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 Gardner Small Craft Seminar - Mystic Seaport

By Pete Leenhouts - Port Ludlow Washington - USA

 

The weekend, June 5-6, was the annual John Gardner Small Craft Seminar Weekend at Mystic Seaport.

The weather, unfortunately, was not really cooperative. Saturday was cloudy and threatening, and Sunday, though promising early, turned dark about 9am and then got quite windy as the leading edge of a strong cold front moved through the area. As a result, attendance at the event on Sunday, the day I managed to attend, was virtually nil - perhaps five to six privately-owned boats and at most ten or twelve people on the docks, all told, during the mid-day hours I was there. (I think the weather this past weekend was far better than back in 2001, though, when it was wet, dark and cold the entire weekend). That said, there were several quite interesting boats, as always, to admire against the backdrop of Mystic Seaport.

Sunlight at mid-day, boats on the piers, and two onlookers! (Though there were two attendees from the recent Early American Industries Association annual meeting out messing about in a sailboat). This is a view from the piers looking back at the Boathouse.

I don't get the opportunity to visit Mystic Seaport all that often, so it is always a memorable experience when I do so. Many of Mystic's small craft were out on the piers.

This fine craft is one of the Mystic boats.

"Skye" is a little Mystic-owned pram.

"Peter and Allyn", one of the privately-owned boats at the Workshop. I really like this rough and tough-looking boat. She was coppered below those two upper strakes.

Another of the small craft owned by Mystic Seaport.

One of the privately-owned visitors. That interior color is a first for me - it seemed to work for the boat!

There was a mix of traditional and contemporary small craft on the docks. The breasthook on this glued lapstrake boat caught my eye. There is a lot of restrained detail to admire in this boat.

There was a mix of traditional and contemporary small craft on the docks. The breasthook on this glued lapstrake boat caught my eye. There is a lot of restrained detail to admire in this boat.

A decked sailing canoe looked as though it was ready to jump away from the dock at the slightest provocation. Luckily, the wind pinned the boat nicely to the float!

This eye-catching traditionally-built boat had a registration sticker from Mamaroneck NY discretely tucked on one side of the hull.

"Sand", one of Mystic's boats.

"Captain Hook"

A little water on the deck of this small boat will help tighten things up.

A couple took a row in one of the Mystic boats...

...and this is one of the several decked canoes that occasionally flitted about the harbor in the winds. All in all, as always, and weather not withstanding, it was a great day at Mystic Seaport. It would have been nice to have more people enjoy it!

Pete Leenhouts
Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding
Port Hadlock WA
https://www.nwboatschool.org/

 

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