Whisper at Art Finkeldey' s yard on the Connecticut River, June 1949. Aboard are.from the left, owner's cousin Russell Heston , Jr. , and brothers Nicholas and John Stanford. Owner was in mid-Atlantic in the cutter Iolaire when this photo was taken.
Old Gaffers
pound, let her down the ways, and let her sink. By the next day her wood was swollen, her seams tight and we pumped her out. When her owner returned we regaled him with the tale of horror; he took a look at her, soggy but floating and tied to the wharf, and told us that she "didn't look too bad." The younger brother and the shipyard owner both have died since, so the only witness to the above is the older brother. Also note that 45 years after this eventful launch, Whisper sails on. JoHN STANFORD, MD Essex, Connecticut
Discovery in Nautical Quarterly Articles in the Operation Sail 1992 issue of Sea History, concentrate, of necessity, on foreign-built tall ships. There have been no American-built tall ships for nearly a century. (Eagle, of course, was built in Germany in 1936.) The news, therefore, of a project to have a modem , purpose-designed built new American tall ship launched, worked up, and ready to participate in the Christopher Columbus Quincentenary tall ship gathering in 1992, must be welcomed with open arms. The Bath (Maine )-based Sail Adventure In Learning, Inc. (SAIL) comprising many of those dedicated souls responsible for restoring the bark Elissa to her former sailing glory, are at the helm of the project to build Discovery, al 70ft square-rigger in Maine. The Henry B. Hyde, considered by many to be the most beautiful Downeaster ever launched, is a primary source of inspiration forthe new ship's design . Her story is told in detail in the pages of the most recent Nautical Quarterly. Also, to those interested in Mary Reed's important article about the Royal National Lifeboat Institute in Sea History 52, I recommend a look at Nautical Quarterly 20 (Winter, 1982). MICHAEL BADHAM
North Bath, Maine Other new American ships are in the offing-see "Ship Notes," page 41 .-Eo.
6
It was with great surprise and delight that I recently opened my Sea History 51 and saw your piece about the building of a replica Ossie, and that the boat had made a 175-mile voyage. About ten years ago, my son and I set out to look for a genuine Suffolk sailing punt (known as punts because they are almost flat-bottomed). There were not many left and none in seagoing order; also the old fishing families would not part with "father 's boat." We did eventually buy the 15-foot Pet, originally built in 1905, and had her restored using Ossie plans and knowledge gained from old fishermen. The fishermen told us how to sail these boats and row, which is usually done standing up, facing forward. We bought nets and started fishing to re-learn every feature. Much of what we discovered is in one of my books, Beach Boats of Britain. You may not have known when you chose a Suffolk beach boat that it was part of a tradition of wooden boatbuilding that is still very much alive. No one has ever taken much notice of the Suffolk boats, but most years one or even two new ones are built by the three active builders. The modem boats are different to the punts because of the powerful engines and winches. We would be interested to know a little more about your Ossie, and her long voyage. If anyone connected with her is ever in England, come and look at Pet and the 1895, 18-foot Three Sisters which is a battered hulk in a shed which we one day plan to restore.
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Old Gaffers Association Woodbridge, Suffolk England
Queries "At last, at last, at last!" writes Master Sail Maker Oscar Heath from Minnesota. He is responding to Louie Bartos calling for recognition of the historic design and structure of sails in "Letters," SH 52. After three years of library research he's found only 18 books with information on this subject, and he implores readers to send him anything they have on the history of sailmakingfindings gleaned from pictures, written accounts, or word of mouth, for a projected history of sailmaking. Write Oscar Heath, MSM, 7546 Washington Ave., So., Eden Prairie MN 55344. D
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SEA HISTORY 53, SPRING 1990