Engine Room is Nearly Finished and The Crew is Back

The Ardelle has settled in for a little while longer.

The Ardelle bumped the Maine out of the coveted slot in the creek.

Not a bad place to wait out the tide.

The spars are ready.

A veiw from the Essex Shipbuilding Museum.

Harold is finishing up the engine room now.

Tim Walsh got the cabin tops ready and they are now in place.

Harold and Chuck. Harold does need a bit of a rest, we think, but perhaps this winter!

Bob Hicks, publisher of Messing Around in Boats sent this PDF-file of his story on the side launch of the Lewis Story. I am going to try and enlarge this as it is a great story!

The Ardelle is still in the creek and a lot of the crew have returned after taking a little time to enjoy some of these great summer days. Steve Willard, Bruce Slifer, Justin Ingersoll, Zach Teal, Chuck Redmond have all been back and working hard. Also, Tim Walsh, Jackson Friedman, Jeff Lane and others are coming by and working as much as they can. It is great to see everyone back...we wish the work was done and we could start sailing but there are still some big jobs ahead. The mast should be going on early next week or even the end of this week, we hope, and that will be quite a sight to see. The cabin tops are on and the tiller is being built. The boat needs a lot more paint...Harold is nearing completion of the engine room which is huge. Thank you Dan Tobyne for the great photos.

The story of the Lewis Story launch as it appeared in Messing Around in Boats

What Is a Pinky Schooner Exactly?

The Pinky Maine last winter



The grand lady of all Essex schooners - The Ernestina
The Ernestina (not a pinky) had her bow and front section restored in 2008 at Boothbay Harbor shipyard, Harold oversaw the restoration.



Just before the launch, some people who are knowledgeable about such things described the Ardelle as being a clipper pinky - which she is. The clipper description is due to the fact  she does have a slightly more defined bow than say the pinky Maine. This is due in part to some pleading from Laurie, and her friend Aarjan, who argued that we would sail across the Atlantic Ocean on the Ardelle, but we wanted to get there quickly, or relatively quickly, and we felt we would need a clipper pinky to cut through the waves. Well, that is the way we are telling the story but it is open to intepretation. We love the bow, and it is alogether a very yar vessel!

However, a lot of folks have been asking lately...what a pinky schooner is so we have a brief description here by way of explanation. Pinky schooners were a common type of New England fishing vessel that sailed out of local Cape Ann harbors from the early eighteenth century through the early twentieth century. In 1839, there were 64 registered pinky schooners out of the Cape Ann and its district. Pinkies were generally smaller vessels from which men fished over the side but they were also known for their seaworthiness. These vessels were so distinctive in their look and common that a careful study of many marine paintings from the era will have a pinky or two in the background. Many of the paintings of the internationally renowned artist Fitz Henry Lane, including those in the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. usually have pinkies in the background of the painting. "Pinky" means that the stern is "pinked" or pinched together which indicates a pointed stern and may originally be a Dutch word.

It is believed that the pinkies developed from Chebacco boats. A good many of them were built at Essex. These vessels were built to a very high standard and some lasted a very long time. The original MAINE was built in 1845 and sailed until 1926. The ARDELLE is a typical full-rigged clipper Pinky and her design is largely based on the original MAINE –  although the Ardelle  is larger and havs more of a clipper feel.

The clipper pinky schooner Ardelle

The Ardelle during the planking stage

"I can't wait to get her out of the creek" - HAB

The Ardelle needs a tiller!

The Ardelle is grounded for now...but will be sailing soon. Nice shot! Thank you Dan.

The Ardelle is picture perfect ... but we think it is too hot for the artists today.

Yes, there is a lot more work to be done yet.



The Ardelle awaits her rigging and is in the mud for right now.



It is about 100 degrees in the shade today so the crew is stopping early but the momentum is building to get the Ardelle out of the creek and out sailing. Every day, the first thing Harold says is "I can't WAIT to get her out of the creek." He does not like to see such a vessel tied to the dock...and the Ardelle is chomping at the bit to get going. It is like we are almost at the summit but the work is just not quite done. Lots more to do, lets hope the heat wave passes soon.

This is a great vantage point at the time of the launch

We can't get enough of this!

The hard working crew in the last week before the launch



Another great pre-launch foto. All photos by Dan Tobyne.

Where is the Ardelle?



The Ardelle on the ways last Sat., July 9. Where is she now?
Photo by Caitie Tobyne



Where's the Ardelle? She was last seen on this jack stand..at least before the launch.

Where's the Ardelle? She was on the ways until recently



Where's the Ardelle? Gordon Hertel got to watch her launch and saw her first frame go up. Hopefully, he will see other schooners built here throughout his lifetime. Anyway, the Ardelle is in the creek around the corner from here. She will be sailing very soon, at least that is what we hope. Should be the first week of August, here's hoping. Just have to get the masts done and some other items...Harold has a long list but he is hammering away at it.



Where's the Ardelle? An immense amount of work went on the night before the launch. Including fastinging the chain plates to the hull. Zach is down below tightening the bolts while in the next shot Zach and Henry are finishing up the chain plates on the outside of the hull.

Anchors Aweigh - Boston Sunday Globe Story on the Launch of the Ardelle

A big thank you to Joel Brown, reporter for the Boston Globe for today's story about the launch of the Ardelle. Joel spent a couple of days here before the launch and then stayed the entire day for the actual launch so the story definitely reads well and he did a great job capturing the significance of it all. Thank you, Joel!

Here is the first paragraph and do go on and read the article with the link here http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2011/07/17/anchors_aweigh/

ESSEX - At high tide, it came down to teamwork and muscle.


Perhaps a thousand spectators watched from the Essex Shipbuilding Museum across the water last weekend as traditional shipbuilder Harold A. Burnham prepared to launch the 55-foot schooner Ardelle into the Essex River.

An announcer explaining the process called for quiet as Burnham and a dozen or so grimy volunteers carefully jacked the hand-built wooden boat, tipping it to lean on its port bilge. This was an old-school Essex side launch, providing extra buoyancy to keep the vessel from getting stuck in the muddy shallows, as it might if it went straight in on the keel.

Teenagers jumped off the nearby Route 133 bridge to swim. A policeman on a jet ski kept boaters at a safe distance. Someone handed out slices of watermelon. http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2011/07/17/anchors_aweigh/

What A Great Launch Day

Dan Tobyne arrived early on launch day. This is the only day that the staging is gone...and a great opptornity for a photographer.

Great panoramic view of this quintessential Essex scene. Photo by Dan Tobyne.

Such a graceful launch! Photo by Dan Tobyne

The launch happened around 6:30 p.m. on July 9 at high tide. What a great evening we had!

There is a lot of chaos and some tense moments at a launch. But, for this one, Harold was very calm.

The launch of the schooner Ardelle was definitely the talk of the town - and YouTube - as anyone who googles Launch of the Schooner Ardelle - will find all kinds of postings. One can see the launch from all different angles. People have been stopping by all week showing us their slideshows, and You Tube favorites. We have been featured in the Gloucester Times - with a great front page shot of Steve Willard with the American flag and the Ardelle, and Zach waving from the bow of the Ardelle after the launch. We have been on the front page of the Cape Ann Beacon and North Shore Sunday...with the schooner launching and a picture of Jackson and Justin watching it slide down the ways. We have seen Perry, Harold and Chuck on the front page of the North Shore Sunday. The minister of the Lutheran Church in Gloucester wrote an editorial about the launch. The school children of Essex were all here, screaming with excitement as they watched the boat launch. Once it launched, all the boys in town jumped into the water from the short bridge in the river basin. A friend said to me, "this is the most New England thing I have ever seen!" It was a bit of Norman Rockwell day...there was something very American, very New England about this day. We all wish we could hold onto it and keep it forever...but already the day is becoming something that happened last week, and soon it will be last year. We just would all like to see more schooners come down the ways here...just as they had done for nearly 400 years! wow. Just have to say, You Go, Harold!

Elaine, Vivian Low and Deb Burnham carry the daisy chain towards the Ardelle. Ardelle was Deb's grandmother and Daisy's were her favorite flower. She was an avid gardner and the boatyard was once full of flowers!

Just another day for Geoff Richon's old dog.

Ben Lauer was a huge help during the days before and during the launch. Thanks, Ben!

Zach's hair was cut off by Perry and Erica after the launch. They used giant sailmaking scissors! oopss!

Great view of her going down the ways

The crowd swelled to 2000 around the basin.

Perry Ardelle Burnham brings it home with a great smash, then splash!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=811537496#!/video/video.php?v=10150244474084431&comments

Great Shots by the Cape Ann Beacon

The Cape Ann Beacon has posted some great photos and a video so please do take a moment to check this out! 

http://www.wickedlocal.com/essex/ardelle/x2028115218/GALLERY-SCHOONER-ARDELLE-LAUNCH

and this great video

http://www.wickedlocal.com/essex/multimedia/videos/x2028115216/VIDEO-Ardelle-Launch

and the Dyers sennt this one in of Steve Willard

Uncle Steve

The Ardelle's Debut ' Story by the Gloucester Times

The Glocuester Times has a great story and photos in today's paper, featured here, but thank you to all for making this such a great event. We would also like to post pictures as everyone has a different angle of the launch which is great. Today, we thank Dan Tobyne and my cousin Wendy Upton for their shots!!

Here is the times story with link below
July 10, 2011


The Ardelle's debut

By Gail McCarthy

Staff Writer The Gloucester Daily Times Sun Jul 10, 2011, 11:58 PM EDT

ESSEX — The launch of the latest Essex schooner is now history.

Close to 2,000 spectators watched the 60-ton splashdown of the Schooner Ardelle in Essex on Saturday evening at high tide at the historic Burnham Boatbuilding yard.

The air filled with hushed anticipation from the crowd after the christening when the workers began to sledge hammer away the wooden blocks keeping the vessel, crafted by Harold Burnham and his colleagues, in place at the water's edge just about 6 p.m.

Then, within about 15 minutes, it was all over. The Ardelle floated on the calm waters after it listed dramatically to one side.

The atmosphere was tense when the boat began to move along its track, with a palpable gasp from the crowd. Then it stopped. More work was done to free the blocks and let Mother Nature takes its course.

Barry O'Brien, who serves on the board of the Essex Shipbuilding Museum, explained to the crowd what they were watching, and what they could expect to see.

"At some point, gravity will take over," he said.


And that it did, when the Pinky Schooner hit the river, followed by cheers and a "hip-hip hooray." About a dozen boys and girls seated on the bridge over the river then plunged into the high-tide water
 http://www.gloucestertimes.com/local/x1227516204/The-Ardelles-debut




Ardelle on Sat. a.m. with the staging down. Dan Tobyne photo.

 







Photo by Wendy Upton

 

Ardelle launches in the Essex side launch style without a hitch. Huzzah!
 Photo by Dan Tobyne

Check out all the pictures in Good Morining Gloucester! http://networkedblogs.com/kdjLM

 

It Is Midnight and All the Staging is Down

It is midnight here and all of the staging is down in preparation for tomorrow's launch. The photo is not great but you get the idea!  Also below the Cape Ann Beacon has a cool video they shot yesterday. See you tomorrow face to face or virutally.

http://www.wickedlocal.com/essex/multimedia/videos/x1629186326/VIDEO-Finishing-the-Ardelle?page=0

Last Day Before the Launch!

The Ardelle shipwrights taking a quick coffee break!

Boston Globe reporter interviews Harold. Thank you for coming by!

The place is chaotic but work is getting done. It should be a long day but in the end, tomorrow will be the longest!! Getting the boat from dry land and into the water, using wedges, sledgehammers, and a lot of Yankee ingenuity, blood, sweat and tears is what makes the launch celebration so real. It is a hard day but a very satisfying one for all..we hope!!!!  So, we will see you tomorrow on launch day! Stay tuned.