Philadelphia Wooden Boat Festival, Independence Seaport Museum

Here are some of the boats, from the bottom, Pepita, a

elonseed Cat designed by John Brady; a Cerlew built by Phil Maynard; a Delaware Ducker owned by the Museum and a Celebrity class racer, Mudhen.

Wendy Byar likes to stand up when sailing her 13' Lowell semi dory.

This is a Salibury Skiff built in1989 and originally owned by Wendy's Grandfather.

Wendy is a mainstay of the WOW and has a blog documenting the workshops progress here.

She tells me she has 10 or 11 other blogs, one devoted exclusively to sailing, but I'll let you know.

Here Wendy takes my brother John for his first sail, ever!

Mighty Sparrow is an Abaco Dinghy built by Thomas Winer Malone in 1957. Malone is recognized as one of the foremost boatbuilders in the Bahamas, having built over 200 of these boats. She's owned by the Florida Maritime Museum and was trailered from Cortez, Fl. to the festival by the director of said museum, Roger Allen, also a member of the TSCA National Council. Roger formerly was director of the Philadelphia Maritime Museum, which became the ISM, and initiated the Workshop on the Water.

On the river.

Painted in tradional Bahamian colors, she's built of madiera, horseflesh (woods, not wine and...) , Bahamian cedar and other traditional woods.

Phil Maynard and Mike Wick ready their boats for an afternoon sail.

Mike Wick coming back in. Mike's boat, Pepita is a 'Melonseed Cat', so called by her designer, John Brady of the Workshop on the Water. She was built by Carl Weissinger. Mike is the president of the Delaware River chapter of the TSCA.

Here's Mike's lovely Pepita at rest.

John Brady built this Delaware Tuckup, an early racing class which originated on the Delaware River.

Heading out of the basin into the Delaware river.

Nice boat.

Phil Maynard coming about in his Edwin Monk designed Cerlew. Phil built her himself.

Coming into the basin.

Phil has made some modifacations to the original design. Read about them here.

Built by Nick Roth 1977-78, Gwylan (Welsh for seagull) was commissioned by and owned until 1985 by John Cadwalader of Philadelphia, a major player in operation Skyhook. She's now owned by Roger Prichard who has done major restoration. She's an Herreshoff H28 and Roger has singlehanded her , mostly, including a nine day sojourn on the Chesapeake. Roger sails out of Riverton, NJ and brought her over to Philly for the festival.

Nice and comfy with a stove to boot.

Here's Barbara Monson rowing Ted Kilsdonk's Asphodel, a Jim Michalek design.

Ron Gibbs' Mudhen, a Celebrity class boat, built in 1963 to a 1931 design, still a viable racing class which originated in Northern Holland, in the Friesland area, They were originally cat rigged but over the years became sloop rigged. Ron rebuilt the centerboard box and the floors on this boat.

Nice day.

All photos Thomas Armstrong

The Indepedence Seaport Museum held it's second Wooden Boat Festival last weekend. The Traditional Small Craft Association held their annual meeting here, and brought lots of beautiful small boats. In it's second year, the Philly festival is still a nascent affair, with lots of potential for growth. It has a beautiful hosting facility, is centrally located in the mid Atlantic region with many great classic wooden boats, both large and small, within striking distance.

There was Elf up from it's Chesapeake home, and the recently launched Silent Maid, Gwylan, an Herreshoff 28, and numerous smaller traditional and not quite traditional craft. It rained. But the spirits of the participants and the visitors were undampened. Good wind for part of the day made for some exciting sailing on the Delaware River. My brother John had his first ever sail! This event has all the elements in place to become a major event. Let's make it so.

Philadelphia Wooden Boat Festival

My rather clumsy composite of the basin at ISM

coming around the corner, first view

This Chesapeake Light Craft Skerry was built by the kids in the Urban Boat Works project in Camden, NJ, just across the river. the project is run by and energetic and savvy young guy named Jesus Castro. Sorry, no website.

Had to run into the museum for a moment and could not resist this sandbagger model.

The original Silent Maid being stabilized for exhibition in the Workshop on the Water, the museums boatshop.

the Maids portentous bow

The fact that she is deemed beyond a full restoration occasioned the building of the new replica, also Silent Maid, which has just spent the summer cruising and racing all over the Northeast Seabord under the guidance of head boatbuilder John Brady, they had a great summer, read about it on the blog of the Catboat Silent Maid

Sparkling waters gave the day a certain incandescence

Lined up like sentinels were some of the museums living watercraft collection.

One of the cast is the recently refurbished sharpie Fish Stix, her upgrade completed this summer

The sailor on the left is Pete Peters in his Delaware ducker, Thomas Eakins, with Mike Wick in Pepita on the right. The Olympia is the backdrop.

Here's another of the boats refurbished at the workshop this summer, Top Priority

Built by John Brady about 20 years ago, she just needed a facelift

and obviously got that

nice band provided entertainment, appropriately named Cabin Dog

Roger Pritchard sailing Wen Byars Urchin

Philadelphia's tall ship Gazela, as close as she could get

Standard, cliched photo, but nice nonetheless

visitors swarm the Gazela

Here's Gazela seen from the bow of Gwilin, Roger Pritchards H 28

Gwillan is immaculatley kept, a credit to Roger

Two nice rear ends (Gwillan, left and Little Key, right)

Little Key is the ships boat off the Kalmar Nyckel, these are all members of the Nyckel volunteer group,

Flying the Swedish colors. Kalmar Nyckel brought the first Swedish settlers to America, who established New Sweden, today Wilmington, DE

Old Town Canoe

Beautifully kept or restored or both,

See, it really is an Old Town. No idea who is owned by this canoe, but it sure is sweet.

Wen Byar and John Schwarzenbach....hangin'

John's Comet, in need of a bit of tlc,

which she's scheduled to receive by way of the youth program at the Workshop

The Philadelphia Ship Model Society is one of the oldest continuously active ship model clubs in the country. They have recently partnered with the ISM and showed up with a tour de force of both static and rc models.

Roger Pritchard in Wen Byars Urchin and Mike Wick in Pepita

Here's Mike coming up to the dock

Obviously, he's had a good sail

Bolger light schooner, newly minted, but with a long gestation period. This boat caught everyone's eye.

Artists Proof is 30' LOA and 25 LWL, though she doesn't look it. Only 4.5 ft beam waterline. These little beauties are reputed to be very fast

Owner/builder Pete Hoeltje allows this schooner was ten years in the making. Started when Pete was living in Florida, the boat just splashed about a month ago. "Life got in the way" was Pete's explanation. Designed by the legendary iconclast Phil Bolger, she looks to be an exquisite little craft. I am looking forward to a sail. Pete is the owner/operator of Big Pond Boatworks in Mahahawkin NJ. This week Pete is participating in the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race. Normally the province of much larger boats, apparently this year there are several entries in the smallest category, which Artist's Proof falls into.



all photos Thomas Armstrong

This year's was the fourth Philadelphia Wooden Boat Show, hosted by the Independence Seaport Museum. The show is building a following and seeing more traffic every year. While it's a little hampered by space for larger boats, the basin has plenty of room for small boats, and the location, with its proximity to center city Philadelphia on one side and the Delaware River on the other is urban spectacular. In sharp contrast to last years event which was overcast and drizzly, this years Fest was a dazzling clear fall day. This year also saw exhibits from the Philadelphia Ship Model Society and the Tuckerton Seaport. Philadelphia's Tall Ship, Gazela was also present, tied up to the quay on the outside of the basin. Good winds on the Delaware made for some great sails I'm told, though I didn't get out myself. No matter, it was a banner day and thoroughly enjoyable, a treat. Bring your boat next year and join us.