Getting Through a "Boring" Job

Photo by Dan Tobyne. Harold boring holes for the bronze rods

Harold and Zach had a time of it boring holes into thick piles of oak. Photo by Dan Tobyne



Zach, 15, - future master shipwright?  photo by Dan Tobyne




Wedges. Photo by Dan Tobyne



Great fall colors. Photo by Dan Tobyne

Harold and the gang have been making good progress over the past week - and the beautiful fall weather has been cooperating, too. Harold has been calling the work "boring" because he and Zach have been boring holes through thick oak and fastening huge bronze rods to the stem and stern posts. Bernie Power provided some excellent staging for the stem but a lot of it involves a balancing act and Chuck has been doing a great job making moulds. Steve has been here and is always a great help. Today, Harold is getting ready to get the next bulkhead frame out the door. Bernie has done a fantastic job building the bulkhead - milled, beaded and sanded all the boards, putting tounges and grooves on it. He is a great asset and we will be writing more on him soon.

Todays Birds Eye View of the Yard

This is the time-lapse photo today.


Whenever I am walking around upstairs in the house, I hear the shutter of a camera lense closing and opening and remember that every 15-minutes or so, we are photographing the progess of the Pinky Ardelle. Sometimes the yard is pitch dark or like today, sun out and water glistening, there is a good full view of the schooner under construction. It is fun to check the website whenever and see what is going on. Sometimes one sees the people, other times it is just the schooner (oh, with the scary clown now sitting to the left of the schooner on a nearby plank.) The scary clown has been a source of some discussion, as one passerby thought it was a young child and another thought it was a blond lady over in the yard. Still others, like my dog, think it is a scary clown...while our intrepid photographer Dan Tobyne thinks it is a big pain in the neck...as his artistic eye is often setting up a photo, only to find the scary clown has founds its way into the frame. Ugh. Anyone have a better idea for a mascot?

Some of us don't really like scary clown, including me, but every Burnham built boat has had an odd mascot in the yard.

Fifth Frame is Out the Door

A bulkehead in place on the fifth frame

Harold inspecting the bulkhead

Bulkhead heads out the door

Harold and Chuckie

An important frame has been completed and it happens to be the fifth frame that will go up this week, complete with a watertight bulkhead. I won't go into the details of how the bulkhead was constructed without consulting Harold first but these fotographs by Dan Tobyne give a good sense of the thickness of it. This is a crucial element to complying with Coast Guard regulations which is the intent as Harold plans to charter the Ardelle to passengers.  Nice work, and this frame is going to be a heavy one to put in place!

Saturday in the Yard - Some Dan Tobyne Pictures

Late afternoon shadow of Harold

Harold putting the tenon in place.

It's a stretch

Dan Tobyne really does nice work and these pictures really should not be sitting in his files but need to be seen. Thanks again, Dan, for giving up your time - coming down between your daughter's soccer games and other committments - to shoot.  You do great work!

More Work on Stem and Stern

Wooden trunnels firms up the stern post.

Stern post is being set in place - for good!



This late afternnon shot is of sheer legs, stern post and tenon.






Harold and Chuck checking out the fit of the next piece

  Harold has spent a good deal of time on the stem and stern over this week and some of the pictures here by Dan Tobyne are spectacular. On Saturday, young Zach, Chuck and Harold had a long day but were able to beautifully attach critical pieces to the stern and secure the stern post. Prior to that, it was somewhat precariously held by a chain and sheer legs. At the moment, the author of this blog, is on a "hardship" assignment in Bermuda -(seriously - its a fun assignment) but thanks to Dan we can keep you updated on what is going on in the yard this week. Also, check out the website to see the continually updated photographs of the Ardelle in progress.

Work Is Progressing on the Ardelle

Bow is coming together



Putting the pieces together



Harold, Jeff and Zach working on frame number six.

This frame is nearly ready to go

Photographer Dan Tobyne has been continuing with his excellent work while things come together on the stem and with the next plank. Besides Dan's great photographs, we also have on our website's front page the ability to update photos of the progress of the Ardelle. Steve Hastings, Harold's cousin, and Sue Hastings have been working hard on perfecting three cameras around the yard that take photographs every 15 minutes or so. Anytime you log on to Burnham Boatbuilding you can catch the latest shot.

The Ongoing Tradition of the Photographer and the Boatyard

Dan Tobyne taking a photo of Chuck Redman working on the stern.

Dan is picured here assisting Harold at the bandsaw.

One of Dan's many excellent photos taken this past month

Throughout the years, the boatyards of Essex drew photographers to the yards where they became both part of the crew and in turn documented the work of building a wooden schooner. In the 1930s, the late John Clayton took pictures of the ongoing work at the Jake Story yard. In the 1990s, Lou Joceyln chronicled the building of Tom Ellis' schooner the Thomas E. Lannon. Lou was originally from Nova Scotia and had lots of stories to tell and kept the crew entertained. Last heard, Lou was traveling around the country in his RV with his lady friend. We miss him! The Fame was chronicled by cartoonist Michael Scagliotti, who is now an instructor at the Cartoon Art Museum of San Francisco and captured through timed photography and turned into a film by cousin Steven Hastings.  Meanwhile, the Isabella was photographed in part by Chrissy Piper and Randy Robar with a film by Steve Hastings and so ... in keeping with that tradition we welcome Dan Tobyne of Hamilton.  Dan is a professional photographer and native New Englander who has been involved in photography for more than 40 years. Early in his career as a teacher of at-risk youth, he helped develop a wilderness education program that used photography as a behavior-modification tool.  His work is on display in public and private collections throughout New England and is featured in the books Boston's Emerald Necklace, Thoreau's Cape Cod and Thoreau's Maine Woods. He has been down here at the boatyard quite a lot since early August. His photographs are remarkable and we really appreciate his company!