A Good Time of Year to Sail on the Pinky Maine

Perry Burnham took this picture from the Pinky Maine on Tuesday as the sun went down on one of the hottest days of the year. This is a great time of year to charter as friends start visiting from out of town. Check out Burnham Boatbuilding to get summer visitors out on the Maine. It's the coolest  place on Cape Ann!

Sawdust Under Sail Off Gloucester

Dick MacKinnon wrote to Harold recently and sent in this great picture of the Sawdust under sail and said to post the photo and comments. Thanks, Dick. Here is the story: Bob Porter and I were out sailing in Willow today and we encountered Sawdust, which we watched you launch from your shop. She is beautiful! Would you please forward this on to her owner and feel free to add it to your web site if you wish. Thanks for allowing us to watch the launch from your shop.  - Dick MacKinnon

Note: The Haverhill Gazette also did a nice story on Eric Borden and Burnham Boatbuilding in thier most recent issue last Thursday. Check it out! 

Sawdust Splashes in Picture Perfect Time

Eric Borden and his whole family were on hand to watch the yawl "Sawdust" hit the water around 6 p.m. on Saturday evening this past weekend. It was a beautiful sight to see and their late father Carroll N. Borden, who originally built but never actually sailed on the boat, would have been very proud. It was a lovely and emotional moment for the family when Eric's sister christened the boat with champagne and then off Sawdust went down the rails. The family, along with Harold, took the boat for a little river cruise as the sunset. They will have some absolutely awesome sailing days ahead. Congratulations!

Sawdust Will Launch on Sat., June 19 at High Tide (6 p.m.)

Barn doors will open and the "Sawdust" (top photo taken by Tia Schlaikjer) will launch from inside.
Pictured below is the "Sawdust" going into the barn in October. Wait until she comes out the front doors into the basin, looking great!

Burnham Boatbuilding is pleased to announce the launch of a custom-built 25-foot gaff-rigged yawl originally built by the late Carroll N. Borden of Haverhill and finished by his son, Eric Borden also of Haverhill, MA The Borden family are long time residents of Haverhill, Carroll N. Borden served as a Haverhill firef...ighter and built a superb yawl that Eric has long wanted to complete and he has been working with Harold since late fall on this family treasure and it is sure a beauty. The yawl, named "Sawdust" will launch this Sat., June 19 at 6 p.m. (high tide) from the barn doors of Burnham Boatbuilding in Essex into the Essex River basin. The Essex Shipbuilding museum will offer a great vantage point for both photographers . This is the first barn launch since 2002 so it should be interesting...and the yawl is beautiful so if the light is right it could make a nice photo op. from here or the museum side!

Paella in the Boatyard

OK, the author of this blog, pictured above, had a milestone birthday on May 31, (and Harold's birthday was June 1) so we had a stellar party with the most excellent paella cooked by Davis Griffith of Marblehead. We also had steamed clams dug the day before by Harold and Alden, and homemade baked beans and ham supplied by Carol Fulleton (whose secret recipe is sought-after by the finest Marblehead cooks according to a recent story in the Dawn Bucket column in the Marblehead Reporter). There was also corn bread, roasted vegetables, chicken wings (thank you Lily from California!) and many other delicious things to eat. It was a great party and people traveled from Chicago, Ct (thanks Wendy, David and Jo!) and everyone made a great effort to come while likely  giving up other Memorial Day plans so it was a great day and all of the friends and family who came made it a very memorable one. Thank you Pam, Deb, Mom, Dad, and Harold for the kayak!! I love it. Oh, and Deb and Michel outdid themselves with the most awesome cakes.  All we needed was a sudden microburst and a green sky and it would have felt like Harold's 40th...a few years ago...if only I could turn back the clock! Thank you, Wendy Upton, for the photos!

Not Bad for A Week's Work

Harold and Ben Spivak have been working at a rapid-fire pace this past week (just another day in the boatyard for Harold) but he now has a much needed repair job near completion on Sara Beck's 1936-built Friendship Sloop the Flying Jib. Ben and Harold (and Kate & Sara, too!) have used one red oak log to complete a masterful job where they scarfed a new piece on to the after-end of the keel; replaced the stern post, replaced the after deadwood and they also added a new horn timber, added a new transom knee and are currently building a new rudder. As Ben commented just now," not bad for a week's work and all out of one red oak log." And, as Harold mentioned,  to paraphrase "I  did use red oak over white oak  [and yes, Harold is saving his coveted white oak for his new schooner to begin construction next month) but the Flying Jib was originally built with red oak over 70 years ago and will still have some good sailing days in her!" The Flying Jib is having its first major refit in some time and it is nice to see new life in this 74-year old boat.

Sistering Frames with Old Fashioned Ingenuity

Ben Spivak of Colorado and Kate Tansky are pictured here working on the Flying Jib, owned by Sara Beck of Topsfield, here at Burnham Boatbuilding. Ben and Kate are a great team and they have been very diligently sistering frames in the Flying Jib. Ben and Kate are driving these new ribs down through the covering board all the way to the keel. It is a great way of adding new life to an old boat...and hopefully giving the Flying Jib many more seasons (or at least a few!) and we are very impressed by the hard work and dedication of Ben and Kate. We also love their banana bread!