27th Mid Atlantic Small Craft Festival

photo courtesy John Armstrong


Brother John and I made the trip down to St. Michaels, MD last Saturday for the 27th MASCF. Just in the gate and the first attraction was a beautifully crafted West Greenland skin on frame Qayaq. Owner built by Jennie Plummer-Welker, great attention was paid to details, such as holes in the runners for the rib lashing so as to avoid a bumpy skin.

Cockpit

Nice toggles!

photo courtesy John Armstrong

John and I then headed straight for the dock where we sighted Silent Maid, which we hadn't expected. We were greeted by prodigious boatbuilders Wendy Byars and John Brady, down from the Independence Seaport Museum in Philly. John runs the museum boatshop, Workshop on the Water and Wendy is a frequent volunteer. Silent Maid was lauched last summer at the museum and has been visiting up and down the East Coast since. My brother also volunteers, in the museum library, and we were soon aboard the Maid, invited for a sail.

John powered us out to the race course just in time for the annual free for all, with what seemed like a hundred small boats of all descriptions, from a Chesapeake log canoe to some very small decked sailing canoes.

Ready to start sailing

Find John's blog here.

An obviously exultant Wendy, (aka Sailorgirl) at the helm. Check out Sailorgirl for Wendy's view of the entire 5 day experience

Part of the fleet as they jockey for position prior to the starting gun.

One of my crew mates aboard the Maid turned out to be Barry Long of Eye In Hand. He has a huge repository of beautiful images of the last three years at St.Michaels.

They're racing!

Marianne is a log canoe from about 1916, owned by the CBMM,

and true to type, she's quick.

Sabot, gunter rigged catboat designed and built by Fred Bennett

Buna Mon Iya, a Crotch Island Pinky designed and built by Peter Van Dine and owned and sailed by George and Marla Surgent.

John Allen on his 16/30 racing canoe. The design dates from the glory days of canoe racing very early 20th C. Many of the 16/30's were hard chine, as this appears to be.

Later in the day John heads back out for more. These boats developed in the Lake Ontario region and were considered the setup for canoe racing by their devotees. A revival of the design has been spurred by research and development at the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton, NY.

Timm Schlieff sailing his Nat Herresoff designed Coquina in the race. You can just see the committee boat behind him.

Later, near the dock. Timm builds boats professionally in West Virginia. The Coquina was Capt'n Nat's favorite boat and he sailed here summer and winter in Marblehead.

Ahoy, Two Keys! Ships boat (replica) for the Kalmar Nyckel, Delawares tall ship. She's a period shallop and sports a small cannon, which may have been the starting gun for this race.

Nice big Swedish standard. Kalmar Nyckel brought the first Swedish settlers to America and sailed up the Delaware River to New Sweden in 1638. New Sweden is today known as Wilmington, DE.

Two of the volunteers who make Little Key possible, Dave Dawson and Bob Reed

Here she is at rest.

I have a soft spot for decked sailing canoes and the day brought me into close proximity of two of the finest I've seen, brought down by a northern contingent.

This is Apple Pie, built by Dave Kavner and Dan Sutherland, and owned by Dave. Both of these characters were also involved n the 16/30 revival mentioned above. Here's a shot of the rudder designed and built by the third member of this triumvirate,

Bob Lavertue, mastermind behind the Springfield Fan & Centerboard Co., maker of finely crafted metal bits and pieces, including the bronze folding fan centerboards installed on both boats. Bobs work is unequaled and he supplies metal parts for sailing canoes with vintage design and a level of craftsmanship worthy of the Victorian originals.

As you can see on his 18' Pretty Jane, built by Will Clements. Both Apple Pie and Pretty Jane are built to JH Rushton designs. Rushton was the pre-eminent canoe builder in Victorian NY and if these boats interest you Atwood Manley's book is a must.

One of the things I was most keen on for this day was meeting Steve and Bruce and Spartina, above. I was hoping for a sail aboard Spartina, a John Welsford Pathfinder built by Steve Earley. Unfortunately I did not manage to track them down until rather late in the afternoon and too late for a sail. Oh well.

Bruce and Steve trailed the boat from Steve's home in Chesapeake, VA to Crisfield MD where they launched and set out on a multiple day tour of the bay with stops designed to sample some of the bays best crabhouses and other attractions. Steve reports that they encountered up to 27 knot winds and made 7.5 knots surfing 3' swells and never felt in any peril. John Welsford's Pathfinder has it's roots in the English Coble's and all his designs are known to be extraordinarily seaworthy. Steve and Bruce have an exemplary weblog wherein they chronicle their many adventures, here.

The CBMM has an active apprenticeship program where volunteers can learn and apply boatbuilding skills. Here's an example. The boatshed is open to museum visitors, and apprentices can explain their work toless knowledgeable visitors.

Apprentice Brooke Harwood explaining bevel and gain in the building of this Delaware Ducker to John and myself.

She is being built in the traditional lapstrake manner, with copper nails visible. In this photo Brooke is adding a plank.

Dubbed the small boat house , this stunning open shed houses Chesapeake workboats in various stages of decay and disrepair. Most of the boats here have placards describing them, but I was unable to locate one for this darling. Less of a morgue, more a sanctuary, this room is calm and contemplative. If I was more of a scholar I could relate what type boat this is, I would guess an oyster boat, but does it really matter? Her beauty shines through the decay.

Still life in the Skipjack shed.

A Northumbrian Coble owner built by Robert Slack to a design by Paul Selway, the boat is a modern adaptation of a traditional British workboat and exhibits the distinctive powderhorn sheer of the originals. Meaning a sheerline which incorporates both convex and concave curves. Robert had just moved his boat and unfortunately caught the mast on a tree branch above and injured the mast step, which he'll now have to rebuild! Robert reports that Paul fisher has drawn a larger version, 17' or so, but it has yet to appear on the website. Soon, I am told.

A Penguin!

The Penguin was designed by Phillip Rhodes in 1938 and featured in Yachting Monthly in 1940 after which the class took off. Penguin is designed for amateur construction in plywood and is still racing with a viable and enthusiastic following.

I'll be right here next year! Camping on the CBMM grounds.

Oliver sets out to cross the Channel

Oliver Hancox and Cariad
courtesy Sail- World

Polly
courtesy SOIA

A MkII for sale at Portlooe Marine Services

Drawings of the MKII, fin keel version
courtesy sailboatdata.com

There's lately been a spate of young sailors setting out in quest of records for the youngest to do this or that, many of them solo circumnavigations. Here's a new entry: 14 year old, Oliver Hancox of Devon, UK, is planning to singlehand across the English Channel in his Silhouette MkII, Cariad. Oli is sailing to raise funds for cancer research after losing his dad to cancer last year. 14 years old. He's getting support from the Mayflower Marina. He is doing this as a fitting way to commemorate his dad, Neil, who was also a sailor and was the first person to cross the Channel windsurfing(!). Take a look, contribute.

Apparently small craft run in the family. The boat is a recently renovated Robert Tucker classic, one of the seminal boats of the postwar period in Britain. The MkII comes in at about 17 1/2', originally in plywood and later in fiberglass, a twin keeler first built in 1959 which has an unusual powderhorn sheer.

'Voyage to America': Young Tiger, part two

This image was sent to me (Simon) on 13 March 2007 shortly after I had made a phone call and confirmed that I had finally traced the Westerly 22 designed by Denys Rayner in which I sailed across the Atlantic in 1965-66 with Sue Pulford

"We ran south across the Bay of Biscay in Young Tiger - a Westerly 22 - and made landfall on Cabo Ortegal and Los Aiguillones near Ortiguera, at dawn but the wind dropped leaving us riding these swells with little way, typical of the Bay where the long almost invisible swells of the deep Atlantic steepen over the shallower waters close to France and Spain creating, even in calm weather, the steeper seas that gives Biscay its bad reputation with ferry passengers. A small boat like this rides them easily but in a large vessel you can imagine the uncomfortable rolling and pitching they cause."

Landfall on Barbados - 5 January 1966. In the log from which I oil sketched this scene, I wrote: "Clouds collected during the night, obscuring the bright moon, and at dawn it was blowing hard with rain everywhere and haze ahead. We stared ahead until our eyes ached. Suddenly a break in the cloud let through a sunbeam which shone on the land about 10 miles off - green and incredibly exciting. Through the morning the weather cleared as we ran fast down the south coast of the island, staring at the little houses and the distant palm trees bent one way by the constant wind." (5 January 1966)

This was taken by me in January 1966 in Admiralty Bay, Bequia, British West Indies, part of the independent country of St. Vincent & the Grenadines. The boat is a 22 foot gunter rigged GRP sloop with fin keels (that's why she can be so close to shore) called 'Young Tiger'. She was sailed by me and Sue Pulford across the Atlantic from England. www.flickr.com/photos/sibadd/424329354/
Since being sold to George and Nancy Cochrane in 1966 'Young Tiger' has sailed on the eastern seaboard of the USA, been aground off Cape Hatteras, been sunk and raised. Now over 40 years old she rests on a trailer in Frederick, Maryland. Her owner, John Coyle, told Simon in March 2007 that he intends to take her north to Maine. Some recent images of Young Tiger are at:
www.flickr.com/search/?q=Washington&w=53381278%40N00

Young Tiger's route to the America's



all photos courtesy Simon Baddelley

That's all Folks

Be sure to visit Simon's Flikr photostream, one of the most amazing I've seen. And don't miss Simon's Wikipedia entry on Denys Rayner.

The Scottish Coastal Rowing Project: a great and portable idea!

The model of a Fair Isle skiff in the Scottish Fisheries Museum which inspired
the design of the St Ayles Skiff.

Prototype build by the crew at Jordan Boats
courtesy Alec Jordan

Prototype build by the crew at Jordan Boats
courtesy Alec Jordan

Prototype build by the crew at Jordan Boats
courtesy Alec Jordan

Here is a wonderful project spearheaded by the Scottish Fisheries Museum in collaboration with Alec Jordan of Jordan Boats and Iain Oughtred. Nominally the Scottish Coastal Rowing Project, the idea is to involve communities in building this boat, a traditional design updated for modern construction techniques by Iain, with an eye to competitive rowing events. Jordan Boats is supplying the boats in kit form with the goal of making the build an achievable project for amateur building. The boat chosen is the St. Ayles Skiff and as you can see, is quite elegant. Alec Jordan, a longtime provider of kits for Iain Oughtred designs, states that he feels that with this design, Iain has outdone himself, again. I think it's a great concept, and can see it being utilized by coastal communities worldwide, either adopting this design or substituting local historic craft, say a dory for New England groups or an outrigger canoe in Micronesia. My correspondence with Alec Jordan indicates that he is willing to craft kits for amateur construction for any designs submitted to him, copyright permitting. He would of course review all proposals. Seems to me a hungry idea, one which could lead to interaction and competition not just locally but on a global scale. Mr. Jordan estimates that the cost for the St Ayles is expected to fall somewhere around $4500., significantly less than many of the boats currently embraced by rowing enthusiats, bringing the funding possibilities to a wider range of groups. Interested parties can contact me directly or Alec Jordan via his website. Click the top two images for the brochure and full prospectus PDF's.

I would like to add as a postscript that in a telephone conversation with Alec Jordan today he expressed he is not a boat designer and only designs and plans submitted or approved by a registered Naval Architect would receive consideration for the constructing of kits. Understandable. He also stressed that for the Scot's program only boats built in wood ie: ply or larch would qualify. No GRP, or as we say over here, fiberglass. OK? I think this should become the two firm parameters for any groups worldwide who would like to join this iniative.

'Voyage to America': Young Tiger, part one

Simon's Stepfather, Jack Hargreaves, aboard Young Tiger

Young Tiger leaving for the Americas

Simon Baddeley steering Young Tiger

all photos and text courtesy Simon Baddeley

Simon Baddeley counts the originator of Westerly Yachts, Cmdr. Denys Rayner, as a family friend and his sailing mentor. His stepfather was Jack Hargreaves, an English broadcast celebrity and also a friend of Cmdr. Rayner. Over the cusp of 1965-1966, Simon and his crew Sue Pulford cruised Young Tiger, one of the early Westerly 22's, to Barbados and then Miami from Lymington, UK. This is the record of the voyage, as published in the Royal Cruising Club's 1966 cruising journal. Part one. This was, I believe, the first Atlantic crossing of the newly minted 22' twin keel yacht which was the opening song of the great opus which was Westerly. Simon has very generously shared this record with us, as well as many photographs. He blogs today at Democracy Street. You will need to click the text in order to read it. I have posted the original (albeit photocopied) text to keep the texture of the original publication.


footnote: from the RCC Journal contents page, (This is the cruise for which the Royal Cruising Club Challenge Cup was awarded)
To which I'd like to add my own hearty well done! to Sue and Simon.

MiniTransat 2009

2007 route

Painting the hull of 724, Chris Tutmark's boat

Ever wondered what the guts of a Mini look like? 724's interior looking at the bilge pump and the autopilot pump through the stern hatch.

Almost ready

Chris

Reality is Jesse's boat

Racing in France

Bottom work

Jesse



all photos courtesy Chris and Jesse

Next Sunday, September 13th, sees the launch of the 2009 Mini Transat. For those of you not familiar with this event, it's a singlehanded bash across the Atlantic from France to Brazil in diminutive 21' high tech racing craft known as the Mini 650(for 6.5 m). First held in 1977, the race was conceived by an Englishman but is administered and dominated by the French and is considered to be one of the most physically and mentally challenging sailing events ever. I was first atracted to the class because I find these high tech little monsters beautiful in their own way, and now marvel at the development of the class and the stamina and seamanship needed to complete this race.
Following the success of Clay Burkhalter in 2007 (he placed 12th. which is considered excellent for an American), two American sailors will be testing themselves in Sunday's event.

Chris Tutmark, 42, and Jesse Rowse, 24, will both be competing in this event for the first time. They both would like to better Clay's 2007 finish. Both have a subsidiary blog, Chris with Sailing Anarchy and Jesse with Sail Magazine. Both are seasoned racers although neither has ever sailed across the Atlantic. 70.8% wishes them both godspeed and bon chance in this herculean effort. It takes a tremendous amount of work just to get to the point of starting the race, with the job of lining up sponsors, etc. and a minimum of 1000 miles solo at sea to qualify. It's quite a distinction. It is also, historically, a springboard to success as a professional sailor: witness EllenMacArthur et al. Unlike my other favorite transatlantic 'race' the Jester Challenge, this is a fiercely competitive event. The man who conceived the race, Bob Salmon, did so out of motivation similar to that of the creators of the Jester.
I'll be rooting for both American entries!