©1985
The Center for
Wooden Boats -
Volume
7,
Number
1
- January-February
1985
- 25¢
WILLITS L A U N C H - A S P E C I A L RESTORATION PROJECT Earl and Floyd C. Willits have become national legends because of the exquisite canoes they built at their shop in Day Island, Tacoma, between 1919 and 1959. These were class canoes because of their superior design for Puget S o u n d waters, top quality materials, and meticulous workmanship. The 17' canoes were built of two layers of 5/32" western red cedar. The inner layer was a series of flat edge-to-edge frames, and the outer skin was longitudinal planking. These were fastened with more than 8, 000 copper clench nails. The long fore and aft decks were Honduras mahogany with ash king planks. There were Honduras mahogany gunwale caps, coaming and thwarts; Sitka spruce seats; and white oak keel and stems. It all weighed only 75 pounds, the same as canvas-over-wood canoes of the same length. All was joined with fine cabinet precision and varnished to mirror finish. We will never again see stock boats such as these. In 1928, the Willits brothers designed a motor launch for their own use. They used the same construction technique for this boat as they used
R E G A T T A REVIEW Our October 6 regatta featured gig racing, ground breaking for our C W B / C i v i t a n Waterway 4 park, sharing of good wood boats, good food, and good Seattle drizzle. There wasn't enough wind for a sailing race. The single-rower race was won by the 17' peapod Murre, designed and built by John Mikesell. Gerry Stensgaard was second in a 17' Adirondack guide boat of his own design, followed by Earl Doan in his 13' Pete Culler "Butternut" lapstrake canoe. There were three gigs at the regatta. Erica was lent to C W B for a month's practice by O A R S (Old Anacortes Rowing Society). Glide, Erica's twin sister, came down from Anacortes, Washington, and the High Society group brought their gig up from Shelton, Washington. All are 21', with four single banked oars and a coxswain. Erica and Glide were designed by committee at the Port Townsend T o w n Tavern, and planked by students at the School of Wooden Boat Building in Port Townsend. Erica was completed by students of an O A R S seminar, and Glide was finished off by C a r l Meinzinger of Anacortes.
for their canoes. This boat was donated to the Center by the Willits family. It is 20' long with a 5' beam. The boat is still in fairly good shape, but needs extensive refastening. The copper fastenings have begun to deteriorate, probably due to the unique blend of atmospheric chemicals sometimes referred to as "the Tacoma aroma. " A vintage motor is needed, together with upholstery, tightening up of the seat and cabin joinery, recanvassed deck and replacement of a few planks, and then varnish inside and out — lots of it. We aim to restore this special launch. When funds are raised, this lovely little craft will be finished in top-rate fashion, just as though Earl and Floyd were looking on. •
The Shelton gig was designed by C a r l Brownstein and was one of four built, under Carl's supervision, by Evergreen College students. Gig racing has got to be the new wave in rowing events. Lots of people participate and they don't have to be sons or daughters of King Kong to be successful. In the crew of the winning "mixed oars" crew was Tena Doan, who "never pulled an oar before. " The winner of the men's crew race was Shelton High Society, with David Krough, M a r k Drain, Sam Devlin, Phil Krough, and cox Skip Martin. Erica and Glide kept about a length behind the winner, and exchanged one-foot leads several times down the course. At the finish line, Erica edged Glide. In Erica was H u b Miller, Eric Hvalsoe, Bill Higgins, Marcus Lester, and Dick Molette, coxswain. Glide was rowed by John Ireton, Carl Meinzinger, Tony Bigge, Herb
Pearson, and C o x Julie De Roche. The winning boat zipped down the onenautical-mile course at 5. 376 knots. The women's race was Seattle crewed Erica versus O A R S ' Glide. Glide won by 2 lengths. The crew: Julie De Roche, Patty Lawler, Janice Veal, Lisa Johnson, and C a r l Meinzinger, cox. The valiant Erica crew was Caren Crandell, Kate Jenkins, Krista Phipps, and Sis Larson. The cox was Faye Kendall. The last and most hotly contested race was the mixed class. E n c a was crewed by Civitan's Paul Eyer, Kate Jenkins, J o h n Phipps, Krista Phipps and coxswain Marcus Lester. In Glide was Bob Pickett, Gary Frankel, Caren Crandell, Tena Doan, Peter Lentini, cox. Glide won, a mere foot ahead of Erica. Courtney Smith and Kelly Mulford started the races. Kelly got the boats off the mark with the roar of his flintlock pistol. Special thanks to Frank Cunningham for coaching the C W B and Civitan crews. Marty Loken used his Poulsbo boat as racing course patrol, and he photographed the races. Thanks to those who brought their boats to show and share, especially M r . and M r s . Gerry Stensgaard and Gerry's mom, who came all the way down from Vancouver, B. C. O h , yes, the chef's award went to Caren Crandell for her veggie chili. •