SHAVINGS
Volume 2, Number 2
April-May
BOAT SHOW PLANNING UNDERWAY The C e n t e r ' s Fourth Annual Wooden Boat Show w i l l be held at the Naval Reserve Base j u s t next door to our proposed new home at the south end of Lake Union. Gates w i l l be open from 10am to 6pm on J u l y 4, 5 and 6. Admission w i l l be f r e e , as u s u a l . A wide v a r i e t y of wooden boats w i l l be there, both a f l o a t and on land and the popular rowing and s a i l i n g races w i l l take place each day. Demonstrations and workshops w i l l discuss r i v e t i n g and clench n a i l i n g , steam bending, ships c a r v i n g , half-model c o n s t r u c t i o n , k n o t - t y i n g and toy b o a t b u i l d i n g . There w i l l be speakers and f i l m s and a boat gear auction f o r the bargain hunters. For photographers we're adding a wooden boat photo c o n t e s t . T h e r e ' l l be a wooden boat model c o n t e s t , too. Both w i l l have a panel of blue water, if not blue r i b b o n , judges. Our r a f f l e s k i f f w i l l be one designed and b u i l t by Peter L e n t i n i . The second e d i t i o n of the C e n t e r ' s Boatbuilders D i r e c t o r y w i l l be on s a l e , an invaluable guide f o r anyone who wants to buy or r e p a i r wooden watercraft. If you want to e x h i b i t your boat, or talk about and demonstrate a c r a f t or s k i l l , or if you know of any i n t e r e s t i n g boats or c r a f t s p e o p l e who should be i n v i t e d , c a l l or write the Center.. Several committees have already been formed and need volunteers to help run the show, so if you want a glimpse behind the t i n s e l and the g l i t t e r (or the tar and m a r l i n e , s i n c e we are a boat show) don't h e s i t a t e to o f f e r your time. Oh, by the way b o a t b u i l d e r s , save some of your o f f c u t s f o r the toy b o a t b u i l d i n g c o n t e s t .
JOHN GARDNER PRAISES THE CWB John Gardner, the C e n t e r ' s f i r s t honorary l i f e member, takes h i s membership s e r i o u s l y . In h i s "Comments Here and There" column in A p r i l ' s National Fisherman, Gardner gave our search f o r a permanent l o c a t i o n on Lake Union a resounding twelve inches of space.
John Gardner r e c e i v i n g the f i r s t honorary l i f e membership C a l l i n g our growth "phenomenal" he goes on to point out that a permanent l o c a t i o n " w i l l put S e a t t l e in the f o r e f r o n t of the t r a d i t i o n a l small c r a f t r e v i v a l " and that we are " c e r t a i n to become the model f o r s i m i l a r developments elsewhere". Other places in the a r t i c l e , Gardner mentions our seminars, our small c r a f t c o l l e c t i o n continued on page 4
A PUBLICATION OF THE CENTER FOR WOODEN BOATS
NATIONAL WOODEN BOAT SHOW The National Wooden Boat Show, at the Flag P a v i l i o n of the S e a t t l e Center, Jan. 5-13, brought us some gorgeous boats to drool o v e r , and a spectacular snow storm. The show was well planned by Sam Connor and the s t a f f of the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Foundation. There were 50 small c r a f t on d i s p l a y and a number of booths with products covering the wooden boat f i e l d , i n c l u d i n g boat shops, t o o l s , books, f a s t e n i n g s and wood. Folks were entertained and educated by the roving r i v e t e r , Marty Langeland, a workshop on wood-turning by E a r l W a k e f i e l d , Tom Parker c a r v i n g , chantey s i n g e r s , and a s l i d e show of the c o n s t r u c t i o n of Beetle Cats sponsored by WoodenBoat magazine. The standards of design and workmanship of the boats were g e n e r a l l y high. What was there? A W i l l e t s canoe, 2 Hampton Boats, a Poulsbo boat with steam engine, a dory, several W h i t e h a l l s , a S h a r p i e , some s k i f f s , 2 Hank Long rowing boats, a Pete C u l l e r g i g , a M c K e n z i e River d r i f t boat and more. Cash awards were given f o r boats of excellence in several c a t e g o r i e s . Paul Schweiss took grand honors f o r a t r a d i t i o n a l Norwegian F a e r i n g . Other C.W.B. winners Bob Argue - a 13' Boston W h i t e h a l l , Peter L e n t i n i - the 18' double ender " S t i c k e e n " , Paul Schweiss - 18' Pete C u l l e r g i g , Roberts and Adams - 15' Atkins " T e a c h " . The Center put together an a t t r a c t i v e presentation of p l a n s , photos, Dennis Corum's r e p l i c a of " S a i r y Gamp" and drawings of our proposed s i t e . The photos of c l a s s i c wooden boats were enlargements donated by L i z Engle. The main focus of our booth was a r a f f l e boat designed and b u i l t by Peter L e n t i n i - a 12' l a p s t r a k e double ender. The r a f f l e boat was e f f e c t i v e l y displayed with the aid of a painted backdrop, also by L e n t i n i .
This is a 6' by 10' o i l on canvas p a i n t i n g which L e n t i n i donated to the Center. The p a i n t i n g is a r e a l i s t i c scene that is an evocative medley of turn of the century S e a t t l e w a t e r f r o n t , f i o r d s of B r i t i s h Columbia and maybe an old northwest cannery. This p a i n t i n g is an e x c e l l e n t a d d i t i o n to our growing c o l l e c t i o n of exhibition paraphernalia. There w i l l be another National Wooden Boatshow next y e a r , but l e t s skip the snow, p l e a s e !
NEXT REGATTA 04/12/80 The next r e g a t t a of the Center For Wooden Boats w i l l be held at the Gas Works park on A p r i l 12. This should be a good one - please come is you can. And bring your boats! A photographer from SAIL magazine w i l l be in attendance to take p i c t u r e s f o r use in an a r t i c l e about the c e n t e r . This w i l l appear in the magazines J u l y i s s u e , in good time to provide us some pre-boat show p u b l i c i t y . The schedule of events is roughly as f o l l o w s : 1 o ' c l o c k - General meeting, followed by an on-the-water parade of boats in attendance. 2 o ' c l o c k - Rowing and s a i l i n g r a c e s . (Rumour has it that the long awaited rowing duel between Bob Chapel in h i s Whitehall and Dick Wagner in a whitebear may f i n a l l y take p l a c e . ) Following races - Our usual bacchanalian f e s t i v i t i e s in the form of a potluck dinner. Please c a l l Colleen Wagner at 283-9166 f o r info on what to bring. So please come and bring those good boats.
WHAT DO WE MEAN, "LIVING MUSEUM"? Whenever our D i r e c t o r t a l k s to community groups about the Center, he c a l l s us a " l i v i n g museum". Listeners are s u i t a b l y impressed and a l l s a y , "what a good i d e a " , and sign our permanent s i t e p e t i t i o n while Dick r o l l s up h i s p i c t u r e s and charts f o r the next meeting. O b v i o u s l y , the phrase " l i v i n g museum" is a best s e l l e r . But why is a " l i v i n g museum" d i f f e r e n t from the regular kind and what is i t s true f u n c t i o n ? We a l l know the other s o r t of museum, having gone there with school f i e l d t r i p s or having taken our c h i l d r e n there on r a i n y afternoons. The word evokes long hallways of dinosaur s k e l e t o n s , showcases of old machines, old photographs, and t r i n k e t s of the p a s t . They're quiet p l a c e s , these museums and they smell of f l o o r wax and formaldehyde. In c o n t r a s t , our " l i v i n g museum" w i l l have d i s p l a y s that v i s i t o r s can get t h e i r hands on. Instead of looking at a model boat, they w i l l be able to get in one, to row or s a i l it around, to understand by experience what the d i f f e r e n c e s between them are. The u n i n i t i a t e d w i l l be able to d i s c o v e r that rowing r a i s e s b l i s t e r s other places than on your hands. When the b o a t b u i l d i n g shop opens, t h e y ' l l be able to watch a h u l l come together, smell sawdust and wood and varnish and good marine p a i n t . A l l t h i s is a Good Thing, but i t i s n ' t the e s s e n t i a l d i f f e r e n c e between a " l i v i n g " museum and the other k i n d . The main d i f f e r e n c e is that a regular museum is a storehouse of the p a s t , a caretaker of ways and things that have made t h e i r mark and are now gone. The Center For Wooden Boats w i l l show something that is s t i l l very much a l i v e . Not only a l i v e , but t h r i v i n g ! The d i s p l a y s , the techniques and the knowledge that the Center w i l l present a r e n ' t something out of the p a s t , t h e y ' r e something out of r i g h t now. We're not the l a s t gasp of a waning t r a d i t i o n , we're the
forerunners of an e x c i t i n g f u t u r e . Our goal is d i f f e r e n t from a conventional museum t o o . Theirs is to promote e d u c a t i o n , f o s t e r r e s e a r c h ; to serve as a resource f o r s c h o l a r s or f o r those of us who have a sudden spasm of scholarly curiosity. In c o n t r a s t , the Center w i l l be devoted to t u r n i n g spectators i n t o p a r t i c i p a n t s - to get r e a l people into real boats onto r e a l water. I t ' s an i n t r i g u i n g thought. DIRECTORY DEADLINE BoatbuiIders D i r e c t o r y e d i t o r C h a r l i e Bond is busy preparing a second e d i t i o n and would l i k e a l l c o n t r i b u t i o n s , new b u i l d e r l i s t i n g s , or changes to previous l i s t i n g s d e l i v e r e d to the Center by A p r i l 15. The Boatbuilders D i r e c t o r y is an important p u b l i c a t i o n , one of the i n t e g r a l parts of our educational program, so be sure i f y o u ' r e a b u i l d e r that your l i s t i n g is everything that you want. You know, A p r i l 15 is the Tuesday f o l l o w i n g our Spring R e g a t t a . Why don't you b r i n g your c o n t r i b u t i o n with you when you j o i n us then . . . . LOOKING FOR A PROJECT? The Center owns a number of d i f f e r e n t boats now. Some of these are o f h i s t o r i c a l i n t e r e s t , but w i l l never f l o a t again. Others need varying amounts of r e s t o r a t i o n before once again taking to the water. Of the l a t t e r group, there are f o u r which can e a s i l y be made ready by t h i s summer. They a r e : the 15' Davis s k i f f , the 16' Navy dinghy, the 11' 6" Grandy boat and the 12' 6" R e i n e l l boat. These boats are p r i m a r i l y in need of some r e f i n i s h i n g . Northwest Seaport has t o l d us we may use the car deck of the San Mateo (where 2 of the boats are already located) f o r working on the boats. So we have the p l a c e . How about some work p a r t i e s ? Or making a boat your own p r o j e c t ? Lets do i t ! C a l l Dick Wagner (283-9166) or Dave Cox (453-9682)
WORK IN PROGRESS Member Land Washburn reports that "the f i r s t new Poulsbo boat in 20 years" is taking shape in the back room of the Wooden Boat Shop. A joint project of DeWitt Whitman and Joe Bucek, Land's p a r t n e r , the boat is based on a set of l i n e s taken by Tom Beard. B u i l t of d i f f e r e n t woods than the o r i g i n a l s , the boat w i l l be a r e c o n s t r u c t i o n , not a r e p l i c a . Although they have wood f o r another, Land was quick to say that they "weren't going to turn into a boatyard" and that they " j u s t l i k e to keep t h e i r f i n g e r s i n " every so o f t e n . The b u i l d e r s don't seem to mind a few onlookers, so if your c h i l d r e n keep asking you where wooden boats come from, drop by and take a look.
* ** Member Bob Pottschmidt is in the process of b u i l d i n g an unusual boat f o r B r i s t o l Bay, home of our logo gillnetter. Destined f o r the herring f i s h e r y , Bob is j u s t completing a 22' scow in h i s shop in Tacoma. The owner chose t h i s model from C h a p e l l e ' s " B o a t b u i l d i n g " pages 229-230. The boat shown in Chapelle is a handsome, s l i m knuckle-sided leeboard s l o o p . The c r a f t being b u i l t w i l l be f o r power only - a s i x h.p. I t a l i a n d i e s e l outboard using 3/4 g a l l o n / h o u r at h u l l speed. The bottom and planking is Alaska cedar on white oak frames, galvanized fastened. Since the bottom of B r i s t o l Bay is f r e q u e n t l y the t o p , t h i s boat w i l l s i t n i c e l y at a l l phases of the t i d e .
* * * John Wagner t e l l s me that the Port Angeles l i b r a r y has a complete f i l e of a l l the W i l l i a m Garden plans that have been published. There are designs here even Garden doesn't know about!
continued from page 1 and the Annual S e a t t l e Wooden Boat Show, estimating that in the three years that we've sponsored it the show has introduced c l o s e to 40,000 people to the world of wooden w a t e r c r a f t . Not content with a d i s c u s s i o n of our p l a n s , he also a c t i v e l y s o l i c i t e d support and endorsement from h i s readers. Best of a l l , he gave readers a true f e e l f o r the Center by s t r e s s i n g that e s s e n t i a l to i t s continued growth is "a big coffee pot". In addition to being a l i f e member of the Center and Technical E d i t o r of National Fisherman, Gardner is also the Associate Curator of Small C r a f t at Mystic Seaport. APRIL AND MAY MEETING SPEAKERS At our A p r i l 18 meeting Barbara Jackson w i l l screen her documentary of the schooner Wawona's c o d - f i s h i n g days. The f i l m , a r t f u l l y created out of a host of s t i l l photos, is p a r t l y narrated by O r v i a P a r k e r , a former Wawona crewman, who w i l l also be on hand to answer questions about the Wawona's active days. The f o l l o w i n g month, on May 16, Win Anderson w i l l show h i s f i l m of l a s t J u l y ' s OARS r e g a t t a on Bowman Bay. THE SITE'S IN SIGHT! With the help of about 2000 signatures on p e t i t i o n s , and scores of l e t t e r s from i n d i v i d u a l s and community organizations endorsing our s i t e p r o p o s a l , the Department of Community Development has approved our plans f o r the use of waterway 4. We s t i l l have more hurdles to leap before a l l the necessary permits are awarded, but we are very close to having a permanent home. We must s t i l l f i n d the means to develop the s i t e . We need donations of money, m a t e r i a l s and l a b o r . A l l are tax d e d u c t i b l e .