Mug Up! This Saturday at Essex Shipbuilding Museum; Stanchions, Deck Beams Are Getting Done

Bungs are in, too.

Bernie Noon has been making these beautiful mast hoops

Chad and Henry get a taste of freshly dug Essex clams. The best!

This is actually THE whiskey plank - the last plank

Dan Tobyne decided to give Scary Clown a chance to get his head together (or get his head back on) after it was dug out of the bilge. At the moment, Scary Clown is once again missing but like a bad penny, he will be back!

After two inches of rain fell yesterday, today the sun is out and it is a beautiful mid-April day. Steve, Justin and Harold are working on the stanchions and Chuck is finishing his sailmaking duties. The deck beams are being varnished and prepared...three done, about 20 to go...but the tasks are starting to multiply. Fortunately, we have a highly skilled crew who are keeping the momentum going!


Be sure and stop by the Essex Shipbuilding Museum on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. where they are hosting a Saturday Mug Up event - which includes coffee, talks, and a visit to the yard here. See you then!

No Rest for the Weary - Work Goes on at the Boatyard

Planking is done and the shape seems great

Zach and Chad worked a long day

Hopefully it won't spontaneously launch itself!

On the ever higher staging finishing the final plank

Last plank

Bernie Noon is making some beautiful mast hoops

Bernie making the mast hoop

Chuck Redman, making sails in the loft, watches the last plank go on.

Steve Willard who has worked tirelessly all winter puts on the last plank

The work is moving on today (Monday) but Dan Tobyne was here on Saturday photographing the final day of planking and he took some great shots as always. There is a full crew here today so I guess there is no rest for the weary and this boat will get done yet!  Thanks again to all of those great folks who have been lending us so much help and support!

Here is Aaron burning the Christmas Tree!

Mike Rutstein, owner of the pinky schooner Fame of Salem, helps scary clown hold onto a bottle of Jim Beam whiskey just after the last plank went on. Scary clown is anathema to photographer Dan Tobyne. Whenever he tries to set up a clean shot, scary clown is in the photography.  In his frustration, he has been known to hide scary clown. Recently,  he decided to throw Scary Clowns head in the bilge and body to the mud...but somehow the clown was once again resurrected for the last plank. When school groups come to visit, they can't get over the clown, wherever he is...and they couldn't quite believe it when they saw its head floating in the bilge. We could hear their excited shouts of "we found its head! we found its head!"
Thanks Nancy Dudley for this photo!

Whiskey Plank Party Celebrates Planking of the Entire Vessel

The Whiskey Plank was hung around 5 p.m. on Saturday afternoon and the party started even before we could get the clamps off. Attending were many of the folks who have helped us with this vessel as well as some the crew and owners scanning back as far as we can remember.

Bruce Silfer and Harold Glad to see the last plank on the vessel

The shipwrights worked furiously yesterday and got the job done!

The steamers were great and the outdoor fire burned late

One of the highlights of the evening - after the whiskey bottle was open and the steamers were in the pot - was when Mike Rutstien pulled the Christmas Tree off the stern post and he and Aaron Snyder set it ablaze as he did on the schooner Fame 8 years ago. It seems like this has become a new tradition at least as long as Mike is around.

Inside the songs were great - Barry O'brien on guitar, Dusty Clampitt on fiddle and mandolin

Jeff Lane, Mr. Cleary, Davis Griffith and Justin Ingersoll

That got the party really going and the musicians pulled out their instruments, the clams - dug by the famous clammer Richie Tofuri - were ready. The party went on til the wee hours and needless to say a good time was had by all! Thank you to all of the amazing shipwrights and friends who have been so great! Thank you Lenny for the great photos

Aaron Snyder and Brian Chapsky (Mike Rutstien is behind Aaron)

Davis Griffith talks to Graham McKay, Justin Ingersoll and Harold

Last Plank Going on Around 4 p.m. Today

Justin is preparing to cut one of the last planks

The good old Steam Jenny!

Harold is working hard today!

The bow is fully planked now - just four more to go

Bernie loads more wood into the steam Jenny

It looks like the last plank is going up at around 4 p.m. today so folks should come by anytime then or thereafter to celebrate the whiskey plank!

Getting Close...Four More to Go...Whiskey Plank Tomorrow!

Harold and the crew got 7 planks on yesterday and today they put on four. Tomorrow, they have four left so it won't be long now and we will finish tomorrow for sure. E. Harold has gone through nearly all of his planking wood and mentioned that 80 percent of it was cut on his sawmill using local trees from around here. The other 20 percent was cut by our good friend Jim Aaron in New Salem, Mass, from exceptionally long trees he procured in Connecticut. The barn and sheds and property seem to be emptied out of wood some of which has been stored, for nearly three years. So, it is great to be able to walk around the boatyard and see all that wood that once lay all over the place now transformed into a beautiful vessel. Great work everyone! 

Almost There! Whiskey/Rum Plank Goes on This Saturday!

Justin Ingersoll has cut many of the planks now on the Schooner Ardelle

Just coming out of the steam box!

Harold cuts a plank

The planking stage of the project is finally coming to an end. All of the inch and three quarter lower strakes are on and trunneled, and all that remains are the two inch whales around the top before we can celebrate the end of this important stage in finishing the vessel. In the old days, this is the time the crew would finally get their first pay and a celebration would often ensue. Sometimes the last plank is referred to as the whiskey plank but our good friend Bernie Power informed us during a recent Mug Up chat that where he comes from it is called the rum plank. We happen to have some rum from our friend Bruce Slifer...as an enticement to finish.


So...if everything goes well, that bottle will be uncorked this weekend...we are shooting for Saturday afternoon/evening...with 18 planks left. We think we can do it!! So make plans to come on by on Saturday night to celebrate.

Justin Ingersoll cutting planks

Almost done!  Planking will wrap up this Saturday!

Closing in on the Whiskey Plank

A nice interior shot of the frame and plank..looking down

H

Planks on here, caulking done, looking good.

Harold Is Actually Having the Time of his life as hard as the work is!

Nice view of the planks moving on up!

Harold is closing in now on the whiskey plank although the recent snow and tax time slowed things down by a day or so...but the good weather is coming and the shipwrights will have longer days...with Harold likely working til sunset every night.  The author of this blog is currently in the British Virgin Islands covering the BVI spring regatta. I can't exactly call it a hardship assignment!

Harold and shipwright Aaron Snyder standing near the steam box

Our good friend Chuck Redman had a birthday on March 31 and Perry Burnham and Hope Kincaid Summitt baked him a cake! Photo by Perry, thanks!

Laurie Fullerton is hanging out in the BVI but we bumped into our good friend Dr. Robin Tattersoll..who has lived in Tortola a long time and has attended every BVI spring regatta - 40 years! He would be sailing this one but he had a bit of boat trouble...wish we could have watched a sailing great at the helm. Hopefully, next year!

The cat has mainly children on the rail plus a few adults. What a way to spend one's youth!

This photo was taken behind Dead Man's Chest...you know yo,ho,ho and a buttle of rum.

The BVI's most important celebrity Sir Richard Branson of Virgin Airways and Virgin Atlantic fame. This photo was taken from a small boat looking up. A few minutes later, the crew hoisted a giant spinnaker...Branson is a well-liked local here and seems pretty down to earth - at least when he is not planning to go into outer space.