Shavings Volume 4 Number 4 (July-August 1982)

SHAVINGS

Newsletter

of

The

Center

for

Wooden

Boats

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WOODEN BOAT SHOW UPDATE Sixth Annual Seattle Wooden Boat Show, Lake Union Naval Reserve Base, July 3, 4 and 5, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

The sawmill demonstration mentioned in the l a s t e d i t i o n - - t o be conducted by Flounder Bay Lumber of A n a c o r t e s - - i s shaping up as a must-see e x h i b i t .

We're t a l k i n g about a couple of 6-7' diameter old-growth Douglas F i r l o g s , 24' l o n g .

These monsters w i l l be sawn to order at the show.

That means you t e l l Bob or E r i c a P i c k e t t j u s t what s o r t of s i z e and g r a i n you want and watch them saw your stock, f o r m i l l p r i c e . (This A-1 grade wood w i l l be $1,400/M, a rare opportunity.)

Vol.

4,

No.

4

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July-August

1982

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25

Cents

completion scheduled f o r the f i n a l day.

Alan DelRey, who designed the l o v e l y s k i f f , has made a miniature of the r a f f l e boat, so a l l can immediately see what the $1.00 r a f f l e t i c k e t s are providing.

This boat is so sweet-i t ' s d i f f i c u l t t o imagine anyone passing by without purchasing a t i c k e t or three.

We have a new angle to our f i l m s t h i s year.

W e ' l l i n i t i a t e the F i r s t Annual P a c i f i c Rim Wooden Boat F i l m Festival.

We're scouring the seaboards from Adak to Singapore f o r f i l m s on the use, c o n s t r u c t i o n or h i s t o r y of wooden boats.

We hope t h i s w i l l become an annual f e a t u r e , growing each year.

Our annual Boat Show potluck supper w i l l be J u l y 3, 7-10 pm, at the show s i t e .

H e r e ' s how you w i l l know what to bring: Last names s t a r t i n g with A through G, main course; H-N, s a l a d ; 0-T, d r i n k or bread; U-Z, d e s s e r t .

T h i s potluck w i l l not feature a c o o k - o f f , but we assume that CWB's c u l i n a r y masters w i l l s t i l l s t r i v e for t h e i r legendary excellence.

The dinner w i l l be followed by a b r i e f general meeting.

A Board of D i r e c t o r s get-together w i l l f o l l o w the general meeting.

The a u c t i o n i s l o o k i n g l i k e another outstanding event. Auction items w i l l be on d i s p l a y every day, w i t h the goods to be s o l d Monday, J u l y 5, at 1:30.

Absentee b i d s can be made.

Our r a f f l e boat w i l l be under c o n s t r u c t i o n during the show, with

CWB w i l l again operate a food booth, with simple, hearty refreshments. The coffee pot and donuts w i l l be ready when the gates open at 10 a . m . , and the menu w i l l improve as each day u n f o l d s .

The evening of J u l y 4, 7-10 p.m., we w i l l have a f o l k - s o n g concert and f o l k dance.

Succulent Lake Washington crawdads w i l l be provided as r e f r e s h ments. A hat w i l l be passed f o r contributions to t h i s hand-clapping,

foot-stomping event.

We're planning a Cajun musical group -- they seem to go with crawdads.

There w i l l be a s p e c i a l CWB p u b l i c a t i o n at the Boat Show -- to be c a l l e d Centerboard.

This w i l l be a 32page t a b l o i d c o n t a i n i n g l o t s of h i s t o r i c a l information and photos, i n c l u d i n g l o r e on Indian canoes, boat l i v e r i e s , the development of Lake Union, boat b u i l d e r s , houseboats and more. This w i l l be an a t t r a c t i v e and educational Boat Show keepsake, to be s o l d f o r $2.00 per copy.

If you c a n ' t come, you can order a copy f o r $2.50 postpaid.

This y e a r ' s demonstration e x h i b i t s w i l l include boatbuilding, forging, c a u l k i n g , r i v e t i n g , c a r v i n g , steam bending, s a i l m a k i n g , oar making, knot work, h a l f models and miniature boat building.

If you d o n ' t understand something, stop at the "Ask the Expert" booth and have i t a l l c l e a r e d up.

There w i l l a l s o b e e x h i b i t s i n the drill hall.

Of special interest w i l l be a d i s p l a y from the Williamson C o l l e c t i o n -- the premier Northwest photo c o l l e c t i o n o f h i s t o r i c watercraft.

P r i n t s from some of these r a r e photos w i l l b e f o r s a l e .

Maritime h i s t o r y comes i n a l l s i z e s , of course.

Northwest Seaport handles the b i g packages, and t h e y ' l l have an open house during the show aboard the steam f e r r y San Mateo, tugboat Arthur Foss and schooner Wawona.

For those b r i n g i n g a c l a s s i c boat, why not complete the ambience by d r e s s i n g in the p e r i o d your boat was built?

Perhaps the Great Gatsby w i l l be a l i v e and w e l l at the Wooden Boat Show!

In the s p i r i t of t h i s p l a n f o r s a r t o r i a l c o o r d i n a t i o n w i t h our boats, the Coast Guard Museum is lending antique C . G . j e r s e y s f o r our water t a x i rowers.

I'm at the you'll affair That's

l o o k i n g forward to seeing you show, and, b e t t e r y e t , hope j o i n us to help set up the on J u l y 1 and 2--9 a.m. to dark. the real fun p a r t of the show!

- Dick Wagner

NORTHWEST BOAT BUILDER'S DIRECTORY -THERE'S STILL TIME FOR YOUR LISTING! H i s t o r i c a l l y , not many wooden boats have been completed on time, so it came as only a m i l d s u r p r i s e when few Northwest boat b u i l d e r s submitted d e t a i l s (on time, at l e a s t ) f o r the new e d i t i o n of the Northwest Boat B u i l d e r ' s Directory.

With t h i s in mind, we have extended the f i n a l deadline f o r f r e e l i s t i n g s i n the D i r e c t o r y to August 15.

Please submit the f o l l o w i n g information to the CWB if you are a b u i l d e r , d e s i g n e r , lumber or hardware s u p p l i e r , sailmaker, r i g g e r , f a s t e n i n g manufacturer, t o o l source, surveyor, c o n s u l t a n t , c a u l k e r , or someone e l s e c l o s e l y a l l i e d to the wooden boat i n d u s t r y . * Name, address and phone of builder/business. * D e s c r i p t i o n of s e r v i c e s , s u p p l i e s and/or p r o d u c t s . * S p e c i a l t i e s in business. * L i s t of boats b u i l t or designed. * Photos, p r i n t s drawings or other i l l u s t r a t i o n s of your work.

The new D i r e c t o r y w i l l be a v a i l a b l e t h i s f a l l -- more comprehensive and e a s i e r to use than the f i r s t e d i t i o n .

Be sure you're included!

Send your l i s t i n g information to Marty Loken, D i r e c t o r y E d i t o r , c / o The Center f o r Wooden Boats, 2770 Westlake Avenue North, S e a t t l e , WA 98109.

SHAVINGS A p u b l i c a t i o n of The Center f o r Wooden Boats. Issued s i x times a year f o r members; s i n g l e copies are a v a i l a b l e f o r 25 c e n t s .

Editor Writers

Marty Loken Chas Dowd, Dick Wagner

E d i t o r i a l c o n t r i b u t i o n s are h e a r t i l y encouraged. We are e s p e c i a l l y i n t e r e s t e d i n submissions, o r a t l e a s t nominations, f o r the Owner's Notebook series.

Simply t e l l us about your boat -- d e s i g n , c o n s t r u c t i o n , performance, h i s t o r y e c c e n t r i c i t i e s , e t c . , and i n c l u d e a few photos if they are a v a i l a b l e .

We're anxious to r e c e i v e news from Center members -- boatshop p r o j e c t s , new d e s i g n s , voyages undertaken or planned, thoughts on the CWB and i t s o f f e r i n g s , items f o r s a l e o r t r a d e , p r o f i l e s o f t r a d i t i o n a l Northwest small c r a f t and so f o r t h .

Please address a l l submissions to Shavings, 2770 Westlake Avenue North, S e a t t l e , 98109.

Owners Notebook THE CUNNINGHAM KAYAKS

"When I f i r s t got i n t e r e s t e d in small-boat c r u i s i n g , I r e a l i z e d it was going to take a long time to l e a r n enough to b u i l d my own b o a t s . Kayaks seemed a good f i r s t s t e p : quick to b u i l d , inexpensive and a wonderful way to be on the w a t e r . " So began member C h r i s Cunningham's f a s c i n a t i o n w i t h these simple, t e c h n i c a l l y elegant native American c r a f t .

"I b u i l t my f i r s t kayak to my own d e s i g n , " he continued.

"It d i d n ' t take me long to f i n d i t s l i m i t a t i o n s . " Afterwards, C h r i s decided he was " p r e t t y presumptuous" t r y i n g to improve on designs developed e m p i r i c a l l y

by generations of Aleut hunters, who worked in the harshest and most u n f o r g i v i n g marine environment. As proof of the n a t i v e b u i l d e r ' s s o p h i s t i c a t i o n C h r i s p o i n t s to the bow of h i s two-man A l e u t i a n b a i d a r k a .

What looks l i k e decoration -- two u p - c u r v e d , r h i n o c e r o s - l i k e horns - - i s a way to combine speed w i t h seaworthiness.

The horns are a c t u a l l y two stems, the f i r s t and lower one being sharp. The second and higher stem has a sheer s t r i n g e r on each s i d e and widens q u i c k l y .

When the s k i n (or canvas, i n C h r i s ' s case) i s stretched on, i t ' s p u l l e d t i g h t l y i n t o the v e r t i c a l notch between the two

The o r i g i n a l b u i l d e r s used anthropomorphic measurements: two f i n g e r s here, an armlength and two f i s t s t h e r e , etc.

C h r i s says he h a s n ' t gotten i n t o that much t r a d i t i o n a l technique, but once the h u l l shape is defined, he determines the c o c k p i t s i z e and hoop angle by s e t t i n g the boat upright and g e t t i n g i n and out o f i t , modifying things u n t i l the deck can accommodate h i s knees. (The f a c t that our legs are c o n s i d e r a b l y longer than an A l e u t ' s produces a b e a u t i f u l l y curved cowling on the deck, absent in most of the originals.

It may not be anthropomorphic measurement, but it accomplishes the same end: a f i n a l product t a i l o r e d to the dimensions of i t s c r e a t o r . )

stemheads.

The r e s u l t is a narrow, e a s i l y - p a d d l e d entry and a wide, buoyant sheer connected by a curving f l a r e that equals that of the c l a s s i e s t runabout.

Once the frame is f i n i s h e d C h r i s sews the canvas cover on, s t i t c h i n g the seams w i t h dental f l o s s . ( " I t ' s strong and s t a b l e , and r e s i s t s abrasion w e l l , " he s a y s , a t i p you won't f i n d in A s h l e y ' s book.)

For w a t e r t i g h t n e s s , he p a i n t s the f i n a l surface w i t h a i r p l a n e dope.

C h r i s ' s research began where most of us b e g i n : in the pages of H . I .

Chapelle.

Bark Canoes and Skin Boats of North America, by Adney and C h a p e l l e , i s , at $9 a copy, one of those amazing bargains a v a i l a b l e through the U.S. Government P r i n t i n g O f f i c e .

The Burke Museum on the U.W. campus was next.

C h r i s and two other kayak enthusiasts went through, measuring models, examining l a s h i n g s and t a k i n g photos.

"You have to have loose h i p s , " e x p l a i n s C h r i s when asked about handling the Greenland kayak that won him two of the three races at l a s t y e a r ' s S e a t t l e Wooden Boat Show.

"You l e t it move under you.

If you s t i f f e n your w a i s t , your upper body gets out of balance and over you go.

It's like riding a bicycle.

Once you get your balance, you can take it f o r granted.

Admittedly, t h e r e ' s a k i n d of Zen to it."

"They had a c o l l e c t i o n of p a r t s the s t a f f thought might be an e n t i r e kayak, but nobody had time to assemble i t , " Chris r e c o l l e c t e d .

"It turned out to be the same p a r t of three k a y a k s . " He a l s o got an advance look at an unpublished monograph on the Hooper Bay kayak, a p r o j e c t he now has under construction.

There's a lot of Zen to i t . I doubt i f any small boat e n t h u s i a s t , a f t e r watching C h r i s don one of h i s c r a f t (which are more "put on" than "gotten i n t o " ) and f l a s h down the l a k e , paddle churning, can keep from envying the intimacy between c r a f t , b u i l d e r , wind and water.

- Chas Dowd

Eskimos and A l e u t s l i v e in a woodstarved l a n d , using driftwood f o r t h e i r kayak frames.

For economy (and s a t i s f a c t i o n ) , C h r i s does the same.

Scavenging Edmonds beaches, he s p l i t s p i e c e s out of yellow cedar d r i f t l o g s , l a t e r reducing them to frames and s t r i n g e r s on a t a b l e saw.

"There a r e n ' t many middlemen between me and the wood," he g r i n s .

C h r i s b u i l d s h i s kayaks upside down, s t r i v i n g f o r the most a u t h e n t i c i t y i n the underwater shapes where it counts.

He c h a r a c t e r i z e s the process as "very f o r g i v i n g , " a matter of bending and w e d g i n g w i t h a l l f i n a l adjustments made by eye.

The whole shape is lashed together with seine twine. C h r i s i s i n t e r e s t e d i n r e g i o n a l k n o t s , but p o i n t s out that Ashley has a very u s e f u l "Eskimo S l i p Knot" i n h i s book.

YOUR CWB MEMBERSHIP...

This is your museum. We have about 1,200 members now.

The support of our membership is the most v a l u a b l e CWB asset.

Please note the date typed on the r i g h t side of your Shavings address l a b e l - - i t s i g n a l s the e x p i r a t i o n o f your Center membership.

If your date is approaching, please renew today. (If i t i s n ' t , please ask a f r i e n d to j o i n . . . o r send us names of p o t e n t i a l members so we can forward membership i n f o r m a t i o n . There must be thousands more who want to help b u i l d t h i s dynamic, l i v i n g museum!)

KEEPING THE COLUMBIA RIVER STORY ALIVE The Columbia River is the most h i s t o r i c a l l y s i g n i f i c a n t body of water in the Western U.S. What happened on the Columbia spans from e x p l o r a t i o n s of the Spanish, B r i t i s h , Russians and Americans two c e n t u r i e s ago, to the lumber schooners, paddlewheel steamers, s i l k s h i p s , wheat barges, hay scows, b u t t e r f l y f l e e t , Coast Guard m i s s i o n s , canneries and b o a t b u i l d i n g , In other words, the Columbia River is a microcosm of the West Coast and i t s maritime h i s t o r y .

Several years ago Rolf Klep decided that the Columbia River s t o r y should be t o l d with a museum in A s t o r i a . R o l f , who d i e d l a s t f a l l , had been c h a r a c t e r i z e d as a n a u t i c a l Teddy Roosevelt.

He knocked on doors up and down the r i v e r with a gentle v i s i o n and a b i g stick.

With the p e r s i s t e n c e of Klep and the management know-how of museum d i r e c t o r Michael Naab, the Columbia River Maritime Museum opened l a s t month in a new, 37,000 square-foot building.

A l l b u i l t with p r i v a t e money, and p a i d f o r !

This is a major maritime museum, on an i n t e r n a t i o n a l s c a l e .

The Columbia River story i s d i s p l a y e d w i t h e x c e p t i o n a l imagination and s e n s i t i v i t y .

Much c r e d i t goes to e x h i b i t designer Max Chance. " I t ' s a reward in i t s e l f j u s t to experience the use of l i g h t , c o l o r , texture and space.

As you approach the A s t o r i a w a t e r f r o n t , you w i l l see a dramatic s c u l p t u r e evoking the form of waves r o l l i n g over the Columbia B a r , j u s t downstream.

T h a t ' s the museum.

This is a museum of the r i v e r , f o r the r i v e r and by the r i v e r . Don't miss i t .

- Dick Wagner

The "Great Hall" of the Columbia River Maritime Museum, in Astoria, Oregon, includes three traditional fishing boats -- from left, a 26' Columbia River gillnet boat, circa 1911; a 30' Bristol Bag gillnet boat, built in Astoria in 1950, and a 28' Columbia River gillnet boat, circa 1940.

The museum, shown below, was built with private donations and is entirely paid for...an amazing feat in these days of tight money.

(Photos courtesy of the museum.)

CWB MEETING NOTICE--JULY AND AUGUST Friday, July 16, 8 p.m. -- C h r i s Cunningham w i l l give a t a l k on Aleut and Eskimo kayak c o n s t r u c t i o n .

(See a r t i c l e elsewhere i n t h i s e d i t i o n . ) C h r i s w i l l b e going t o the P r i b i l o f Islands in August to teach t h i s a r t to high school students t h e r e .

Friday, August 20, 8 p.m. -- Marty Loken w i l l show s l i d e s and t a l k about c r u i s i n g northern Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands in h i s 16-foot Poulsbo Boat, Shine.

Marty has discovered some Poulsbo sized coves and beaches that may i n s p i r e others to t r y overnight excursions with small rowing and sailing craft.

F o l l o w i n g Marty's t a l k w i l l be an open forum s l i d e show on the J u l y Wooden Boat Show. Bring your favorite transparencies!

(Projector w i l l be provided.)

These monthly meetings are i n f o r m a l , s o c i a l and i n f o r m a t i o n a l . No boring CWB business is conducted. Everyone's welcome -- please b r i n g a f r i e n d .

Meetings are always h e l d at the CWB headquarters, 2770 Westlake Avenue North; phone 283-9166 if you need directions or d e t a i l s .

THE ANACORTES TOUR...

More than 50 CWB members got a f i r s t - h a n d look at the Anacortes wooden-boat r e v i v a l during the OARS I n d u s t r i a l Tour May 15.

A f o o t , in c a r s and on the I n c r e d i b l e Guemes J i t n e y S e r v i c e , small groups bearing maps and schedules raced from sailmakers l o f t s to boatshops to c h a n d l e r i e s to lumberyards on a w e l l - o r g a n i z e d r o t a t i o n that made sure that the number of people at any one l o c a t i o n never grew too large to s t i f l e give-and-take.

A few quick snapshots may help catch the f l a v o r of the event: * I r r e p r e s s i b l e Tony Lovic of L o v i c ' s Sea C r a f t , w h i t e - h a i r e d and v o l u b l e , l o o k i n g l i k e a Mediterranean shipping magnate, e x p l a i n i n g that he d o e s n ' t "speak the E n g l i s h too w e l l " and o f f e r i n g to speak "French, I t a l i a n , Spanish, German or Y u g o s l a v , " a l l of which he handles w i t h ease, if someone would t r a n s l a t e . * Bob and E r i c a P i c k e t t ' s great f e n c e , b u i l t of yellow cedar, each stake shaped by h i s 1850 picket-maker (see l a s t i s s u e ) , copper f a s t e n e d , b r i g h t - f i n i s h e d , surrounding some of the most unhappy-looking annuals in town -- a r e a l b o a t b u i l d e r ' s garden. * The c l u s t e r of decaying boats around Ken P o w e l l ' s , Dave H a r t f o r d ' s and V i c C u l i n a ' s Guemes boatyards.

Why do small boats going to p i e c e s in the n e t t l e s look so much more b e a u t i f u l and d i g n i f i e d that cars r u s t i n g to death in b l a c k b e r r i e s ? P o w e l l ' s Coolidge designed schooner, n water, and H a r t f o r d ' s 5 0 - f o o t e r , s t i l l in frame, look even more impressive in t h e i r wooded s e t t i n g s . * David J a c k s o n ' s S k a g i t Sneakbox, a boat almost too p r e t t y to u s e , s i t t i n g under the Sophia's p r o t e c t i v e bowsprit l i k e a g o s l i n g under a Canada goose.

It was a great tour and everyone who attended wants to extend a hearty "welcome aboard" to members of OARS who come to CWB's J u l y Boat Show.

Oh, by the way, the spaghetti-sauce contest was won by Steve Demopolous of Anacortes. When asked f o r h i s r e c i p e , Steve s a i d that "nobody has a r e c i p e f o r t h i s . . . y o u j u s t put s t u f f t o g e t h e r . " That's spaghetti, a l l r i g h t .

- Chas Dowd

Spread the Word...

John C i a r d i , poet, teacher and sometime e t y m o l o g i s t , discusses the h i s t o r y of words twice a week on N a t i o n a l P u b l i c R a d i o ' s Morning Edition.

J u s t in time f o r t h i s i s s u e ' s column he t a l k e d about the d e r i v a t i o n of the term "dog watch."

Every maritime day is d i v i d e d i n t o four-hour watches.

Each watch has eight b e l l s , struck on the hour and half-hour.

T r a d i t i o n has it that Roman g a l l e y s allowed a r e g u l a r break in the rowing every h a l f - h o u r and a change of oarsmen every f o u r .

Today's watch system is a v e s t i g e of that e a r l y custom.

S i m i l a r l y , crews were d i v i d e d i n t o two watches: starbowlines and l a r b o w l i n e s in the B r i t i s h Navy during i t s heyday; starboard and port in American c l i p p e r s h i p s .

I t ' s obvious that w i t h s i x four-hour watches and two groups of watchstanders the same crewmen were always on duty at the same time, a grim prospect when f a c i n g a long voyage.

Enter the "dog watch."

Between 1600 and 2000 hours the r e g u l a r four-hour s t i n t is broken i n t o two two-hour • watches: the "dog watches." P r e s t o !

Shift rotation.

There are two opinions as to where the name "dog watch" came from. A popular theory i s that i t ' s a c o r r u p t i o n of "dodged w a t c h , " an avoided watch.

The Navy (and P r o f . C i a r d i ) holds out f o r "docked w a t c h , " from dock, meaning "to s h o r t e n . "

What are the other watches named?

According to the WWII Bluejacket's Manual t h e y ' r e c a l l e d the midwatch, beginning at midnight, then the morning watch, the forenoon, the af t er noon , the two dog watches and the f i r s t watch at the d a y ' s end.

Naturally.

In case you'd l i k e to hear C i a r d i ' s commentaries on our growing language, tune in KUOW-FM around 5:30 a.m. T h a t ' s three b e l l s in the morning watch.

HALFWAY HOUSES FOR WOODEN BOATS Would you l i k e to adopt a boat?

We need temporary homes f o r some o f the C e n t e r ' s b o a t s . . . u n t i l the new Lake Union s i t e is ready to accept the f l e e t .

For more i n f o r m a t i o n , p l e a s e c a l l the CWB, 283-9166.

MAKE A DITTY BAG CWB member John Foster is o r g a n i z i n g a n a u t i c a l sewing c i r c l e .

What he has in mind is a r e g u l a r gathering to l e a r n palm and needle canvas d i t t y bag work, t a l k and p o t l u c k .

The bags w i l l be s o l d to b e n e f i t CWB. C a l l John at 634-3521 i f y o u ' r e i n t r i g u e d .

STATE OF THE CENTER'S NEW SITE Review of our drawings by the c i t y of S e a t t l e has been completed and no o b j e c t i o n s were found to our p r o p o s a l .

Calendar Northwest events of wooden boat owners July

interest to & enthusiasts...

3-5

SEATTLE WOODEN BOAT SHOW Naval Reserve Base, Lake Union Information: 283-9166 July

16

CENTER FOR WOODEN BOATS MEETING Seattle; Chris Cunningham discusses Eskimo and Aleut kayaks.

8 p.m.

Information: 283-9166 July

31

PULL AND BE DAMNED REGATTA Bowman Bay, near Deception Pass Information: 293-2369 August

14

ROUND SHAW ISLAND ROW South Beach, Shaw Island, Information: 378-2336 August

11

a.m.

20

CENTER FOR WOODEN BOATS MEETING Seattle; Marty Loken offers slides on Puget Sound beach-camping excursions.

Bring your own slides of the Wooden Boat Show; 8 p.m. at CWB headquarters.

Information: 283-9166 August

28

GREAT CROSS-SOUND RACE Alki Beach, Seattle, to Bainbridge Island; noon Information: 842-4202 August

Winslow, start.

28

BELLINGHAM MARITIME FESTIVAL Including rowing regatta and show of old boats.

Information: 676-6980 September

3-5

CLASSIC BOAT FESTIVAL Inner harbor, Victoria, B.C. Information: (604) 385-7766 At press time the p r o j e c t was being reviewed by the s t a t e .

T h i s is a l s o a p e r i o d during which p u b l i c comments are being reviewed. If no s i g n i f i c a n t o b j e c t i o n s are r a i s e d , our permits f o r s i t e development w i l l be issued by September 1.

September

10-12

PORT TOWNSEND WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL Point Hudson, Port Townsend.

Information: 385-3628