Shavings Volume 8 Number 1 (January-February 1986)

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© 1986 The Center for Wooden Boats - Volume 8, Number 1 - Jan.-Feb. 1986 - 25¢

T H E G A N G O F FIFTY W e call t h e m the V o l u n t e e r Fleet M a i n t e n a n c e C o r p s ( V F M C ) . T h e y a r e the v o l u n t e e r s w h o s c r a p e , s a n d , p a i n t a n d r e p a i r o u r d i s p l a y fleet. We n o w have over thirty heritage vessels, of w h i c h twenty a r e r o w i n g a n d sailing boats available for the p u b l i c t o play w i t h eight h o u r s p e r day, 362 days per year. T h e s e boats p r o v i d e d 2 , 7 6 8 e n j o y a b l e h o u r s o f u s e i n 1985. T h a t ' s a n average of seventeen days per boat. No w o n d e r we need a repair team. T h e V F M C is our medic u n i t . T h e y r e v i v e a n d h e a l o u r b o a t s — the h e a r t of this living m u s e u m . U p k e e p o f o u r fleet i s a n i m p o s s i b l e t a s k for o u r m i n u s c u l e staff. L a s t y e a r , s i x t e e n o f o u r b o a t s were repaired or refinished. S i x projects were d o n e b y staff, t e n b y V F M C . F o r t y - n i n e v o l u n teers p a r t i c i p a t e d i n fleet m a i n t e n a n c e . M o s t labored in twenty p l a n n e d sessions, but m a n y other restoration minutemen w o r k e d independ e n t o f t h e s c h e d u l e d s e s s i o n s . T h e i r freely d o n a t e d t i m e a n d e x p e r t i s e t o t a l e d 1,122 h o u r s . E x p e r i e n c e d b u i l d e r s s u p e r v i s e d the w o r k parties. T h e y also volunteered. W o r k sessions, usually every other S u n d a y , began with a "job j a r " list o f r e p a i r a n d r e f i n i s h i n g . T h e l e a d e r o r g a n i z e d the j o b s a n d a s s i g n e d t h e c r e w . S o o n e v e r y o n e s e t t l e d i n t o their p r o j e c t . S t o r i e s w e r e t r a d e d , coffee c o n s u m e d , a n d t h e d o n u t s t a s h m u n c h e d . Techniques a n d special tricks were exchanged. Friendships blossomed. A t d a y ' s e n d , C W B w a s left w i t h s o m e b o a t s s t r o n g a n d s h i n y a g a i n . T h e v o l u n t e e r s left w i t h t h e i r b a d g e of h o n o r — s o r e (but firm) m u s c l e s . It's a c a r d i o v a s c u l a r w o r k o u t , l e a r n i n g e x p e r i e n c e , s o c i a l o u t i n g a n d e s c a p e f r o m c l e a n i n g the garage. O t h e r r e w a r d s : free boat u s e a n d v o l u n teer s o c i a l p a r t i e s . T h e w o r k g o e s o n a m i d s t a c o n s t a n t flow o f visitors. Q u e s t i o n s are a s k e d : " W h a t k i n d of boat i s t h i s ? " " W h a t t o o l a r e y o u u s i n g ? " " C a n y o u still get g o o d w o o d ? " T h e v o l u n t e e r s d o u b l e their d u t i e s a n d act a s C W B i n t e r p r e t e r s . A l l this a c t i v i t y a n d a c c o m p l i s h m e n t i s o r c h e s trated b y C W B Assistant Director C a r e n Crandell. She finds v o l u n t e e r s , schedules sessions, sends thank-you's, keeps records of individual volunteers, provides monthly reports, a r r a n g e s the s o c i a l p a r t i e s . E i s e n h o w e r p l a n n i n g the N o r m a n d y i n v a s i o n c o u l d n ' t h a v e b e e n m o r e

ROWING A N D C A M P I N G A T T H E M O U T H O F JERVIS INLET, B.C. by J o h n R. M o r a n T e d a n d I t r a i l e r e d m y s i x t e e n foot W h i t e b e a r skiff t o S a l t e r y B a y P r o v i n c i a l P a r k , a c o u p l e o f m i l e s w e s t o f the n o r t h e r n t e r m i n u s o f the ferry r o u t e a c r o s s the m o u t h o f J e r v i s Inlet. W e h a d only three days in w h i c h to m a k e a boat c a m p i n g trip. T h e d e s t i n a t i o n w a s B l i n d B a y b e t w e e n N e l s o n a n d H a r d y I s l a n d s , a s this s e e m e d t o

diligent a n d o r g a n i z e d . adds a special touch of c o m p a s s i o n t o the w o r k grammar are an a d d e d

M o r e than that, C a r e n h u m o r , c h a r m , tact a n d sessions. H e r lessons in feature.

I n a d d i t i o n t o their h e l p i n the u p k e e p o f o u r fleet, a n i n d e f i n a b l e v a l u e e m e r g e s f r o m t h e VFMC bustle of activity. P l a c i n g hands on history w e are really a b o u t . T h e p a s s i n g o n o f o l d s k i l l s t o preserve o u r traditional boats is keeping a h e r i t a g e alive.

O u r 1985 c r e w : Barney Abrams Celeste Archambault Stephen Antupit Ted Braid Paul Blevins T o d d Blakely Pat C r o w George Corley

Marion LaMay Leslie L i n c o l n Helen Lang D o u g Lundgren H u b Miller Jim Marchand Alice M a r s h Mike Marsh

satisfy o u r r e q u i r e m e n t s for p r o t e c t e d w a t e r s , m a n y s m a l l i s l a n d s , a n d a r o u t e that w o u l d eliminate most d o u b l i n g back. Little time c o u l d b e r e s e r v e d for u n f a v o u r a b l e w i n d s a n d r o u g h w a t e r , b u t a t least tidal c u r r e n t s i n that a r e a c o u l d almost be ignored. T h e p a r k h a d a g o o d , but exposed concrete launching ramp, potable water, a n d a p a r k i n g a r e a that w a s r e p o r t e d b y the p a r k s u p e r v i s o r t o b e free f r o m v a n d a l i s m . W e m a d e the t w o m i l e c r o s s i n g o f J e r v i s Inlet towards the middle of H a r d y Island, then r o w e d eastwards towards Telescope Passage. A small,

Roger Christiansen Donna Dashnau Larry Dahl Tim Fenner Earl Fenstermacher John Gruenewald Doug Hobkirk D a v i d Higgins Dan Hinckley Pat H e r r o n Patrick J o h n s o n Don Johnson David M. Johnson J o h n Kelly Paul Kubilis The Supervisors: Mary Ford Eric Hvalsoe

Kelly Mulford Mike Oswald D o n Packheiser T o m Parker Ralph Pledger Chris Panks John Rundberg Julie Ray Philip S i m p s o n J o n Singleton Courtenay Smith A n d r e w Stebbins Hitler W e s t Steve White Jay Wilson

M a r c u s Lester Andy Wichert - Dick Wagner

low, r o c k y island provided a lunch break a n d an o p p o r t u n i t y for T e d t o dig a n a d e q u a t e n u m b e r o f c l a m s for s u p p e r . O y s t e r s w e r e plentiful t o o , a n d , a c c o r d i n g t o the friendly p a r k s u p e r v i s o r a t o u r l a u n c h i n g p o i n t , w e r e safe t o eat. A s m a l l c o v e o n H a r d y I s l a n d just s o u t h o f T e l e s c o p e P a s s a g e l o o k e d " u s e r f r i e n d l y " a n d h a d the a d v a n t a g e o f b e i n g a l m o s t c l o s e d off b y a s m a l l b o o m o f logs. T h e o n l y b e a c h e s i n this a r e a a r e o f s a n d y m u d a n d s h e l l , t h o r o u g h l y c o v e r e d b y large s t o n e s supporting dense colonies of small barnacles. large b l o c k s o f r o c k b e t w e e n the b e a c h e s ,


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