Happy New Year from Burnham Boatbuilding

Zach Teal, 15, has poured his time, energy and talent into this project.

It is backbreaking work to carry frames!

Trunnels are a key part of this schooner.

Great shot and it does take a lot of \hands to frame.

These frames are even heavier than they look.

Harold needed chains to keep the frame up at times - they are now bolted in with bronze rods

Chuckie with an old looking Harold. This is one of Dan's favorite photos!

Chuck Redman

Harold, picture here with   Zach Teal and Jeff Lane who are cousins.

A vew from the loft

Dan must have gotten into some of the mud to get this shot

Harold is adding ribands after the frames go up.

A patchwork of shapes and colors.

A great fall shot from the town dock

Harold doing some eye work

Chuck Redman, and Harold on the loft floor. Chuck did almost all of the moulding, great job!

Some framing went on well after sunset

There have been so many great photos taken this year with Dan Tobyne spending so many long hours shooting this project. We have also had contributing photos by Perry Ardelle Burnham and many others but truly, thank you, Dan, for so many great, great photos...half of them have yet to be posted so I have selected some that have not appeared and other favorites. It has been a great experience so far wathcing this schooner get built and so many people have helped. It really is an inspiring story...to be continued...into 2011! Happy New Year! ... and thanks! HAB

Andy Spinney, center, and the start of something great!

Thanks, Perry Ardelle, too, for all your great photos!

Dan is up on the scaffolding here looking down

With five frames raised, the crew needed to straighten them out

The lofting floor will not be needed as much now

Chuckie Burnham

It looks like buff Santa



Rich Tofuri of Essex meets a seal above and Daisy contemplates her next move.



Alden Burnham and Harold..the oars were swept out of the boat so they made do.

Coastal Blizzard Swamps the Boatyard

Although it is sunny today, the post Christmas storm wreaked some havoc at the Burnham yard.  While Harold has not been able to judge what may have been swept out by the tide, the barn floor had a foot of water in it at the height of the storm.  We haven't been able to find the scary clown - our mascot that Harold found at the dump. We think the large doll may be out to sea by now. Harold is busy today digging out! Stay tuned and sail on, scary clown!

If you see the ladder in the foreground above and here...one can see how high the water was at 330 a.m. on Monday morning!

Essex Elementary School Sing About the Schooner Ardelle

Thank you Essex Elementary students for your great TWO songs about the Schooner Ardelle. We look forward to sailing with you next summer!  I hope the Cape Ann Beacon does not mind if we run their story...thanks for the coverage! HAB

Essex students sing about Schooner Ardelle
Essex Elementary School students perform at their annual holiday concert.



By Staff reports

Cape Ann Beacon

Posted Dec 23, 2010 @ 04:22 PM

Essex — Essex Elementary School students performed their annual holiday concert on Dec. 22 and Dec. 23. The 4th and 5th grade chorus sang, the 5th grade band performed and the second graders sang the two folk songs they wrote with the help of Daisy Nell, a local musician.

For the past five years the second graders have done a unit on folk music with Daisy as an artist-in-residence of sorts. They learn about the music, instruments and write songs. This year is extra special as the songs they wrote are about the schooner Ardelle which is being built by Essex shipbuilder Harold Burnham. The students have also been invited to sing at the schooner’s launching this spring. Burnham paid them a visit and gave each student a trunnel with the schooner's name printed on it, which will give them passage onto the vessel once it is afloat.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

Harold, Zach and Chuck get that Christmas Tree up!

And here it will stay...until the planking is done. Mike, you know what to do!

Gloria! The Tree Has Been Heard on High

A good place for a post-Christmas party. Stay tuned!

Chuck and Zach and all the crew have worked looong hours. Here they place ribands on the frames

Harold says the ribands look great meaning there is already a nice shape to the boat

Zach has been a key asset to the Ardelle

She is a heavy boat...check it out.

This is a picture of my friend, Bobby Grieser, famed yachting photographer who was on assignment in Dubai. He decided to get all Middle Eastern on us...and in fact with the holiday coming...he really looks like one of the wise men. Hope he is bringing the incense! Merry Christmas all!

Great job to Harold and the crew of Chuck Redman, Zach Teal, Bernie Power, Steve Willard, Jeff Lane, Frances Cleary,  Dan Tobyne, Aaron Snyder, Davis Griffith, Pierre Erhard, Jim Chambers, David Wyman, Andy Spinney Henry S., Geoffrey Richon, John Miles, Eric Borden, Dr. Robin Tattersall, Chuckie and Maria Burnham, Simon Koch, Dave Brown, John Drake, Perry and Alden Burnham, Daisy Nell and Stan, Joyce for her great Red Barrell Chowder, Carla our great neighbor and many more folks and passerbys and helpers that I am sorry to have omitted.  It could not be done without you!! Thanks, too, for buying our trunnels and planks!

Is It the Last Frame Yet? Yep!!



The Schooner Ardelle has all its frames in place now! yeah.

Harold called to say the last frame just went up and the Christmas tree is in place on the stern! Hooray. The Frame Up call will not be heard again for some time...but for now that is OK.  Take a break, perhaps, and celebrate Christmas. Planking starts soon enough!  Great job to Harold and the crew of Chuck Redman, Zach Teal, Bernie Power, Steve Willard, Jeff Lane, Frances Cleary,  Dan Tobyne, Aaron Snyder, Davis Griffith, Pierre Erhard, Jim Chambers, David Wyman, Andy Spinney Henry S., Geoffrey Richon, John Miles, Eric Borden, Dr. Robin Tattersall, Chuckie and Maria Burnham, Simon Koch, Dave Brown, John Drake, Perry and Alden Burnham, Daisy Nell and Stan, Joyce for her great Red Barrell Chowder, Carla our great neighbor and many more folks and passerbys and helpers that I am sorry to have omitted.  It could not be done without you!! Thanks, too, for buying our trunnels and planks!

Winter Solstice and We are Making Headway

Nice angle! Dan Tobyne is everywhere

It's been great to have Chuck Redman out of the loft (finished lofting) and down on the boat. Nice photo, Dan!

Harold at the stern

Attaching some more ribands

A nice view of the whole schooner

Harold and Zach Teal are bolting with a sledgehammer. Believe us, last minute Christmas shopping is what it feels like!

Steve Willard and Pierre Erhard also helped bolt the frames

Chuck Redman and Harold at the drafting table. Yes, the stove is elevated so that the lofting floor can be used.

It has been busy here at the yard and by today it looks like the last frame will be going up. Everything is in place and Harold will then be able to hang a Christmas tree off the bow. The crew have been working extremely hard and their tenacity has helped make this all happen. Folks have been buying trunnels and planks, too, and we thank you all for that.  Check out the website it you would like to purchase a last minute trunnel gift. The frames were going to be up this a.m. but it looks like the winter solstice decided to give us some astronomically high tides. Well, now that the days will be getting longer and the planking process will begin...perhaps there is some kind of feeling now that this will be a heck of a nice schooner.