©1986
The
Center for
Wooden
THE SECRETS OF THE PROTHERO SCHOONER F o r t h e last 2 0 y e a r s , e v e r s i n c e h e f i n i s h e d Alcyone, F r a n k P r o t h e r o has b e e n b u i l d i n g a 65foot w o o d e n s c h o o n e r on a barge near Ivar's S a l m o n H o u s e . O n c e t h e r e w e r e half a s c o r e o f boatbuilders on L a k e U n i o n turning out big w o o d e n b o a t s . T o d a y F r a n k i s t h e o n l y o n e left. H e ' s b u i l d i n g this last b i g o n e b y h i m s e l f , h e l p e d o n l y b y his g r a n d s o n B r i a n , w h o ' s l e a r n i n g t h e boatbuilder's trade. Early in F e b r u a r y , T h e W o o d e n B o a t S h o p a n n o u n c e d t w o small S a t u r day tours of the P r o t h e r o schooner a n d a chance t o m e e t t h e m a s t e r himself. J u s t g e t t i n g to t h e b o a t s h o p is a bit of an adventure. We followed a well-worn but obscure p a t h under a loading pier. F r a n k ' s s t e a m b o x p a r a l l e l s t h e p a t h , a leaky s t r e t c h of p i p i n g w r a p p e d in duct tape running f r o m a steam generator perched on the bank to the under-pier e n d . W h e n it's g e n e r a t i n g , t h e p a t h i s p r o b a b l y lost in the fog. T h e w o r k i n g e n d of the b o x is only a few steps f r o m the s h o p d o o r . T h e s t e a m b o x d o o r has a c o u n t e r w e i g h t e d h a n d l e , o b v i o u s l y carefully p l a n n e d to m a k e it easy for a solo o p e r a t o r . It's o n l y t h e first o f m a n y t o u c h e s t h a t speaks of years of hard-won experience. Visitors enter the s h o p under a balcony that o b s c u r e s all b u t t h e v e r y f o r e f o o t o f t h e s c h o o n e r . F r a n k ' s c h a i r , a 1950 plastic a n d c h r o m e p i e c e o f dentist's waiting r o o m furniture that's seen m a n y better d a y s , is close to the stove in o n e of the shop's rare clear areas. T h e r e ' s a big shipsaw there too, a n d an incredible collection of lumber, 55-gallon d r u m s , rigging s c r e w s , a n d only F r a n k k n o w s w h a t . T h e r e ' s a 26-foot c u t t e r w e d g e d in t h e r e , a beautiful sawn-frame hull that looks a l m o s t r e a d y t o p l a n k . T h e first i m p r e s s i o n i s t h a t of a s m a l l h o u s e i n h a b i t e d by a nonagenarian spinster w i t h ten cats w h o never t h r e w a n y t h i n g a w a y s i n c e she r e a c h e d her m a j o r i t y . T h e o n l y difference is the smell of fresh-cut cedar a n d the fact that e v e r y t h i n g there w o u l d be useful if y o u
BREAD A N D B U T T E R T e n y e a r s a g o , w e b e g a n a s a n idea i n a h o u s e boat kitchen. T h e kitchen was our headquarters f o r s e v e n y e a r s . T h e r e w a s n o p a i d staff t h e n . A pot of coffee was always b r e w i n g on the stove. O u r boatbuilding seminars were held in b o r r o w e d s p a c e s . I t w a s d r e a m n o n - p r o f i t o p e r a t i o n : all funds raised were spent on exciting educational a n d informational p r o g r a m s a n d quality publications. N o w w e h a v e a bit o f o u r o w n p r o p e r t y , f o r w h i c h w e pay rent. W e have o u r o w n buildings, w h i c h r e q u i r e t a x p a y m e n t s . O u r g r o w i n g fleet requires m o n e y for maintenance. H a v e y o u b o u g h t a sheet o f s a n d p a p e r r e c e n t l y ? A l l o u r o w n e d a n d r e n t e d properties are c o v e r e d by a very expensive umbrella of insurance. We n o w p a y f o r salaries, light b u l b s , g a r b a g e p i c k - u p , a n d c h e c k b o o k s t o w r i t e c h e c k s t o p a y t h e bills;
Boats
-
Volume
8,
Number 3
-
May-June
1986
- 25¢
wanted to build a boat. W a l k i n g toward the schooner, we saw a scrap of dusty tarp wadded u p o n a p a i r o f steel d r u m s . W h e n w e t u r n e d b a c k a c o r n e r we f o u n d t h a t it c o n c e a l e d a p a i r of gorgeous fashion boards carved w i t h vine leaves i n s u c h h i g h relief t h a t t h e y l o o k a l m o s t a s i f t h e y float a b o v e t h e s u r f a c e . F r a n k ' s w o r k , like e v e r y t h i n g else a r o u n d . T h e minute we stepped from beneath the balcony, we stepped beneath the schooner. In f a c t , g o i n g t o see t h e P r o t h e r o s c h o o n e r i s a m i s s t a t e m e n t . T h e r e isn't m o r e t h a n six feet b e t w e e n t h e hull a n d t h e walls a t a n y p o i n t , s o s e e i n g it, g e t t i n g s o m e idea o f its o v e r a l l s h a p e a n d dimensions, is virtually impossible. Even F r a n k h a s n ' t " s e e n " it. A c c o r d i n g t o o u r g u i d e , J o e B u c e k , the only d r a w i n g that F r a n k m a d e was a p r o f i l e t h a t s h o w s t h e sail p l a n . T h e b o a t w a s designed on the mould-loft floor. On d e c k , the pressing closeness of the building e n l a r g e s t h e s c h o o n e r ' s d i m e n s i o n s t o t h e size o f a G r a n d Banks codfisherman. T h e impression is heightened by the minimal deck structures, a c o m p a n i o n w a y e n t r a n c e f o r w a r d and an eight by s i x t e e n d e c k h o u s e aft. T h e t w o h o u s e s a r e m a d e i n p a n e l a n d f r a m e c o n s t r u c t i o n , m u c h like a c o m m o n i n t e r i o r d o o r but t h e y f o l l o w b o t h t h e s h e e r a n d t h e c a m b e r o f t h e d e c k , s o n o p i e c e has a r i g h t angle i n it. T h e y ' r e r o o f e d w i t h c a n v a s o v e r felt o v e r p l a n k i n g i n t h e o l d t r a d i t i o n a l s t y l e . H o l d i n g d o w n t h e c a n v a s o n t h e edges a r e b e a u t i ful m a h o g a n y c o v e r i n g b o a r d s six i n c h e s b r o a d , a t least t h r e e i n c h e s t h i c k a n d c a r v e d o n t h e e d g e s . T h e c o r n e r s a r e n ' t d o v e t a i l e d b u t fit together w i t h a simple 45° join. J o e found a model o f t h e j o i n t a n d s h o w e d u s h o w e a c h p i e c e has b o t h a m o r t i c e a n d a t e n o n w h i c h fit t o g e t h e r , o n e o v e r the other. It is frankly amazing. Since the c o v e r i n g boards w o u l d trap w a t e r on the cabin roof, the low c o r n e r s have brass scuppers w h i c h F r a n k d e s i g n e d a n d cast himself. T h e deckhouses are coated w i t h dust, but a swipe of the hand s h o w s coats a n d coats of varnish that glow softly in the dimness. We have
e v e n t h e c o f f e e isn't free a n y m o r e . Right n o w w e n e e d s o m e b r e a d - a n d - b u t t e r money to boost us through the end-of-winter d o l d r u m s . O u r g o a l i s $5,000.00. W e c a n easily raise t h i s if y o u r e n e w y o u r m e m b e r s h i p , get a friend to join us, or simply each send in a $5.00 donation. W e h a v e s u r v i v e d a n d t h r i v e d for t e n y e a r s . W e h a v e built o n e o f t h e m o s t e x c i t i n g p l a c e s i n t o w n - a p a r k , s k i l l s - p r e s e r v a t i o n s h o p , a n d playwith-the-exhibits m u s e u m . We have c o m e a long w a y i n t e n y e a r s . Please p i t c h i n t o k e e p u s f r o m losing a s t r o k e in o u r development m o m e n t u m . Student/Senior Citizen Individual Family Contributing Benefactor Sustaining
$ 10.00 20.00 30.00 75.00 150.00 500.00
n e v e r s e e n f u r n i t u r e w i t h fit a n d finish t o c o m p a r e w i t h t h e m . A pair of oak s a m p s o n posts sprout f o r w a r d , a g o o d f o o t s q u a r e a n d t h r e e a n d a half feet tall, m a t c h e d b y o n e o n e a c h q u a r t e r . W i p e away the dust a n d there's the same m i r r o r l i k e v a r n i s h w o r k . Its g l e a m r e v e a l s l i g n u m v i t a e inlays o n t h e c o r n e r s o f t h e p o s t s , f r o m d e c k t o c a p , a n elegant P r o t h e r o t e c h n i q u e t o r e d u c e wear. Inside t h e h u l l , w h i c h i s a l m o s t e n t i r e l y o p e n a t this stage, y o u get a b e t t e r idea o f t h e s i z e a n d massiveness of the c o n s t r u c t i o n . T h e hanging k n e e s that tie t h e d e c k t o t h e h u l l l o o k like t h e Wawona's. T h e keel b o l t s h a v e h e a d s as b i g as golf balls. W e ' v e n o t i c e d t h a t t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n details o f a t h i r t y - f o o t h u l l a r e n ' t m u c h d i f f e r e n t f r o m t h o s e of a t w e n t y - f o o t h u l l a n d a f o r t y - f i v e f o o t h u l l isn't m u c h d i f f e r e n t f r o m t h e t h i r t y f o o t e r . B u t a r o u n d fifty feet, b o a t b u i l d i n g c h a n g e s its c h a r a c t e r . T h e r e is a q u a l i t a t i v e d i f f e r e n c e b e t w e e n a d e c k k n e e t h e size o f a n u n a b r i d g e d d i c t i o n a r y a n d a d e c k k n e e as b i g as a V o l k s w a g e n f r o n t s e a t . It's this d i f f e r e n c e t h a t a m bushed us everywhere we looked. T h i s s c h o o n e r feels m u c h b e a m i e r a n d d e e p e r t h a n Alcyone a n d it's o b v i o u s that e v e r y t h i n g is b e i n g b u i l t i n t h e o l d s t y l e . T h e hull i s c e d a r o v e r o a k , w i t h a b a n d o f l i g n u m vitae s h e a t h i n g a t t h e w a t e r l i n e . A l l f a s t e n i n g s a r e t r i p l e - d i p p e d galvanized iron, the only bedding c o m p o u n d a m i x t u r e o f w h i t e lead p a s t e a n d r e d lead p o w d e r , a c o m b i n a t i o n s o t o x i c t h a t it's a m a z i n g F r a n k r e a c h e d r e t i r e m e n t age. T h e r e a r e n o e p o x i e s