I just spent the past weekend at Mystic Seaport in Connecticut helping Clint Chase Boatbuilder assemble three Echo Bay Dory Skiffs for a Family Boatbuilding event at the 20th annual WoodenBoat Magazine Boat Show! It was a great event, lots of great boats, lots of great people, and despite some threatening moments, great weather. I had a fantastic time, it was not only a good learning opportunity, it was also a boat droolfest.
Lets start somewhere important and logical: Paul from Connecticuts beautifully finished Goat Island Skiff! Baloney, I forget the name... Elizabeth Anne? Maybe Paul can chime and remind me. ***KATHLEEN MARIE*** thanks to Dave in NJ! Anyway, beautiful varnish work with a jet-black exterior. This is the real deal. The boat is ready to row, and Paul is still working on the spars, but to say the boat is striking is an understatement! Nice job Paul!
This was not the only Goat Island Skiff in attendance, Clint Chase Boatbuilders perpetually unfinished Goat was also on display, near our Family Boatbuilding tent. (Id like to make it clear that this is Clints personal Goat, unfinished as he is quite busy on his business end and customers take priority!) These two boat generated significant interest from spectators, and there were enough Mik Storer aficionados on hand to answer questions and get people stoked. The Goat Island Skiff is entering the sailing worlds consciousness. I love it. I love it. Preach it!
In a similar vein to the Goat Island Skiff I found this sharpie (trying to figure out what kind of sharpie it is, ideas? Mik told me, I forgot) wedged between two buildings.
Plumb bow, hard chine, flat bottom, and a massive centerboard. Massive. Mik Storer had some great things to say about huge centerboards and how many have strayed to small boards because "theres some crazy number floating on the internet on how big a centerboard needs to be and its completely wrong." Beautiful boat.
Some others...
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| Trem, 1/3 copy of Joseph Conrads Tremolino |
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| Drool Catboats.... |
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| Dipping lug long boat |
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| My rudder stock is lacking, in comparison. I need some protective demons! |
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| WOWZER |
The best part of this launch is that its SILENT. Steam is silent. Silence is beautiful. It could look like a turd, and if its silent I would love it.
Below is B & B Yacht Designs Amanda/Mandy which was a cutie and another crowd pleaser. It had a great solution to keeping the board down, the bungee through a piece of rubber hose, and it worked well. Im always looking for good ways to keep my board down and this looks like a very viable solution.
Finally, no visit to Mystic Seaport is complete with checking out the Charles W Morgan, Americas last wooden Whaling Ship. Shes on the hard for a real restoration, and she blocks out the sky. I havent seen her in years.
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| Wall of Wood |
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| Mystic Seaport from the Morgan |
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| Hero and Genius in one frame-- Goat Island Skiff Proud |
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