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.

Scottish Coastal Rowing Project: Coigach and Ullapool launch, and have at it

Ulla, the Ullapool boat was launched without ceremony on Friday, May 21

Splashed!

Adrian Morgan, a local boatbuilder and well known ex boating journalist, standing, lent a guiding hand to the builders of Ulla, led by Topher Dawson

In this photo, as ell as the two preceding, one can see the
the Viking style steering board, like a paddle, used by Ulla to eliminate problems with a rudder. It's a bit of an experiment, and we'll see how it performs. A full exposition of this steering method and the rationale behind it can be found here

Putting their backs into it on Loch Broom

Loch Broom

Lesley Muir, on of the moving forces behind Achiltibuie's Coigach Lass, proudly display's the wax model which will be cast in bronze and become the Lass' figurehead.

The Lass being carried down the ramp at Old Dornie for splash.

Lass' sea trials

Ulla rowed over for the ceremony from Loch Broom,

and of course, an informal match race began!

The Lass pulls ahead

Coigach Lass raced with five other boats at Anstruther this weekend with an all women crew, all over 40. They didn't win the race but won something more precious.

this photo courtesy P Nisbet/Coigach Lass

all other photos courtesy Chris Perkins

The Scottish Coastal Rowing Project is very healthy and rowing into it's first sanctioned races. The Ullapool boat splashed unceremoniously on Friday, May 21, and the Coigach Lass to somewhat greater ceremony (pipes) on Saturday, May 22. A cordial crew from Loch Broom rowed over to share the moment for Coigach, and naturally, a match race was soon underway. It's enlightening to read the teams respective blogs of what ensued. According to Coigach, they won the match hands down, but the Ullapool site has it that out of deference to Coigach Lass on her splash day, they 'allowed' her to pull ahead. H'mmm.
In any event, the first full regatta took place on Saturday, May 29, in Anstruther with six boats/teams attending. More here...

I've been following this project from it's inception last fall and am highly impressed with the vitality, industry and eagerness of the participants, really a remarkable phenomenom. It would be especially nice to see this Scots bred concept travel round the world, and invovle communities from other cultures building their own historically indigenous craft as a mirror to this Scottish idea.

The boats used by the various communties are all built to Iain Oughtreds St. Ayles design and kits are available through Alec Jordan.
Visit the Coigach Lass.
Visit Ulla.
VisitThe Scottish Coastal Rowing Project.

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.