Summer 2005 Newsletter

Commodore’s Message At our annual meeting there was some discussion of an old Newburyport newspaper article. It was about an overflow crowd at a lecture on the Friendship Sloop. Interest in the Friendship Sloop and its role in our maritime history then extended beyond the membership of this Society. We recognized this, and invited the public to a lecture at the April gathering of the Massachusetts Friends of Friendships titled “Build a Model Friendship Sloop”. In spite of the Saturday afternoon timing and fears of a blizzard, a good turnout resulted. The speaker was Biff Martin, Regional Representative of the U.S. Vintage Model Yacht Group www.swcp.com/usymyg. Biff told of his boyhood start in model boating, illustrated the steps he uses in constructing wood and fiberglass (FG) models, and described changes in the sport of sailing before opening the meeting for discussion. There was a barrage of interest when Biff opened the lecture to questions. Tips and techniques were passed out and gathered up. One could appreciate the benefits of his years of experience, creativity and ingenuity. This marked him as a kindred spirit to those that have lovingly nursed, rebuilt and kept our original Friendship Sloops sailing. On display were two sets of Friendship plans dating back to 1900, a wood model and a FG model. Looking at these he commented, “Building, rigging and sailing a model could yield enough knowledge and experience to reduce the time to build a full scale boat to a winter project rather than the years that some have spent building”. A lot of boat building relates to being able to think the whole project through before you start. Beginning by gathering all the parts reduces cost and saves time and energy. No one stood up and said I am going to build a 30-foot Friend- ship, but a number of plans were taken. One man is now building a FG model. Maybe some youngsters will find a mentor and start building and sailing a model Friendship Sloop. Where might this lead? Maybe we should be gathering lecture material on other aspects of the Friendship Sloop. Model Boat Building Biff was 14 years old when at Redds Pond in Marblehead he found a mentor that supplied him with the lines of a classic model and much advice. Biff carved the hull, rigged the model and sailed it. He has been addicted to the hobby since then. His attraction to model making is the opportunity to be creative. (Continued to Page 2) Rockland – 2005 By Dave Graham, Race Committee Chairman Once the weather breaks, it is truly amazing how quickly late July begins to surface – – – and, of course, all the preparation of sloops, equipment and personnel that will go into the mix. Such is the case with your Race Committee – – – with the exception that the committee has been preparing for Rockland 2005, since last fall. By count, we have had no less that five meetings of the committee to pull everything together in time for July 26th when the cannon will be fired for the first race of the three-day series. This year, we will be trying something “new” – – – well, not exactly new but something we have not accomplished in quite a long time – – – for if conditions are right, we will be attempting to run “Handicap Alley” during one of the race days. As everyone appears to truly enjoy racing “inside” the Rockland breakwater; that is, in Rockland outer harbor, any set-up of “the alley” will be accomplished in a southwestern portion of the race course. More on this when we get into the Skippers’ Meetings under the tent at Rockland. Those of you who bring Class “A” sloops to Rockland will be pleased to know that the “Rum Line” trophy will also be avail- able at the conclusion of one of the races. Meanwhile, everyone should also be reminded that an “Anchor Start” can be antici- pated at Rockland. All these procedures will be covered in detail during the Skippers’ Meetings, each of which will be held at 9:00 AM on all three race days – – – so please make every attempt to get to Rockland for the 45th running of our long-standing race program. While I have your undivided attention, if your handicap has expired (each one is good for five years), I beg of you to contact Dick Salter for a handicap renewal. If there has been no change in your handicap rating during the previous five years, Dick will still need to know of your “no change” status. Guru though Dick may be, he is not a mind-reader. Communicating with Dick can be easy – – – just by calling him at 978-526-1004 and doing so will prevent him from assessing penalty points to sloops with expired handicaps – – – something no one wants. Volume 17 FSS.ORG Summer 2005 Issue 1 Friendships Newsletter of the Friendship Sloop Society

Commodore’s Message (Continued from Page 1) Biff is not alone. Today there are thousands of model boats being built and sailed competitively all over the world. Displaying a set of boat plans, he described the lines and the process of transferring them to patterns and lifts. Pairs of lifts are assembled and glued to form a stepped shape block. The block can then be carved to match the shape of the boat. Rather than the traditional lift patterns, he uses patterns of the buttocks lines. This approach makes the carving of a symmetric model easier. Just like a full-scale boat, typically 20 percent of the time is spent building the boat and 80 percent rigging and finishing it. Things have changed over the years. Now fiberglass (FG) models boats can be made in a day. Lifts are cut from insulating foam, glued, faired with a rasp and sanded. The foam model is painted with resin, covered with FG cloth, filled and sanded smooth. The foam is then removed leaving a FG hull to be finished and rigged. Today, for $150 you can have the pleasure of building a FG model complete with a radio control system. Pulpit Harbor Rendezvous Commodore Charlie Burnham and the Resolute will be in Pulpit Harbor the night of Sunday, July 24th. Charlie has suggested that the fleet rendezvous at Pulpit Harbor that day before continuing on to Rockland on Monday. For those not familiar with Pulpit Harbor, it is a snug and comfortable harbor for the fleet to gather, and a short sail to Rockland Harbor on Monday. Society “Member” Honored If you’ve been to the Homecoming at Rockland, you’ve probably met Saxon, Ted Walsh’s dog and one of his crew on Black Star. Saxon was recognized as the Boatyard Dog in the May edition of “Maine Boats & Harbors”. Along with a picture of Saxon, the following described why she was chosen. She might not look like much of a self-starter, but Saxon is a regular dynamo. Constant companion of Ted Walsh of Conway, New Hampshire, she has personally overseen the construction of a 24′ pulling boat for use on the Upper Missouri River, the building of two Aleutian sea kayaks and one Greenland sea kayak, and the renovation of Black Star, a 35′ Friendship sloop. In the summer she is in charge of the deck gang on Black Star, cruising the coast from Kittery, Maine, to the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick. In the winter she is just as busy, dividing her time between the boatshop at Stonehearth Open Learning Opportunities in Conway, New Hampshire, and her office job at TMC Books, also in Conway. She is a main character in a children’s book about sailing – “Merlin and the Black Star” – so she will have book signings to work into her already chaotic schedule. Dues Reminder If you haven’t mailed your annual dues in for 2004, please send them to: Caroline Phillips, Society Secretary 164 Sturbridge Road Charlton, MA 01507 Racing at Marblehead By David W. Graham Last year was the first running of the Friendship Sloop Society Marblehead races combined with the Corinthian Classic Wooden Boat Regatta. While flushed with the success of the program in 2004, this year everything is out-of-sync with regard to CYC and the Classic Wooden Boat schedules. Therefore, plans are under- way to run a one-day stand-alone race program for Friendship Sloops on Saturday, August 13th. The combined Friendship Sloop/Classic Wooden Boat regatta will resume on the second weekend of August 2006. Please mark both dates on your calendars. This year, competition will be high in August for capturing the coveted Ridgway Trophy, named in honor of the originator of the Marblehead races for Friendship Sloops, Lincoln Ridgway. Details on the race will be available in the mail prior to our Rockland races of late July. 2005 Schedule of Events New London Regatta July 9th & 10th Southwest Harbor Rendezvous July 23rd Homecoming Rendezvous & Races at Rockland July 25th to July 29th Friendship Days July 30th Marblehead Regatta August 13th Gloucester Schooner Festival September 3rd Annual Meeting November 12th Martin’s Manor, South Portland., ME Southwest Harbor Race The plans this summer for our Southwest Harbor “tune up” race will be largely the same as years previous. A loose circumnaviga- tion of Greenings Island with maximum emphasis on favorable sunny reaches! The date of this year’s gathering is Saturday, July 23rd. The SW Harbor Race and Westward Cruise will include a Saturday after the race lobster cook-out at Great Harbor Marina, hosted by Karl Brunner and Kristen Ramos (Helen Brooks, Loon, and #170). Sunday we will cruise west together, following the tide/wind and try to end up at Pulpit Harbor, North Haven with el Presidente on Resolute. Monday would be the sail to Rockland for an exciting photo op at the breakwater…. If you could call Miff Lauriat at 207-244-4313, e-mail us merppl@localnet.com or snailmail: 47 East Ridge Road, South- west Harbor, Maine 04679 and tell us your coming, that would be great!. – 2 –

Boat Goop By Ted Walsh I have been collecting recipes for different kinds of boat goop for years. Here are just a few. The service on traditional standing rigging needs to be coated in something that is both flexible and waterproof. Tar is the most traditional substance used for this (thus the cognomen “Jack Tar”), but has limitations in really hot and really cold weather. True tar (not plastic roof patch) is also increasingly difficult to get. It does smell great but requires practice to handle well, and may need to be heated to some degree-which can be potentially hazardous. Brion Toss in his excellent book “The Complete Rigger’s Apprentice”, lists a recipe for what he calls, “Nylon Slush.” This calls for ? black enamel paint, ? varnish, and ? net dip. I have found that ½ black paint to ½ net dip works really just as well and you don’t need the varnish. Net dip is a great product, but since most of the fishing industry has gone to synthetic nets, it can be hard to come by. If you can find it, you may find that you can not buy it in less than five gallon units, and that the shipping exceeds the cost of the product. If you can not get net dip, an alternate is to use ½ asphalt driveway sealer to ½ black paint. The result can be a little more gritty, but workable. With any of these formulas you will need to re-apply a maintenance coat every two to three years. I am continually re-impressed by what a useful material old oil based (not polyurethane) varnish is. I usually have at least one can that is made up of the thickened dregs of nearly- used-up cans. When the big lumps have been strained out, this makes a resilient, if less flexible, sealer for service. It also makes a particularly good medium to bed deck bungs over fastenings, providing a good seal over the fastening while unlikely to tear up the surrounding deck if future removal becomes necessary. You may have a situation where you need a flexible seal but where nylon slush or tar will not work. My suggestion here is hypalon paint. Hypalon is basically rubber paint, it is what is used to coat white-water rafts and “inflatables.” It can be purchased in small quantities through rafting supply stores like NRS, dries quickly, and although it usually comes in white or light grey, it can be colored any number of light colors using universal tint from a paint supply store. It does not come in dark colors, and if you are looking for that “tar” finish, this is not the correct product to use. Once applied hypalon will last and you should not need a maintenance coat for six or seven years. However, hypalon, also sold under the trade name Gacoflex H-22 (no, I did not make that up) must be handled with care. It is xylene based which means that in its liquid state it is basically not consistent with life. When dry the stuff is inert and quite safe, but while working with it be sure to wear a respirator with the appropriate filters, rubber gloves, and eye protection. In this respect, it is no different than handling most antifouling paints. Pendleton Memorial Scholarship Fund The following report appeared in the recently published “Annual Report of the Town of Friendship”. The Trustees of the Pendleton Memorial Scholarship Fund are pleased to report a total of $4,600 was granted during 2004. The following graduates of Medomak Valley High School received $1,000 scholarships: Ian T. Baird Central Maine Community College Amanda Kate Bramhall University of Maine at Augusta Amber Lea Reed University of Maine at Farmington Amanda Kate Bramhall was named the John T. Harlor Scholar- ship winner. The Trustees also awarded grants of $400 each to previous graduates for continuing education expenses: Timothy J. Ehle Gordon College Trevar J. Simmons Palm Beach Atlantic University Andrea York University of Southern Maine Leslie D. York Boston College The members of the Friendship Sloop Society established the Pendleton Memorial Scholarship Fund in 1967. Donations over the years have been invested, and the income from these invest- ments provides the basis for the scholarships awarded each year. During 2004, Memorial Donations were received in memory of Alan and Dorothy Bellhouse and Carl Mueller. The total income for 2004 was from the following sources: Dividends and Interest $3,368.76 Annual Meeting Auction 96.00 Bottle Returns at Regatta 14.20 Friendship Sloop Society 500.00 Memorial and Other Donations 750.00 $4,728.96 Scholarships Awarded $4,600.00 The investment marker continued to improve during 2004, and the value of the trust fund increased from $72,749.21 last year to $80,057.19 as of December 31, 2004. However, interest and dividends have not increased. The Trustees were forced to deplete the cash reserves in order to make the scholarship awards. Your donation to the fund is urgently needed. The young people of Friendship need your support. This is our Scholarship fund, for the benefit of our young people. Donations are needed and welcomed in any amount so that the Trust Fund can continue to grow. Your donation is deductible to the full extent of the law. Please send your contribution to David Bell, Treasurer; 35 Pumpkin Cove Road, New Harbor, ME 04555. Respectfully submitted, Bill Zuber, Chairman Current Trustees: David Bell, Treasurer Betty Roberts, Secretary Emerita Fay Bragan Charles Burnham, Commodore of Caroline Zuber, Secretary the Friendship Sloop Society Susan Campagna Viola Davis Bill Zuber, Chairman Constance Pratt – 3 –

Backyard boatbuilding projects are common enough, but a 70-foot steel schooner? That’s what retired teacher Adrian Hooydonk is welding together besides his small, coveside house in Sprucehead. At this stage the vessel is a jungle of steel frames, deck I-beams and the growing number of steel plates, from keel up, which define the hull. He has built a couple of wooden skiffs before and restored a Friendship Sloop, but this is something new, on a grand scale, and it’s an education. He discovered that a regular cutting torch warped the steel plates but a plasma device cuts them like butter. “I enjoy doing it,” said this muscular man who wears a gold shackle in his ear. “It’s a head-scratcher. I have to think about it, read about it.” He can heft the 200-pound strakes by himself, moving them around his shop and hitching them to a chain hoist. He then raises them into place, clamps and wedges them temporarily, and welds the seams. Hooydonk works alone, but often calls on his able-bodied wife, Pam, to lend a hand. She grew up in Orrington on the Penobscot River and shares his passion for boats and sailing. He laid the keel of his schooner three years ago this April and expects it will take him another few years to complete the Luctor Et Emergo, Latin for “struggled and overcame.” The vessel’s name fits the challenge of building her, but it’s also the motto of Seeland, a group of islands in Holland where he grew up. He taught vocational education for 28 years, many of them in Rockland, and said one of the reasons he retired was to concentrate on the schooner. He helps support his project with trips to Matinicus using the old fish carrier Bajupa, a fixture among local fishermen. The Hooydonks hope to use their schooner to bring needed supplies — of the nonperishable variety — to impoverished people. Adrian Hooydonk said that when you donate $100 worth of goods to the needy in South America, or Africa, it then costs $100 to ship it. Anyway, bringing things to people in need would be a great excuse to sail all over the world. The couple has three grown children by previous marriages, none of them interested in sailing, Adrian Hooydonk said with a sigh. It would help to be independently wealthy, but Hooydonk isn’t, and so far he has spent $30,000 on steel. If a shipyard was building the boat for him, he estimates it would cost him at least $1 million. Barely contained by a wood and sheet plastic shed, the schooner wowed students from a Rockland welding class; students who had been somewhat skeptical at first. Hooydonk found the design of his dream boat in Howard I. Chapelle’s book, “American Fishing Schooners, 1825 – 1935”. His favorite is a two-masted 1889 market schooner designed by Washington Tarr and launched at Essex, Massachusetts. She carried fresh-caught fish from the Grand Banks back to port, racing to be first and get the highest prices. She is recorded as sailing at 16 knots, said Hooydonk, who has fished the Grand Banks himself. The Nickerson carried a lot of sail, including topsails, and her boom overhung the stern. Hooydonk was attracted to large sail area, sweeping, graceful sheer lines and longevity. Oak planked on oak frames, the 96-ton vessel was wrecked at Cape Sable in 1923. Before starting his own schooner, Hooydonk brought the plans to naval architect Mark Fizgerald of C.W. Paine Yacht Design in Camden. Fitzgerald used computer models to check the design and said he couldn’t really improve on the original, designed from a simple half-model. Pam Hooydonk built a replica of that half-model from old boards. The new schooner will have a forecastle with bunks for four crew members, a cargo hold and ample quarters aft for the Hooydonks. Capt. Brenda Walker of the Rockland schooner Isaac H. Evans has promised to supply used sails, and Hooydonk has a line on some red spruce in Eggemoggin Reach suitable for spars. Hooydonk has a long and fond connection with the Friendship Sloop Society which began years ago when he took his lobster- boat from Rockland to Friendship Harbor to help an aging sailor enjoy the sloop races. When he tied up at a local wharf, he was informed in colorful language that under no circumstances should he dock there, let alone set traps anywhere near there. He found a warmer welcome from society members, including Captain Don Huston of the 1915 Wilbur Morse-built Eagle. He ended up sailing with Huston, savoring fresh mackerel, rum and coffee perc’d on the smoky Shipmate stove. Hooydonk got Friendship fever, and found his own sloop, the 1901 Norris Carter-built Omaha, wasting away in Brooklyn, New York. A tree was growing through her port side. He has since set her to rights, and he and Pam cruise together. Omaha is stored at Spruce Head Marine, in sight of the Hooydonk’s house and schooner shed. Please Check the Registry Each year the registry of sloops is published in the back of the yearbook. We attempt to keep it up to date when new members are added and boats change hands. This is, however, an imper- fect process and incorrect or incomplete entries occasionally make their way into our records. Since this is our official regis- ter we are requesting that each of you check the entry for your boat and get back to either secretary@fss.org or membership@fss.org with any changes or corrections. Thanks for your help. Chandlery News The chandlery will be open for business as usual at the Rockland Homecoming. Remember, all proceeds from the sale of FSS articles go into the general fund to support the Society. If you have any questions, or would like to order items, please contact: Kathy & Bill Whitney 75 Kingsbury Street Needham, MA 02192 781-449-2063 – 4 – Steel Schooner Take Shape in Sprucehead The following article, written by Steve Cartwright, appeared in the April, 2005 edition of “Working Waterfront / Inter-Island News”

Those who sail the coast of Maine are well aware of three things. Firstly, Maine offers some of the best cruising around. Secondly, it has a large population of lobster traps – so thick in some places that it is possible, with a good running start, to reach some of the nearer islands on foot. Thirdly, the water is pretty darn cold. So, if you sail around here long enough, inevitably you’ll end up with a lobster pot fouled on your prop or rudder. It can happen dramatically, with a loud bang as the buoy hits your hull and your engine stalling right afterwards. It can also happen subtly, under sail – usually in light air conditions, or in the middle of a tack, or when a strong current is running athwart your course. The boat feels a little sluggish and refuses to head up, and eventually you notice that there’s a pot warp leading out astern of you. What to do now? Admittedly, going over the side with a knife has a certain direct and dramatic appeal, calling to mind movies involving Navy SEALS or Captain Nemo. Just one problem: that cold water thing. It’s not just uncomfortable – it can quickly suck the strength right out of you. When I was a mate on a tugboat in New York, I had to pull a deckhand back aboard late one March. He was young, in good physical condition, and by his own description, a strong swimmer. Nevertheless, after treading water for less than five minutes, he could barely help me to haul him aboard, and afterwards could stand only with difficulty. I usually sail single handed, so I plan to avoid ever going in the drink if I can avoid it. Consequently, I’ve worked out a method to free Raven from the occasional lobster pot while keeping my feet dry. I’ve used it successfully four times now, and moreover, preserved the lobsterman’s gear on three of these occasions (the exception was when the buoy was unfortunately destroyed by my prop). Here’s my method. 1) Take a deep breath and remind yourself to stay calm – there’s usually not any truly urgent situation requiring that you free yourself really quickly. 2) Shut down your engine, if it’s not already shut down. Lower all of your sails, too. This will reduce the tension on the pot warp and make it easier to work with – since it’s probably holding your stern into the wind, and any sail you carry will make you tend to sail downwind, with the pot trailing astern of you, and lots of tension of the warp. 3) With your boathook, catch a bight of the warp and haul it aboard. Make it fast to a convenient cleat. This will prevent you from losing the fouled end overboard. Take the other part (the one under tension, leading down to the trap) cut it free, and walk it forward. 4) Pass this end outboard of the shrouds. And make it fast to your Sampson post or anchor cleat. Your boat will now head into the wind or current – you’re using the trap as an improvised mooring, and you’ll either stay put or drift slowly downwind or down current. 5) Go back aft and work on freeing the buoy end. With the tension off of it, this is often surprisingly easy. Sometime all it takes is hooking the buoy itself and pulling on it gently. Sometime a few tugs on the other end also helps. 6) Once the buoy end of the warp is free, take it forward and bend it back onto the trap end. Make your preparations to get underway, cast off the trap, and off you go. The 2005 Yearbook Most of our membership will not notice anything remarkably different about the 2005 yearbook. The book, itself, is actually quite similar to the previous 44 yearbooks, but the process that got it there has undergone a dramatic change. For a number of years, Sunshine Press in Rockland has under- taken the job of raising advertising money and laying out the yearbook for the Sloop Society. Over the past few years they have expressed concern that they were having problems raising the required ad money for such a specialized publication. In short, they were not covering their costs. This year they decided to pull out completely, but we were not informed of their decision until this spring when it was time to get things started. This created a major panic amongst your executive committee and almost suicidal thoughts by your editors!! Nevertheless, after the initial shock we rallied and pulled off what looks to be minor miracle. There will be a 40 page yearbook in 2005 and it is the result of many sloop society members’ efforts. When Sunshine Press pulled out we were left with the challenge of selling all the advertisements and finding a publisher. Fortunately our Vice Commodore, Roger Lee, stepped up and took on the job of coordinating ad sales. Other members also rallied to sell ads, and our membership that has businesses has continued to support the yearbook. The end result is that we turned a panic into a profit. The printer, Lincoln County News, has worked with us to layout the yearbook, Sunshine Press supplied the ad copy from the last several years, thus saving us the cost of recreating ads, and the Executive Committee took the chance by authorizing the expenditure’s related to the yearbook not knowing that we could really pull it off. As the editors we want to thank all of you who helped keep the yearbook alive. It has been a challenge this year but, typical of the Sloop Society, when you need help it always comes along. Rich and Beth Langton Support Our Supporters This year especially, our yearbook is made possible not only through the efforts of our members, but also through the businesses that place ads in our book. When you read the articles in this year’s yearbook, take some time to notice the advertising. Then, when you stop in the store or restaurant, make a point of telling the waitress, manager, or anyone that will listen, that you saw their ad in the Friendship Sloop Society publication. Please help us keep the yearbook afloat by supporting our supporters. – 5 – “Raven” and the Lobster Pot Dilemma By Jeff Richards (Submitted for the yearbook, but included in the newsletter because of yearbook space limitations)

Back in the 80’s, my father came up with the idea of a roller- furling maintopsail. At the time it seemed a little silly to me, but I hadn’t spent much time messing around with the topsail in rough conditions nor had I gotten it stuck up there yet. But then early on in the summer of my eighteenth year (also my first time in sole command of Phoenix) my buddy Christian introduced me to a new kind of screwdriver. this screwdriver was a drink and after trying a few of them I lost the topsail halyard while taking the sail down in a blow. You should have seen us trying to get the loose end back. We were “fog” bound at Harbor Island and had every stick on the boat duct taped together. Anyhow, the idea of my dad’s rollerfurling topsail was sold to me. The original roller topsail was basically an old standard topsail sewn onto an old jib topsail cable. We didn’t want to spend a lot of money on a new sail that might not even work. Bohndells in Rockport did this work for us. They sure looked at us screwy and kept labeling the sail a jib. Even today they think I am crazy, but that’s another story for another publication. The basic rigging was the same as our old system. The outhaul (b) and halyard blocks (c) were the same. Even our block on the gaff jaws (e) to “tweak the shape” made a great in-haul for the new roller-cable. Now this line just ties loosely to the roller cable (f). The inhaul line (d) of the sail needed minor adjust- ments, but basically worked just fine also. I’m always happy to not have to drill through good varnish if I don’t have too. We did have to buy a larger roller spool (h) and a bit of new light- weight dacron line. The system is pretty darn simple, but the slickness is in the little tricks. I guess that’s true with all of sailing. When the roller jibs roll up, they are fight- ing against wind to roll, but that’s it. This sail is fighting against friction from rigging all around it and the wind. The most important thing is to try to minimize that friction. The halyard runs up the mast aft of the spreaders (g) but returns to the deck on the bow side. This also reduces the chance of the rig trying to roll the halyard into the spool when taking in sail. The same is true of the inhaul line (d). believe me, when lines get rolled up into the sail, its annoying. Basically, give the roller cable and spool as much room as you can. The second trick is to reduce gravity fighting the system. The inhaul line (d) needs to be as light as it can without being impos- sible to pull in. it rolls up into the sail and that’s an uphill path. I kept the outhaul at its original weight but I often shake the rollercable while dousing sail to get it to pull some of the outhaul through its various blocks. Like all roller systems, its important to roll with the cable (so the cable tightens its weave as you roll the sail in) and also to tension the halyard with some multipurchase style leverage. I basically use a bowline in a bit to accomplish this down near my pin rail on all my roller sails. Well, OK, its not a bowline in a bit but it works similarly and is easier to remember how to tie. I think the official term is a truckers knot. One of the best parts, but not THE best, of this system is when it gets stuck (which is rare these days) if it stops rolling for some reason, the whole rig comes down by releasing two knots. Another best part is being able to fly all my sails when I am single-handed. Or even the look on the schooner hands faces from up the mast when we come into a harbor together. They look at me and then at their captain and wonder why they have to work so hard to do the same thing. But the absolute bestest part of the rig is the look, not only of the boat, but on Jack, John, Jeff and Wayne Cronins’ faces when I set and douse and set and douse the topsail. Now that’s a good day on the water. I hope you enjoyed the article, but don’t make a roller topsail. I like being the only one. (In actuality I think there are at least five sloops, mostly made my Ralph and Richard Stanley, with the rig already in use.) Treasurer’s Report Jonathan Leavy, FSS Treasurer, submitted the following report as of May 31, 2005 Actual Budget Difference Receipts: Membership 4,565 4,440 125 Chandlery 1,139 1,750 (611) Annual Meeting 1,349 2,070 (721) Yearbook – all advertising 6,170 3,000 3,170 Contributions (to FSS) 476 400 76 All Other 109 80 29 Total Receipts 13,808 11,740 2,068 Expenses: Chandlery Purchases 1,175 1,500 325 Regatta Expenses 572 825 253 Annual Meeting 1,242 1,600 358 Charitable Donations 1,300 1,300 0 Secretary Compensation 1,000 1,000 0 Yearbook 0 2,500 2,500 Administrative 1,693 2,245 552 Total Expenses 6,982 10,970 3,988 Net Cash In (Out) 6,826 770 6,056 The financial news remains the yearbook. We have $6,000 more cash than planned because we have received more than $3,000 more than budgeted for yearbook advertising (a permanent benefit) and spent $2,500 less than planned on the yearbook (a temporary benefit). Membership has also pulled ahead of plan, only slightly but a good sign nonetheless. – 6 – The Rollertopsail By Tad Beck (Submitted for the yearbook, but included in the newsletter because of yearbook space limitations)

This column is a forum for sharing the vast range of practical experience accumulated by our membership and not just my favorite boat maintenance topics. It is intended to be the place where you, the reader, can ask technical questions and either obtain direct answers in this column or direction to appropriate reference material. With this article we’ll return to the originally scripted plan and look at the instrumentation (depth, speed, GPS, LORAN, etc.) most of us have, at least to some minimum degree, aboard the boat. In a previous article we looked at the marine compass, possibly the best, most reliable instrument you could hope to find. Of course it doesn’t require things that fail like external power, remote sensors, or interface cables, so it’s bound to be reliable. Almost all of the other instruments on our boats today are electronic. That’s not to say they are unreliable, but because they need a power source, they can become inoperative at the most inopportune time. So before I go any further, a word of warning. Never, ever, ever, ever rely solely on electronic instru- ments as your only reference when navigating. Electronic instru- ments are great tools, but like a good hammer, it is only as good as the skilled hand that uses it. Paper charts are basic reference around which all of our other navigation instruments revolve. Before you go cruising have good charts with you, and make sure they are up to date. Just because you have this year’s edition doesn’t guarantee they have all the latest changes incorporated into them. Even if you have the latest electronic charting software it will most likely be out of date. If you have an Internet connection go to the First Coast Guard District website http://www.uscg.mil/d1/navinfo.htm and download the latest monthly Local Notice to Mariners, or if you don’t have a computer, subscribe and have it sent by mail. Many local libraries also have computer work stations that can be used to download the information you select. The monthly edition has information concerning the waterways of the First Coast Guard District, which covers the coastal waters from Eastport, Maine to Shrewsbury, New Jersey. The website is a superior source of information. Not only is there a link to the Local Notices but as you can see from the table below, a source for many of the other publications you should have onboard including Volume 1 of the Light List and the 1st District Coast Pilot. Another good feature of the site is that as a taxpayer you already paid for the information, the download is free. Printing could be a different story. You’re on your own for that! Contact Us Special Notice to Mariners Links Private Aids to Navigation Coast Pilot Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Light List – Vol 1 (PDF) Chart Corrections – First District Charts Local Notice to Mariners National Imagery & Mapping Agency (NIMA) While you are in the site you need to look at the latest Weekly Supplement to the Local Notice to Mariners (LNM). The weekly LNM contains all the new changes and other late breaking updates since publication of the monthly LNM. If you’ve never looked at this web site, or seen these two documents, you really need to. I know that they look intimidating to someone who has not seen them before, but once you get used to how they are organized, and the information they contain, they can literally be lifesavers if you heed the information in them. As recreational sailors we don’t always pay that much attention to updating our charts. That’s not good. Whether you are a ‘compass and clock navigator’, or have the slickest new electron- ics, your charts still need to have the right information on them. Searching for a buoy or mark in the fog (we have had a lot of practice doing that these last three years!) whether based on a DR, Loran or GPS, can be real frustrating or down right scary if the buoy has been moved or replaced by a temporary buoy and you didn’t know it because your charts are out of date. As an example, if you sail Frenchman or Blue Hill Bay and go looking for the Egg Rock Bell buoy 8 (44-11-01.88N, 068-30-34.19W), it’s not there any more. Some of the other information in the Monthly Edition are special warnings for various harbors, including Boston, Ports- mouth NH, and Kennebunkport. These harbors now have specials security zones in force. The Monthly Edition references the charts and other information sources so that you can stay out of trouble while trying to enjoy a cruise. Additionally it has information on the bridge repairs on SR27 Bridge across the Townsend Gut and the new operating schedule necessitated by the repairs. Depending on your summer plans, this could be very worthwhile information. The Weekly Supplement # 19/05 has updated information for chart 13283, Cape Neddick Harbor to Isles of Shoals. It corrects the VAR data to 2005 values and changes the annual decrease for several compass roses on the chart. I don’t know about you but I like to have this type of information. The nautical chart is the basis of navigation on the water. No matter how basic or advanced your instrumentation is you need accurate charts. Be prepared. Take a look at the Monthly and Weekly Local Notice to Mariners and update your charts before you get underway. Racing Numbers The Race Committee is asking skippers to use sloop numbers for racing. Numbers do not have to be permanently attached to sails, they can be attached to shrouds. Numbers should be large enough to be read from a reasonable distance. – 7 – Tech Tips #13 by “The Old Salt” Bill Whitney

Membership Committee The Friendship Sloop Society extends a hearty “Welcome Aboard” to its newest members of 2005: 1 Chris Davis of Harborside, ME. 2 Downeast Sailing Adventures of Bar Harbor, ME new owners of sloop #49 Surprise 3 George Gallup of Lynn, MA 4 Cordell & Janine Hutchins of Cape Porpoise, ME new owners of sloop #275 Viking 5 Robert Quadros of Salem, MA new owner of sloop #23 Depression 6 David & Nancy Schandall of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia new owners of sloop #128 Schoodic 7 Newest sloop registered #276 Lucy Belle owned by members Peter and Lucy Sellers of Philadelphia, PA 8 Inland Seas Education Foundation of Suttons Bay, MI new owners of sloop #157 Liberty 9 Scott Martin of Bar Harbor, ME owner of sloop #122 Eden 10 William & Shawn Poole of Fulton, NY new owners of sloop #69 Coast O’ Maine 11 Eben Whitcomb of Westbrook, CT In an effort to maintain an accurate database regarding the status of our sloops, the membership committee asks that all members review the registry of sloops in this year’s yearbook and guide and report any discrepancies to the membership chairman at membership@fss.org. Especially welcome would be any infor- mation relative to those sloops on the “Lost” registered sloops list. Society Officers Bob Monk, Jr. 3 School Hill Lane North Reading, MA 01864 (978)-664-6812 David Graham 7 Batchelder Road Marblehead, MA 01945 (781)-631-6680 Membership Chairman Race Committee Chairman John Wojcik 347 Lincoln Street Norwell. MA 02061 (781)-659-2820 Rich & Beth Langton 868 Cross Point Road Edgecomb, ME 04556 (207)-633-4780 Newsletter Editor Yearbook Editor Jonathan Leavy 4 Eden Avenue Newton, MA 02165 (617)-527-3226 Caroline Philips 75 Molasses Hill Road Brookfield, MA 01506 (508)-867-0503 Treasurer Secretary Roger Lee 26 Park Street Belfast, ME 04915 (207)-338-6837 Charlie Burnham 30 Southern Avenue Essex, MA 01929 (978)-768-7146 Vice-Commodore Commodore Handicap Recertification The Race Committee will be happy to equitably handicap any member’s sloop for which a completed handicap is received prior to the 30th of June each year. Handicap rating applications and measurement instructions are available from the Race Committee or the Handicapper upon request. The application can also be printed from the Sloop Society website (FSS.ORG). All sloops with a handicap rating dated prior to 2001 will be considered to have no handicap rating due to expiration of the handicap data. Sloop owners must file an updated handicap application for their vessel every five years, whether or not changes may have been made to either the hull or rig. However, when such changes have been made, it is necessary to immediately reapply for an updated handicap rating. New owners of previously handicapped sloops are required to submit an application for a handicap rating before entering their first regatta. Begun in 2000, participating skippers / owners who decline to file an updated handicap application in a timely manner (before June 30th), have received a dockside handicap, which includes a penalty. Please do not place this unnecessary burden on your race committee! Member Sloops With Up-to-Date Handicap Data If your sloop is NOT listed here, please renew your handicap application now! Sail No. Sail No. Sail No. Sail No. Sail No. Sail No. Sail No. 5 7 10 23 24 44 45 52 53 54 66 90 91 96 100 123 147 155 166 167 180 189 193 196 197 208 214 218 222 225 227 232 250 262 – 8 –