4th Annual Philadelphia Wooden Boat Festival

When I arrived at the Penn' Landing yacht basin, lots of boats werre in evidence, small, medium and large.

On the promenade fronting the boatshop I found a couple of runabouts, this one from Vintage Craft.

Gina Pickton was helping organize small boat races.

And there was John Schwarzenbach's Comet, almost fully restored, just needs working out the rigging details.

The boatshop crew and student volunteers have done a good job with her.


For comparison, her state last year.

Ned Asplundh's beautiful Joel White Marsh Cat, Frankford Yellow Jacket.


Ric Carrion's Elf


Ric doing his thing.


Paul Gray back with Quitessance. Her hull is a copy of Jarvis Newman's Dictator, a Friendship Sloop, but
Quintessance is schooner rigged. Making her one of a kind.


Paul races her in the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race. In three outings he's placed two firsts and one third in the C class. He'll be there again this year.


Roger Pritchard was back with his sweet H-28 Gwylin.


He's packing her off this winter to the Cutts and Case yard in Oxford Md for some restorative hull work, their epoxy and kevlar cord treatment.


A rowing race, here's Ron Gibbs and Barbara Munson in the Whitehall Polaris.
vs.


Pete Byar in Pete Peter's ducker Thomas Eakins
vs.


Ann & Kate in the Whitehall Culture.

Marcus Brandt, a Gazella crew, looking very salty for the occasion.

His gear was interesting, so I asked him about it. It's all homemade and mostly scavenged. Only the marlinspike and rivets for the knife handle were purchased.

The tug Jupiter down from
Philadelphia Ship Preservation Guild (along with Gazela) doing double duty as stage for the serenade.


Here are Elizabeth Crampton and the aforementioned Marcus Brandt making ready the sharpie Isabel Una McKay for a sharpie race against Fish Stix.


Ned Asplundh leading Bill Covert to the start in a Delaware Tuckup race.


Shortly after the start with Bill leading.


Some 'match' racing here.


There off! Isabel Una Mckay v Fish Stix


Ned in Marion Brewington coming in far ahead of his adversary. Marion is a local TSCA boat. Top Priorty, the boat Bill Covert was in is,I believe,an ISM boat


Someone? rowed one of the Whitehalls squarely across the AJ Meerwald's bow as she was coming in. Not quite a near miss, but WHY risk it?


The Meerwald tying up.


My turn! Chis from Gazela paddlingus out from the dock in the Isabel Una for another sharpie race. His expression was a bit unsettling.


In truth, however, it was my inexperience in such a small craft which showed. Sitting on the thwart, the boom was at my elbow. Little to no wind. The gaff throat wasn't behaving correctly. I did something stupid and banged my coccyx which is only now feeling better.


Chris proved a capable helm and we did 'win' the race. Typically we finally got some wind just as we approached the dock and landed without grace, my fault. All is well, and despite some pain I enjoyed the experience.

all photos Thomas Armstrong

This years Phladelphia Wooden Boat Show exceeded expectations. More boats, from small craft to large ships, with some lovelies in between. More people, great weather, though the wind died in the afternoon. Wen Byar was the race committee, and along with Gina Pickton organized several small craft races which I am sure will become a mainstay of the fest. Sailing these older boat types is quite interesting and, in my case at least, somewhat instructive. These boats either were, or in the case of the tuckup, evolved from, traditional working boats from the 19th C. It is beautiful to see these craft come to life. The chance to get out and sail these boats is in a small way to re-experience the past and certainly gain appreciation for the skill of our forebears in working these boats. I found sailing the little sharpie in some ways more demanding and acute than the later, larger boats I am familiar with. What a generous opportunity.
Despite certain logistical difficulties having to do with being located in a major city, the ISM, under John Brady's guidance, and with the help of dedicated staff and the TSCA is moving forward and providing a rewarding experience for Philadelphia.

Mid Atlantic Small Craft Festival

I've just returned from a wonderful day in St. Michaels, Md., where I attended the 26th Annual Mid Atlantic Small Craft Festival, hosted by the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. Great event, lots to see and do with races, workshops, demonstrations and boats, boats, boats_and boatowners!

One of the first things to greet me after entering the Museum grounds was the sight of two Iain Oughtred lovelies returning from the sail race, which apparently wasn't much of one because of low winds. Top and third photo is "Sara", a Ness Yawl owned by Jay Eberley and canine companion, built by Geoff Kerr of Two Daughter's Boatworks in Westford Vt. The other, a Caledonia Yawl, is Dale Davenport's "Rebecca Ann". Geoff built her hull and Dale finished her himself. Old friends, the two rafted up together, seemingly oblivious to my drooling.

One of the highlights of the day was meeting this stunning little gem and her owner/builder Karen Soo. Karen went to Phil Bolger with her design criteria which included the stipulations that the boat fit into her car and be light enough for her to pick up and carry. She got her wish, and the design has gone on to become a Bolger success, called Queen Mab. Karen took her time,building over some eight years, able to only commit to a few hours a week. The results were worth the wait, as Karen seems delighted with her diminutive craft, the "Maltese Cat". So was the small crowd that gathered round to help bring the boat onto the dock.

Here's a fine pair of wooden Blue Jay's. This 13'6" one-design class was fathered by Drake Sparkman of Sparkman and Stephens as a sort of baby Lightning. The boat has become an all round junior training vessel and numbers over 7200, and wooden versions are still being built today.

Lots of gorgeous canoes and kayaks. I responded to these two canoe yawls. The tanbark sails belong to an Iain Oughtred design built by owner Andrew Slavinskas. The other is Pretty Jane and I know nothing more about her except that she is.

Fine craftsmanship is evident throughout this gathering, and nowhere more so than with this carefully restored Delaware ducker "Green Briar" in the museums Apprentice workshop. You can have her for $12,500.

Ahh, yeah, like I said, just a fine day.

While she's not exactly a 'small craft', "ELF" and Rick Carrion made their way to the festival. Rick was there to address the Annual Meeting of the Traditional Small Craft Association that evening, no doubt speaking about the subject on which he is most eloquent, the restoration of ELF. Earlier in the day Rick found time to get in some practice setting the massive topsail, with a little help from his friends. Well, a lot of help from his friends. And they got it right, but not without some trials and tribulations. With the sails furled and lashed down, Rick confessed his relief at running his 'fire drill' whilst tied to the dock as opposed to on the water as he'd originally planned.

q

All in all a great day, well worth the drive. Maybe I'll see you there next year.

Elf Update

Elf apparently has her new topsail, judging from these pictures I recently recieved from Rick. The Crab Feast took place last weekend but I haven't heard with what results and wasn't able to go. Nor can I make it this weekend to a work party in Maryland to get her ready for the fall. Maybe you can.? Here's Rick ...

"Dear friends, ELF is out of the water now at Georgetown Yacht Basin. We are painting the hull, and adjusting the waterline / bottom paint, etc. If you have a moment to stop and lend a hand it will be greatly appreciated. Please let me know your thoughts. I am trying to get her in real show condition for the upcoming events. I need to re-launch by Wednesday or earlier.
Thanks
Rick "

'Nuff said.