Commodore’s Message Greetings all, I am writing this as the first significant snowfall is coming down here in New England, and it is a good time to reflect on the past year. The Homecoming in Rockland was a resounding success with great weather all three days. We crowned a new State of Maine winner, with Victor Goulding’s Inherit The Wind taking the honors. While we were all competing for the top prize, it is a great pleasure to put a new name on the trophy. Also on the ‘new’ topic, we had Richard and Karen Schwartz sailing onboard with us on Tannis, and they are now in the process of buying #167 Freedom! Since my parents bought Tannis in 1968, we have made every effort at the regattas to invite many people aboard wishing to sail on a Friendship sloop. Some sail for one year, some have continued to crew with us or on other boats. Others, like Richard and Karen, buy a sloop of their own and will hopefully join in the camaraderie and racing. It is a pleasure to introduce others to the passion we have for the Friendship sloop, and to keep our membership and participation growing. Educat- ing the public about Friendship sloops and sharing our love of these boats are key to the mission of the FSS, and the Homecom- ing is a fantastic opportunity for both endeavors. I would like to thank the Rockland Harbormaster, Matt Ripley, and the City of Rockland for allowing us the use of their docks for our Annual Homecoming in July. The access to the sloops and to local amenities could not be better, and the city and Harbormaster’s staff have been phenomenal in their hospi- tality to us over the 22 years we have been there. We hope they will have us back for many years to come. I became Commodore one year ago. When I accepted this role, I was told, “you have a good group working with you”. That encouragement could not have been more on target. The Friendship Sloop Society is a great group to work with, making the Commodore’s job fairly stress-free and smooth. So don’t be intimidated if our Nomination Chairman Peter Toppan approaches you in the future. If I can do it, so can you! Won’t you join us? Jeff Cronin, Commodore New Archival Space for the FSS By Caroline Zuber The Friendship Sloop Society has, for some time now, grappled with the problem of what to do with various extensive personal collections of Friendship sloop related documents, artifacts, photographs and plans. Several museums in Maine currently house significant collections of this type of historical material for public display and use, providing an in-depth look into the history and cultural impact of these boats. These include the Friendship Museum, the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath, the Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport, and Rockland’s Sail, Power and Steam Museum. Many individuals with ties to the FSS, such as Society historian Ralph Stanley, have also amassed great quantities of historical sloop documents, and have expressed an interest in centralizing and coordinating these collections. At last, the solution has arrived, with the expansion of the Friendship Museum into “The Annex”, a larger building in downtown Friendship currently undergoing renovations. The Annex, formerly a garage and apartment building, is far bigger than the Museum’s existing home, with some space to spare, it seems, to house the FSS collections! (Continued to Page 7) Volume 30 Winter 2018 FSS.ORG Issue 1 Friendships Newsletter of the Friendship Sloop Society 1 The welcoming entrance to the newly renovated Friendship Museum Annex. (Photo courtesy of Caroline Zuber)

The Launch of “Maria” by Alden Burnham (The story of Alden’s restoration of Maria #127, alongside his father, shipwright Harold Burnham of Essex, MA, appeared in the Summer 2017 issue of the FSS Newsletter. Maria was the first boat built by Alden’s grandfather, Charlie Burnham, in 1970, named for his grandmother. The family has a long history of sailing Friendship sloops and involvement in the FSS.) The launch was a blur of emotions for me, but I was more amazed with the days leading up to that culminating moment. We had set the launch for the Maria originally at the end of May of 2017, then pushed it back to June, and as the summer got busier charter- ing Ardelle and working on other projects, the Maria’s launch was set into August. At that point, with little sailing left in the season, my dad said we could push the project back another year. It was only soon after he offered this that my grandfather, Charlie, came down to have a look inside the boat and asked me “are you going to hurry up and get this boat done so I can go for one last sail before I die”? We decided to set the deadline at September 21 and get it done. Of course, this meant my dad and I didn’t sleep for a week before the boat launched, and we finished painting it 5 minutes before it went in the water. But she went in the water, not without the help of dozens of volunteers who worked late into the night including a crew from the schooner Adventure, many of my dad’s capable friends, and Katie Dench, who kept us going even when neither of us wanted to. My maternal grandfather was also able to come help for the last week, finishing out the rails and milling the ceiling. Even with all this support, which I am enormously grateful for, the day before the launch the boat was only about half planked below the water line. It seemed like some of the most frustrating work, when at 3 AM we finished one of the planks and got the bevels cut, only to have it split in two as we screwed it in! The next day we finished the planking and my sister went around the boat finding holes we had forgotten to caulk or plug, and she is undoubtedly the reason the boat floated. A few hours later my friends, family, and much of the town watched the boat race into the water down the greased ways, as though she had been waiting 40 years for that moment. The first trip we took downriver with Dave Brown and Katie was surprisingly relaxed, as the wind died down under the setting October sun. It was a great feeling to finally have my visions of sailing manifested. The next weekend I took my girlfriend and roommate sailing to welcome in the Ardelle and Lewis Story. I have spent my whole life on the Essex River, and spent the entire summer clamming on it, but nonetheless, we managed to put the Maria up on the marsh at least 3 times, which required pushing and heaving and leveraging to get her off. But I knew that I could get off of the marsh. I knew this because one time Charlie got the Resolute #123 stuck on the marsh and had to go back and dig a trench next to the keel with a shovel so it would right itself on the tide and he could get it off. Much like I knew I could finish the boat, because Charlie, with 3 children and a full time job in Boston finished the boat on his own time 40 years earlier. Tradition is finding something that works and continu- ing to do it. This apprenticeship, funded by a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, allowed me a brief glimpse and a lasting interest into the things that boatbuilders have done for a long time, that effectively create strong and beautiful vessels. The advantages of growing up in a shipyard have for too long been overlooked in my life, and because of this apprenticeship I was finally able to begin to respect the opportunity before me. As I spend more time on the working waterfront from Gloucester to Boston, I now have a deeply improved sense for what makes wooden boats truly beautiful feats of engineering, including the Roseway, Adventure, and Ernestina, each of which represents a cultural icon that I can now more fully respect and comprehend. In addition to developing my personal identity and craftsmanship, this apprenticeship was important to me as a way of paying homage to those masters who rightly take pride in beautiful boatbuilding work. It was amazing to be able to work with my father on the boat that my grandfather built. He always encouraged me by saying that it should be as much fun to build as it is to sail. Improvement is what gave me the most gratifica- tion during this apprenticeship, and my father always tells me that after 5 years I will become 7 times more accurate and 7 times faster. I hope to continue to progress as a craftsman, and I feel that without this grant I would have been far worse off at improving my own abilities. I was consistently impressed by the people who I was working next to and around, with their dexterity and skill. At some times it made me feel frustrated that I could not move through tasks with the same drive that they seemed to have. But for the last year as a teacher at Community Boat Building, a nonprofit that works with low-income students in Boston build- ing wooden rowboats, my students looked at me as an instructor the same way that I look at other master craftsmen. This appren- ticeship was a journey of me making mistakes, and also listening to a master who had made many mistakes before I did. I had no good reason to be frustrated in this process because there was no reason that I should have known what I was doing. (Continued to Page 10) – 2 – (Photo courtesy of Len Burgess)

Membership Report By Carole Wojcik, Membership Secretary Membership revenue has declined slightly since last year, with only 75% of our members having paid 2017 dues, compared to 80% of members paying in 2016. We currently have 222 members compared to 214 in 2016. The following table shows the activity: 222 Total Members 7 Complimentary Members 4 Honorary Members 75% 159 / 211 81% 43 / 53 Co-Op Members 76% 31 / 41 Full Members 73% 85 / 117 Sloop Owners The following are new members:  Alden Burnham of Essex, MA, who recently re-launched #127 Maria (built by his grandfather Charlie Burnham 40 years ago), after an extensive rebuild (see this issue, page 2).  Tom Ash of Boxford, MA, owner of #32 Nomad, a 33’ Class A sloop built by Wilbur Morse in 1906.  Charles Meyer of Hingham, MA, owner of #134 Voyager, a 22’ Passamaquoddy hull.  Dave Schuler of Rochester, NY, owner of #38 Eleazar, a 38’ sloop built by Scott Carter in 1938.  Jon March, brother of past commodore Noel March.  Nathaniel Clapp of Ipswich, MA, builder of #35 Mary C.  Oliver Dominick of Phippsburg, ME, who has sailed on Gladiator. In 2017, three of our members passed away:  Fred Perone of Plymouth, MA, longtime member and owner of #94 Voyager, and former owner of #42 Selkie.  Leo Campbell, Race Committee member and former owner of #182 Charity.  Honorary member Cy Hamlin. Cy was a naval architect who created the racing handicapping formula that we still use today. Carole received the following letters from members: From Diana Gay, who owned #94 Diana with her late husband Eben: “I can no longer see or hear the ocean from this side of Rockland in a retirement home – alas. But I did go look at the sloops from the Harbor Boardwalk. Remember Sarah Mead and Hank and Marian White? They have retired here also. I read the sloop yearbook avidly, and for that annual binge of nostalgia, I have to keep up my membership. Thank you for the reminder.” Jeff Pontiff, owner of #64 Amicitia wrote: “Very frustrating summer, however, we did get 10 days vacation down the Cape aboard Amicitia. Bilge pump went off every 15 minutes, all summer long. We hauled in Mattapoisett, and we have her at Triad, with plans to do the keel bolts over. Hopefully that solves the leak problem. Unfortunately, we have another commitment on the 18th so we can’t make the annual meeting.” Kevin Rathbone, owner of #194 Natanya, pictured above, sent along the following: “I have been busy working on and sailing Natanya. Most of the time I sail by myself. When I decide to sail I don’t want to wait for others, and as I am over 70, I have to make it easier. The jib is on a roller furler and works great. The throat and peak halyards come down the port side of the mast and belay to a cleat with two pins. I made the main sheet double ended so you can sit on the cockpit seat and trim the main from either side. I saw somebody fall off a Friendship sloop at the start of a race while standing on the back deck trimming the main. Most of the things I try come from trying to understand the boat and what it was used for. I’ll bet there were many lobstermen over 70 that went out by themselves who wanted to give every fifth lobster to somebody else. I’ll bet they would never trim the main standing on the back deck. Sailing by myself I get to hear the boat talk to me. I have questions and she will always show me what she wants. I have never seen her do anything stupid. I guess the only way to totally understand is to get some lobster pots, and then I will have to sail her up to Maine and feel her dance in the water she was made for. All new sails have made her faster and less tender. I really need to visit Maine with the boat.” – 3 – #197 Natanya, owned by Kevin Rathbone of Larchmont, NY, sailing reefed in a 25 knot breeze on Long Island Sound. (Photo from Kevin Rathbone)

Marlinespike Seamanship By Ted Walsh Toggles and Rope Beckets Rope beckets are a technology leftover from another time, a time before Velcro and, dare I say it, duct tape. Still, the rope becket with an eye splice on one end and a toggle or stopper knot on the other is a simple piece of gear, easily made, and with a myriad of uses. We use a becket to contain the sail of our sailing launch when it has been brailed up, another to lock the centerboard in the up position when beaching, or loading and unloading the boat from her trailer. Stopper knots were covered several issues back, so let’s look at toggles. A toggle can be made using sophisticated tools like drill press and lathe, but you can just as easily whip one out with a pocketknife and hand drill. There are two ways to attach the toggle to the becket or line. The first involves a second eye splice tied tightly around the groove in the toggle. This looks nice and works well if, for example, you are making a short becket to slip around a dock line in order to make it easier to stow. The second method is faster and would be more appropriate where you might have to periodically remove the toggle, for example to run the becket through a fairlead or block. We use this method on our flag halyards, which have a toggle on one end and eye-splice on the other and have to be un-rove through masthead blocks each fall and re-rove each spring. A hole is drilled in the center of the toggle and the bitter end of the line passes through the hole with a simple overhand knot to finish. There is a third method to secure a toggle involving two holes in the toggle, but its more of a decorative touch and weakens the toggle significantly since there are two holes in line with the grain of the wood. If you need a quick review of the eyesplice, check out the last issue of the newsletter on-line at our website fss.org. – 4 –

2017 Rockland Race Committee Report By David W. Graham – Race Committee Chairman Racing at Rockland in 2017 was met with 3 fine days of fair weather and favorable breezes. For the Race Committee, it all began with the filing of our Coast Guard “Marine Event Appli- cation” form, shortly after the turn of the New Year. Several meetings and planning sessions followed, until that magical day arrived when we all gathered under the tent for the first of three daily skippers’ meetings. For those of us who truly love Friend- ship sloop racing (isn’t that all of us??), the three days at Rockland are always waaay too short, and, as with all good things, they unfortunately come to an end. The Race Committee wishes to congratulate those who won trophies, and all attending sloops and their skippers and crews who participated in the 2017 FSS Homecoming Regatta at Rockland! Dick and Suzi Guckel generously dedicated their trawler-yacht Cerca Trova to be the Race Committee boat for all 3 days of racing. Dick Salter’s Liberty and Jack Cronin’s Effie M comprised the remainder of the RC patrol fleet, with safety as their main priority. All of these skippers donated not only their time and vast experience, but also their fuel costs to the FSS and the Homecoming races, and for that we are truly grateful to them! Speaking of trophies, it gradually began to grow obvious to the Society’s Race Committee this year that the existing list of trophies was becoming somewhat outdated and in need of adjust- ment. Thus, an interested group consisting of past Commodores Dick Salter and Bill Whitney, along with RC Chairman Emeritus Bob Rex, and current Chairman Dave Graham, met to iron it all out by making the necessary updates. What came out of two meetings was a list of trophies that was then presented to the Society’s Executive Committee at its October meeting, where the list was examined in detail and unanimously voted on. (Continued to Page 10) 2017 Southwest Harbor Race – The Grand Finale by Miff Lauriat The 25th annual Southwest Harbor Race almost didn’t happen. On Saturday morning, July 15, the wind was non-existent. By 1100 the stagnant air showed no signs of stirring. Out to the east at Bear Island, the #10 bell was silent, and over towards the south’ard at Spurling Point, there wasn’t a ripple to make the #8 gong clang. The tide at the Narrows was coming all day, but it looked like any sloop trying to round the #5 “November” can would be swept up Somes Sound, unable to escape before the late tide change. As I gathered with the Race Committee (statistician Jill Schoof and cannoneer Rodney Flora), we realized the course would have to be short in order to be completed in a reasonable time. The assembled fleet of sixteen sloops maneuvered around the Fulton Blake, Don Ellis’s 36’ flybridge cruiser which was serving as the Race Committee vessel. After consulting with the Wind Gods, the RC hoisted code flags “Lima” and “Foxtrot” up the halyard, a race to the first mark and back! We were out there for so little time I cannot provide you with a play-by-play, but if you won the start, claim your bragging rights on fss.org! Hieronymus passed Gladiator at the last minute, getting the gun, and completing the race in 18 minutes and 21 seconds. This race was over faster than the America’s Cup Race in Bermuda, proving that Friendship sloops are faster than carbon wing-sail foiling catamarans! All sloops finished within 33 minutes, by which time a nice little private breeze had filled in on the west side of Greenings Island, but still nowhere else in the great harbor of Mount Desert. Later in the afternoon, Betsey Holtzmann and son Abe Noyes hosted an excellent pot-luck party at their King’s Point cottage, where sloopers and friends enjoyed food, drinks and camaraderie. Marge and I were delighted to be presented with the amusing “Sea of Iniquity” print as thanks for 25 years of “Nothing Serious” racing. It’s been a thrill to create the longest- enduring event of the Friendship Sloop Society’s calendar (the Homecoming in Friendship, ME, lasted only 24 years!). Many thanks to our party hosts, Abe and Betsey, to Don Ellis for captaining his beautiful lobster yacht, and to Rodney and Jill for running the race. Thank you to Shane Dowsland of the Hinckley Company, who secured complimentary dockage for boats from away. Thanks to my wife Marjory for doing the ton of stuff that needs to be done to make this event come off so flawlessly. And most of all, thanks to the intrepid fleet of Friend- ships who raced in 2017: Alice E, Surprise, Gladiator, Helen Brooks, Endeavor, Old Baldy, Hieronymus, Salatia, Eden, Osprey, Petrel, Banshee, Gaivota, Addy Claire, Hegira, and Black Star. After 25 wonderful years, we are handing off the organ- izing and running of the Southwest Harbor Friendship Sloop Race to Scott Martin and Caroline Cronin of Eden, for the foreseeable future. We wish them the best of luck and look forward to seeing even more sloops in Southwest Harbor next year! Stay tuned!! – 5 – Rights of Man #52, owned and sailed by Wayne & Kirsten Cronin, glides gracefully past the Rockland Light. (Photo courtesy of Bill Finch)

Pete and Nancy Toppan The Yearbook Advertising Team Pete and Nancy Toppan of Scituate, MA, have worn many hats during their long association with the FSS. They have been the owners of Compromise #232 for 30 years. They served as Commodores from 2011 to 2012, and currently Nancy is the Recording Secretary for the Society. Pete’s latest incarnations are as advertising coordinator for the Yearbook, and head of the FSS Nominating Committee. While Compromise has not made the arduous journey to Maine waters, the Toppans are regular Homecoming participants, pitching in, racing, and lending a cheerful and energetic hand wherever needed most. Pete and Nancy took on the advertising duties while Commodores, and they whipped it into shape by creating their own version of a spreadsheet of advertiser information; develop- ing an efficient system for contacting, billing and communicating with various businesses. Pete handles the tasks of contacting advertisers, updating ad copy and working with the printers, while Nancy keeps the records in order. This approach has been incredibly successful, with FSS Yearbook ad revenue increasing steadily each year, including both repeat advertisers and new businesses coming aboard. The Yearbook advertising revenue is crucial to the Society’s ability to publish an attractive, interesting, and sizable publication. With 4500 FREE color copies distributed along the New England coast each spring, the FSS Yearbook serves as a front line ambassador for Friendship sloops, educating the public about the Society, and the history, joy and excitement associated with owning and sailing these iconic boats. Nancy spends her working days in the accounting department at a local bank. Pete’s “day job” is as the Purchasing Manager for construction firm Component Assembly Systems, which explains why several companies providing sheetrock and construction services are so generously supporting the FSS through Yearbook advertising! Over the next several years, as Pete edges closer to retirement, these advertisers will need to be replaced by others, preferably marine-related services….and this is where we, as members, can help: Do you have a favorite marina, yacht club, sailmaker, ship’s store, rigger, boat hauler, marine salvager, or B & B? You can do them and the FSS a huge favor by showing them a copy of the Yearbook, and asking them to place an ad, taking advantage of the low rates and excellent distribution. If there is interest, contact Pete and Nancy at toppan@verizon.net, and they will do the rest—it’s that easy!! These ads connect boaters with marine goods and services, and inform readers about resources available for traditional sailing craft, all the while promoting Friendship sloops! Sounds like a win-win situation to this sailor! Membership Reminder If you haven’t mailed your annual membership dues in for 2018, please send them to: Carole Wojcik, Membership Secretary 347 Lincoln Street Norwell, MA 02061 Thank You! A Celebration of Ralph Stanley by Ted Walsh Last May, on a lovely Saturday when the sun was out and there was a hint of coming summer in the air, the Penobscot Marine Museum held a celebration of the career and talents of our own Ralph Stanley. The film, “Ralph Stanley, an Eye for Wood”, was screened (several times due to popular demand), accompanied by commentary from the filmmaker, Jeff Dobbs. After the viewing and some concentrated boat talk, the festivities moved outside, where there was some speechifying by dignitaries and long time friends, followed by live music. Ralph played his fiddle, joining the other musicians and providing for a delightful impromptu concert. Quite a crowd of friends, family, and admirers were gathered on the Museum grounds. Among them were eight members of the Friendship Sloop Society: Carol and Paul Lidstrom, Rodney Flora and Jill Schoof, Caroline and Bill Zuber, and Judy Heininger and Ted Walsh. It was a wonderful celebra- tion to recognize a wonderful person. Yearbook Bulletin Board At this year’s Annual Meeting, the Bulletin Board sign up list did not circulate, so we remind members to send in your personal greeting to your fellow sloopers and sailors, to be printed on the Bulletin Board page in the 2018 Yearbook, due out in the spring. $20 gets you 4 lines of text to express almost any sentiment you wish. Send your message to Yearbook editors Rich and Beth Langton either by email at richard.langton@maine.edu or by US mail, to 868 Cross Point Rd., Edgecomb, ME 04556. Mail payment, by check made payable to Friendship Sloop Society, or cash, to either Rich & Beth, or to FSS Treasurer Greg Merrill, P. O. Box 166, Butler, MD 21023. This is another great way to support your Friendship Sloop Society, and let everyone know just what you think! – 6 –

Tech Tips: Choosing a Cleaning Product Submitted by Bill Whitney, from Practical-sailor.com When choosing a multi-purpose cleaning product, it’s a good idea to look for one where the pH level is balanced so that it is an effective cleaner, but isn’t so strong that it will harm the surface being cleaned. This is especially important if the surface has a sealant or wax coating. The pH scale runs from zero to 14. The mid-point of the range, 7, is considered neutral; pure water is a neutral liquid. Liquids that have a pH higher than 7 are considered to be basic, or alkaline. Most hand soaps and bleach are alkaline cleaners. Basic or alkaline cleaners do well at removing oils and fats, so if you’re looking to degrease your engine, try a cleaner with a higher pH. Solutions with pH levels measuring zero to 7 are consid- ered acidic; coffee, sodas, and lemon juice are examples. Acids break down difficult stains, making them easier to remove. So, if you’re looking to get some rust off your deck or scrub away a waterline stain, a cleaner with a lower pH will do a better job than one with a high pH. Anytime you use an acidic cleaner, however, be sure to rinse the area being cleaned with fresh water afterward. Fire Extinguisher Recall From Bill Whitney Fire extinguishers made by Kidde, used mainly in homes, boats and vehicles, are being recalled by the millions for failure to deploy properly. 134 different models made from 1973 to 2017 and sold under various brand names, with plastic handles or buttons, are on the recall list, and are found in the Consumer Product Safety Recall Notice at cpsc.gov. Model and serial numbers can be located in very small print on the unit label. To claim a replacement, Kidde may be reached at 855-271-0773, or online at www.kidde.com, click on “Product Safety Recall”. Kidde will ship replacement units within 15 days of receiving your information, with instructions on how to return the old ones. Several FSS members have already gone through the process and report Kidde to be prompt in their response. New Archival Space for the FSS (Continued from the Front Page) The extensive renovation thus far has been funded in part by $21,000 allocated by Museum membership, and another $21,000 raised by approaching friends and passers-by and encouraging them to donate with the purchase of a shingle, a step, a window. Local folks have also made generous in-kind donations of time, materials, labor and expertise, and the build- ing is looking lovely. A room on the second floor will be the new FSS storage area, with the hope that one day the accumulated materials can be organized and digitized, and made available for anyone to access. The Friendship Museum and the Friendship Sloop Society go back a long way together. Members of the Society were instrumental in founding the Museum in 1964, then in initi- ating the Friendship Scholarship Fund in 1967 (see report page 8), which continues to grow, and to which the FSS still makes an annual contribution. This agreement is a wonderful move for both organiza- tions, and for the Friendship sloops which link them together. Donations in support of this project are fully tax deductible, and may be sent to: Friendship Museum, P. O. Box 226, Friendship, ME 04547. Indicate that your gift is for ‘The Annex’. More about the Museum can be found on their website friendshipmuseum.org. The longstanding and generous support of these two groups for each other and for Friendship sloops, makes the dedication of this new archival space in the heart of Friendship, a true “homecoming”! – 7 – Eden #122 works to overtake Celebration #227 on a near perfect racing day in Penobscot Bay this past summer. (Photo courtesy of Bill Finch) 2 Month old Hazel May Aiken and her mom, Marion, could not be happier about winning the Nickerson Trophy for being the youngest crew member. They sailed aboard Sazerac, owned by Hazel May’s grandparents Steve and Adrienne Major. (Photo courtesy of Bill Finch)

Annual Meeting Highlights By Nancy Toppan, Recording Secretary The Friendship Sloop Society’s Annual Meeting was held in South Portland, ME, on November 18. Commodore Jeff Cronin called the meeting to order and introduced several people who were attending for the first time, or returning after several years. These included Kevin Rathbone, owner of #197 Natanya, of Larchmont NY; John Crumpton, owner of #117 Leading Light, and crew members Paul & Kim Cournoyer; Mike & Kate Waters, skippering #9 Amity this summer, who are interested in purchasing a sloop to charter; and Richard & Karen Schwartz, who are purchasing #167 Freedom from Maldwin Drummond. Many reports and topics covered at the meeting appear elsewhere in this issue as separate articles. Treasurer Greg Merrill reported the Society’s finances to be in overall good health, with strong Yearbook advertising revenue, good Chandlery sales, and steady membership dues and contributions. Also a factor in this positive report is the relatively low cost of the awards banquet at Rockland, due to the hard work of Kirsten Cronin and her inexhaustible crew of volunteers. The dock fee charged by the City of Rockland for the 3 day Homecoming has unexpectedly increased by $500, but most other expenses have remained stable. It was voted to increase the yearly contribution to the Friendship Museum from $500 to $600. Jon March, the brother of former Commodore Noel March, has a background in event promotion and production, and has agreed to take on publicity responsibilities for the FSS, an area that could certainly benefit from Jon’s experience. Yearbook editors Rich and Beth Langton are looking for a photo for the cover of the 2018 Yearbook, so if you possess a fine photo of your sloop, or any Friendship, please get it to them. They continue to search for an editor to replace them, and will offer their guidance and expertise to anyone willing to take it on. The Chandlery was active throughout the meeting and has done well in reducing its inventory. Tad Beck is working on a new T-shirt design for the 2018 Homecoming. The 50-50 raffle, and the silent and live auctions were enjoyable and productive, thanks to the many items donated by members and attendees who were generous in their bidding and buying. The meeting concluded with cocktails and dinner, capped off for those with any energy left, with the casual Commo- dore’s after-hours party. It was once again a wonderful celebra- tion of the Society, the people involved, and the Friendship sloop! Friendship Memorial Scholarship Fund by Philip C. Pratt II, Fund Chairman We are thrilled to announce that we beat our 50th anniversary goal of raising $40,000, in an effort to increase schol- arship dollars awarded in 2018 and beyond! Scholarships are awarded to high school graduates from Friendship seeking to advance their educations in certificate and degree programs. In 2017, $1600 was awarded to each of two high school seniors pursuing a post-secondary education, an increase of $400 per scholarship. $1000 was also awarded to each of two high school graduates continuing their post-secondary education, total- ing $5200. Graduates: Steven D. Thompson, University of Maine, Orono $1600 Desiree D. Reed, University College at Rockland $1600 Continuing Education: James Allan Vandett, University of Maine, Orono $1000 Alexia N. Hilt, University of Maine, Orono $1000 Gifts: As of 12/25/2017 the Fund has received 22 gifts given “In Memory Of”, for Jim Hall & Lucy Anne Renaissance, David W. Merrill, Allen Kline, Joyce Jameson, Jeffrey Armstrong, Betty Scott, Florence Graham, Winfield & Barbara Lash, Betty Roberts & Dick Lozier, Edgar & Mildred Davis, Ronald Dolloff, Florence Cushman, Allen Beebe, Sally Roberts, Gilbert Carlson, Sumner Carlson, Ann Carlson, Mary Simmons Carson and Elbert & Connie Pratt. Gifts were made “In Honor Of” Dolly Bellhouse, Hunter Ficke, Elaine Carlson, Phil Pratt and “Lobstermen”. 2017 was the Fund’s 50th Anniversary: In celebration of this milestone, on July 30, 2017, Bill & Caroline Zuber, previous Chairman and Secretary of the Fund, and Fay Bragan (all original signers of the Indenture of Trust giving the management of the Fund to the people of Friendship), were chauffeured by Phil Pratt in the Friendship Day Parade (above). Dick Salter, also an origi- nal signer, could not attend the parade but was duly recognized for his support of the Fund. – 8 – The Effie M, with skipper Jack Cronin in charge, heads out for another day on race patrol. (Photo courtesy of Bill Finch) (Photo from Phil Pratt)

Voyager’s New Home By Dexter Cooper I was introduced to Voyager #1 when I was eight or ten years old. My mother and I had stopped in Friendship to (in my mind, at least) get a Friendship sloop. After the folks at Lash Brothers had politely spent as much time with us as was necessary, we wandered over to the Friendship Historical Society, where we purchased a copy of “It’s A Friendship”. I read and reread the stories in that book to the point that I could quote parts of them from memory, particularly Bernard MacKenzie’s “A Man and His Boat”. I hadn’t looked at that book in a number of years, but when I saw an ad in WoodenBoat Magazine for Voyager, free to a good home, this sentence came immediately to mind: “when the old auxiliary engine had ground itself to pieces in the bilge, Voyager showed us how to sail”. I assumed that someone would quickly snap her up, given her status as sail number one in the Society sloop register. Months passed, though, and no one came to her rescue. I was discussing this with my son one day, showing him the pictures of Voyager, allowing how big a project it would be to get her restored to sailing trim, but how sad it would be if nobody stepped forward to do it. “Then do it”, my wife said, as she came over to where we were sitting. “Just do it. You love those boats and your mother loved them too. If Voyager gets broken up and you do nothing, you’ll always regret it. Remember, no regrets”. Projects like this one need the support of one’s family, and with that firm backing, I emailed Voyager’s owner, who was as surprised as I was that no one had stepped forward to save this iconic sloop. Before rescuing her from the bulldozers, he had watched for years as one group or another took possession with the promise to restore her, only to have parts disappear and her condition deteriorate. Over time, she lost sails, spars, and her engine, and someone helped themselves to the billet head from the end of her stem, carved by Charles Morse. My son and I went to Maine and looked Voyager over. While in dire straits, she was not dead yet, and her current owner and I agreed on a plan to move her from Warren, ME to Hartland, Vermont. With the help of Tenants Harbor Boat Yard, I built a cradle under her, and with a borrowed truck and trailer, my wife and I drove Voyager the 250 miles to her new home, at a top speed of forty miles per hour! Now that she is finally here, I will document her lines and construction details, and move on to a full restoration. All the information gathered will be made available in a blog following her restoration. Ownership of boats like Voyager are more stewardships than profitable ventures, but the rewards offered by such a boat are really priceless. Blackjack Update Captain Jim Sharp of the Sail, Power and Steam Museum in Rockland, ME, writes with a progress report on the ongoing restoration of Blackjack #19: “Blackjack’s hull is finished now and we are looking for volunteers this spring to historically restore the rig as close to original as possible. This is the last opportunity to be part of this restoration and have your name carved in the cabin of the newest of the oldest Morse Friendship sloops!” Jim and the project welcome volunteer hours and monetary donations in support of this important restoration. We very much hope to see Blackjack cruising Penobscot Bay this summer! Contact Captain Jim at 75 Mechanic St., Rockland, ME 04841, or by email at sailpowersteammuseum@gmail.com. Registrar’s Report By John Wojcik, Registrar The following are recent changes in sloop ownership:  Hubertus Solkowski of Phippsburg, ME, has purchased #186 Ragtime Annie, a 27’ sloop built in 1975.  Ed Staples & Sue Drady of Woolwich, ME, are the new owners of #5 Content.  Alex Norton of Middleboro, MA, has recently purchased #88 Apogee, a Bruno & Stillman hull which was located in Maryland. Alex had the sloop shipped to Mattapoisett, MA, where it is currently stored.  Dexter Cooper of Hartland, VT, has taken ownership of sloop #1 Voyager, and has transported the sloop to his shop in Vermont (see the article to the left). Dexter has posted a picture on Facebook of the sloop being backed into his property. There are also pictures on his website, www.hartlandnavy.com. He expects to complete a full resto- ration over the next several years. This year there were no new sail numbers issued. The number of sloops registered with the Society remains at 284. – 9 –

Sailing Words of Wisdom Kathe Newman Walton sent along these words of advice from the introduction section of her sailing manual at Camp Four Winds in Bucks Harbor from 1977: “Sailing is an art. It requires study and practice. It requires great concentration, quick action, sound judgment, and constant observation. No amount of book learning can make a landlubber a sailor. A snappy breeze and a tiller firmly held in the hand are the best instructors.” We think Kathe passed the course! The Launch of “Maria” (Continued from Page 2) This apprenticeship taught me how to engage in critical self-reflection and how to improve my craft until I was left with a satisfying product. Cultural preservation is truly best executed through the spreading of traditional ideas and values. As an educator, I am now able to pass on a more comprehensive understanding of the arts that for hundreds of years helped the noble shipbuilders of Massachusetts grow and prosper. The extent to which this process improved my ability to teach my students cannot be overstated. Thus, the reconstruction of Maria not only allowed me to begin a journey of developing my skills as a boatbuilder, but also is truly valuable to my students, who will hopefully become aware of a common cultural identity. Last weekend we took the Maria down river one last time to go cranberry picking on Crane’s beach. We towed Mary K’s father’s little red dory down behind us, and used it to get ashore, a tribute to the memory of her father, and a strong symbol that the Maria will continue to be relevant. 2017 Race Committee Report (Continued from Page 5) Two major changes are brought to your attention. The Hadlock Trophy was retired, as it had not been presented in the past few years, and, newly added in 2018, will be the Donald Huston Trophy, created by Vice Commodore Diane Huston Fassak and her family. This will be a boxed sextant, and will be presented for safe sailing, seamanship, and family participation. The full, updated list of trophies, the description of their purpose, and the 2017 recipients appears on page 11 of this issue of the Newsletter. While reviewing this list, we ask you to remember that nothing here is cast-in-stone, and that the latest trophy list should be treated simply as a guideline for future reference. We hope to see more of you coming to Rockland next July 19-21, 2018. More sloops, with their skippers and crews, along with friends and families, make for livelier races and wonderful camaraderie. We look forward to seeing you next summer! – 10 – On her first sail in the Essex River at high tide on a fine October day, Maria #127, cruises past the Harold Burnham- built pinky schooner Ardelle. (Photo courtesy of Helen Brown) Victor Goulding, owner and skipper of Inherit the Wind #156, admires his State of Maine trophy, with long-time trophy coordinator Penny Richards. (Bill Finch photo) Jack Cronin, right, and Dick Salter, middle, are rewarded for their hard work and the use of their boats during the races by RC Chairman Dave Graham. (Bill Finch photo)

FSS Trophy List – 2017 about sailing on Eagle Dean Huston for article Outstanding contribution to the Yearbook Bruce Morang Award loves “Messing About in Boats” Marge Russakoff Person who truly Messing About Victor Goulding Good natured contributions to FSS Omaha Marge Russakoff Miff Lauriat & Person contributing to FSS traditions Bancroft a lobster trap during Homecoming Tannis, for catching Greatest goof in boat handling Post Office Celebration Person or boat who has overcome adversity Ray of Hope Laurie Raymond of Hegira Skipper who exemplifies FSS spirit Spirit of Friendship 2 months old on Sazerac Hazel May Aiken – Youngest crew member Nickerson Melissa Oliver of Eden Woman who keeps sloop and crew together Chrissy after several years’ absence not presented in 2017 Skipper who returns to Homecoming Cy Hamlin Buzzards Bay fleet Sloop who sailed the farthest to Homecoming Gladiator not presented in 2017 New owner-builder who sails to Homecoming Owner-Builder Miff Lauriat Outstanding contribution to FSS Stanley Cup Non Racing Trophies Inherit the Wind 1st Division 2 bald-headed sloop Liberty Eden 1st Pemaquid sloop Jarvis Newman Sazerac 7th overall Tannis Award Hegira Middle of the fleet Danforth the “correct” buoy Sazerac Skillful Class A crew retrieving Rum-Line Gladiator 2nd in Class A Charles Morse Sazerac 1st in Class A Wilbur Morse Inherit the Wind Overall Regatta Winner State of Maine Celebration 3rd Place Division 1 Lash Brothers Salatia 2nd Place Division 1 Bruno & Stillman Eden 1st Place Division 1 (sloops < 27 feet) Herald Jones Phoenix 3rd Place Division 2 Homecoming Lady M 2nd Place Division 2 Gordon Winslow Inherit the Wind 1st Place Division 2 (sloops > 27 feet) Commodore’s Racing Trophies 2017 RECIPIENT PRESENTED FOR TROPHY NAME – 11 –

Friendship Sloop Society 347 Lincoln Street Norwell, MA 02061 Your Goal Ships sail east, and ships sail west, Where the self-same breezes blow, It’s the set of the sails, And not the gales, That determine the way they go. Like the winds of the sea Are the ways of fate, As we journey along through life; It’s the set of the soul That determines the goal, And not the calm nor the strife. (Poem submitted by Rusty Strange, based on the poem, “The Winds of Fate” by poet Ella Wheeler Wilcox, 1850-1919) Banshee #180, Lady M #193, Sazerac #44, and Tannis #7, ghost along in Rockland, waiting for the breeze to kick up. (Photo courtesy of Bill Finch)