wooden boat
Friday, June 30, 2006
  wooden boat: The Wooden Boat Show of 2006
The public is invited to spend a half-day sailing Narragansett Bay aboard the 12-Meter yachts Gleam or Northern Light during the 15th Annual Wooden Boat Show taking place August 25th-27th at the Newport Yachting Center in Newport, Rhode Island.

This is a wonderful opportunity to explore the great waters, gather history about the Gleam and Northern Light and maybe even get a nice tan.

Both ships have been fully restored and are absolutely breathtaking.

This is fun that does not take place every day.


Now is your chance to sign up and get the feeling of what life is like on the sea.

Tickets are limited and will sell fast.

For more information or what the cost will be for tickers call (401) 624-2828 or visit

www.woodenboat.com.
 
Thursday, June 22, 2006
  wooden boat: Town mayor beaten, robbed
Madisonville’s Mayor Gitz, 71, in area hospital

Florida parishes bureau
Published: Jun 23, 2006

MADISONVILLE — The longtime mayor of Madisonville was attacked and robbed of his wallet Wednesday night, the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office said Thursday.

Peter Gitz, 71, mayor since 1977, was closing his restaurant about 10 p.m. when he was beaten on the head several times with a blunt object, deputies said. The Sheriff’s Office is calling the incident an armed robbery.

Gitz owns Badeaux’s Drive In, a burger stand in the Tchefuncte River community known for its Wooden Boat Festival and small town charm.

Deputy Town Clerk Paulla Nickelotte said it is beyond surprising that something like that could happen in Madisonville.

“Traffic violations, that’s about all you see here. No stop sign and speeding tickets,” she said.

“And most of all because he has been such a gentleman. He has been a part of the community for so long. It’s just shocking.”

The Sheriff’s Office said deputies have no suspects and are seeking the public’s help.

Gitz’s wallet contained an unknown amount of cash and several credit cards, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Madisonville Police Department officials declined comment Thursday.

The Sheriff’s Office and town officials held a news conference about the robbery Thursday.

Gitz apparently suffered several wounds in the robbery.

The Sheriff’s Office said it did not have information on his condition Thursday. Nickelotte, speaking for Gitz’s son, said Mayor Gitz was under treatment at an area hospital. She would not name the hospital.

Those with information in the case are asked to contact investigating authorities at (985) 875-2178.

Story originally published in The Advocate
 
Monday, June 19, 2006
  wooden boat: Lars Trodson, "The Roads to Providence"
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Fake vs. Real



Lars Trodson archives
I have this phenomenally awful rendering of Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” in my office at home. I got it at a yard sale for a buck. It’s garish and lifeless and some of the hands on the apostles look more like baseball gloves than anything a human being would have attached to their wrists.

This is an old reproduction – I’m guessing from the ‘40s or ‘50s, judging by some of the stickers on the back of the matting. But it was actually framed with some care; it’s printed on nice solid material and the frame surrounding the painting really isn’t bad.

I am almost certain these affordable reproductions were sold by the thousands and adorned the homes of people all across this country – the pious first-generation Americans who wanted to recognize their faith. So there’s a weird duality to this piece of mass art; yes, it’s a pretty terrible attempt to replicate the majesty of Da Vinci, but also, at the same time, the art really wasn’t the point. It was undoubtedly looked at as a religious icon, and was meant to reflect the theological sensibilities of the inhabitants of the house rather than their taste in fine art.

So I keep it around because of that. It’s an artifact from another time and place; a modest icon that serves the same purpose for me as it did for the people who bought this mass-produced painting a long time ago.

In another corner of the office there is a reproduction of a Winslow Homer painting. In the center of the canvas is a wooden boat, the oars of which are being pulled by fisherman in silhouette. He’s got two big fish in the boat, and the fisherman is in profile, he’s looking over his shoulder. The sea has gone bad, he’s pulling his little boat over the chop, and he’s looking at the dark, spiky clouds lined up on the horizon and also at the sails of a much larger boat. This boat, he is no doubt thinking, may be able to take him in so he can ride out the coming storm and save his catch.

It is a lonely, melancholy painting; full of emotion and, even though it is a reproduction, you can see Homer’s rightfully famous approach to painting water and its mercurial properties. Within the frame are the elements of fear, hope, faith, daily life, chance and uncertainty.

To the right of that painting is another cheap reproduction of a painting clearly inspired by Homer. A fisherman is in a small wooden boat, pulling on his oars through a choppy sea. He has no fish in the boat but rather a small basket, a creel, perhaps, and he’s looking over his shoulder (in the opposite direction of Homer) and in the background is not a solitary ship but rather a lighthouse on a small island. Same content, same theme, utterly different effect.

The painting is bright and almost cheery. It looks like an inexpensive Christmas card. The spray hitting the shoals behind the fisherman looks like a couple of cotton balls stacked on top of one another, and as it sits next to the Homer painting it is very easy to see the difference between art and artifice. It almost makes you feel bad for the artist of the lesser painting, you wondered why he even bothered.

The artists bothered, of course, because they were both interested in the process, they were both interested in what they could achieve and uncover. Homer, like almost any other artist, may have been bemused by his own promethean talent. You can see him looking at the results of his latest work and thinking, “How do I do it?”

The other guy, well, he may have been like a lot of other artists – a little delusional over his own lack of talent, frustrated over his lack of recognition. Or, he may have been so proud he was able to render anything resembling real life at all that he was inordinately proud of what he could accomplish.

It isn’t really fair to hang the guy next to Homer, but it reminds me of how fine a line it is between inspiration and ability; between artistic success and failure. But that is purely on an aesthetic level.

Each of these odd things brings me their own distinct pleasure. I look at them and wonder about why anyone went to the trouble of reproducing these paintings in the first place – and in the case of the Da Vinci painting it’s not only a reproduction but of course a fake. Somebody had a copy of the Da Vinci painting and was hired to reproduce it for a mass audience. You have to wonder what was going through that artist’s mind.

But they’ve been in my office for a long time now, and once in a while – along with my American flag that hangs right next to an old print of the Norman Rockwell painting “Freedom From Fear” – I look at them and smile, and find new details in each that I hadn’t really seen before. I often wonder what the name of the painting is of the fisherman headed toward the lighthouse, because there is no marker or sticker to tell me. I’ve never looked up the name of the Homer painting because it is oddly irrelevant to me; it has its own meaning for me.

I bring this up because these strange things are helping to train me look at the world.

I have been dismayed, like a lot of people, at the cutting up of my New England landscape with these anonymous-looking houses, and these mass productions of bank branches and chain stores, and the appearance for more “Land for Sale” signs that surely means fewer trees and blocked streams and less square footage of the messy natural terrain.

But just as in my little copies, surely of which there must have been thousands and thousands made, just like the banks and the homes we seen being built right before our eyes, I am trying very hard not to see what is the same, but rather what is unique and different.

Lars Trodson can be reached at larstrodson@comcast.net
 
  wooden boat: The ‘Antonia’ - resurfaced and salvageable
Monday, 19 June 2006

Reporter: Kathy Cogo

For 10 days the celebrated icon of the lucrative pearling and trochus shelling industry of the Torres Strait sat on the bottom of Ross River Creek in Townsville, Queensland.

The 'Antonia' sank after vandals disconnected the power supply to the bilge pump while tied to the wharf beside the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Cultural Centre.

Her supporters - wooden boat enthusiasts and Torres Strait Islanders - waited with fingers crossed for the right weather conditions to refloat her.

The 18-metre boat was employed in the multi-million dollar pearling and trochus shelling industry in the Torres Strait in the 1950s and was donated to the Townsville Wooden Boat Association over a year ago by the Museum of Tropical Queensland.

Townsville resident Francis Ebui had a tear in his eye when he saw the boat for the first time in 50 years.

Francis worked on the boat diving for trochus shells when he was 19 and remembers fondly the work that was involved. "Most of those boats got about 10 to 13 tonnes of shell. Well if we got that amount of shell then you'd come in say about three or four weeks time and unload the shells and be in port for about a week and a half/ two weeks and then away you’d go again.

"We had three rowing dinghies out in the reef. While the boat was anchored, we'd row the dinghies upstream and get some shells and bring them to the boat."

Francis says he loved the work because he preferred being out on the sea then on land.

But the work of the ‘Antonia’ and its crewmen came to an end with the arrival of plastic. Synthetically made buttons ruined the 100-year-old shelling business. There are two small shelling businesses, however, that are still operational in Western Australia and Queensland.

ABC Rural News and Information celebrated the pending salvage of the 'Antonia' by broadcasting live beside the boat. With Castle Hill in the background work got underway to raise the vessel while people looked on and told stories of yesteryear.

Peter Whalley-Thompson from the Townsville Wooden Boat Association spoke of the Torres Strait Island Cultural Centre's plans to restore the 'Antonia' back to survey standard for use as a training vessel.

Peter also gave a description of how the vessel was to be resurfaced.

In the first stages of the resurrection a crane from a salvage company hung a metal frame over the boat and secured slings under the hull. Professional divers experienced in marine salvage were geared up and took turns in the water preparing the boat and securing the slings.

The divers spent hours in the water and could communicate with the salvage crew on the barge via radio. They were also connected to oxygen on the barge by an air hose and carried a small air tank on their back in the case of an emergency.

The Townsville Port Authority funded the tedious operation, which cost close to $10,000.

Local Torres Strait Islanders, Aicie Day, Alma Pilot and Maman Martin sang two songs written about the 'Antonia' by their ancestors.

Aicie says being present for the raising of the 'Antonia' was a proud moment. "But it's very sad seeing it under water. Hopefully it's repairable?"

The good news – the ‘Antonia’ is repairable! Following a 10-hour rescue effort, which involved a crane and a barge, the 'Antonia' was resurfaced and any fears of damage were allayed with only minor work needed on the engine.
 
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
  wooden boat: Around the region
Want to build a boat?

Then enter Cape Fear Community College's first Build-A-Boat contest.

The contest is part of the seventh annual Wooden Boat Festival downtown from July 29 to 30.

Boat builders will get the chance to construct a 12-foot wooden row boat with the help of expert supervision on July 29. No experience is required.

Teams can consist of two to six people, who will have eight hours to build the boat. The price to register is $400, which covers the cost of materials. Proceeds from the event will benefit CFCC's boat building program.

After they're built, the boats will participate in a rowing regatta on the Cape Fear River.

The deadline to register is July 14. To register, contact CFCC spokesman David Hardin at 362-7020or Ed Verge at 362-7151.

BB&T has donated $60,000 to Cape Fear Community College to start a lecture series.

In return, the auditorium in the McKeithan Center on the college's North Campus will be called BB&T Auditorium, said spokesman David Hardin.

The money donated by BB&T will be placed in an endowment fund to support a public lecture series. The college currently doesn't have funds to bring in well-known public speakers, Hardin said.

The donation was announced at a fund-raising luncheon May 24 held at the North Campus. The event raised $175,000 for CFCC scholarships, the largest amount ever made by the college at a single event, according to a press release.

The Cape Fear Volunteer Center is accepting nominations for the 2006 North Carolina Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service as well as for the New Hanover County Volunteer of the Year Award.

Applications forms are available at the Cape Fear Volunteer Center, 925 South Kerr Ave., Suite K, Room 2, or by e-mail at cfvc@bellsouth.net. The deadline is 5 p.m. June 20.

Anyone can nominate an individual or group, and teenagers are eligible. Special medallions will be presented to the state's Top 20 volunteers for the first time. A statewide panel will select the Top 20 volunteers from local award winners. Only individuals not recognized in the past 10 years are eligible.

For more information, call Annie Anthony, director of the Cape Fear Volunteer Center, at 799-9321 or e-mail cfvc@bellsouth.net.

- From staff reports
 
  wooden boat: A Glass Boat and a Stone's Throw
By Kelly-Anne Suarez and Garrett Therolf, Times Staff Writers
June 13, 2006


It took a good 800 feet of water to separate Rick Parker from his dream of turning a historic glass-bottom boat into a Cajun eatery.

City officials in Martinez had rejected the idea. They noted that their dilapidated marina near San Francisco Bay had some of the murkiest water in the state and therefore perhaps one of the worst sites for a glass-bottom boat.

ADVERTISEMENTBut, gambling that he could win over city officials, restaurateur Parker bought the Phoenix anyway, becoming the owner of a 109-foot, wooden-paddle boat with a glass hull, 76 years of history and no home.

On Saturday, he and three crew members began the 450-mile voyage from Newport Harbor to Martinez, north of Oakland. The boat sank off of Malibu.

"At the time that the boat sank, Rick was on a last-ditch mission to bring the boat and show us how wonderful it was," said Rob Schroder, the mayor. "He was convinced that we would finally buy into the plan if he could just show it to us."

Parker wouldn't have had much time to make any converts. Martinez officials had denied his request to berth the Phoenix in the marina. Instead, he planned to use a guest site available to him for only two or three days.

The Phoenix's long journey to Davy Jones' locker began in 1930, the year a massive windstorm destroyed a glass-bottom boat that ferried tourists around Santa Catalina.

Materials for a new boat — commissioned by the Wrigley family's Santa Catalina Island Co. — included parts salvaged from the wreck, earning it the name Phoenix, according to Balboa historian Jim Fournier.

The ship was reported to be the world's largest glass-bottom boat, weighing 112 tons and accommodating 200 passengers. Its churning side-wheels and train-whistle horn gave the boat added charm.

For 63 summers, the vessel ferried tourists on 40-minute tours of Catalina's abundant marine life.

About 10 years ago, the Fun Zone Boat Co. bought the Phoenix and gave it a new home in Newport Harbor. The boat then embarked on a second life as a venue for weddings, corporate parties and other chartered events.

But age wasn't kind to the Phoenix. In its final years, the boat had become "a rust bucket" and "an eyesore," Fournier said.

Finally, with the 70-year-old Balboa Fun Zone undergoing a major face-lift, the Phoenix was no longer part of the site's future, and the boat was put up for sale.

Parker brought a copy of the advertisement to Schroder and asked about bringing the Phoenix to the Martinez marina.

"For the entire 10 years that I've held elected office here, we've been struggling to reinvent the marina," Schroder said. "So everyone said, 'That's great, that's wonderful.' "

The city hired a consultant to analyze the business plan. It was the subject of at least five meetings of the mayor and City Council.

Schroder said officials were encouraged by Parker's previous business experience, the successful operation of Le Beau's Louisiana Kitchen in Martinez.

"It's one of our finest restaurants," he said.

But the marina, where salt water and fresh water collide, has a chemistry that keeps an uncommon amount of silt suspended in the water.

"Overall, it just wasn't a business deal that they decided would be good for the city," said Richard Pearson, the city's community development director.

But Parker persisted, paying a six-figure sum to purchase his dream.

City officials said they weren't completely surprised.

ADVERTISEMENT"I guess you could say Rick is a dreamer," Schroder said. "He's not the kind of a businessman who would sit behind a desk, talk on the phone and send e-mail in a suit and tie. He's a free spirit."

The Phoenix's send-off Saturday was modest. Only the three crew members, Parker and Fournier were there to witness it.

Parker slammed a bottle of champagne into the bow of the ship. It didn't break — in boating lore, a bad omen — and required a second try.

As they sailed off, Fournier said he called out to Parker: "Are you going to rename the boat?"

Parker shook his head.

"Bad luck!" he shouted.

By the time the boat reached the coast of Malibu early Sunday morning, one of the 6-by-2-foot glass panes began to loosen, Schroder said Parker told him later.

Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Ray Lechner said Parker and his crew tried to pump out the incoming water.

"After four hours, they lost the battle," Lechner said.

A Los Angeles Fire Department search-and-rescue team responded to the crew's distress call and plucked the men from a lifeboat as the boat slowly sank.

The boat was up to date with its inspections, but it had not been certified to carry members of the public outside protected waters.

Since only crew members were on board, Parker's voyage to Martinez was within the law, Lechner said.

Lechner is investigating the cause of the sinking but said the boat was so deep that it would be difficult to send divers, and the boat would never be recovered.

Nevertheless, news reports said Parker hoped to find a way to raise the Phoenix.

He could not be reached for comment Monday. The mayor said Parker's cellphone went down with the ship.
 
Friday, June 09, 2006
  wooden boat: Recreation programs & classes
CFCC seeks participants for boat-building day
Cape Fear Community College is seeking participants for it's first-ever "Build-A-Boat" event as part of the seventh Wooden Boat Festival July 29-30.
Hosted by CFCC's Boat Building program, the college welcomes the public, area businesses and civic clubs to participate in this unique and fun event.
During the event, participants will have the opportunity to build a 12-foot wooden row boat under the supervision of a boat-building expert. No previous boat building experience is required.

All boats will be built by two- to six-person teams and will take a full eight-hour day to complete. Construction will begin early July 29.
All completed boats will then take to the water for a rowing regatta on the Cape Fear River. The registration fee for each team is $400 to cover supplies and materials.

The Wooden Boat Festival serves as an annual celebration of the tradition and craft of wooden boat building in downtown Wilmington.

This year, the event will feature over 50 wooden boats of all shapes and sizes. All proceeds from the event will benefit CFCC's Boat Building program.

For more information, call David Hardin at 362-7020 or Ed Verge at 362-7151.
Mayor Bill Saffo will meet two kindergarten classes from the Cape Fear Center for Inquiry at the Anne McCrary Park on Randall Parkway at 9 a.m. Thursday.
The students are representing the school in presenting reading benches and a birdbath to the City of Wilmington in an effort to enhance the park. The school purchased the benches, birdbath and sign for the park with funding from the National Geographic Society. The society awarded the money for promoting awareness of the need for water conservation and increasing public awareness of stormwater runoff issues..

Anne McCrary Park is a stormwater demonstration site for the City of Wilmington, and features rain barrels, pervious pavement, native plantings and an overlook of the Burnt Mill Pond, which is part of a watershed fed by a creek and stormwater runoff from the Burnt Mill Industrial Park. Students at CFCI use the greenspace at the park for physical education activities, environmental studies, class parties and egg hunts..

The kindergarteners will invite Mayor Saffo to read them a story while he sits on one of the newly dedicated benches.

countywide
Symphony Golf Tournament: The Wilmington Symphony Orchestra will hold its ninth golf classic June 19 at Eagle Point Golf Club. Proceeds benefit the Orchestra's operating needs including educational programs and the Youth Orchestra. Format is best ball with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. A luncheon and brief awards ceremony will follow play. Cost is $300 per player and includes a caddied round of golf, continental breakfast, beverages, snacks during play, lunch, prizes and gratuities. Details: 791-9262. Entry form; www.
wilmingtonsymphony.org.

Carolina Beach Junior LIfeguard Program: Designed to teach ages 12-15 beach and ocean rescue skills. The two-week program provides instruction in water safety, physical conditioning, competition skills, first aid, lifesaving, rescue techniques, CPR and the use of professional lifeguard equipment. There is a $200 program fee which includes tuition, uniform and membership in the United States Lifesaving Association. Applications for the program can be picked up from the Town of Carolina Beach, Carolina Beach Police Department or the Carolina Beach Recreation Department. Details: Officer Charles G. Smith Jr., Ocean Rescue Director, Carolina Beach Police Dept., 1121 N. Lake Park Blvd., Carolina Beach, NC 28428; 458-7054; charles.smith@carolinabeach.org.

Community Boys and Girls Club summer programs : Registration for summer programs for ages 6-18 is held 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday at 901 Nixon St. Weekly sessions run 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, June 19-Aug.18. Details: 762-1252.
Skateboard clinics for beginners: For ages 7-12 at Greenfield Grind Skatepark. Class will be split into small groups and be taught by Skate park staff. Cost is $15 for half hour instruction, one hour of student-instructor training and a free pass to skate for the day. Schedule: 10:30 a.m.-noon Saturday, and June 24; July 8, 22; Aug. 5, 19. Details: 362-8222.

Father's Day Basketball Classic: 1-4 p.m. June 17 at Maides Park, 1101 Manly Ave., off Princess St. Food provided. Everyone that can, bring a three liter soda and bag of ice. Details: 792-9233; www.sncyba.com.
Kidz Flix at Thalian hall: A summer movies series just for children at 11 a.m. Concessions will be open. Tickets: $4. Details: 343-3664; www.thalianhall.com. Schedule: June 17: "Adventures of Brer Rabbit," "Hansel and Gretel." June 24: "Dora the Explorers First Trip," "Harold and the Purple Crayon." July 15: "Barbie Mermaidia," "Lon Popo" (Chinese Red Riding Hood). July 29: "The Big Boom," "Pete's a Pizza." Aug. 12: "Pete's Dragon." Aug. 26: "Mary Poppins."

CAMERON ART MUSEUM
3201 S. 17th St.; 395-5999. Free for members; $5 nonmembers.
Tai Chi: Noon June 21; July 5, 19. Yoga: Noon June 15, 29; July 13, 27.
GRACE GRIDIRON TACKLE FOOTBALL LEAGUE: Forming at Grace Baptist Church for grades 9-12. Details: Ron, 784-9046.
pool information
Admission: $1 per child; $2 adults. All pools handicap accessible and equipped with bathhouses and lifeguard staff at all times.
Operation schedule: 1-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, June 10-Aug. 26.
Locations: Northside, 750 Bess St., 341-7865; Robert Strange, 410 S. 10th St., 341-7864; Southside, Legion Sports Complex, 2131 Carolina Beach Road, 341-7863.
wilmington parks and recreation

HALYBURTON PARK
4099 S. 17th St.; 794-6001
Preregistration required
Yoga for Kids: 3-4 p.m. Wednesdays, June 21-Aug. 9 for ages 6-10. Cost: $55 by June 14. To register: 341-3237.
Fit for Fun Center
302 S. 10th St.; 341-4630
Toddler Olympics: 10 a.m.-noon June 23. Crawl, jump and run to victory. Cost: $4.50.
WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH PARKS and RECREATION
1 Bob Sawyer Drive;
256-7925; www.towb.org
Concerts in the Park: 6:30-8 p.m. June 29, July 27, Aug. 17.
Ladies singles tennis ladder: Fee: $15 Wrightsville Beach residents; $20 others.
Shag lessons: Call for details. Surfing lessons: For ages 10 and over. Covers safety, wave catching, paddling, basic maneuvers, local regulations and surfing etiquette. Fee: $45 Wrightsville Beach residents; $60 others.
Tennis lessons: For ages 6-8, 9-12, 13-16 and adults. Small group clinics are offered for all skill levels. Private and semi-private lessons available. Call for details and fees.

YWCA
2815 S. College Road;

799-6820;
ywcareso@wilmington.net
Classes
Preschool tumbling: 8:45-9:30 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, September-May for ages 3-5; $32 per month for 1 day; $48 per month for 2 days.
Karate: Tuesdays and Thursdays, September-May; $45 per month.
Modern Jazz: 6:30-8 p.m. Wednesdays; $3 per class members; $5 per class nonmembers.
Tap Dance: Adult and teen intermediate and advanced classes Mondays, September-June.
YWCA RESOURCE CENTER: Programs include family and individual counseling, legal access and New Choices for Displaced Homemakers. Details: 762-7886.
 
  wooden boat: Kayak building class is planned
A kayak building class will be taught by Brain Schultz of Cape Falcon Kayak on August 14-20 at the Port of Toledo. Class size is limited to five people. The cost is $1,100 and includes all class instruction and supplies for building a kayak. For class registration or further information about the class contact Schultz at capefalconkayak@yahoo.com or call (503) 320-2169.

This class will be in conjunction with the Port of Toledo Wooden Boat Show which will be held August 19 and 20, with the opportunity to use the kayaks in Depot Slough. For more information about the Wooden Boat Show call the Port of Toledo at 336-5207.
 
Sunday, June 04, 2006
  wooden boat: Boat takes shape in Dry Valley attic
Boat takes shape in woodworker's attic
By Eric Mayes
The Daily Item
June 05, 2006
DRY VALLEY — Dan Newton knows first hand the trials of Noah. Mr. Newton too is building a boat, though his mission isn't to save mankind but just to have a little fun.

A tall, jovial man, topped with a jumble of dark hair, the Dry Valley craftsman talks easily but, uncharacteristically, he was unable to say just why he chose to build a boat.

"Anybody can buy a boat," he said. "It's kind of like, why hike to the top of a mountain when you could have a helicopter drop you off at the top?"

His love of sailing started first with a love of boats. He was seduced by the beauty and mystique of the sail boats he saw and the romance of travel.

"They're so beautiful," he said. "It's just a beautiful form. Boats are associated with a sense of adventure. They all just have the ability to take you somewhere for nothing. You can go almost anywhere."

But wooden boats in particular appealed to the artist in him.

An accomplished cabinet maker, Mr. Newton is building the boat in the attic of his shop.

"I really have a love of wooden boats as an extension of what I do," he said.

Pieces of the 12-foot catspaw dinghy are scattered casually throughout the building. The Douglas fir spars, described by Mr. Newton as "runaway Christmas trees," are propped just outside the door. On one work bench are the tiller and rudder hand-crafted from white oak. A knee, a support used in the stern of the boat, was tucked under a table.

Building comes naturally to Mr. Newton. He built the shop himself using traditional mortis and tenon methods.

"I'm just doomed to be anachronistic," he laughed.

Its broad, plank floors are covered with a fine coating of sawdust, the air slightly sweet with the scent of freshly milled wood. Classical music fills the silences and a sign hung over one window reads: "Labor until ye bring your spirit to be satisfied."

Mr. Newton seems satisfied.

Though hurried is probably not an adjective that applies to him, Mr. Newton seems always to be moving from one project to the next. He owns his own cabinet making business, Dry Valley Joinery. In one corner a case for a grandfather clock is under construction. Design books on Shaker furniture rest on drawing table. A couple of sailboat models decorate the few shelves.

The downstairs is a place of work, of business. Upstairs, its more leisurely. A rug molders on the floor near an easy chair and a lamp. It is there work takes place on the skeleton of the boat, lying upside down in the center of the loft.

He's been working on it for three years but admitted the project should have taken about six months.

"I really haven't touched it for two of those years," he laughed.

He's spent about $3,000 in materials but buying a wooden boat of the same design would cost about $10,000.

The design he's chosen is one by Nathanael Herreshoff, an 18th century sailboat designer legendary in sailing circles for his fast and beautiful yachts, built for a string of robber barons turned sailors. His boats were raced under the name of owners like: Jay Gould, William Randolph Hearst, John Pierpont Morgan, Cornelius Vanderbilt III, Harold Stirling Vanderbilt, William Kissam Vanderbilt II, Harry Payne Whitney.

Mr. Newton's vessel will be more modest, it was likely designed for use as a tender, a smaller boat that ferried people to a larger one anchored in deeper water.



While the craft itself is small the job of building it has not been.

"I love it but only do it when I feel I love it," chuckled Mr. Newton.

He's taken his boat from a paper design to reality.

Before construction could start, a full-scale drawing had to be made. Mr. Newton ordered his plans from a company based in Brooklin, Maine, called Wooden Boats. From those he generated the larger drawings which would serve as a template for each piece. The plans he purchased were accompanied by a table of measurements used to create the pieces.

"That was really hard, taking the numbers off the table and making the pieces," he said.

But, at a more basic level, Mr. Newton had to learn the rather obscure language of boat builders. In their lingo a seat became a thwart, its support a thwart riser.

"The hardest part for me was the language," he said. "You have to learn the language first."

Once that was mastered, Mr. Newton started work on the mold around which the hull would be formed. He worked in sections, creating a series of U-shaped ribs to which horizontal stringers were attached. It was here the difference between cabinetry and boat building started to become obvious.

"There are no right angles on a boat," he said.

To start, a plumb line, marked with the boat's water line, was hung from a cable centered over the spot where the hull would rise from the floor. The water line is the only horizontal plane consistent throughout the boat and it was from this that final measurements were derived. As each rib was put into place the water line was marked on it and then lined up with the preceding and following ribs. The ribs where then connected with a series of stringers, thin strips that run the length of the hull.

It was here that Mr. Newton's work paused.

Ultimately, the hull will be made up of three layers of the eastern white cedar covered in a polyester cloth which in turn is covered with a fairing used to provide a smooth surface. The first layer of planks will be laid at an angle to the stringers. The second, at an opposing angle to the first layer and the final perpendicular to the second. Then, the structure will be covered with the fabric which is use to discourage small leaks. The material should then be coated with a fairing to seal it.

Eastern white cedar was chosen for its lightness, strength and flexibility coupled with the fact that it swells when it's wet.

"It seals up the joints by itself," Mr. Newton said.

When the hull is formed the ribs will be removed. The mast will be 15 feet and made of Douglas fir, the rudder white oak strengthened with bronze rods hammered through small holes in its center.

Then it will come the true test of any boat — its launch. This craft will be christened the Carol E. after Mr. Newton's daughter.

"You put them in the water you just have to see how they do," he said. "When you build them you don't really know what they're like."

Where he finally uses the boat will depend on its performance.

The Newtons keep a 27-foot cruiser in Baltimore. He may take the dinghy there to use as tender or he may keep it here for use on local lakes or the river. With a top speed of about 3 knots the boat will certainly never be a racer. That's fine with Mr. Newton. He considers himself what sailors call a cruiser. He enjoys the wind in his face, the water and spending time with his wife Rebecca, 6-year old daughter Carol and son Danny, 2.

"It's so amazingly peaceful and beautiful," he said. "It just slows down the pace of your life."



nE-mail comments to emayes@dailyitem.com
 
  wooden boat: Ahoy Mates! The Wooden Boat Show Sails this Weekend
BY MICHAEL P. NEUFELD

Twenty-one years ago, a group of about a dozen wooden boat owners, gathered at the dock of the Hilton Hotel (now Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa) to stage a boat parade around Lake Arrowhead.

It was July 6, 1985, when approximately nine wooden boats cruised around the lake, to the delight of people in Lake Arrowhead Village as well as other boaters on the lake.

“It was such a good feeling showing off these beautiful boats from yesteryear,” Betty Hueber recalled. Huebner and her husband, Roger, were among that original group who launched the Antique and Classic Wooden Boat Show on Lake Arrowhead.

This weekend (June 3-4), the 22nd Annual Antique and Classic Wooden Boat Show, sponsored by the Southern California Chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society, Inc. (ACBS), will be held at Lake Arrowhead Village. The Village will also welcome over two-dozen classic “woodies” on Saturday.

Show hours are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday (June 3) and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday (June 4). The “woodies” will be available from 10 a.m. and there is no charge to view the classic vehicles on Saturday. The $5 dock admission will allow visitors to talk with boat owners about their boats and learn more about the careful preservation of the wooden boats.

A special Skippers' meeting with Arrowhead Lake Association's Lake Patrol will be held at 5 p.m. Friday, followed at 6 p.m. by a welcome and get-acquainted gathering at a local residence.

“Presented at this year's show,” according to chapter president John Maddox, “is a wonderful collection of beautiful boats representing the various classic boat manufacturers of days gone by-Chris Craft, Century, Gar Wood, Hacker Craft, Thompson, Trojan, and a few other lesser known but equally impressive companies.”

Over 50 boats are expected to be available for viewing, including Healey Passions, a 1958 Healey Sportsboat Model 55 owned by John and Deborah Hunt from Santa Maria. Last year, Healey Passions collected some of the top honors, including “Best 1958 and Older Utility.” The Mountain News and Mountain Shopper sponsored the award.

LAKE ARROWHEAD BOATS

Several Lake Arrowhead area residents are among those showing boats this weekend. Tom and Mary Seabold will showcase Merry Chris. “The boat is named after my lovely wife, Merry Christine, who was born on Christmas Day,” Tom Seabold explained. The boat is a 1952 Chris-Craft 19-foot Racing Runabout.

Jim and Lynne Miller of Lake Arrowhead will display a 1957 Century 18-foot Resorter named Temptress. Restoration of the boat has just been completed, and it is equipped with the original Dearborn Marine Interceptor engine. The Millers will be debuting Temptress at the Lake Arrowhead show.

A 1965 Chris-Craft Super Sport owned by Lake Arrowhead's Jim Ball will also be on display. The boat is affectionately named Bahama Mama.

Miss Lizzy, soon to be named Ter-Jer, was purchased by Teri and Jerry Wilcut at the Lake Arrowhead Marina in 1977. The only water the Chris-Craft boat has ever been on is Lake Arrowhead.

Lake Arrowhead's show is the premier wooden boat show in Southern California and the only one in the area that is judged. The judges are members of the ACBS Southern California Chapter and are headed by Brian Robinson. The actual judging will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday.

The banquet and awards ceremony will be held at the Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa beginning with cocktails at 6 p.m. Saturday and is limited to members of the ACBS.

ACBS International judging criteria will be utilized in Lake Arrowhead. Awards will be for best Pre-War Runabouts (Class I), Post-War Runabouts (Class II), Outboards (Class III), Utilities (Class IV), and Open (Class V).

At 12:30 p.m. Saturday, the boats will parade in front of the Village docks much like they did 21 years ago. There is no charge to view the boat parade.

Other groups participating in the 2006 show include the Outboard Motor Club and the Inland Nautical Society, who will have displays. The McKenzie Water Ski School will offer a water ski show at 2:30 p.m. Saturday and the Rim of the World Historical Society will be selling commemorative items.

The Inland Nautical Society will be displaying and demonstrating the organization's models alongside the real classics. The group is based in Riverside and hosts two official regattas each year at Fairmount Park. Visit www.inland-nauticalsociety.com for more data on the club.

“WOODIES”

Many classic “woodies” will be displayed at various locations throughout the Village. Among the classic cars set for the one-day show is last year's “Best of Show,” a 1950 Ford owned by Mick and Robin Carolan.

One of the cars expected to participate is a 1941 Ford owned by Mark Henzel. The story goes Henzel's wife's grandparents once owned the old Top Hat Bar in Lake Arrowhead (1933-1955) and so Henzel was anxious to return to Lake Arrowhead.

One car, owned by Larry Ginsberg, is sure to capture the hearts of “woodies” lovers. His 1947 Ford Super Deluxe Sportsman convertible has attracted attention at several other shows.

Members of the Southern California Woodie Club and the National Woodie Club own many of the cars scheduled to appear in Lake Arrowhead this Saturday. The National Woodie Club exists to promote interest in woodies; to educate owners and the public on their history, beauty, usefulness and uniqueness; and to provide an association through which woodie owners and enthusiasts may exchange information on history, building, restoration or modification techniques and share experiences.

“Woodies on the Lake” is being coordinated by Tom Parson from Orange and David Stuart of Lake Arrowhead. The Saturday show is now in its 15th year and will conclude with a 4 p.m. award ceremony at Center Stage in Lake Arrowhead Village.

This year, awards will go to the “Best ‘39 or older Woodie,” “Best 40s Woodie,” “Best 50s Woodie,” “Best Lakeside Woodie” and “Best of Show.”

Sunday morning at 10 a.m. there will be a “woodies” car parade around the lake.

SPONSORS

The 2006 Lake Arrowhead Antique and Classic Wooden Boat Show is sponsored by Windermere Fine Properties. Windermere is working in partnership with the Lake Arrowhead Communities Chamber of Commerce, the Antique and Classic Wooden Boat Society, Arrowhead Lake Association, and Lake Arrowhead Village.

During the show, Arrowhead Lake Association members receive a 2-for-1 admission to the boat docks. The two docks that will be used are in front of Woody's Boathouse Restaurant and the McDonald's dock. The Village convenience dock for ALA members will be in front of the Children's Museum both days.

For additional information, contact the chamber at (909) 337-3715 or visit www.lakearrowhead.net.
 
  wooden boat: Ahoy Mates! The Wooden Boat Show Sails this Weekend
BY MICHAEL P. NEUFELD







Twenty-one years ago, a group of about a dozen wooden boat owners, gathered at the dock of the Hilton Hotel (now Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa) to stage a boat parade around Lake Arrowhead.

It was July 6, 1985, when approximately nine wooden boats cruised around the lake, to the delight of people in Lake Arrowhead Village as well as other boaters on the lake.

“It was such a good feeling showing off these beautiful boats from yesteryear,” Betty Hueber recalled. Huebner and her husband, Roger, were among that original group who launched the Antique and Classic Wooden Boat Show on Lake Arrowhead.

This weekend (June 3-4), the 22nd Annual Antique and Classic Wooden Boat Show, sponsored by the Southern California Chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society, Inc. (ACBS), will be held at Lake Arrowhead Village. The Village will also welcome over two-dozen classic “woodies” on Saturday.

Show hours are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday (June 3) and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday (June 4). The “woodies” will be available from 10 a.m. and there is no charge to view the classic vehicles on Saturday. The $5 dock admission will allow visitors to talk with boat owners about their boats and learn more about the careful preservation of the wooden boats.

A special Skippers' meeting with Arrowhead Lake Association's Lake Patrol will be held at 5 p.m. Friday, followed at 6 p.m. by a welcome and get-acquainted gathering at a local residence.

“Presented at this year's show,” according to chapter president John Maddox, “is a wonderful collection of beautiful boats representing the various classic boat manufacturers of days gone by-Chris Craft, Century, Gar Wood, Hacker Craft, Thompson, Trojan, and a few other lesser known but equally impressive companies.”

Over 50 boats are expected to be available for viewing, including Healey Passions, a 1958 Healey Sportsboat Model 55 owned by John and Deborah Hunt from Santa Maria. Last year, Healey Passions collected some of the top honors, including “Best 1958 and Older Utility.” The Mountain News and Mountain Shopper sponsored the award.

LAKE ARROWHEAD BOATS

Several Lake Arrowhead area residents are among those showing boats this weekend. Tom and Mary Seabold will showcase Merry Chris. “The boat is named after my lovely wife, Merry Christine, who was born on Christmas Day,” Tom Seabold explained. The boat is a 1952 Chris-Craft 19-foot Racing Runabout.

Jim and Lynne Miller of Lake Arrowhead will display a 1957 Century 18-foot Resorter named Temptress. Restoration of the boat has just been completed, and it is equipped with the original Dearborn Marine Interceptor engine. The Millers will be debuting Temptress at the Lake Arrowhead show.

A 1965 Chris-Craft Super Sport owned by Lake Arrowhead's Jim Ball will also be on display. The boat is affectionately named Bahama Mama.

Miss Lizzy, soon to be named Ter-Jer, was purchased by Teri and Jerry Wilcut at the Lake Arrowhead Marina in 1977. The only water the Chris-Craft boat has ever been on is Lake Arrowhead.

Lake Arrowhead's show is the premier wooden boat show in Southern California and the only one in the area that is judged. The judges are members of the ACBS Southern California Chapter and are headed by Brian Robinson. The actual judging will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday.

The banquet and awards ceremony will be held at the Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa beginning with cocktails at 6 p.m. Saturday and is limited to members of the ACBS.

ACBS International judging criteria will be utilized in Lake Arrowhead. Awards will be for best Pre-War Runabouts (Class I), Post-War Runabouts (Class II), Outboards (Class III), Utilities (Class IV), and Open (Class V).

At 12:30 p.m. Saturday, the boats will parade in front of the Village docks much like they did 21 years ago. There is no charge to view the boat parade.

Other groups participating in the 2006 show include the Outboard Motor Club and the Inland Nautical Society, who will have displays. The McKenzie Water Ski School will offer a water ski show at 2:30 p.m. Saturday and the Rim of the World Historical Society will be selling commemorative items.

The Inland Nautical Society will be displaying and demonstrating the organization's models alongside the real classics. The group is based in Riverside and hosts two official regattas each year at Fairmount Park. Visit www.inland-nauticalsociety.com for more data on the club.

“WOODIES”

Many classic “woodies” will be displayed at various locations throughout the Village. Among the classic cars set for the one-day show is last year's “Best of Show,” a 1950 Ford owned by Mick and Robin Carolan.

One of the cars expected to participate is a 1941 Ford owned by Mark Henzel. The story goes Henzel's wife's grandparents once owned the old Top Hat Bar in Lake Arrowhead (1933-1955) and so Henzel was anxious to return to Lake Arrowhead.

One car, owned by Larry Ginsberg, is sure to capture the hearts of “woodies” lovers. His 1947 Ford Super Deluxe Sportsman convertible has attracted attention at several other shows.

Members of the Southern California Woodie Club and the National Woodie Club own many of the cars scheduled to appear in Lake Arrowhead this Saturday. The National Woodie Club exists to promote interest in woodies; to educate owners and the public on their history, beauty, usefulness and uniqueness; and to provide an association through which woodie owners and enthusiasts may exchange information on history, building, restoration or modification techniques and share experiences.

“Woodies on the Lake” is being coordinated by Tom Parson from Orange and David Stuart of Lake Arrowhead. The Saturday show is now in its 15th year and will conclude with a 4 p.m. award ceremony at Center Stage in Lake Arrowhead Village.

This year, awards will go to the “Best ‘39 or older Woodie,” “Best 40s Woodie,” “Best 50s Woodie,” “Best Lakeside Woodie” and “Best of Show.”

Sunday morning at 10 a.m. there will be a “woodies” car parade around the lake.

SPONSORS

The 2006 Lake Arrowhead Antique and Classic Wooden Boat Show is sponsored by Windermere Fine Properties. Windermere is working in partnership with the Lake Arrowhead Communities Chamber of Commerce, the Antique and Classic Wooden Boat Society, Arrowhead Lake Association, and Lake Arrowhead Village.

During the show, Arrowhead Lake Association members receive a 2-for-1 admission to the boat docks. The two docks that will be used are in front of Woody's Boathouse Restaurant and the McDonald's dock. The Village convenience dock for ALA members will be in front of the Children's Museum both days.

For additional information, contact the chamber at (909) 337-3715 or visit www.lakearrowhead.net.
 
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