Summer 2019 Newsletter
đ Download PDFCommodoreâs Message Welcome Members of the Friendship Sloop Society to our 59th year! As I was traveling along the other morning I saw the sky open and a brilliant sunrise appear over the horizon. Spring is here, and the fitting out and sailing seasons canât be far behind! It has been the usual long New England winter, however this year there have been highlights of progress showing us what we will experience during this summerâs sailing season. Over the winter, we were treated to opening the new Instagram account and finding a new picture every morning celebrating the Friendship Sloop Society. The account adminis- trator, Scott Phillips, is doing a great job of showing the world the FSS; so far 131 people follow along viewing our beautiful sloops! The other highlight was being able to click onto Facebook, administered by Jeff Cronin, and see a continuous conversation among the members. This forum presents a welcoming place to interact and stay connected with other like- minded people. There are 624 members on FSS Facebook! Thank you again for your feedback to the survey distributed at the Annual Meeting last November. Your comments are printed on page 9 of this issue and have been acted upon to move us forward. It was said that the FSS should be about the members and our collective interest in Friendship sloops. Our daily communication and planned changes for our Annual Homecoming have enhanced our membership and the focus will continue into the sailing season. As you run through your punch list preparing for the summer, take a look at the FSS events list for 2019 which can be found on our website, www.fss.org, and on page 8 of this issue. John Wojcik, Registrar and Webmaster, regularly updates the website and it contains a wealth of interesting information and history. There are a number of rendezvous this year as Friend- ships sail along the New England coast! Join other members along the coast for good conversation and fun. The Southwest Harbor Race is July 13. The highlight of this race appears to be the lack of rules (see page 3). I under- stand from the previous Newsletter that Scott Martin and Caroline Phillips have set the course by following butterflies. How have they trained those butterflies to fly around a race course? The third week of July finds us gathering for Homecoming at Rockland Harbor. This year we will coordinate a team approach to the festivities. Penny Morang Richards, of (Continued to Page 2) If You Donât Know Them Already, Meet the Whitneys Bill and Kathy Whitney have been very busy and highly valued members of the FSS since they purchased their 31 foot Dictator Gaivota #214 in 1988 and joined the group. Shortly after they got the sloop, they began their annual lengthy pilgrim- age to the FSS Homecoming in Maine and back from their homeport at Parkerâs Boatyard on the shores of Buzzards Bay, MA. This year will be their 30th cruise! Both Whitneys have worn many hats and filled many essential roles, and continue to do so in their long association with the FSS. They were co-Commodores in 2013 and 2014 and ran the Chandlery for 10 years with Kathy doing the selecting, buying and manning the store, while Bill did much of the heavy lifting. While Commodores, Bill cites the accomplishment of changing the name of the Yearbook from âFriendship Sloop Daysâ to âFriendship Sloops Sailing New Englandâ, and broad- ening the distribution as significant steps toward increasing public exposure to Friendship sloops. They have mentored many new sloop owners and cruisers, this writer among them. Bill is also the author of the Tech Tips column in the Newsletter, expounding on all things technical. He inherited much of his technical expertise and passion from his father who was a Coast Guard machinist, long-time Coast Guard Aux member, and power boat cruiser. Much of the rest came from his career in the Navy where he initially trained as an electrician, converted to an electronics tech, then became a (Continued to Page 5) Volume 31 FSS.ORG Spring 2019 Issue 2 Friendships Newsletter of the Friendship Sloop Society 1
Registrarâs and Membership Report by John and Carole Wojcik Doug Lane of Millersville, MD, owner of #34 Pal-O-Mine writes: âPal-O-Mine has been high and dry for over 10 years now. We are planning to make the necessary repairs this summer (replacing sheer planks, etc.), and hopefully have her back in the water to tighten her up. We plan to trailer her to Maryland.â Perry Hood of Newport, WA has joined the Society. He was the owner of #80 Sunshine, now Down East. Perry owned the sloop in 1980 before selling it to Chris Head who renamed her Headway. Hannah Langsdale of Winooski, VT has purchased #209 Friend Ship and the Whistling Man Schooner Company of Burlington, VT. Hannah had crewed onboard the sloop since 2016 before purchasing it after this past chartering season. Mathias Dubilier was the prior owner and a member of the FSS. Jerry and Vicki Sawyer of Union, ME have purchased #13 Easting from Brian Clough and Mary Ofutt of Little Deer Isle, ME. Jerry and Vicki intend to moor the sloop in Rockland. Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic, CT is now the owner of two Friendship sloops. They now own #272 Noel (formerly Tamara), built by Ralph Stanley in 2004 and 36â long. The sloop was donated to the museum by Sean & Tamara McCarthy and was homeported on Long Island. The Museum also owns Estella A, a 34 foot Robert McLain sloop built in 1904. Sail number 285 was issued to Greg Rossâs 22â Muscongus Bay sloop Swanâs Isle. Greg is still trying to track down the builder. He is from Prince Edward Island and the sloop will be homeported in Charlottetown. Ian Glass of South Berwick, ME has recently purchased #114 Helen Brooks from Karl Brunner of Southwest Harbor. Ian has renamed the Bruno & Stillman built sloop Eleanor Hawkes and will be chartering out of Portland, ME. Craig Snider of Narbeth, PA has purchased #189 Jabber- wocky from Brad Wilkinson. Craig is the son of the late Myrna Snider and stepson of Martin Thomas, owners of #193 Lady M. Jabberwocky is a Newman 31â Dictator and Craig will continue to moor the sloop in Center Harbor, ME. Commodoreâs Message (Continued from Front Page) the Trophy Committee, has agreed to be the Event Coordinator and will announce the Parade of Sloops on Saturday morning. She will work with the Race Committee and the Commodore to present the trophies during the banquet. All the trophies have been polished for presentation. Bill Whitney of Gaivota #214 deserves an appreciative acknowledgment for taking the time to develop a complete inventory of the trophies. Speaking of the banquet, Kirsten Cronin, Rights of Man #52, has again agreed to act as the caterer for the delicious meal. This year again, âKirstenâs Krewâ will depend on volun- teers to help Kirsten and her family with the banquet set up and breakdown. Please let us know if you are available to help out. On a personal note, and after a 35-plus year absence, my flagship and restoration project Westwind #95, will be launched later this year. We have the best of intentions that she will be in Rockland for the 2019 Homecoming and plan to celebrate her return to the fleet! Carole Wojcik, Membership Secretary has suggested that we gather aboard our boats at the end of the racing days for a âBYOEverythingâ during the Homecoming. John and I have plenty of room in our cockpit for the first gathering! Please join us; getting together and sailing is what the Friendship Sloop Society is all about. In 1979 and 1980, my Dad, Don Huston was President of the Friendship Sloop Society. Our family owned and sailed the 1915 Wilbur Morse-built Eagle #53 for 45 years. He said this in the 1979 Yearbook: âOur Society has grown in 19 years and continues to flourish. We must be doing something right. If you own a Friendship, you should be a member of our Society. We’re continuing to accept more (and slower) boats.â During this, our 59th year, we continue to accept more (slower and faster) boats, not that any members of our Society are competitive! Please set your course for Rockland Harbor this summer, July 18,19 & 20, for three days of camaraderie and sailing! Yours in Friendship, Diane Fassak, Commodore, #95 Westwind Captains and Instructors Needed Captain Jim Sharp, the founder and director of Rocklandâs Sail, Power and Steam Museum, is seeking 2 six-pack qualified captains this summer to charter the Museumâs Friendship sloops Blackjack #19 and Persistence #120, to take people sailing around Rockland Harbor, haul a lobster trap or two, and teach about the sloops and the way they were used for fishing and lobstering more than a century ago. The Museum is also planning on expanding its water- front offerings to include a sailing school, and is looking for sailing instructors and other ambitious personnel to get this started. In addition to the two Friendships, the fleet includes other various sailing and rowing craft. There is a furnished waterfront apartment for rent on the Museum campus as well. Interested folks should send their resume to Jim Sharp, Sail, Power and Steam Museum, 75 Mechanic St., Rockland, ME, 04841, or contact him by phone at (207) 701-7627. Please pass the word to friends or family members who might be inter- ested in this opportunity so we can have two more Friendship sloops gracing the waters of Penobscot Bay! – 2 – Celebration # 227, Hegira #230, and Banshee #180 vying for the lead on the downwind leg to the finish. (Bill Finch photo)
Race Committee Preview By Dave Graham, Chairman â FSS Race Committee Something new this year: for those who raced the course at Rockland in 2018, you may recall that one of our reddish colored mooring-ball marks that denoted the entrance/exit to Handicap Alley, ended up going astray. This led to some understandable confusion among many of our racing skippers and crew, when the remaining red mark took on the appearance of being just another buoy in a field of nearby buoys, posing the question of which way to enter and exit the alley. As a hedge against any such further confusion this year, Handicap Alley will be marked at its entrance with two yellow 2 ½ foot inflatable tetrahedrons. On your Rockland race chart, notice that the entrance/exit buoys are labeled âG1â and âG2â. This is where the yellow tetrahedrons will be placed, better helping skippers identify the entry into Handicap Alley. Also new for the coming Rockland races, I am happy to report that there will be a new Race Committee boat available to us in the form of a Lord Nelson âVictoryâ Tugboat. The offer for her use came to me this winter from her owner, FSS member Roger Lee. It took me less than one micro-second to reply in the affirmative back to Rogerâs very kind offer. She is named Fram, which in Norwegian means âForward”, and is named after the ship that was used in expeditions into the Arctic and Antarc- tic regions by the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen between 1893 and 1912. This spring when Fram is back in her local port of Islesboro ME, Dick Salter and I, and perhaps others, will be making an exploratory run to determine what needs to be done to prep her for race duty. Meanwhile, we extend a huge âThank Youâ to Roger for offering the use of Fram for our July races! We are also happy to report that we are expecting to have more press coverage of our 3 day Rockland race program this summer. If you are familiar with the magazine âPoints Eastâ, you will undoubtedly know the name of David Roper. Dave and I have known each other for a very long time and it was only during a Christmas social this past December that I asked him if he would be interested in covering our races in July. Similar to my acceptance of Roger Leeâs offer of Fram, it took Dave Roper less than one micro-second to accept the offer! Thus, I will be anxious to find him a berth or two on two of our race days. Dave will join the RC aboard Fram during one race, so that he will have full exposure to our Homecoming races. Also for 2019 please note that the Coast Guard has tightened-up on issues involving safety. As is often the case, this has been brought about by individuals elsewhere who had been sufficiently careless to create needless accidents. When filing for our annual Coast Guard âApplication for a Marine Eventâ in early January, the safety issue was brought to our attention. In that regard, your Race Committee will conduct Vessel Safety Checks on a random basis. Here, the eye will be on a sloop being equipped with commonsense safety items, such as at least one fully functioning VHF radio, with âbrownie pointsâ being earned for an extra hand-held VHF. If checked, you may be asked to demonstrate your knowledge of the proper use of your radio. Do not be timid about admitting any lack of (Continued to Page 4) Southwest Race Shaping Up Spring is upon us and the sailing season is just around the corner. The 27th annual Southwest Harbor Rendezvous will take place on July 13. Last yearâs race was a lot of fun and new race organizers Scott Martin and Caroline Phillips hope to continue in that vein this year, keeping it relaxing and enjoyable. As with all of our FSS races, rendezvous and events, more boats and more people make for more enjoyment. There are many sloops that come to the Rockland Homecoming who have not yet made the Southwest event, and it would be fantastic to get those boats and skippers and others involved. It is a fair distance to go, but well worth it if one can fit it in. Please spread the word to fellow sloop owners and sailing enthusiasts that this is a great time in the unsurpassably beautiful setting of Mount Desert Island. As in the past, there will be a casual skippers meeting in the morning where the course will be discussed. Last year the course was determined by the flight of several monarch butter- flies released by Captain Monarch himself, Scott Martin. Who knows what he has in store for us this year! Also, as in the past several years, Betsey Holtzmann and her son Abe Noyes have graciously offered their Kings Point home for the after race pot luck get-together. For more information about the Southwest Harbor event, contact Caroline Phillips at 774-200-0506. – 3 – Banshee #180, Freedom #167 and Gaivota #214 beat to the windward mark. (Bill Finch photo)
GPS User Alert On 6-7 April, 2019, a parameter in the GPS system ârolled overâ to zero, which may affect older GPS equipment, or equipment that has not received firmware or software updates recently. Background: The GPS satellite constellation transmits the exact time to all GPS receivers. The format for this informa- tion includes a parameter that represents the week, called the GPS week number. The week number has been counting incre- mentally by 1 since January 5, 1980, and is an integral part of the navigation message received by all GPS receivers. When the week number reached 1024 at 18 seconds before midnight (UTC) on April 6, 2019, it reset to zero as it kept counting. This has happened once before, in August of 1999. Older GPS receivers, or receivers that have not had manufacturer updates, may be impacted by the rollover. The impact might occur in April, or could affect your GPS at a later date. On these receivers the date might revert back to August 1999, or may revert to another date. Since this issue only affects the date and does not affect the other parts of the GPS naviga- tion message, the receiverâs ability to calculate the position and to display the exact time of day should not be impacted. If you are operating a relatively recently-made GPS, or if you regularly update your GPS software, your GPS will likely handle this rollover event. If you are unsure, check with your manufacturer. If the equipment was built to the following published specification, it will handle the rollover without problem: Global Positioning Systems Directorate Systems Engineering and Integration Interface Specification, IS-GPS-200. If your receiver shows symptoms similar to those described above, contact the manufacturer for further assistance. To best prepare for this rollover, GPS users who are concerned should update their firmware, or contact their manufacturer to ensure their GPS is ready for this event. Additional information about the GPS week number rollover is at www.gps.gov. (Civil GPS users are encouraged to report disruptions or anomalies to the U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center via phone at 703-313-5900, 24 hours a day). Tech Tips: Cleaning Your Fresh Water Tank By Bill Whitney One of the problems we face every spring is cleaning the fresh water tank and water lines on the boat before heading out for summertime adventures. The goal is to kill and flush out all of the nasty algae and bacteria that have been growing in the fresh water system since last fall. There are several ways to accomplish the task, and several steps in the method described here. First you have to drain as much of the anti-freeze and old water out of the system as you can. This includes all the water lines, water heater (if you have one), and faucets. After draining the system take a quarter cup of house- hold bleach for every fifteen gallons of water that your fresh water tank holds. Mix the bleach with water, filling a one-gallon container and pour about one fourth of it into the fresh water tank. Let this sit for 5-10 minutes, since most of the âbad actorsâ are in the bottom of your tank. Then add the remainder of the water/bleach mix and fill the fresh water tank as full as you can with water. Turn the water pump on, open all the faucets and run the water until you smell the bleach at each faucet, then close the faucets and shut off the pump. If the boat is in the water go for a sail so the water can move around to assist in cleaning the entire tank. Let it sit for at least 12 hours. Drain the entire system again and re-fill the fresh water tank with potable water. Make sure you use a white non-toxic drinking hose with an inline water filter to refill the system. Hoses not labeled safe for drinking water can contribute to lead and other dangerous chemi- cals getting into the water. Open all of the faucets and run the water until you no longer smell any bleach. It may be necessary to refill and drain your tank with fresh water again to eliminate all signs of bleach from the system. Once this is done it is safe to use your water system. Got questions? Need answers? Bill is happy to respond to FSS members’ inquiries and technical questions. Contact him at techtips@fss.org. Race Committee (Continued from Page 3) knowledge on the subject. Vessel Safety Checks can also be an extremely useful educational tool. The term, âWe are here to help youâ should not be treated lightly. Thorough knowledge regarding marine safety can make a cruise, or a race, or simply a day on the water, a pleasant and fun experience, while lack of same can have the opposite effect. Proper knowledge and safety go hand-in-hand. The Sailing Instructions for 2019 have been completed and will be distributed at Rockland during the Thursday morning Skippers Meeting. Here, a word of caution must be repeated. We all know the nautical Right-of-Way rules, I am certain, but when it comes to ferry traffic at Rockland, trying to compete with a 150â ferry of 776 gross tonnage operating at better than 10 knots, can be both a dangerous and a losing proposition! The âCommercial Traffic Zoneâ marked on the racing charts should be a reminder to our skippers to remember to give way to ferries. âNuff said! – 4 – Gladiator #71, sprinting down Eggemoggin Reach at 7.9 knots, as a teaching vessel at the WoodenBoat School in 2018. Bill Zuber writes, âGladiator at 117 years is still teaching people how to sail a real boatâ.
2018 was a banner year for the Scholarship Fund. The Trustees of the Fund awarded the largest scholarships to students from Friendship, ME ever awarded in the Scholarshipâs 51-year history, totaling $14,200: $3500 each to two high school seniors pursuing a post-secondary education, and $1800 each to four high school graduates continuing their post-secondary educations. The Trustees of the Fund will continue to work in full support of former FSS Commodore and Fund founder Bill Pendletonâs hope âthat this fund will grow and that subsequent years will see much more available for annual awardsâ. Gifts received by the Fund are an integral part of the financial plan to maintain and grow scholarship dollar awards. Friendship Sloop Half Hull Raffle: The Trustees of the Fund want to extend a huge âThank Youâ to Irv Lash, who, for the second year, is donating a mounted half hull of a 37â Friendship sloop to be raffled off to benefit the Scholarship Fund, at the Friendship Sloop Homecoming in Rockland this year. Last yearâs raffle was a huge success, bringing in $550. Gifts made to the Maine Community Foundation and directed to the Friendship Memorial Scholarship Fund are tax deductible. For more information about the Fund, including gifts, qualifications to receive a scholarship, or other questions, contact Phil Pratt at 207-832-4335, davisloop100@gmail.com, or at the letterhead address above. Meet the Whitneys (Continued from Front Page) diesel generator authority. He served on several ships and worked in R & D of submarine navigation and missile systems. He has applied many of these skills to rebuilding cars and trouble-shooting mechanical and electrical problems on Friend- ships and other boats. During the Navy years, Bill and Kathy lived in many states, most notably 2 years in Hawaii and 2 years on Adak Island in the Aleutian chain of Alaska (Bill served on Adak for another 26 months a few years later). It was on Adak that they both became experts in âmaking doâ with what was available in a harsh and remote setting, from providing meals for the family and running a household with a young son, to supervising the maintenance and repair of temperamental radars, machinery and electronics communications systems. Bill also managed to get his commercial fishing license and fished commercially for halibut while in Alaska. Following retirement from the Navy, Bill enjoyed a 20- year career with Raytheon while Kathy worked 32 years as an office administrator at a local law firm. Bill was a project manager for Raytheon and spent several years on Amchitka Island, AK as superintendent of the airport and power plants while managing the installation of a large radar system there. Fortunately for the Friendship Sloop Society, neither Whitney has learned to say no when asked to pitch in or take on new responsibilities. Kathy has handled sales (including on-line sales) of the recently published FSS book âLasting Friendshipsâ, helps to set up and take down the awards banquet, and along with Nancy Toppan, creates the table dĂŠcor and centerpieces. She contributes yearly to the Silent Auction fundraiser at the Annual Meeting, and is a gracious and welcoming host aboard Gaivota. Kathy also gets the âgood sportâ award for joining Bill for the month-long cruise each summer. Sailing is not the passion for her that it is for some, and the lurching of a sailboat in sometimes rough seas holds little appeal for her. In spite of this she is a cheerful and willing mate, taking the helm when needed and performing the most artful mooring pickup witnessed in any harbor in Maine. Bill is a Race Committee member and has worked diligently to revamp and organize the trophy inventory. He is the newly appointed Annual Meeting auctioneer and has excelled at cajoling and shaming bidders into dumping more money into the FSS coffers. Skippers at Homecoming know him as the feared âMast Wedge Inspectorâ, shrouded in mystery, who boards your boat asking penetrating questions about your mast wedges, and leaves an hour later with no answers, but having depleted your gin and tonic reserves. Bill is the fleet âtrouble shooterâ, the go-to guy when your gauges donât register, your pump wonât put out or your engine wonât purr. He never declines an opportunity to take a look, offer friendly advice or just fix the darned thing then and there. Gaivota is truly a float- ing shipâs chandlery, with everything from spanner wrenches to multi-meters to spare blocks aboard. When not absorbed by the many demands of the FSS, Bill and Kathy are active with their church and spend time with (Continued to Page 7) – 5 – Lady M. #193 owned by Martin Thomas and moored in South Bristol, ME cruising along under full sail. (Bill Finch photo)
Marlinespike Seamanship By Ted Walsh French Spiral Hitching It is likely that you have a number of places on your vessel where there is a round or semi-round handgrip, boat hook, oar loom, or even a tiller, that has the potential to crack. One method of reinforcement or emergency repair is French Spiral hitching. Of all the forms of grafting, hitching or pointing, this is perhaps the easiest to master. It is easy to apply, easy to tension, and is extremely strong. I had to extend the chafing protection on our long boathook and used French Spiral Hitching. The illustrations show the steps described below. To determine how much line you will need, wrap line around the object to be covered with hitching and once the area has been covered, add about 10% more to be safe. To start, take one end of the line and tie a simple hitch around the object that you are working on by passing the line around the object and back under itself as shown in the illustrations. Pull the hitch tight and continue around again making the second hitch slightly ahead of the previous hitch and pull tight. As you continue hitching the line, the continual placement of hitches one ahead of another will create the spiral. Here is a quick project using French Spiral Hitching: Seam and caulking puller A twenty-penny nail is shaped with a plumberâs torch and hammer. A handle is made out of wood from a split dowel, grooved and finish-shaped with files, and the whole bound together with French Spiral Hitching. – 6 – The hardest part of a project like this is just keeping track of the line. It will want to snag on objects, tangle and even wander off.
A Milestone for Ralph Stanley This past winter on February 16, 2019, Ralph Stanley celebrated his 90th birthday. Ralph is the official FSS historian and has encyclopedic knowledge of the history of many of the sloops built in New England over the years. His boat building company, Ralph W. Stanley, Inc. of Southwest Harbor, ME, built many wooden boats, including 12 new Friendship sloops, starting with Heironymus #67 in 1962, with Ralphâs son Richard more involved in the building of the later sloops. The shop also rebuilt five older Friendships. The celebration included family and friends and, of course, music. Ralph is a fiddler, and he was joined by about 10 other musicians on guitar, fiddle, banjo, mandolin and accordion, including his daughter Nadine Goodwin on one of the fiddles. Singers participated as well. Ralph continues to travel to Brewer, ME most weekends to play in country or bluegrass jams. To recognize this momentous feat, Dave Graham arranged to have a pewter tray presented to Ralph from the Friendship Sloop Society containing the following inscription: Presented to Ralph Stanley Upon reaching his 90th birthday. With grateful appreciation From his many friends Within the Friendship Sloop Society February 16, 2019 Congratulations, Ralph, and remember, itâs the first 90 that are the toughest! Membership Reminder Membership is the lifeline of the Friendship Sloop Society; itâs what keeps us going, what keeps us connected and largely what funds the FSS. Please donât forget to renew your membership for 2019 if you havenât done so already. We need you, we count on you. Annual dues are $35 for sloop owners & full members, and $25 for cooperative members. Dues can be mailed to membership Secretary Carole Wojcik, 347 Lincoln St., Norwell, MA 02061. Digital Version of FSS Newsletter Now Available Now that many of us are well along in the digital age and comfortable with our computers and other devices, your Newsletter team has decided to offer the twice yearly FSS Newsletter in an on-line version to those who would prefer to receive it digitally rather than through the mail. Advantages include color photographs and more of them, savings to the FSS for printing and postage, and you will receive the news days ahead of your digitally challenged friends! If you would rather receive future issues by email, and have not signed on yet, please send us your request at newsletter@fss.org, with your correct email address. You can always sign on for future digital issues at any time. Music Under the Tent We hope to revive an old FSS tradition this year by including music under the tent on Saturday afternoon after the race, and before the banquet begins as people start to arrive. FSS member Ray Perkins made this request last year as he and his wife spent quite a while under the tent waiting for the festivi- ties to start. Several ideas have been proposed. One is that anyone with musical inclinations or talent (especially the latter) come to the tent on Saturday afternoon around 3:30 â 4:00 and start jamming. All are welcome to participate, and Ralph Stanley plans to be there with his fiddle. Another thought is to recruit a local group of musicians who would be interested in performing or jamming and providing a warm welcome to banquet attendees. Please plan to bring your instrument (by boat, car, plane or other means) to the Homecoming this year to add another element of enjoyment to this wonderful celebration. Meet the Whitneys (Continued from Page 5) their son Dennis, his wife Lisa and their 2 sons, Sam and Will, who have sailed in Rockland on many occasions. Bill volunteers as chief engineer aboard the Gloucester schooner Adventure, and Kathy does a lot of crafting and volunteering with local groups in their hometown of Needham, MA. The FSS and its members have been, and we hope will continue to be, the beneficiaries of the Whitneysâ experience, expertise and outgoing and friendly nature, so generously and freely shared with all. – 7 – Tannis #7 fully loaded. (Bill Finch photo)
2019 Calendar of FSS Events Red Brook Harbor Rendezvous (Buzzards Bay, MA) Monday, July 1 Scituate Harbor Rendezvous Tuesday, July 2 Cape Ann Rendezvous Wednesday, July 3 Linekin Bay Rendezvous Monday, July 8 Southwest Harbor Race and Potluck Supper Saturday, July 13 Pulpit Harbor (North Haven) Rendezvous Tuesday, July 16 59th Annual Rockland Homecoming: Rendezvous and Races Rockland Public Landing Thursday, Friday and Saturday, July 18-20 Sloops arrive Wednesday, July 17, depart Sunday, July 21 Races on Thursday & Friday: Skippers Meeting & Crew Call 11 AM Start Time 1 PM Race on Saturday: Skippers Meeting & Crew Call 10 AM Parade of Sloops 11 AM Start Time 12 Noon Welcome: Informal BYO drinks and snacks under the tent, on the floats, on the sloops, Wednesday afternoon/evening Awards Banquet: Saturday night, 5:30 PM, Rockland Public Landing, under the tent FSS Executive Committee Meeting Saturday, October 5 FSS Annual Meeting Saturday, November 23 Best Western Merry Manor Hotel, South Portland, ME Events of Interest – Summer 2019 New England Waters Windjammer Days, Boothbay Harbor, ME June 23 â June 29, 57th Annual Festival Events for the whole family www.boothbayharborwindjammerdays.org Casco Bay Gaffers Race, Portland, ME Monday, June 24, free, 3rd year. After-race party at Cookâs Lobster and Ale House, Bailey Island **Friendship sloops welcome! tevakesailingcharters@hotmail.com or (207) 841-9125 Wooden Boat Show, Mystic, CT June 28 â June 30, 28th Annual show at Mystic Seaport Presented and produced by WoodenBoat Magazine www.thewoodenboatshow.com Camden Classics Cup, Camden, ME July 25-27, 4th Annual event ** Friendship sloops welcome with registration www.camdenclassicscup.com Chowder Cup Race, Friendship Harbor, ME Saturday, August 3, one day race, free, 38th year! Contact Charlie Witherell at cwitherell@roadrunner.com or Bill Shaughnessy at william_shaughnessy@comcast.net **Friendship sloops welcome with registration Eggemoggin Reach Regatta, Brooklin, ME Saturday, August 3, all wooden boats 24 ft. or longer welcome ** Friendship sloops welcome with registration www.erregatta.com Sweet Chariot Music Festival, Swanâs Island, ME August 6-8, arrive by boat! www.sweetchariotmusicfestival.com Corinthian Classic Yacht Regatta, Marblehead, MA August 10 and 11, Corinthian Yacht Club, Marblehead, MA www.corinthianclassic.org Antique and Classic Boat Festival, Salem, MA August 24 and 25, 37th year! Brewer Hawthorne Cove Marina ** Friendship sloops welcome with registration www.boatfestival.org 35th Annual Gloucester, MA Schooner Festival Gloucester Harbor waterfront, August 30 – Sept 2 www.gloucesterschoonerfestival.net – 8 –
Comments From Members Survey, Annual Meeting 2018 Question #1: What works well and Why? âA large part of the group cohesiveness is related to the leadership support given by the Executive Committee.â âThe Executive Committee is a wonderful group of people who do remarkable work.â âThe set up at Rockland on the docks/floats works great for camaraderie.â âYearbook and Newsletter are excellent-helpful and entertaining, great outreach.â âJust reaching out to folks about anything-people sharing their knowledge.â âEverything is good.â âContinue with all promotional efforts for Rockland Races.â âSouthwest Harbor Race does wellâŚneeds to be promoted more.â âHandicap Alley and dinner.â âRockland Regatta works well because of the dedication of all participants and all of the committees who work year to year to make it happen. Great Annual Meeting gathering.â âGood Annual Meeting.â âSouthwest Harbor=fun, no pressure from formality and Race Committee.â âHomecoming is a great way to exchange ideas and lots of fun.â âLoved the new banners this year.â Question #2: What do you think could work better and Why? âPress coverage to attract general public and âlone eagleâ sloop owners.â âIâd love to get more boats and skippers to attend Homecoming or maybe a few more regional rendezvous if there is interest.â âRockland-more publicity targeted to sloop owners early in the year and follow up in spring.â âMore social activities under the tent.â âMore boats at Regatta–buddy up?â âSimplify the Race Committee.â âCould use a Tent Committee to help with Homecoming.â âMoorings in Rockland for people who do not want to be at the dock.â âMore publicity announcements prior to the races.â âMake FSS Website more productive to push info out; possibly an App?â âHow to attract more sloops?â âI like everything about it.â Question #3: If you could change one thing, what would it be? âNo change needed.â âHave a speaker at Annual Meeting.â âAdd a cruising event in Rockland for non-racers: to Woodenboat for an overnight? Day sail to Rockport?â âMore sloops participating in Rockland.â âWe do our own repairs-the outreach and response could go furtherâŚI saw on Facebook info about a mast repair – that was greatâŚ..can we have a repository to post ideas for repairs, ask for help; or document what needs to be done?â âWhat about organizing some overnight cruises by region for members?â âNeed more people involved.â âMore recognition to sloop owners; instead of members.â âMaybe a breakfast gathering before the Skipperâs meeting to greet new members in Rockland.â âDifferent types of races in Rockland.â âLess emphasis on racing in Rockland; might attract a few more boats who arenât racing but love the camaraderie and Friendship.â âAdult beverages at Rockland dinner.â #4: Which Committees would you be willing to join? Mike Waters, Publicity We welcome your feedback! These comments were gathered only from FSS members attending the 2018 Annual Meeting. If you wish to respond to any of the above questions or have other related comments, ideas or suggestions, please send them by email to Commodore Diane Fassak at commodore@fss.org or by snail mail to Diane at 31 Lantern Ln., Mansfield, MA 02048. – 9 –
– 10 – Friendship Sloop Society 347 Lincoln Street Norwell, MA 02061 The skippers attending the 2018 Rockland Homecoming with their sloops were rounded up for this group photo after the Awards Banquet. Homeports are listed with skipper and sloop name. (Bill Finch photo) From the left, they are Jim Thoen of Adagio #226 from Ipswich, MA; Victor Goulding of Inherit the Wind #156 from Lincolnville, ME; Laurie Raymond of Hegira #230 from Woods Hole, MA; Andy Zuber of Gladiator #71 from Friend- ship, ME; Wayne Cronin of Rights of Man #52 from Rockland, ME; John Wojcik of Banshee #180 from Mattapoisett, MA; Jeff Cronin of Tannis #7 from Salem Willows, MA; Rich Langton of Queequeg #155 from Booth- bay Harbor, ME; Scott Martin of Eden #122 from Southwest Harbor, ME; Miff Lauriat (partially hidden by pole; sorry Miff) of Salatia #90 from Southwest Harbor, ME; and Bill Whitney of Gaivota #214 from Red Brook Harbor, MA. Not pictured are Greg Merrill of Celebration #227 from Bayville (Linekin Bay), ME, Martin Thomas of Lady M #193 from South Bristol, ME, and Richard Schwartz of Freedom #167 from Boothbay Harbor, ME
Email Newsletter Supplement – 11 – Scott Martin, in dark shirt, with Dave Graham and crew of Eden #122, celebrating winning the State of Maine trophy in 2018. (Bill Finch photo) The elegant Black Star #247 off Boothbay, with Ted Walsh and Judy Heininger aboard. In hot pursuit… (Photo taken from Hegira #230) John & Carole Wojcik aboard Banshee #180, enjoying the spectacular sunset at Warren Island in Penobscot Bay, ME. The Croninâs Effie M setting the race marks with Jack Cronin at the helm. (Bill Finch photo) Have we ever seen RC members this happy? RC members Dave Graham, Dick Salter and Jack Cronin fighting over the ginâŚ.again. (Bill Finch photo)
Fiberglass Friendship By Jarvis Newman EDITORâS NOTE: We asked Jarvis Newman and Jim Rockefeller to write us an article on fiberglass Friendships, thinking we would add a note by way of introduction or explanation — None is needed. HERE ARE THE PRODUCTS OF THEIR LABORS. Who ever heard or wanted to hear of a âPlastic Friendshipâ? This has been a major discussion point among Friendship Sloop members. It looks as though the doubts are about to be resolved because by summer, 1969, the first fiberglass Friendship Sloop will be launched in Penobscot Bay. The question is why — why build a plastic Friendship? It all started many years ago by my having an interest in handsome boats of character. Once a person has been stung by the bee of a Friendship, he has had it because one cannot erase it. The Friendship is in a class all its own, especially with its history and popularity since the late 1800âs. Its proven design for durability, stability and maneuverability, along with its unsurpassed character, is why I decided to initiate such a task of building them out of fiberglass. With the ever increasing costs of labor and materials these days and the maintenance cost, it became apparent that fiberglass had to enter the picture. For the past three years I have been building traditional fiberglass rowing tenders built from the lines of Arthur Spurlingâs model of Cranberry Island which is noted for its fine rowing and towing characteristics. Then I had the urge to go onto something larger. I discussed my interest with Dr. Malon Hoagland, owner of Old Baldy in July of 1968 and negotiated to use the hull as a form to build a fiberglass mold. The idea was also talked over with James Rockefeller of Bald Mountain Boat Works who built Old Baldy in 1965. Just prior to Labor Day, the Hoaglands sailed their little vessel to Southwest Harbor where we hauled her to my shop and started the long task of removing all her exterior hardware, mahogany, oak trim, and paint. I had the assistance of my father, Laurence Newman, as well as a daily visit from my grandfather, Lyle Newman, age 92. They questioned how a boat could be built out of fiber- glass. By laying Old Baldy down on her side the hull mold was made, one half at a time. The next step was the deck mold. I rebuilt the cockpit, making it 6â longer than Old Baldy and added 18â on the cabin so to have the option of sleeping four below decks. The cockpit area is now over 8â in length with a bridge deck and is self-bailing. The cabin house length is approximately 8â long and is only 3/8â higher than Old Baldy, keeping the same low profile and graceful sheer. With a few basic ideas in mind, I had Ernest Brierley, a naval architect from Southwest Boat Corp., design a unique interior incorporating two main berths, two quarter berths under the cockpit seats, a hanging locker, two-burner alcohol stove, ice box, sink, head, pedestal table and chart table. The interior can be altered to fit the individualâs liking. The first hull was built in December, 1968, using the same laminates as a 35â Hinckley Pilot with a minimum ½â of fiberglass throughout, and from two to five inches of fiberglass in the keel area. Net weight of the hull is 1700 lbs. The first deck was completed in early February, same ½â thickness without using any sandwich construction – net weight 900 lbs. In mid February the hull and deck was shipped to Bald Mountain Boat Works where Jim and his crew will complete her for early summer delivery. As of this writing the 2000 pound lead keel is installed and bonded. The floor stringers are secured to the hull and the engine mounts are built to handle the 15 HP Volvo two-cylinder diesel. My experience in the fiberglass business started in 1964 when I was employed by the H.R. Hinckley Company in the fiber- glass department where I helped build over 100 sailboats ranging from 30 to 48 feet. Hinckley boats speak for themselves regarding the high quality of workmanship and construction techniques, and I am very grateful to have been able to serve my apprenticeship there. On Friendship Sloop Construction By Old Baldy Time and tide wait for no man, not even the devil, so when Old Baldyâs Mahlon Hoagland hailed me on Al Robertâs wharf and asked if I knew a guy called Jarvis Newman the plot was patently apparent. âJarvis of the lovely glass dinghys? Fine Fellow!â I enthused. âGood eye for the traditional. Marvelous craftsman in his material. His father-in-law is Raymond Bunker – one of the best wooden boat builders on the coast. Teases Jarvis —.â The good doctor cut me short. âHeâs offered me a proposition.â From the corner of my eye I watched Phil Nichols tack Surprise up the harbor, thinking how of all the Friendships here she looked the most authentic, right down to the builder-owner. âI said heâs offered me a proposition.â Mahlon glanced furtively up and down the dock and lowered his voice. âHe wants to use Old Baldy to make a mold for a glass one.â âFiberglass Friendship!â The balloon was loosed. Heads swiveled. A venerable member of the Society reeled, crosses himself, making the sign of the gaff, and glared in our direction. – 12 – Fifty years ago the first fiberglass sloops joined the FSS fleet. Salatia #90, built by Jarvis Newman, was the first Pemaquid sloop built and launched by Jarvis. The first Bruno & Stillman, Perseverance #83, was also launched in 1969. The following 1969 Yearbook articles were published in response to the introduction of fiberglass as a building material for Friendships.
Hoagland hustled me around back of the bait house. âSee!â He said, laying into my shins. âPeople are going to get the wild hair up. A glass Pemaquid — itâs like renouncing God, Motherhood, BAKED BEANS! Do you think theyâd kick me out of the Society?â âDammit!â I said, rubbing my leg. âTake in a little sail. The important thing about Friendship Sloops isnât how they are put together. The magic is in their past utility, their pleasing lines, the people who sail them. Construction-wise, the originals are nothing to found a tradition on. Take one with a little age on her and all youâve got is trailboards, dry rot, and a damn good pump. Wilbur Morse was a marvelous business man, not a patron saint of wood boat construction. Old Baldyâs owner looked nervous. I pressed on. âBoats are for fun. What difference if they are built of wood, cement, glass, melted down old chocolate-covered rubber heels, long as the material is used well and honestly and the result is pleasing to the eye and it does the job!â âWhose side are you on, anyhow? I thought you were a wooden boat man?â âThe side of magic,â I replied. âWhispering breezes, raging gales, and the gaff rig even though itâs a bitch for chafe.â âDonât get frivolous. This is serious. Newman would put Old Baldy in his shop this winter — sand her topsides mirror smooth. Sheâd come out looking a lot better than when you built her.â âGolly! Wouldnât that puff the old girl up,â I said, ignoring the slur. âThe chance to found a dynasty isnât offered to just any old Friendship wallowing in the gunk hole. Good stock there, Hoagland. Fine background. Breeding always shows!â âI hope Jarvis can fix those cracks in the deck,â he said. âThey look awful.â Out in the harbor Phil Nichols brought Surprise into the wind. His nephew, Bruce Cunningham, the fine boatbuilder from Round Pond, went forward and let go the hook. I knew Bruce was working on a 42â fiberglass hull in his modern shop, while across the cove Nichols, with no power tools, was building another wooden Friendship a little smaller than Surprise. Glass and wood, the materials change but the people donât. I was happy Jarvis was going to make a glass Pemaquid. I knew he would do a first rate job for he was a craftsman and he was building it for the right reasons. He was nuts about Friendship Sloops. His burning ambition was to own one. Later on others, no doubt, would jump in to catch the bandwagon with tasteless imitations. But this first fiberglass by Jarvis, I knew would be right. And I couldnât help muse what Friendships meant to me. It was Betty and Al Roberts giving unstintingly of their time. It was Jane and Skip Bracy sailing off across the bay in Windward on their honeymoon. It was John Gould carving Sazeracâs trailboards on the wrong side; the friendly rivalry between Malcolm Barter and Roger Duncan, George Morrillâs bald head, Phil Nichols working on a new Friendship in the dead of winter in his unheated shop with his shirt open, and when asked why he did it at his age, replying, âBetter than looking at TV.â Itâs the sight of all those gaff rigs coming into harbor the last three days in July against a background of spruces and rock. Itâs a thousand little things — a magic brew of people, place, and time — and âjust messinâ around in boats.â Dr. Hoagland interrupted my thoughts. âIf you were going to build another Friendship for yourself what would you use?â I answered without hesitation, âOld chocolate-covered rubber heels.â – 13 – Salatia #90 owned by Miff Lauriat Perseverance #83 owned by Rick Foote
