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The weekend, June 5-6, was the annual John Gardner Small Craft
Seminar Weekend at Mystic Seaport.
The weather, unfortunately, was not really cooperative. Saturday
was cloudy and threatening, and Sunday, though promising early,
turned dark about 9am and then got quite windy as the leading
edge of a strong cold front moved through the area. As a result,
attendance at the event on Sunday, the day I managed to attend,
was virtually nil - perhaps five to six privately-owned boats
and at most ten or twelve people on the docks, all told, during
the mid-day hours I was there. (I think the weather this past
weekend was far better than back in 2001, though, when it was wet, dark and cold the entire weekend).
That said, there were several quite interesting boats, as always,
to admire against the backdrop of Mystic Seaport.
Sunlight at mid-day, boats on the piers, and two onlookers! (Though
there were two attendees from the recent Early American Industries
Association annual meeting out messing about in a sailboat). This
is a view from the piers looking back at the Boathouse.
I don't get the opportunity to visit Mystic Seaport all that
often, so it is always a memorable experience when I do so. Many
of Mystic's small craft were out on the piers.
This fine craft is one of the Mystic boats.
"Skye" is a little Mystic-owned pram.
"Peter and Allyn", one of the privately-owned boats
at the Workshop. I really like this rough and tough-looking boat.
She was coppered below those two upper strakes.
Another of the small craft owned by Mystic Seaport.
One of the privately-owned visitors. That interior color is a
first for me - it seemed to work for the boat!
There was a mix of traditional and contemporary small craft on
the docks. The breasthook on this glued lapstrake boat caught
my eye. There is a lot of restrained detail to admire in this
boat.
There was a mix of traditional and contemporary small craft on
the docks. The breasthook on this glued lapstrake boat caught my
eye. There is a lot of restrained detail to admire in this boat.
A decked sailing canoe looked as though it was ready to jump
away from the dock at the slightest provocation. Luckily, the
wind pinned the boat nicely to the float!
This eye-catching traditionally-built boat had a registration
sticker from Mamaroneck NY discretely tucked on one side of the
hull.
"Sand", one of Mystic's boats.
"Captain Hook"
A little water on the deck of this small boat will help tighten
things up.
A couple took a row in one of the Mystic boats...
...and this is one of the several decked canoes that occasionally
flitted about the harbor in the winds. All in all, as always,
and weather not withstanding, it was a great day at Mystic Seaport.
It would have been nice to have more people enjoy it!
Pete Leenhouts
Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding
Port Hadlock WA
https://www.nwboatschool.org/
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