Shavings Volume 32 Number 1 Spring 2012

S P R I N G 2 0 1 2

Spring 2011 Shavings 1

SHAVINGST h e C e n t e r f o r W o o d e n B o a t s

Sparkle was the operative word at the 36th annual CWB Auction, Steer by the Stars, at The Seattle Design Center. Twinkling table decorations, luminescent lights from above and glittery guests were a treat for the eyes.

Whi le s ipping wines f rom Casa Bruno, and sampling tasty beer from Snoqualmie Brewery, guests perused the silent auction tables, which featured a plethora of paintings, jewelry galore and a multitude of the best silent auction items that we have ever had. (Many thanks to all of our generous donors!) Games were on, as the rings at the Wine Toss encouraged guests to acquire a bottle of wine of their desire. (Kudos to the CWB Board of Trustees for sponsoring the Wine Toss game!) Balloons popping added to the excitement, giving guests a chance to win any number of valuable prizes.

And we c an’t f o rge t the annua l costume contest, celebrating the celestial theme. Guests, Board members, CWB staff and volunteers displayed a most astounding array of attire. Volunteer Victoria Snow garnered the most votes to take first place, Auction Chair Denise Snow was second and CWB Gift Shop and Ambassador Program Manager Diana Hennick took third. The challenge is already on for next year to take the costume contest to a place where no man has gone before!

The gl ittering event continued as Auctioneer John Curley dazzled the audience with his quick wit and magical ability to levitate bid cards, sometimes without full awareness of guests. The most enchanting moment of the evening was the announcement we had raised more than $100,000 to help support CWB for the coming year!

Stars Shine on CWBb y D e n i s e s n o w , A u c t i o n c h A i r

The 2012 Auction raised more than $100,000 in support of CWB’s mission and programs.- photo: Mitch Reinitz, eMeLaR Photography

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :F o u n d e r ’ s R e p o r t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2N e w s F r o m t h e S o u t h L a k e U n i o n . . . . . . 3 - 4N e w s f r o m C a m a B e a c h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 - 7C W B W o r k s h o p s & C l a s s e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 - 9

J u n i o r S a i l o r s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0 - 11N e w s F r o m T h e B o a t s h o p . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2T h e F e e d a n d C a r i n g o f C W B . . . . . . . . . 1 3 - 1 5U p c o m i n g E v e n t s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 6

Of course, this starry, starry night would not have happened without our many dedicated volunteers and the most diligent and devoted Auction Committee I have ever chaired. Take a bow Jen Donahue, Donna Daisley-Harrison, Judie Romeo, Aislinn Palmer, Judith Rickard, Rachel Carter, Erin Schiedler and Eldon Tam for the countless hours you all devoted to the creation of this lovely evening.

To our sponsors , HARBORS the Kenmore Air Destination Magazine, Holland America Line, Casa Bruno, LLC Wine Distributors, Snoqualmie Falls Brewing Company, Pacific Continental Bank and Starbucks, we are most grateful. And chee r s to our gue s t s . Thanks for bidding high and bidding often! May the stars shine brilliantly on all the friends of CWB!

2 Shavings Spring 2011

T h e C e n T e r f o r W o o D e n B o A T S

F o u n d e r ’ s R e p o r tb y D i c k w A g n e r

Volume XXXII, Number 1. ISBN 0734-0680 1992 CWBShavings is published by

The Center for Wooden Boats 1010 Valley Street, Seattle, WA 98109Phone: 206.382.2628 fax 206.382.2699

www.cwb.org

C W B S t a f fBetsy Davis, Executive DirectorDick Wagner, Founding DirectorEldon Tam, Deputy DirectorAmy Arrington, Sailing InstructorShane Bishop, CWB Cama Beach Livery & Facilities ManagerLucy Blue, AmeriCorps/Job Skills Crew Member SupportDan Boyce, CWB Cama Beach Youth Boatbuilding LeadOliver Davis, Sailing InstructorSteve Greaves, Boat Sales Manager Joe Green, Lead BoatwrightDiana Hennick, Ambassador Program & Gift Shop ManagerKyle Hunter, Livery & Boatshop ManagerChristian Holtz, Sailing InstructorAndrea Kinnaman, BookkeeperDan Leach, Community Engagement Lead/BoatwrightChris Maccini, Youth EducatorStephanie Messa, AmeriCorps/CWB Cama Beach Environmental EducatorEdel O’Connor, Skills Workshop Program ManagerAislinn Palmer, Development AssistantJudith Rickard, Development Administrative CoordinatorJohn Riley, NightwatchMindy Ross, Education DirectorKenn Sandell, Finance DirectorErin Schiedler, Communications CoordinatorTyson Trudel, Youth EducatorAndrew Washburn, CWB Cama Beach & Historical Projects Manager

Mark BarnardAlex BennettRos BondChris ButlerChad CohenJim ComptonKay ComptonCaren CrandellJohn DeanMichael Hendrick

Board of TrusteesElsie HulsizerDavid LorettaMark NowlanLori O’ToolWalt PlimptonNoah SeixasJohnathan SmithDenise SnowJim WheatSuzanne Zonneveld

O u r m i s s i o nTo provide a gathering place where maritime history comes alive through direct experience and our small craft heritage is enjoyed, preserved and passed along to

future generations.

S h a v i n g s S t a f fDick Wagner, Editor

Edel O’Connor, Managing EditorErin Schiedler, Design & Layout

S h a v i n g s C o n t r i b u t o r s

Talk about growing! If you blink your eyes at CWB, you will discover yet another fun, excit-ing and educational program is expanding or a new branch has sprouted. Remember when The Center for Wooden Boats was the telephone in Dick and Colleen’s houseboat and the regattas off the houseboat started with a bang from Grant Sarver’s cannon (which woke up the people in Fremont)?

How about the first Auction, with a pile of donations on the grass and onlookers circling the stuff. We bid by raising a hand. I once waved at an old friend on the other side of the pile and went home with a can of bottom paint.

How about Paul Ford’s casting workshops in the backyard of the Shorelines Museum or Grant Sarver’s forging workshops and the ringing of hammers on red-hot iron? By our second Wooden Boat Festival, Colleen had filled the Armory with an exhibit of native carved canoes and Charlie Bond had collected and published a Boatbuilding Directory. We also had published Tom Beard’s The Poulsbo Boat with design and layout by Marty Loken. We also had skiffs built by members as raffle prizes at our Boat Festivals.

Then there were those first programs with seventh and eighth graders from Alternative School #1, who learned to row, paddle and sail in just a few hours. Their principal, Ron Snyder, believed in their capabilities even though some

critics said that the Alternative schools were dumping grounds for kids who don’t learn.

The little hands-on maritime museum that started behind Dick and Colleen’s houseboat has evolved into worldwide-recognized center of education that makes a difference. People from kids with little self-confidence to deskbound bureaucrats are finding that they can have both education and entertainment at The Center for Wooden Boats.

We better get our Education Center built because the crowds are standing in line to participate in maritime history the CWB way.

-Dick Wagner

Lucy Blue • Dan Boyce • Betsy Davis Stefan Dreisbach-Williams • Devin Edge Kyle Hunter • Dan Leach • Chris Maccini

Cindy Parks • Judie Romeo Denise Snow • Ajay Varma

The future plot for CWB’s Education Center in Lake Union Park indicated in the highlighted area above.

-photo: Cindy Parks


T H E C E N T E R F O R W O O D E N B O A T S

Säädüüts (right) steers the newly-launched canoe gifted to the Nisqually People as Nisqually youth await the order to lower their paddles. -photo: Ajay Varma

Every day South Lake Union is bustling with 100,000 vehicles entering or leaving. Cranes and scaffolds flourish as 100-year-old wood and brick buildings are demolished and con-crete, steel and glass structures rise in their place. But Saturday, February 25, was a day when South Lake Union looked back with hope and passion.

Assembling at the totem pole at the entry to The Center for Wooden Boats, people of many backgrounds, ages and ancestries came together to bless a Native American canoe carved at CWB by about 100 volunteers of all ages and cultures. There were powerful speeches, songs, dances, drumming and tears from the elders and youths of the Haida, Snoqualmie and Nisqually Tribes.

Säädüüts, CWB’s Artist-in-Residence, had supervised the carving of a 40’ canoe from a thousand-year-old cedar log donated by the United Indians of All Tribes. When most of the canoe had been carved into its shape, rot was found at both ends. Säädüüts figured out the means of replacing the ends with old-growth cedar from the Snoqualmie Tribe. It was an engineering feat achieved through vision and persistence.

The canoes of the Northwest coastal and river tribes were spiritual elements of their lives, just as the natives of the plains and mountains worshipped their horses. The Nisqually people had been wishing for a canoe. It was especially needed to keep their culture alive. As a part of the Blessing Ceremony, Säädüüts was adopted by the Nisqually. He cried in thanks for their common beliefs that all cultures can be together.

After the Blessing Ceremony, almost everyone, except the aged and the babies, joined to carry the canoe to the lake. Without orders, the Nisqually kids boarded the canoe, two at a time, taking port and starboard positions at each thwart. The youngest went

N e w s f r o m S o u t h L a k e U n i o n

Hope and Passionb y D i c k w A g n e r

first, taking the bow position, and Säädüüts last, to the stern. Following thousands of years of protocol, the paddles already were positioned carefully aboard the canoe. All instinctively held their paddles vertically, with the handles down, until Säädüüts gave the starting call and the long, slim canoe glided swiftly past the spectators.

This was a day to be long remembered. The speeches and ceremonial singing, dancing and drumming were as old as the tree-become-canoe. It was a scene that could have happened a thousand years ago when South Lake Union

was a landing place for canoes from many tribes, who came for trading. Then, there were two longhouses on the south and west ends of the lake that welcomed the visitors.

There is hope for more blessing and launching ceremonies at South Lake Union. The United Indians of All Tribes are campaigning to raise funds for a longhouse and canoe carving building on the southwest corner of the lake. I can imagine an annual carved native canoe gathering of all tribes on the beach at South Lake Union - a reinactment of the first-ever wooden boat show!

Mariners salute CWB!Join the Seattle Mariners Monday, July 2, as they salute The Center for Wooden Boats’ Lake Union Wooden Boat Festival. The Orioles vs. Mariners game starts at 7:10 pm. The guys with wooden bats will be showing their support for all the folks who love and preserve wooden boats.

What could be more traditional than hopping on the trolley and light rail from the Festival at Lake Union Park and riding to the ballpark for America’s favorite pastime: baseball! Support the Mariners and CWB at the same time.

Special discounted group seating has been reserved for purchase online. What’s more, for every ticket sold, the Mariners (the ones who play baseball) will make a $7 donation to CWB in support of our mission to preserve and pass on our Northwest maritime heritage.

Tickets for this special event are available online only (not at Mariners’ team stores or box office) and must be purchased by 5 pm June 29. Cost is $15 for View Reserved seats (normally $20).To order your tickets, log on to the Seattle Mariners website at www.mariners.com/cwb .

Got questions? Check out the Mariners Special Group Events FAQ page on their website.



N e w s f r o m S o u t h L a k e U n i o n

The new umiaq was launched Saturday, March 10, and named Nukka, a Yupik word meaning “little sister”. Nukka is two feet shorter than her twenty-eight-foot sister.

The Job Skills Training Program will run through June and start up again in the fall.

The Job Skills Program is just one of the many youth programs at CWB. Others includedToy Boat Building, school field trips, youth sailing lessons, and summer sailing camps. The

programs serve youth from all backgrounds and with all capabilities. For more information, visit our website at www.cwb.org

Lucy Blue came to CWB through AmeriCorps and serves as the Job Skills Crew Member Support person. She is pleased to be working with the Job Skills Crew and to be living in the tropical climate of Seattle after time spent in Alaska fishing commercially with her dad.

Teens Put Their Skills to Workb y L u c y b L u e

The Job Skills Training Crew and Instructors launched the new umiaq at the hand-launch beach on the west side of Lake Union Park and paddled back to CWB, where they spent the rest of the afternoon giving rides to family, friends and the public. – photo: Mitch Reintz, eMeLaR Photography

Note: an earlier version of this article appeared in the Spring issue of HARBORS the Kenmore Air Destination Magazine.

There was a new bustle of activity around South Lake Union in Seattle this winter as a team of teenagers took on the building of a new boat to add to The Center for Wooden Boats’ collection of historic craft.

Seeing a new boat under construction is nothing new at CWB, Seattle’s favorite hands on maritime museum, but what is new is the Job Skills Training Program. In 2011, with grant funding from the Russell Grinnell Memorial Trust, CWB started a new program to reach out and help kids who might be in danger of dropping out of school or have other difficult challenges in life.

The Job Skills Training Program provides 10 young people with the opportunity to get paid while learning to build boats and run the CWB Livery (boat rentals). They also learn how to write a resume, find a career and practice job interviewing.

The boat the students built over the winter is a special kind of boat – an umiaq. It is a style of boat used by natives in Arctic regions. Umiaqs are wood-framed boats traditionally covered in walrus hide. They contain no nails, but instead are lashed together with sinew. CWB’s umiaq is built of cedar, covered in canvas and held together with seine twine and chopsticks cut down into pegs. The boat is light, but still able to hold a large amount of weight.

CWB already has an umiaq, which has put an astounding 2,500 kids on the water each year as they participate in field trips. By having the Job Skills Crew construct a second vessel, even more kids can experience paddling on Lake Union.

If you walked past the Pavilion at the top of the south ramp in the past few months, you probably saw the JSTP Crew hard at work, yellow shavings and laughter flying. We started with a pile of lumber, a large empty space and a sketchy plan. Now we have a beautiful, functional boat, which the crew was happy to show off at the annual CWB Auction in March.

New CWB Summer Livery Attendant: Elena Losey

Elena joins The Center for Wooden Boats as the summer livery attendant, coming from a sailing background of small boats and tall ships. She learned to sail 420s and Lasers on Lake Michigan, then moved to Puget Sound to crew on the Schooner Adventuress for several seasons as Educator, Deckhand, and Relief Engineer. Elena is excited to be working with the CWB staff and all our great volunteers. Stop by the Livery to say hello and introduce yourself!



Report From the Cama Job Skills Crewb y D e v i n e D g e

Since I have been working at The Center for Wooden Boats at Cama Beach, I have learned to do many things. First, I learned how to row a boat, including names of parts of the boat and rowing commands. We went out into Saratoga Passage in a number of different boats, including Spirit, which has oars the size of street signs, and then later the safety boat, Old Yeller, which is a motorboat.

I learned how to steer with a wheel and also a tiller. Besides the on-the-water activities, we learned how to make things out of wood, such as a cleat, a mallet (which was harder because we had to glue it with epoxy) and a tool box. I made a viewing box for looking in the water from the boat and seeing sea monsters. The biggest project that we are making is a 14’ boat. It is a Mojean & Erickson of Tacoma skiff and it is a design based on a design from the ‘50s for use on inland waters.

To make the boat, we first made the shape of the bottom, then we put in the floor, then the ribs, then the transom, then the stem. Then

we put the siding on it by shaping and gluing it with the caulking glue. The hardest part

was making the oarlocks because they had to be perfect. The other hardest part was making sure everything was measured correctly, shaped right, had the right bevel and fit together with the other parts.

We have added the inwale and the outwale on as well as the quarter knees and the oarlocks. Next we are making the seats and will paint and varnish it. And the last step is to name it, hit it with a bottle of champagne and make sure it floats.

The boat is going to stay at CWB at Cama Beach in memory of the first Job Skills Program here ever, I hope.

Here is what our Crew had to say about the program:

“I’m glad to have learned the skills that I have learned so I can help my dad more with his projects. It’s really

hard to work with the smells of the paints and things and be comfortable in the safety masks.” - Dylan

“CWB has taught me a lot of skills I never thought I could do, but now I would like to make more things out of wood.” - Devin

“I have learned a lot about wood making and boatmanship skills. It can be hard to learn all the little details and steps that go into making things.” - Ian

“I have learned how to sharpen chisels and I really like it.” - Lawrence

Devin Edge, who is 19, lives on Camano Island and is one of the Cama Beach Job Skills Training Program Crew. She wants to use her new woodworking skills to build a cabin and also wants to study naturopathic medicine. She says she really liked learning to drive the motorboats.

N e w s f r o m C a m a B e a c h

Devin Edge (left) and Dylan Estrem on Saratoga Passage in the safety boat Old Yeller. – photo: Dan Boyce

Mother’s Day Weekend Saturday Sail at Cama BeachSaturday, May 12, 10am - 4pm

Take the whole family out for a ride in a classic boat at the Mother’s Day Saturday Sail at Cama Beach State Park. The event is conveniently scheduled for Saturday - so you can spend Sunday doing other activities. Make the whole weekend about honoring mom!Family activities include wooden toy boat building with hand drills, wildlife interpretation, live music, food and more. Rowboats, kayaks and sailboats also will be available for rent to explore the waterways in the vicinity on your own. I f you are interested in br inging your boat to this event to give rides, please contact Andrew Washburn at [email protected]. Cabins at Cama Beach may still be available - visit www/parks.wa.gov/camabeach for booking information.




Spaghetti Social A Big Successb y J u D i e r o m e o

Cama Beach Volunteers Kathleen Stariha (left) and Phyllis Andrew (center) and AmeriCorps Member/Cama Beach Environmental Educator Stephanie Messa await the hungry hordes at the first annual Spaghetti Social. At right, one of the younger guests demonstrates the preferred way to eat spaghetti when your mom isn’t watching. - photos: Dan Leach

Even a 3.7 earthquake less than 10 miles away didn’t stop more than 250 CWB supporters and visitors who gathered March 24 for the grandly-successful first annual Spaghetti Social at Cama Beach.

They came from all over, not just from Camano Island and nearby Stanwood, but from Seattle, Anacortes, Bellevue, Olympia, Tacoma, Bellingham, Everett, Redmond, Issaquah, Snohomish, Portland, Oregon, and even from Florida and Washington, D.C. Several couples or families who happened to hike by the Cama Center while they were visiting Cama Beach State Park noticed the crowds and joined the fun. First-time Cama Beach visitor and new CWB member Larry Zolton of Edmonds brought his wife and brother for an unusual 60th birthday celebration while many others turned out just to show their support for CWB’s second campus.

As the crowds surged into Cama Center they were met with piano melodies by CWB Board Member John Dean. Kids

won nautical novelties playing the beanbag toss while adults headed for the wine toss run by Board President Lori O’Tool and Greg Encke. Board Member Denise Snow and her husband, John, presided over the membership and raffle table while Board Members Noah Seixus, Ros Bond, Walt Plimpton and Mark Barnard greeted the visitors. Douglas Robinson of Camano Island was the lucky winner of a gift certificate for CWB merchandise – which he promptly spent at the CWB store set up for the event.

CWB Executive Director Betsy Davis thanked the event’s sponsors, Diamond Knot Brewing, Rich Kolin, Cama Beach State Park and Cama Café. She credited Camano Island State Parks Area Manager Jeff Wheeler with the idea for the social. Jeff presided over the kitchen where CWB Livery and Boatshop Manager Kyle Hunter and volunteers including Maria Lewis and Yousef Wheeler turned out dozens of pounds of spaghetti, gallons of sauce and mounds

of salad and piles of breadsticks.Before, after – and even during – enjoying

their meal, attendees perused the Silent Auction tables and displays. Jeff Wheeler’s donation of a handmade oak rocking chair with upholstered seat and back was a crowd pleaser but there were many more items to choose from. By the end of the evening, about $4,000 had been raised to support programs at CWB Cama Beach.

The social was the result of months of preparation and planning by a staff and volunteer committee that included Phyllis Andrew, Tom Eisenberg, Skip Ingraham, Jacky King, Rich Kolin, Stephanie Messa, CWB Development Assistant Aislinn Palmer, Kathleen Stariha, Michael Scott, CWB Cama Beach Manager Andrew Washburn and Jeff Wheeler.

Plans are already underway for the second annual Spaghetti Social in 2013. Judie Romeo has been a CWB volunteer since 1987.



Upcoming Workshops at Cama Beach


Carolina Dory Boatbuilding

Instructor: Rich KolinDates: May 19 - 29 (Cama Beach) Cama Cabin reservations availableTime: 10 am – 5 pm (Saturday - Tuesday)Cost: $800 members / $950 non-members

Join Camano Island’s own Rich Kolin for ten days of hands-on plywood boatbuilding. Kolin, author of numerous boatbuilding guides such as “Boatbuilding Made Easy”, brings his expertise to the Cama Beach boatshop. The Carolina Dory is a small utilitarian kicker boat built to take anything you can throw at it. This semi-dory has been used by generations of boatmen in the sounds and bays of the Carolina coasts. Its design is well-suited for the environs of the Pacific Northwest – fresh or salt water. Using top-quality marine-grade plywood, epoxies and fasteners, workshop students will work together to build this simple design. During this nine-day class, students will build one boat and return home with the knowledge and experience to build their own plywood fishing, crabbing or work boat. Limit: 8 students

Learn to Sail at Cama Beach

Instructors: CWB Sailing InstructorsDates: Available June - September

Cama Cabin reservations availableCost: (for two students) $650 members / $700 non-members

Ready to challenge yourself? Sign up for Cama’s unique sailing program, Sail-I-Can, Pel-i-Can!, a three-day intensive sailing course. This condensed and personalized version of CWB’s SailNOW! accommodates two students. Couples, parent-child duos or two good friends can go from greenhorn to sailor in three days as they sail on Saratoga Passage in our fleet of San Francisco Bay Pelicans! Accommodations in one of Cama Beach’s cozy rental cabins, just steps from the Boathouse, can be arranged. Sail-I-Can, Pel-i-Can! or One-on-One introductory sailing lessons can be scheduled at Cama Beach to fit your needs. Email [email protected] for more information or to schedule.

Sail-I-Can,Pel-i-Can!

Wood-Canvas Canoe Restoration

Instructor: Eric HarmanDates: June 16,17, 23, 24, 30 & July 1 Cama Cabin reservations available.Time: 9 am – 5 pm (Saturdays and Sundays)Cost: $600 members / $700 non-membersDrop-in daily rate: $120 members / $150 non-members

Learn how to repair and restore traditional wood-canvas canoes with CWB’s resident boatwright. Students will carefully remove outwales and keel and peel off the old canvas to inspect the hull for damage. Any necessary repairs to ribs, planks, seats, etc., will be done. If time allows, students will apply a coat of preservative, stretch on new canvas and apply filler. Take home the skills necessary to restore your own wooden canoe! We will be working on CWB-owned canoes, some of which are available for sale. Students may be able to bring their own canoes to work on by prior arrangement (plus an additional cost for materials used on student-owned canoes). Limit: 8 students

We’ve often heard parents ask us, “Do you offer camps for adults?” The answer is emphatically, “Yes!” Our “camps” at Cama Beach State Park are especially appealing, since there are rustic cabin accommodations right on site! Take a week to get away from it all and learn a new skill. You’ll leave feeling energized with a head filled with new knowledge!

Cama CabinsBe a part of it all!In addition to our Boatman’s Cabin, CWB holds a block of cabin reservations so it usually is possible to stay in one of the Cama cabins while you attend a workshop. For more information about Cama Beach’s range of 33 rustic cabins visit www.parks.wa.gov/camabeach or email [email protected] to book your workshop/cabin package.

Contact [email protected] to rent a cabin at Cama Beach!



U p c o m i n g W o r k s h o p s

Boatbuilding & Maritime Skills Workshops

Courses are filled on a first-come, first-served basis so we recommend early registration. Please check our website at www.cwb.org for the latest listings and information or call us at (206) 382-2628. The Center for Wooden Boats keeps class size small to promote quality instruction and experience.

Call (206) 382-2628 or visit www.cwb.org for more information.

These are just a few of our upcoming classes and workshops. To see a full listing, please visit www.cwb.org

Caulking For BeginnersInstructor: Tim ReaganDate: June 16Time: 10 am - 2 pm (Saturday)Cost: $50 members / $60 non-members

A tight wooden boat is a strong boat. This workshop is for boat owners who want to do their own repairs or the shipwright who replaces planks and wants to caulk them with confidence. Tim will explain and demonstrate the techniques of examining a boat to determine the extent of repair and caulking required. It’s hands on; if you have irons and a mallet bring them along.

Limit: 12 students

Beginning WoodworkingInstructor: Gabriel BehrendSession 1: May 15,17, 22 & 24Session 2: July 17, 19, 24 & 26Session 3: October 16, 18, 23 & 25Time: 6 pm - 9 pm (Tuesdays & Thursdays)Cost: $230 members / $290 non-members

This class is for all you people with a hankering to make something out of wood. First you’ll learn how to use basic hand and power tools safely as you turn large hunks of wood into useful-sized pieces. With that mastered, you’ll move on to basic joinery, laminating, fastening and finishing. The instructor will impart the techniques that will have you ready and able to take on your own woodworking projects and heading for the lumber store. Limit: 6 students

VarnishingAn Introduction to Brightwork

Repair and Maintenance

Instructor: Dave ThackerSession 1: April 21 & 22Session 2: June 2 & 3Time: 9 am - 3 pm (Saturday & Sunday)Cost: $160 members / $200 non-members

This two-day seminar will start with the basics of bright finishing and take the novice step-by-step through the process of varnishing bare or previously finished wood, with an emphasis on practicality. This class is aimed at those taking an active role in maintaining their vessels who have always been mystified by the finicky nature of varnish and the myriad myths surrounding it. Learn how to repair and rehabilitate varnished surfaces that have been damaged by wear and tear or neglect. This workshop also will cover stripping old finishes and preparing bare wood for sealing and new varnish. Other topics include choosing sealers and finishes, efficient use of the many grades of masking tapes, abrasives and sanding blocks, edge tools and other tricks of the trade that will help produce a professional finish. On both days, demonstrations will be presented by the instructor and students will be able to hone their newly-acquired skills on work pieces.Limit: 6 students

Diesel Engine Theory Instructor: Adrian LippDates: May 26, June 2, 9, 16 & 23.Time: 8:30 pm - 5 pm (Saturdays)Cost: $295 members / $335 non membersAges: 14 +

Join the engineers and get your hands dirty while fixing the Arthur Foss’ 700 horsepower diesel engine. This 77-year-old engine uses the same principles as modern diesels, but the parts are MUCH bigger and easier to work on. The 2012 session focuses on overhauling cylinder one; participants will inspect previous repair work, pull the cylinder head and piston (18 inches in diameter!) and perform repairs under the supervision of experienced diesel mechanics. No prior engine experience necessary. Cost includes daily lunch.

Limit: 8 students

LoftingInstructor: Eric HvalsoeSession 1: June 9 & 10 Session 2: September 22 & 23Time: 9 am - 5 pm (Saturday & Sunday)Cost: $200 members / $250 non-members

Lofting is a vital tool, typically the first step in building a new boat. It is a fascinating mental exercise in three-dimensional management and layering. We will discuss construction details, set-up and building molds for the real thing. Newcomers, put on your thinking caps! Veterans may even learn a trick or two. Reading about lofting is not enough; you’ve got to do it! Limit: 8 students



U p c o m i n g W o r k s h o p s

Sailing & Skills UnderwaySailNOW!

Learn to Sail at CWBInstructors: CWB Sailing InstructorsSession 1: January 7- February 4*Session 2: February 4 - March 10Session 3: March 10 - April 14Session 4: April 14 - May 19** Session 5: May 19 - June 24Session 6: July 14 - August 18Session 7: August 18 - September 23Session 8: October 6 – November 10Session 9: November 10 - December 9*Cost: $335 members / $375 non-members. Youth ages 16 -18 may take SailNOW! for $188 when registering with two adults. This is the signature CWB learn-to-sail program for adults and families. Students will learn the basic boat handling skills that are the foundation for a lifetime of sailing. Each session starts with Shore School, a two-hour class where sail theory and terminology are explained. After Shore School, a series of six on-the-water lessons gives you the opportunity to develop your skills toward sailing solo. Lessons are taught by dedicated, trained volunteer instructors in CWB’s fleet of classic Blanchard Jr. Knockabouts. Visit www.cwb.org for more information.

SailMORE! Intermediate Sailing

Instructors: CWB Sailing InstructorsSession 1 (Gaff Rigs): June 7, 14, 21Session 2 (Racing Sloops): July 19, 26, August 2Session 3 (Sprit Rigs): August 9,16, 23Time: 6 - 8 pm (Thursdays) Cost: $130 per session member / $150 per session non-member

Learn to sail the wide variety of boats in CWB’s Livery fleet. Focus will be on the unique attributes of gaff rig Beetle Cats, racing sloops and sprit rigs. Racing sloops include a Geary 18, San Francisco Bay Mercury and Lightning. Sprit Rigs will be our Woods Hole Spritsail Plover, Hvalsoe 13 and Hvalsoe 15.Learn to properly rig and sail each design. Extra attention will be given to docking and short tacking up the channel. Limit: 6 students each session.Prerequisite: CWB checkout

Dead Reckoning An Introduction to

Classical NavigationInstructor: Katey NoonanSession 1: April 21Session 2: August 25Session 3: October 20Time: 10 am - 1 pm (Saturdays)Cost: $40 members / $50 non-members

Have you ever wondered how nautical navigation was performed before Loran, radar and GPS became commonplace? Ever wondered what they mean by “boxing” or “swinging” the compass? Join us as we explore non-electronic means of accurately travelling by boat from one place to another. At the end of the class students will be able to box the compass to 32 points, know the basic use and methods of classical navigation, know the basics of Deviation and Variation as they relate to chart navigation and be able to chart a basic course heading from CWB to Gas Works Park.Limit: 10 Students

SPRING OFFER! $35 ONE-ON-ONE SaIlING lESSONS duRING May

To purchase and schedule visit www.cwb.org.

Lessons are avai lable between 10am and 6pm Tuesday through Sunday, depending on availability of instructors.

Additional students in the boat are charged $15 each per hour. Multiple hours may be purchased at the discounted rate. Offer ends May 30, 2012.

RaceNOW! One-Design Racing Series

Instructor: Oliver Davis Dates: July 20, 27, August 3, 10, 17, 24 & 31Time: 6 pm - 8:30 pm (Fridays)Cost for the series: (skipper) $250 members / $300 non-members (crew) $190 members / $240 non-members

Fun racing in classic wooden boats! RaceNOW! is an opportunity for intermediate skippers and novice crew to learn the fundamentals of sailboat racing. Each evening includes an introduction to racing strategy, tactics and the basics of the racing rules. Sailing in teams of three per boat, we head out in our fleet of Blanchard Jr. Knockabouts for weekly races, sailing drills and on-the-water coaching to improve your sailing performance. Sign up with friends, family, co-workers or meet new people. Visit www.cwb.org for more information.



J u n i o r S a i l o r s

Lake Union Maze!

Drawing by Dick Wagner

Can you help the sailboat find its way across the busy lake back to The

Center for Wooden Boats?



J u n i o r S a i l o r s

Dear Captain Pete,Every time I go sailing at CWB, I have to remember what to call each side of the boat. One is port and one is starboard. I can never remember which is which! Why do they have such funny names?Sincerely,Sam

Dear Sam,If you’re facing the bow (the front of the boat), port is on your left side and starboard is on

Ask the Captain your right. Here’s an easy way to remember: the words port and left both have four letters, so left is port!It’s better to have names other than left and right for one simple reason. No matter which way you’re facing on a boat, port is always port and starboard is always starboard. Can you imagine the confusion if the captain tried to tell his whole crew, all facing different directions, which way to go, using left and right?Now what about those funny names? The word starboard comes from early boating practices. Before boats had rudders, they were steered using large paddles lashed to one

side of the boat (usually the right side for right-handed sailors). Starboard literally comes from an old English word meaning “steer-board.” The side of the boat with the “steer-board” is the starboard side! Because there were big paddles lashed to the right side of these boats, they had to be tied up to docks on the left side. So when boats came in to “port” they tied up on the port side!I hope that sorts out your confusion, Sam. Happy Sailing!

Fair winds,Captain Pete

The Book NookScuppers the Sailor Dog

by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Garth WilliamsAges 2 and up

“Born at sea in the teeth of a gale, the sailor was a dog. Scuppers was his name.” So begins the tale of Scuppers the Sailor Dog. Scuppers knows he wants to be a sailor. When he finally gets the chance to go to sea he finds himself shipwrecked! Scuppers must repair his ship and re-supply at a foreign port before heading back out where he wants to be – a sailor sailing the deep green sea!

Written by Margaret Wise Brown (author of Goodnight Moon) with engaging illustrations by Garth Williams, this classic is a treat for any young sailor.

Joey Goes to Sea by Alan VilliersAges 9 and up

Joey Goes to Sea tells the true story of Little Joey the Cat who sailed around the world aboard a 100-foot tall ship with Capt. Alan Villiers and his crew. Along the way, Joey has many adventures. He makes friends, catches flying fish and survives a near-drowning when he falls overboard! This is a highly-entertaining look at life aboard a sailing ship from a cat’s point of view!



N e w s F r o m T h e B o a t s h o p

Lightnings on Lake Unionb y k y L e h u n t e r

In the old library of The Center for Wooden Boats, during countless meetings about the kinds of boats that belong in the livery in rela-tion to what people generally want to sail, we have coined a term: a “BJK unit” (referring to the Blanchard Junior Knockabout). This has become a reliable unit of measurement in this debate. Blanchard Junior Knockabouts easily can hold four people, sail very nicely and have a relatively simple rig. The BJK is the most versatile and popular rig at our docks, but in no way does it encompass all that The Center for Wooden Boats has to offer.

When we look at a boat such as the Beetle Cat, for example, we see there are some differences. Beetle Cats hold two people comfortably, they are short and squat and they might not go as fast as a BJK. CWB founder Dick Wagner might say something like: “Why do you need to go fast on a lake where the destination is actually sailing?” And Dick would be right. Beetle Cats have a beauty that no other small boat at our docks captures. They are truly a pleasure to sail. But a unit of measurement is a fact of science and, according to the scale on which we measure, a Beetle Cat is not a BJK unit.

This brings us to the Lightning class and the whole reason why this discussion is happening. The Lightning is a BJK unit because it can fit four people and it is just as operable as any other boat at our docks. BJK units are important because many times groups of four come here to go sailing so we simply need bigger boats to accommodate these sailors.

Last fall we got an offer from Duane Ritter in Roseburg, Oregon, to donate his family’s beautifully-maintained 1951 Lightning One-Design, which they had raced for 20 years, storing it in a garage when it wasn’t in the water. The Lightning was designed in 1938 by Olin Stephens of Sparkman & Stephens. This particular sloop was built by Skaneateles Boat Company in Skaneateles, in upstate New York.

In October I drove down to take a look at the Lightning and pick her up, meeting the donors in Albany, Oregon. In our short visit, I learned that they were part of a Lightning fleet and had raced their sloop every year in an area Lightning regatta. About six years ago she was professionally rigged by North Sails, during which all the traditional rigging was updated to modern cam cleats and stainless steel hardware. The Ritters were very proud of their boat and excited that she was going to be at our docks and be so accessible to so many people.

It is widely known that CWB currently has another Lightning. Zap has been a fixture at CWB for many years and is the same vintage as the Skaneateles Lightning but was built by Lippincott Boat Works of Riverton, New Jersey. Lippincott Boat Works has been called “the Mercedes-Benz of boatbuilders”. Even though Lightnings began to be made of fiberglass in the late 1950s, the Skaneateles and Lippincott boats still are competitive. The rigging on Zap has many pieces of the traditional bronze hardware and lacks many of the modern racing adjustments that our new Lightning has. When the Skaneateles boat came in, we discovered the previous owner had the foresight to hang

onto the old hardware, providing us with an exceptional opportunity to replace worn and missing hardware on Zap. CWB Boatwright Joe Green and his crew of Boatshop volunteers

have thoroughly restored Zap in our South Lake Union Boatshop, including repair of the broken coaming pieces, improving the centerboard winch system and adjusting the rig to match (to the best of our abilities) the first Lightning ever built. Zap is back in the water, where Joe and his crew will reinstall deck hardware and the rigging.

Thus the vision of match racing Lightnings on South Lake Union was born. What remains to be seen is which build and rig will win. It truly will be a competition of modern versus traditional. (Dick says, “Bet on the one with the cleanest bottom!”) The final step is finding “Boatkeepers” who want to invest their time into the upkeep - teams of these boats in order to make them last for many more generations.

If you are interested in becoming one of the Lightnings’ Boatkeepers, email Joe Green [email protected] or attend a new volunteer orientation.

Kyle Hunter is CWB’s Livery and Boatshop Manager.

CWB volunteers Will Price (at the stern) and Martin Feldman (right center) help CWB Boatwright Joe Green apply non-skid to the deck of the Lightning Zap. photos: Edel O’Connor

Boatshop volunteers Colin Wood (left), Frank Hernandez (center) and Will Price install rub rails as part of the restoration of the Lightning Zap.



C W B W i s h L i s tHelp us continue to restore our collection of historic wooden vessels. Donate an item on our wish list, which can also be found in the “Support Us” section of our website, www.cwb.org. Please contact us at [email protected] before donating.

• Coffee, coffee, coffee!• Sturdy dock carts• Bottled water• Wet-erase chalk markers• Digital cameras• Dry, seasoned firewood• A pressure washer• Office paper, any color, any size• Card stock, any color, any size• Boat fenders• Dock line• Manilla line - any size• 10-gauge extension cords (new or

lightly used)• Sandpaper

• Earmuff-style hearing protection (25 dB NRR or better)

• Anchors in excess of 50 lbs• Cordless power drills• Crab pots• Chain saw (running)• Well-running outboard motors (5-

15 hp) • Spotting scope• Binoculars• Handheld VHF radios• Rubber hip-waders/boots• Paint and scrub brushes• Nautical films• Wine corks

• CLEAN tin cans (food cans, cat food, etc)

• Plastic and metal bottle caps• Spruce, Yellow Cedar, Red Cedar,

Fir and White Oak wood• Buckets• Large unused sponges• Blocks and cleats• Decorative punches, rubber stamps,

and other paper craft supplies• Origami paper• Cotton butcher’s twine• Durable plastic storage bins with

lids, 20 to 50 gallon capacity• Retail display shelves and fixtures

The Northlake Community Wharf Building, which CWB will use as a shop and storage facility, will formally open in May. The Opening Celebration will be a chance for the public to peek inside this wonderful space that has taken CWB Staff and Volunteers countless hours to bring into a condition suitable for a working warehouse. Repairs have included a new roof and windows, structural repairs, painting, security measures, landscaping and more. Please join us on Friday, May 4, at 5pm for the official ribbon cutting ceremony, or on May 5 from 10am to 2pm for a casual open house.

North Lake Union Facility Opens in May!

Clockwise from top left: Northlake Community Wharf Building sporting a new roof, windows and paint job! Sail-repair crew volunteers, Jim Nichols (right) and Ajay Varma, testing the sewing machine in their new workspace. CWB Livery & Boatshop Manager, Kyle Hunter, with a 110-year-old planer. Northlake Community Wharf Building seen from Seattle’s Aurora Bridge.

photos: Dan Leach, Kyle Hunter, Stefan Dreisbach-Williams.

T h e F e e d a n d C a r i n g o f C W B




training initiative and the documentation of a dozen boats from around the state. CWB’s documentation work extended to the shores of Lake Union and Salmon Bay, thanks again to 4Culture, with a project to document historic maritime structures. The photographic exhibit of this project, “Persistent Work”, has been on display in the Gallery at our South Lake Union location. CWB envisions a future where every child has the confidence to pursue their full potential by providing challenging physical and conceptual experiences in historic wooden boats. A phenomenal leadership grant from the Russell Grinnell Memorial Trust enabled CWB to launch its new Job Skills Training Program for youth aged 16-20 from underserved backgrounds. The success of the program was supported through the Washington Service Corps’ award to CWB of service by AmeriCorps members. CWB also is growing its outreach to underserved young people in out-of-school-time programs through leadership funding from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. CWB envisions a future where people of all ages use their hands and minds to connect to their culture and their physical world by making maritime craft and skills education a lifelong experience. With increasing demand for our programs, we are quite literally out of space at South Lake Union. Fortunately, CWB has signed a long-term agreement with the City of Seattle to build a new 10,000-square-foot Education Center in Lake Union Park. In December, we learned that the peer review panel at King County’s 4Culture awarded CWB one of the highest capital awards out of a combined pool of heritage and arts organizations: $100,000 for the Education Center. CWB envisions a future where people from across our community form trusted connections

The Center for Wooden Boats changes lives every day of the year. CWB’s Board has defined an ambitious vision in its Strategic Plan (now in the final stages of development) that will grow CWB’s impact over the years ahead. While CWB continues to build its earned income streams, this life-changing work is also fueled through community support – donations of time, professional services and funds. With gratitude, CWB’s Executive Director Betsy Davis shares below how grant funding over the past year has catalyzed CWB’s efforts along all five dimensions of CWB’s strategic vision (each dimension in italics below). CWB envisions a future where lives transform with the knowledge of where we fit into the continuum of history and human experience by collecting, preserving and telling the story of Northwest small craft and maritime culture. CWB preserves the world’s only active fleet of Blanchard Junior Knockabouts (BJKs), designed and built in Lake Union. Our BJK fleet is just one part of CWB’s fleet of historic boats that are described in our newly minted Collection Catalogue, a project funded by King County’s 4Culture. All our historic sailboats in use will be better preserved thanks to new fenders on the livery docks, also funded by 4Culture. Being stored outdoors year-round can challenge the preservation of CWB’s fleet, so the National Endowment for the Humanities funded a visit by Conservator Jonathan Taggart and Intern Evelyn Ansel to work with CWB’s Collections Committee on analyzing when and how to use boat covers. Because CWB doesn’t have the resources to store all the historic boats it finds, staff and volunteers have learned how to document the shape and history of historic small craft to be recorded in the Library of Congress for posterity. With support from the Washington State Department of Archeology and Historic Preservation, CWB led a

Community Support of CWBb y b e t s y D A v i s

that strengthen our entire society by providing an oasis and gathering place at the water’s edge. Thanks to a new five-year agreement with King County Metro, CWB is creating a new gathering place at the north end of Lake Union,. Volunteer effort and donated services have extended the reach of an $85,000 grant from King County’s 4Culture for re-roofing an existing building, fixing the siding and adding, windows, doors and lights. At the south end of Lake Union CWB will host the 36th annual Lake Union Wooden Boat Festival over the 4th of July weekend; we are anticipating upwards of 35,000 people will attend! The event is supported through the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and many sponsors, and also




The Center for Wooden Boats accepts donated boats that do not quite fit with our programs. We find good homes for these boats and use the proceeds to fund our operations. Contact the front desk for more info or call Steve Greaves at 206-371-0486. Also check our website - www.cwb.org - for new boats and sale prices!

Buy a Boat from CWB

24’ San Juan sloop 1973 Fiberglass hull, Yamaha 9.9 4-stroke outboard, sails and rigging. Ready for cruising and racing.

Price Reduced: $3,900

30’ Chris Craft Sedan Cruiser 1941 wood h u l l . C l a s s i c traditional Chris Cra f t de s i gn . S i n g l e , g a s Chris Craft 6 cylinder engine. Price Reduced! $2,900

17 ’ P lywood outboard c r u i se r Puget Sound outboard cruiser right out of the 1950s.Evinrude Lark outboard with remote controls a n d t r a i l e r. Keep dry in the cabin while fishing on Puget Sound. Price Reduced: $1,900

37’ Monk Flybridge Cruiser Enterprise 1962 white and red cedar-on-oak hull. Classic traditional design. Chris Craft 307 V8 gas motor. Sleeps 6. Two heads with holding tank. Bimini top. Fully

rigged. Ready for cruising.

Price Reduced: $5,900

C W B C a n N o w A c c e p t C a r D o n a t i o n s !CWB has accepted donations of boats for a number of years, but we’re excited to announce that we can now accept donations of cars and vehicles, too! An external service handles these donations, and CWB gets nearly 70% of the final sale price of the donated vehicle. If you choose to donate your car through this program, you may qualify for tax incentives, and you’ll also be helping support CWB! It’s a win-win!

To donate a used car (running or not!) please fill out the form on our website: www.cwb.org/support-cwb/donate/

by a “Civic Partners” award from the City of Seattle Office of Arts and Culture. In 2012 CWB will be inaugurating a new “Ambassador Program” at Lake Union Park to help visitors navigate within the park and neighborhood, thanks to start-up support from the Rotary Club of Lake Union and our soon-to-be new neighbor, the Museum of History & Industry. CWB envisions a future without barriers to enjoying our waterways by making boats on the water accessible to all. During 2011, CWB finished strengthening its existing facilities in Waterway #4 at South Lake Union (new pilings!) and also improving connections to the new Lake Union Park. The new gangway connecting CWB and the park invites even more visitors down to the water. Much of the construction was donated by local businesses; funding from the Washington State Capital Heritage Projects fund was truly instrumental. CWB envisions a future where communities around the world are inspired by CWB as a model for community-based, hands-on maritime experience. For years CWB Founder Dick Wagner has been asked for guidance from people around the world who want to create something like CWB in their own community. Dick has written letters, shared information about CWB’s history and offered inspiration. With funding from King County’s 4Culture, we’re now trying to “package” some of that and will soon make it available on CWB’s website, including archives of Dick’s radio shows, the archive of Shavings and documents relating to the founding of CWB. The Center for Wooden Boats is grounded in the community on Camano Island and in Seattle. It is heartening that CWB serves as an inspiration for the community and in turn is fueled by the generosity of both dollars and hours that the community offers in return. CWB’s vision for the future is bold and ambitious, but it is being realized one boat, one grant and one moment at a time. Thank you all.

T h e C e n T e r f o r W o o D e n B o A T SNon-Profit

OrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDSeattle, WA

Permit No. 1583

1010 Valley Street, Seattle, WA 98109-4468

206.382.2628 • www.cwb.orgU p c o m i n g E v e n t sCast OFF! Free Boat Rides. Every Sunday at 2pm, CWB in Seattle. Sign-ups start at 10am. Come early! Rides are first-come, first-served.

3rd Friday Speaker: Jim Cole - The Wooden Tuna Boats from Tacoma Shipyards. April 20, 7pm, CWB in Seattle. Jim Cole will present on the wooden tuna boats that once ruled the Pacific.

Tugboat Storytime. The second and fourth Thursday of each month, 11am to noon, aboard the historic tugboat Arthur Foss.

Speaker Event: Helder Parreira - Traditional Small Boats of Portugal. April 26, 7pm, CWB Boathouse in Seattle. Helder Parreira apprenticed with one of the last traditional boatwrights in Portugal. Hear about his journey at this informative illustrated talk.

New Volunteer Orientation. May 12, 10am - noon, CWB Boathouse in Seattle. Interested in becoming a volunteer? Join us for a New Volunteer Orientaion on the second Saturday of each month. Mother’s Day Saturday Sail at Cama Beach. May 12, 10am - 4pm, CWB at Cama Beach. Take Mom out for a ride on Saratoga Passage in a classic wooden boat or plastic boat. Free activities for the whole family!

36th Annual Lake Union Wooden Boat Festival. June 30 - July 4, 2012, CWB in Seattle & Lake Union Park. Join us for the 36th Annual Lake Union Wooden Boat Festival! Free rides, visiting vessels, activities, music, food and fun for five days on the shores of Lake Union.

Join uS for MeMBer Day & CWB’S annual MeMBerShip MeeTing!

Saturday, April 28: 10am - 8pm Don’t miss this all-day celebration all about YOU, our

members. Member-only benefits will include free boat rides, free rowboat and sailboat rentals, toy boat building,

Pirate pond boat sailing, merchandise discounts and more. View the complete schedule on our website: www.cwb.orgAnnual Membership Meeting: April 28, 4pm - 5pm

Attend the Annual Membership Meeting at 4pm in the Boathouse. We’ll review 2011, as well as give you a preview

of what to expect in the year ahead. Volunteer Appreciation Event: April 28, 5pm - 8pm

All CWB Volunteers are invited to attend a barbeque on the Boathouse front porch. Please bring a dish to share.

Volunteer of the Year and other awards will be presented.

Documents

Shavings Volume 32 Number 1 Spring 2012