The Keystone State's Official Boating Magazine VIEWPOINT Novelty Craft

Recently a distributor sent us a video tape of a device that the com- pany is trying to market in America. The question put to us was, "Is it legal on Pennsylvania waters?" The device is a jet drive boat about seven feet in length, but there's no place for an operator. It comes equipped with a tether about 40 feet long with the controls at the end of the tether. A water skier operates the boat and skis at the same time. It looked so easy, those young people skimming along, making the small boat ahead do any maneuver they wished. And it sure looked like fun. We had to respond to the distributor that we're sorry but these devices would not be allowed on our waters because, in addition to the skier, there must also be an operator and an observer. You've heard the expression, "It takes three to ski." At the moment, I'm looking at a full-page ad in a boating magazine, displaying a pair of devices that look like water-borne snowmobiles. These boats are legal to operate in most waters of Pennsylvania. They look like fun, too. We've mentioned only two of the many unique boats that are coming on the market daily. They are known variously as thrill craft, novelty craft, sea cycles, surf skis, jet skis, pedal paddles, and on and on. The challenge faced by the authorities is to develop regulations to allow for the safe operation of these boats, and at the same time, im- pinge minimally on the freedom of the traditional users of our waters. The process has started. Construction standards are such that those unique boats are stable, safely powered with jets rather than propellers, and well-designed with built-in safety equipment such as fire protection and positive flotation. Just as it took imagination and innovation to design these boats, it is going to take imagination and innovation, and most of all courtesy and an open mind, to accommodate these boats on our waters. Our population, though not as young as it used to be, is much more physically fit. We're taught now that rest and relaxation do not necessarily mean an afternoon on a beach towel, but that rest and relaxation are much more effective if we actively work off our frustra- tions. That's why bicycling, running, alpine skiing and swimming have increased in popularity. Even we of the sedentary set feel as if we should get out and walk regularly. So our toys, even our water toys, are becoming more action-oriented. As regulators, we'll have to stay with it. And we're doing something about it. This June, the Fish Commission is hosting the Northeast States Boating Administrators Conference in Gettysburg. The theme of that conference has to do with unique boats. We'll have water demonstrations, including hands-on operation, so that John Simmons our regulators can see and feel for themselves the fun and pleasure that Acting Director these new toys can bring. Bureau of Boating Pennsylvania Fish Commission May/June 1987 Vol. 4 No. 3 Editor/Art Michaels Graphic Designer/Ted Welke The cover T Photographer/Russ Gettig This issue's front cover, photographed by Joe Workosky, shows Circulation/Eleanor Mutch a youngster enjoying a free ride on Raystown Lake, Hun- PennsylvaniaII Staff Assistant/Rose Ann Bartel tingdon County. Speaking of enjoyment, if you are a canoeist, Staff Assistant/Charlene Glisan see how much you really know about your sport by taking the test that begins on page 4. Water skiers will want to check out page 30, and motorboaters may want to scan the article that begins on page 22. Buying a boat? Don't until you read the feature beginning on page 8. For entertaining, informative reading, please see pages 12, 16, and 28.

Test Your Canoe IQ by Cliff Jacobson How much do you really know about canoes and canoeing? 4

Systematic Boat Buying by Stephen A. Knox Taking one step at a time in this process lets you get the right boat at the best price 8

The Boating Advisory Board by John Simmons Who are the members of this group, and on what subjects do they advise the Commission9 1/

Rowboats... Remember Them? by Mike Bleech You'd be surprised how many different kinds of rowboats there are, and just what is a "rowboat,"anyway9 12

Kids Page 15

Dave Bierig, Erie Sailmaker by Jack Grazier Mr. Bierig combines old-world workmanship with computer-age technology in this ancient art 16

Hard Knocks Boat Operating Lessons by Art Michaels Read this and maybe you won't have to go through some of these paces 22

Shenango Lake—Boater's Delight by Thad Bukowski The author reveals all about this Mercer County gem 25

The Last Sail of the Season by Jack Grazier There are some family sailing experiences—then there are others 28

Water Skiing Basics by John M. Cornish II You're a water skier, but your boating guests aren't Introducing them to your sport can be fun and painless 30 Pennsylvania Fish Commission Boating Advisory Board T. T. (Ted) Metzger, Jr. Leonard A. Green Viewpoint 2 President Carlisle Leroy Guccini Currents 19 Johnstown Ross J. Huhn Chairman The Law & You 19 Joan R. Plumly Saltsburg Greentown Calendar 20 Vice President Calvin J. Kern Clayton Buchanan Jenkintown Whitehall Pittsburgh Boat Pennsylvania(ISSNO888-1561) 5 published bimonthly by the Pennsylvania Fish Commis- Marilyn A. Black Leon Reed Helen B. Lange sion, 3532 Walnut Street. Harrisburg, PA 17109. 1987. Subscription rates: one year. $4: single copies are 80 cents each. Second class postage is paid at Harrisburg, PA. POSTMASTER:Send Meadville Honesdale Sharpsville address changes to: Boat PA Circulation, Pennsylvania Fish Commission, P.O. Box 1673. Hat. risburg. PA 17105-1673. For subscription and change or aooress, use above address. Send an David Coe J. Wayne Yorks Thaddeus Piotrowski other correspondence to: The Editor. Boat Pennsytvania,PO. Box 1673, Harrisburg. PA 17105-1673. Benton Editorial contributions are welcomed, but must be accompanied by a sell-addressed, stamped State College Bloomsburg envelope Submissions are handled with care. but the publisher assumes no responsibility for Mark Faulkner Edward J. Rogowski the return or safety of submissions in his possession or in tranSit. The authors views. ideas. and whim° expressed in this magazine do not nocessarity reflect the Opinion or official position Boalsburg Holland St the Pennsylvania Fish Commission or its staff. pring is in the air! A wonderland of Then there's the matter of inappropri- ,0 You're canoeing a river in early canoeing fun waited patiently for ate equipment. For example, lean, fast spring. Just ahead, the river turns Sthe ice to clear and now the rivers cruising canoes have no business on tough sharply to the right, and you observe flow freely again. Some canoe folk will whitewater trips, and skittish slalom boats much floodwater debris piled on the out- test their mettle by challenging the are plainly out of place on open-water side curve. To avoid the debris and whitewater of spring runoff. Others await cruises. Canoe designs are highly negotiate the curve, you must: a) turn warmer weather and the joys of a lazy specific; each has a reason for being. "A your canoe smartly toward the right shore float with family and friends. And any canoe is not a canoe:" one model cannot and paddle! b) turn your canoe smartly time is a good time just to get out and serve all purposes. toward the left shore and paddle! c) paddle—lakes, rivers, mill ponds, no mat- Here's a simple quiz that tests your sideslip the canoe to the safety of the right ter. It's not important when or where you knowledge of canoes and canoeing. A inside bend. d) turn the canoe approx- canoe. Time on the water is what counts! perfect score won't guarantee your safe- imately 30 degrees to the current, tail- Unfortunately, all the dangers inherent ty or even make you a more efficient pad- tucked toward the right, inside bend. to canoesport peak in spring. Each year, dler. Only skill and the right equipment Hold this angle as you paddle powerful- we hear about canoeists who inadvertent- can do that. ly backwards. ly paddled over falls or dams because they True or false: It's safe to run a dam Your canoe grounds on a rock and lacked the skills to avoid them. The in an open canoe as long as it's a spins broadside to the current. To hazards of ice-cold floodwater, powerful low-head dam with a drop of less than save the day you should: a) lean currents, strainers and sweepers are two feet. downstream; perhaps the canoe will slide thoroughly documented in every canoe- Ahead is a rapid with waves that off the rock. b) lean upstream; perhaps ing text, and at least once a year in every are big enough to swamp your the canoe will slide off the rock, c) do boating magazine. But people don't open canoe. The best procedure for get- not lean the canoe! You'll capsize it pay much attention. Accidents continue ting through them is to: a) paddle power- for sure! to happen. fully forward, b) allow the canoe to drift through the waves at river speed, c) backpaddle. 4 Boat Pennsylvania Given: two fiberglass canoes, one white, the other red. The TEST white one: a) weighs about the same as the red one. b) probably weighs more than the red one. c) probably weighs less YOUR than the red one. True or false: A canoe that's used primarily for lake travel should have a keel of some sort. CANOE halmost rfo c, toy make 114s high impossibleperformance pad- dling") canoes out of which of the follow- ing materials: a) aluminum, b) fiber- glass/Kevlar, c) Royalex, d) polyethylene. Which canoe material is easiest to repair: a)fiberglass, b) Kevlar, c) Royalex, d) polyethylene, e)aluminum. True, false, or open to inter- pretation: If you're a fan of the canoeing literature, you know that the modern way to paddle a canoe is to sit not kneel. BY CLIFF JACOBSON Which is stronger, a 75-pound PHOTOS BY THE AUTHOR all-cloth fiberglass canoe or a 50-pound all-Kevlar canoe? True or false: Tlimblehome (the inward curve of a canoe's hull above the waterline) is used on some of the best canoes because it increases seaworthiness. True or false: If you want to race, 19• get a paddle with the widest possible blade. Wide blades push more water than narrow blades, which makes the canoe go faster. Which formula for paddle Your canoe turns broadside and You're canoeing down a large rapid selection is correct? a) The is carried into the branches of a in the midst of which is a large bowperson's paddle should reach to the tree. You should: a) grab hold of the bran- boulder. Water flows around the boulder chin; a stern paddle should come to the ches and pull the canoe to safety. b) lean but not over it. Behind the boulder is a eyes. b) paddle length should equal the upstream so that the branches hit the hull "quiet" spot, free of river turbulence. You breadth of your outstretched arms. c) of the canoe instead of you. c) lean should: a) avoid this spot like the plague; either formula is correct, d) neither for- downstream but don't grab the branches. the undertow will flip you for sure! b) use mula is correct. All things equal, which canoe is it as a safe place to rest and study the 21. Tntraukeeo art faarlhs e a:hTdheer speedfastestts way o d to faster—a 16-footer or an lower rapid. 18/12 -footer? You're canoeing down a wind- ia owerful rudder from the stern. Which canoe would be best for swept lake. The safest procedure 2You're canoeing downwind on running the whitewater of a fast (from the standpoint of control) is to: a) • a wave-tossed lake. The safest river: a) a 16-foot canoe with a banana- quarter the waves at about a 30-degree procedure is to: a) drift with the waves, shaped (heavily rockered) keel line, or angle. This gives the bow more lift and ruddering when necessary, b) keep pad- b) an 18-footer with a straight(no rocker) makes for a drier ride. b) have the bow dling, rudder when necessary, c) either keel line? person move behind the front seat, then technique works fine. To turn a canoe to the right when paddle the canoe head-on into the waves. Which is safer, canoeing down- it's running at cruising speed, you c) bow person moves behind the front wind or upwind on a wave- should: a) lean the hull to the left (op- seat, and stern paddler slides forward to filled lake? posite direction of the turn), b) lean the the stern thwart, which lightens both True or false: The safest way to hull to the right (in the direction of the ends. The canoe is then paddled head-on cross a windy lake is to lash two turn), c)leaning does not influence turns. into waves. canoes together, catamaran-style. You need proper paddling strokes to Which canoe material is least True or false: You don't need a do that. likely to hang up on rocks in 25• special down-sized life jacket for rapids? a) Kevlar, b) fiberglass, c) a child. An adult model works fine as aluminum, d) polyethylene, e) Royalex. long as it has plenty of flotation. May/June 1987 5 angled toward the inside bend. Then, pad- may require less effort to paddle at a given dle powerfully forward. This "forward speed than a heavy 18½-footer. But the Absolutely false! It's never safe to ferry" technique is standard operating longer canoe will be capable of a higher run a dam in any watercraft. Even procedure for quick-pivoting kayaks and top speed. In canoes of similar breeding, a low-head dam can generate a bacicroller slalom canoes. longer canoes usually paddle easier than at its base that is powerful enough to stop A. Never lean upstream! Leaning short ones. and hold a canoe and its occupants. Penn- upstream is a sure recipe for a cap- A. Short canoes fit more easily be- sylvania has some 2,000 low-head dams. size. If the canoe upsets on an upstream tween waves and turn better than For the complete lowdown on low-head lean, it's certain to be filled with water long canoes. Rockered ends make for fast dams, see page 30 of the May/June 1984 and wrap (or break!) around a turns and permit the canoe to rise more Boat Pennsylvania. downstream obstacle. easily with waves. You must have substan- C. To maintain control, the canoe C. Capsizing in low-slung branches tial rocker in a whitewater canoe. must travel faster or slower than the (a "sweeper") is one of the most Lean left (the Bournelli principle), current. Slow the canoe and it will lift common hazards in canoesport. If the opposite of what you'd do on a bicy- over big waves rather than plow current is driving the canoe through the cle. Pro racers rely on "off-side" leans dangerously through them. Judicious use sweeper, it is imperative that you don't to do much of their turning. Try it: Get of draw and pry strokes provides all the grab branches. Doing so will surely cap- up a head of steam, lean the canoe(a few control you need. Gross course correc- size the craft. Only after the canoe has inches is sufficient), and watch the boat tions may be made by backferrying the fully grounded in the sweeper should you carve a nice, gentle turn through canoe (see "Playing the Currents," Boat grab branches and climb out. the water. Pennsylvania, September/October 1985). The 18'/2-footer. Canoes are B. An eddy is a canoeist's friend. Negotiating big waves at high speeds displacement hulls. Maximum The quiet water below an obstacle guarantees swamping unless the canoe has speed is determined by overall length. is actually a gentle upstream current that a full-fabric splash cover. Shifting to high You can compute the relationship by ap- will hold you solidly in place. Whitewater gear is desirable only when waves are so plying the over-simplified formula: S =- canoeists negotiate complex rapids by large that the canoe is likely to be buried 1.55 x WL (Speed in miles per hour hopping from eddy to eddy. in the trough below. Under these condi- equals 1.55 times the square root of the C. Lightening both ends is the tions, forward speed and a splash cover waterline length, measured in feet.) best practice because it provides are essential. By this calculation, the 18/12-footer lift plus an even keel for best control. D. This procedure, called the peaks at about 6.7 miles per hour, and Quartering waves, as recommended in the backferry, is the safest—and a 16-footer reaches about 6.2 miles canoeing literature, is more difficult than sometimes the only—way to negotiate a per hour. it appears. It takes a straight-keeled canoe turn in an open canoe. You can also spin Note that speed and ease of paddling and a good team to hold a quartering the canoe 180 degrees to the current, bow are not the same. A small, light canoe angle in a rough sea. The penalty for los- 6 Boat Pennsylvania ing the angle of attack in big waves is a If seats are set low in a canoe, it may to the place from which the stroke sure broach and an instant capsize. be impossible to kneel under them. If originated. A certain amount of paddle D and E (polyethylene and Roya- seats are mounted high, you may have to surface area is required to move the lex) are the slipperiest canoe kneel to ensure stability in rough water. canoe. Increasing surface area is more ef- materials. Kevlar and fiberglass rate And if the bow of the canoe is too nar- fective only in aerated water or in shallow second. Aluminum sticks to everything! row to allow you to spread your knees water where you can't submerge the C, by as much as four pounds in wide for a good purchase on the hull whole blade. Very wide (over 9 inches) a typical 17-foot canoe. That's blades are awkward to use and noisy. because it takes more color agent in the Knowledgeable cruisers choose paddle gel-coat to get a dark red color than a blades that are 7/12 to 8/12 inches wide. white one. D. Paddle length is determined Absolutely false! Straight-line by the length of your upper tor- tracking is achieved by combin- so, the length (reach) of your arms, and ing these variables: long length, narrow the height of your canoe seat. The best hull with round or vee bottom, fine ends, way to determine paddle length is to sit and a straight keel line (no rocker). The on the canoe seat. Measure the distance real purpose of keels is to stiffen the from your nose to the water. That's the canoe's bottom. Rounded and V-form shaft length. To this add the length of the hulls are naturally rigid, but flat bottoms blade. Note that the length of the require some bracing to prevent "oil- paddle is in part programmed by the canning." Almost without exception, blade length. keels are the mark of an inferior canoe. False. A powerful draw or pry C and D. Royalex and poly- at the bow is more effective. The ethylene cannot be formed into bow initiates turns; the stern checks them the tight curves needed to produce the with either a pry or draw. For this reason, fine entries needed for speed. "Beaver" most whitewater teams put their most canoes (no longer produced) showed that powerful paddler in the bow. efficient hull forms could be created from when kneeling, then you might as well sit B is generally preferred. You'll aluminum, with considerable cutting and and brace your feet against a bar or pack. lose control if you don't keep up welding. At this writing, only Kevlar, Racing canoes are narrow and have low speed; the result may be a broach and fiberglass and wood lend themselves to seats, the reason why racers never kneel. capsize. Always keep paddling in the production of efficient canoe shapes. Probably no difference. Kevlar is big waves. In order of ease of repair: a, b, about 40 percent stronger than Upwind: You have better e, c, d. Royalex, polyethylene, fiberglass and not quite half the weight. control. and aluminum canoes are, for aesthetic A 75-pound Kevlar canoe would certain- False. The canoeing literature purposes, impossible to repair. Severely ly be stronger than a glass model of the is rich with praise for cata- damaged fiberglass and Kevlar canoes same weight. Ultralight Kevlar canoes are maraned canoes. However, paired craft can usually be mended to imperceptible much less durable than most people respond poorly to the paddle and to the perfection by a skilled worker. think. Buy Kevlar for light weight, not pitch of a rough sea. They also take on Any canoe, regardless of material, in- high strength. water with each oncoming wave and must curs scratches and gouges if used regular- False. Thmblehome is used on constantly be bailed. A single canoe, ly. And the more "durable" a material, some of the best canoes but not paddled by a good team, is easier to con- the more difficult it usually is to effect for the reason cited. 113mblehome serves trol and runs drier than a catamaraned a cosmetic repair. So consider the merits two purposes: 1) It draws the sides of the craft. Some things work better in theory of a canoe that is easily mended over a canoe in closer (narrows the hull), which than in practice. more durable one which is not. makes the craft less cumbersome to pad- Absolutely false! Children have Open to interpretation. Whether dle; 2) curved sidewalls are stiffer than a different center of buoyancy you sit or kneel—or alternate flared or plumb (flat) sides; they do not than adults. Putting an adult-sized life vest between the two—depends on the type of require ribs for bracing. on a child may cause drowning. Children canoe you paddle, the height of your False. The paddle is actually a should be re-fitted with correctly sized canoe seats, and the shape of the stationary object. When the PFDs every year or two until bow quarter. stroke is taken, the canoe moves forward they stop growing. SCORING 23-25 correct Master: You know canoesport inside and out! 20-22 correct Expert: An old timer who knows the ropes! 17-19 correct Novice: Canoeing has captured your heart. Keep learning! 14-16 correct.. .. Amateur: Don't neglect your studies: Keep reading Boat PA! 0-13 correct. . . Newcomer: Where we all began. Welcome to the sport, friend!

May/June 1987 7 Systematic Boat Buying

dreams from the reality. willing to accept a filthy boat that needs by Stephen A. Knox Understanding the realities of boat buy- minor repairs in order to save $2,000? ing, though, can save you time and When you have identified your re- wo hundred years ago sailboats money. Boat buying, like boat design, is quirements, check the market to find what moved the cargo of the world and a series of compromises. Any change in designs are available to meet your re- T carried the dreams of youth. The one factor (age, condition, equipment, quirements, and at what cost. Look at era of cargo sail has long passed, but to- cost) alters the others. In looking for a enough boats to recognize a true bargain, day's boats still sail with a full load of boat you must first identify your re- then patiently shop until the right bargain dreams and dreamers. The hardest part quirements and establish some priorities comes along. Take one step at a time and of buying a pleasure boat is separating the for your shopping. For example, are you it is a simple process. 8 Etoat Pennsylvania Requirements To find just the right boat you must first identify your requirements. How will your boat be used—family day trips, Figure 1. serious fishing, water skiing, weekend cruising? You will better identify your re- YR PRICE DATE quirements if you already own a boat. OWNER/DEALER PHONE In our case, we owned a Columbia 22 sailboat and had enjoyed the large GENERAL cockpit. We found the cabin a bit EVALUATION: LOA EQUIPMENT: small, though, and wanted more room for cruising. Int. Layout: LWL Sails Our initial interest was in a 25-foot to Beam Winches 26-foot sailboat of about 5,000-pounds Genoa displacement with a maximum draft of Draft Gear three feet. We decided we could buy more boat for our limited dollars by shopping Deck Layout: Displ. Bow Pulpit the used market. The more accurately you Ballast Stern P. can identify your requirements, the easier it will be to find a boat that suits you, and Sail Area Lifelines the more likely you will stay pleased with Hull Layup: Type Keel Engine your choice. Head Organization Cockpit Comfort: FEATURE& Bilge Pump Once you specify exactly what you Cockpit Drains Battery think your new boat must be, boat shop- ping should become a systematic search Anchor Roller Stove for an affordable boat that meets all your Joinery: Vents Compass needs. A bit of organization is absolute- ly necessary to save wasted time, phone Cockpit Lockers Depthfinder calls, and confusion. In our case we didn't Hull-Deck Joint: Anchor Well VHF even bother to look at boats with a 4-foot draft, even though they might have been Opening Ports Knotmeter perfect in every other respect. Access to the pier behind our house is restricted by REMARKS: a bar that has a depth a little less than three feet at low tide, so we set a three-foot maximum draft. When we bought our first boat we never even thought of this consideration. is easy to file and I like the fill-in-the- The fourth section is a list of features Start building your data base as early blanks approach to gathering information. I wanted on my new boat and served as as possible. With time to spare, you can The form has all the information I need- a reminder to ask about the features in my look at several "acceptable" designs ed to evaluate a boat, and ensured that I first call. These are not absolute re- before deciding which best fills your re- gathered all the data I might need later. quirements but factors that deter- quirement. By following the market for My form has six separate areas. The mined which design would best satisfy several months you can confidently seize first identifies the boat—manufacturer our needs. a good buy, without suffering a day's in- and size, year model, price, date of my I filled in all the information during my decision that would give someone else the first inquiry, and owner/broker's name first call to the owner, then decided opportunity to snatch away your bargain. and telephone number. whether I was interested enough to look A "looking only" phase also allows you The second part lists the basic at the boat. Designs that did not meet our time to suffer sailor's buying lust and characteristics and dimensions of the specifications are dropped from con- recover before you start writing checks. boat. Most owners can supply this infor- sideration. I retained all the forms, By just looking for a month, I approached mation. If you collect boat brochures you though, to remind me later why I had re- ed my serious shopping with an objectivi- may already have this information. jected a certain boat. ty not otherwise possible. Next is a list of equipment included If we looked at a boat, we completed Systematic boat shopping builds with the boat. This checklist allowed me the fifth section of the form, an evalua- knowledge, and you must organize and re- to evaluate the owner's asking price in tion of the layout and arrangement. Figure tain that knowledge if it is to serve you. light of additional equipment I would add. 1 shows typical comments—terse phrases When I started my "looking phase" I In comparing the prices of two boats it designed to jog our memory about what developed a form to store my accumulated is important to consider any differences we liked or did not like. knowledge (Figure 1). A preprinted form in equipment. The remarks section was a catch-all for May/June 1987 9 lower than bank or finance company rates. Always ask. Evaluation, trial Thoroughly evaluate the boat before Figure 2. you make a firm offer. A 15-minute check suffices to decide if you are interested, Purchase Agreement but make a detailed examination before you commit yourself. Small Boat Survey- I agree to purchase as ing (Ian Nicholson, International Marine described in the attached list of equipment for a price of Publishing Co., Second edition 1985) and Commonsense Sailboat Buying (Hewitt and hereby submit a deposit of $ made payable Schlereth, Henry Regnery Co. 1977) can to teach you to organize common problems in buying used boats. Offer is subject to: Insist on a trial sail unless you have sail- The seller's presentation of proper Title/Bill of Sale. ed another boat of the class. Sellers are understandably reluctant to take casual AND: lookers for a ride and occasionally insist on a deposit as a condition for a trial. Do whatever it takes to sail the boat before you close the deal. I also recommend a professional survey, though you may well decide to forego the expense. A surveyor provides The seller certifies that the attached list of equipment is correct a reassuring second opinion of your and accepts the above offer. evaluation and will probably notice details (good and bad) that you overlooked. If the boat must be surveyed for insurance or SELLER DATE financing anyway, have the survey done before you buy. You may turn up major problems previously unnoticed—better BUYER DATE for them to be the seller's problems than your problems. Marine surveyors can be found in the yellow pages of the telephone book. Their any additional information—condition, not to make an offer. Boats always sell for fee will be about $6 to $8 per foot of owner financing, equipment included that less than the asking price. A comparison length overall, plus travel. was not listed, location of the boat, and of asking and selling prices helps you When you are finally satisfied, make amplification of items in the checklist make the best offer when you finally do a formal offer. If a broker is handling the sections. If the boat was advertised in find the right boat. sale he will put your proposal on paper, a newspaper, I taped the ad in the Be patient. It might take a long search collect a refundable deposit (generally 10 remarks section. to find an affordable boat that meets all percent) and pass the offer to the owner. Use the example shown in Figure 1 to your requirements. If you are dealing directly with the owner make your own form, either typed or When you do find exactly the right you may negotiate a verbal agreement, handwritten, and make as many copies as boat, do not hesitate. If you have fol- but I recommend that you make a writ- you think you will need. lowed the system I recommend you can ten offer instead. Figure 2 shows one sim- I filed all the forms, including those for judge the asking price and make a ple format for recording your offer. boats we had rejected, in a binder in reasonable offer. True bargains go quick- A written agreement prevents later alphabetical order by boat manufacturer. ly. Your background knowledge lets you misunderstanding. Few buyers or sellers That one notebook became my data base, recognize those rare cases that sell within would intentionally cheat one another, but a collection of the relative merits and a day or two, and make an immediate of- you should know exactly what is included demerits of every boat we considered. fer. If an owner's asking price is already with the boat. A written contract also re- By carefully following the market for low, and you really want the boat, do not cords details of money—not only the sell- several months and organizing the dicker too much. Better to pay asking ing price but also the deposit and any knowledge you gather, you are better price and have a bargain than offer $1,000 owner financing. equipped to find just the right boat. Once less and lose the deal. When the owner accepts your offer (or your shopping leads to a particular Inquire about owner financing. If you you negotiate a compromise price) your model, you know what price range to are a good credit risk and the owner has search is over. If you have done your expect, and how often one comes on no immediate plans for the cash, he might legwork you will be proud of having the market. finance your purchase. You can usually found just the right boat at just Follow up on a boat even if you choose negotiate an interest rate several points the right price. e 10 Boat Pennsylvania The Boating Advisory Board has been boating for many years and is active in the development of recreational boating in the Philadelphia/Delaware River area. Helen Lange comes to the Board with a long history of activity in recreational boating. Her husband, Frederick, was a member of the first Board in 1966. Fred was instrumental in the development of the first comprehensive set of boating regulations in the Commonwealth, and Helen was right in there with him. Hail- ing from Sharpsville, Helen does most of her boating on Pymatuning Lake, where in 1950 she joined the Pymatuning Yacht Club and actively sailed Lightning Class boats. Helen was an active member of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and was elected vice flotilla commander in by John Simmons solutions for consideration of the full 1978, 1980, 1981, and 1982. Board at its next scheduled meeting. Thaddeus Piotrowski, of Bloomsburg, any times you hear about the After the Board agrees on a proposed was appointed to the Board in 1986. He Boating Advisory Board and its regulation change, its recommendation earned a bachelor of science degree from M involvement in the establishment goes to the Fish Commission for con- California (PA) State Teachers College of regulations for the operation of boats sideration. If approved by the Commis- and a master's degree from Penn State. in the Commonwealth. Here's an insider's sion, the proposed regulation is then Since 1971 he has been active in the U.S. look into the Board's activities, and who published in Pennsylvania Bulletin as a Coast Guard Auxiliary. He has taught the members are. notice of proposed rulemaking. This many boating safety and seamanship The Board is comprised of five knowl- notice invites public comment for a classes, and he's supervised sailing edgeable boaters who are appointed by period of 30 days. If no substantive ob- classes. His leadership role in the Aux- the governor to staggered terms of five jections are received, the proposed iliary includes his serving as public years. Individually these members repre- regulations are brought before the Com- education officer, membership training sent no specific geographic area or par- mission again at its next meeting for final officer, courtesy motorboat examiner, and ticular boating group, and they serve approval. After various legal reviews, the flotilla commander. without pay. The secretary of the Depart- adopted regulations are again published Leroy Guccini, of Greentown (Lake ment of Environmental Resources(DER), in Pennsylvania Bulletin. Wallenpaupack) PA, was appointed to the the executive director of the Fish Com- On May 6, 1985, Governor Thornburgh Board in December 1985. Mr. Guccini mission, and the state boating law ad- named Edward Rogowski, David Coe, earned a bachelor of science degree from ministrator, who is the Fish Commission and Helen Lange to the Board. He also Penn State, and has served in the U.S. Air Bureau of Boating director and secretary reappointed the former chairman of the Force. He is a past president and direc- to the Board, are ex officio members. The Board, Clayton Buchanan. Mr. Coe has tor of the Lake Wallenpaupack Associa- deputy director of the Bureau of State since become a Pennsylvania Fish tion, and he is director of the Pocono Parks is the designated alternate for the Commissioner. Mountains Vacation Bureau. Mr. Guccini secretary of the DER. Mr. Buchanan resides in Pittsburgh and is also a life member and director of The function of the Board is to advise has been involved in boating all his life. the Pennsylvania Boating Association, the Fish Commission on all matters He is an active member of the U.S. Power and he is a member of the Wallen- relating to boating on the waters of the Squadrons, the U.S. Coast Guard Aux- paupack Yacht Club. Mr. Guccini is cur- Commonwealth and to make recommen- iliary, and the Pennsylvania Boating rently chairman of the Boating Ad- dations on proposed boating regulations. Association. Licensed as a river captain visory Board. Meetings of the Board take place twice by the U.S. Coast Guard, he currently For information on the dates and sites a year on a scheduled basis to consider plies the Three Rivers in the motor vessel of Boating Advisory Board meetings, changes to the boating regulations. These Good Ship Lollipop. "Red," as he is check Boat Pennsylvania's "Calendar" meetings are open to the public, and the known to his friends, has been a member column, or call the Fish Commission public is encouraged to participate in any of the Board since 1977. Bureau of Boating at 717-657-4540. discussion. Additionally, individual Ed Rogowski is from Holland, PA. He members of the Board may meet infor- is vice-president of the Pennsylvania mally on location to see firsthand what Boating Association and president of the John Simmons is acting director of the the problems are and to develop possible Delaware River Yachtsmen's League. Ed Commission Bureau of Boating. May/June 1987 11 Rowboats • Remembto by Mike Bleech ometime in the distant past a human climbed onto a floating log and in- Svented the boat. Maybe that same early human kicked his or her feet and invented propulsion. A pole was probably the first tool used to propel a boat, and later came the paddle. The invention of oars, and thus the rowboat, is also obscure. We know that the Greeks used rowboats in the Classical Era, and the Egyptian pharoahs were rowed along the Nile. Since that time, changes in the rowboat have been insignificant. Yet, rowboats have endured. They have stood the test of time and must certainly be ranked among the most useful of creations. When the rowboat is mentioned most people probably envision an aluminum boat about 12 feet in length, pointed at one end and squared off at the other. Most dictionaries define rowboat as "a boat for rowing," or something meaning the same thing. As true as this definition may be, it is a great injustice to a boat built specifically to be rowed. A genuine rowboat is not meant to be sailed. It has no place to attach a motor. So then, what is a rowboat? That is a difficult question to answer. How does this sound: A rowboat reaches its peak efficiency under power of oars. It is designed to be propelled by the oarsman with a minimum of effort. Almost all rowboats have two things in common. First, they slip through the water with little resistance, and second, their trailing ends follow with little drag. The aluminum semivee does not fit this description of the rowboat, as anyone who has rowed one knows. Most small boats built in recent years that are sold as rowboats were designed to be powered by small outboard motors. They perform nicely when slid over the water by the gas motor, but there is entirely too much drag at the speeds generated by oars. A stroke of the oars gains precious little distance. That is, after the oar stroke, or pull, the boat quickly loses velocity. 12 Boat Pennsylvania 5 14/05-,

Drift boats Drift boats, used by steelhead and salmon anglers in the western states and on some Great Lakes and Rocky Moun- tain waters, are probably the most com- mon type of rowboat today in the United States. However, these boats are not in- tended to be rowed in the conventional sense. Instead of propelling the boat for- 111:‘` f711:11111111'11U ward by pulling on the oars, the oarsman pulls on the oars to slow the downstream movement of the boat, while facing the direction in which the boat is moving. Drift boats have flat bottoms that slope up fore and aft. Viewed from the side, the bottom profile is similar to the rocker of a rocking chair. This design slips through the water neatly with very little resistance or drag. With no keel, they are extreme- ly maneuverable in the swift, boulder- 'frno I strewn rivers on which they are used. Dories Very similar to the drift boat is a more traditional design, the dory. Its narrow, flat bottom is like the drift boat bottom "77 in profile. The high flared sides and pointed ends make it quite seaworthy. It is a popular design along the oceanic coasts. In fact, the dory is symbolic of the New England Coast, where it performs a wide variety of jobs for commercial fishermen and sailors. Another genuine rowboat with a great tradition is the Adirondack guide boat. Though a thing of the past, this design was once a common sight along lakes in the northeastern states. Canoe-like in ap- pearance, it was long, slender, and pointed at both ends with a slightly round- /516 ed bottom. The Adirondack guide boat may have been the first cartopper. White pine planking over spruce ribs was the original construction, while canvas sometimes replaced the pine to make an extremely light craft that could be carried on the back for miles. Even the pine version was light enough for a man to load on- to a car roof. May/June 1987 13 button be extended by wrapping the oar with PARTS OF AN OAR twine in the area adjacent to the pin. Elec- leather trical tape can be used for a quick wrap. Strokes handle The heart of rowing is the rowing stroke. This is a four-part operation consisting of the catch, pull, feather loom and recovery. The "catch" is placing the blades into the water, ready for the pull. Upper edges of the blades should be at the surface of the water. The rower's body will be bent forward with arms straight. John boats "Pull" is the effort that actually pro- John boats were developed at the other There may be as many types of pels the boat. Arms are held straight end of our young country. These craft oarlocks as there are rowboats. Three while the body leans back so the weight have flat bottoms that rise at each end. basic types are open ring and pin of the body does most of the work. Do The sides are low. John boats are general- oarlocks. The open oarlock has been us- not pull the oars by bending the arms at ly much wider than other rowboats. Bow ed in many variations, from the simple the elbows. and transom are squared. t-hole pins to the Davis, which swivels Oars are "feathered" at the end of the Adirondack guide boats and john boats down and out of the way when not in use. pull by dropping the wrists thus rotating are representative of the two basic types The ring-type completely encircles the the oars to a position in which the flat sur- of rowboats: those that slip through the oar, making it a good choice when the faces of the blades are parallel to the sur- water, and those that slip over the water. oarsman must occasionally release the face of the water. This keeps wind The wide, flat bottoms glide over the grip on the oars. The pin-type does not resistance against the oars at a minimum, water, while the narrow bottoms with permit feathering of the oars. However, and it causes relatively little resistance pointed ends cut through the water. the pin type is most popular among should the oars strike a wave. There is an endless variety of rowboat anglers and when inexperienced people In the latter case, feathering could pre- designs inspired by local water conditions will handle the oars. vent the oars from being jerked from the and by the jobs the boats are intended to Oars are all basically the same, with the rower's grasp. Pin-type oarlocks do not do. Onejob that helps the rowboat to en- major exceptions of size and method of allow feathering, while any good rower dure is duck hunting, because motors can- connection to the oarlock. Ash is the best will tell you that feathering is the key to not be used to get hunters close to ducks. wood from which to make oars, and a lot efficient rowing. However, pin-type Typical duck boats, such as sneak boats, of spruce has gone into oar construction oarlocks are seldom installed on genuine have low sides and are decked to keep out over the years. Most oars are from six feet rowboats, so the point may be water and to hide hunters. in length to eight feet. Six-footers are used insignificant. Perhaps the most graceful of all for 10-foot boats, while the 8-footers are "Recovery," made with oars in the rowboats was the Whitehall, a long, lean called for with longer, wider boats. Oars feathered position, returns oars and rower craft with a rounded bottom. The bow should be set in the locks so that the to the catch position. A good rowboat will was pointed, the transom squared above handles nearly touch. coast, or maintain way, during this part the waterline but pointed below. It was The parts of the oar are: the handle by of the operation. This is the time for the developed in the early part of the 19th which the oar is gripped; the blade, which rower to get any needed rest. century for the purpose of taxiing people is the wide part used to thrust through the Rowing is fine exercise, a good means in New York Harbor. Its flared sides kept water; the tip, which is the waterward end of transportation, and a pleasing pastime. passengers dry, while its sharp entry of the blade; and the loom, which is the Like fly fishing, getting there is half the made for a reasonably smooth ride. shaft between the blade and handle. fun. Because good rowboats are hard to The sport of rowboat racing helps to When the pin oarlock is used, a pin find, it seems unlikely that the art of row- preserve and improve the noble art of through the loom is the connection bet- ing will experience any great resurgence rowing. Popular at some of the finest in- ween oar and lock. Oars for most other in the near future. stitutions of learning and at some private types of locks have a leather that prevents Most rowing is probably done in gym- clubs, the sport is even an Olympic event. wear on the oar from the lock. A button, nasiums on rowing machines. But the ex- Boats built for this sport are long, or preventer, is usually at the inboard end ercise buffs who operate those machines narrow, light and have precious of the leather to prevent the oar from slip- will not know the tranquility that comes little freeboard. ping into the water should the rower lose with a quiet row along one of our lovely a grip on the oar. waterways. They will not share the water Oars, oarlocks Pin oarlocks, though frowned on by with the wildlife, nor will they hear the Hulls such as the designs we have just serious rowers, are the most common sound of the water lapping against the covered are the most visible parts of type in Pennsylvania and most other in- boat. Rowing exercise was a lot more rowboats. But equally important are land waters. The pin through the loom pleasant the old-fashioned way, and there the other two major components: oars that connects the oar to this type of lock were fewer excuses for not doing it.. and oarlocks. weakens the oar. The life of such oars can 14 Boat Pennsylvania 044. 1-N gio* *4. svokuss simsolosimaseemasse•wilikussiasvmaisossumalassuilissimc. f 414, 4E. Answer • (March-April /987 Kids Page) ••flea KIDS PAGE! STANDING It takes skill to ski well, but some 6:0 PART skiers, in showing off their skill, create tie hazards of their own. Horseplay is very • 0 dangerous to the boat, the skier, and any one in the area. 110

0 END 0

0 Knots help anglers and boaters with many jobs—attaching hooks, tying lines together, or fastening a line to a ring, post or OVERHAND 0 reel. There are lots and lots of knots, but learning Just a few of the LOOP 0 basic knots can make you a safer boater or a better angler. 0 Some things you have to know first. UNDERHAND 0 LOOP 0 The END is the end of the line 0 you are working with when 0 you tie a knot 1 The STANDING PART is the • long part of the line around • • which you will be tying the 0 knot 'a An OVERHAND LOOP is made by crossing the end 0 over the standing part 0 An UNDERHAND LOOP is • made by crossing the end under the standing part 0 0 Tying a BOWLINE • • Make an OVER HAND LOOP and take the END up through the loop 0 111 Take the END around behind 0 the STANDING PART AND down through the loop again 0 0 Hold the two lines on the 0 right 0 lower loop and draw them a • tight while pulling up lightly 0 on the STANDING PART 0 0 A LITTLE SAYING THAT WILL The rabbit comes up out of the hole HELP YOU REMEMBER goes around the tree 0 and goes back down into the hole HOW TO TIE A BOWLINE: 134) May/June 1987 15 Dave Bierig, Erie Sal!maker by Jack Grazier

hen his son was six and wanted Bierig soon learned the good and bad a boat of his own, David points of these boats, housed in the fami- W Bierig's father knocked the ly's boathouses, and he also learned about slats out of the bottom of an old net box, a variety of other boats housed nearby. nailed on a plywood bottom, caulked it, Eventually, he had jury-rigged some old and mounted oarlocks. Presto, an instant sail or other on most of them. 4-foot by 2-foot box that served well enough as the boy's rowboat. Soon it Formal study sprouted a mast and a brown and white Bierig, now 44, had undertaken a for- striped sail, made from an old awning. mal study of naval architecture between The child's typical voyage consisted of 1960 and 1964. "The adventure had a row a few hundred feet upwind on Pres- mixed results at best, and taught me que Isle Bay. Then he'd let the wind push precious little about boats," he says. "But him and his box and awning-sail back to it did give me a good technical back- the family's boathouse. ground and general education. By age 10, Bierig had outgrown the net "Spring of 1964 found me on Oyster box and a larger fish box, and he and his Bay, NY, working at Owen Torrey's brother bought a nine-foot Duratech sailloft. This was big time sailmaking. aluminum pram. Soon they had affixed Among other projects, we recut sails for a 3hp Elto outboard and the first of the British 12-meter Sovern and Kerewa. several sailing rigs to it. "I worked hard and learned fast, as The first mast was too heavy, and made there were many men at Torrey's I could the boat unstable. The second mast of learn from. Owen Torrey kindly taught bamboo was very light and eventually me some of his methods of sail design and broke—and so on, through various other two older sailmakers, who both had over attempts. 50 years experience and found work more They made the sailing rigs out of fun than retirement, taught me countless whatever was available (for free) and details and tricks of sail construction. I since the dinghy lacked a centerboard or soaked it all up like a sponge and came rudder, Bierig still only sailed downwind, home to Erie, to the boathouse, and steering with an oar. opened my loft in the fall of 1965." But he was hooked, by then, on sail- The sail business was not very prof- ing and sails. itable for some years, but Bierig kept at He had grown up on the waterfront it. He sailed all he could on as many boats using a number of boats (they were just as possible. "Most everyone I sailed with boats then, but now would be called taught me something," he recalls. "traditional small craft"). These in- The business grew and over the years cluded his father's St. Lawrence Skiff and Bierig built a new, larger loft around and his Old Town canoe,.a Lyman "speed over the old boat house, which went into boat" with a big 10hp outboard, and a the wood stove. beamy 16-foot rowboat, crudely built in "Soon we got lucky and got some im- a nearby boathouse in 1895 and still go- portant orders like a suit of sails for the ing strong today, 92 years later. 65-foot schooner Appledore, sails which photos by the author

16 Boat Pennsylvania The sail business was not very profitable for some years, but Bierig kept at it. He sailed all he could on as many boats as possible. Most everyone I sailed with taught me something," he recalls.

At top left, Bierig 's boats are nestled in his sailloft boathouse, stored, but by no means forgotten. At left, Dave Bierig works on a sail. Above, Bierig likes his solitude, although he's not a recluse.

May/June 1987 17 took her around the world," Bierig says. behemoth that could still rush across the "We were also fortunate to make trimaran ice with only a few minutes' setup time sails for Meade and Jan Gougeon. This required. The spruce spars of the iceboat, led us to work with a number of trimarans capped by bronze fittings, hang from the and large catamarans. Also, we developed heavily beamed ceiling, and on another three innovative types of sails that great- wall hangs a deep-brown, weathered tran- ly extended our market area to Europe." Bierig sails are som, sawn away from another lapstrake- shipped just about hulled rowing craft. New-world romantic In one corner of the huge room sits a Whether he likes it or not, David Bierig everywhere sailmaker sewing the seams of an is a romantic figure, and you can be pretty routinely, to 800-square-foot mainsail for a two- sure he's not crazy about the idea. "I don't Europe; Maryland; masted, 65-foot schooner from St. like being looked upon as a hermit crafts- Thomas in the Virgin Islands. That's a man or Old World craftsman," the Erie Bay City, Michigan; big-league project, and the ability to pro- sailmaker says. the boondocks of vide such a product is one reason the Erie But still, you do have to go over the sailmaker's name and sails are becoming river and through the woods, or at least Ohio, Virginia, Maine, well-known throughout the country. over a creek and through the woods, to Massachusetts; If anything makes Bierig stand out get to Bierig's place, where it nestles among his competitors, it's his will- against the base of a bluff on Erie's Pres- anywhere. ingness to make any kind of sail for any que Isle Bay. And the sail loft, added on- kind of need. When he designed the to several times, still retains a hint of the part and reduces the job to numbers for Single Luff Spinnaker, no one else was old flavor of his father's boathouse, and curves, angles, and panels," Bierig says. making such a sail, although there had it does huddle there, with a handful of "And removing the intuitive part is the been asymetrical spinnakers before. But other boathouses built decades ago, as if only way to have a consistently good Bierig put together old designs in new it were trying as hard as it could not to product." combinations for a unique product. He's be noticed, cringing against the onslaught A sail should meet a need and do well also designed a "tri-Miter Trysail." That's of progress and the cement and steel what it will be called upon to do. If it a multi-purpose sail that can be used as which progress usually brings. takes a computer to do that, that's fine, a storm jib or a main trysail, or even as When you walk through the door to the and if it takes a human tuck here and a a storm staysail, foresail, or mizzen. first floor, you do get an Old World feel- stitch there, that's fine, too, but for Bierig, Bierig sails are shipped just about ing. A woodstove backed by piles of cut "The final gauge is how well the sails do everywhere routinely, to Europe; and stacked hardwood squats darkly, what they were designed to do in the first Maryland; Bay City, Michigan; the boon- waiting like a watchdog for winter. The place, whether it be racing, sailing around docks of Ohio, Virginia, Maine, St. Lawrence River skiff, a graceful craft the world, or just being convenient." Massachusetts, "anywhere." with a varnished lapstrake hull built some For instance, when one of Bierig's He's even designed a spinnaker for a 70 years ago, lies in the shadows, covered more creative customers asked if he could boat called Norfolk Rebel, out of Norfolk, with a dusty tarp like some old forgotten make a sail that was "the front half of a VA. The boat is hailed as the world's first secret. The family's beautiful lapstrake spinnaker sewn to the back half of a sail-assisted tugboat—whatever that is. rowing boats—a Whitehall with its genoa," the result was Bierig's Single Luff One of his innovations is a Camber- wineglass transom and honey-colored Spinnaker, which has since been sold Spar, a curved aluminum spar that is sup- brightwork, and the old black pulling around the world. This is a sail that was posed to provide better jib control and boat—gleam in the softened light, indeed designed for "just being conven- function, making the jib self-tacking, con- testimony to when Bierig had the time to ient," a sail which would serve well and trolled with a single sheet, quickly raised restore such craft. which a singlehander could easily set. and stowed, and which also controls Block planes and hand tools are With giants like Hood and North at the headsail sag and twist and provides ac- stacked, piled, and hung in the darkness, top of the sailmaking spectrum and little ceptable draft on all points of sail. gathering dust, but still sharply honed and old men or women working in their at- And looking at the product, you gain more than adequate for any boatbuilder's tics at the bottom, Bierig is somewhere an insight into the mind of the man who needs. A partially completed dory, started in the lower middle portion, size-wise. He produced it. It's not a hermit's lethargic by Bierig years ago, protrudes from the employs four workers, all sailmakers, mind, and not just a craftsman's mind, but rafters like a part of the building. who also do advertising, cost analysis, the mind of a creative engineer that in graphs, bookkeeping, and all the other another incarnation could probably just Computers things that keep a business going. as easily adapt itself to designing and Sailmaking might not be the world's The room where the sails are laid out testing the aerodynamics of the horizon- oldest profession, but it's got to be at least is huge, floored in satin-varnished spruce. tal sail known as the airplane wing or the the fifth or sixth oldest, you'd think, so A row of huge windows along the top of wind resistance of a space shuttle. it comes as a surprise when you see a one wall floods the room with light. He's obviously come a long way from Welke video display terminal nestled amidst the yellow, and blue sailbags tum- those first voyages of Ted Bright red, his, when as a babe- — charts, books, papers, fids, and half-hull ble over each other and bolts of materials in-arms he was rowed around Presque Isle models in the sailmaker's loft. are stacked high near one wall, and on Bay in his father's "The computer removed the intuitive another wall, a 28-foot iceboat hangs, a St. Lawrence skiff. Illustration 18 Boat Pennsylvania CURREN1S Boating Information: The Law and YOU by Paul F. Swanson a Bibliography and Source List Q. My father-in-law wants to bring his can be purchased at most marine dealers. boat to Pennsylvania from New York When at anchor, all-around white light A new reference, Boating Information: on vacation this summer,can he legally is required. A Bibliography and Source List, has been use it here? published by the American Boat and A. Yes. A boat that has a valid registra- Q.I am looking for a fire extinguisher Yacht Council, Inc. This soft-covered tion in New York state can be operated for my boat. What do you book is 300 pages and contains over 1,300 in Pennsylvania for up to 60 days without recommend? descriptive entries of books, pamphlets, being registered here. A. Fire extinguishers on boats can be reports, articles, posters, films, either U.S. Coast Guard or UL ap- videotapes and slides pertaining to infor- Q. Is there a fme for operating my boat proved. Extinguishing agents approved in- mation about boating and where to get it. under the influence of alcohol? clude dry chemical, carbon dioxide freon, Copies are available for $15 postpaid A. Yes. Operating watercraft under the and foam. Be sure to consult page 17 of from the American Boat and Yacht Coun- influence of alcohol or controlled the current summary of boating regula- cil, P.O. Box 806, Amityville, NY 11701. substance is a misdemeanor under the tions to ensure that you obtain the prop- boat law. er number and size for your boat. Reminder: Q. I lost my current motorboat Q. My boat does not have a capacity Boat PA Changes registration card recently. What do I plate. Where can I get one? do? A. Secure and complete a PFC-702 (ap- Remember that beginning on July 1, A. Apply for a duplicate registration us- plication for boat capacity plate) and send 1987, Boat Pennsylvania will change ing Form PFC-732. This form can be ob- it to the Fish Commission Boat Registra- publication frequency from bimonthly tained from marine dealers, most coun- tion Section. There is a $2 fee. (six times a year) to quarterly (four times ty treasurer offices, Fish Commission a year). Issues will be published seasonal- law enforcement regional offices and the Q. Does my boat need to be registered ly as follows: Summer (mailed at the end Harrisburg headquarters. The fee for a to use it with an electric motor? of June), Fall (mailed at the end of duplicate certificate of registration is $1. A. Yes. The Fish and Boat Code requires September), Winter (mailed at the end of Motorboat registrations are processed by that all motorboats be registered. December), and Spring (mailed at the end the Commission Boat Registration Sec- of March). tion, P.O. Box 1852, Harrisburg, PA Q. Our canoe club expects 200 par- The subscription price of $4 for one 17105-1852. ticipants at a race this summer. What year remains the same, but multiple-year kind of permit does our canoe club subscriptions can be purchased only at the Q. If I purchase a new boat, how long need to have canoe races this year? $4-per-year cost. The 3-year subscription do I have to wait until I can use it? A. You are required to apply for a per- savings option was eliminated. A. With proof of ownership, you can mit for special activities. These permits In appreciation of your understanding secure a temporary registration from an are reviewed by your local waterways our situation and accepting the change to issuing agent and use your boat conservation officer, other agencies and your subscription, we are giving immediately. the Commission's Harrisburg head- subscribers an extra issue on the end of quarters before they are issued. their normal expiration date, effective for Q. There are a few very loud boats on subscriptions received until June 1, 1987. our lake between midnight and 2 a.m. Q. How late each day can I water Lastly, the cover price will increase Is there anything that can be done? ski? from 80 cents to $1.50. A. Yes. There are regulations restricting A. Water skiing is permitted from sunrise the noise levels of boats. Contact your to sunset. New NWF Hotline local waterways conservation officer by way of the nearest regional office so that Q. How many and what types of PFDs The National Wildlife Federation appropriate enforcement steps can be can I use on my 17-foot canoe? (NWF)has inaugurated a new telephone taken. Law enforcement regional offices A. One PFD for each person is required hotline to provide the latest conservation are listed on page 21 of the Summary of in your canoe. Types I, II, III and V are news from Washington. A taped message, Boating Regulations 1987. wearable. Type IV is a throwable device. updated twice weekly, summarizes the It's best to wear an appropriate PFD. latest votes in Congress, presidential ac- Q. I am building a 14-foot fishing boat. tions, and federal agency decisions affect- What lights are required? ing the environment. A. The light requirements for your boat Paul F. Swanson is supervisor of the The hotline number is 202-737-2024. under way include a red and green light Commission Northcentral Law Enforce- This call is not toll-free. forward and a white light aft. These lights ment Region. May/June 1987 19 6 River Safe Boating Cruise, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Gateway Party Liner, Station Calendar Square, Pittsburgh, PA ($3 fee). May 6-7 Safe Boating Days (boating activities, 2-3 Whitewater Canoe & Kayak exhibits, displays, demonstrations), Weekend, Portersville, PA (Cyndy Good- Penn's Landing, Philadelphia, PA (for win, 855 Nesbitt Road, Sagamore Hills, more details, contact Muriel Lewis, U.S. OH 44067). Race sanctioned by ACA. Coast Guard Auxiliary, at 215-789-0114. 3 Canoe race, Detters Mill to Camp Can- 6, 20 Sailboat races, Gifford Pinchot State Dedicated to the sound conserva- nedion, Conewago Creek (Exploring Park Lake (see May 9 entry). Races tion of our aquatic resources, the Division, Boy Scouts of America, 800 E. through 9/26. protection and management of the King Street, York, PA 17403). 7-13 National Safe Boating Week (spon- state's diversified fisheries, and to of safe boating and op- 9 Sailing clinic, Gifford Pinchot sored by the National Safe Boating Coun- the ideals State timum boating opportunities. Park Lake (Pinchot Sailing Club, Keith cil, Inc., U.S. Coast Guard headquarters, Brown, 615-B Third Street, New Washington, D.C. 20593). EXECUTIVE OFFICE Cumberland, PA 17070. Phone: 15-18 Northeastern States Boating Ad- Ralph W. Abele, Executive Director 717-774-0468). ministrators (NESBAC) Conference, Get- Howard T. Hardie, Administrative Assistant 9 Sailboat races, Pymatuning Reservoir tysburg Sheraton Inn, Gettysburg, PA (for Dennis T. Guise, Chief Counsel (Pymatuning Yacht Club, Jamestown, PA more details, contact the Commission 16134). Races through 9/27. Bureau of Boating at 717-657-4540). BUREAU OF 9 Lackawanna River Canoe-A-Thon, 20-21 4th Annual Lehigh River Race, ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES Lackawanna County (Northeastern PA Allentown, PA (Eugene P. Gallagher, 715 717-657-4522 N. Paul F. O'Brien, Director Environmental Council, P.O. Box 3113, New Street, Bethlehem, PA 18018). Allison J. Mayhew, Personnel Scranton, PA 18505-3113. Phone: Race sanctioned by ACA. Glen Reed, Federal Aid 717-961-1150). 27-28 Tiadaghton Elm Classic Marathon Mary Stine, Licensing 10 Sailboat regatta, spring series, Marsh Canoe Race, Pine Creek, Jersey Shore, Creek Lake (Marsh Creek Sailing Club, PA (Dennis Fink, RD 1, Box 560, Jersey BUREAU OF FISHERIES 814-359-5100 Michael J. Noone, 320 Midland Avenue, Shore, PA 17740). Delano Graff, Director Wayne, PA 19087). Races, regattas Vincent Mudrak, Division of Research through 10/18. July Jack Miller, Division of Fisheries 21-24 American Red Cross Health and 3-5 Harrisburg Regatta, Riverfront Park, Environmental Services Harrisburg, PA (Randy K. King, Har- Richard A. Snyder, Division of Fisheries Safety Academy, Gettysburg College, Management Gettysburg, PA (includes water safety and risburg Department of Parks & Recrea- Ken Corl, Division of Trout Production small craft courses. For more informa- tion, Suite 401, 10 N. 2nd Street, Har- Shyri Hood, Division of Warrnwater/ tion, contact the Harrisburg Chapter of risburg, PA 17101. Phone: 717-255-3020). Coolwater Fish Production the American Red Cross at 717-234-3101). 4 Raft regatta, Juniata River, Lewistown to Miffhntown (Mifflin County Tourist BUREAU OF ENGINEERING 23 Sailing games, Gifford Pinchot State 814-359-5100 Park Lake (see May 9 entry). Promotion Agency, 3 Monument Square, Edward R. Miller, PE., Director 23-24 Albert Gallatin Regatta, Point Lewistown, PA 17044. Phone: James Young, Construction & Marion, PA (Point Marion Chamber of 717-248-6713. Maintenance Division Commerce, P.O. Box 22, Point Marion, 12 Yellow Creek Boat Regatta, Yellow K. Ronald Weis, Architectural & Engineering Division PA 15474. Phone: 412-725-5205). Creek State Park, Indiana, PA (Indiana John Hoffman, Real Estate 30 Memorial Day Regatta, Gifford Pin- County Tourist Bureau, 6th Street and chot State Park Lake (see May 9 entry). Wayne Avenue, Indiana, PA 15701. BUREAU OF LAW ENFORCEMENT Phone: 412-463-7505). 717-657-4542 June 13 Pennsylvania Fish Commission Edward W. Manhart, Director 1-7 National Fishing Week meeting, Harrisburg (for more details, BUREAU OF BOATING 5-7 Rowing regatta, Hammond Lake, contact the Commission at 717-657-4522). 717-657-4540 Tioga County (Interlachen Rowing Club, 18-19 Port Indian Regatta, Schuylkill John Simmons, Acting Director P.O. Box 330, Corning, NY 14830). River between Norristown and Valley Virgil Chambers, Boating Safety 6 Pennsylvania Fish-for-Free Day (No Forge (Port Indian Civic and Boating Education license is required to fish public waters Association, 80 W. Indian Lane, Nor- BUREAU OF EDUCATION in Pennsylvania-all other season, creel ristown, PA 19403. Phone: AND INFORMATION and size limits remain in effect). 215-666-9428). 717-657-4518 6 Day on the River, Fort Hunter Access 25 Regatta, New Milford, PA Cheryl K. Riley, Director Susquehanna River, just north of (Hallstead/Great Bend Lions Club, Larry Shaffer, Publications on the Stephen B. Ulsh, Education Harrisburg (for details, contact the Com- William Richards, 100 Elizabeth Street, Dave Wolf, Adopt-a-Stream, mission Bureau of Education and Infor- Box 135, Great Bend, PA 18821. Phone: Media Relations mation at 717-657-4518). 717-879-4485). Art Michaels, Magazines 20 Boat Pennsylvania CURREM BOAT Pennsylvania

SUBSCRIPTIONS NEW ORDERS/ RENEWALS To start a subscription to Boat Penn- sylvania or to extend your current subscription, enter your name and address and check the subscription term you prefer. (Please print clearly)

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Even though subscriptions for the Angler and for Boat Pennsylvania are part City State Zip of the Commission's computer system, each magazine subscription, address change, and PLAY application is handled by one of three people with obvious Signature super powers. These circulation dynamos are, left to right, Beverly Lukens, Eleanor Mutch, and Patricia Copp. And, boy, are we glad they're on our side! Account # if renewing (Account number Sailboarding appears above Safety Tips name on label.) O 1 year $4 Windsurfing is a safe sport if you take Permits for reasonable precautions. Private Markers, Aids • Wear a personal flotation device. O New subscriber • Stay close to shore. The number of floats, ski ramps, • Never sailboard alone. O Renewal slalom courses, aids, markers, and other • Know the local waters. floating objects on Pennsylvania waters • Stay clear of shipping channels and is increasing, but it is illegal to place swimming areas. these devices unless the Fish Commission • Be especially careful when strong authorizes their use and placement. winds are blowing. Most beginners take (attach mailing In accordance with current boating longer to learn to sail into the wind. Get- regulations, requests to establish private ting back may require some paddling if label when — markers or aids on Commonwealth you're not careful. renewing) waterways by clubs, individuals, state • For extra traction and firm footing, agencies, municipalities, and other wear tennis shoes or rub the deck with groups must be made in writing on Form surfboard wax. PFC277. Written requests must be made • Each sailrider has two mast positions. Return this form to.. to the waterways conservation officer of The forward position works well in calm PENNSYLVANIA FISH the district in which the marker or buoy water. The back position raises the bow COMMISSION is to be placed, through the nearest Fish in choppy water. BOAT PA Circulation Commission regional office. • Don't go too far from shore. If you P.O. Box 1673 Float permits(Form PFC-277) may be become fatigued or the rig is disabled, Harrisburg, PA 17105-1673 obtained by writing to: Fred Menke, simply untie the back of the boom, wrap Be sure your name and address appear Aids-to-Navigation Coordinator, P.O. the sail around the mast and boom, sit or both on this form and on your check. Make checks payable to Box 1673, Harrisburg, PA 17105-1673. lie on top, and paddle to shore. PENNSYLVANIA FISH COMMISSION. The phone number is 717-657-4540. • Know your limits. May/June l987 '71 morn. ....jill.'51ipoSb% -aaa 41 t sHard t! '‘vis, •j Knocks le-;;••-regisisw- 41k. Boat Operating

If you're new to boating, check out these ideas on how to avoid some boat handling problems, and if you're ex- perienced, let these lessons help you hone your skills.

22 Bow Pennsylvania Virginia, some 12 miles north of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-1linnet (CBBT). I and some friends in another boat were going to run the 12 miles of the In- tracoastal Waterway (ICW) from Oyster south to the CBBT, where we hoped to en- joy some hot early season fishing. The ICW is clearly marked, even though the daymarks are a bit far apart. The 12-mile run there is clearly delineated for good reason—the area surrounding the channel consists largely of barrier islands and tidal flats that are well-dried at low tide. At high tide, the flats are camou- flaged by only inches of water in many spots, a foot or so in other places. At the first buoy from the launch ramp, we took a wrong turn, and the other boat, larger and heavier than mine and running with twin 65hp engines, ran aground. Lucky for us that those shallow spots are mostly soft mud and not oyster shells— the shells would surely have done in our props quickly. I towed the other boat off the mud, but it was miserable going in the shallow Lessons by Art Michaels water, ebbing tide, and increasingly strong head seas. This simple quarter-mile You don't need a license to operate a boat mistake took over an hour to correct. We in most states. There's no "driver's test," were lucky that time was all we lost, plus through which you demonstrate your suffering a little embarrassment. knowledge of the rules of the road, nor is Preventing this mishap was easy. there any measure by which a test can rate Reviewing the NOAA chart before launch- operator competency, like an automobile ing would have helped, so that we'd have driver's license exam. All you need to do had a clearer idea of where the channel 11111111 is put your money down on the deal- is. Brushing up on what the ICW mark- er's desk, drive off with your new rig, ings look like would have been pru- and launch. dent, too. Most new-boat owners in Pennsylvania I was thrown by the red daymarks on don't do that. They understand that there's my right heading south. I wondered why an ocean of buoys, markers, and other aids the rule, "red, right, returning," did not to navigation that novice boaters need to seem to apply, and if it did, perhaps we learn to recognize, and there are fishing were going the wrong way. It seemed to lessons and other operator skills that a me at the time that the red markers would boater needs to master before he be on the left and the green on the right regularly pilots his craft safely to good as we headed south, which would allow fishing and cruising. the "red, right, returning" rule to apply Here's a look at some of those lessons, on the trip back to the ramp. a few of which were learned at the school I later remembered that the daymarks of hard knocks by boating anglers and all the way from the launch area to the sailors who these days know a lot better. CBBT were correct. If! had reviewed the Take their cue, and maybe you won't have markers before the trip, I would have to go through what they endured. known right off the bat that the ICW is marked with red on the right and green Baffled by buoys on the left heading south to Florida and Luckily, one lesson I learned about then on to Texas. recognizing buoys cost me only incon- All this goes to show how important it venience and wasted time. Thinking back, is to be able to identify aids to navigation though, the experience could have been readily and to know what they mean and much worse. how to heed their directions and warnings. I traileral my boat in late April a few For this reason, accompanying all my years ago from Harrisburg to Oyster, boating gear is the book Nautical Chart May/June 1987 23 Symbols and Abbreviations, which you can friend learned is never to rely completely boat during daylight fishing trips. It's get when you buy your NOAA charts. This on a depth sounder with a transom- easier to play fish around the boat without 54-page book is a thorough explanation of mounted transducer as a navigation device. the lights set up, especially the stern light. all the symbols and abbreviations that ap- Quite simply, his boat bow was aground But the lights are safely stored and ready pear on navigation charts of the East solidly while his transom-mounted to be mounted and plugged in. I keep Coast. Authorized dealers have it, or you transducer told him reliably that the a small plastic bag taped to the inside can get it by contacting: Distribution boat was still in 5 feet of water! And of the center console with spare bulbs Branch (N/CG33), National Ocean Ser- that says nothing of his speed when he and fuses, too. vice, Riverdale, MD 20737. Ask for went aground. Deceptive darkness Another valuable piloting lesson that I learned from a fellow boater also concerns If you plan to boat at night, learn to lights. If you plan to boat at night, learn recognize a boat's course and position to recognize a boat's course and position by the configuration of its lights. Don't de- by the configuration of its lights. pend on the other operator's watching out for you, and don't assume that the operator of a nearby boat sees you. This topic has Nautical Chart Catalog 4 and ordering in- A depth sounder is a vital fishing and been covered in detail in, "Under Way at formation with prices for Lake Erie charts, boating tool, and in many situations it can Night," by Joe Greene, in the July/August and Catalog 1 for Delaware River charts. help you navigate. But don't depend on it 1986 Boat Pennsylvania. The phone number is 301-436-6990. as the main source. I use mine to confirm This skill comes with practice, but I need the book much less than I used my position over some fishing spots, learning it well can prevent a night- to, but it's still a constant companion for instance, after I've gotten there time collision. aboard my boat. using other means. Even during daylight hours, it pays to The way I got the ICW marker Charts, compass, Loran, our own know who has the right of way, especially misunderstanding straightened out was to eyes and ears, and operating skills are on the busier Keystone State waterways. call the Coast Guard and ask for clarifica- our main navigation tools, along with Don't take for granted that the other boat tion. This decision was wise, and the acquired skills of recognizing operator knows the rules as well as you whenever you see a buoy, daymark, or skinny or dangerous water. do. Piloting defensively applies to boating other aid to navigation in Pennsylvania that as well as to automobile highway driving. looks out of place, broken, or loose, Lighting legend For more specifics on navigation rules, notify the Fish Commission of its loca- Another lesson I learned grew from a inland and international rules of the road, tion, number, and other identifying scare a friend once endured on the rights of way, and lights, the Coast Guard characteristics. This good deed could pre- Delaware. The trip began in bright ear- has available a 211-page book called vent an accident. ly morning summer sunlight, and he Navigation Rules, International-Inland. The Fish Commission person you'd planned to return to the dock long It's available for $6. Contact: Superintend- want to contact at the Harrisburg head- before sundown. Engine trouble threat- ent of Documents, U.S. Government Print- quarters is Fred Menke, aids-to-navigation ened to alter those plans. ing Office, Washington, DC 20402. coordinator. The phone number is Because it never occurred to him that The Commission also offers Penn- 717-657-4540. You could also contact the he'd need lights, he left them in the car sylvania Basic Boating, which covers nearest regional law enforcement trunk. He eeked out every possible piece similar topics geared more specifically to headquarters, all of which are listed on of equipment for the sake of storage. Most our home waters. It is available for $1 page 21 on the 1987 Summary of of us small-boat operators are preoccupied postpaid. Send checks or money orders, Boating Regulations. with stowing gear and taking only what's made payable to Pennsylvania Fish Com- Furthermore, when you trailer your boat necessary, but on this trip, my friend's bad mission, to: Boating, Pennsylvania Fish to a new spot, in addition to getting the judgment prevailed. Commission, P.O. Box 1673, Harrisburg, fishing or cruising details from the local While he tried to get the engine run- PA 17105-1673. tackle shops and marine suppliers, talk to ning again, the weather grew increasing- All in all, practice and experience in- an experienced boater at these places, too. ly bad. He did get that blaster started, and crease an operator's boating skills. In ad- He can give you the lowdown on special he made it back to the dock barely during dition, you can have more successful and navigation details and on any dangers in daylight hours, but here's the lesson to trouble-free cruising, sailing, and fishing the area—considerations that the regulars heed: Take the boat lights with you on from your boat by boning up on the rules take for granted but that newcomers may every trip. Period. If the weather turns bad and skills required to be an increasingly not know about. or if your plans change and you are out better boat operator. long after the sun goes down or in I Depth deviation darkness, you have to have lights. Another navigation lesson I learned Federal and Pennsylvania boating laws Art Michaels is editor ofBoat Pennsylvania came from an angling friend who told me require you to use lights between sunset and Pennsylvania Angler. He cruises and of his misfortune. These days, we all have and sunrise, and (here's the kicker) at other fishes in his 16-foot center console some kind of depth sounder, and we all times when visibility is limited. aluminum boat, which is powered by a rely heavily on them. But the lesson my Actually, I don't set up the lights on my 65hp outboard engine. 24 Boat Pennsylvania Shenango Lake Boater's Delight by Thad Bukowski photos by the author

Few inland waters are enjoyed as much for boating in the Commonwealth as is Shenango Reservoir, in Mercer County. Two large separate boating areas ac- commodate day-use boaters and camping visitors at separate water sections. The Mahaney Day Use compound near the dam of the 16-mile-long reservoir can handle large picnicking and boating crowds. They visit for weekday and weekend events. The Shenango Recrea- tion Area sports an unbelievably modern and most enjoyable 330-site campground where boats may be kept at the water right along the camper's site for periods of up to two weeks or more. The main over- night boat access for day use visitors is also located there. Unlimited horsepower prevails, but visitors who prefer to canoe have both Shenango River upstream of the lake and Pymatuning Creek, which offer excellent opportunities to enjoy beautiful scenery and a chance to observe nature while flex- ing paddling muscles. Each area has a half-dozen miles of water with shores as part of the undeveloped park area. The 15,000-acre parklands encompass both shores of each creek for at least five miles upstream with no clutter of buildings evident. Some sailboating also occurs at Shenango, but it is minimal, while a large, shallow, electric-motors-only boating bay also exists at the western end of the lake. Fishing, particularly for crap- Mercer County's Shenango Reservoir, Boating and camping include the most pies, is exceptional both here and with 16 miles or shoreline and a popular park activities. Broad areas for elsewhere throughout the year, and other 3,500-acre summer pool, offers greatly unlimited horsepower and water skiing angling, particularly from boats, includes varied boating and fishing are designated as well as for electric- trolling for muskies and walleye and opportunities. motors-only and no-wake operation. All casting for both largemouth and special regulation sections are well- smallmouth bass. spent enjoyable days and even weeks at marked and boaters should have no Shenango Reservoir is a U.S. Army the park's centrally located campground. trouble recognizing any of these places. Corps of Engineers project, located at Shenango was constructed in 1965 as The resource manager's office is Sharpsville, PA. Visitations in 1986 in- a flood-control, low-flow augmentation located directly west of the Mahaney cluded 1.6 million recreation seekers, par- and recreation center and encompasses a Recreation Area on Kelly Road. Many ticularly boaters who numbered 366,000. 3,500-acre summer water pool. The 44 brochures plus park, campground and An additional 130,400 water skiers par- miles of lake shoreline and 16-mile length lake maps are available free of charge for ticipated with 192,100 swimmers, accord- of the lake is entirely in Pennsylvania, the visiting public at this office, which is ing to statistics provided by park ranger although Pymatuning Creek approaches generally staffed from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jeffrey Cornelius. Many of these folks the lake from Ohio. Monday through Friday. May/June 1987 25 The park usually opens for boating in daily, seven days a week, from Memorial ELEC early April. The area around the office Day through Labor Day. ON also has picnic tables, a picnic shelter, In addition to the two large public playground facilities, an overlook, and a areas, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers paved way to the tailrace. The Seth Myers leases a marina to a private conces- Nature Trail is also nearby. Michael J. sionaire along Rt. 258, a quarter-mile east Cummings is resource manager. of Rt. 18 at the causeway. The facility in- The tailrace is used enthusiastically cludes 268 boat mooring slips with dry by wading fishermen especially for docking, boat launch, gas pump, rest trout and walleye. rooms, picnic tables and shelter. Boat Directly past the resource office along parts and repair service as well as boat Kelly Road, Mahaney Day Use Recrea- rental and sales are included here. tion Area beckons just over the hill. Near- The private marina is open from late ly 150 picnic tables and four picnic March until the end of October and the shelters are located here. A 4-lane con- current marina operator is Robert Cunn- crete launch ramp, courtesy docks, swim- ingham, reachable at 412-962-5785. ming beach and parking to accommodate Numerous other small access sites ex- 149 vehicles and 130 vehicle/trailers are ist around the perimeter of the lake. You also located here. Most of the accesses can use these best with maps obtained and parking areas are macadam. The area either at the campground contact sta- encompasses the Myers self-guided tion just off Rt. 18 or at the resource nature trail. manager's office. This spot includes the deepest part of Some smaller areas include a YMCA the lake, to 50 feet, while generally the camping area and boat access off Rt. 258 rest of the lake at summer pool ranges and the Clark Recreation facility, each from 10 to 20 feet except in its deeper, located on opposite sides of the private irregular main channel. marina. The Mercer Recreation Area Mahaney closes at sunset, so boaters across the lake and farther east, also should be advised not to use it if they plan known as Ferguson Point, is a free to be on the lake after dark. The Mahaney campsite operated by the U.S. Army area is reached off Rt. 18 north from Her- Corps of Engineers. mitage, to Rt. 518, then right at Mercer The Clark area contains a visitor Street and right again at High Street at center, picnic tables, a launch ramp for the bottom of the hill. smaller boats and parking for approx- Those staying on the lake overnight imately 20 vehicles and 30 vehicles with should use the Shenango Recreation Area trailers. It is adjacent to the overhead Rt. access, located some distance away and 18 causeway bridge where you'll find con- off Rt. 18 along West Lake Drive. This siderable shore fishing. area is approximately six miles north on The Mercer area is a small, free camp- Rt. 18 from Hermitage and a slightly ground with minimal shade located on longer distance south from Greenville. East Lake Drive off Rt. 18 wih 30 camp- The Shenango Recreation Area in- sites, flush toilets, and a portable water cludes a superb 330-site campground supply. Launch facilities are only for with many electrical hookups, just adja- those camping here due to the confined cent to the boat access. Showers, flush space of the spot. It is a good launch point Boaters coming some distance should toilets and a sanitary disposal station are for canoeists interested in the Shenango call the project manager if abnormally provided plus playgrounds for children, River arm, which is nearby. wet or dry periods exist. macadam and dirt bicycle trails, and sites Another access along the west end of Shenango Reservoir and park has a for the handicapped. the lake is Parker's Landing, located code-a-phone that operates day or night. There is a small day use area with pic- directly adjacent to the electric-motors- This is a recorded mes.sage that gives pool nic tables and a shelter also provided near only area. Boaters may reach it by travel- elevations, weather conditions, precipita- the launch ramp. Motel accommodations ing north from Sharpsville along Rt. 846, tion, gate openings and information on are available in Greenville, Hermitage, then turning left onto Hartford Road and special events or precautions. The and Sharpsville. then right at Seneca Road. This site con- number for the code-a-phone is The launch ramp at the Shenango tains a one-lane concrete ramp and park- 412-962-4384. If it is necessary to call the recreation site is used independently of ing for perhaps 30 vehicles and trailers. park office, the phone number is the campsite, although the entrance is the The pool elevations at Shenango are 412-962-7746. same. A 4-lane concrete boat ramp is basically stable during the summer Shenango Reservoir is patrolled by open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The boating season, but it can be abnormal- the Fish Commission and Corps ramp is well-lighted for after-dark ly high, which occurred during pro- park rangers. launching and retrieval and the contact longed rains in 1986 when the entire Many camping boaters repeatedly station at the entrance is staffed 24 hours park was closed for over a week. return to Shenango because boats may be 26 Boat Pennsylvania IOTOR EA

Shenango Lake

Public Use Area

CORPS OF ENGINEERS Clark Recreation Area RECREATION AREAS Shenango Dam

1 Mahaney Recreation Area COMMERCIAL 2 Hartford Road Access Area 3 Parker's Landing Access Area Chestnut Run Swimming Beach 4 Route 846 Access Area Commercial Marina 5 Shenango Recreation Area YMCA Camp Shenango 6 Mercer Recreation Area 7 Shenango Trail OTHER AGENCY 8 Golden Run Access Area Old Erie Canal Stone Lock

kept along shorelines directly next to the spot, Salzman hides away regularly Load your boat with a tent, food, a shore campsites. Additionally, a channel at Shenango, recently taking his two stove, a bicycle, and a small inflatable lets boats into a small companion lake grandsons Chuck and Chad, aged 4 and boat. Visit the reservoir's islands, called Duck Lake around the shores of 5, with him. relax on the beaches, let the which many campsites are located. "The spot is so appealing to the kids, children play and explore, or cruise However, few of the shore camping and they're no trouble," he said. the waterway spots except along the channel have "I load the boat with a tent, food, a electric sites. Coleman stove, an old tire, bicycle, and boating and even visit islands on the lake. On the other hand, many of these a small inflatable rubber boat," he I take the inflatable boat, put preservers sites are older and most have unusually reports. "I park the bow of my 18-foot, on the kids and watch while they have a fine shaded hardwood and pine- 115 hp boat on the tire at the shore of my great time paddling along the shore while covered groves. campsite, tie up to a nearby tree after I relax on one of the sandy beaches. After having traveled and camped at pitching the tent, and then I relax while When we get tired of this we also visit numerous places, boater Bill Salzman, the kids play at the nearby playground a nearby animal park, feed a park retired school principal of New Castle, within sight. When they get hungry, we goose flock, and take bicycle rides considers Shenango one of the outstand- cook fabulous outdoor meals on the Cole- around the many interesting spots of ing areas in the nation for both boating man. It's really living. the campground." and camping. Living wihin 25 miles of "Each morning we have a great time May/June 1987 27 I put the engine in reverse and started to back out of the stall. The boat moved The Last Sail smoothly back until it reached the end of the only line we'd forgotten to untie, then pivoted smoothly at the end of that line, of the Season swinging sideways in the stall to bang against the pilings. The ever-growing wind was catching the boat broadside now by Jack Grazier and we were bouncing around the slip, By the time I came up into the cockpit completely out of control. I always try to avoid the last sail of the again, the pole and the lure were lying "Get the boat hook!" I shouted season, but even if! go out only one time on the seat. Stacey had tired of fishing to Stacey. all year, that's hard to do. and was heaving handfuls of pretzels at "What's a boat hook?" Murphy's Law, "anything that can go the ducks. She eventually found the hook and wrong will go wrong:' eternally comes I sat on the lure. It stuck to my pants. snagged a piling with it. "Now pull the down hard on boaters; it seems to me to boat closer to the piling so I can grab that be especially cruel during that last A womans's got to do.. . line:' I said. autumn sail when it gouges my boat, As the bag neared empty, Stacey She started to pull. The hook was one rips my sails, bruises my family, and became conservative, and began to feed of those telescoping aluminum kind. It batters my ego more than any other the pretzels one by one. I stopped myself telescoped out to its 8-foot length. Stacey time of the year. from telling her not to waste all the landed with a thud on her rear in the Like last year's last sail, for instance. pretzels on the ducks. If she was enjoy- cockpit and gave me a withering look. It started out to be a father-daughter ing herself, what difference did it make Finally, she managed to pull us over to afternoon. Our eight-year-old daughter, where the pretzels ended up? the piling so we could straighten ourselves Stacey, and I had collected a grocery bag She finally got one of the ducks to take out in the slip. of potato chips, pretzels, pop and beer for a pretzel out of her hand. "Look at that, "Grab the line on the piling!" I said. an afternoon of dockside fishing off the look at that! He likes me!" she shouted, She made a grab for it, and got her back of our new Cape Dory 25. She was jumping up and down on the hatch cover. thumb caught between the boat hook and going to drink the pop, eat the pretzels, I heard it crack. the upright steel girder. Her face got red and fish; I planned on subtly getting re- The wind was a good 20 knots, gusting and her mouth opened. No sound came acquainted with who and what were im- to 30 or so. I never would have thought out—until about a minute later, when the portant in her life while I ate the chips of venturing out in our old wooden noise finally found its way out of her and drank the two cans of beer. Lightning with my daughter in such cold, lungs to her mouth and she let out a We could only find one dusty old unpredictable air, but I began to think that scream that could have raised the souls fishing rod in the basement and one Stacey and I could probably manage the in Davy Jones' locker. finger-sized orange lure with black spots. more stable Cape Dory well enough by "Don't cry," I ordered. "Concentrate It was about four inches long and covered ourselves, sailing on just the main. The on getting us straightened around." with hooks, having apparently been only hard part would be getting away By now Stacey was bawling at the top designed for catching a school of fish at from the dock and I figured the two of of her lungs. She let go of the piling and a time. I knew that it really didn't matter us could manage that. the boat blew sideways in the stall again, what lure we used anyway. Stacey usual- "Let's try," I said to Stacey. the wind whistling through the shrouds, ly keeps the lure eight inches above the "Nope." the steel sheeting on the docks threaten- water while she contemplates cloud- "Why not? Afraid to?" ing to tear into the bouncing fiberglass animals, the way the light glances off the "Nope." hull at all points. waves, and whether ducks would sink if "Just a little?" I asked. Stacey had left the boat hook dangling you washed the oil off their feathers. She hesitated. "Maybe just a little." forlornly from the line on the piling. The The first time Stacey tried casting the "Look. We'll wear life jackets. A man's piling and the hook were both out of reach lure it went straight into my Irish cable- got to do what a man's got to do. And a now, about eight feet away. knit sweater. We tried to untangle all the woman's got to do what a woman's got "Fend offl" I shouted to Stacey, as a hooks from the sweater, gently at first, to do." jagged piece of dock-corner approached but they just wouldn't come. Our heads "This woman has got to go home now," the bow. She just stood there crying. kept bumping together in a fatherly- she said. "Come on, it doesn't hurt that much!" daughterly way as we labored over the "How do you know?" she screamed in- tangle. Three minutes of that and I "But I lied!" dignantly. "It's not your thumb!" She grabbed the lure and yanked it off, tak- Finally, I lied and told her I'd taken the stomped out of the cockpit in a red-faced ing much of the sweater with it. boat out alone many times, and con- snit, went below and threw herself face Stacey plopped the lure into the vinced her we should at least practice get- down on the vee-berth cushions. water—the rusty old reel wouldn't cast, ting in and out of the dock ourselves "Hey, get up here, I need you!" I and we could only get about five feet because it would be a useful skill in case shouted. "Please!" of line out. I went below for my first Mommy had a heart attack on the boat "No! You said you've done this all by can of beer. some day. yourself before, so do it yourself now!" 28 Boat Pennsylvania "I lied! I've never done it myself!" "I want to try it first as a lily-livered talking of boys and teachers and books "Too bad!" she shouted, putting her coward," she said, bumping the top of her and life, watching the summer's last hur- hands over her ears. head into my chest. rah blow itself out on the bay. But I convinced her that Mommy And as the sun lowered, we became Another try would be impressed if we could say we close again. Finally, I managed to get the boat back had taken the boat out ourselves. I into the slip, all straightened out and tied promised her that we would just head out Home from the sea up. The sun cast golden rims around the of the club, motor in a little tiny circle We got home after dark. Mommy was pink and yellow clouds. There would still around the bay, and come right back in. worried. "Where have you two been?" be time to get out on the water, if only We got out of the club, no problem. In- "We're not lily-livered cowards!" to motor around the bay and then head stead of making a circle, I headed into the Stacey shouted, raising a fist in the air. back again. And hadn't we learned a lot wind and kept going straight. "What?" Her mother gave me a dark from our mistakes? Certainly we wouldn't "I thought we were going back now," look. make the same ones another time. said Stacey, looking at me suspiciously. "We're not cowards! Right, dad?" "Let's try it again," I said, rubbing the "Let's just put up the main and go for "Right:' I said. top of Stacey's head. a little sail:' I said. Stacey raised the other fist into the air She knows she's not allowed to swear. and shook it. "We're not cowards!" she "Bull-go-to-the-bathroom," she said. But the sky was aglow, and I finally shouted again. "Look," I said. "We can go through life convinced her that we should stay out My wife shook her head at me. being lily-livered cowards. Or we can go just a little longer for our first father- "Lily-livered cowards were the only through life being human beings in con- daughter sail. words to describe it," I said, shrugging trol of our emotions. Which do you think We had a nice time, the water frothing my shoulders. "And anyway, it we ought to be?" past the bow, snuggled against each other, was the last sail of the year." May/June 1987 29 Water Skiing Basics

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•-„ all the equipment. Allow the skier to position is a very slow and easy move- by John M. Cornish II become accustomed to the PFD and the ment. Even when the skier is in the full ou may remember when you tried water surroundings. It is interesting to upright position the knees are still slightly to water ski the first time, or note that many beginners have never bent to act as shock absorbers over the ymaybe you have watched a begin- swam in anything but a pool where the waves and to keep the lower center of ning water skier being dragged at the end bottom is visible and close — quite a dif- gravity over the skis. of a ski rope while individuals in the boat ference from the dark, deep waters of • Keep the back straight. The skier laughed, shouted instructions and plead- Pennsylvania rivers and lakes. needs to keep from leaning or crouching ed, "One more try!" This may look like 3. Be a helpful driver. The driver can forward, which can result in forward falls fun but actually it can be very frustrating sometimes save or destroy a successful at- or a very uncomfortable ride should the and embarrassing to the person attempt- tempt at water skiing. By using a gradual skier get up and skiing. By keeping the ing to learn to ski. This type of encounter increase in speed on the take-off, you can back straight the skier's posterior is posi- is the typical beginning to many water give the skier time to adjust and resist the tioned directly over the skier's heels (if skiers' enjoyment of the sport, while it pull of the boat, and to stand up rather the knees are bent), creating a balance has ruined a very enjoyable family recrea- than lose the handle and have stinging point in the center of the skis. The ride tional activity for others. fingers from the snap. You can also keep will be much more comfortable, too. In most cases an afternoon visitor or the skier from becoming a submarine by It's a good idea to attend a ski school guest of a boating family is interested in watching and either increasing the speed or employ a water ski instructor to learn trying to learn to water ski. This person, or aborting the attempt. Common sense to water ski properly with good equip- while eager to give it a try, also has some is the key to good driving. ment and teaching aids. This is not always apprehensions about this endeavor. The possible, nor is it always the desire of host, a member of a boating and skiing Skier beginning skiers. In many cases, learn- group, is anxious to share his excitement I. Be calm. Don't let the spectators and ing to water ski is a spur-of-the-moment and introduce the backward visitor to ski- the elements get you excited. Once you decision, and hundreds of individuals ing. He is bound to assume that this new become anxious you begin fighting the have successfully learned to ski on their experience for the guest is going to be fun skis and the water, which leads only to own or with friends in this manner. and easy. He is sure that this first-time frustration. Take your time and get ready. Finally, remember that these points are skier understands everything that he's Don't let yourself get rattled. the very basics for both driver/instructors been told and will be slalom skiing before 2. Remember the basic body position: and skiers. Skiing involves much more. dusk. The host forgets the time and trials • Keep your arms straight. Beginning Safety, signals, and equipment are just a he experienced when he started. skiers have the tendency to pull on the few additional topics. Nevertheless, by Standard operating procedure is to fit rope, bend the elbows, and lift the han- keeping these basics in mind, you can the beginner with a vest, give him less- dle high. This results in a loss of balance start out on the right foot. than-complete directions, and in the water and a fall backward as the skis scoot out I the skier goes. The "skier" now fights from under the skier. The skier must fear, embarrassment, and two long very allow the boat to do the pulling while John M. Cornish coached the US. Bare- uncooperative pieces of wood. Each per- maintaining a centered position over the foot Ski Team to a first-place victory in son in the boat, trying to be helpful and skis. international competition last summer in supportive, offers "steps to success," • Keep the knees bent. As the skier Germany. He is a skiing instructor and which add to the confusion. Soon the begins to rise out of the water as the boat serves on the Boat Pennsylvania Editorial driver yells and the boat surges forward pulls, the skier's knees must be slightly Advisory Committee. John hails from with little regard for the speed or force bent. The raising up from the crouch Rockwood, PA. that the beginning skier is suddenly ex- periencing. From this point the beginner may decide to give up or try it again to see what other humiliation he or she can take. The following tips are designed to help both beginning skiers and novice drivers and instructors who will soon churn the waters of Pennsylvania for afternoons of fun and success of learning to water ski. Driver/instructor 1. Keep it simple: Make sure the in- structions you give are explicit and to the point. Remember, the skier is excited and confused already. Skiers don't need lengthy explanations of what they are do- ing wrong or right. 2. Be patient. Give the beginner some time on the dock to get acquainted with May/June 1987 31 cviA