I Built it Myself! and Family Boatbuilding, more from Mystic and the WoodenBoat Festival

I Built it Myself!

Robert Pulsch of Port Monmouth NJ took top honors in the Concours self built category. Not hard to see why.

Roberta P is a gaff rigged catboat and an early BB Crowningsheild design.

Robert (on the left in the light green shirt and into his 80's) allows he spent about 2yrs. building her to plans obtained from Mystic Seaport.

He also admits to working on the boat right up to putting her on the trailer, a common theme with the homebuilt crowd.

Roberta P is 22'4 0n deck and 14'2 waterline. Beam is 7'9, she draws 4'6 with the board down and 1'6 with it up, carries 311 sq. ft. of sail and has a displacement of 2613. I'll hazard a guess that as of this writing, she's been baptized!

Gary Stephenson's Adirondack Guide Boat.

This was a 10yr. 1000hr. traditional build to a Dwight Grant design, using eastern white cedar planks and sawn frames, looks like white oak.

The construction method was new to me, Gary called it 'modified carvel', creating a smooth hull but employin a lap and gain as in lapstrake building, no caulking between planks. All copper fastened. Shown above are some handmade specialized tools Gary made for the build.

Sean Null is building these beautiful boards in Philadelphia, not far from me.

These boards are strip built over internal frames, so hollow. Technically a boat, an elegantly minimal one. Given Sean's proximity, you'll probably see more on this.

Here's a reportedly immaculate Goat Island Skiff which I missed, not so for Christophe Matson from whom I am borrowing this photo. Thanks Christophe! The boat was built by Paul, from CT. and finished with a bright interior and a 'jet black exterior'.

photo courtesy Christophe Matson

Family Boatbuilding

Under the big top, here's a Sassafras canoe from CLC.

There were several skin on frame kayaks being finished as well. I'm not sure what design or who led this group, can anyone enlighten me?

A Chesapeake Light Craft Sassafras Canoe

I counted 16, plus 1 still in the tent

Quite an impressive lineup.

Clint Chase came down with his Goat Island Skiff to lend support to Mik Storer and led the building of three
Echo Bay Dory Skiffs. One seen on the right. From Clint's blog: "We (myself, Christophe Matson, Eric Risch the designer of the EBDS, and Steven Bauer) had a wonderful time guiding three wonderful families through the construction of 3 beautiful Echo Bay Dory Skiffs this past Friday through Sunday." According to Clint, all three families launched on Sunday afternoon with nary a leak!

In the parking lot, next to my car, one of the kayaks being loaded for the trip home.



all photos copyright Thomas Armstrong unless noted otherwise

These two events, for me at least, represent the heart of the festival and what makes it great, real participation on an individual level by non professional boat lovers.
Interestingly, every I Built it Myself! exhibitor I spoke with said they had been working on their craft right up to the minute they left for Mystic. Devoted. Sadly, I did not speak with any of the family boatbuilders, but one can easily imagine and assume their pride and delight. More to follow, this is always a very full weekend.