Winter 2015 Newsletter
đ Download PDFCommodoreâs Message Greetings, Shipmates! It is with great optimism that I write to you all as the newly inducted Commodore of OUR Friendship Sloop Society. My wife, Laurie, and I, along with our three children, hope to share with you an exciting year ahead and beyond. As a child, I spent my summers in Friendship, Maine. Thanks to my late parents, Leonard and Nona March, our family became seasonal residents of one of the prettiest towns on the coast. But it was my mother’s personal inter- est in the Friendship Sloop that led us to become volunteers and sailors with our friends of the Friendship Sloop Society each year. Mom became the first “official spotter” of the FSS, assisting Betty Roberts and Everett Walker in announcing the finish line results of those early races in Muscongus Bay and Friendship Harbor. My brother, sister and I would race aboard Dirigo thanks to the kindness and generosity of one of her builders, our friend Harold Lash. As anyone who sails aboard a Friendship Sloop knows, the infectious spirit and contagious fun of that experience is incurable! Today we are the proud owners of Content, a 1960 Pemaquid design that is among the most notable of the fleet. Okay, I can say that because I’m the Commodore now, right? But perhaps the most notable thing I have seen among our members, new and old, is our shared affinity for these elegant vessels, the joy of sailing them, the pleasure of seeing them, and that special feeling of humble pride knowing that we are in on a wonderful secret…a secret that I hope to publicize far and wide during my turn at the helm of the Friendship Sloop Society. It will take all hands on deck to maximize our visibility among the entire boating community, and among the public at large, with the goal of ensuring the sustainability of our organi- zation, and, as stated in the FSS Constitution, continuing to “encourage the building and sailing of Friendship Sloops, to (Continued to Page 2) Early Success with âLasting Friendshipsâ By Ted Walsh, Book Committee Chair Since the book Lasting Friendships, A Century of Friendship Sloops, was published, this has been the first oppor- tunity to report on sales in the Newsletter. With an official publication date of July 1, 2014, we actually started taking advanced orders for the new book in June through the FSS website. While it was a scramble to build up enough of an inventory to meet advanced orders and have books to sell at the gatherings in Bayville, Southwest Harbor, and the Rockland Homecoming, we did manage to have books available at all these events. This made it difficult to keep up with book orders placed through the website in June and July, but we were able to stay just ahead. We needed to borrow some money from the FSS general fund and from certain individuals, to do the initial print- ings in July, and by the time the gathering in Rockland drew to a close, we had sold out our entire inventory! By the end of July, we had made enough money in sales to have more books printed, and by August we had made enough money to pay back all initial loans. By September, the bank account for the book was $1000 in the black! Since then we have spent more money to build up our inventory of books, but we are still showing a profit and have books to sell. Hardbound copies are available exclusively through our website www.fss.org, and at FSS events. Paperbound copies are available through on-line bookstores like Amazon, Powellâs Books, and Barnes and Noble, as well as online book venders in Canada, France, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. As of the end of October we had sold 148 hardbound copies, given away seven copies to museums or media outlets, or as gifts from the Society. During the same time period we sold 68 paperbound copies and gave away ten copies to museums or media outlets. This represents a good solid showing for the first four months of sales. In the long run, we can expect paperbound sales to surpass hardbound sales, both because of the lower retail price and because we will be reaching a larger market. In the short run, there are two things that YOU as members can do to help with sales. First, I would encourage all of our membership to buy copies to give for holiday gifts (to date, only 33% of FSS members have bought books)! Second, if you buy anything through Amazon, please go to the page for Lasting Friendships (Continued to Page 2) Volume 27 FSS.ORG Winter 2015 Issue 1 Friendships Newsletter of the Friendship Sloop Society 1
Commodoreâs Message (Continued from Front Page) provide a medium for owners and friends to meet and enjoy each other around a common interest, and to promote the history and traditions of the Friendship Sloop”. Standby for a great year ahead Noel March FSS Commodore 2014 Southwest Harbor Race Report by Miff Lauriat, Southwest Harbor FSS Rendezvous Organizer First, a note of sincere thanks to Shane Dowsland, who, for the second year running, had arranged free dockage for sloops from away at the Hinckley float at Great Harbor Marina. Second, a note of regret that the Massachusetts sloops (Banshee, Gaivota, and Hegira) couldnât make it to Southwest Harbor this year due to the poor timing of Hurricane Arthur. We really missed you! On July 12, a bakerâs dozen worth of sloops, includ- ing Gladiator, the Grande Dame from Friendship, started the race promptly at 1310 hrs. The breeze was a bit spotty at first on our way to mark W, the Spurling Point gong, but filled in nicely. Sunny skies and a challenging course presented the early leaders with a choice of routes to mark N, at the narrows of Somes Sound. A strong ebb current in the wind shadow north of Green- ings Island demolished the lead of all the boats who chose that route. Smart money sailing up the Western side of Greenings took over the race. Nevertheless, a still closely-bunched fleet enjoyed a group sail as we rounded the scenic Bear Island bell buoy. From there, the course was the Greenings Ledge nun, and then to the Finish. Patrick OâReilly, first-time Captain on the Helen Brooks, was leading the race but absent-mindedly ignored the Greenings Ledge buoy. Even though Salatia contacted Helen on VHF and confirmed this digression, the RC didnât witness it, and so gave the cannon to Helen. Unfortunately for her, the race was later awarded to Surprise , finishing 1 minute and 8 seconds later, with Helen, alas, being declared DNF. Once again, Ralph Stanley, Rodney Flora and Jill Schoof served as the intrepid and able Race Committee, aboard Ralphâs boat Seven Girls. Freelance photographer Anna Travers and Jon Johanssen of Maine Coastal News rode aboard as well. Liz Graves of the Mount Desert Islander raced, and also covered the event. Our two-hour time limit for this race, which I bill as âNothing Seriousâ, was easily observed. Then, by land and by sea, participants, their families and friends, and assorted others converged on Steve and Kate Hughesâ dock at the Manset shore of Southwest Harbor. A festive, pot-luck party commenced and continued until well after the glorious sunset over the harbor. Early Success with âLasting Friendshipsâ (Continued from Front Page) and write a quick review. It does not need to be longer than a few sentences, but the more consumer reviews we have, the better our ranking will be with Amazon. Lastly I want to thank the members of the Book Committee for all of their hard work, especially for the massive amounts of proofreading done. Without their efforts, we would not have been able to produce and launch such a successful and important project. I would also like to say a special thanks to Anne-Marie Chouinard and Kathy Whitney, for taking on the task of shipping book orders, a very important part of the process that is often overlooked. Members of the Book Committee: Ralph W. Stanley, John and Carole Wojcik Peter and Nancy Toppan, Bill and Kathy Whitney Jim Salmon, Anne-Marie Chouinard, Greg Roth Rich and Beth Langton, Judy Heininger Persistence Pays Off The following is loosely excerpted from the brochure of the Sail, Power and Steam Museum in Rockland, ME, narrating the history of Persistence. âThe saga of Persistence began when the late Carlton Simmons of Friendship, Maine, started construction of the 27 foot sloop in 1966, but had to abandon the project due to his wifeâs health. It was acquired by John Lichtman, a young man visiting from Oregon, who saw the partially planked sloop in a field outside of Friendship. He bought it, then bought some waterfront property on Muscongus Bay, where he built a barn and a home. He became a house builder in the area, but with family and work, never had time to continue on the boat. Thus it sat in his barn, untouched, for about 30 years. In September, 2011, when Lichtman was approached by Captain Jim Sharp, founder and Director of the Sail, Power and Steam Museum in Rockland, he agreed to donate the boat where it would become a âworking exhibitâ for visitors to view a boat under construction. A small crew of volunteers worked tirelessly on the sloop several days a week for the next three years. The project was given a significant boost by the donation of Eagle, a 1923 Friendship Sloop of similar dimensions, which had been all but abandoned at a local boatyard, Spruce Head Marine. The hull was deemed beyond repair, but the working engine, iron keel, steering gear, mast, rigging, and sails were put to good use on Persistence.â This past summer, at high tide on the picture perfect afternoon of August 14, Persistence was launched at the city boat ramp adjacent to the Museum. While scores of people cheered, Friendship Sloop #120 was christened with champagne by Captain Sharpâs wife Meg, and began the next chapter in her long journey. Constructed of epoxied cedar strips over steam-bent oak frames, then sheathed in fiberglass, she will be used by the Museum to take visitors out to learn the basics of sailing and to experience lobster fishing under sail, as it was done over a century ago. – 2 –
– 3 – Marlinespike Seamanship By Ted Walsh Stopper knots There are many kinds of stopper knots and there are many places on a Friendship Sloop where a stopper knot may be appropriate. The function of these knots is to keep the end of a line from running through a block, a cleat, lizard, or fairlead; in essence stopping the line just before the bitter end. One obvious example of a stopper knot is a simple figure-eight knot in the end of the main sheet so that it canât run though the blocks and end up over the side. The figure-eight is easy to tie and just as easy to remove, but it also has limitations. It is large, and in the event that it does its job and stops the bitter end of a line running free, the load will be carried almost entirely by the first bite in the knot. It functions very well on the end of a main sheet, but is clumsy on the end of a deadeye lanyard for example. Here are two more elegant stopper knots; the classic Mathew Walker knot and the three-strand star knot. The Mathew Walker is the most common knot of choice for a deadeye lanyard. Relatively easy to tie, it spreads the load of the end of the lanyard across the whole crown of the knot. The three-strand star knot is an easier version of the classic five-strand star knot. It is more decorative than the Mathew Walker knot and might be used for the stopper knot on a rope becket. While it is a more decorative knot, it, like the Mathew Walker, spreads the load evenly over the whole crown of the knot. It is most appropriate for a line that will have a lot of load placed on it because it has a larger crown than the Mathew Walker.
Membership Report Carole Wojcik, FSS Membership Secretary The following notes were received from members as they sent in their 2015 membership renewals: Paul and Carol Lidstrom, owners of #187 Peregrine, of Whitefield NH wrote: âthought for sure weâd be able to attend the annual meeting this year as we have an apartment in Ports- mouth, but, alas, weâll be away on vacation then. Regrets.â Greg and Daneen Roth from New London CT, owners of #146 Fiddlehead, sent: âSo sorry to miss the annual meeting again this year. Think of you all often and hope to be a better communicator. Some use of Fiddlehead but still in transition year following care of our mothers. Need to talk Yanmar again. Be well, amigos.â From Bob Nash: âIâm a volunteer at Jim Sharpâs Sail Power and Steam Museum in Rockland. Iâve done some work on #122 Persistence and am looking forward to sailing aboard her next season.â Fred Lincoln of our Race Committee wrote: âI regret that Iâm unable to attend the annual meeting on Nov. 8 as Iâll be in Florida that week. My loss!â From past Commodores Debbie and Larry Plumer: âKevin is currently deployed on a nuclear sub which is based in Hawaii. He is a Lt. in the US Navy! He was telling us about his being up in the tower as the USS Columbia was leaving Pearl Harbor — and he was calling the navigation points – I thought, âyou have come a long way from Desireeâ — commanding a 365â submarine! Jason is a freshman in college pursuing a career in aerospace!!â Many of you may remember Eben and Diana Gay who owned and sailed sloop #94 Diana with the tan-bark sails. This was received from Diana: âI observed Homecoming Days by walking out part way on the breakwater with binoculars and the Yearbook to watch your Parade of Sloops. And then I listened for the winnerâs gun later in the afternoon. Sometimes I walk out on the floats to visit briefly but only if it is flat calm, my balance is poor and I have lost my sea legs. This past summer I went to the tent and luckily found someone to chat with and, what I was hoping for, bought the new Friendship Sloop book. It is a nostalgic read, sending me into remembering so many great sailing days on Diana #94. Favorable winds to all of you.â From Fred Perrone, owner of #96 Voyager: âLost the whole season due to engine failure. 1965 Grey Marine 4-112 rotted out from raw water after all these years. Just purchased a new Grey to be installed in the spring.â Doug Riley, owner of #6 Eastward, sent along the following: âThe restoration of Roger Duncanâs Eastward continues; magically, some of the promised help never material- ized. Iâm doing almost all the labor alone – hence progress is slower than Iâd hoped. We have a new section of deck planking down and caulked. Rebuild of the steering gear is almost done. New hatch covers fore and aft are done. Iâm finishing up the new boom and gaff, as well as refinishing the staysail club – all varnished bright. New enclosed head with breaker panel has been fabricated in the shop and awaits installation. 90% done, 50% to go.â (Continued to Page 11) Registrarâs Report – 2014 John Wojcik, FSS Registrar There was a lot of activity this past year. We have had probably the largest number of ownership changes that the FSS has ever seen in a one year period, twenty-two in all. Since some of these transactions have been noted in the last issue of the Newsletter, I will focus on those that have not been reported on previously. We issued our first sail number in a couple of years to a sloop in Australia, #283 Arapala, owned by Colin & Ginnie Bibby of Victoria. Mike Morris, owner of #279 Hand of Friendship met Colin at a wooden boat festival âdown underâ, and briefed him on the Friendship Sloop Society. As a result, Colin sent an email to the society (printed in the last issue of the Newsletter) along with pictures, and we assigned him sail #283. There was also a notable launching this past August when the Sail, Power and Steam Museum in Rockland, ME, launched #120 Persistence, 48 years after Carlton Simmons laid her keel down in Friendship. The sloop was completed after 3 years of tireless work by a crew of volunteers at the museum. (See article on page 2 in this issue for details) In mid-October we heard from Steve & Seth Major and their wives, informing us that they now own #44 Sazerac, formerly owned by Roger Lee in Belfast, ME. As a result, #54 Echo, is up for sale. We received information in early November about the most recent sale, #70 Wings of the Morning, sold by Rodney Flora & Jill Schoof of Castine, ME, to David Dick of Harpswell, ME. #229 Captân George, a Bruno & Stillman sloop, has been sold by Joan Durant of Mystic, CT, to Ken Shear, who also resides in Mystic. #145 Sabrina, a Jarvis Newman Dictator, was purchased by Ned Kelley of North Fayston, VT from Don Zappone of Portland, ME. Ned spent the summer living on the sloop on Donâs mooring in Friendship. Richard & Pamela Stanley of New York have purchased #183 Serenity, a Newman Pemaquid, from Mike Florio of Connecticut, and were able to attend the Annual Meeting this year. Victor & Nancy Goulding have purchased #156 Namaste, a Newman Dictator, from Jerry Kriegel. Victor & Nancy have renamed the sloop Inherit the Wind and have moved her from her former homeport of Duxbury, MA to Lincolnville, ME. These new owners were also in attendance at the Annual Meeting. About 5 years ago we posted a list of âmissingâ sloops we were trying to locate. The updated list is on display every year at the Annual Meeting and is posted on our website, FSS.org. When we started, we had 85 sloops listed. The number has now been reduced to 59, thanks to many of you. Please take a minute sometime to review the list and see if you can shed some light on the whereabouts or ownership of any of the missing Friendships. – 4 –
Whew! What a spring and summer. Other than some rain and an itinerant hurricane that wandered too close to the coast, the sailing weather was excellent. Not only was the sailing great, but we also managed to achieve several milestones that will prove beneficial to the growth and preservation of our Society. Of course, there was the excitement of fun, games, races and social- izing at Rockland that you will read about elsewhere in this Newsletter, and our sense is that the other local rendezvous were as successful and enjoyable. As to the Society milestones, our flagship book, Lasting Friendships, A Century of Friendship Sloops, was launched at the Rockland Homecoming. This is the most recent update since Roger Duncanâs book Friendship Sloops was published in 1985, and the Societyâs own book, Enduring Friendships, was published in 1970. I donât have enough room here to thank all the museums and individuals who provided input for this well researched book, but need to give special thanks to Ted Walsh, Judy Heininger and the âBook Committeeâ for all their dedication and hard work (Judy, your lasagna is superb!). The hardcover version of the book is available only through the FSS website (fss.org), and at FSS events, and the paperbound edition is avail- able from Amazon.com and several other online booksellers. See the article on page 1 of this issue for more details. If you own a Friendship Sloop, this comprehensive masterpiece is a âmust haveâ book, as all previous publications are out of print. A second milestone is our acceptance of the offer from Capt. Jim Sharp to store much of the documentation that we either discovered, uncovered or recovered while researching material for Lasting Friendships. Jim has generously offered us space in his world famous Sail, Power and Steam Museum, located at 75 Mechanic St., South Rockland, on the site of the old Snow Shipyard. The recently finished room on the second floor of his Museum will provide a perfect location for the material that will not fit in the Friendship Museum. Not only do we have much of the discovered source material for Lasting Friendships, but also material uncovered by Al Zink and Bob Brooks when they researched the early history of Friendship Sloops while working on the Friendship Sloop handbook. We are also now in posses- sion of recovered records held by Bill and Caroline Zuber, and our historian, Ralph Stanley. Along with our annual Rockland event and the book launching, the folks in Friendship, ME, celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Friendship Museum and put together a special picnic supper for sloopers and friends on the evening of July 18. Transportation to the Museum was provided and a great time was had by all. We made a presentation of Lasting Friendships to co-presidents Kathleen Homon and Susan Lott of the Friendship Museum in recognition of their continuing effort to record and preserve the legacy of the town and our beloved Friendship Sloops. The Friendship Sloop Society, as a simple boating organization, has a lot going on and a lot more activity to come. But we canât do it without your assistance. We encourage you to volunteer, join a committee, write a short article, or organize a game for the kids who come to Rockland (this yearsâ new scaven- ger hunt was a HUGE success!). Help us catalog the material coming to the Sail, Power and Steam Museum, or set up tables for the Saturday night dinner and awards ceremony in Rockland. If you canât get to Rockland, organize a local rendezvous and get together with local Friendship Sloop owners and other sailors. Have some fun and get involved! This has been an exciting two year stint for Kathy and me but our jobs are not complete. We will continue to assist Noel March and Jeff Cronin, your new Commodore and Vice- Commodore, as they lead us into an exciting and productive future. Hope to see you on the water! Bill & Kathy Whitney Immediate Past Co-commodores Ralph and Tedâs Most Excellent Adventure By Judy Heininger On November 15th Ralph Stanley and Ted Walsh met at the Southwest Harbor Library in Maine to do a collaborative presentation on the book Lasting Friendships, A Century of Friendship Sloops. It was an unusual day, as were a number of them leading up to that day, because Southwest Harbor and that region of the coast had already experienced two early season snowstorms. The snow wasnât melting, and they had more snow cover than in the foothills of western Maine and eastern New Hampshire. Fortu- nately the snow had stopped 24 hours prior, and people were able to attend the event without risk of slippery roads. Many people, actually. The beautiful original room of the library, with the fire going in the fireplace, was filled to capacity, with additional folks standing to one side. Slides of old photographs of Friendship Sloops were shown on a large screen. The focus of the presentation was primarily on the section of the book dealing with the relationship between summer people and sloop fishermen, and the transition of the Friendship Sloops from fishing boats to party boats. There were numerous questions throughout the presentation, as well as plenty of laughter generated from many of Ralphâs stories. Book signing followed, with much conversation amongst the boating enthusiasts that always makes such gatherings so enjoyable. We want to say a special thank you to Mary Anne Mead of the South- west Harbor Library for organizing the event. We were happy to see such a good turnout. Friendship Sloop Society members at the event included Jarvis and Sue Newman, Kathe Newman Walton and Dan Walton, Betsey Holtz- mann, Rodney Flora, Ralph and Marion Stanley, and Ted Walsh and myself. The surprise ending to Saturday came upon returning to my cousinâs house for the evening. We decided to watch some old family movies made in the 1960s and 70s and there among the silent shots of family members now gone and versions of ourselves also gone, were visions of Friendship as the town appeared in the late 1960s, complete with scenes of sloops racing. A fitting ending indeed to an excellent weekend adventure. – 5 – Outgoing Commodoreâs Message
Tech Tips #18, Give Me a Little Leeway By Bill Whitney As Friendship Sloop sailors we all have experienced leeway at one time or another. All vessels are subject to it, except with the wind dead ahead or astern. Sailing vessels make lots of leeway when hard on the wind and less leeway when well off the wind. Light airs and heavy winds have more impact than moder- ate breezes. When you are trying to get from point A to point B, leeway is one of the elements that you have to consider along with currents, tides and wind direction. Admittedly, current and wind direction usually have more of an effect on a vessel, but if you are on a long leg, vessel leeway can really add up. There are several ways to estimate your boatâs leeway; the most effective ways deal with looking astern and watching where you have been. Choose either of these methods to make a rough estimate of your boat’s leeway angle: The first method is to simply watch your wake as you steer a straight course. Take a bearing on your wake trail using your primary compass (if itâs binnacle mounted and high enough) or a handbearing compass to estimate leeway angle. Using either compass, take a bearing dead astern. Wait several minutes, then sight along the wake line to windward. The difference in the two angles gives you your leeway angle. The second method is to use a bearing to an object astern. First find a landmark, light structure, or buoy dead astern. Take a bearing with your compass. Hold a steady course for several minutes, and then take a second bearing. The difference in bearings is your leeway angle. Now that you know how much the boat is slipping sideways you can correct for it by adding or subtracting your observed leeway angle from the compass course you are steering. Be sure to apply correction to your steering course in the proper direction. You want to steer the boat closer to the wind to counteract the effect of leeway. If the wind blows from the port side, subtract the angle from your course. If the wind blows from the starboard side, add the leeway angle to your course. For example, you are close-reaching on the starboard tack, steering a course of 300 degrees magnetic. You sight astern with the handbearing compass for a reading of 120 degrees magnetic. Five minutes later, you sight down the wake line, and the bearing is 114 degrees magnetic. The difference gives you a leeway angle of 6 degrees. You’ll need to point 6 degrees higher, so add the angle to your 300 degree course and steer a new course of 306 degrees magnetic. Note that this correction may also include a component of current correction because you could easily be in an area where the current is pushing the boat sideways. Normally the current has an equal effect on both the boat and the wake it leaves but in some areas the currents can be quite tricky, flowing faster in one part of a bay than in another. After you have estimated your boatâs leeway in different wind velocities and at different wind angles a few times you get a good feel for the corrections that you need to make and can make them on a âseat of the pantsâ basis. See you on the water! Friendship Memorial Scholarship Fund (FMSF) A Component of the Maine Community Foundation (MCF) Phil Pratt, Chairman FMSF The founding of the Friendship Sloop Society in Friend- ship in 1961, the strong influence of the Society in helping fund the Friendship Museum start-up in 1964, and the creation of the Scholarship Fund in 1967, continue to link the Sloop Society to the people of Friendship, through a deep and meaningful past. The Friendship Memorial Scholarship Fund was initiated in 1967 by Bill Pendleton, former owner of Blackjack, and has given over 200 High School Graduates from Friendship the opportunity to make a post-secondary education a reality. The support by the members of the Friendship Sloop Society year after year since 1967 has been greatly appreciated! The Trustees of the FMSF are proud to announce another successful year of awards and growth. The total dollars awarded this year came to $3000, and were distributed to one high school graduate ($1000) and four continuing education students ($500 each), all of whom attend, or are planning to attend Maine colleges and universities. According to the September 2014 report from the MCF, the endowment has grown to over $110,000. In the 1968 FSS Yearbook, Bill Pendleton stated, ââŚ.the hope is that this Fund will grow and that subsequent years will see much more available for annual awardsâ. In support of Billâs vision for growth of both the endowment and the awards distributed, the Trustees of the FMSF are planning a âMATCHING GIFT PROGRAMâ for all gifts to the FMSF in the year 2017 (the 50th year of the Scholar- ship Fund). We are looking for individuals and organizations to help by pledging to match gifts in 2017, dollar for dollar, up to a total of $20,000. The Trustees are asking these Matching Gift donors for minimum pledges of $1000, increasing by $500 incre- ments. This is a bold initiative, undertaken in celebration of the Fundâs 50th anniversary, and Bill Pendletonâs dream. We, the trustees of the FMSF, are looking forward to a bright future, with increases in both the Fund endowment and the scholarship awards. Donations in any amount are always welcomed, and will be acknowledged. Please make checks payable to the âFriendship Memorial Scholarship Fundâ. In the memo section of the check please note, âFor Distributionâ. Anyone wishing to discuss the Matching Gift Program in more depth, or having opinions to share, please contact Phil Pratt – Chairman FMSF – 207-832-4335, or P.O. Box 129, Friendship, Maine 04547, or davisloop100@gmail.com. Dues Reminder If you haven’t yet mailed your annual dues in for 2015, please send them to our membership secretary: Carole Wojcik Membership Secretary 347 Lincoln Street Norwell, MA 02061 – 6 –
The third week of July, 2014, started with a promising weather outlook, but by Tuesday afternoon, things began to quickly fall apart to the extent that when Wednesday rolled around, the weather was rather miserable, with rain, squalls and thunderstorms! This brought about the decision by âa higher authorityâ to have what has traditionally been the first day of racing on Thursday, declared a practice race. Thus, the 2014 Friendship Sloop racing at Rockland became a 2-day regatta, consisting of racing on Friday and Saturday, under excellent conditions, with light southeast breezes veering to southwest on both days. With these superb racing conditions, six Division I sloops and four Division II sloops raced on the course that extended from Rockland Harbor, with a trip into Handicap Alley, out toward Owlâs Head on a two-circuit course. The Race Committee boat Seven Girls was ably assisted by the crews of Effie M and The Only One. Along these lines, we wish to extend our grateful appreciation to Richard Stanley for preparing Seven Girls and to Ralph Stanley for getting her to Rockland. Similar kudos go also to Jack Cronin for Effie M. and to Jack Flood for The Only One. Without the efforts of these four superb individu- als, there would be no racing at Rockland! Itâs as simple as that. A special word of appreciation is also extended to the tireless efforts of the Race Committee. Fred Lincoln, Jerry Ross, Dick Campbell, Phil Pratt and Dick Salter were the additional âdoersâ who made things tick in Rockland before and during the 2014 race program. And weâd better not neglect to mention our trophy folks, Marcia Morang and Penny Richards. It has often been said that without the sailors, there can be no racing – – – but without the trophies, the racing can be rather meaningless! As for the regatta, in numerical order by sail number – our valiant racing sloops, their skippers and homeports listed below, were: ⢠#7 â Tannis â (Division II) – – – Jeff Cronin â Salem Willows, MA ⢠#52 â Rights of Man â (Division II) – – – Wayne Cronin â Rockland, ME ⢠#54 â Echo â (Division I) – – – Stephen Major â Delano Cove, ME ⢠#71 â Gladiator â (Division II â Class âAâ) – – – Bill Zuber â Friendship, ME ⢠#90 â Salatia â (Division I) – – – Miff Lauriat â South- west Harbor, ME ⢠#122 â Eden â (Division I) – – – Scott Martin â South- west Harbor, ME ⢠#156 â Namaste â (Division II) – – – Victor Goulding â Lincolnville, ME ⢠#214 â Gaivota â (Division II) – – – Colin (Bill) Whitney â Cataumet, MA ⢠#227 â Celebration â (Division I) – – – Greg Merrill â Bayville, ME ⢠#230 â Hegira â (Division I) – – – Laurie Raymond â Woods Hole, MA Thus, the combined overall top results from the two days of racing were as follows: Division I ⢠1st Place – Salatia ⢠2nd Place – Eden ⢠3rd Place – Celebration Division II ⢠1st Place – Tannis ⢠2nd Place – Rights of Man ⢠3rd Place – Gladiator Overall Winner â The State of Maine Trophy ⢠#7 â Tannis â Jeff Cronin For 2015, we ask that you mark your calendars: July 16th, 17th and 18th will be the dates of our 55th Annual Homecoming Regatta, for which we are planning three full days of racing at Rockland. Our required annual application for the Friendship Sloop Society to conduct a âMarine Eventâ at Rockland in 2015 will be filed with the US Coast Guard office in South Portland shortly after the New Year, and the cycle will commence once again! Happy New Year, everyone!! New Officers Elected Pictured above are the officers elected at the FSS Annual Meeting in November. L to R are Greg Merrill, Treasurer; Carole Wojcik, Membership Secretary; Jeff Cronin, Vice-Commodore; Noel March, Commodore; and Nancy Toppan, Secretary – 7 – Racing at Rockland â 2014 By David W. Graham, Race Committee Chairman
Commodore Bill Whitney called the meeting to order at approxi- mately 3:00 PM. He welcomed everyone and thanked everyone for their efforts in Rockland and throughout the year. During 2014: A major milestone was the completion and publication of Lasting Friendships. Copies of the book were available for purchase at the meeting. The Rockland Homecoming events were very successful, notably the new scavenger hunt directed by Penny Richards. The Society has started an effort to team with the Sail, Power and Steam Museum in Rockland. Museum Director, Capt. Jim Sharp and his wife Meg, were present. Capt. Sharp made a presentation after the meeting about the Museum and the recently launched sloop Persistence, #120. For 2015: The sloops have been invited to join the Windjammer Days gathering in Boothbay Harbor in July 2015. Working with the Traditional Small Craft Association is also a possibility for the future. Bill welcomed the new members present and those current members attending for the first time, including Richard & Pamela Stanley from Manhattan, new owners of #183, Serenity; Kathe Newman Walton & Dan Walton, owners of Old Baldy #57; Chris Gerardi, Patience #74; Kathleen Titus of Marblehead, Nancy Treadwell, guest of David Bell; Dan & Kyra West from Friend- ship, ME; and Gerry & Mim Zwick from Thomaston, ME, Noel Marchâs sister. Noel March, Vice Commodore, also welcomed the members to the meeting. Noel reported that there was the possi- bility of a Maine state legislative initiative to make the Friendship Sloop the âOfficial Sailing Vessel of the State of Maineâ. The initiative is sponsored by State Representative Chuck Kruger. Should this become a reality, a celebration of the new law next summer at the Rockland Homecoming might include: An extensive newspaper circular insert for papers in Bangor & Portland. A folk music & sea chantey concert at the Sail, Power & Steam Museum on Friday night of the Homecoming event. I. Reports A. Report of Minutes from 2013 Annual Meeting A motion was made, seconded and unanimously passed to waive the reading of the minutes from the 2013 Annual Meeting and to accept them as presented in the packet given to each member. B. Treasurer âGreg Merrill FY 2014 was a very good year for the Treasury. The bank account balance was $9,700 at the fiscal year end, September 30, 2014. The budget was reviewed in depth and these major items were discussed: Advertising revenue was up from last year and the Yearbook made approximately $2,400. The Rockland Homecoming dinner made a small profit this year of approximately $180, due to the hard work of the Cronin family, with Kirsten & Caroline organizing the efforts. The Chandlery sales were up this year as well. Caroline is continuing to sell from inventory. Book sales are now showing a profit. The Executive Committee recommended changing one of the Society donations from Peabody Essex Museum to the Sail, Power & Steam Museum. The Society has not used the PEM as a meeting site for several years. This change is incorporated in the proposed 2014-2015 budget. The Society was not required to pay sales tax to Maine on the sale of the books because the Society does not maintain a physi- cal presence in the state. The Executive Committee has suggested a goal of having ½ of the yearâs expenses in the bank. This target is part of an ongoing discussion. A motion to accept the FY 2015 budget as presented was made, seconded, and passed unanimously. C. Pendleton Scholarship Report â Phil Pratt See the article on page 6 in this issue. D. Membership â Carole Wojcik See article on page 4 in this issue for correspondences. Membership Statistics No chang e in the number of members since last year – 227 More members are paying dues: from 166 (73%) in 2013, to 184 (81%) in 2014, which includes the 18 complimentary memberships. Members are located in 26 states plus Canada, Australia and the US Virgin Islands. The top states for membership are: Mass. 64 Maine 63 Connecticut 13 New York 11 Florida 10 Vermont 9 New Hampshire 9 – 8 – Friendship Sloop Society Annual Meeting Minutes – Saturday, November 8, 2014 Best Western Merry Manor, South Portland, ME 2013 2014 Sloop Owners 90/114 79% 84/105 80% Full 40/61 66% 40/55 73% Co-Operative 33/49 67% 38/45 84% Honorary 3 4 Complimentary 18 TOTAL 166/227 73%184/227 81%
E. Registrar â John Wojcik. See the article on page 4 in this issue. F. Webmaster â John Wojcik The âSloops for Saleâ page is still the most popular page on the site. The new website is still a work in progress. More input is needed from the people who agreed to test the site and committee chairs need to submit information about their committees. Members were reminded of the contact information. G. Chandlery â Caroline Phillips Everyone was urged to purchase items from the existing stock. New ideas for products are welcomed, as there are funds in the new budget for new purchases. H. Newsletter â Laurie Raymond The next newsletter will be published in early January 2015. The deadline for articles is November 15, 2014. Articles, news items and new contributors are always needed and appreciated. I. Yearbook â Beth Langton (Rich had a conflict with the meeting date) The 2014 Yearbook was a good issue. Due to increased advertising revenue, the yearbook was again published in color. Articles of any length, photos, poems, any form of input for the Yearbook are needed. The deadline for submissions is April 15, 2015. The distribution was good in 2014, but the Society needs to continue working on wider distribution. Help with distributing the boxes from the printer is important because it defrays shipping costs. Beth and Rich Langton have been the Yearbook editors for 10 years, and apprenticed with previous editor Roger Duncan for 3 years prior to that. Beth requested that someone sign on to work with them for several years before taking over as Yearbook editor. A Bulletin Board sign-up sheet and payment envelope circu- lated during the meeting and at dinner. J. Advertising â Peter & Nancy Toppan Outreach has already begun for 2015, and we have several returning advertisers. Peter reminded members that 20% of the advertisers in the Yearbook are his work contacts. If he retired, those advertisers probably would not return. It would be better for the Yearbook and the Society if we had a broader base of advertisers. All members were urged to contact local marinas, marine stores, boat yards, etc. in their areas. Remind businesses that the Yearbook is distributed widely along coastal New England. If businesses are interested, forward the information to Peter & Nancy and they will contact the prospective advertiser with costs and other information. K. Race Committee â David Graham See the article on page 7 in this issue for full racing report and results. The missing Post Office Trophy was discussed by Dick Salter and Caroline Zuber. Dick Salter has volunteered to create a new one. Bill Whitney reported that the Executive and Race Commit- tees are looking at how the handicapping is currently done, what problems exist, and what changes are necessary. There will be a report issued to all members before the 2015 Rockland Homecoming. L. Trophy Committee â Marcia Morang & Penny Richards Marcia & Penny reported that we have several problems with the trophies. They are being returned dirty, without the required engraving, or not returned at all. Members have expressed a desire to continue to receive trophies, so they must be properly cared for, and returned by recipients. The Commodoreâs Trophy needs to be rebuilt. Anyone who would like to volunteer to do this job should contact Marcia, Penny, or Noel March. Marcia & Penny would like to have more people join them to work on the Trophy Committee. The list of non-racing trophies awarded both at Rockland and at the Annual Meeting needs to be updated with the correct trophy descriptions, names of recipients, and a photo of each trophy. The membership agreed to return to presenting âkeeperâ trophies for next year. Scott Martin has asked to add a new award in the non-racing category. He would name the award the âRay of Hopeâ trophy after the original name of his boat. The trophy would go to someone who overcomes a significant life obstacle or challenge. The idea was accepted enthusiastically. M. Southwest Harbor Rendezvous â Miff Lauriat See the article on page 2 in this issue. N. Historian â Ralph Stanley Ralph is moving his collected papers to the Sail, Power and Steam Museum in Rockland. There is still a question about who owns the Friendship Sloop Society collection of papers at the Bath Maine Maritime Museum. Ralph will follow-up on this question. Ralph is looking for stories of old, working boats. Dan West is familiar with much of this information and Caroline Zuber will connect Dan with Ralph. O. Publicity â Scott Martin, Judy Heininger, Scott Phillips Scott Martin is contacting some media/newscasts in Maine for exposure for the Society. Laurie Fullerton was mentioned as someone who works in the publicity field and could be a possible help. Noel will contact her. P. Book Committee â Ted Walsh See the article on page 1 in this issue. – 9 – Friendship Sloop Society Annual Meeting Minutes
II. Old Business A. Several FSS Constitution changes were proposed: Proposed correction of Article IV, Duties of Officers, Section D, Treasurer; to change the article to read âhave the Treasurer post and maintain the list of all physical assets on the website.â A motion was made, seconded, and passed unani- mously. Proposed correction of Article VI, Standing Committees, Section B, Other Standing Committees; to change the article to read âhave the Secretary post and maintain the list of Standing Committees on the website.â A motion was made, seconded, and passed unanimously. Executive Committee amendments to establishing Standing Committees were proposed as follows: By vote of the Executive Committee only, establish the Nominating Committee as a Standing Committee. A motion was made, seconded, and passed unanimously. (Appointment of a chair had been voted on previously in an Executive Committee meeting.) By vote of the Executive Committee only, establish a Trophy Committee as a Standing Committee and appoint Marcia Morang as chair. A motion was made, seconded, and passed unanimously. B. Dissolving a Standing Committee established by previous Annual Meeting vote: It was proposed that the âBook Committeeâ be disestablished. The Book Committee has accomplished its primary function by creating and publishing the new book, âLasting Friendshipsâ, and is no longer required. A motion was made, seconded, and passed unanimously. III. New Business A. Presentation of non racing awards. See the article page 11 this issue. B. Honorary Members â presented by Bill Whitney The Commodore and the Executive Committee received a recom- mendation that the Society confer Honorary Membership on two long-serving members who have been FSS officers and supporters for many years. The Executive Committee recommended that Bill and Caroline Zuber become Honorary Members. The motion was made, seconded, and passed unanimously. C. Sail, Power and Steam Museum Presentation by Capt. Jim Sharp Capt. Sharp presented an outstanding slide show highlighting the activities and collections of the museum, and its many programs. Capt. Sharp also discussed the recent launching of Persis- tence by the Museum, after many years of effort, and the Museumâs offer to receive Blackjack, #19, as a donation, and to undertake restoration work on this Class A, Wilbur Morse-built sloop, once owned by Bill Pendleton. Blackjack will most likely be a static display because she is in need of extensive work to stabilize her. Capt. Sharp extended an invitation to the Society to join the Museum in a partnership that would provide the Society with an address in Rockland, safe and convenient storage for our papers and artifacts, office space, and the ability to potentially use the Museum for events during the Rockland Homecoming. D. Rockland 2015 Status Report The Permit for a Special Event will be filed with the Rockland Harbor Master and U.S. Coast Guard in January 2015, for the July 16 – 18 Homecoming. The tent has been verbally reserved and the Rockland Yacht Club will be approached again to see if they want to use the tent on Sunday, July 19th , for a fee. E. Nominating Committee â Peter Toppan Peter presented the slate of new officers: Commodores â Noel & Laurie March Vice-Commodore â Jeff Cronin Recording Secretary — Nancy Toppan Membership Secretary — Carole Wojcik Treasurer â Greg Merrill A motion to accept was made, seconded, and approved unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at approximately 5:30 PM. The silent and live auctions were again successful fundraisers for the General and Scholarship Funds. The entertainment for the evening was provided by sea chantey performers Peter Souza, Audit Souza, Ernie Pigeon and Amy DeSilva, members of the group âThree Sheets to the Windâ. Respectfully submitted, Nany Toppan, Recording Secretary Russ Perrin & daughter Laura aboard The Sloop John B – 10 – Friendship Sloop Society Annual Meeting Minutes
2014 Awarded Non-Placing and Non-Racing Trophies Paul & Carol Lindstrom of Perigrine Contributions to the FSS and New England sailing Messing About Ted Walsh & Judy Heininger of Black Star In honor of sloop Omaha, built in 1901 Omaha Ted Walsh of Black Star Race Committee award in honor of Ralph Stanleyâs contribu- tions to the FSS Stanley Cup Maldwin Drummond of Freedom New owner, builder or restorer of sloop who sails her to Homecoming Owner-Builder Victor Goulding of Namaste Sloop that sails the farthest to Homecoming Gladiator Marge Russakoff of Salatia Woman who keeps boat, crew and family together Chrissy Abigail March of Content Youngest crew member Nickerson Caroline Zuber of Gladiator Exemplifies the spirit of Friendship Spirit of Friendship Ted Walsh & Judy Heininger Unusual contribution to FSS Bancroft Laurie Raymond for Hegira Best Yearbook article Morang Gladiator Class A sloop who first finds this bottle of clear liquid Rum Line Gladiator First place original Class A sloop Wilbur Morse 7th place overall finish Tannis Celebration Middle of the fleet finish Danforth Gladiator First Division II bald headed sloop, given in honor of sloop Liberty Liberty Salatia First overall Pemaquid, Division I Jarvis Newman 2014 Winner Description Trophy Name Blackjack Homeward Bound On December 2, 2104, the 33 foot Wilbur Morse-built, 115 year old Friendship Sloop, Blackjack, arrived at her new home at the Sail, Power and Steam Museum in Rockland, ME. Owned and sailed for many years by former FSS Commodore Bill Pendleton, she has most recently been in the possession of Kelly and Diane McGee of Bristol, RI. Deciding that the time commitment, expense, and level of expertise necessary to restore her to her original state were beyond their current capacities, the McGeeâs sought a new owner for the aging sloop, which was recently profiled by Maynard Bray in the âSave A Classicâ column of Wooden Boat Magazine (No. 241). For several months prior to the move, discussions were afoot among the McGees, several interested members of the Society, and Capt. Jim Sharp, Founder and Director of the non-profit Museum. Having recently launched Persistence, after a three-plus year renovation and fitting out by an all-volunteer crew, the Museum was very interested in acquiring another âprojectâ boat to serve as an on-sight teaching exhibit for boat building and restoration. Kelly and Diane most generously agreed to donate Blackjack, and the Museum agreed to accept and shelter her. A volunteer crew of ½ dozen FSS members assembled the day before the move to strip the mast, offload ballast, and install several internal braces to improve structural integrity before she was loaded, spars and all, onto a Continental Trucking trailer. Whether she remains a static exhibit at the Museum, or a complete rebuild with the hope of returning to her native Maine waters, will be decided after further evaluation, and determination of projected expense and volunteer hours. Anyone wishing to become involved on any level should contact the Sail, Power and Steam Museum at 207-701-7627. Expect to see a more detailed narrative and update on Blackjack in the 2015 FSS Yearbook. Membership News (Continued from Page 4) From Russ Perrin, owner of #210 The Sloop John B: âWell, The Sloop John B is back on the cradle under a tarp for the winter. I must confess, Iâm relieved! They are a lot of work and worry! I did get some sailing time in between launch, rigging, motor, mooring, weather, wind, rot, un-rigging, crane and cradle. I do enjoy all of it! All is well in Canandaigua Lake, NY. I included a picture of myself and my daughter 13 year old Laura Perrin. Can you see whatâs ânot quite rightâ with the rigging? That was an easy fix! (See the picture on page 10). Oh, I was able to crew on the Nina & Pinta for 5 days this August. They passed by on Lake Ontario, so I went to see them. Next thing I knew, I helped them thru the Welland Canal to Lake Erie to Lorain, Ohio. Too cool!â From Morgan Hendry, owner of #160 Defiance: âWe had some great sailing in Johnâs Bay latter part of August & one day it was really breezing up. A Houston couple who had just bought a home across from the âContented Soleâ restaurant near Fort William Henry circled us and took these photos. (Morgan enclosed a thumb drive with photos). It is great to get Defiance back on the water and re-aquaint the âcrewâ with sailing in Maine waters.â – 11 –
Friendship Sloop Society 347 Lincoln Street Norwell, MA 02061 Address Correction Service Requested The FSS Yearbook Needs YOU! The Yearbook is a reflection of our membership, documenting our achievements, adventures, and misad- ventures over the years. Many members of the Society have taken the time to contribute articles, and we have published an amazing collection of tales describing sloop restorations, a sailing triumph or faux pas, and personal reflections that bind us all together as a Society. Not all of us are great sailors but we all share a love of Friendship Sloops and we all have some story to tell. Some of us have been very good about recording our tales and sharing them through the Yearbook, but many of us have not yet put pen to paper. All you need to do is submit something in writing; a story long or short, a poem, a review, anything, (hopefully electronically) to the Yearbook Editor (editor@fss.org), and you can become a published author. Do it NOW, when you are dreaming about sailing this coming summer. The deadline for submissions for the 2015 Yearbook is April 15, 2015. Think of writing an article as a form of tax relief!! Although we crave the written word we are also looking for good photographs and drawings; pictures of sloops, people on sloops, people talking about sloops, and sloop people just having a good time. If you are one of those people that go sailing with a camera or sketchpad in one hand and the tiller (yes, your editorâs boat has a tiller) in the other, share some of your work with us. Please contribute today!!! The Yearbook Bulletin Board deadline is also April 15, 2015. For $20, you have four lines of text to express a message to your fellow sloopers, the Society, and beyond. This too can be submitted electronically or by mail, with a check made out to the Friendship Sloop Society, mailed to Yearbook editors Rich & Beth Langton, 868 Cross Point Rd., Edgecomb, ME 04556. We thank you! – 12 –
