The
Boat Shed
The
Log Book
Green
Goblin
Fraser Howell is mid way through a "Skin on Frame" Greenland style kayak. Fraser reports the intricate frame is 80% complete. This boat will use canvas for the skin over steam bent ash frames. Also, Fraser had a dinghy stolen in early June. He had this tied up on the North West Arm to row out to his Catboat. Well, the dinghy is back! Seems some teenagers felt it was a good way to get across the Arm to the Greekfest, so they smashed the thwart where the chain locked it to the wharf and rowed over using a 2x4. The police had it at the station all this time. Fraser is happy as he had to get to his Catboat with a canoe he would carry down from his house. He found that drivers on the four lanes of Quinpool Road didn't give right of way to a canoe at all and it was an adventure each crossing. Perhaps he was on port tack?
Along this same line, Anne and Ryerson Clark are thinking of replacing their "missing" Baidarkas with skin on frame Baidarkas. Thanks to fellow members Fraser, Anko and Ulli they have tons of research material. This project will start in the fall and should make the long winter evenings pass.
Jamie VanBuskirk has launched his new Volkskayak. This is his first VK and he chose to build a take apart version. Jamie reports it is a little slower then his very narrow Chesapeake Light Craft Kayak, but he likes the wider beam for stability and load carrying.
First rule of yacht design is you can't have it all in one boat. Ian Bruce, is now paddling his Volkskayak the length of Lake Superior. I'm not sure how many lakes he plans to do but this could make a very interesting talk in the fall. Anne Clark had her article "Almost Camping" picked from our Newsletter by the Wayfarer Association, and they have printed it in their newsletter. Thanks Frank.
After two years of work by most of the staff of the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, the Port Medway Boat "Elson Perry" has been launched. You can see by this issue's cover that it is a beauty! Perhaps the topic of another fall meeting, but for now I can tell you it sails like a dream.
I have faithfully kept a "ships" Log book since my first sail. I couldn't tell you why at the time. Didn't know you shouldn't in a 12 foot dinghy I guess. One thing is certain, I have never regretted it. After a sail, I sit and relive the day by writing the words on paper. It is nothing fancy, just who was with me, who I may have sailed by, wind direction, tide state and where I went. Sometimes no destination at all, just out for a bob! Now, years have passed, and I relive it all again. The powerful feelings that rush back with each page turned make the work worthwhile. I progressed from the dinghy to our present skiff, Tully Mars and started a new book for the new boat.
The first page of the book we had everyone at the launching sign their names. There is the signature of Anne's Great Aunt, Edith Langille, who christened the boat with Rosehip wine, who passed on several years ago. Further down the list is a niece, killed last year in a car accident at twenty eight, a mere girl when she signed this first page. There are names of people I barely remember, and others who are good friends to this day.
"August 24/92, my position is 200 metres off Thrum Cap, the southern tip of McNabs Island. Conditions are great, wind is light SW, sea is calm." This was my first circumnavigation of the island and I remember the feeling of being at sea for the first time in an open 15 foot boat. A bit scary, but adventurous too.
On Sept. 2/92 I sailed by what is now the Shearwater Yacht Club's main building being towed on a barge from the Dartmouth Ferry terminal where it had been located, a strange sight indeed!
"Sept 13/92, today was our annual sail to Mcnabs to pick rosehips for our McNabs Rosehip Wine." Over the years I made a lot of "Mcnabs Rosehip". I haven't for awhile, maybe this year.
"Nov 3/93, I was sailing today with Alex Chisholm who wants to build a sistership to Tully Mars." I had met Alex a few days earlier on the wharf. He did build his boat, "Raven" and he did a great job.
"Oct 20/94, picked Michael Mason up at the museum wharf for a lunch sail. We talked of the new Small Wooden Boat Association and it's first meeting." Tully Mars is now into a second book.. This one I bought in Maine when Anne and I sailed with Stan Blake on Penobscot Bay.
"June 25/95, Anne and I took our grand daughter, Kristie, out for her first sail today." This was for her 5th birthday and we picnicked on McNabs.
In Septemeber 1995 Anne and I sailed out to Sambro from Halifax. Turned into a white knuckle trip, but fun to look back on.
In 1996, I see my last sail was Dec 3rd and I didn't need gloves!
I have found many friends because of our boats, and because of the books that go with them, I better remember the meetings.
Anko Hofland sailed a 15 footer of his own design and we met on the water in 1991. I still remember the tacking in no wind against a strong tide which prevented him getting to Dartmouth that night. I took a tow from a larger boat.
Another was Frank Dye who sailed on Tully Mars three times. It was one of these sails that I met Alex.
The list is long of guests aboard, friends we sailed past on the water, picnics on the harbour islands and many overnight or weekend trips. What memories! Make a book now and enjoy them forever.
Green
Goblin
by Sherry and
David Rimes
Last year Sherry and I moved to Halifax from Calgary. These two cities are as far apart geographically as they are culturally, (there are not a lot of wild lobsters in Calgary). Sherry and I decided to immerse ourselves in the Maritime way of life and experience it to its fullest. It occurred to us that we MUST have a boat. How could we be true Maritimers without a boat? Besides I have always wanted to learn to sail.
We found out about SWBANS from the display in front of the Museum. >From there we met Ryerson and Anne and they told us of an easy to build, easy to sail and inexpensive craft called the Windsprint. Sherry ordered the plans from Phil Bolger and we received them in time for Christmas.
Early January we purchased the wood, (five sheets of 1/4" thick AC fir plywood) and we began to start to draw out the plans on the wood. It stayed this way for about a month. Using a Skill jigsaw ($49 at Canadian Tire!), we proceeded to cut the pieces out in February. The first try at assembling the sides was anything but simple, first as an ‘A’ typical man I disregarded the instructions given to me on the mixture of the epoxy, then when I discovered the correct mixture (pointed out by Sherry), I was able to manufacture two right sides! The next step in the process was attaching the sides to the forms. I arbitrarily decided where the forms would go. This was not a bad plan because I think I was close to where they should have gone. I attached the right side to the forms with epoxy and screws, this worked well, I then went to other side, with wet epoxy dripping down and I tried to align this side parallel to the first side. I found it quite interesting that the next issue of wooden boat talked about the construction of gondolas and how the hull has a twist. Well our Windsprint takes advantage of this, as the sides are somewhat parallel but the forms where not exactly perpendicular to the centerline of the boat.
Ryerson had told me that he had never built a Windsprint with the bottom on correctly. Well Sherry and I take pride that this we did correctly. The bottom went on with out a hitch. The gunwales however were another story. The lack of the boats lines being perfectly true and the use of screws over clamps ( by this time I had decided “Clamps? Who needs clamps when you have drywall screws!”), caused the 1x2 gunwales to snap, crack and disgust me. Jamie came to my aid with some great clamps, pieces of PVC pipe. The pipe is slit on one side and if you use the correct diameter on the piece you are gluing it works. Kudos to Jamie. Well with the gunwales on I thought this is great we will have this boat done by March.
Well March came and so did news of an addition to the Rimes crew, painting the house, spring cleaning, etc took precedent over the construction of the Windsprint. It was about late May when Sherry asked if we will have it ready for show and tell at Roberts house in two or three weeks. For the next two weeks we built the front and rear watertight bulkheads, sanded the entire boat, and finished painting it the night before Roberts’s open house. It was launched (as a rowboat only) at Robert’s open house in Eastern Passage. (Thank you for all those who where there to witness it). Since then we have taken the boat out rowing two other times. It rows quite well (once I figured out how to row).
It is now July 10th. This last weekend I rented a power plane and finished the mast and dagger board trunk. In conclusion this has been an adventure. Sherry and I have had a great time so far. We have noticed little things we would change to simplify the building of the boat and we feel make it slightly stronger. We know it floats, so look out all you other Windsprinters the Green Goblin is coming your way.