Kingston Messabout 2005

Kingston, Ontario
September 9,10+11, 2005

BRUCE HECTOR ACCOMPLISHED ANOTHER GREAT MESSABOUT! HIS PRODUCTION OF THE 2003 EVENT MADE ALL WHO ATTENDED THAT ONE ANTICIPATE THIS WONDERFUL TIME TOGETHER. EVEN THOUGH THE ATTENDANCE WAS A LITTLE LOWER THIS YEAR THERE WERE STILL PLENTY OF BOATS TO SEE AND RIDE ON AND LOTS OF REALLY NICE PEOPLE TO TALK TO. THE WEATHER COULDN’T HAVE BEEN BETTER, BLUE SKY, PUFFY WHITE CLOUDS, AND A GENTLE BREEZE ALL THREE DAYS. THE RIDEAU ACRES CAMPGROUND WAS THE SITE AGAIN FOR THIS YEAR’S GATHERING. IT IS AN IDEAL SETTING WITH A LAUNCH RAMP, BEACH, MARINA SLIPS AND LAWN AREA.

THE FESTIVITIES BEGAN FRIDAY EVENING WITH A GATHERING OF THOSE THAT HAD ALREADY ARRIVED WITH EACH FAMILY BRINGING A SNACK AND DRINK. IT WAS A GOOD TIME TO RENEW OLD AQUAINTANCES AND SWAP SOME LONG TALES OF THE SEA. AS NIGHT FELL EACH PERSON WENT TO THEIR PLACE OF REST ANTICIPATING THE EVENTS OF SATURDAY.

SATURDAY DAWNED BEAUTIFUL FORETELLING A GOOD DAY ON THE WATER. THOSE THAT HAD STAYED ON THEIR BOATS STARTED TO RUSTLE ABOUT WITH COFFEE IN HAND SEEING WHO ELSE WAS UP. CONVERSATIONS BEGAN AND EACH OTHER’S BOAT WAS ADMIRED. SOMETIME’S BREAKFAST WAS SHARED AND NEW FRIENDSHIPS BEGUN. BRUCE HAD ARRANGED FOR FOLKS TO MEET AT THE LOCAL DENNY’S RESTAURANT FOR BREAKFAST. WHEN THEY ALL RETURNED TO THE SITE THINGS STARTED TO REALLY HAPPEN. AS PEOPLE AND THEIR BOATS WERE ARRIVING FOR THE DAY THE OTHER BOATS WERE SPIFFED UP. WE COULD GO ON ANY BOAT IN ATTENDANCE, TALK ABOUT THE CONSTRUCTION, HOW LONG IT TOOK TO BUILD, AND HER PERFORMANCE. MANY RIDES WERE GIVEN IN THE COURSE OF THE 2 DAYS. I HAD A GREAT TIME AND I’M SURE EVERYONE ELSE DID ALSO.

SOME FOLKS CAME JUST FOR SATURDAY, SOME TRAVELING MANY HOURS TO ATTEND. IT WAS WORTH THE TRIP THOUGH. THE LARGER BOATS REMAINED THROUGH SUNDAY AND LOGGED MORE THAN A FEW HOURS ON THE RIDEAU WATERWAY.

BOATS IN ATTENDANCE

THE FIRST BOAT TO ARRIVE SATURDAY MORNING WAS A MICHALAK AF4 POWER BOAT. IT WAS BUILT BY FRED SHOONER AND WAS CREWED BY HIS SON. THE COLOR SCHEME WAS MUCH ADMIRED. HE AND HIS SON WERE IN THE BOAT MOST OF THE DAY. HE GAVE MANY RIDES TO THANKFUL PEOPLE THROUGHOUT SATURDAY.

I BROUGHT MY RECENTLY COMPLETED “BABY SNEAKEASY” T3. SHE IS 12 ½ FEET LONG AND 3 ½ FEET WIDE. I DESIGNED HER TO RESEMBLE A SNEAKEASY AND PAINTED HER THE SAME AS MY SNEAKEASY “KATIE”. THERE IS A SEPARATE ARTICLE ON HER CONSTRUCTION IN THIS MAGAZINE.

THE QUEEN OF THE SHOW IN 2003 RETURNED FOR A FEW HOURS THIS YEAR. SHE IS “MUDLARK” A BOLGER CHAMPLAIN
MASTERFULLY CONSTRUCTED BY HAN VAN PELT. HAN AND HIS LOVELY WIFE ARRIVED FROM THE NORTH ON THE RIDEAU IN EARLY AFTERNOON SATURDAY. AS USUAL EVERYONE MARVELED AT THE WORKMANSHIP AND INNOVATION OF HAN’S DREAMBOAT.

PAUL MCLELLAN AND HIS WIFE COLEEN HAD ARRIVED ON FRIDAY WITH THEIR BEAUTIFULLY EXECUTED BOLGER HOUSEBOAT. SHE WAS MUCH ADMIRED AND IT SEEMED LIKE SHE WAS AWAY FROM THE DOCK MOST OF THE TIME GIVING RIDES. SHE HAS A 9.9 YAMAHA 4 STROKE MOTOR AND MAXES OUT AT 8 KNOTS AND CRUISES AT 6 KNOTS.

ANOTHER OF THE LARGE BOATS IN ATTENDANCE WAS A BOLGER WATERVAN MADE BY STEFAN GUTERMUTH AND GEORGE MINDOS FROM NEW JERSEY. THIS WATERVAN IS #2 IN EXISTENCE. SHE IS VERY NICELY PUT TOGETHER WITH A VOLUMOUS INTERIOR. SHE SPORTS A 115 HP 4 STROKE AND HAS A TOP SPEED OF 28 KNOTS.

SUSAN DAVIS BROUGHT HER FINE EXAMPLE OF THE BOLGER SINGLE HANDED SCHOONER. SHE WORKED MUCH OF SATURDAY AND SUNDAY MORNING TO FIX A STICKY DAGGERBOARD. SHE SAILED BEAUTIFULLY.

THE FINAL LARGE VESSEL WAS A REALLY NEAT SHANTY BY JACK KERN. WE HAD FOUR BOATS MOORED TO HER AT ONE POINT WITH EVERYONE ASKING LOTS OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF THIS “HOME AWAY FROM HOME” JACK SAID HE TRIED ALL SUMMER TO GO NOWHERE!

HOWARD ANTHONY BROUGHT HIS STEVENSON POCKET CRUISER FRIDAY. HIS SON AND HE USED THE BOAT OFTEN IN THE COURSE OF SATURDAY. SHE IS AN IMPRESSIVE DESIGN WITH LOTS OF ROOM BELOW AND GREAT WEIGHT HANDLING ABILITY.

THE FOLLOWING IS A MONTAGE OF OTHER BOATS IN ATTENDANCE. HOPEFULLY I GOT THE RIGHT NAME WITH THE RIGHT BOAT. IF I GOOFED PLEASE FORGIVE ME.

	ED TOMLINSON’S BIRDER 2
	BRYANT OWEN AND HIS SAILING MOUSE
	ANDREW BUTCHART AND MOUSE DREW NEVEN’S ONE SHEET SKIFF BEHIND
	ANDREW SAILING HIS PIROUGUE
	DREW NEVEN’S ONE SHEET SKIFF
	JACK KERN IN HIS ROWING SCOW
	BRUCE HECTOR’S TWISTED SEAGULL
	DREW NEVEN’S WACKIE LASSIE

ALL IN ALL A VERY WONDERFUL TIME WAS HAD BY ALL. BRUCE HECTOR INFORMED US AT THE SATURDAY NIGHT POT LUCK DINNER THAT HE WILL HOLD A MESSABOUT HERE EVERY OTHER YEAR. SO LOOK FOR ADVERTISEMENTS IN EARLY 2007.

STEFAN GUTERMUTH, GEORGE MINDSOS AND I WILL HAVE A MESSABOUT IN NEW JERSEY ON THE OFF YEARS. WATCH THE BOLGER SITE AND DUCKWORKS MAGAZINE FOR MORE INFO. WE ARE PLANNING FOR THIS SAME WEEKEND IN SEPTEMBER 2006.

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