Commodore’s Message Welcome, members of the Friendship Sloop Society! This is usually the time of year when we are taking covers off of our sloops and working to prepare them for the water, our “Spring Ritual”! This year, however, is like none we have ever experienced. These are uncharted waters. The Friendship Sloop Society is often described as a group of sailors based in tradition who are strong and independent. Just like when we are sailing, we may face a “knock down” on one part of the course but we are always looking for a lift on the other side. But like navigating our sloops, we have to start from where we are presently with regard to COVID-19. In crisis lies opportunity, and the FSS Executive Committee has embraced new approaches to communicate and share information. We have held two teleconference meetings in April and May. We continue to make sure we are doing all we can to serve the inter- ests of FSS members, boat owners, their families and friends, and share the following meeting highlights: All of the FSS committees had only positive progress to report and we are in good shape going into this year. The excep- tional publicity team has both the Newsletter and Yearbook on track. Yearbook printing and distribution will happen on time as we share important information about the Society with members and the boating community at large. We discussed in depth our hoped-for 2020 Homecoming event in Rockland to celebrate our 60th year. The tent has been ordered, the meal is planned, the trophies have been polished, the race course is set, however…. When I think about decision-making, I like to think about it happening on three levels. Picture three large concentric rings, one inside the other. The outer ring represents the events in our lives that we have no control over and cannot change. The middle ring includes the ways we can influence those events, and the innermost core ring is the place were we can actually do something. The outer ring is where we began our Ex. Comm. meeting: due to COVID-19 concerns, will the local, state and/or federal government allow us to gather together for camaraderie and sailing as we have done for 60 years? We don’t know. Should we gather even more information over the next few weeks and meet again to discuss guidelines determined by local and national authorities? That would involve the influence ring, and the Committee has decided to postpone a final decision until May 23rd. (Continued to Page 2) Behind the Scenes With Caroline Cronin Phillips When Caroline Cronin was 6 weeks old, her family bought the Tannis, beginning for her what has literally been a life-long association with the very fortunate Friendship Sloop Society. Since that time she has embodied the spirit of giving, participation and friendship that is so characteristic of many FSS members. Caroline recounts a childhood where every weekend from May to October, the Cronin family packed up their 8 kids, provisions and gear aboard Tannis on Friday afternoon, headed out of Salem Harbor on a new sailing adventure, and returned home late on Sunday. She is still amazed that her mom Mary let her dad Jack buy the boat. He knew nothing about sailing but needed a family-based activity to get him away on weekends from the demands of his contracting business. Thus the Cronins learned to sail together aboard Tannis as a family. Friends with any sailing experience were welcomed aboard and knowledge and information were exchanged freely, accelerating the learning process. By the time Caroline, number six of the eight children, was old enough to be an able crew member, her dad and her older siblings had mastered much of what there was to know about sailing a Friendship sloop. Even (Continued to Page 6) Volume 32 Summer 2020 FSS.ORG Issue 2 Friendships Newsletter of the Friendship Sloop Society 1 Caroline, holding the first place Pemaquid Jarvis Newman trophy, celebrates with Scott Martin, far left, and crew of Eden in 2017. (Bill Finch photo)

Membership and Registrar Reports By Carole and John Wojcik Since our last newsletter there have been no new members added to the roster. There have been two changes of ownership: George Morton has purchased #118 Wenonah from Eric Turner who was chartering the Bruno & Stillman sloop out of Salem, MA. #96 Voyager has been sold to Cyrus Ebinger. No other information regarding Cyrus is available at this time. Membership renewals are on schedule to equal or slightly surpass the numbers for 2019. 98 reminder notes were sent in February to members who had not yet renewed their membership for 2020. We have received a couple of notes from our members: From David Schandall of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, owner of #128 Schoodic: Schoodic has been for sale the past 2 years. We have maintained her as always and she will be in the water again this year. It is not easy to sell a wooden boat these days, of course. From Phil Schutt who charters #157 Liberty in San Diego: Liberty has had a very successful year bringing the joy of sailing a Friendship sloop to the west coast. We have sailed with over 500 guests and told the story of Friendship sloops to all of our guests. This year we purchased new sails and were featured in a Cruising World ad for Neil Pryde Sailmakers. We sail in the San Diego Ancient Mariners Fleet and join in on all of their activities and races. A shout out to Dick Salter: his sloop Liberty is sailing strong and bringing joy to all that board her. Commodore’s Message (Continued from Front Page ) At the core, what can we do? We can keep moving forward with positive intent. If you are allowed, take the covers off your sloops and with mask and gloves on, and 6 feet away from your crew, begin your “Spring Ritual”! Please know that we will do all that we can to enable a safe 60th Homecoming, if not in 2020 then next year. Our plan for the next few weeks is to focus on the ‘outer ring’ as we get clearer information and guidance, and to keep you, our members, informed. Please check the website at fss.org for updates, or contact me at commodore@fss.org with any questions. Be well and take care, Diane Huston Fassak, Commodore Food For Thought (And a Special Volunteer Needed) Kirsten Cronin is the mastermind behind the success of the Homecoming Awards Banquet. She and her team, “Kirsten’s Krew” work feverishly to make this culminating event the achievement that it is. This year, after many years of flat funding, the FSS has increased the banquet budget to give Kirsten and her workers a bit more leeway with the menu. She is looking for a volunteer with a car to go to the Hannaford’s Supermarket (2 miles away) on Saturday afternoon, July 18, just before the banquet, to pick up the food order and transport it back to the tent at the Rockland Public Landing. Anyone who wants to play a key role in this amazing effort is encouraged to text Kirsten at (207) 691-2675. Your help will be greatly appreciated by Kirsten, her tireless crew of volunteers, and the hungry sailors and visitors who gratefully feast at the banquet. The need will still be there in 2021 if the 2020 Homecoming is canceled. – 2 – The Merrill family’s Celebration #227 sails from Linekin Bay near Boothbay, and displays her balance, grace and speed in Rockland in 2018. (Bill Finch photo) Petrel #144 and Hegira #230 to her right, sail from the waters of Buzzards Bay in Massachusetts, along with Banshee and Gaivota, to enjoy the charms of the Maine coast and the festivities in Rockland and Southwest Harbor. (Bill Finch photo)

Race Committee Update by David Graham, Race Committee Chair From the Race Committee, we are delighted to bring you some welcome good news. It was on a Thursday in mid-March when FSS Race Committee members Rich Langton, Dick Salter and yours truly made the trek to Rockport, ME for the purpose of examining a Stanley-39 Lobster Yacht that has been offered to the Society by owner Peter Clapp, for use as a Race Committee boat. What we found, neatly tucked-out of the winter’s weather in a well-made boatshed, was far better than any of us could ever expect! Her name is Aestimare (pictured below), and she is in fact, the former Sarah Holloway, built in 2006 at the Ralph Stanley yard by Ralph and Richard Stanley. Aesti- mare, being the Latin origin of the word “Esteem”, was chosen to honor the long line of people held in high esteem that are related to the creation of this fine vessel, from its inception to the present caretakers, and hopefully on into the future. With Aestimare becoming available to the Society for the foreseeable future, it now appears that our annual quest for a viable Race Committee boat may have come to a much welcome conclusion, and so it is that we shall plan accordingly. Newly appointed RC Vice-Chair Rich Langton will be “learning the ropes” on Race Committee work over the next few years. Already Rich has gained a deep appreciation of the work, the planning and all the attention to detail that happens “behind the scenes” during each off-season, so as to insure the success of the on-water portion of our Homecoming Regatta. Happily, Rich has rolled up his sleeves and is contributing with enthusi- asm. He is a welcomed appointment to our efforts! Once again, “Welcome Aboard”, Rich! Now for a few words on planning for the 2020 season and the July 16 – 18 Homecoming Regatta. It comes as no surprise that most activities this late winter and into the spring, have come to a screeching halt due to the onset of the very nasty and vicious COVID-19 virus! Currently, our crystal ball is extremely clouded as to what lies ahead for the Homecoming race program. As we look down the road some three months from the date of this writing, your FSS Executive Committee will have conducted three virtual meetings by late-May in an attempt to arrive at a decision about racing and organized cruising activi- ties this coming summer. For now, we advise you to “STAY TUNED” and check the FSS website at fss.org for updates. Southwest Harbor Dreamin’ By Scott Martin Today I sat on the shore of Manset overlooking the waters which I think of as our sailboat playground, where we gather for the Southwest Harbor Race. The harbor was empty which is not unusual for this early in the season, but it brought to mind how empty the town is and made me wonder what our sailing season ahead would look like. Oh, what a beautiful day it would be to be sailing, nice puff after nice puff, gracefully floating across the water. I could imagine Caroline telling me to “go higher, take this lift, don’t let that boat behind us head higher and overtake us!” I’d catch myself; I’m daydreaming and I’m supposed to be coming up with a story for the newsletter. I know we all must be wondering what the future holds for us, not just on the water but in every- thing as we have known it. Can we do SOCIAL DISTANCING SAILING? Sure we can! I already do that, when many times I go out sailing by myself and meet up with Miff out there and we spontaneously start racing each other. Perhaps we can still gather for racing but stay on our moorings and do Zoom Crew Call. There’s a saying that comes to mind: “we can’t change the wind, but we can adjust our sails“. We have all been adjusting the sails in our lives to get through this pandemic. The bottom line is we still might have to stay home for the safety of ourselves and those in our community. It does not hurt to daydream and to hope we shall all be able to gather this summer and raise sail together. So for now I’ll go back to daydreaming and seeing a fleet of Friendship sloops gather in Southwest Harbor on July 11. If not, we can take this time to do those chores on the HONEY-DO lists, both at home and on our boats, knowing that when time allows us to gather it will be all the more dearer to our hearts. Please everyone, be safe and stay connected to each other. For more information and COVID-19 updates, text or call Caroline Phillips at 774-200-0506. – 3 – Inherit the Wind #156, owned by FSS Vice-Commodore Victor Goulding, fends off Martin Thomas in his Lady M #193 as the breeze comes up, with Rights of Man and Sazerac in the background. (Bill Finch photo)

Marlinespike Seamanship By Ted Walsh Knives A good knife is a pretty indispensable tool to have on a boat, or anywhere else for that matter (ask Judy how she got out of the bathroom at work when she accidentally got locked in). There are plenty of styles and types of knives to choose from without even touching on multi-tool knives. Whatever type of knife you prefer, however, there are some basic truths about knives that are worth a quick review: First, a knife should always be handled with care. There are numerous ways to get hurt on a boat, cutting yourself with your own knife should not be one of them. Second, keep your knife sharp. This might seem counterin- tuitive to the first item, but the reality is a dull knife is more dangerous to use. More force is needed to make the blade do what you want it to, which leads to slips and losing control of the blade. Third, a knife is first and foremost a tool. If your knife is so valuable, or so precious that you are afraid of using it, then it should be left at home. Put your heirloom in a glass case and carry something that won’t make you cry if it falls overboard. I repeat, it is first and foremost a tool. Fourth, well-used knives wear out; it is okay to replace them. The type I carry with me all the time wears out and gets replaced about every three years. Fifth, it is okay to have more than one. Judy carries a folding Navy issue knife with marlinespike. I carry a two-blade Swiss army knife pretty much all the time. We also have several aboard our Friendship, a large fixed-blade sheep’s foot knife for heavy rigging work, and two different sizes of folding rigging knives in the rigging bag and in the make-and-mend bag. Sixth, dropping a knife is a bad idea. Dropping a knife overboard is also a bad idea. This brings up the topic of lanyards and there is no hard- and-fast rule here. The problem with knife lanyards is that they tend to get caught on everything as you move around the boat, which in itself can be a dangerous situation. Lanyards can also get in the way when you are working and make knife work more difficult. On the other hand going aloft, out on the bowsprit, or hanging over the side without your knife on a lanyard is asking for trouble. Just as we have several different kinds of knives on board, so too we have several differ- ent lanyards on board and can whip one up in a hurry too if needed. (A future Marlinespike column will be devoted to knife lanyards). Seventh, did I mention that dropping a knife is a really bad idea? When you are not using it, your knife should be kept in such a way that it couldn’t fall out of a sheath or pocket onto a deck or someone’s foot. A few notes on knives in general: Folding knives: these should have a good stiff spring. A good spring is critical to not having the knife accidentally close on your fingers. If the spring gets soft, get a new knife. The best folding knives lock open and lock closed. What I like best about folding knives is that they fit in a pocket making them harder to drop. Sheath Knives: the sheath is as important as the knife. No matter what type of blade or handle you prefer, the bottom line is, if you can’t get it back into the sheath without stabbing yourself, it’s not safe to use. If the knife falls out of the sheath, it is dangerous. One more thing on a sheath knife; it should have a hole in the handle to attach a lanyard. If it doesn’t, leave it at home or use it for cooking. Serrated blade or straight blade: this is mostly a question of use and preference. A serrated blade is better for cutting through a line in a hurry but a straight blade will make a cleaner cut without pulling apart strands. – 4 –

The summer activities at Homecoming in Rockland are some of the Society’s cornerstone events. Gathering with our friends, racing, cruising, watching the kids, swapping yarns about our nautical triumphs (“sea stories” to those who don’t know us, and “bald-faced lies” to those who do!). The activities in and around Rockland do a lot to bring us together and intro- duce the public to the Friendship Sloop Society. Talking with people on the floats and taking them for a sail during the races is a great way to have fun and show folks what Friendship sloops are and how they operate. I’m not sure who came up with the idea of having the “crew call” after the skipper’s meeting, but it is a fantastic way to meet new people. The people who answer the call come with a wide range of boating and sailing experience; from knowing little or nothing about boats, to being very experienced. Some are former Friendship owners, or people who have been sailing for years on other types of boats. But the bottom line is that anyone we have invited aboard doesn’t know our specific boat, even other Friendship sloop owners. So, if we invite people to get underway with us, what is our responsibility? Maybe a better way to look at this is to rephrase the question and ask: what’s our liability? Basically, as the operator or captain of a documented or undocumented vessel, we are liable for anything that happens on board, either at the pier or underway. Think about it! That’s a big burden. We really should have some way to protect our volunteer passengers and ourselves. One way to help ensure the safety of our passengers is to provide them with the information they need to protect themselves and the other crew members. It all starts with a safety brief. For instance where are the life jackets? What should I do if someone falls overboard? What if I fall overboard? Here is a representative briefing similar to the one I give the new crew, even those who have sailed with me previously. 1. Introduce them to yourself and the boat. Show them where to stow their gear and how to secure it so it doesn’t fly about during maneuvers or when crossing the ferry’s wake. 2. Explain how the marine head works and how not to plug it up! You can also offer them the adventure of using the ship’s bucket. I find that to be a good way to encourage people to use facilities ashore before departing. 3. Now ask if any of your passengers are non-swimmers or poor swimmers. If you have any it’s a good time to show everyone where the life jackets are stowed, and how to put one on. Insisting that non-swimmers wear a life jacket is a good idea. Children under 12 must wear them. If they refuse I regrettably invite them and their parents ashore. 4. One of the greatest risks we face is a person overboard. I’ve had two incidents where over-exuberant neophytes nearly ended up in the drink! Now I appoint responsibilities to the crew in the case of a person-overboard event and brief everyone on sounding the alarm and getting one of the cockpit cushions or any type IV flotation device to the person in the water. A. One person is assigned as the MOB spotter, and another as the alternate B. Depending on crew skill, another person is assigned to sail handling C. One person is assigned to break out the retrieval gear D. I keep the helm and engine control responsibilities E. Everyone else goes below (if there is anyone left!) 5. The last part of the safety brief is about onboard fires and location of fire extinguishers. Everyone has to know that sounding the alarm is the first critical step in any emergency. In the case of a fire I tell everyone to go forward while I try to deal with the problem. The safety brief you provide to your crew should be what you think is appropriate. Obviously you don’t want to scare anyone away, but I think we should all consider the safety of our passengers and try to give them the tools they may need if things go wrong on the water. Membership Reminder You, dear members, are the heart and soul of the Friendship Sloop Society. We exist for you and would not exist without you. We encourage you to keep your membership current and if you haven’t done so already, please send your 2020 dues to Carole Wojcik, 347 Lincoln St., Norwell, MA 02061. Don’t miss out on all the fun! – 5 – Tech Tips: Passenger On-Board Safety By Bill Whitney From left to right, Rights of Man #52, Jabberwockey #189, and Sazerac #44 tightly packed on the windward leg. (Bill Finch photo)

Caroline Cronin Phillips (Continued from Front Page) as the kids morphed into teenagers, expanding their social lives or going off to college, those weekend summer family sailing outings remained sacrosanct. Sailing to Maine for the FSS Homecoming regattas have been highlights in Caroline’s summers, and she has only missed one in her 51 years. She grew up and learned to sail with young Lauriats and Becks, Burnhams and Salters, establishing lifelong friendships and decades of shared memories within the FSS, her second ‘family’. After Caroline graduated from college, she began a commitment to volunteering for the FSS, which has never faltered. In 1992 she took over for her mom, the late Mary Cronin, as Membership and Recording Secretary, and ably filled that role until 2013, when she stepped down and took on manag- ing the Chandlery; ordering, pricing, transporting and selling the FSS merchandise at Homecomings and Annual Meetings. But her contributions don’t stop there. She is one of the key members of the Awards Banquet team, helping sister-in-law Kirsten Cronin feed the hungry masses after the final race at Homecoming. When Miff and Marge Lauriat stepped down after 25 years of organizing the Southwest Harbor Race, Caroline teamed up with sailing buddy Scott Martin to organize the skippers meeting, the race and the celebratory pot-luck. At some point during those family sailing weekends and Homecoming races, Caroline became one helluva sailor, sail handler and race tactician. With no formal sailing coaching or race instruction, she credits her sailing skills and racing prowess to the many roles she filled on Tannis, and to years of listening to her brothers Bill and Jeff discussing sail trim, weight distribu- tion, racing strategy and anything else that might make the Tannis go faster. In 2017, with Caroline on the main sheet and calling many of the tactical shots, Scott Martin’s Eden and crew sailed to their first Division 1 title, followed in 2018 by clinching the State of Maine championship trophy. Last year, when Eden could not attend Homecoming, Caroline joined skipper Laurie Raymond and crew aboard Hegira #230 on sail trim and tactics, capturing another first State of Maine title! Caroline has instilled her love of sailing Friendships, helping out where needed, and the value of the resulting relation- ships to her family. Her husband Rick pitches in on the family’s lobster boat, Effie M, setting and retrieving marks and perform- ing safety patrol duties. Her 3 sons Matt, Scott and Adam (along with several of their close friends) have been exuberant partici- pants at all FSS events, racing on Tannis, Eden and other sloops. Scott has followed in his mom’s footsteps by volunteer- ing on several FSS social media projects. Caroline lives in Brookfield, MA, and spends her working days handling the financial end of the family’s business “Cronin Cabinets”, where her duties might include bookkeeper, secretary, treasurer, communicating with clients, working up estimates, or being the “gopher”. She has always loved horses and now has 2 rescue horses she cares for, along with 2 new grandchildren. In a full and busy life, the Friendship Sloop Society is indeed fortunate to be one of Caroline’s passions and priorities. Friendship Memorial Scholarship Fund By Phil Pratt, Chairman Here we are in 2020 and the Friendship Memorial Scholarship Fund (FREN) is again prepared to strongly support Friendship, ME students wishing to get a post-secondary education. Since 2015, through the generous gifts from the FSS and many individuals, the Trustees of the FREN have been able to markedly increase scholarship awards per student. Graduating senior awards have grown from $1000 in 2015 to $3500 in 2019, and Continuing Education awards went from $500 in 2015 to $1800 in 2019! The Trustees of the FREN have had a lot of help making these awards a reality, starting with the FSS and its members’ creation and ongoing annual support of the Fund (originally the Friendship Sloop Society Scholarship Fund, and then the Pendleton Memorial Scholarship Fund). Irv Lash continues to donate two stunning Friendship Sloop half hulls for raffles at the FSS Homecoming in Rockland and the Friendship Day Parade in Friendship. For more information about the Fund, making a gift or applying for a scholarship, please contact Phil Pratt, Chairman, Friendship Memorial Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 129, Friend- ship, ME 04547, (207)-832-4335, or by email at davisloop100@gmail.com. Sail, Power and Steam Museum Update By Robin McIntosh The Sail, Power, and Steam Museum is pleased to announce that their two Friendship sloops, Blackjack and Persistence, plan to be sailing for the Museum’s Midcoast Sailing Center this summer, running classes for children and adults as well as providing opportunities for unique day sailing adventures for area residents and tourists alike. Blackjack #19, restored by the museum and the oldest Wilbur Morse-built Friendship sloop still afloat, will be working Rockland Harbor, providing 2-hour lobstering trips hauling traps while under sail. Persistence #120, a 34’ sloop completed by the museum’s volunteers a few years ago, will take guests on a 2-hour lighthouse cruise, sailing past the Owls Head Light, and stopping to allow passengers to walk around the Rockland Breakwater Light. USCG licensed captains Mark Philips and Kevin Lynaugh look forward to sharing their expertise while providing unique cruises on these historic sloops! For details or COVID-19 updates, visit www.MidcoastSailingCenter.org or www.SailPowerSteamMuseum.org. Go Digital! As many of you know by now, members can receive an electronic version of your FSS Newsletter. More photos, in color, early arrival
what’s not to love?! If you have not yet signed on (or already have but are still receiving the paper version by mail) and wish to do so, shoot us an email at newsletter@fss.org. – 6 –

2020 Calendar of FSS Events Red Brook Hbr Rendezvous (Buzzards Bay, MA) Friday, June 26 Scituate Harbor Rendezvous Saturday, June 27 Cape Ann Rendezvous Sunday, June 28 Linekin Bay Rendezvous Friday, July 3 Southwest Harbor Rendezvous, Race and Potluck Saturday, July 11 Pulpit Harbor (North Haven) Rendezvous Tuesday, July 14 60th Annual Rockland Homecoming: Rendezvous and Races Rockland Public Landing Thursday, Friday and Saturday, July 16-18 Sloops arrive Wednesday, July 15, depart Sunday, July 19 Races on Thursday & Friday, start time 1 PM, Saturday at noon Skippers meetings & crew call daily, 11 AM under the tent  Welcome: Informal BYO drinks and snacks under the tent, on the floats, on the sloops, Wednesday afternoon/evening  Parade of Sails: Saturday morning, Rockland waterfront, prior to the race  Awards Banquet: Saturday night, 5 PM, Under the tent, live music! FSS Annual Meeting Saturday, November 21 Best Western Merry Manor Hotel, South Portland, ME Events of Interest – Summer 2020 New England Waters **Casco Bay Gaffers Race, Portland, ME Monday, June 22, free, 4th year. After-race party at Cook’s Lobster and Ale House, Bailey Island www.schooneralert.com or (207) 841-9125 **Camden Classics Cup, Camden, ME July 23-25, 5th Annual event www.camdenclassicscup.com **Chowder Cup Race, Friendship Harbor, ME Saturday, August 1, one day race, free, 39th year! Contact Charlie Witherell at cwitherell@roadrunner.com or Bill Shaughnessy at william_shaughnessy@comcast.net **Eggemoggin Reach Regatta, Brooklin, ME Saturday, August 1, all wooden boats 24 ft. or longer welcome www.erregatta.com Sweet Chariot Music Festival, Swan’s Island, ME August 4-6, arrive by boat! www.sweetchariotmusicfestival.com Corinthian Classic Yacht Regatta, Marblehead, MA August 8 and 9, Corinthian Yacht Club, Marblehead, MA Www.corinthianclassic.org Wooden Boat Show, Mystic, CT August 14 – 16, 29th Annual show at Mystic Seaport www.thewoodenboatshow.com 36th Annual Gloucester, MA Schooner Festival Gloucester Harbor Waterfront, September 4-7 www.gloucesterschoonerfestival.net ** means Friendship sloops are welcome to participate with registration Found Sunglasses: A very nice pair of prescription sunglasses with a black ‘Turboflex’ case was left at the Rockland Homecoming last year. If these are yours, or you know the owner, please contact Penny Richards at pennyjrichards@gmail.com, and she will get them to you. – 7 – All dates are subject to change due to COVID-19 restrictions. Check FSS.ORG and other event websites for updates.

Friendship Sloop Society 347 Lincoln Street Norwell, MA 02061 Address Correction Service Requested So far only 3 people have submitted photographs for the new FSS “Coffee Table Book” (CTB) proposed at the November 2019 Annual Meeting. In an effort to kick-start the recalcitrant engine of creativity to get us to a safe and profitable harbor with this book, and because it is our 60th anniversary, the CTB Committee announces: We need YOU to take digital high-resolution images of your boats & send them to editor@fss.org. Take them in the boatyard, at launch, while sailing & hauling out. TAKE PICTURES OF EVERYTHING: your boats, bottoms & rigging, your cockpits & bowsprits, your trail- boards, figureheads & billet heads, deadeyes & turnbuckles, eye splices & back splices, tabernacles & tillers & wheels, while heeled on broad reaches, ghosting on runs, in the sun, the rain, the fog, at rest by the mooring, slip, pier or on the hard. No detail is too small, no image too insignificant, but remember: focus, focus, focus! This anticipated AVALANCHE of SUPERIOR DIGITAL IMAGES will provide the stock we need to lay the keel, bend in some frames and put some planks on this new book. With your help, it will be the Committee’s hope to have a very rough draft at the 2020 Annual Meeting and to produce a high quality book of absolutely gorgeous pictures of our ENTIRE FLEET in all manner of action and sumptuous detail! The starting cannon has fired! George Hagerty, FSS Yearbook Editor editor@fss.org – 8 – Calling All Owners, Sailors, and Lovers of Friendship Sloops: Where are those photos?

– 9 – Lash Brothers-built Rights of Man #52, at 30 feet, glides easily through her home waters in Rockland. Owners Wayne Cronin, at the helm, and wife Kirsten, standing in pink shirt, always manage to fill their graceful sloop with friends and family. A common sight in any Friendship sloop race is to find Banshee #180, owned by Carole and John Wojcik, neck in neck with Salatia #90, owned by Miff Lauriat and Marge Russakoff. Both sloops were built by Jarvis Newman. Friendship sloops, almost as far as the eye can see, enjoy some tranquil moments (and some partying aboard Gladiator #71!) while rafted up at the Rockland floats in 2019. FSS Commodore Diane Fassak and husband John share the joy of launching Westwind #95 last summer after a decades-long restoration. Skippers in attendance with their sloops at the 2019 Homecoming, proudly sport their stylish new aprons. All photos courtesy of Bill Finch.