Sunday, August 5, 2012

21st WoodenBoat Show @ Mystic Seaport_Family Boatbuilding et al.

Concours d'elegance 
 
Willow ribbed skin on frame,

skillfully wrought with exquisite detail.

Hillary Russell is the coordinator at the Berkshire Boat Building School. His willow ribbed skin on frame double paddle canoe (his design) took top honors in the professional class.





John Gardner Small Craft Workshop
Lots of activity, and lots of boats, at the reinstated workshop!
Clint Chase docking a Ducker.
A welcome surprise was this proa by Paul Soban.
Finely kitted out
Looks a bit like a Gary Dierking T2




I built it myself  
Nesting boats!

The skin on frame above, a Monfort design, fits nicely into this ply boat. Both are beautifully constructed. Now where's that brochure?!
Michael Shari brought this captivating little Firefly.
The National Firefly is an Uffa Fox design, originally built by Fairey Marine.



Family Boatbuilding
Chesapeake Light Craft offered the elegant Sassafras canoe.
B&B Yacht Designs brought the sprightly Mandy
Graham Byrnes, owner of B&B, with accomplice.
A lot of boats, and a lot of activity.
Teamwork!
A rather large toolbox
Carl Cramer distributing varnish
Planing
As of Sunday afternoon, all had finished hulls.
Sanding,

and more sanding.




And a little more...
Ed Greiner and Bud McIntire were down from the upper peninsula, Michigan, representing the Great Lakes Boat Building School. They were also our dinner companions at the tribute dinner and added to our enjoyment of the evening.

They trailered this stunning inboard launch, built entirely by students at the school. It's a Paul Gartside design, #117, carvel construction. 
These two St Ayles skiffs were built, and are being raced, as part of WoodenBoats' BARC program.The program involves high school students in building and racing this Iain Oughtred design and was inspired by the example of the 
Scottish Coastal Rowing Project.





My third year at this show and it's always a treat! The Family Boatbuilding program seems to increase exponentially every year. Next year they will likely need a larger large tent.

Seeing the incredible work being done vis a vis the Morgan restoration is inspiring. I met up with Graham McKay of Lowell's Boat Shop and he's planning to begin a whaleboat for the Morgan in October. As of the show he said he was 70% funded, but has a little more to go, help if you can.

A big round of thanks to Mystic Seaport, WoodenBoat and all the participants for another great show.


Originally posted on 70.8% by Thomas Armstrong