Tales from a Terrapin

While I was in Port Townsend for the Boat Fest, I met up with Bruce, who I first met here on-line. Bruce is an adventurer from Portland, Oregon. Now, it's a true reality check to meet someone in person, who you think you know so well, here in the Internets. Apparently I've advised Bruce on everything from purchasing the right trailer to finding a good deal on oars. He's had some good advise.

I must admit, when Bruce told me he was going to row from Seattle to Port Townsend, I was intrigued but when I heard he was to do it in an Adirondack Guide Boat, he'd gotten my attention.

The Adirondack Guide Boat was designed for flushing out game in the reeds of backwoods lakes, not cruising an open sea. But Bruce was determined and he did it. Bruce is a philosopher as much a sailor... possibly there is very little distinction there.

You can share his experience on Terrapin Tales.

 


He keeps a log in a notebook and sketches some of the entries. How he can do that and navigate a (very) small boat in variable weather is completely beyond me.

This first sketch is a map of his Salish Sea adventures to date. The distances in miles are modest, yet the voyage ethereal.

We found camaraderie on the day-long ride home. Bruce sketched us on the road in the "DoryMan Big Truck", which, with a couple beautiful boats on top, got some attention. For the back-story, please visit Bruce at Terrapin Tales.

Bruce is the new owner of an Iain Oughtred Arctic Tern, of which, we will hear more anon....

Sharpie Otter Relaunched

On the Sunday of last weekend's Port Townsend Boat Festival, I was whisked away from the festivities to witness the relaunch of Alan Woodbury's sharpie on Mystery Bay. Alan has been working on restoring this boat for awhile and friends kept me appraised of progress, but I had yet to see it in person.

It's a stout boat, built of fir plywood and designed with a cat ketch rig. The sail rig has yet to be installed.

We had a poignant  de-naming ceremony and re-christening to appease Neptune.

It always helps to have a bagpiper for these occasions

I was impressed.

Alan has apparently forgotten to lower his rudder, but he'll get to it.

There is seven hundred fifty pounds of concrete blocks inside for ballast and look how much capacity is left.





Sharpies are one of my favorite designs, for their unique combination of simplicity, efficiency and seaworthiness. Many of you will be familiar with sharpies from Ralph Munroe's Egret and also from the design board of Reuel Parker.

Otter is twenty seven feet long and eight feet wide. The cabin is expansive, which at first gave me pause, but on the water has a grace I wouldn't have imagined. We took a quick tour around Mystery Bay under the power of a 9.9hp outboard while Jamie Orr and I sat down below in comfort.

There is a small unobtrusive centerboard in the middle of the cabin and a much larger one just aft in the cockpit, which you can see in the last photo above. With two masts and two centerboards, the options for trimming the helm are infinite.  

Otter took to the beach as her namesake implies and rode easily on the shingle while we celebrated. Skipper and crew could easily disembark without getting their feet wet! Such is the beauty of the extreme rocker and flat bottom of the traditional sharpie.

Alan's boat was a bit rough and not very well loved before he started. His repair work, however, is top drawer and we look forward to the finished product.

Congratulations, Alan!

Jamie and Alan scouting out an appropriate mooring. Please note the custom sailing outfits.

That's one happy, hardworking skipper.

If you're interested in reading about building a sharpie, there is a thorough description by Dale Austen of his Pangur Ban, a 28 foot Bill Schwicker sharpie design originally published in WoodenBoat #56.








Another builder/designer who finds sharpies impressive is Ross Lillistone. I recommend a visit.

Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival 2012

This year's festival in Port Townsend, Washington State was the 36th celebration of wood boat craft in this famous maritime town. It's a huge show requiring constant year-round planning, hundreds of volunteer hours and consumes the entire community for three days every September. Many of the vessels in attendance come time and again because the whole event is like a huge reunion.

Whether you are a wooden boat fanatic like myself or simply like to stroll around on a nice day and enjoy a beautiful setting, there is something there for everyone. In fact there are so many boats, displays and lectures you could never take it all in.

 There were no Doryman boats entered in the show but I took the rowing shell, Finesse so I could view and photograph the boats from the water. Joel Bergen was kind enough to take me sailing in the small boat race in his John Welsford Navigator, Ellie so some of the photos came about that way. I see that Joel has already begun his coverage of the show, which will no doubt be excellent. Be sure to stop by and see navigatorjoel's version of the weekend.

(No we didn't take any prizes in the race but I'll leave it to him for that story.)

My voice is completely gone from talking about boats for days on end. Positively heaven for Doryman.

I can't add much to the photo essay. But you know what they say about pictures.


This essay is worth close to 150,000 words, please enjoy:

More photos of the 2012 Festival from John Kohnen: