TSCA April:2013 - Traditional Small Craft Association

A Quarterly Newsletter Volume 10 Number 2 April 2013
Noyo Row
Page 1
Albion Messabout
Pages 2 & 3
Boat-Builders’
Corner
Page 4 & 5
Bringing Home
the Gold
Page 6 & 7
Boats for sale
Page 8
Noyo Row
by Sandra Kearney
The few, the mighty, the rowers of
February 9th.
Got the call Sunday night and was
delighted for the opportunity to row for
the first time with Jim Swallow in the
beautiful boat he crafted, a 20 ft. St.
Lawrence river skiff.
It was a gorgeous day so we expected to
see the club out in force but the four of us
enjoying the water and weather on the
Noyo took it in and sent thoughts out to
you all. The participants of the event
were Sam Elufson, in his kayak, his wife
Deb rowing her stealth pack boat, Stan
in his single, and Jim with me in the
back seat. Also, Dusty Dillion rowed the
vice-mayor Meg Courtney and her
husband – giving them a tour of the
river and harbor. As always, Linda
Dillion provided a great spread for the
rowers.
There was a small craft advisory but
Stan and Jim needed to see for
themselves, (is this news to anyone) so
out we went. And back we came. Yup,
they were right. There was an extra little
thrill in a special version of bumper
boats.
So we headed up stream to catch up with
Deb and Sam, who were much more
trusting of the weather report. Not sure
where Stan turned off but a few of us got
farther up than we’d ever been. Passing
the old logging railroad bridge and then
some. It was lovely, serene and a
pleasant temperature – in the sun. We
did tend to push a bit to get out of the
shadows and into the rays.
It seemed like we got back to Dolphin
Isle for lunch in record time – Horse to
the trough, perhaps. It is handy, and a
nice opportunity for a break, to have a
restaurant in the middle of the river
Graceful birds on the wing, the quiet of
nature at work with itself and the
enjoyment of others who are happy to
mess about. We all made it back grinning
and with a sigh of satisfaction at being
able to do what we did. Get out and play.
Row on!
1
Lost Coast News 32100 N. Harbor Dr. Fort Bragg, CA 707/964-2612 www.tsca.net/LostCoast

Albion River
Messabout
by Jim Swallow
Insert above, Lee
Caldwell under full sail
A toast to Linda
Dillion, although not
present, in appreciation
of her organizing and
general hard work
Remnants of the crab
Les Waterman shared
with all
End of March is often windy and
blustery. Sometimes showery, as well.
Again this year, however, we had a crisp,
clear, and a generally calm day on the
river. It had been pretty windy for
several days, but on the day of the row
the winds died down and the skies were
clear. As usual, Stan was at the ramp
early to get everything arranged, start a
fire, and see to it that everyone got into
the water without mishap. This year, we
were pleased to find that local
management had made some sorely
needed and well done improvements to
the dock.
Jim Blanton prepares to head out
2

Wolfgang and Michael enjoy
an easy glide up the river
One of the cabins still afloat
The Jacobsons with Lennie
Five boats made their way up river at
various rates. Although most rowed,
Wolfgang Ronnefeldt with his friend
Michael Stewart had a leisurely trip
under power from a small electric motor.
It looks like Dory Dan has abandoned his
place on the river, so it is now slowly
deteriorating and forlorn. The two small
cabins up river another mile or so appear
to still be occasionally occupied and
maintained. The nearby “hermit’s cabin”
has been dismantled. These wooden
structures give the Albion a character
that doesn't exist in any of the other local
estuaries.
After about a three mile row up river, we
turned around and headed back, some
taking a side trip into the lagoon. When a
little breeze picked up, Lee Caldwell
tried his hand at sailing. Upon arrival
back at the ramp, we had our usual
problem of making our way through the
eel grass due to low water.
Lennie begs to go... of course!
The barbecue was great, as always, and
we were honored by a visit from Les
Waterman, who brought some delicious
crab. Chris Halvorsen’s chili is always a
hit, and there were the usual grilled
sausages along with the rest of the usual
fare.
The Albion row is always a great event,
with nice surroundings, usually a good
turn-out, good weather, and an
easygoing time on the water followed by
a tasty barbecue in the presence of
interesting folks.
Lost Coast News 32100 N. Harbor Dr. Fort Bragg, CA 707/964-2612 www.tsca.net/LostCoast
3

y Chris deFirmian
I'm on my 5th boat with the kids at the
continuation high school. They are
challenging to work with, having a lot of
peer pressure to act tough. It does feel
good when you connect with them.
Boat-building students at Tree of Life
Montessori School
I just finished a boat with an elementary
school classroom in Ukiah last week, it
was really fun to be around their
enthusiasm. We met twice a week for a
couple months, they made a nice boat.
Student builder Danny Lieben said, “I
never knew that building a boat would
be such a long process. I also never knew
that it would be so fun.”
Donovan Partridge (left) and
Jonathon Johnson with one of five
boats scheduled for launching in June
4

A New
Doghole
Dory
by Ejler Hjorth-Westh
The year is well underway, and a host of
issues are piling up, finding their place in
the calendar: Work, fishing, school,
travel, and the 2013 boat building
workshop. I have 5 or 6 students already,
and it looks like the class is a go. So I am
now looking for a buyer.
If TSCA is interested, you know where to
find me. I realize the annual general
meeting has come and gone, and I regret
being out late with this offer.
The boat will be a version of the Doghole
Dory, no surprise there. I will change the
design in a few ways:
She will be a more pure-bred rowboat
LOA 20'
Beam about 50" (6" narrower)
1-2" lower freeboard
A lot less sheer
A little less weight
Interior laid out for one or two rowers.
A sea worthy, stable and beautiful boat,
with floor boards, rudder and 2 sets of
superb, hand-made oars.
All woods are of highest quality:
Okoume plywood, Honduras mahogany,
airdry Appalacian white oak, Teak
floorboards, the best air-dry local
Douglas fir for the oars.
She will be an excellent deal at $6,500.
I think she will be sea-worthy for open
ocean rowing, but certainly a little more
wet in a surf launch.
22' Pacific Dory built by the class of 2011.
From left to right: Candice Groenke, DanWacker,
Mollie Ferguson and Jennie Stevens
These will be exciting discoveries.
Lost Coast News 32100 N. Harbor Dr. Fort Bragg, CA 707/964-2612 www.tsca.net/LostCoast
5

Stan & Jim
“Bring Home
Gold” from the
Sausalito Open
Water Rowing
Regatta
When the opportunity to participate in
the 36th annual Open Ocean Regatta
presented itself, Stan and I took it
without hesitation. This was the fifth of
these that we have done over the past
seven years. Stan was part of the group
that organized these in the first place and
participated in many of them in the early
years. He started rowing them again with
me in 2007, after a long hiatus. Because of
his old friendship with Stan and our
traditional boat, Gordie Nash – the
director of the event since it’s beginning –
always gives us a big welcome and gives
us a medal. I have usually called this “our
geezer award” – the two old guys in the
wooden boat. This year, however, we
actually BEAT SOMEBODY and therefore
EARNED a medal!
The adventure started the day before,
after we loaded gear and carefully lashed
and trailered my 20ft. St. Lawrence River
Skiff. The drive to San Francisco was as
pleasant as driving through heavy traffic
can be. Our trip started with a gorgeous
morning drive through Anderson Valley,
then we entered the river of cars and
trucks that inexorably builds to a frantic
crescendo as you make your way through
the megalopolis. We managed to keep
from getting too frenzied by driving all
the way in the right lane at the towed
vehicle speed limit of 55mph.
6
Stan’s son lives nearby in the southern
end of Mill Valley, where Stan can spend
the night with his two wonderful
grandsons and we can park the boat
overnight. I stay nearby in a motel. After
parking the boat, we went into Sausalito
where we dropped into the Open Water
Rowing office for last-minute updates.
We parked nearby and on our way to the
office, we encountered “JoJo” – a tanned,
buxom, cigarette-smoking
fortysomething who was to be on the
team of our main competitors in the race.
She told us she brought her friend’s
fiberglass whitehall double on a
borrowed trailer and towed it with a
borrowed Jeep. She told us her friend
from Victoria, BC and her rowing
partner, a young man from Hollywood,
had just rowed the famous course from
Marina Del Rey to Catalina Island.
After a a big pasta dinner and a restful
night, we awoke to one of those crisp,
clear sunrises on the waterfront, and we
were at the dock by 7am. Stan named the
Victoria/Hollywood team with their
sidekick “JoJo” as “the Hollywood
team”. They were clearly the ones to
beat. There was another fiberglass
whitehall double rowed by another
couple from Brittish Columbia, and
rounding out the “traditional boat” class
were a peapod, a Swampscot Dory, and a
wooden shell.
It’s about a half-mile row out to the
starting line, about 100 yards off Sausalito
“old town”, near the sea lion statue.
Traditional boats started at 8:30. We were
warned to be on the lookout for some
swimmers who were going to be
swimming across the Golden Gate while
we were doing our row. We never saw
any, but others apparently did. One even
swam up to one of the rowers and held
on for a rest, thanking him profusely.
Stan and I were ready and wellpositioned
to get off to a very good start.
There was supposed to be a 2 knot flood
through the Gate, but as we headed for
Lyme Rock, we could feel that we were in
some kind of ebb. The flood was still
outside us when we rounded Lyme Rock,
a good two minutes in front of “the
Hollywood team”.
We stayed in close to Lyme Rock,
rounding just a boat length off the rocks.
Dipping in a little, we were able to catch a
bit of an ebb that the incoming tide
makes in Ft. Baker Cove. The Hollywood
team stayed well out and struggled with
the incoming flood for the next twenty
minutes, while we made way in the ebb
inside, heading toward the building at
the base of the north tower of the Golden
Gate Bridge. Meanwhile, the sea
conditions were flat and there was no
appreciable wind.

The turn at the North Tower is
exhilarating. First, there is the
thundering power of the incessant traffic
that goes over the bridge. Next, the bay
starts to meet the Pacific at this point, and
the conditions become more “open
ocean” compared to the “open water” on
the inside. As we approach, the sea waves
crash on a concrete buttress at the base of
the North Tower, where we must make a
close turn and quickly dive into Kerby
Cove in order to stay out of the incoming
flood.
Making a good turn, diving into Kerby
Cove, and staying inside the tide line, we
made good time to Pt. Diablo in the eddy
of the cove. Gentle, rolling waves all the
way presented no problems. Arriving at
the buoy at Pt. Diablo, we made a wide
turn that put us out into the incoming
flood. We expected to catch the flood and
stay about 100yds. south of the North
Tower, and ride it in all the way to
Belvedere Point. We were pleased to see
that our superior rowing skills, better
boat, and shrewd tactics had put us about
five minutes ahead of the Hollywood
team at this point.
Then, without taking any breaks, we kept
rowing to try and gain more distance. It’s
a long stretch to Belvedere Point, and
from a navigational standpoint requires
attention. We return from Pt. Diablo to
the bridge with Alcatraz at our backs,
but after passing under it, a turn to the
north is required to put Belvedere Point
at our backs. This is about the time that
the pain started. We took a couple brief
breaks to maintain hydration, but were
too competitive to let the Hollywood
team catch up. By this time, the flood
had slowed considerably and wasn’t
giving us much of a push. At least it was
still heading in the right direction and
didn’t impede us. Through this region,
the water was flat with occasional one
or two foot undulations. This is the
stretch where all the shells pass us, as
they were held back for 15 min. to get us
stretched out ahead. Since I was having
trouble seeing the buoy we were
heading for, I would follow each shell as
it passed.
By the time we got to the large green
buoy at Belvedere Point, the Hollywood
team had definitely trimmed our lead to
about a minute. We made a nice turn
around the buoy and headed for Cone
Rock. Again, there was some
navigational anxiety, as I couldn’t see it
in my rear view mirror, but we were still
Heading for the
starting line
Our heroes course
(black) and alternate
courses
The “Hollywood team”
being passed by the racers, so I
maintained my previous successful
strategy. This worked out well, and
pretty soon, I was able to see my target,
and we headed straight for it. Although
we began making some headway
against the Hollywood team, they
weren’t far behind us. The other
whitehall double, by the way, got left in
the dust at the start and was too far
back to be seen.
That last mile to the finish is always
pretty painful. It was no less this time,
and especially since we hadn’t taken
any breaks. We were tired and sore, but
did our best to keep up the pace. In
addition, we had to spot the finish line,
steer around moored boats, and dodge
pleasure boats speeding across our
path. We kept at it, of course, and even
tried to pull harder so we could widen
our lead. Then, suddenly, the finish line
was crossed. Gosh, it’s over. Wow!
What an experience!!
The row back was slow and easy. We
picked up Stan’s grandson off the shore,
who had come out with his dad to
watch us finish. Grandson sat in the
back and we rowed past paddle
boarders, kayakers, and day sailers.
Someone on a kayak shouted, “You look
like a Norman Rockwell painting!” We
took that as a compliment.
As exhausted and exhilarated as we
were, the rest of the day was a blur.
There was the picnic barbecue, followed
by the awards presentation. Although it
was the same medal as before, this year
I consider it a “real medal” since we
actually beat someone (or two).
Festivities were quick, and the boats
were taken out of the water, loaded up,
and everyone headed home after
congratulating each other for their great
effort. We took one last look back at the
most beautiful city in the world and
headed north, certain of a return
performance in the future.
Lost Coast News 32100 N. Harbor Dr. Fort Bragg, CA 707/964-2612 www.tsca.net/LostCoast
7

e
n
2 sets of oars. Asking 800/OBO. Michael 707/367-1346
•12 1/2 ft. fiberglass wherry with Barkley Sound spoon
oars and trailer. Asking $2,500, call Dusty, 707/964-2612
•18
Boats
ft. MacKenzie Clipper
for
Stern Canoe,
Sale
flat bottom
freight canoe that holds 1500 lbs. 2hp Honda 4-stroke outboard,
2 formed paddles and backrest. $2,000. Dusty,
707/964-2612
•68’ ft. Rowing Sailing Pram Pram by Dusty by Dusty and and Bob, Bob asking $1200. $1,500. See at
It World’s can be viewed End Boatbuilding in Sportsmans Shop, Cannery Noyo Harbor. Shop in the
harbor.
Call Dusty:
Call Dusty
707-964-2612.
964-2612 for details. Pictured below.
8’ Sailing Pram by Dusty and Bob $1500.
LOST Can COAST be seen TSCA at Sportsmans Traditional Cannery Small Craft Shop Association, in the harbor. established
in Call 1970, Dusty is a nonprofit 707-964-2612. educational organization which works to preserve
and continue the living traditions, skills lore and legends surrounding working
and pleasure craft whose origins predate the marine gasoline engine. It
encourages the design, construction and use of these boats, and it
embraces seat and contemporary outriggers, one variants set of and 10' carbon adaptations fiber of oars. traditional Asking
designs. $1,500 complete. TSCA is an Proceeds enjoyable go yet to the practical boat shop. link among users,
designers, Call Dusty builders, 707-964-2612 restorers, historians, government, and maritime
institutions. Join the Lost Coast Chapter of the TSCA - Be a
part of this exciting organization. Increase your enjoyment of
traditional boats and meet other community members who share your
interest. Annual dues are $25. Copyright 2008 by the TSCA.
16' double-ended open water shell with sliding
Pres. Stan Halvorsen 707/357-0888 Sec/Treasure Linda Dillon 707/964-2612
Community Outreach Dusty Dillon 707/964-2612
Web Master Jim Swallow 707/937-0828 http://www.tsca.net/LostCoast
International NEW 2012 Fireball Newsletter
complete
Editor
with sails.
Andy Jahn & Virginia MacIntosh 707.469.7432
$2000 donation to Lost Coast TSCA. Call Dusty 707-964-2612
Page 7
2013 Messabout Schedule
All events start at 10 a.m. unless otherwise noted.
Information: Dusty, 707/964-2612
Stan, 707/357-0888
May 18 Mendocino History Days, Kelly House Boat show,
Bill Jacobson 707/937-2432
June 23? Master Mariners in the Water Boat Show Corinthian
YC, Tiburon
July 6 Salmon BBQ/Row, Worlds’ End, Noyo
July 27 Big River Row & Pot Luck at the Swallows
August 10 Navarro River, launch at NE side of the bridge
September 6-8 Port Townsend Wooden BoatFestival, anyone
going?
September 20-21 Blue Lake, Bill Jacobson 707/937-2432
September 21 Coastal Clean-Up, Noyo River
October 5 Albion River Row & Pot Luck
November 16 TSCA Annual Mtg & Elections, Worlds End
Let’s hear from you
We’d like to hear your ideas.
Send us your thoughts about past, present
or future articles and/or photos & images
you’d like to see included in the
newsletter. Contact Andy:
andyjahn@mac.com
20’ Doghole dory
See page 5.
Ejler Hjorth-Westh: ejler@mcn.org
8

Lost Coast TSCA
Traditional Small Craft Association, established in 1970, is a
nonprofit educational organization which works to preserve
and continue the living traditions, skills lore and legends
surrounding working and pleasure craft whose origins
predate the marine gasoline engine. It encourages the design,
construction and use of these boats, and it embraces
contemporary variants and adaptations of traditional designs.
TSCA is an enjoyable yet practical link among users,
designers, builders, restorers, historians, government, and
maritime institutions. Join the Lost Coast Chapter of the
TSCA (membership form below). Be a part of this exciting
organization. Increase your enjoyment of traditional boats and
meet other community members who share your interest.
Annual dues are $25. Copyright 2008 by the TSCA.
President Stan Halvorsen 707/357-0888
Sec/Treasure Linda Dillon 707/964-2612
Newsletter Andy Jahn/Virginia Macintosh 707/468-7432
andyjahn@mac.com
CommunityOutreach Dusty Dillon 707/964-2612
Web Master Jim Swallow 707/937-0828
http://www.tsca.net/LostCoast
Lost Coast TSCA
32100 North Harbor Drive, Fort Bragg, CA. 95437
If you are willing to receive your newsletter by e-mail only,
please contact Linda Dillon at lostcoast1@saber.net
I wish to:
☐ Join
☐ Renew
Boat ownership not a requirement. If you own a boat,
What kind?__________________________________________
☐ Change of Address
I/We desire the following annual membership:
☐ Individual $25. ☐ Family $25.
Family memberships qualify all members to participate in Lost
Coast TSCA events.
Don’t own a boat? No problem.. Join and row with a member
that does. Join the fun.
Checks should be written to Lost Coast TSCA.
Name _________________________________________________
Address ____________________________________________
City________________________________________________
State ______________________ Zip ___________________
Phone ______________________ Email __________________
Enclosed is my check for $ ____________
I am also a member of the__________________________(if any)
Chapter of the TSCA
I hold the Lost Coast TSCA harmless.
Signature ___________________________________________
Lost Coast News 32100 N. Harbor Dr. Fort Bragg, CA 707/964-2612 www.tsca.net/LostCoast
9

Lost Coast TSCA
32100 North Harbor Drive
Fort Bragg, CA 95437