SHAVINGS
August, September 1979
Volume One, Number Five
MORE ON THE BONITO BOAT That Samoan Bonito boat donated to CWB by Mr. and Mrs. John Haydon drew a l o t of a t t e n t i o n during the boat show. When John was governor of Samoa, he e s t a b l i s h e d a c u l t u r a l museum in Pago Pago and commissioned b u i l d e r s from the i s l a n d of Tau to construct a bonito f i s h i n g canoe as part of the opening festivities. The f i n i s h e d boat was put in the new museum, but the demonstration of Samoa's boatbuilding heritage and techniques was so e f f e c t i v e , that Gov. Haydon commissioned a second one to be b u i l t the next y e a r . This is the one we r e c e i v e d . Although the b r e a d f r u i t wood of which i t is constructed makes the canoe unusual enough, the sewn plank c o n s t r u c t i o n i s even more interesting. Each of the many (continued on page 3)
SUN, WATER, WOOD AND VOLUNTEERS ALL ADD UP TO SUCCESS The Third Annual S e a t t l e Wooden Boat Show, the CWB's major e f f o r t t h i s year, was part s p e c t a c l e , part school and part pilgrimage for aficionados of craftsmanship and t r a d i t i o n a l design. V i s i t o r s had a good time, e x h i b i t o r s had a good time and nobody wanted the party to end. Even with the crowds, there was a relaxed, unpressured f e e l i n g as the public d r i f t e d from booth to booth, from float to f l o a t , and from l e c t u r e h a l l to the decks of the large ships lined up along the bulkheads. While most of the attendees came from around Puget Sound, others had travelled impressive distances - from Maine, upstate New York, Minnesota, southern C a l i f o r n i a , and from Y e l l o w k n i f e in Canada's Northwest T e r r i t o r y . (continued on page 2)
A PUBLICATION OF THE CENTER FOR WOODEN BOATS
BOAT SHOW (cont'd) Boats and ships on d i s p l a y ranged in s i z e from Dennis Corum's d e l i c a t e " S a i r y Gamp" canoe, a 9 foot copy of Rushton's smallest design to the 105' Carribean trading schooner and " t u r k l i n g b o a t " , the "Goldfield" . It was t r u l y i n t e r n a t i o n a l as w e l l . Boats launched into c h i l l y B a l t i c waters moored near c r a f t b u i l t in Alaska, Holland, A u s t r a l i a and England. Traditional Scandanavian d e s i g n s , c l a s s i c d o r i e s , w h i t e h a l l s of every p r o p o r t i o n , s a i l b o a t s , rowboats, canoes, motor and steam c r a f t t i e d up to the f l o a t s , often r a f t i n g out three or four deep. So many large ships came that two dozen were moored Mediterranean f a s h i o n , t h e i r sterns secured to to seawall and t h e i r anchors streamed forward so they pointed up the l a k e . Viewed from the water, it was a cross between a Cote d' Azur yacht harbor and a Fisherman's wharf with a heavy dose of t u r n - o f - t h e - c e n t u r y Boston. There was even a f u l l y f i t t e d out f l o a t i n g boat shop - Rip Knot's "Ultramarine S e r v i c e " anchoring the end of one of the floats. Serious students of the c r a f t could listen to Minnesota's Dean Haynes - a t h i r d generation rowing c r a f t b u i l d e r - talk about h i s graceful Whitebear s k i f f s . Tom Beard and Gordon Young gave t h e i r audience comprehensive i n s i g h t into the b u i l d i n g of the famed Poulsbo Boats. Gordon is the son of Roland Young), t h e i r designer. He is so e x c i t e d about the revived i n t e r e s t in these boats that he is b u i l d i n g one h i m s e l f . Puget Sounds' own
old-world craftsman, Paul Schweiss, shared his knowledge of the d e s i g n , c o n s t r u c t i o n techniques, an s a i l i n g performance of V i k i n g b o a t s . For those who want to open t h e i r own boatshop, Pat Ford explained how to begin. And in case they wanted to do it in the Northwest, Bob P i c k e t t ' s l e c t u r e on native woods f o r b o a t b u i l d i n g was an e x c e l l e n t d i s c u s s i o n of local resources. Saturday evening was given over to a thorough d i s c u s s i o n of the C e n t e r ' s trademark, the B r i s t o l Bay g i l l n e t t e r . An a l l s t a r panel of Dan Dygert, Clark C o u l t e r , Tom Dyer and Joe Eberharter gave a f u l l account of t h i s sail-powered f i s h e r y . If people wanted one-on-one i n s t r u c t i o n , they could learn k n o t - t y i n g under the t u t e l a g e of Lyn Smith, Deb Harrington and Jim S t o r e y . Marty Langeland helped them r i v e t , Pat Ford demonstrated steam-bending and Brian Toss showed them the ins and outs of r i g g i n g . Decorative carving by Tom Parker and Terry Wolfe drew the k n i f e and c h i s e l s e t , while Tom Finch and Gale S h u b ' s oar-making showed yet another use of edged t o o l s . Half-models, the d e s i g n e r ' s beginning and the i n t e r i o r decorators d e l i g h t were explained by Dave LeFebvre and Gil Vik. And if all of those d i s p l a y s , demonstrations, and e x h i b i t s d i d n ' t answer a l l of an a s p i r i n g b u i l d e r , owner or r e s t o r e r ' s questions there was always B i l l M o d r e l l ' s "Ask the Experts" booth. The d a i l y rowing and s a i l i n g races were true crowd p l e a s e r s , even though the rowing races east turn took on a resemblance to Ben Hur's c h a r i o t r a c e . A
t h r e e - s i d e d course of a mile long doesn't n e c e s s a r i l y show which is the best rower or who has the f a s t e s t boat, but it sure provides the maximum p o s s i b l e action when there are f i f t e e n boats speeding down it with anywhere from one to four rowers bending to the o a r s . The most important f e a t u r e of the show, however, was what made it a l l p o s s i b l e in the f i r s t place: The S p i r i t of the Volunteer. Floats and boatshop were towed over by the M.V. Sea Quest under skipper Frank Didier. Steve Osborn drafted from his v a c a t i o n , helped bring the newly-donated f l o a t s from Eagle Harbor on Bainbridge Island. When they a r r i v e d , C h a r l i e Olsheski and his crew of twelve moored them in p o s i t i o n and then turned to assembling the various booths. The CWB booth was b u i l t by Doug Gorgeo, and Colleen Wagner and her helpers spent many hours on the e x c e l l e n t hand-painted signs that added to the show's high quality. One of the best expressions of the S p i r i t of the Volunteer was the toy b o a t b u i l d i n g booth. Throughout the three days of the show at l e a s t a dozen youngsters were busy under the p a t i e n t s u p e r v i s i o n of G i l Vik at a l l t i m e s , hammering, sawing, g l u i n g , and c a r v i n g . Their output was as diverse as the boats on d i s p l a y and t h e i r i n t e n t labor and the lessons they were l e a r n i n g made sure that another generation of woodworkers w i l l appear. C o n t r i b u t o r s whose s k i l l is c u i s i n e rather than carpentry made the evening potluck at the Gasworks Park a success. This
p i c n i c is r a p i d l y becoming the s o c i a l event of the wooden boating y e a r . A f t e r the show ended, the CWB had made a modest p r o f i t , p a r t l y from the r a f f l e of Tom Finch and Gale Snub's 9-foot s k i f f and some from the Marine Auction. On the people p r o f i t l e d g e r , the Center gained over 50 new members. B0NIT0 BOAT (cont'd)
planks is smooth outside and looks l i k e customary c a r v e l construction. The inboard surface has a r a i s e d l i p around a l l edges, l i k e a frame around • picture. Holes are bored through t h i s frame, p a r a l l e l with the outer surface and matching those in a d j o i n i n g planks. The b o a t b u i l d e r s then lace the planks together with sennit (twisted coconut f i b e r s ) and caulk the seams with r o t t e d breadfruit. There is a small outrigger for s t a b i l i t y . The b u i l d e r s also carved a row of knobs on the deck. In use, these are capped by small white s h e l l s which the fishermen b e l i e v e act as a l u r e f o r the bonito. Gov Haydon says that while dugouts are s t i l l common in the the planked and sewn islands types are only in museums now
JOHN GARDNER HONORED
MEMBERSHIP NOTICE Some of the CWB memberships w i l l be due for renewal in October - our 1st a n n i v e r s a r y . Please continue your support of the Center by renewing your membership. A recent scan of our membership l i s t shows 411 CWB members in 22 s t a t e s & 3 Canadian P r o v i n c e s . DONATIONS Tom & Linda May have c o n t r i b u t e d the hand crank anchor winch from t h e i r schooner "Norden". The winch was o r i g i n a l equipment on the Norden, which was b u i l t in Denmark in 1929 as a f i s h c a r r i e r , taking cod in a l i v e well from Denmark to S p a i n . The winch is now stored on the San Mateo. PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE Copies of the B o a t b u i l d e r ' s D i r e c t o r y are s t i l l a v a i l a b l e . They are $2.00 each, add 50 cents for m a i l i n g .
John Gardner, A s s o c i a t e Curator of Small Craft at Mystic Seaport and National Fisherman's Technical Editor was the guest of honor at a h a s t i l y - c o n v e n e d reception at the Old Boathouse September 15, as he passed through S e a t t l e on his way to Port Townsend. Dick Wagner presented Gardner with a handsome c e r t i f i c a t e , created by several of the CWB members, expressing our a p p r e c i a t i o n for his i n s p i r a t i o n to a l l of us and c o n f e r r i n g upon him l i f e t i m e membership in The Center For Wooden Boats. Responding to applause, Gardner assured the members that the c e r t i f i c a t e would have a s u i t a b l e place of honor over his desk u n t i l " i t was time to put it in some maritime museum". EDITORIAL STAFF Shavings has a new e d i t o r i a l team. Chuck Dowd, E d i t o r - i n - C h i e f Dave Cox, Typesetting Ted Cooper, Production C h a r l i e Bond and Dick Wagner, Reporters
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION ( )
P l e a s e e n r o l l me as a member o f the Center, a n o n p r o f i t o r g a n i z a t i o n (dues t a x d e d u c t i b l e ) , and send the Center's membership p u b l i c a t i o n s f o r one y e a r , membership c a r d , and s u p p o r t e r ' s p i n . ( ) Regular--$7.50/year ( ) C o n t r i b u t i n g - - $ 1 5 . 0 0 / y e a r ( ) Organizations--$15.00/year
Name Address City Z i p code
( ) Life--$100.00
T o t a l Amount E n c l o s e d State
$
Boat(s) owned
Phone
THE CENTER FOR WOODEN BOATS
2770 Westlake Avenue North Telephone (206)283-9166
S e a t t l e WA 98109