Volume XLIV, Number 2 - Summer 2008

Adventure the Story of a Schooner By David H. Rhinelander

Adventure, the last of the storied line of dory fishing schooners out of Glouces- ter, Massachusetts, is on her way to re- turning to sea and becoming the flagship of the nation's oldest fishing port. Getting this great Gloucesterman ship -shape and focused on an appropriate 21st-century role has not been easy. In fact, the mission is not complete. At this moment, she is back in the water, with a rebuilt hull and deck, and a new suit of sails on order. The cost so far has been $2.5 million, which is above the original, overly- optimistic estimates but still well below many similar restoration or replica projects. The savings have been accomplished by the use of exceptionally talented shipwrights, many skilled volunteers, dona- tions of free or below cost materials, space and equipment, and a flexible time- line that has allowed the work to proceed only when funds are in hand. An addi- its cultural heritage and historic struc- tional $750,000 or more is needed. tures. Although the project has not always In the summer of 2009, Adventure 2008 OFFICERS gone as smoothly as hoped, Adventure will begin her new life as an ambassador already has given the old fishing port a of Gloucester and Massachusetts and a COMMODORE JOHN EGI NTO N substantial boost. living reminder of the treacherous yet VICE COMMODORE rewarding decades of fishing under sail. AL ROPER Designated a National Historic Land- She will serve as a marine research ves- REAR COMMODORE mark and an official project of Save sel, a floating classroom focusing on SAM HOYT America's Treasures, the ship was a criti- maritime, cultural and environmental SECRETARY cal element in Gloucester's award of a issues and a meeting place where fisher- NAN NAWROCKI Preserve America grant and was cited men, scientists and regulators can work TREASURER last year by First Lady Laura Bush as an together to bring about the recovery of JOANNE SOUZA integral part of the city's efforts to sustain the commercial fishing industry. She will

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Young Mr. Schooner at the forest of masts and spars all around him. His By Jeff Thomas II pulse quickened from the climb and the sheer excite- ment of it all. God, what a marvelous sight before him! Fourteen year old Gordon sat on the big cat- Years and years later, when he was quite old, he would log at the end of D B Smith’s fish pier. Nothing recall this moment of moments and tell them to me, his escaped his youthful gaze. He looked and lis- son. He would recall that afternoon that happened so tened at the sights and heard the sounds of this very long ago and describe it in minute detail as if it beautiful spring harbor scene. The vessel lay still happened yesterday. in the water. Yet from time to time she moved gently, like some huge living creature awakening The ironic part of that whole adventure, he said from its sleep. with an impish smile, is that he was caught, but before the man called him down, he took a picture so I would The patched canvas sails had been lowered never lose the moment. Then he yelled, “Thomas, and secured. No one moved about her smooth you’ve had your fun. Come down from there. deck. Her skipper and crew, recently home from the Banks, had already departed; gone to their homes to be with their families and friends. Eve- rything interested him.

Tall spar poles and rigging towered above him. He listened some more. The vessel seemed to be talking to him as she moved with the gentle breeze stirring at her mooring lines, squeaking, groaning, chaffing and rubbing and rubbing against the wharf. He looked almost transfixed, mesmerized by the wooden shape before him. The two great hawser eyes in the massive round bow took on the appearance of a face. Inviting him. The whole beauty of this nearly magical almost spiritual environment tempted him.

He moved from where he was sitting at the end of the wharf and walked ever closer to the vessel he loved. He jumped down from the pier onto her deck. He next stood up on her rail, grabbed hold of the rigging, and started to climb upwards, looking as he climbed ever higher. The white clouds above called him while the gulls around him sounded their approval.

This was nothing new to him; he was not afraid, for he had climbed the rigging of numerous vessels in the harbor, all when no one was Jeff Thomas is the son of Gordon Thomas affec- around to yell at him and tell him to stop. tionately known as Mr. Schooner. Gordon Thomas was the author of many books about Gloucester schoo- He climbed aloft, hand over hand, sure of his ners, including Fast and Able, and Wharf and Fleet. footing, until he reached the point where he knew His vast photo collection of schooners now resides in better than to go any higher. the Cape Ann Historical Society. Mr. Thomas died in 1983. He held on tightly as he gazed out over the harbor

2 Volume XLIV, Number 2 - Summer 2008

Dogwatch by Sam Hoyt ner Festival and joining Harvey on Lake Huron and belongs to the Ca- Gamage as a member of the educa- nadian Great Lakes Assn. He's consid- tional crew. Numerous other ASA ering joining ASA and maybe starting a members, past and present, also put in Great Lakes Chapter. Doug Hazlitt has an appearance including Becky and apparently sold Malabar X which is Howard Hopps, who now run Pine Hill now in Boston outfitting for racing and Alpaca Farm (say what?), Ginny Jones, will soon be taken to Europe. Susie Fleming (now married), daughter We also had the pleasure of meeting of Doug Fleming who owned Chantey many years ago, Walter and Susan Kaci Cronkhite of the Northwest Mari- Sodon and former commodore Dave time Center and managing director of Clark. And Ian Thomas arrived, fresh its Wooden Boat Festival in Port Town- from the R/V Connecticut, to announce send, WA, where we will be going in he is taking a quasi vacation from September to present the ASA Award to that organization. And we are grate- Dogwatch schooners and going back to college. But he's been active, helping deliver ful for the assistance of John and Susan Notes from the WoodenBoat Show… Amistad from Mystic to Charleston. Senning who provided ASA materials, Despite an awful weather report and Roberta and Bob Pulsch, Don Mac- high gas prices, Dana Hewson of Mys- Vessels in attendance included Lu Cuish and Cassandra Webster, and es- tic Seaport told us that attendance was Yoder's Valora, a rejuvenated Half pecially, Peter Thompson, who showed even higher than last year's great turn- Moon which turns out to have been up on Saturday with brochures and out. ASA's "booth" was supposed to be purchased and restored by the son of Bluenose Cate's ASA welcome mat. on Brilliant's dock, but since she wasn't Arthur Collins who owned Defiance Also to commodore John Eginton who there Friday, we set up on Chubb's and kept her in Schooner Cove in Stam- left us a table, two chairs and two bur- Wharf at the invitation of Denise ford when we were there. And Defi- gees so we had something to start the show with. Meagher, skipper of the Lettie G. ance had just been purchased by Wes Higgins of Redding, CT, who joined Howard. South Street Seaport Mu- West Coast news…Longtime west seum's schooner had been featured in ASA at the show. Also making its first public appearance was Nat Benjamin's coast correspondent Byron Chamber- the previous day's New York Times for lain notified us of the passing of Bob brand new schooner Charlotte which is its work with the Harbor School, teach- Ekoos in early June. Bob was the foun- ing urban inner-city youth from Brook- some piece of work. Seems Nat has not gotten around to rigging a flag halyard der of the Classic Yacht Association. lyn some teamwork and a bit about Byron also provided some basic infor- their marine environment. We dis- and so had no place to fly the ASA bur- played the piece on our table and could gee which Dogwatch presented to him. point out the picture of the Lettie and Much of the wood for Charlotte was Denise and then point to the real them. furnished by Brad Sykes who is no longer on the Vineyard. Instead, Brad When a young crewmember is running a cargo ketch out of Hawaii. climbed off Lettie wearing a Boston Seems he shops WalMart to buy up Red Sox cap, Dogwatch immediately large quantities of basic goods not asked her how a crewmember of a New available in the outer islands and deliv- York-based schooner could wear such a ers them by sail. Skookum III and Mischief headpiece. She didn't back down and, Photos by Marcia Newton during the course of the day, we learned Other news from the show…John that she was Ali Glassie, daughter of Swain of Swain Boat Builders is build- mation on "Doghole schooners" which longtime ASA member Don Glassie of ing himself a 36' sharpie schooner in loaded cargo in the small harbors, or Millington, MD. Allan Aylard sails the "dogholes," under the cliffs on the Cali- Fortune fame. Ali will be getting off the Lettie after the Gloucester Schoo- 1937 Bluenose schooner Laura Ellen fornia coast. We're planning on doing

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Adventure (continued from page 1) become part of a wider effort to to pre- could outrun the older rigs. It could sail vessel -- a larger wheel house, a 230 serve Gloucester's maritime and fishing through the heaviest weather with a horsepower diesel -- but kept her a dory heritage and promote the city's historic reefed main or set only the foresail trawler. waterfront as a major cultural tourism while on a trawl. destination. Dory fishing was labor-intensive and Adventure, with 14 double-ended, dangerous. The two dorymates would Adventure, a knockabout schooner, two-man dories stacked on deck, set out pull away from their mother ship with was built from a design by Thomas J. on her maiden voyage from Gloucester a three tubs of fishing line. Each of these McManus. She was launched from the month after her launching under the carefully coiled trawls stretched 2,000 to John F. James & Son shipyard in Essex, command of Captain Jeff Thomas. She 3,000 feet and carried 500 or more Massachusetts, on Sept. 16, 1926. She landed at the Boston Fish Pier six days baited hooks. Each trawl was set out tied measured 121.6 feet in length, 24.5 feet later with 70,000 pounds of haddock. between two anchored buoys. in breadth and had a 14-foot draft. Her Quite a first haul. gross tonnage was 130, her net tonnage 62. She had a 120 horsepower diesel Capt. Thomas, a native of Cape engine. Her total cost was about Breton Island, Nova Scotia, was part- $65,000. owner of the ship as was the custom in those days. He was considered one of McManus, a Boston fish dealer and the best and hardest-driving of the skip- designer, decided in 1898 to build a pers. Four years earlier, he had been ship with a round or "spoon" bow. That captain of Puritan, which many still con- meant he could do away with the sidered the fastest of all the North "widow-maker" bowsprit, from which so American fishing schooners. She was many crewmen were lost overboard han- clocked at almost 15 knots. dling headsails during the tempests and the ice storms that plagued the Grand In fact, it was her speed that did Pu- ritan in when she was only 101 days old. Dorymates setting trawl On June 23, 1922, Capt. Thomas was Then the dorymen would wait, hop- going full tilt through the fog off Sable ing that thousands of bottom-dwelling Island. Unbeknownst to him, her speed fish would bite into their 1,500 to 1,600 had put him 20 miles closer to Sable bait-covered hooks. It was the captain than he realized. Puritan ran across the who decided, based on his past experi- northwest bar of the island, a total loss. ence, where to drop off the dories -- All 22 men aboard survived. leaving half a mile or so between each. Capt. Thomas drove Adventure as And it was he who decided when to hard, fishing for halibut in the summer sound the ship's horn, which signaled and haddock in the winter. On one Octo- the men to begin their backbreaking task ber trip in 1927, he sailed into Boston of hauling in the trawl and bringing the Adventure’s distinctive knockabout with 100,000 pounds of halibut aboard, hoped-for hundreds of flopping fish profile which sold for $11,770. safely into their dory. They would then row or sail back to the schooner and On March 24, 1934, Capt. Thomas heave their catch on deck. Banks and other rich fishing grounds. died at the wheel of a heart attack 80 Adventure today is one of the last miles off Halifax. He had just returned In 1943, her best year, Capt. Hynes knockabout schooners afloat in the to the wheel house after being aloft and his crew landed $364,000 of fish. United States. chipping ice off the rigging when he By the time she retired in 1953, after dropped dead. The term schooner is some 300 years almost three decades of work, $4 million worth of fish had been hauled aboard, old. It was first used not to describe the Adventure's second skipper was the all-time record for a Gloucesterman. shape of a particular hull but the sail Capt. Leo Hynes, a Newfoundlander During her 27 years as a dory trawler, pattern. The earliest sailing fishermen who took command at age 33. On his five crewmen died at sea. were the double-ended shallops and two first trip, Adventure hauled in 140,000 -masted ketches. A schooner, with a pounds of fish. Capt. Leo updated his large mainsail and smaller foresail,

4 Continued on Page 5 Volume XLIV, Number 2 - Summer 2008

Adventure (Continued from Page 4) land beside him and old salts with tears cost is now expected to pass $3 million Although Adventure herself was still in their eyes looking on. Ten days later, by 2009.) sound in 1953, her crewmen were get- Adventure -- the "Old Lady" of the sea ting old and the fishing fleet had -- won the 1988 Mayor's Race, beating As happens with most restoration switched from sail to diesel. half a dozen other large gaff-rigged projects on land or sea, the true scope of schooners by nearly half a mile. the task only become clear as work pro- Most important, no young men were gressed. Very little of the original tim- interested in learning the art of dory Four years later, homeward bound bers -- heavy oak framing and planking trawling. from Newburyport, Massachusetts, Ad- of white oak and white pine -- had es- venture was caught in a violent squall caped the ravages of time. As ribs were Fortunately, this great Gloucester- just off Gloucester. The old cotton exposed, the shipwrights found that man found a second life -- Queen of the mainsail and foresail were shredded and fresh water from leaking deck seams Windjammers out of Rockland, Maine. the ship almost swamped. Safety con- and condensation had rotted the frame Her new owners -- Donald P. Hurd, cerns about the aging vessel led to the to the point that the exterior hull plank- Dayton O. Newton and Herbert Beizer - decision to stop sailing until she could ing had loosened and twisted. - had her refurbished. The fish hold be worked over. pens were removed and that space was Many of the centerline structures converted to passenger cabins. Most of The initial plan was to do some re- needed reworking or replacing as well. the berths were removed from the pairs to the bow and port side. But real- Although the keel and keelson were fo'c'sle in favor of more tables and seats. ity soon set in. "Saving Adventure has sound, the horn timbers, rudder post and The main cabin and galley were spruced proven to be an enormous challenge. box, the bit posts and the tail feathers up and she was fitted with a cut down The scope of the project has turned out had to be replaced. The stern rebuild, in suit of sails. to be many times greater than originally keeping with so many other segments, envisioned," recalls board president was more complex and costly than an- A decade later, Captain Jim Sharp Marty Krugman, who took command at ticipated. bought Adventure. He had her hull and that point. rigging overhauled, her engine removed Finding proper timber and skilled and a full set of new sails cut for his Krugman, a psychology professor at craftsmen has been a continual problem. queen, whose hull was painted white. nearby Salem State College and long- Project shipwright Hinrichsen, using his She spent the next 25 years sailing out time Adventure volunteer, began a sys- Danish connections and the fact that of Camden, Maine. But age finally tematic and daunting search for the Adventure is a National Historic Land- caught up with her wooden hull. The money and skilled workmen needed. mark, contacted his brothers who were U.S. Coast Guard withdrew her certifi- Meanwhile, the ship remained in the still working in their father's shipyard cation in 1987. Capt. Sharp was not public eye as a classroom and site of on the Baltic Sea. They arranged for the prepared to spend the estimated very popular Sunday breakfasts and shipment of critically-needed old $300,000 or more on needed repairs. other low-key local activities. growth white oak from the of the Dan- Fortunately for all, Gloucester histo- Tri-Coastal Marine naval architects rian, author and sailor Joseph E. Gar- of Richmond, CA, drew up the rebuild- land had met Capt. Sharp while re- ing plans to comply with the standards searching a book about windjammers. It for historic vessel restoration set by the was their mutual respect and friendship U.S. Secretary of the Interior. Danish that led Capt. Sharp to ask Garland if he shipwright Hermann Hinrichsen was put could assemble a group in Gloucester in charge of the work. that would repair, maintain and guaran- tee a new life for his vessel. The non- In 1997, Adventure was hauled at profit Gloucester Adventure, Inc., with Gloucester Marine Railways, one of the Garland as president, became the owner. oldest such facility still in use in the United States. As the scope and length ish Royal Shipbuilding Forest, trees Adventure sailed triumphantly of the project grew, the hull was moved now set aside for historic vessels. Vi- through a flotilla of craft large and small in October 2004 to nearby Rose's Ma- king Lumber in Belfast, ME, was able into her old home port on August 27, rine. The $2.5 million projected cost to provide long lengths of clear grade 3 1988 -- Capt. Sharp at the wheel, 88- was almost four times the original, by 5 inch quarter sawn white pine deck year-old Capt. Leo Hynes and Joe Gar- overly-optimistic, estimate. (The total

Continued on Page 7 5 Wing & Wing -Official Newsletter of the American Schooner Association

Dogwatch (Continued from Page 3) some more research on this subject. headquarters… sloop, which will take place very soon.

We are grateful to Jerry and Marcia Richard Hudson is currently en route Finally, a bit of opinion on literary Newton of San Diego for sending us the from Madeira in his newly-purchased history, not by yours truly. Rather, a results and some great pictures of the French steel schooner. Among his crew recent Wall Street Journal column of- Yesteryear Regatta. There were seven is Peter, who has skippered Adirondack fered one man's opinion of the five best schooners in the schooner class ranging out of Chelsea Piers near our abode books to "…capture the challenge and in size from the 30' Maid of Kent to the which we learned when we recently glory of sailing." One must confess to 105' America. The Schooner Cup went took a sail on that vessel under her pre- being a tad dubious, considering the to Mischief which narrowly defeated the sent skipper, Andrew. Richard's other periodical, but we were somewhat mol- larger Skookum III, the margin of vic- steel pinky schooner Rosemary Ruth is lified by reading on and discovering that tory being less than two minutes. The still up for sale…Randy Peffer has a the choices were made by one Robin order of finish after the first two: Knox-Johnson who has some fairly im- America, Maid of Kent, Shine On, pressive seagoing credentials himself, Allure and Shearwater. Jerry reports although not schooner related. His that the Schooner Cup will be moved up choices: next year to be a stand alone event hosted by the Silvergate Yacht Club 1. The Last Grain Race by Eric which is presently getting a rebuilt club- Newby, Houghton Mifflin, 1956 house. The new owner of Shearwater 2. Two Years Before the Mast by is Ned McMahon and he was serenaded Richard Henry Dana, 1840 in San Diego by previous owners Daisy Maid of Kent and Shearwater 3. The Acts of the Apostles, circa Nell and Captain Stan. They also met Photo by Marcia Newton A.D. 60 Paul Plotts who owns the 65' Alden 4. Sailing Alone Around the World new book out available at Amazon.com Dauntless. Daisy and Stan were busy by Joshua Slocum, 1899 titled Old School Bones. It better be recruiting these west coasters for the 5. Last Man Across the Atlantic by good at the outrageous price of $45… ASA. Paul Heiney, Mainstream 2006. ASTA's Tall Ship Challenge is taking

Other news…Mary Anne McQuillan place on the west coast having departed let us know that Ernestina has arrived Victoria, BC, recently. We've read three but had never heard safely in Boothbay, ME, to start repairs. At a recent fund-raising cocktail part of number five and have carefully There is hope now that she can be back for the Oyster Bay Waterfront Center, avoided number 3. Keep those cards in commission by next summer…The we were hailed from across the yard and letters coming. Ocean Alliance organization has pur- with the shout of "Dogwatch." The chased the famous Gloucester paint fac- hailer turned out to be former member tory and will convert it for use as its Charles Hatton who also showed up at the WoodenBoat Show with the same greeting.

The highlight of the evening was a close-in sail-by by the oyster sloop Christeen, under the command of Gary Cassidy, brother of former commodore, Jim. They let fly with several cannon salvos. Brother Jack and I were the win- ners in a silent auction of a four-hour America and Allure sail on an historic Herreshoff fish class South Street Museum’s Pioneer Photo by Marcia Newton Jeannette Hoyt 6 Volume XLIV, Number 2 - Summer 2008

Adventure (Continued from Page 5) planking. Shipwrights from nearby yards, jor grant and do some work, then hit a am trying to establish a permanent sched- caulkers from Connecticut's Mystic Sea- lull, and then get another major grant." A ule so you, the reader, know when to ex- port and volunteers put everything in member of the Adventure's board of di- pect it, I cannot maintain any regular place. rectors has contributed more than schedule without content. This was the $500,000 through a family trust. problem with getting this issue out on The latest bit of good news is a time. Thus, I implore you to send me ma- $65,000 gift from a local family founda- Among other significant contributions terial for Wing & Wing. tion, which will be used for new rigging and to buy a full suit of sails from Nathan • $250,000 -- Massachusetts Office of S. Wilson of Boothbay, Maine. He is re- Travel and Tourism nowned for cutting accurate period sails Trivia Question: for historic vessels, including the USS • $250,000 -- Massachusetts Historical Who was the first person to build a Constitution. Commission. Schooner? Where was she built? And Peter N. Souza, vice chair of the • $247,000 -- National Park Service, what year was she built? Board of Directors and head of its vessel Save America's Treasures You may submit your answer without committee, is not quite ready to relax. • $100,000 -- Lowe's Charitable and documentation, but documentation is pre- "Each and every step of our project has Educational Preservation Fund of the ferred. been painstakingly accomplished and National Trust for Historic Preserva- filled with critical attention to details and tion Send your answer to : accuracy. Labor and resources are scarce. We continue to make great strides, but "We've come so far now we just can't [email protected] we're not there yet," said this descentant stop," said her old master, Capt. Sharp, as of Newfoundland and Gloucester fishing he looked over the work last summer. families. "I'm the only skipper still alive who has ever sailed a Gloucester vessel without an Coronet Still ahead is lots of work below decks engine. I hope I can stagger aboard and In Restoration at -- restoration of the cabins and fo'c'sle, sail her again." IYRS converting the old fish pens into a class- Newport, RI room space, installing a new diesel engine Here's hoping Capt. Jim will be at the and waterproof bulkheads. Once all the wheel when Adventure sets sail again. work is done, Adventure will have to pass There won't be a dry eye or a clear throat a rigid U.S. Coast Guard inspection and when she passes Eastern Point light at the meet all the requirements of a subchapter head of Gloucester harbor and pushes out T (under 100 tons) passenger vessel. into the Atlantic. Krugman admits that he has felt truly (EDITOR”S NOTE: This article, mi- discouraged at points during the past dec- nus the original photographs, by Dave ade. "We are a small, under-funded or- Rhinelander is reprinted with the permis- ganization repeatedly teetering on the sion of the National Maritime Historical brink of economic ruin," he said. Looking Society. The photographs used in this over his shoulder at other restoration pro- version of the article are courtesy of the jects wasn't always encouraging. Many Schooner Adventure A National Historic were being done by large museums or Landmark. More photographs of the Ad- government agencies. Among the projects venture and current status report of the at the high end of the scale is the restora- progress of her restoration are located at tion of the schooner C. A. Thayer, under http://www.schooner-adventure.org.) way in San Francisco for $14 million. Yacht Schooner Coronet Wing on Editor’s Corner: I apologize for the Wing The money for Adventure has come in delay in getting this issue of Wing & (Source unknown) spurts, Krugman explains. "We get a ma- Wing out to the membership. Although I

7 Wing & Wing -Official Newsletter of the American Schooner Association

A Keel Timber Replacement Blackbird’s owner Charles Hamblett By Peter Thompson was observing his father’s last wishes by offering his father’s ashes to the Over the last several years the new sea off Isle of Shoals, NH. When he ASA website (many thanks to Alex turned home and tried to pull the Rhinelander) has created the opportu- board up, it was gone. In apparent nity for numerous electronic conver- empathy for Charlie’s father, the sations between members. Most have board had let go and joined him. That been related to buying and selling winter a new board was fashioned and schooners, sailing schooners, main- installed. The trunk bed was rein- An unlucky friend volunteered for the taining and rebuilding schooners, forced by cutting out the lower corner timber transport races, events, and most everything of the floor timbers, sliding in rebar else schooner. It’s a healthy sign that along the length of the trunk next to barn in Cumberland, Maine, we de- both new and old members alike are the keel timber, and casting concrete cided to jackhammer out the approxi- actively engaged in or are contemplat- around the base of the trunk, keel tim- mate 2,000 lbs of concrete to look at ing tackling some pretty involved res- ber and intervening floor timbers. replacing the centerboard trunk. Un- toration and maintenance projects This repair extended the life of the fortunately, the keel timber was not in either by themselves or with profes- original structure into the late 1980’s, satisfactory condition to install a new sional assistance. Over these years I when the board was finally removed trunk. We soon found that the ripple have become convinced that restora- from service and the slot plugged and effect of seemingly small decisions tion only happens to other peoples capped. We sailed the boat from can be astounding. boats and generally soon after pur- 1993 through 2000 without the board; chase. For your own boat, it’s usually a configuration which only draws 4 The decision to replace the board just maintenance. In any event, these feet 3 inches on a thirty three foot ultimately required the careful re- endeavors often get very serious and waterline. In 2001, having recently moval of the original interior, installa- generally require more of either one recovered the second board from a tion of 50 new frames, putting the or two resources, time or money. I am presenting this article in the event there is another owner out there con- templating replacement of a keel timber and related structures, or has recently discovered that such an unan- ticipated structural rebuild is needed. This article is written along the lines of the owner-doer model. Since this project involves replacement of a keel for a centerboard boat, a short history on Blackbird’s centerboard and trunk follows.

Built in 1930 as a centerboard schooner (Alden design No. 309Q), Blackbird’s original trunk was intact and functioning until the late 1960s or Sandy’s fork truck Nellie in action (Men don’t name their fork trucks) early 1970s. Around that time, 8

Volume XLIV, Number 2 - Summer 2008

Keel timber (Continued from page 8 )

Vertical skill saw cuts across the timber to approximate depth of final timber. Timber is roughly squared by removing these with chisel and planed smooth (hand or electric)

Original timber profile Final keel timber

Section View of Rough Timber boat in a large cradle, dropping the Final centerboard slot iron ballast, removing the gar- boards, replacing the floor timbers; Once home, the first task was all so we could get at and replace getting the new timber moved the keel timber. around which is pretty easy if your wife is willing to let you borrow her Given our direction was now fork truck. With the old timber and clear, I got on the phone and called the new laid side by side, and the Brad Ives. He had an appropriately iron ballast off, and with the aid of sized piece of Angelique on the way original plans, the next step was to from Surinam and had it sent to mark out and cut a rough blank for Maine. That particular Maine win- the timber. Lacking a large enough ter was brutally cold which just did- skill saw, an old chain saw, sharp- n’t appeal to that wet tropical hard- ened frequently, worked fine. This wood and it checked beyond use. replacement timber was about ten Brad was very gracious and gener- Cutting the centerboard trunk slot inches thick, by about thirty feet long and twenty eight inches wide ously accepted the timber back. We with beautifully straight grain but picked out a larger timber with him some deep checks. The final keel at the Cataumet Sawmill in East timber taken out of the middle, was Falmouth MA. We transported the six inches thick and almost check timbers on a boat trailer with an old free. The next step was to get that Ford Explorer. My only lesson timber flat on one side, then the learned here is just make sure the other, so it could be transported to hitch ball on vehicle matches the Boothbay Shipyard and planed to trailer hitch size. When the ball is thickness. The timber had a wavy too small, the trailer might try to cut from the Surinam mill and jump off which cab be disconcerting needed to be faired to provide a flat if it happens while driving under- and true surface without any twist. ground in places like Boston’s Big Fairing the timber was done by Dig. shooting a horizontal survey line on Roughing out the blank 9 Wing & Wing -Official Newsletter of the American Schooner Association

Keel Timber (continued from Page 9)

the majority of the deterioration in the old oak keel timber occurred between the frame pockets, just the place where the garboard screws are supposed to hold. Based on these obser- vations, we did not re-pocket the frames in the new keel. We’ll report back in another 70 years and let you know if that was a good decision.

Aside from minor fitting issues to

Chisel cuts at stations With some guides, numerous passes at shallow depth increments with a plunge router using spiral up-twist bit, the trunk cut-out progressed and fin- ished without mishap. If you use An- gelique, it likes to hold its moisture and does not like to dry out so de- Checks between frame pockets in old pending on the humidity of your oak keel timber working environment keep a careful eye out for initiation of checks and opposing sides, marking the line consider priming the timber with red around on both sides so that the blank lead soon after cutting. was slightly thicker than the final tim- Initial rabbet plane cut ber. Vertical cuts were made at about As shown in the photo upper left, ½ to 1–inch spacing with a skill saw across the timber to the depth of that line and the small blocks cleaned out with a chisel to form a rough but flat surface. A little work with an electric hand plane, and the timber was flat enough to run through a planer. Of course if your wife also happens to have a very large jointer, or a really big band saw and some husky friends; those options might be quicker.

The next step is to measure the trunk location, and then cut out the trunk beds, including spline locations. Final rabbet in timber 10 Volume XLIV, Number 2 - Summer 2008

Keel Timber (Continued from Page 10) the forefoot and deadwood, the next gauge. These measurements were take lots of measurements, and before major task is marking the bearding scribed and numbered on a board, and you know it, the job is done. Angeli- and rabbet lines and cutting the rabbet transferred to the keel timber to guide que is tough on sharpened tool edges to accept the new garboard. For a the initial cutting of the rabbet with a and the time spent sharpening them is neophyte, this was a task that required chisel. At each frame station the cut rewarded by more efficient progress. some thought and repeated wander- was made to a depth sufficient to Based on this experience I’ve gone to ings around the boat and a glass or guide a rabbit plane. This was ulti- a diamond honing stone for quickly two of rum. After the position of the mately an easy way for a beginner to honing plane blades. If you need to bottom, keel and frames were prop- cut the rabbet. A more experienced install a new keel timber and you erly aligned, it was a relatively simple fellow might make faster and better have some time but can’t afford to matter to measure the angle of each use of a chisel, but this worked out have a yard do it, you can do it your- frame to the keel timber with a bevel fine. Sharpen your plane frequently, self.

Her 2008 Maiden Voyage by Don MacCuish The 2008 sailing season’s maiden voyage of Al Bezanson’s beautiful schooner Green Dragon took place on Sunday, June 29th. In addition to Al were Joe Garland, Cass Webster and myself, at the helm thank you (see photo at the bottom of the page). The winds propelled us rather nicely outside Manchester, MA harbor. The sea was comfortable. After my turn at the helm, I turned it over to Joe. Joe seemed to enjoy it very much because he hasn’t taken the helm of a boat for a number of years. In the next edition I’ll write a more thorough description of our voyage.

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