One of the Unsung Heroes of the Boatyard

Wooden beetles made by Henry Szostek

These custom-made wooden beetles were made from locust wood.

Henry Szostek has made trunneling much easier with his handmade wooden beetles



 As the planking continues, Harold has had to take a moment to work on some cant frames for the stern and hawse timbers for the bow so he is in a thinking mode. Time is marching along and Harold hopes to have the planking done soon. We have had some help on that end by Henry Szostek of Beverly Farms, who is a man of many talents. As the shipwrights began banging trunnels into the planks, we seemed to be low on some good, heavy wooden beetles - defined as a large heavy  mallet for driving anything with force; or 'a maul.' Henry began arriving with his custom-made wooden and metal beetles enabling the work to go much more smoothly. When Harold first built the schooner Lannon in 1997, the late Dana Story came by and was horrified to see shipwrights driving tunnels with steel hammers. He mentioned that you should only hit wood with wood and steel with steel. Thanks to Henry, we think Dana would be very pleased. The beetles which differ in size and weight allow even Harold's 14-year old daughter Perry to  hit the trunnel square on from the staging.
Thank you Henry!

Above itis the end of the line for the 1920s Friendship Slloop "Irene". Goodnight Irene, we will see you in our dreams! Thanks Bernie Power for all the help and as Harold says we can rebuild her...




This is not a shot of three Gondola sterns on the Venice waterway but the image of three Pinky (or pinched) sterns on the Essex River basin.