,
Canada $7.50, overseas $12.50. CLASSIC BOATING, 280-D Lac La Belle
Dr., Oconomowoc, WI 53066. 262–
567–4800.

JASPER & BAILEY SAILMAKERS.
Established 1972. Offshore, onedesign, and traditional sails. Sail
repairs, recuts, conversions, washing
and storage. Used-sail brokers. 64
Halsey St., P.O. Box 852, Newport,
RI 02840; 401–847–8796. www.jasper
andbailey.com.

T H IS 20' C H R IS - C R A F T WA S
STRIPPED in four man-hours. Environmentally friendly paint stripper.
For more information, call 800–726–
4319. E-mail us at [email protected],
or visit our web site, www.starten.com.
CAJUN PIROGUE-JON BOAT-SKIFFS.
Paddle, row, motor or sail. Designed
for first-time builders. Kits and plans.
www.unclejohns.com, or call 337–
527–9696.

H AV E TOOLS W IL L TR AV EL .
Wooden boat builder will build,
rebuild, or repair your project on
site or in my shop. $20/hour. VT,
802–365–7823.

CLASSICBOATCONNECTION.COM—
Your one-stop source for all your classic boat restoration needs. Call
507–344–8024, or e-mail mail@classic
boatconnection.com for free catalog.
January/February 2013 •

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11/24/12 12:50 PM

CLASSIFIEDS
COPPER FASTENERS and riveting
tools, Norwegian and English boat
nails, roves/rivets, rose and flathead,
clench, threaded, decoration, and
more. 50+ sizes and types, 3⁄8" to 6".
Your leading source since 1987. FAERING DESIGN, Dept. W, P.O. Box 322,
E XC E P T ION A L BRON Z E a nd East Middlebury, VT 05740, 1–800–
CHROME Hardware—Windshield 505 –8692, [email protected],
brackets; navigational lighting; Tuf- www.faeringdesigninc.com.
nol and ash blocks; fastenings, roves,
and rivets; repair, building, and kit
materials; oars, paddles, and rowing
accessories; decals, apparel, and
traditional giftware. w w w.tender
craftboats.com. Toll-free phone:
800–588–4682.

BLOX YGEN SAV ES LEFTOV ER
Finishes. Heavy, inert gas. Patented
system. www.bloxygen.com, 888-8108311.

TARRED HEMP MARLINE. Several
styles; hanks, balls, spools. American
Rope & Tar, 1– 877–965 –1800 or
tarsmell.com.

Available in 316 Stainless Steel and Bronze

VACUUM-BAGGING SUPPLIES—
Fiberglass cloth, epoxy resins, waterb a s ed L PU p a i nt s , a nd more.
Technical support and fast service.
www.fiberglasssupply.com or toll free:
877–493–5333.
Composite fasteners for:
Strip Planking
Cold Molding
Fiberglass Layup
Foam Core Joining
Vacuum Infusion
RTM

STAPLES  NAILS  BRADS
 Completely non-metal
 No need to remove
 Sawable, sandable, planeable, stainable

www.newfoundmetals.com
[email protected]

888–437–5512

LeTONKINOIS. All-natural varnish.
Centuries-old formula. Long-lasting,
beautiful finish. Extremely userfriendly. A merican Rope & Tar,
877–965–1800 or tarsmell.com.

GENUINELY MARINE LED LIGHTS,
made by Bebi Electronics. www.bebielectronics.com, sales@bebi-electron
ics.com. US Agent—R. Ford, 727–
289–4992, rogersf@bebi-electronics.
com.
CANVAS FOR DECKS and canoes.
Natural, untreated. No. 10, 15 oz.,
96", $17.50/yard; 84", 14.50/yard,
72", $12/ yard; 60", $9.50/yard.
Minimum five yards, prepaid only.
FA BR IC WOR K S, 14 8 Pine St.,
Waltham, MA 02453, 781–642–8558.

 No galvanic corrosion/electrolysis
 Bonds with thermoset resins

www.raptornails.com [email protected]
P (512) 255-8525
F (512) 255-8709

CANOE HARDWARE: 1⁄2", 11⁄16", 7⁄8"
canoe tacks; 3⁄8" oval brass stembands;
clenching irons; 3⁄16" bronze carriage
bolts; canoe plans; clear white cedar.
Catalog $1. NORTHWOODS CANOE
CO., 336 Range Rd., Atkinson, ME
04426. Order, phone 888–564–2710,
fax 207–564–3667.

BRONZE CAM CLEAT with plastic
ball bearings and 11⁄2" fastening center distance. BRONZE WING -TIP
NAVIGATION LIGHTS with glass
globe. Side mount, stern and steamSTARS AND STRIPES PENNANTS. ing. For our free catalog, contact us
Authentic historical design exquisitely at J.M. Reineck & Son, 781–925–3312,
handcrafted in the most durable [email protected].
fabrics. 4', 6', 8' and 12' sizes in stock—
other sizes and designs by custom
order. Custom design and fabrication
is our specialty. Also in stock, all sizes
U.S., state, foreign, historical, marine,
and decorative flags, banners, pennants, and accessories. 77 Forest St.,
New Bedford, MA 02740. 508–996–
6006, www.brewerbanner.com.

THE ORIGINAL SINCE 2001. The
smallest composting toilet in the
world! EOS, PO Box 5, Mt. Vernon,
OH 43050. www.airheadtoilet.com,
740-392-3642.

STOCKHOLM TAR. Genuine kilnburnt pine tar. It’s the Real Stuff.
American Rope & Tar, 1–877–965–
1800 or tarsmell.com.

SOFT COTTON FENDERS and classic knotwork. For catalog, send SASE
to: THE KNOTTED LINE, 9908 168th
Ave. N.E., Redmond, WA 98052-3122,
call 425–885–2457. www.theknotted
line.com.
HAVEN 121⁄2 complete high-quality
bronze hardware sets. See our display
ad elsewhere in the issue. For our
free catalog, contact us at J.M. Reineck
& Son, 781–925–3312, JMRandSon@
aol.com.

MODERN MANILA. New Leoflex-X.
The latest rope technology. Looks
great, works hard. American Rope &
Tar, 1–877–965–1800 or tarsmell.
com.

M A R INE - GR A DE GENUINE
Leathers for Upholstery—Leather was
used in all boats until after WWII,
as vinyl was not yet invented. Keleen
Leathers exactly tans leathers originally used in vintage boats, and have
been used in many award-winning
GarWoods, Hackers, Chris-Crafts, etc.
Our color, grain, and sheen are exact
to original, with mold/mildew inhibitors, and U/V resistant. High-quality marine craft of all brands deserve
the unequaled choice of leather for
their interior. Keleen Leathers, Inc.,
keleenleathers.com, 708–409–9800.

128 • WoodenBoat 230

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CLASSIFIEDS

®

FeatherBow® $29.95
FeatherBow® Jr. $17.95

FeatherBow

Build your own Strip Built Boat
FeatherBow.com • (860) 209-5786

Bantam air Hammer

Boat riveting Kit
Designed for
Copper Rivets
n Cuts Riveting Time up to 70%
n Superior Pneumatic
n

SLOW-GrOWING, OLD-GrOWTh
white oak (Quercus alba), up to 50'
long and 42" wide. Longleaf pine
(Pinus pilustrus) out to 50' long. Oldgrowth white pine, 22'–28'. Black
locust, American elm, and larch.
NEW ENGLAND NAVAL TIMBErS,
TE A K , M A hOGA N Y, PA DAUK , CT, 860–480–3402.
purpleheart, white oak, teak decking,
starboard. Complete molding millwork facilities. Marine plywood. Custom swim platforms. SOUTh JErSEY
LUMBErMAN’S INC., 6268 holly
St., Mays Landing, NJ 08330. 609–
965–1411. www.sjlumbermans.com.
BOULTEr PLY WOOD —Marine
plywood 4' • 8' to 16', 5' • 10' to 20'
— 1⁄8" to 1" okoume, sapele, meranti,
teak, ash, khaya, teak and holly, teak
and rubber. Lumber—Sitka spruce,
teak, mahogany, green oak, ash,
cypress, fir, Spanish and red cedar,
teak decking—lengths up to 20'.
Milling services. Nationwide delivery.
w w w.boulterply wood.com, 888 –
4BOULTEr.

800-521-2282

www.superiorpneumatic.com

PLANKING A BOAT? FOr TIGhT
seams, order the rugged, dependable,
no-hassle Conant Clamps I’ve been
making in my Maine shop for over
25 years. Three sizes—PC-2, for dinghies, opens to 1" ($35/ea); PC-1, the
most popular, opens to 2" ($48/ea);
PC-1L, the largest opens to 4", closes BOAT QUALIT Y FLITCh-SAWN
to 11⁄2" ($55/ea). Contact rick Conant, 4⁄4 Vermont white cedar, up to 18'.
207–633–3004; P.O. Box 498, Booth- Peter Kitonis, Box 5, Elmore, VT
bay, ME 04537; rconant41512@road 05657, 802–888–4807.
runner.com.

ThE BrOOKLIN INN—Year-round
lodging, fine dining, Irish Pub. Modern interpretations of classic Maine
dishes. Always organic/local. Winter
Getaway: $155/DO, dinner, breakfast,
room, Nov–May. Summer rate: $125/
DO (plus dinner). brooklininn.com,
ME, 207–359–2777.

WANTED: r.S. BOLES BOATS—
humarock Babys; humarettes, step
runabouts; inboard and outboard runabouts circa 1920–1940. Jim Dow, 781–
834–6827, [email protected].

JOEL WhITE 23' SLOOP—Coldmolded, wooden spars, teak floors and
seats. Built By Brion rieff in 2005–
06. Custom Triad trailer, barely used.
Outboard bracket, and brand-new
AT L A N T IC A N D NOrT h E r N 2-hp 4-stroke honda, harding sails.
white cedar and reclaimed teak, 908–722–0018, [email protected].
flitch-sawn, wide boards, 16' lengths,
milling, premium quality, fair prices.
CT, 203–245–1781. www.whitecedar.
com.
“Wood Sawn for Better Boatbuilders”

White Oak • Atlantic White Cedar • Cypress
Longleaf Yellow Pine • Sitka Spruce
401-253-8247 NewportNauticalTimbers.com

hACKMATACK ShIPS KNEES—
Architectural Knees. David Westergard, NS, 902–298–1212, djwestergard
@gmail.com. www.westergardboat
yard.ca.
ThE WEST POINT SKIFF—Three
rArE WOODS—Ebony, boxwood, models: 16', 18', and 20'. See our
rosewood, satinwood, tulipwood, website www.westpointskiff.com for
boatbuilding woods, +120 others. more info. 207–389–2468.
207–364–1073, info@rarewoodsusa.
com, www.rarewoodsusa.com.

20' CEDAr STrIP rOWBOAT—Two
Piantedosi sliding-seat row Wings,
two pairs Dreher carbon fiber 11'
oars. Only used three times. Stored
inside. Asking $7,575. ccallaway@
centurytel.net.
W W W.DI A MONDTE A K .COM—
True teak wood. Planing, sanding
available. Quarter-sawn teak for decking; tongue-and-groove; veneer;
custom work. Also mahogany and
Spanish cedar. highest quality. We
ship worldwide. 215–453–2196, info@
diamondteak.com.
PLANKING STOCK IN LENGThS
to 32'—Angelique, silver balli, wana,
angelique timbers. Call for quotes.
Gannon and Benjamin, 508–693–4658. COLD-MOLDED MAhOGANY Sailboat—Constructed by Matthiessen
TEAK LUMBEr FrOM $7.50/bf and & Paulssen 1975 in Germany. 39'
teak decking from $.99/lf. Call ASI, (11,74 m) x 11' 88" (3,60 m). Yanmar
800–677–1614 or e-mail your require- 54 -hp, 1999. Price $90,000 USD.
ments to rogerstevens@asihardwood. [email protected], www.
com.
mahagoni-yacht.de.

1953, 27’ ShEPhErD—Completely
rebuilt in 2006. Chrysler M47Ss,
freshwater cooled, bronze-rubber
impeller water pumps, electronic
ignition. Low hours since rebuild.
Varnish stripped, recoated, 15 coats
hi-gloss. hardware rechromed. Bimini
top enclosure, isinglass panels. Full
boat stor age cover. Jupiter, F L
$118,750. Doug, 954-303-4349, gdou
[email protected], www.photobucket.
com/babalu_photoshoot.
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CLASSIFIEDS
CLASSIC MOTORYACHT—1926,
62' ELCO. Shown in WoodenBoat No.
171, March/April 2003, sketch pg.
42. Twin diesels. $500,000+ invested.
Northern CA, Asking $89,000. 415–
887–9932.

2012 RASCAL RUNABOUT—Modern construction techniques, topquality materials. Turn-key package,
a blast to drive. Located in CT.
$39,000. 203–687–9639, dombroski.
[email protected].

IAIN OUGHTRED WEE SEAL, 20'
gaff sloop—Honduras mahogany,
fir, sapele, okoume. Professionally
built by Joe Finn, Storm Port Boatworks, Homosassa Springs, Florida.
70% complete; builder available to
1908 RICE BROS. 27' LAUNCH. See
finish. $24,000. More photos at www.
picture at www.farrinsboatshop.com,
stormportboatworks.com. Bgould47@
or call 207–563–5510.
30' SAILBOAT FRAME—Deck, bow gmail.com, 352–327–1337.
to stern 30'; beam 10'. Great project
start. Stored inside. ronnyweems@
sbcglobal.net, 316–655–5320.

“OWL,” 34' ALDEN/CASEY CUTTER,
1941—Completely rebuilt 1985 to
present. Includes 12' sailing Shellback
dinghy. $50,000, Cannell, Payne &
Page. [email protected], www.cpp
yacht.com/wood.html.
1965, 42' TR AWLER. 6-cyl diesel,
4K generator. Undergoing restoration, needs paint and cosmetic work.
TX, $27,000. Call for more details.
Joe, 713–851–1702.

IAIN OUGHTRED 22' GREY SEAL—
Clinker-built, Gunter-rigged centerboard double-ender. WB No. 128,
Hasse & Company jib and main;
Dolphin 12-hp auxiliary. Fiberglassed
hu ll a nd deck, enclosed head.
Launched 2009. $18,500. wbroen
[email protected], 831–373–5389.

10' SAILING DINGHY—Cold-molded
mahogany hull. Solid mahogany
daggerboard and rudder. Spruce
mast/spars. Simple nylon sail. Peanut
class manufactured near Oslo, Norway. Exterior needs ref inishing.
$3,000. [email protected], 704–
609–5650.
48' HEAD BOAT—Cedar on oak,
riveted, heavily framed. 6-71 GM. COI
contingent on repair or replacement
of fuel tanks. $28,000 or best offer.
207–442–7616 or 207–443–5764.

1961 CHRIS - CR A FT CAVA LIER
Custom—307, 200 -hp Chevrolet,
recently restored award-winner, every
surface reworked, many structural
upgrades. Sportyak II dinghy on stern
davits with 1963, 3-hp Johnson, mooring cover, new original-style cradle
on double-axle trailer. Survey and
photos available. Located Michigan,
$22,000, 734–424–1322.

18' AEOLUS BOATS GRAND BANKS
Dory with trailer. It has been in storage for years, $3,700. Lake Tahoe
area, 775 –265 –7468, tlalonde@
charter.net.

11' 6" GENUINE HER R ESHOFF
Dinghy — Extensive restor at ion
needed. $2,000. 207–322–7070.
46' WHITICAR, 1961—Well-maintained classic. Structurally sound,
well proven, and beautifully maintained. ME, $39,000. 207–236–2383,
www.cppyacht.com.

1983 BELKOV RE-CREATION of a
traditional Chesapeake Bay Hooper
Island Draketail workboat as a contemporar y yacht. Professionally
restored, updated, and maintained
by present owner since 1996. New
Cummins 4BT diesel, more major
upgrades in 2011. Berthed in Annapolis, MD. Priced at $30,000. Jay Baldwin, 410–263–5315; 443–994–0215;
[email protected].

PENN YAN 12' CLASSIC Car Topper—Restored by Malone Boat Builders, Rockport, ME. Shaw & Tenney
oars and leathers. Stored indoors.
$3,750 or best offer. 207–838–8700.

42' ROYAL LOWELL Lobsterboat—
Mahogany over oak, 3306 Caterpillar
engine, Very good condition. 978–
794–3129.

24' GAFF-RIGGED CUTTER—Minor
hull repair, interior finishing required.
$5,000 includes sails, BMW motor.
Ontario, Canada, 613 –923 –2137,
[email protected].

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CLASSIFIEDS
21' MARLIN-CLASS HERRESHOFF
Sloop—Fish-class hull with two-berth
cruising cabin. Sound boat with good
sails, and proper galvanized trailer.
$7,000. 207–322–7070.

17' W ITTHOLZ C ATBOAT with
trailer and outboard engine. In excellent condition. $9,000. Located
Brooklin, ME. NJ, 201–569–3787 or
201–568–1441.

30' ATKIN CUTTER 1980—Cedar
on oak, bronze fastened, diesel, gaffrigged, great survey. $30,000, offers
considered. Walt Ansel, 860–536–
0820, walteransel@sbcglobal.

50' SCHOONER—SURVEY SAYS
Bristol condition. Value $750,000.
Offered at $350,000. Ready for blue
water! Visit www.1930schoonermistress.
com to learn more. 904–347–3763.

OXFOR D SHELL —20.5' LOA; 2'
beam. Piantedosi rowing unit, Super
Comp oars. Baked-on paint with
clearcoat. $3,995. 609–567–0623.

SY Mistral

L. Francis Herreshoff Design
No. 73, built by Britt Brothers,
Saugus, MA in 1938. After two
major refits and additions for
safety, as perfect and sturdy as a
vessel can be. 81.5’ / 63.5’ / 8.2’.
Berthing place Flensburg, Northern Germany.
Asking price €1.100.000
For further information
please contact:
[email protected]

DARK HARBOR 17, 1914 —Completely restored, 26' gaff-rigged knock21' JOHN ALDEN DOUBLE-ENDED about sloop, $19,500. mainetraditional
Sailboat—WB Plan No. 1, daysailer; boat.com, 207–322–0157, [email protected].
ROYA L LOW ELL 30' WOODEN inboard 2kW, 24-volt electric motor.
Launched
2012.
$35,000,
dhughes@
Lobster Yacht—Cedar on oak, bronze
fastened. Available at present stage scarsd.org.
of completion or with option for
completion. $75,000. Traditional
Boat, LLC, 207–322– 0157, w w w.
33' FRIENDSHIP SLOOP, 45' LOA,
mainetraditionalboat.com.
1900—Wilbur Morse built (historically significant). Carvel cedar planked
on oak frame, replanked 2001. Full
iron-shoe exterior ballast, mahogany
trunk cabin/cockpit, Edson wormgear/wheel steering. Gaff-rigged,
spruce spars, Dacron sails,(main,
staysail, jib). Needs restoration.
23' ENGLISH CUTTER, 2010 —
$16,500 or best offer, RI. 401–441–
Mahogany, white oak, bronze fastened.
7606, [email protected]. Additional
48-volt inboard electric motor, trailer.
pictures at https://www.woodenboat.
24' WHITICAR, 1964—Extensively
$19,950, Maine. Contact George, “ELSIE MARINA,” 37' TUGBOAT— com/33-wilbur-morse-friendshiprestored. One of the most [email protected].
Built in 1952 by Camden Shipyard, sloop.
t hought- of sport-f ishing boat s.
ME. 6-cyl Isuzu engine in good run$69,000, ME. 207–236–2383, www.
ning shape. Pilothouse with many
cppyacht.com.
electronics, main cabin with woodstove, V-berth, settee berths, galley
kitchen, and enclosed head. Asking
$30,000. Located Mystic, CT. 203–
506–2223, [email protected].

LUDERS 16, LOA 26'—Complete
restoration. New deck, Awlgrip, new
“Egyptian cotton” Dacron sails by
Douglas Fowler. Original spruce mast
and boom, bronze hardware, removable custom bronze outboard motor
bracket. $18,500. Located Montgomery, NY. 845–457–4271, fischer112@
hotmail.com.

HAVEN 121⁄2, JOEL WHITE DESIGN
—16' LOA, gaff rigged, cold-molded
hull, lead keel. Mahogany trim, spruce
mast and booms, bronze hardware,
Dacron sails. Beautiful condition,
and a joy to sail. $24,500 or best offer.
[email protected].

“SUVA,” 1925 STAYSAIL SCHOONER
designed by Ted Geary. A gorgeous
and sound classic yacht, teak on oak.
$139,000. Port Townsend, 360–643–
3840. See specs www.schoonerforsale.
com. E-mail schoonersuva@gmail.
com.

“NETTIE,” 24' FENWICK WILLIAMS
gaff-rigged double-ender, 1997, sister
to “Annie.” Cedar on oak, bronze
fastened, mahogany cabin and trim,
spruce spars with Fenwick Williams–
designed cutter rig. A one-owner,
lovely and capable vessel in excellent
condition! 16 -hp Yanmar diesel.
$34,000. Located Belfast, ME. 207–
342–5281, pmckinney@fairpoint.
net.
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CLASSIFIEDS
1958, 14' SPEEDLINER—Varnished
mahogany, very good condition, stored
in barn. Estate sale. Model M-214S,
40-hp Johnson. Call: 413–665–2460
or [email protected].

“ANANDA”, 45' LES CR AWFORD
Pilothouse Ketch—Charles Davies
designed,1979. Beautifully upgraded,
and ready to live aboard. Professionally
owned and maintained. Located at
Pease Boat Works, Chatham, MA.
$110,000. Offers encouraged. 774–722–
4692, [email protected].

“CELESTE II,” 40' JESPER SON
Cutter—Launched and documented
1986, cold-molded cedar and mahogany. Rather well built, great offshore
capability and motion. $160,000CAD.
Victoria, BC. For more information,
photos, and specs, please visit www.
celeste2.com or call 250–592–0726.
(Courtesy to brokers).

WORKING ANTIQUE 23' MacKenzie,
1951—Restored over 37-year single
ownership. 150-hp gas inboard. VHF,
fish/depth finder, GPS. hdrinker@
comcast.net, 413–219–9416.

1951 PHILIP RHODES, Abeking &
Rasmussen 54 1⁄2' centerboard yawl
“Ocean Queen V.” She has been in
our family all of her 61 years, always
properly maintained. Berthed in San
Diego, CA. Please contact sldemere@
aol.com. $150,000.

1926, 43' TWIN ENGINE (inoperable)
liveaboard—In water, San Francisco
Bay area. Needs lots of work. 707–297–
1044, [email protected].

MarketPlace
Online

Boats for Sale
www.woodenboat.com
To advertise an online Boat for Sale,
simply go to www.woodenboat.com,
click on ’MarketPlace—Boats for Sale’
to create an account, and post your
listing. MarketPlace listings automatically
renew and pay by credit card every 30
days, until you notify us to cancel.
Sell at your own convenience—
no deadlines!

Contact: [email protected], or call 207–359–7714 for more information
132 • WoodenBoat 230

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WoodenBoat Classified Order Form
Please circle the issue(s) in which you wish this ad to appear. Example Mar/Apr is one issue.
NOTE: Ads received after the deadline may be placed in the following issue
Issue Date — Mar/Apr
May/June July/Aug Sept/Oct
Nov/Dec
Jan/Feb
Deadline — Jan 7, ’13 Mar 5, ’13 May 6, ’13 Jul 8, ’12 Sept 5, ’13 Nov 5, ’13

♦ Boats advertised for sale must have wooden hulls.
♦ One boat per ad. Limit: One photo per ad.
♦ “BOATS FOR FREE” ads are FREE!
♦ All ads are prepaid.
TEXT: (15 word minimum or $41.25)

♦ Counted as one word = phone and fax number, email or web
address. All else: a word is a word. WoodenBoat does not use
abbreviations such as OBO, FWC, etc. Please spell out.

♦ Please print clearly—WoodenBoat is not responsible for
errors due to illegible copy.

Suggested_Category_______________________________

1_ ______________________ 2_________________________ 3__________________________ 4________________________
5_ ______________________ 6_________________________ 7__________________________ 8________________________
9_ ______________________ 10________________________ 11________________________ 12________________________
13_ _____________________ 14________________________ 15________________________ 16________________________
17_ _____________________ 18________________________ 19________________________ 20________________________
21_ _____________________ 22________________________ 23________________________ 24________________________
25_ _____________________ 26________________________ 27________________________ 28________________________
29_ _____________________ 30________________________ 31________________________ 32________________________
33_ _____________________ 34________________________ 35________________________ 36________________________
37_ _____________________ 38________________________ 39________________________ 40________________________
41_ _____________________ 42________________________ ______._._._._Attach_sheet_for_additional_words_._._._.__

Word CounT ____________x__$2.75__=__$_____________
_____________+__Photo__($75)___• Yes___• No__=__$_____________________x_#_issues___________ =__$_____________ToTal
Payment must be in U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. bank.

Date_____________________
naME ___________________________________________________________________________________
Address___________________________________________________________________________________
Telephone_____________________________________Email___________________________________________
PaYMEnT METHod
• Check____• Money_Order_____• MC / VISA / AMEX / DISCOVER__#________________________________Exp._Date_________

Signature_ _________________________________________________________________________________________

raTEs EXPirE novEMbEr 5, 2013
January/February 2013 •

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Welcome to
WoodenBoat’s Directory
of Boat Plans & Kits

www.woodenboat.com/boatplansandkits
Our newest web service is FREE to designers and
readers alike. If you are a designer, you may upload details of your plans and kits. Simply go to
the website noted above, and follow the upload
instructions at “Frequently Asked Questions” on
the left-hand side. You must have full ownership
of these plans and kits.

PO Box 78 • Brooklin, ME 04616

207-359-4651

www.woodenboat.com

We hope to include as many boats as
possible, and boats of all hull materials.

Another service for you, from WoodenBoat.

HELP US UPDATE THE REGISTER
If you still have your boat:
Please update your boat’s listing at
www.woodenboat.com/rwb/

If you sold your boat:
Please email us contact
information for the new owner at
[email protected]

If you bought a new boat:
“Submit your Boat” at the Register
website www.woodenboat.com/rwb

All postings
Are free
*To be listed, boats must be 20' or longer and built of wood.

Find the listing of your or anyone else’s wooden boat at

www.woodenboat.com/rwb/

Search by boat name/former name, boat type, engine model,
designer, builder, owner, home port and ID number

134 • WoodenBoat 230

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Index to AdvertIsers
AdhesIves & CoAtIngs
Epifanes North America . . . . . . . . www .epifanes .com . . . . . . . . . . Cover II
Interlux . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .yachtpaint .co m . . . . . . . . Cover Iv
System Three Resins, Inc . . . . . . . . www .systemthree .com . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
West System Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .westsystem .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

BoAtBuIlders
B . Giesler & Sons Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . www .gieslerboats .ca . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Beetle, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .beetlecat .co m . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Billings Diesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .billingsmarine .com . . . . . . . . . 114
Cayuga Wooden Boatworks . . . . . www .cwbw .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Choptank Boatworks . . . . . . . . . . . www .choptankboatworks .co m . . . . . 117
Crocker’s Boat Yard, Inc . . . . . . . . www .crockersboatyard .com . . . . . . . 116
Cutts & Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .cuttsandcase .co m . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Dutch Wharf Ma r i a .
n . . . . . . . . . . www .dutchwharf .co m . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Edgecomb Boat Works . . . . . . . . . www .edgecombboatworks .net . . . . . 119
Fish Brothers Marine Service . . . . www .fishcustomboats .co m . . . . . . . . 110
French & We b b . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .frenchwebb .com . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Gannon & Benjamin . . . . . . . . . . . www .gannonandbenjamin .com . . . . 119
Guillemot Kayaks . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .woodenkayaks .com . . . . . . . . . 117
Haven Boatworks, LLC . . . . . . . . . www .havenboatworks .co m . . . . . . . . 116
Jensen MotorBoat Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Laughing Loon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .laughingloon .com . . . . . . . . . . 120
Lowell Boats, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .lowell .to /b o tas . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
McMillen Yachts, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . www .woodenyachts .co m . . . . . . . . . . 116
Moores Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .woodenboatrepair .com . . . . . . 119
Morin Boats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .morinboats .co m . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
MP&G, L .L .C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .mpgboats .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Parker Marine Enterprises . . . . . . www .parker-marine .com . . . . . . . . . 118
Pease Boatworks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .peaseboatworks .com . . . . . . . . 118
Pendleton Yacht Yard . . . . . . . . . . www .pendletonyachtyard .co m . . . . . 115
Pleasant Bay Boat & Spar Co . . . . . www .pleasantbayboatandspar .com . 119
Reuben Smith’s
Tumblehome Boats . . . . . . . . . . www .tumblehomeboats .com . . . . . . 117
Richard S . Pulsifer, Boatbuilder . . www .pulsiferhampton .com . . . . . . . 119
Rumery’s Boat Yard . . . . . . . . . . . . www .rumerys .co m . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Seal Cove Boatyard . . . . . . . . . . . . www .sealcoveboatyard .com . . . . . . . 116
Spaulding Wooden Boat Center . www .spauldingcenter .o rg . . . . . . . . . 115
Stonington Boat Works, LLC . . . . www .stoningtonboatworks .com . . . . 117
Traditional Boat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .mainetraditionalboat .com . . . . 118
Traditional Boat Works . . . . . . . . . www .traditionalboatworks .ne t . . . . . 115
Van Dam Custom Boats . . . . . . . . www .vandamboats .com . . . . . . . . . . 115
Wooden Runabout Co LLC . . . . . www .woodenrunabout .co m . . . . . . . 110
Woodwind Yachts . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .woodwindyachts .co m . . . . . . . . 118
YNOT Yachts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .ynotyachts .co m . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

Brokers
S/V ALERT/Carol DeTine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Brooklin Boat Yard . . . . . . . . . . . . www .brooklinboatyard .co m . . . . . . . 111
Concordia Yacht Sales . . . . . . . . . . www .concordiaboats .co m . . . . . . . . . 112
David Etnier Boat Brokerage . . . . www .etnierboats .co m . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
David Jones Yacht Broker . . . . . . . www .davidjonesclassics .co m . . . . . . . 113
Metinic Yacht Brokers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
S/V SAY WHEN/ B H Gustin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Sea Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .seamarineco .co m . . . . . . . . . . . 111

events
The Boatbuilding and Rowing
Cahl l ege
n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . barc .woodenboat .co m . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Cape Cod Marine Trades Assoc . . . www .boatcapecod .org . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Maine Boatbuilders Show . . . . . . . www .portlandcompany .co m . . . . . . . . 34
Maritime Tour of The Netherlands www .woodenboat .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
RM Auctions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .rmauctions .co m . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Sail Antigua Classics . . . . . . . . . . . www .woodenboat .com . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
WOOD Regatta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .woodenboat .com . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Northwest Maritime Center . . . . . www .nwmaritime .org . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
The WoodenBoat Show . . . . . . . . www .thewoodenboatshow .com . . . . . . 7

hArdwAre & ACCessorIes
Atlas Metal Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .atlasmetal .co m . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Barkley Sound Oar & Paddle Ltd . www .barkleysoundoar .co m . . . . . . . . . 35
CCFasteners .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .ccfasteners .com . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Hamilton Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .hamiltonmarine .co m . . . . . . . . . . 8

J .M . Reineck & Son . . . . . . . . . . . . www .bronzeblocks .com . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Keystone Spike Corporation . . . . www .keystonespikes .com . . . . . . . . . . 39
R&W Traditional Rigging &
Outfitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .rwrope .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Red Hill Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .supergrit .co m . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Shaw & Tenney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .shawandtenney .co m . . . . . . . . . 107
Top Notch Fasteners . . . . . . . . . . . www .tnfasteners .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
U .S . Bells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .usbells .co m . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
We st Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .westmarine .co m . . . . . . . Cover III
Wooden Boat Chandlery . . . . . . . shop .woodenboat .org . . . . . . . 104, 107

InsurAnCe
Grundy Worldwide . . . . . . . . . . . . www .grundy .co m . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Heritage Marine Insurance . . . . . www .heritagemarineinsurance .com . 27

kIts & PlAns
Chesapeake Light Craft, LLC . . . . www .clcboats .co m . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Classic Boat Kits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .classicboatkits .ca . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Devlin Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .devlinboat .co m . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Fiberglass Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .fiberglasssupply .com . . . . . . . . 124
Francois Vivier Architecte Naval . www .vivierboats .co m . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Glen-L-Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .glen-l .co m . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Hewes & Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .cnc-marine-hewesco .com . . . . . 122
Marisol Skiff/WoodenBoat Store . www .woodenboatstore .com . . . . . . . 122
The Newfound Woodworks Inc . . . www .newfound .co m . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Noah’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .noahsmarine .com . . . . . . . . . . 123
Pygmy Boats Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .pygmyboats .co m . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Redfish Custom Kayak & Canoe Co . www .redfishkayak .co m . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Tippecanoe Boats, Ltd . . . . . . . . . . www .modelsailboat .co m . . . . . . . . . . 124
Wate rs Dancing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .watersdancing .com . . . . . . . . . 124

luMBer
Anchor Hardwoods . . . . . . . . . . . . www .anchorhardwoods .com . . . . . . 104
Global Veneer Sales . . . . . . . . . . . www .globalveneer .co m . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Joubert Plywood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .joubert-group .co m . . . . . . . . . . . 36

PrInts & PuBlICAtIons
Calendar of Wooden Boats . . . . . . . . www .woodenboatstore .com . . . . . . . . 26
Getting Started in Boats . . . . . . . . . . www .woodenboat .com . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Small Boats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .woodenboat .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Wood, Wind and Water . . . . . . . . . . www .annetconverse .com . . . . . . . . . . 44
WoodenBoat E-newsletter . . . . . . . . www .woodenboat .com . . . . . . . . . . . 112
WoodenBoat Subscription . . . . . . . . www .woodenboat .com . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

sAIls
Downs Sails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
E .S . Bohndell & Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Gambell & Hunter . . . . . . . . . . . . www .gambellandhunter .ne t . . . . . . . . 42
Nathaniel S . Wilson, Sailmaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Sailrite Enterprises . . . . . . . . . . . . www .sailrite .co m . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Sperry Sails, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .sperrysails .co m . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

sChools & AssoCIAtIons
Antique & Classic Boat Society . . . www .acbs .o rg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109, 110
The Apprenticeshop . . . . . . . . . . . www .apprenticeshop .org . . . . . . . . . . 24
Center for Wooden Boats . . . . . . . www .cwb .o rg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Great Lakes Boat Building
School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .glbbs .o rg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18, 23
HCC METC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . tech .honolulu .hawaii .edu/marr . . . . 20
International Yacht Restoration
Scho o .l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .iyrs .org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
The Landing School . . . . . . . . . . . www .landingschool .e du . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Northwest School of Wooden
Boatbuilding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .nwboatschool .o rg . . . . . . . . . 22, 38
Westlawn Institute of Marine
Te chnolo gy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .westlawn .edu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
WoodenBoat School . . . . . . . . . . . www .woodenboat .com . . . . . . . . . 12-13

MIsCellAneous
American Cruise Lines . . . . . . . . . www .americancruiselines .com . . . . . . . 1
Beta Marine US Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . www .betamarinenc .co m . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Gallus Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .galluslamp .com . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Half-Hull Classics . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .halfhull .co m . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
The WoodenBoat Store . . . . . . . . www .woodenboatstore .com . . . . 98-100
January/February 2013 •

WBClass230_FINAL.indd 135

135

11/21/12 10:41 AM

HEART’S DESIRE and PENCHANT
PENCHANT

Particulars

41' 7"
Beam
14' 4"
Draft
4'
Power
160-hp Perkins diesel
Designed by Carl D. Lane
Built by Penobscot Boat Works, Rockport, Maine, 1966
LOA

HEArT’s DEsirE

Particulars

42'
Beam
10' 3"
Draft
4' 11"
Displ.
Approx. 25,000 lbs
Power
Fairbanks-Morse 25-hp diesel
Designed by Howard I. Chapelle
Built by unknown New Jersey builder,
1947
LOA

Above—HEART’S DESIRE,
a Chapelle schooner,
is lying in East Boston,
Massachusetts.
Right—PENCHANT, originally
built as Carl Lane’s floating
retirement home, is
currently lying in Fall River,
Massachusetts.

by Maynard Bray

I

’m fairly certain that this lovely little schooner is
Chapelle’s Corsair design that was featured in How
to Build 20 Boats No. 9 and described there in detail
by J.A. Emmett, who constructed the first one. Other
Corsairs followed, including HEART’S DESIRE and
my friend Patrick Dole’s HENRY RUSK . Chapelle used
the fishing schooners of Gloucester as his inspiration and in my opinion did a bang-up job with this
scaled-down version of his. HEART’S DESIR E lies
afloat summer and winter in East Boston, where she
long has been berthed after having been refurbished
over a 15-year period by a late former owner. A new
deck of cedar-sheathed plywood has kept leaks at bay
and the schooner’s underbody looked basically sound
when inspected during a recent haulout, despite her
having languished for five or so years without maintenance. Galvanized fastenings are a concern in any vessel of this age, but her owner feels there’s a lot of life
remaining, given the recent repairs. To take a look,
call yard owner Peter Bang (Bang Corp., 480 Meridian St., East Boston, MA 02128, 617–569–2239), or to
negotiate a purchase, contact owner Peter Draper at
775–253–1066 or [email protected].

I

f you’re looking for a boat to live aboard in near
luxury, they don’t come much better than this!
Carl Lane had her built as PENOBSCOT to be a floating
retirement home while he and his wife seasonally
shuttled the Intracoastal Waterway between Maine and
Florida. She’s set up for two, with sleeping quarters
forward, a raised pilothouse amidships, and a full-width,
so-called main lounge (think of it as a parlor) aft. This
space really is grand, with big windows, a settee, dining
table, desk, and a galley that’s tucked away forward on
the port side. There’s even a Franklin fireplace! Sadly,
after 43 years, the boat’s second owners have come to the
end of their time with PENCHANT and, in fact, have not
been able to launch or use her lately. She sits now,
uncovered but still surviving, in a Fall River boatyard.
They’re hoping for an owner who will appreciate
and care for the boat as they have themselves. Family
friend Tom Townsend has agreed to be the contact,
and you can reach him at 860–460–7654 or plumbstem@
sbcglobal.net.
Send candidates for Save a Classic to Maynard Bray, WoodenBoat,
P.O. Box 78, Brooklin, ME 04616.

136 • WoodenBoat 230

SAC230_FINAL.indd 136

11/20/12 9:40 AM

America’s favorite
boating supply source!

Find it all right here!

With the largest selection of products, and
over 300 stores nationwide to serve you,
West Marine is the one-stop source for everything you need to enjoy your life on the water.
We’ve got everything you need to get your
boat looking and working its best to ensure
that 2013 is your best-ever boating season!
Come visit us at a boat show near you!
Scan the QR code with your
Smartphone to visit westmarine.com
and find the store nearest you.
To scan a QR code, first download
a free QR code reader app.

Follow us on:

New York National Boat Show – January 3-6
Toronto International Boat Show – January 12-20
Strictly Sail Chicago – January 24-27
Seattle Boat Show – January 25-February 3

Visit our stores! For the location

nearest you, or to shop 24/7,
go to

westmarine.com

WestMarine230.indd 3

11/20/12 3:55 PM

Introducing the newest member
of the Micron® Family

Micron CF
n
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New copper-free formula!
Superior long term protection
New, bright & crisp colors

International Paint LLC 2270 Morris Avenue, Union, NJ 07083
Tel: (908) 686-1300 Toll free: 1-800-468-7589 Fax: (908) 686-8545
Website: www.yachtpaint.com
®

, Interlux®, the AkzoNobel logo and all product names mentioned in this publication are trademarks of, or licensed to, AkzoNobel. © Akzo Nobel N.V. 2012.

Interlux230.indd 4

11/20/12 3:51 PM

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