Oars and More Oars - Traditional Small Craft Association

A Decision Too Long Deferredby Andre de BardelabenSmall craft designer, builder, ownerThis spring I finally joined the Traditional Small CraftAssociation. It’s not like I haven’t known about it for decades,or that the members I’ve met aren’t some of the nicest and mostinteresting people I’ve ever come across. As an enthusiasticuser of small, simple boats, I greatly appreciate what theAssociation has done to preserve our right to continueenjoying our preferred watercraft. What put me off joiningfor so long is the word “Traditional” in the name. Traditionsaren’t bad as long as they preserve what’s worthwhile and don’tprevent us from moving forward. But some “traditionalists”clearly don’t get that the desire to advance the arts of buildingand design has been driving boat culture since the first timesomebody hollowed out a log to make a vessel.Historically, few people have been more eager to embracenew technology than boatbuilders, and the great designersand builders have always thought that they were living inthe best of times, so far. The best old-time boatbuilders anddesigners were gifted structural engineers, and the first expertsat streamlining, so it should not be surprising that their ideasand handiwork featured prominently in the formative yearsof the automotive and aircraft industries. Yet any modernbuilders who’ve trod the minefield of invisible lines that isthe wooden boat community, where the incorporation of“too much” plywood or epoxy can disqualify their creationsor designers who’ve been dressed down for straying too farTop and Bottom: The fiberglass Skua rowing boats aredesigned (and photographed) by Andre de Bardelaben andbuilt at Middle Path Boats.5from lines laid down by a long-dead backwoods sage, knowthe difficulties of trying to deal with some people who callthemselves traditionalists. That’s why my decision was sodifficult.Perhaps the most exasperating representatives of blindtraditionalism are those groups and individuals who endeavorto preserve “traditions” that have little or no basis in history.I know for a fact that some of those folks are members ofTSCA. But, as in any family, we can have differing opinionsand beliefs and still support one another. Still, we shouldn’tbe expected to abandon our desire to enlighten others withinour clan.As a designer and builder of modern human-poweredboats, and a student of history, I’ve struggled to understandthe widespread and persistent belief that the glory days ofsmall craft design and construction ended in the early 20 thcentury. Not only is there no reason to believe that manyboats being built today aren’t as good as they used to be, thereis every reason to believe that they could and should be betterthan ever. After all we have access to all of the materials andtechnologies our great-grandparents did, plus many new ones.Moreover, in the last hundred years there have been significantadvances in our understanding of the principles of aero- andhydrodynamics.Today few of us commute in Model A Fords or wash ourclothes in wringer washers because we expect our cars andappliances to be safer, more reliable, more convenient and moreefficient than our ancestors did. Why then shouldn’t we expectthe same from our boats? Perhaps the most troubling thing tome is the distorted view that many members of the small boatcommunity, particularly fixed seat rowers, have of history.Too often the old models they hold up as pinnacles of designdevelopment, upon trial, demand far too much acceptance onthe part of users. Some of these craft no longer serve practicalroles other than as collectables or exhibits in labor museums.Where the idea that recreational rowers should contentthemselves prying around deep, wide, heavy, and blunt-endedobsolete workboats came from remains a mystery to me as itis almost unsupported in the historical record, yet it was theprevailing belief through the middle two thirds of the 20 thcentury, and vestiges of it stubbornly persist.The Ash Breeze, Fall 2013continued on page 9

Making YourOwn FittingsPhotos courtesy of Rosemary WymanThe Ash Breeze, Fall 2013 6

Part 3: Making a Simple Wooden Belaying Pinby David WymanBelaying pins are usually made on alathe, but most of us do not have accessto a lathe, so here is an alternative. Asimple wooden belaying pin can bemade from two dowels that are readilyavailable from most hardware stores.This belaying pin is easy to make and,when varnished, will look good andwork well in a traditional boat. Thebelaying pin is a good alternative to acleat and has the advantage of onlyneeding to have a single hole drilled in aseat to mount it.This belaying pin is designed for usewith 3/8” diameter line. It is made usinga 4” long piece of ¾” diameter dowelwith a 2” deep hole in the end to fit a6” long 3/8” diameter dowel. The onlytricky part is drilling a straight 3/8”diameter hole, 2” deep in the center ofthe ¾” diameter dowel. If you plan touse ½” diameter line then just increasethe size of the dowels to 1” and ½”diameter. The rest is just rounding theends and applying a finish. This largerbelaying pin will also work well as athole pin for rowing.Once the two dowels are cut to thelengths shown in the drawing, you needto drill a 3/8” diameter hole down thecenter of the larger dowel to fit the smallerdowel. You need to take care in drillingthis hole so that it is straight down thecenter of the dowel. It may take a fewtries before you get a good hole.Be sure the hole is 2” deep so that youget a strong connection between the twodowels.Then round off the ends of the dowelsto finish the wood work.Once this is done and you havevarnished or painted the belaying pin, itis ready to use.Next glue the 3/8” diameter dowel inthe hole in the ¾” diameter dowel.Left: A Wooden Block, Cleat, and Belaying Pin made with simple hand tools by the author. Top Right: Drawing of Belaying Pin.7The Ash Breeze, Fall 2013

Whaleboat Oarscontinued from page 3Using dimensions provided by Mystic Seaport and foundin The Whaleboat: A study of Design, Construction and Usefrom 1850 to 1970 by Willits D. Ansel (Mystic Seaport Inc.),our chief oar maker, John Hansen, made a set of patterns forthe oars. Once the blanks had dried sufficiently, we laid outthe shape on the blanks, then it was time to start removing allthe material that didn’t look like an oar. We started with anold, but eminently serviceable, gear drive circular saw, foundat a yard sale for $7.00. It did the job of roughing out theshape. Then it was off to the giant 36-inch band saw, which,powerful as it is, met it’s equal with this wood. We had to beslow and careful feeding this into the saw or we’d trip thephase converter powering the tool. We could only imaginedoing this on a waterwheel powered saw as it probably wouldhave been done originally. What happens when you bind oneof those up in the wood?Then it was off to the equally large jointer to ensure thenascent oars were straight and flat. After that is was thethickness planer to get closer to the finaldimensions of the loom’s (shaft’s) maximumthickness. Finished with the heavyequipment, it was up to the electric handplaners to start to thin down and shape theblades and a spar gauge to start the process ofrounding by making the looms and handles8-sided, then 16-sided. All the work on thelooms and handles and the finish work onthe blades was done by hand, initially withjack planes, and jointing planes, ending upwith scrapers to go from 16-sided to round.We finished with a custom built sander usingan inverted belt sander belt on a homemadespindle John built to go in a drill motor.The handles and throats (where the bladejoins the loom) of all the oars had to bedone by hand and by eye. There were nodefinitive dimensions for the throat so it wasmade “eye sweet” and matching on all four oars. This was allhand work, again using mostly spoke shaves. There was somechecking as we went along as the wood was reduced in sizeand continued to dry. We found that soaking the partiallycompleted oars in “boat soup” after each session kept this ata minimum and for the most part kept them from warpingany more. The final finish was again “boat soup”—a mixtureof varnish, turpentine, boiled linseed oil, japan drier, andsometimes Stockholm Tar.A few extra sessions apart from our regular monthlymeetings were required to make the deadline, but we didit. To deliver the oars to the school, I met Bud McIntire ofthe school’s staff half way to Cedarville and transferred thefour oars to his trailer. It caused no little amount of commentin the parking lot where we met when I pulled in with an18 ½-foot wooden canoe and two each 15-foot and 16-footwooden oars on top of my truck. Bud combined this trip withone to the Maritime Heritage Alliance in Traverse City topick up the spars for the lug rig that will go in the boat so theycould all be in Cedarville for the upcoming festivities.Later that week, several of the Chapter members who hadworked on the oars were invited to Cedarville to attend theTop Left: Initiallayout of the oars.Top Right: Fourfinished oars.Bottom Left:Steam drying.Bottom Right:Initial cuts.The Ash Breeze, Fall 2013 8

graduation ceremonies and festivities at GLBBS. Four of uswere able to make it to help wish the graduates best wishes intheir new careers in the wooden boat industry. Then, it was offto the water where the whaleboat was already launched andawaiting its sea trials. The first group out were the studentswho had built the boat. Now you have to understand, awhaleboat is not a common sight now, nor was it ever, on theGreat Lakes. So the boat drew quite a bit of attention, evenin the Les Cheneaux Islands where it is quite common to seeold and/or classic boats. The students took a good spin inthe boat before the coxswain brought them back to the dock.Next up were some who had helped with the oars. AndyJames (now an instructor at GLBBS), Sandy Bryson, and Iwanted to give it a try. To round out the crew we shanghaiedMatthew Stackpole of Mystic Seaport, there as the featuredspeaker at the graduation, to pick up (literally) the fourth oar.So picture if you will four “men,” none under 50 years old andmost a good deal more than that, pulling a 28-foot woodenboat with 15- and 16-foot ash oars. I’m not ashamed to saythat I haven’t done that kind of rowing since I helped row aMonomoy surfboat around Cape May, NJ, harbor more yearsago than I’ll admit to in print. The consensus was don’t everarm wrestle with a real whaleman. It was fun, and we wereglad to have a chance to try the boat and, of course, the oars.The boat, and its oars, are now at Mystic Seaport withseveral of the other new whaleboats. Each of the new boatswill have a different color sheer plank, the color assigned bythe staff at Mystic Seaport. (GLBBS’s is the one with theRowing the whaleboat (front to rear) Andy James, PeteMathews, Matthew Stackpole, and Sandy Bryson.medium blue sheer stripe.) This was standard during actualwhaling so the boats could be told apart from the ship whilechasing whales.So TSCA and the two Michigan Chapters have had a partin one of the most ambitious marine restoration efforts inrecent years; to send the nation’s oldest commercial vessel offon a new adventure, properly equipped with new whaleboat,and oars. According to Matthew Stackpole of Mystic Seaport,we have been party to the only whaleboat ever launched infresh water.Decision Deferredcontinued from page 5On the road to discovering how diverse members ofTSCA are in their beliefs and tastes and determining that theorganization is not the reason why the sport of fixed seat rowingisn’t growing at the rate that it should, I realized that the mainthing sustaining the growth-impeding inertia seems to be themarine publishing houses, which refuse to recognize the needfor new and updated texts on the selection, use, and handlingof recreational rowing craft. On the literary front fixed seatrowers are probably the most underserved segment of theboating community. The existing books, with their focus onprofessional 19 th century “iron men in wooden boats” to thenear exclusion of recreational rowing, both past and present,don’t inform rowers so much as cause confusion. With somenew books we would almost certainly have very different andhigher design standards and a greater understanding of howto get the best performance and enjoyment out of our boats.Though you can’t read about it in any major books, thelast twenty years or so have seen the emergence of a verydifferent sort of rowboat buyer. Gradually, due to exhaustiveexperiments conducted by the Cape Cod Vikings Rowing9Club in the 1990s (the Oarmaster Trials), where truerecreational boats, both old and new, tested far better than anyworkboats, rowers are demanding lighter, more convenient,more efficient, and more appropriate craft. The most popularboats being purchased (and home-built) nowadays are muchsleeker and weigh half what professionally built offeringsdid in the 1970s and 80s. Interestingly, many of these boatsresemble the better ones that our great-grandparents rowed ontheir days off.The recent transition from workboats to true recreationalcraft might have been quicker and be more complete if somemajor new books on rowing containing this information wereavailable. Currently, it falls to small circulation, enthusiastdriven publications like the Ash Breeze and Messing About inBoats (WoodenBoat falls short in this area) to provide the onlyprint forums for sharing information on all aspects of thisonce and future popular pastime.As I’ve dedicated my life to carrying on the tradition of designinnovation, I now feel that being part of a group dedicated topreserving the best aspects of our small craft heritage is whereI can be the most effective. That’s why I’m proud to call myselfa member of the Traditional Small Craft Association.The Ash Breeze, Fall 2013

Active TSCA ChaptersAdirondack ChapterMary Brown, 18 Hemlock LaneSaranac Lake, NY 12983518-891-2709mabrown214@hotmail.comAnnapolis ChapterSigrid Trumpy, PO Box 2054Annapolis, MD 21404hollace@crosslink.netBayfront Maritime Center TSCARichard Eisenberg, 40 Holland St.Erie, PA 16507814-456-4077rich.eisenberg@bayfrontcenter.orgwww.bayfrontcenter.orgBuffalo Maritime CenterCharles H. Meyer, 5405 East RiverGrand Island, NY 14072716-773-2515, chmsails@aol.comCleveland Amateur Boatbuildingand Boating Society (CABBS)Ric Altfather, 14695 Cheerful LaneStrongsville, OH 44136440-263-7020, raltfa@yahoo.comConnecticut River Oarand Paddle Club (CROPC)Jon Persson, P.O. Box 281Old Lyme, CT 06371860-434-2534jonpersson7@gmail.comCrystal River Boat Builders (CRBB)Bill Whalen, 4539 N Grass Island Ter.Hernando, FL 34442352-344-5482wfxw1@embarqmail.comDelaware River TSCATom Shephard, 482 Almond Rd.Pittsgrove, NJ 08318tsshep41556@aol.comwww.tsca.net/delriverDown East ChapterJohn Silverio, 105 Proctor Rd.Lincolnville, ME 04849work: 207-763-3885home: 207-763-4652camp: 207-763-4671jsarch@midcoast.comFloating the AppleAdina Taylor, 1225 Park Ave, Ste C10New York, NY 10128212-564-5412, floapple@aol.comFlorida Gulf Coast TSCABob Pitt, 2815 1st Ave. W.Bradenton, FL 34205, 941-746-0192cpitt001@tampabay.rr.comFriends of the North CarolinaMaritime Museum TSCABrent Creelman, 315 Front StreetBeaufort, NC 28516252-728-7317, maritime@ncmail.comJohn Gardner ChapterJohn Symons, Peter Vermilya,U of Connecticut, Avery Point Campus1084 Shennecossett RoadGroton, CT 06340, 860-535-3623,pjsymons@live.com, pvermilya@gmail.comLong Island TSCAMyron Young, PO Box 635Laurel, NY 11948, 631-298-4512Lost Coast Chapter—Northern CAStan Halvorsen, 31051 Gibney LaneFort Bragg, CA 95437707-964-8342, Krish@mcn.orgwww.tsca.net/LostCoastMichigan Maritime Museum ChapterPete Mathews, Sec’y, PO Box 100Gobles, MI 49055, 269-628-4396canoenut@bciwildblue.comNorth Shore TSCARichard Koolish, 212 Park Ave. Arlington,MA 02476, koolish@dickkoolish.comOregon CootsJohn Kohnen, PO Box 24341Eugene, OR 97402541-688-2826, jkohnen@boat-links.comPalmetto ChapterJohn Merritt, 4612 Marlboro Pl.North Charleston, SC 29405843-345-5126 , johnstonmerritt@yahoo.comPatuxent Small Craft GuildWilliam Lake, 11740 Asbury Circle, Apt.1301, Solomons, MD 20688410-394-3382, wlake@comcast.netPine Lake Small Craft AssociationSandy Bryson, Sec’y., 333 Whitehills Dr.,East Lansing, MI 48823517-351-5976, sbryson@msu.eduPuget Sound TSCAMarty Loken, Secretary, Island BoatshopPO Box 216, Nordland, WA 98358360-301-6737, norseboater22@gmail.comE-mail forum:tsca-puget@yahoogroups.comSacramento TSCATodd Bloch, 122 Bemis StreetSan Francisco, CA 94131, 415-971-2844todd.sb@comcast.netSouth Jersey TSCAGeorge Loos, 53 Beaver Dam Rd.Cape May Courthouse, NJ 08210609-861-0018, georgeowlman@aol.comSouthern California Small BoatMessabout Society (Scuzbums)Annie Holmes, San Diego, CAannieholmes@mac.comSt. Augustine Lighthouse ChapterBrendan Burke, 81 Lighthouse Ave.St. Augustine, FL 32080, 904-838-8813bburke@staugustinelighthouse.orgTexas Boatcrafters and MessersFrank Coletta, 26358 Romance Point SanAntonio, TX 78260210-218-9961, coletta_j@msn.comTSCA of WisconsinJames R. Kowall, c/o Door CountyMaritime Museum, 120 N Madison Ave.,Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235Chapters OrganizingGreen Mountain ChapterWilliam Edwards, 220 Upper TurnpikeRd., Norwich, VT 05055802-649-2923, wedwards@me.comWestern Long Island TSCAWalter Connolly, 14 Jamaica Walk, BreezyPoint, NY 11697718-945-5302, walterc530@mac.comCape Cod ChapterBill Stirling, 11 Naushon Circle,Centerville, MA 02632508-790-0098, sstirling@comcast.netBob Lister, 126 Donegal Circle,Centerville, MA 02632508-420-1718, boblister98@yahoo.comThe Ash Breeze, Fall 2013 10

A Sweeping Giftby Pete MathewsThe Michigan Maritime Museum in South Haven,Michigan, where our chapter originated, has one of the finestcollections of United States Coast Guard coastal life savingboats in the Great Lakes. Until recently (more on this later)that collection consisted of a 36-foot Motor Life boat (typeTRS), a 26-foot Motor Surfboat (Type SR) and a 26-footPulling Surfboat (also a type SR). While the Pulling Surfboatdid come with eight oars, it did not have a sweep oar, whichis how these boats were steered not having a rudder. The boatdid have the beckets in place on the stern at the coxwain’splatform and so was ready for such an oar. After doing someresearch and consulting with Tim Dring, one of the reigninggurus of American coastal rescue craft, we were able to get thedimensions for the original sweep oar for this boat. But, whereto find such an oar?At the time, the Chapter was casting about looking for moreprojects. Most of our Chapter activities involve boat-relatedwoodworking projects of some sort, building or repairingwooden boats (using TSCA’s definition) and occasionallyusing some of them on the water. Noticing the missing sweepoar on the pulling surf boat at the museum, it was decidedthat this would make a good project. Several members of thechapter had previously built two sets or oars for the PooduckSkiff and Gloucester Light Dory the Chapter had built. Sowhy not expand our paradigms and try making a 19-footsweep oar?With the decision made, we went in search of the material.This involved me buying a tree. A tree still standing in thewoods. Like so much of the Eastern U.S., our area is beinghard hit by the Emerald Ash Borer. This means lots of dyingWhite Ash Trees. So a friend of mine, who owns a wood lotand a sawmill, and I set off on a golf cart in search of a suitablecandidate. We found it, applied a chain saw and soon hadit on the ground. We cut the bole of the tree at 20 feet, themaximum Gary’s saw will cut, and dragged it out of the woodswith his Bobcat to the mill. The Bobcat was able to load thishuge hunk of wood, and we proceeded to cut out four cants9-inches wide by 4-inches thick by 20-feet long. Hoping thatcontinued on page 19Top: Presentation of the sweep oar to the MMM. The pulling surfboat and 36-foot MLB in the background. Pictured (L-R) holdingthe oar: Gary Horton—Board President MMM, Pete Mathews—MMM Chapter TSCA, John Hansen—Pine Lake Chapter TSCA,Patti Montgomery-Reinhart—Executive Director MMM, Maggie Woodruff—MMM Board, and Sandy Bryson—MMM Board andPine Lake TSCA.11The Ash Breeze, Fall 2013

TSCA Officersand CouncilOfficersPresident: Frank Coletacoletta_j@msn.comSan Antonio, TXVice-President: David Wymandavid@dwymanpe.comCastine, MESecretary: Pete Mathewscanoenut@bciwildblue.comGobles, MITreasurer: Bill Meierwcmeier@tvcconnect.netMystic, CTCouncil2011–2014Kim Apelkapel@fullerton.eduScuzbumsJohn Kohnenjkohnen@boat-links.comOregon CootsDavid Wymandavid@dwymanpe.comDowneast2012–2015John Weissjrweiss98020@comcast.netPuget SoundFrank Colettacoletta_j@msn.comTexas BoatcraftersPete Mathewscanoenut@bciwildblue.comMichigan Maritime2013–2016Ned Asplundhnasplundh@yahoo.comMichigan Maritime/Delaware RiverRussell Smithfruzzy@hotmail.comJohn Gardner/Thames RiverAndy Wolfeandy@marinermedia.comAt largeTall Ships to Sail IntoPhiladelphia for the 2013Old City Seaport Fesitvalby Darrah Fosterat Independence Seaport MuseumIt is that time of year again—where seafarers, boat lovers, andfamilies come together for the OldCity Seaport Festival in Philadelphia.The Old City Seaport Festival is aweekend-long event over ColumbusDay weekend that brings tall ships,antique and classic boats, model ships,and on-the-water family fun to thePort of Philadelphia. IndependenceSeaport Museum will be filled insideand out with live entertainmentand activities for every memberof the family. Highlightsof the Festival include tallships and boats, craft andnonprofit vendors, on-thewateractivities, a Pirate’sLair for children, someof Philadelphia’s finestfood trucks, and a beergarden on the second floorbalcony of the Museum.On Friday, October 11, aParade of Boats will be a sightfor onlookers on Penn’s Landing.On Saturday, October 12, festivalguests will enjoy a day of deck andriver tours and a Pirate Battle on theDelaware River that will surely rock theseaport! On Sunday, October 13, guestswill enjoy another full day of deck andriver tours, live entertainment, andactivities.The main feature of the Old CitySeaport Festival is the participatingships and boats that make their wayto Philadelphia. There are sevenconfirmed tall ships to provide deckand river tours where boat enthusiastsand curious onlookers alike willhave the experience of acquaintingthemselves with the ships firsthand.The ships include: AJ Meerwald,GazelaPrimiero, Pride of Baltimore II,Kalmar Nyckel, Mystic Whaler, Hindu,and Virginia. Also in attendance will beSummer Wind, Patriot, classic boats fromthe Antique and Classic Boat Society –Philadelphia Chapter, as well as smallcrafts from the Traditional Small CraftAssociation – Delaware River Chapter.The Delaware River Chapter of theTSCA will manage the small boat racesin the basin on Saturday and Sunday.Refreshing beverages in the beergarden on the second floor balconyof the Seaport Museum is a greatoption for the adult crowd. Thebeer garden will be the perfectplace to relax with a great viewand a cold beer. The balconyoverlooks the Delaware River,participating boats and ships,and the Festival events below.Old City Seaport Festivaloffers some of Philadelphia’swell-known food trucks givingan option for every eater.Attending food trucks include:Little Baby’s Ice Cream, Reubenon Rye, Vernalicious, JustJackies,Jimmies Cupcakes, Sum Pig, Meat orNot to Meat, and Chef Johnny Bravo’sSurf n Turf. From vegan options togourmet sandwiches to ice cream, theOld City Seaport Festival will havesomething for everyone.The Seaport Museum aims to connectPhiladelphians to the rich maritimeheritage. The Old City Seaport Festivalprovides locals the opportunity to notonly look at beautiful boats and ships,but also step inside the Museum to seeour exhibitions including the latest, “Oh,Sugar!: The Magical TransformationFrom Cane To Candy.” All exhibits offeraspects of life on the Delaware River, soeach member of the family will enjoy astroll through the Seaport Museum.The Ash Breeze, Fall 2013 12

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Two Videos by OffCenter Harbor.comShow You How To BuildStitch & Glue: The Fox—A Decked Double-Paddle CanoeGlued Lap-Plywood: The Caledonia Yawl—A Camp-Cruiserby Bill MayherAs small boat enthusiasts and paddlers of one stripe orthe other, many of us have noted the evolution of relativelynewfangled building techniques: notably stitch-and-glue andepoxy-lap plywood. The boats we see are strong, light, durable,and easy to maintain; fairly simple to build; and (best of all,perhaps) they look like real boats whose design antecedents canbe traced to traditional craft like Inuit kayaks or Whitehalls.Additionally we know there are kits on the market. This factalone has pushed a lot of us down to the basement to checkout what kind of space might be available for boat building.Or more to the point—measuring the bulkhead exit to see if,once built, our creations might actually squeak out into thelight of day.Yet even if the bulkhead measurements work out, we holdback. Maybe the old “glue-and-sticks” nightmare clouds ourdreams. (You may know how this one goes. There you are inthe dream, stuck down in a tsunami of space age goop next tothe washer/drier while your wife frantically dials the “jaws-oflife”guys before the epoxy sets up.)The classic boat website, OffCenterHarbor.com, has createdtwo How-to-Build video series that are sure to make buildingstitch-and-glue or glued lap projects go well.The first is the 23-part series in which Bill Thomas showsyou, step-by-step, how to build a stitch-and-glue deckeddouble paddle canoe (a roomy and stable family-friendlykayak) from a kit of his design.Top: A drill is the most used power tool institch-and-glue construction.Below: Grip and twist of the wire stitches tighten up the hull.The second features Geoff Kerr going through theconstruction steps in building an Ian Oughtred designedCaledonia Yawl from a Hewes & Company kit.Both Bill and Geoff are masters of their craft and have beenbuilding the kind of boats they demonstrate on the videosThe Ash Breeze, Fall 2013 16

for many years. You will get the big picture of how the boatsgo together; you will be shown every step from just the rightangle. You will also learn a ton of tricks to make the job gosmoothly. And throughout each one, the videos are expertlypaced and extremely clear.Investing $29 for an OCH membership (Note: Ash Breezereaders can get a 10% discount on OCH membership at:OffCenterHarbor.com/TSCA.) might serve potential boatbuilders well, especially before spending $2,900 on a boatkit, since members are able to go through the videos at theirleisure as often as they like. No more sketchy drawings, nomore tiny black-and-white magazine pictures. Just clarity andflow in video footage edited with you and your project inmind, every step of the way.In addition to these two how-to-build series,OffCenterHarbor.com has a number of videos on handlingand outfitting beach cruisers and kayaks in safety and style(well over 100 videos total).At OffCenterHarbor.com, clarity, precision, and puttingmembers into the driver’s seat of projects and experiences likethese are a big part of the mission.Top: Using a power plane to shape the keel tostem connection on the Caledonia Yawl.Bottom: Laying on the planking of theCaledonia Yawl glued lapstrake hull.17The Ash Breeze, Fall 2013

John Gardner Grant“To preserve, continue, andexpand the achievements,vision and goals of JohnGardner by enriching anddisseminating our traditionalsmall craft heritage.”In 1999, TSCA created the JohnGardner Grant program to supportprojects for which sufficient fundingwould otherwise be unavailable.Eligible projects are those whichresearch, document, preserve, andreplicate traditional small craft,associated skills (including theirconstruction and uses) and the skillsof those who built and used them.Youth involvement is encouraged.Proposals for projects rangingfrom $200 to $2000 are invitedfor consideration. Grants areawarded competitively and reviewedsemiannually by the John GardnerMemorial Fund Committee ofTSCA, typically in May andOctober. The source of fundingis the John Gardner MemorialEndowment Fund. Fundingavailability is determined annually.Eligible applicants include anyonewho can demonstrate serious interestin, and knowledge of, traditionalsmall craft. Affiliation with amuseum or academic organizationis not required. Projects must havetangible, enduring results which arepublished, exhibited, or otherwisemade available to the interestedpublic. Projects must be reportedin The Ash Breeze.Program details, applications, andadditional information:www.tsca.net/JohnGardnerGrant.htmlLife Members• Dan & Eileen Drath • Jean Gardner • Bob Hicks • Paul Reagan • Peter T. Vermilya • Sidney S. Whelan, Jr.Benefactors• Samuel E. JohnsonGenerous Patrons• Ned & Neva Asplundh • Willard A. Bradley • Lee Caldwell • Richard S. Kolin • John S. Montague• Richard B. Weir • John Weiss • Joel ZackinSponsor Members *• Rodney & Julie Agar • Doug Aikins • James Alderman • Ken Bassett • Bruce Beglin • David Belden• Michael C. Bill • Kent & Barbara Bleakly • Robert C. Briscoe • Charles Canniff • Stanley R. Dickstein• Dusty & Linda Dillion • William Dodge • Dick Dodson • Rob Dunlap • Paul Erickson • Tom Etherington• Peter & Cricket Evans • Huw Goronwy Evans • Ben Fuller • Dr. Lawrence O. Garber • Gerald W. Gibbs• Joy Godsey • Jeffery K. Hallock • Dick Hamly • Mr. & Mrs. R. Bruce Hammatt • John A. Hawkinson• Peter Healey • Colin O. Hermans • Kevin W. Holmes • Peter A. Jay • David Kavner • Thomas E. King• Arthur (Sandy) Lawrence III • Chelcie Liu • Jonathan & Ellen Lovell • Pete & Susan Mathews• Michael Mcclure • Alexis P Nason • Ian McNeill • Mason C. Myers • Bruce H. Perry • Robert W. Pitt• Ron Render • Bill & Karen Rutherford • Richard Schubert • Paul A. Schwartz • Karen Seo• Gary & Diane Shirley • John Silverio • Leslie Smith • F. Russell Smith II • Zach Stewart & Anne Somerville• John R. Stilgoe • Morgan Stout • John P. Stratton III • Robert E. (Bub) Sullivan • Thomas N. Tomlin• Stephen M. Weld, Jr. • Mike Wick • Andy Wolfe • Robert & Judith Yorke • J. Myron Young • Bob Zolli* Please join these and other Sponsor Members and Advertisers (shown throughout this issue) in supporting TSCA!The Ash Breeze, Fall 2013 18

Gardner Grant Fund Reportby Sid WhelanOur fund’s “primary pool” of assetsgained about 10 percent by year-end2012.I think you’ll agree that the MaineCommunity Foundation (MCF)continues to do a good job ofadministering the TSCA John GardnerFund. The fund balance at the end ofthe fiscal year was $79,662.This year’s recipient of the GardnerGrant is the Philadelphia Wooden BoatFactory. The $2,000 grant partiallyfunded building the Factory One-Design,youth building program, featured in thespring issue of the Ash Breeze.Sweeping Oarcontinued from page 11one would air dry straight enough to beused. The rest was cut into boards foruse in my shop. There was a good dealof tension in this tree so several bentas they were cut. One of the cants diddry almost straight enough to make theoar. This was transported to our workplace where John Hansen from the Pinelake Chapter took over. John absolutelyloves taking long square stock, andmaking it round so he took the leadon the shaping of the oar. It proved toOur goal for the John Gardner Fundcontinues to be $100,000, which iscertainly attainable, but there have notbeen any new contributions made in2013. Contributions are tax deductible(to the full extent of the law), andwe hope that TSCA members willremember the good work done by therecipients of Gardner Grants in yourannual giving plans or as a bequest inyour will.Any questions? You may get in touchwith me at SidWhelan1@gmail.com,or by telephone 860-434-3912, or bymail at 6 Laurel Drive, Old Lyme, CT06371-1462.not to be as labor intensive as we hadestimated. Once the basic shape was cutout John estimated there was 12 manhoursin the final shaping. Once thatwas accomplished, the oar was movedto my shop for sanding and finishing. Ahalf dozen coats of varnish had the oarready for the boat.During the Museum’s annual ClassicBoat Show and Small Craft Festival onJune 22, 2013, the oar was presented tothe Museum as part of the Coast GuardExhibit.About that collection: Since theinception of this project the museumSeaworthy Small ShipsDept A, PO Box 2863Prince Frederick, MD 20678800-533-9030Catalog Available $1.00has added to their life saving collection.The U.S. Coast Guard has contributed(on long-term loan) the only remainingMerryman Type, 26-foot pulling/sailinglifeboat in existence to add to theirexhibit. This boat, designed in 1883 andbelieved to have been built in 1894, isa wonderful addition to an already finecollection that makes it well worth thetrip to South Haven to see this exhibit.Except—it didn’t come with any oars.Thank Youcontinued from page 2assembled Graham Byrnes sailing skiffatop their car after three days in FamilyBoatbuilding.And along the way we had some funwith morning rows up and down theRiver, one with a family from westernMassachussetts who had not beenrowing before. We learned new skillsfrom demonstrations on making cleats,Greenland paddles, and talked aboutrowing, using our Avery Point Dories asexamples.A big thanks to the Seaport Boathousecrew, our sincere thanks to eachindividual, as we sorted out folks whowanted to try our respective boats andshared life preservers and oars. ShannonMcKenzie was instrumental in initialwebsite communications with DavidWyman and Haley Grove a constantsource of support to David and methroughout the weekend.A high point for me was strollingthrough the Rossie Mill small craftcollection with Ben Fuller, that walkingencyclopedia, and seeing the originalsof the Boathouse boats on which weworked all winter to get ready for thisbig weekend. A big appreciation to DanaHewson for making that collectionavailable.Please let me know of anyimprovements we can include next year.I think we reached a lot of people withvarying backgrounds but a commoninterest in simple boats with a strongtradition.Regards,Bill and Karen Rutherford26 Northwest StreetStonington, CT 0637819The Ash Breeze, Fall 2013

Coming NC Events24 th Annual North Carolina Seafood Festival RegattaSunday, October 6, 2013Traditional Skiff Race—Morehead City to BeaufortAll traditional sailing vesselsare welcome to participate.For additional information,or to sign up as skipper or crew,callThe Friends of the Museum,NC Maritime Museum(252) 728-276213 th Annual Fall in-the-Water MeetSaturday, October 19, 201310:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.Hosted by the Local Chapter of theTraditional Small Craft Association,Friends of the Museum,and the NC Maritime Museumat the Museum’s Gallants Channel Annex.For more information contactThe Friends’ office: Brent 252-728-2762or the William in the Watercraft Center: 728-6673One of the original Gloucester Gulls, designedby Bolger and built by Dynamite Payson is forsale. It is described as in good, sound, originalcondition, needs a new coat of paint. Locatedin Mystic, CT. $1,000. Call 860-536-6200The Ash Breeze, Fall 2013 20

ALBERT’S WOODEN BOATS INC.• Double ended lapstrake• Marine ply potted in Epoxy• Rowboats – 15’ & fast 17’• Electric Launches – 15’ & 18’A. Eatock, 211 Bonnell Rd.Bracebridge, ONT. CANADA P1L 1W9705-645-7494 alsboats@sympatico.caGreat Lakes Boat Building School485 South Meridian RoadCedarville, MI 49719906-484-1081greatlakesboatbuilding.org21The Ash Breeze, Fall 2013

260 Dyckman AvenueSouth Haven, MI 49090269.637.8078800.747.3810michiganmaritimemuseum.orgDuck Soup Inn50 Duck Soup LaneFriday Harbor, WA 98250360-378-4878Fine Dining for SailorsLes GuntherA growing collectionof high qualityvideos and blogsthat bring youinside the worldof traditional boats.Visit the following websitefor a 10% discounton membership:www.OffCenterHarbor.com/TSCAThe Ash Breeze, Fall 2013 22

Chuck Sutherland & Marilyn Vogel2210 Finland Rd, Green Lane, PA 18054seashell@entermail.netwww.enter.net/~skimmer/drathmarinehttp://drathmarine.com1557 Cattle Point RoadFriday Harbor, WA 98250Mole got it right...C Fox Wood Boats:Building Custom Wood BoatsWooden Boatbuilding School16320 Red Pine DriveKent City, MI 49330Phone (616)675-3188www.cfoxwoodboats.comSIRI18’ canoe yawlfor glued lapstrake,traditional, or coldmolded construction• Designs for power, sail, oars, and electric driveGACO oarlock snaps onto the oarfor semi-permanent capture. Madefrom hardened 316 stainless and UVproof polypropylene. Kind to oars, itscarefully angled shape cuts out frictionand wear. Cost: $35 for two oarlocks,two sockets and sleeves from JamestownDistributors.• Custom designs for amateur or professional builders• Kits and bare hulls available for COQUINA and BEACH PEAD. N. Hylan & Associates53 Benjamin River DriveBrooklin, ME 04616207-359-9807web site: www.dhylanboats.com email: doug@dhylanboats.comIT’S A GOOD TIME TO DO IT YOURSELF...WE CAN HELP23The Ash Breeze, Fall 2013

LABRIE SMALL CRAFTThe Design Works9101 Eton Road, Silver Spring MD 20901301-589-9391www.messingabout.comMatinicus 18www.labriesmallcraft.com(207) 570-2300Specializing inSmall-Craft Sailswww.dabblersails.comdab@crosslink.netPh/fax 804-580-8723PO Box 235, Wicomico Church, VA 22579Stuart K. Hopkins, Sole Prop.The Ash Breeze, Fall 2013 24

Thad Danielson BoatsThad Danielson, builder, designer, consultant42 French RdCummington, MA 01026thaddanielson@comcast.net413-634-5339www.thandanielsonboats.comGeoff Kerr2211 Route 128, Westford, VT 05494tdbotwks@sover.net802-849-657925The Ash Breeze, Fall 2013

“Traditional Methods andMaterials”WOODWARD BOATSHOPGuideboat Building & RestorationsAccessories, Hardware & SuppliesCHRISTOPHER WOODWARDwww.guideboats.com518.891.3961, 3 Hanmer Avenue(intersection of Lake St. and Rte3)Saranac Lake, NY 12983ROB BARKERWooden Boat Buildingand Repair615 MOYERS LANEEASTON, PA 18042Now inOur 29thYear!Monthly we arrive in your mail with interestingarticles from our readers about dreaming of,designing, building or restoring, sailing, rowing,paddling and adventuring in small boats. Plusreaders’ letters, Bolger on Design, featuredcolumnists, advertising from boatbuilders, restorers,and suppliers of plans and material for smallboating, and free subscriber classified ads.60 Pages — 12 Issues/Year$8 Trial Subscription (3 Issues)$32 Subscription (12 Issues)SEND FOR FREE SAMPLE COPYMessing About in Boats29 Burley St., Wenham, MA 01984www.messingaboutinboats.comBob Hicks, Editor & PublisherThe Ash Breeze, Fall 2013 26

TSCA MEMBERSHIP FORM – Join and Renew Online at www.tsca.netNew Membership Membership Renewal/Upgrade Change of AddressIndividual/Family: $20 annually Sponsor: $50 annually Sponsor with ad: $60 annuallyCorporate Sponsor with ad: see belowPatron: $100 annuallyCanada or Mexico: Airmail, $25 annuallyOther Foreign: Airmail, $30 annuallyEnclosed is my check for $ ________________________ made payable to TSCA.Chapter member? Yes No Which Chapter?_____________________________________________________________________________Name_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Address_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________City ____________________________________ State/Prov.___________ Zip/Postal Code _______________ Country____________________________E-mail________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Photocopy and mail to: Secretary, Traditional Small Craft Association, Inc., PO Box 350, Mystic, CT 06355. Or go online to tsca.net/member_join.htmlNote: Individual and Family Memberships qualify for one vote and one copy of each TSCA mailing.Family Memberships qualify all members of the immediate family to participate in all other TSCA activities.The Ash BreezeWinter 2013, Volume 34, Number 4Editorial Deadline: November 1, 2013Articles: The Ash Breeze is a membersupportedpublication; members arewelcome to contribute. We stronglyencourage you to send materialelectronically. Send text in an e-mailmessage, or as an MS Word attachment.Send photos as e-mail attachments, in TIFFor JPG formats, as large and/or as highresolutionas possible. Please give captionsnaming people, places, and to whom photocredit should be given. You may also submitphotographic prints, clean line drawings ortypewritten material by U.S. Mail. Pleasecontact us IN ADVANCE if you must submithandwritten text, or material in anotherword processing or image format.E-mail to: mikewick55@yahoo.com orandy@marinermedia.com.The editors reserve the right to refuse publication of anymaterial deemed not to be in the best interest of the TSCA.Advertising Rates: For insertion into fourconsecutive issues of The Ash Breeze —Sponsor, no ad ....................................$50Sponsor, with 1/8 page ad .................$60Corporate Sponsor: 1/4 page ........... $125Corporate Sponsor: 1/2 page ...........$250Corporate Sponsor: full page..........$350Full Color Ads:1/4 and 1/8 page, add $501/2 and full page, add $100Members’ Exchange:Text only: 50 words or less, free tomembers. $10 additional, per photo.TSCA WaresBack Issues: Original/duplicated at $4each, plus postage.Volume Year IssueNewsletter....... 1975–1977.......... 1,2,3,41........................ 1978.................... 1,2,3,42........................ 1979.................... 13........................ 1979–1981.......... 1–94–5.................... 1982–1983.......... 1,2,3,46........................ 1984.................... 1,2,47–19................... 1985–1997.......... 1,2,3,420...................... 1998–1999.......... 1,2,321...................... 1999–2000.......... 1,2,3,422...................... 2001.................... 1,2,323...................... 2002.................... 1,2,324–31................ 2003–2010.......... 1,2,3,432...................... 2011.................... 1,2,3Contact Flat Hammock Press forback-issue ordering details:Flat Hammock Press5 Church Street, Mystic, CT 06355860-572-2722steve@flathammockpress.comCaps: Pre-washed 100% cotton, slateblue, TSCA logo in yellow and white.Adjustable leather strap and snap/buckle. $20. ($18 to members at TSCAmeets.)T-shirts: 100% cotton, light gray withTSCA logo. $15.00 postpaid for sizes M,L, and XL; $16.00 for XXL.Patches: 3 inches in diameterfeaturing our logo with a white sail anda golden spar and oar on a light-bluebackground. Black lettering and a darkblueborder. $3.00 Please send a SASEwith your order.Decals: Mylar-surfaced weatherproofdecals similar to the patches except theborder is black. Self-sticking back. $1.Please send a SASE with your order.Burgees: 12” x 18” pennant: royalblue field and sewn TSCA logo in whiteand gold. Finest construction. $25postpaid.Visit: www.tsca.net/wares.htmlfor ordering information.Time to renew?Help us save time and postage by updating your membership beforewe send you a renewal request. Cut out or photocopy the membershipform at the top of this page, complete it and return it with your renewalpayment to the Secretary, PO Box 350, Mystic, CT 06355. Or, you maysend the address portion of the back cover with your payment.27The Ash Breeze, Fall 2013

The TraditionalSmall CraftAssociation, Inc.P.O. Box 350Mystic CT 06355ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTEDNon-Profit Org.U.S. POSTAGEPAIDWaynesboro, VAPermit No. 129Join our new “Traditional Small Craft Association” Facebook group!Upcoming ShowsThe Perfect Christmas GiftOct 3-6 US Power Boat ShowAnnapolis MDwww.usboat.com/uspowerboat-show/homeOct 10-14 US Sailboat ShowAnnapolis MDwww.usboat.com/ussailboat-show/home6821 Rte 7 S.N. Ferrisburgh, VT 05473Shop Phone:802-425-3926guideboat@together.netVisit our website:www.adirondack-guide-boat.com